What is this feeling; it feels like I’m sleeping on a cold, stone ground. I can’t remember going to sleep though. I’m glad I’ve never had any troubles with waking up though.

I slowly wiggle my toes and fingers a little bit subconsciously, to get a feeling of where I might be sleeping.

“Has the bald monkey, finally awoken?!”

Where am I? I can’t remember going to sleep with someone next to me! I quickly open my eyes, and the first thing I see is a black reddish blur, moving at high speed towards my head.

I’m able to roll to my left just in the nick of time, because just when I got out of the way, I can hear the floor next to me, making some cracking noises.

I’m glad those noises didn’t have to come from my bones.

I quickly get up, while looking around me.

I remember kicking in the door, and seeing some kind of animal sitting on a big chair, I must’ve fainted from tiredness afterwards.

“Hyeeee, not bad èh. I guess you do know when to wake up, otherwise I would have woken you up with that blow.”

I look at the man, who had just raised his voice.

He’s covered in fur, and has a lean face. He has a small beard, and the fur is a mix between grey and a little bit of black. His eyes indicate a playful character, but this could be faked. He was wearing Japanese armour, which means that it’s consisting out of multiple layers. He had big blocks of armour on his shoulders, thighs and chest.

While I was slowly observing him whilst walking back, he was lazily standing there holding a big staff, which I estimated around 2 meters long, on his shoulder with seemingly no effort.

“Oi, oi, are ya not gonna speak? Is that an invitation for me to hit ya again?!”

I quickly start speaking, because I could see he started smiling, and he was already preparing to lash out at me.

“Ehmm, don’t hit me. The priests of this church requested of me that I should clear out all the rooms, and this is one of the last rooms remaining. I didn’t expect anyone residing here, though. I’m sorry if I bothered you.”

Shit, I hope I didn’t bother him too much by kicking through his front door. Literally.

The monkey look alike started laughing and replied to me.

“Kyahahaha, you have guts barging in here without a care. And this certainly is no church, so ya’d better come up with a better excuse before I…”

I don’t like how he’s menacingly smiling like that, I should not let my guard down, before he’ll come at me with that staff again. I take another pair of steps back, to increase the distance between the monkey and me.

“Well, this room is part of a church, you know. I’m sorry to have bothered you. I was just going to clean it up a little.”

The man stopped smiling, and slowly raised his staff from his shoulder. After he lifted it from his shoulder, he slowly dropped it to the ground.

*BANG*

I widen my eyes at the sight before me, it looked like he dropped the tip of the staff to the ground without any effort, but a slight moment after his staff hit the ground, a big crater appeared right at that spot.

“I have no idea what ya’re talking about when ya keep mentioning these churches. Less apologizing, and more explaining!”

The monkey began emanating a red swirl of energy, which was slowly moving up, just before dissipating. It almost looked like he was the reincarnation of fury itself.

I unconsciously started to sweat a little bit, and my pace backwards fastened.

“Kyahahaha, just kidding, but on a serious note, I would like that explanation.”

What’s wrong with this monkey?! The fighting spirit he was emanating was gone as fast as it appeared, and the monkey was just standing there, laughing without a care in the world.

I’d better clear this up fast, before I’ll die for a stupid reason, at level one.

“This room, the one you’re residing in, is part of a church with a lot of other rooms. It was requested of my friend and I, to clean up these rooms for the staff of the church. They haven’t been used in a long time, and they might want to use them. But, I can clearly see that they didn’t know what was in these rooms.”

Especially a monkey…

“I highly doubt your story, but I haven’t left this room for a little while, so it might actually be true. Time flows different for me anyway. Kyahahahaha.”

What is he still going on about? I just want to leave this room, and finish this quest. That guy looks pretty frightening by himself anyway.

I don’t think it’s worth the hassle to figure out if he has anything to do with a quest. I’m still too weak at the moment, so I’ll come back later with my friends.

I keep smiling at him, as I turn around and try to leave the room silently.

“Oi, oi, oi, ya’re not going to just leave now, right?!”

I could see a grey blur, and before I could react, I bumped into the monkey. He had moved so fast, that I couldn’t even fully see him move. It was almost like he teleported.

I looked up, as he was a few centimetres bigger than I am, and tried to smile at him. But the smile was wiped from my face, when I was suddenly blown back, by a gust of wind.

“Kyahahaha, you won’t leave, as easily as that! I’m stuck in this room myself, and you might just be the way out for me! It’s all because of this majestic staff, Ruyi Bang, that I cannot leave this room for now. But enough about me, I’m more interested in you, for now! But be careful, I get bored, very easily.”

I could see from his face that he had mixed emotions towards his staff, I could see a fierce and majestic emotion at first, but later it looked like a little bit of melancholy. He must’ve been through a lot, together with that staff.

“I’m very sorry, but I do not have the time to mingle with you at the moment. I would be pleased to help you later, but I have something to do right now.”

I smile at him, and try to boldly walk past him, as our positions were reversed when he jumped in front of me, when I tried to leave the first time.

The only thing I can hope for, is that he’ll just let me walk past him, but I have a bad premonition.

Just when I was about to pass him, a staff appeared before me, blocking my way.

“I told ya, ya’re not leaving without my permission. I want to see if ya’re suitable first, and if ya’re deemed to be unsuitable, only then, may ya leave immediately.”

I can’t help but let out a sigh.

Might as well resolve myself, and get this over with quickly.

Just when I was about to ask the human with fur what this talk of ‘being suitable’ was all about, I saw the staff coming at me with a very fast velocity.

Without having time to think calmly, I immediately raised my arms to protect my face, but the only thing I could hear, wasn’t my face breaking, but a part of the floor, right before me.

I quickly opened my eyes, and could see the staff, Ruyi Bang, lying before me, on the ground.

“Lift it!”

I looked at the monkey questioningly, but the only thing he would say, was that.

No idea why he wants me to lift it, but it clearly looked like it’s very heavy.

Might as well try to lift it, and just leave afterwards, so that I can complete the quest. Helius should have finished ages ago, so he’s probably waiting for me. Although for some reason, it wasn’t possible to contact him within this room.

I reach out to the staff, and embrace it with both my hands.

Here goes nothing!

From my karate lessons, I’ve learned that I should always use the force of my legs, when pulling. This probably saved my back now, because if I had used my back, trying to lift the staff, I probably would’ve injured it. That’s how heavy the staff is.

It wasn’t like I couldn’t lift it at all, but the strange thing was, that the staff seemed to go higher a few millimetres, every second I tried lifting it.

I see, it’s just a trick!

I don’t have to use my full power to lift it, because that would only tire me out quickly. I just have to lift it with a little bit of force for a long period of time, and it’ll rise eventually, seeing how it’s still rising every second.

I try to relax a little bit, and use a little less force, but before I could use the bare minimum of strength, the staff increased in weight.

WHAT?!

Damn, guess I was wrong!

I start using my full power again, and instead of the staff increasing its weight again, it got lighter, to the point of reaching its initial weight again. I could also feel the staff slowly rising again.

I guess that means that this is a battle of willpower!

The longer I can keep using my full force, the higher I can lift this staff. This will be a tough one, because I’ve always been one, to give up a little easier than I’d like. Maybe I can use this situation to prove myself otherwise.

All thoughts of just dropping the staff, to leave easily, disappeared from my mind, as I slowly became immersed in just trying to lift the staff a little bit higher, each second.

I could hear the monkey chuckle a little, but it didn’t register.

For a while, it was only the staff, and me.

I had lifted the staff to around my knees, and I could already feel my stamina running out.

My hands had started sweating long ago, and my back was about to be fully soaked too.

Every time my hands were about to slip, I managed to regain my grip on the staff at the last moment, and was able to lift the staff a little higher.

This continued for a while, until I could feel my back and legs giving way.

Shit! Just a little longer!

I had unconsciously started biting on the collar of my shirt. A habit I had acquired some time ago, which I always seemed to do, when I have difficulties keeping up with something.

I realized that the staff was about to slip from my hands, so it was time to give it my all for the last bit, and then just accept how far I could go.

As I scream out, or make a kiai as we would call it within Karate, I lift the staff a few centimetres more to reach my hips. I couldn’t hold the staff any longer, as the weight kept increasing, the higher it was lifted, so I dropped the staff to the floor. I could hear the floor crack under its weight again.

Following after the staff, I let myself lie down on the floor too. I had been using everything I had for two minutes straight, which felt like an eternity.

I was a little frustrated with the final result, but to be honest, I was too tired to care at that moment.

Just when I was about to ask the monkey if I had passed, he spoke up:

“Willpower has always been something that divides the good people, from the great.”

The humane monkey smiled, and continued, while being surprisingly serious:

“I have been trapped inside this room, just like my previous master. When the heirs of the monkey king have outlived their usefulness, they are magically bound to a room, until they can find a proper disciple. The method of testing, has always been that of having potential heirs lifting the staff, for this is a test of willpower. The staff will automatically adjust itself, to the strength of the one trying to lift it. The first generation monkey king has always used willpower as a manner of testing, because with a high willpower, everything can be achieved.”

Hmm, I haven’t heard that monkey talk so serious before, does that mean that I have passed?

I certainly hope so, because if I can gain a fraction of his power, I wouldn’t even mind, looking a little like a monkey!

It does feel a little forced though, I think that monkey just wants a way out, and doesn’t really care who the next ‘heir’ will be.

The heir quietly walked towards his staff, and picked it up, with seemingly no effort at all.

“Oi, stand up quickly!”

Still feeling a little wobbly, I managed to stand up, and face the monkey.

He looked at me, and I could see he was about to say something serious, considering his solemn face.

“Kyahahahahaha, this must be a fated meeting! I cannot imagine it being anything else! You have come here, for the sole purpose of inheriting my role, as the heir of the monkey king! Now come here! I will grant you this staff, so I can finally leave this place, and embark on a journey again!”

The monkey lifted his hand, and it looked like he was waiting for me, to shake his hand.

This… It doesn’t feel right at all.

That monkey couldn’t hide his mischievous nature after that solemn face, even if he practised for years!

It feels totally rushed! Is he just pushing his own responsibility on me, so he can leave and have some fun or something?! Not like I can say anything about it though. And if it gives me a special staff as weapon, I can only profit from this.

I slowly try to find my balance, as I drag myself to him. My legs are still feeling weak, and I guess I must have literally used all my energy.

I think I’m a little stronger in real life, but I guess this must be the influence the stats of my avatar have over me.

I reached out with my hand, to shake his, but he suddenly rammed his staff into my hand, and my avatar lighted up, before I was blown back again.

*Ting!*

It looked like the game still has some bugs, concerning pain conversion, because I was almost at the brink of unconsciousness again. I was still a bit hazy, but I could clearly see a message taking up a big part of my view:

Hidden Class!

If you accept it, you can use exclusive skills related to the nature of the class.

Do you want to convert now?YesNo

***

The surprised face of the lich, soon turned into one full with fury. Which was very satisfying to see, by the way.

“T-Thou! What hast thou done?! Doth thou not knowest what the consequences will be? To go against me, is to invite mine wrath upon thou!”

From the moment I stepped into the hexagon, I started smiling and couldn’t hide it. The lich must have thought that I was smiling because I was about to receive his power, but it was the complete opposite. I already figured out that he wants to absorb my life essence, while absorbing it himself, so he can restore his original form, while he keeps his power. That way he can leave this damned shop again.

But of course, I won’t let him.

Before this lich would eat the dust, I couldn’t help but to start explaining what scheme would be the end of him.

If it can deliver him a little bit of extra grieve, then it will be totally worth going through the hassle of gathering all the ingredients.

“I figured out your plan long ago, lich. You weren’t planning to give me any power at all! You were just trying to obtain my life essence through this ritual, so that you can regain your previous form. At the price of my life!”

The lich’s face, which was full of anger, suddenly turned into one of hope.

What kind of scheme will he come up with now, I can’t wait to see. My small smile, increased a little bit from this thought.

“Ahh, but young one, thou hast misunderstood me all along! I was only planning to give thou mine life essence, so that thou would gain great prowess! Thou hast it all backwards, come, i shall release thy cage, so that thou can stop this ritual.”

Funny, how he even slips up in that last sentence. If he really wanted me to gain his life essence, then he shouldn’t have thought it necessary, to use a cage to trap me. Still, even if he’s really telling the truth, then it’s too late anyway. I might as well toy around with him a little bit, before he disappears.

“Ah, I’m sorry undead one, I have misunderstood you. Would you mind releasing me, so that I can stop this ritual, and initiate the right one?”

I could see the lich weaken every second.

Good, he’s starting to get pretty desperate.

I made a small tweak to the ingredients, instead of using the Zirnroot, a root which helps transferring life essence from one to another, I used another poisonous plant, which dispels life force slowly. And considering the lich has no life essence, his power is taken instead. A lich has an undead body, with no life essence at all, which can only move because of his inner power. But if that power is slowly dispelled… then he can only, slowly die.

The lich raised his right hand, which clearly took a lot of effort, and his hand started glowing brighter than the rest of his body. The lich grimaced for a few seconds, and afterwards I could see the cage slowly disappearing.

“A-Anon, young one, stop this ritual betimes, and i can still forgive thy misprision. Afterwards, we can initiate the new ritual, whence i will give thou mine prowess.”

You’re already too late lich.

“So, how does it feel, to feel your power being dispersed into the air every second? It must feel pretty weird, to have your life essence replaced by your power, and to slowly lose it. Oh and sorry, I tricked you. This ritual cannot be reversed any more. I was just afraid that when you died, the cage wouldn’t disappear and keep me trapped. So after you dispelled it, there isn’t anything that binds me here any longer, except for the view of your trip to the nether realm maybe.”

The ritual had been going on for quite a while, and I could the lich starting to weaken significantly. He was trying to speak up, and probably curse me in his own old language, but he was already too weak to say anything else.

I raised my arm, and waved my hand at him, just to anger him some more. He had put me through a lot of strenuous tasks, and all for the sake of stealing my life essence. If I really won’t get anything out of all this time I have invested here, then I might as well get some satisfaction from this sight. It felt pretty good to have tricked a high levelled lich when I was only level one. But I was a little frustrated that I didn’t gain anything else from all the time I have invested here.

The lich was still glowing, but his bones were starting to shorten, and the brightness was slowly fading.

Guess that this is it.

The light suddenly increased again, and seemingly reached its pinnacle. The lich had already changed from his previous form, to an older, way shorter version of himself. The light became so bright, that I almost couldn’t see anything anymore.

Just when I was about to increase the distance between me and the lich, before I could react, the lich exploded with a lot of force, and I was blown back.

I could feel the air being knocked out of my lungs, and I was still gasping for air, while getting up. I didn’t expect him to suddenly blow up.

It was pretty satisfying to see though.

The interior of the room endured the shockwave quite well, but all the ingredients and objects were blown up, or fell to the ground. Most of them had a low durability it seems, because almost all of them have broken.

*Ting!*

Quest Complete!

Quest: The Role Of the Living

Just when the lich was about to steal your life essence to help himself, you stopped his scheme. You weren’t tricked by the lich, and used his plans against him. The lich has now been banished from this realm, because his power has run out.

Reward: A satisfying feeling, of having beaten the lich by wit.

You have leveled up!

Well, that reward certainly sucks. But I have leveled up!

Hmm let’s see.

I gained 5 stat points from one level, but I’m not sure what class I’m going to play yet. If I can’t become a necromancer because of this, it won’t be a very good idea to immediately spend all my points.

But this is certainly surprising though. I thought it was impossible to level up before the time limit of 4 weeks in-game time would have run out. Guess I’m pretty lucky, that will give me an early advantage!

I cough a few times, and finally move towards the door.

It’s time to leave this place behind me, and figure out how to move from here.

Before leaving, I tried to loot some more ingredients, but the final shockwave from the lich really destroyed them all. Damn.

I open the door, and light fell upon me, it was so bright that I couldn’t even see clearly. I had already unconsciously raised my hand in front of my face, to block the light from reaching my eyes.

Wait… wasn’t it already dark outside?!

Right before I could drop my hand, and wait for my eyes to get used to the light, a thundering voice startled me:

“You have done well, for a mere brat!”

What? Who the hell is this again?

He must be talking to me.

I dropped my hand, and noticed that the bright light had dimmed a little bit. Right in front of me, stood a beardy, old man. He was emitting a warm glow, which had a comfortable temperature, and actually warmed me up. He was holding a staff with the emblem of a sun on top. He was wearing brown robes, and had a solemn face.

After he saw that I wasn’t replying to him, he continued speaking:

“The lich whom was hiding inside that house, had barricaded himself inside. At first, he could still leave, and only we couldn’t enter. I had been chasing him for a while, to destroy that evil. But as I couldn’t enter that house, the only thing I could do, was place a spell upon that house, so that he could only leave when he dropped his undead body. I certainly didn’t expect a beginning adventurer to make him drop his life along with his body too. You must have been trying to slay evil too.”

This guy looks pretty strong, just by the looking at him, I can feel his power radiating in the form of warmth. I don’t think it’d be a good idea to tell him that I was aiming for the lich’s power, or to become his apprentice...

“Ehm, yes, thank you.”

“You may call me Pelor, the conqueror of all evil! Normally I accept almost all people to simply follow me, but you, you are quite special. For someone who has just begun to discover the world, and is seemingly powerless, you have still defeated a powerful lich. I will give you a choice. But it will have some conditions and restrictions for you.”

He looked deeply into my eyes, and I had a feeling that if I started lying now, I would certainly regret it. Then he continued talking:

“I can grant you the privileges, to become my divine agent. You will be granted power along with that roll, but only as you grow stronger, will you be able to call upon the stronger spells that come along with it. Furthermore, it can be a double edged sword. You will have three obligations, first of; Alleviate suffering wherever you find it, secondly, to bring my light into places of darkness, showing kindness, mercy, and compassion and last of all, to be watchful against any evil. Do you accept?”

This must be a hidden class!

It wasn’t what I had in mind at first, but if I can already get a hidden class at level 2, then the lower levels will be easy sailing!

“Of course! I would be honored to accept it!”

*Ting!*

You have gained a hidden class: Divine Agent!

+100 fame

“Good, I will call upon you when you are stronger, I have no use for you now. Go and defeat evil for me, gaining experience along the road. I will have some use for you later!”

The warmth and light he was emitting suddenly increased tenfold, and he disappeared with a booming laughter.

Wow, did that really just happen? I really gained a hidden class!

“Status window!”

Name:WarrificRace:ElfAlignment:GoodProfession:Divine AgentTitle:N/ALevel:2Fame:100__________________________________________________________________________Health:100Mana:400Strength:10(+5)Agility:10(+5)Vitality:10(+5)Wisdom:20(+5)Intelligence:20(+5)Charisma:5(+5)Luck:10(+5)Offense:0(+5)Defense:0(+5)__________________________________________________________________________Magic Resistance:Darkness:10%Light:30%Fire:10%__________________________________________________________________________+5 to all stats

+Magic resistances increased

+Increased fire damage

+Increased buffing

+Increased intimacy with churches

+Hidden skills

-Unable to follow deities excluding Pelor

-Unable to commit evil acts, or risk losing class