Chapter 4 Way toward the Tao

Alex jumped backwards, escaping from… a girl’s hand. She had tried to approach him during his sleep, and if his escape from her hand could seem embarrassing, he was only feeling proud: proud of not having reflexively launched a preemptive attack. He rapidly looked at the time displayed at a corner of his vision, and knew he had sleep for nearly 14 hours. But he was now in great shape.

- Are you okay, asked the girl with a worried face?

- I’m fine! I’m just waking up.

Alex stood up and took a look at the girl. With a height of 1m70, a slender figure, clear blue eyes and golden curly hair, she was sure to attract attention. But more than being attracted, Alex was being cautious around beautiful women. More than once some had tried to kill or incapacitate him by sending shiny eye-catching killers.

- I’ve seen you train on those scarecrows, continued the girl, ignoring his inner turmoil. That was incredible! My group is looking for a new member and I was thinking it could be good if you could join us.

Alex instantly thought it to be a trap. She would bring him in a dark alley where he would have to face tens of attackers. He was ready to deny the offer, but he began to remember. First he could not die in this world, at least not definitely. Second he was no more the Dark Lord, and he should now live as Alex Sanders, no matter how lame that name was. Third the avatar’s appearance could be changed, so the one facing him could as well be a normal girl, and not a beautiful and lethal assassin. Fourth, he had promised Doc to try to talk to other player. Moreover he was quite glad people stopped avoiding him.

- That would be great, but I first need to achieve a quest first!

- Would that be long?

- I just need to go to the quest giver now. You can follow me if you want.

Without waiting for her answer, he just went in his way toward the library. He heard more than once joyous exclamations and discussions. His new friend was obviously well known in the city. He first waited for her, but soon understood that she would keep talking until he was gone. He just stopped to care about her until he arrived at the library.

- Etourdix, he said to his librarian friend. I’ve accomplished the quest. I am ready.

Quest Finished: Proof of Ability ©

Requirements:

Level 1

Skill Seeker of Truth

Friendly with Etourdix the librarian

Prove yourself by the 3 Novice tests:

Courage in the Training Hall

Power at the Blacksmith

Knowledge in the Library

Stay level 1 until the end of the quest

Reward:

Book “the way of Tao”

Fame +100

- Come with me, said Etourdix with a smile.

- Can you wait here for a minute, asked Alex to the girl?

- It might take more, said Etourdix. You’ll have a lot to learn.

Julia has sent you a friend request. Do you accept?

Yes/No

- Yes.

Julia is now your friend.

- Good, said the girl happily! Just contact me when you’re finished.

- How should I find you, asked Alex?

Julia paused a moment, before understanding the meaning of those words.

- If you open your friend list, you can communicate with any of your friend, even from a long distance! Just do that when you come back.

And she just left him here, waving her hand as goodbye. Alex turned to follow Etourdix and went once more in the sealed room. But this time, Etourdix let him in.

- Knock on the door when you want to leave.

- You’re not coming.

- I’m the guardian of this book, you’re his legitimate owner. I shouldn’t be authorized to look at its content.

And he left and closed the door. Alex opened the book and began to read:

In the short plains of Infinity,

Bearing the weightlessness of Gravity,

During an instant of Eternity,

Suffering from a light of shining darkness,

The keeper of the Equilibrium,

The Way is hidden by the Truth.

Dumbstruck, Alex began to turn the pages of the book, but all the others were blank. He first thought the information to be hidden somewhere else in the room, but his skill was only showing a distinct glow coming from the book. When he looked at the first page, the words were glowing so strongly he was nearly blinded. But he didn’t manage to understand the meaning of this poem.

As he used to do in such a situation, where he was obviously missing an important point, he just sat down and concentrated in the sensation provided by his body. He soon calmed down and pondered on the word. He came to the conclusion that the hidden meaning was in the last word: this book should be giving a key toward the Tao, or the Way in his right meaning, and the Truth was hiding the Way.

The Truth was probably a reference to the “Seeker of Truth” skill, which was a requirement for the previous quest. As this skill should show the hidden meaning, his only assumption was that he had to focus on one idea: the Tao.

He stood up and tried once more, but the book showed no reaction. He was still missing a point. He read once more the poem. He then understood. The word “Tao” was the key! Its meaning was. And the poem was here to explain; to explain the junction of opposite element, the links between the elements of the universe, the balance that kept it stable and allowed for life and spirit to exist.

Making those idea his, he focused on them until they impregnated each of his cells and looked once more the poem, activating his skill at the same time. The words began to twirl and swallowed him whole. When he woke up, he had no more body and was the powerless witness of the unfolding events.

***

The Heaven’s War was unfolding. The Gods, shining from their holy power, the Devils, clouded by a voracious darkness, the Dragons, flying through typhoons and breathing rains of fire, the Leviathans, in waves of destructions and auras of glaciations and the Titans, shaking the ground and making the whole earth quake with each of their steps, were fighting. And their battleground was the lands of mortals.

At the time, there were no big cities or kingdoms: only small groups of survivors trying desperately to live through this terrible apocalypse. But no help could come as the higher being were too busy destroying each other. But among one of those surviving groups was a young man. He could not bear anymore to be left as prey for those above him who did not see him as more than a bug. So he left his family to see the world and to discover the true meaning of the universe.

Fifty years had passed when he came back. No one could have imagined him coming back. They were all sure he was long dead. But he was not! He helped and healed the human, and then went and exhorted the higher being to stop this unending war and go back to their own realms. Some were interested, but others just laughed at him, claiming small beings should not care about the business of the greater one.

During years and years again, he relentlessly tried to convince them, but one day he had enough. The Devils had purposely caused the death of thousands of mortals in the faint hope to trap one of the Gods. This fact angered the man, and the sheer might of his wrath was enough to break the skies apart. He spoke, and each of his words bound to his will the persistent fighters. And seeing as no word could end their animosity, he acted.

A swift move of his left hand, and the Dragons were surrounded by raging winds and flames who took them far away in their burning lands. A gesture from his right hand: the water awoke to imprison the Leviathans and the Deeps opened to catch them. A stomp from his left leg and the grounds melted, devouring the great Titans. A stomp of his right foot and the dark shadows rebels against their Devils, sending them back in their far hell. And a last gesture, a simple and kind bow of the head, and the Gods finally ascended once more to their golden heavens.

The mortals, delighted of the newfound peace, thanked their savior and sent him heap of gifts. But he never accepted any. He just continued to live, helping those in need and giving advice to the lost one. But came the day the memory of the Great War was lost.

He kept watching over the realm of mortal, stopping the higher being from trespassing. But those soon remarked that their voices could be heard, and that mortals were too eager to fight in their stead: mortals forgot the kind and true advice of their former teacher to form cities and countries and Kings and Emperors began to wage war against one another.

Hurt by the foolishness of those he had protected, the man simply disappeared. It is said he lived to this day, but none ever found him.

***

Alex woke up inside the room and saw new windows popping up:

You’ve witnessed the Great War:

Fame +20

‘Seeker of Truth’ proficiency rises up.

New Quest: Inheritor of Tao (S)

Requirements:

Level 1

Skill Seeker of Truth

Quest ‘Proof of Ability’ completed

Warning:

This quest changes the working of your avatar window

You cannot go above level 200 without finishing or abandoning that quest

You cannot accept a class other than the one obtained during the quest without finishing or abandoning the quest.

At each level, your stats point will be dispatched automatically, one to each stat.

This quest consists of 4 step:

1- Grand Fighter

2- Harmonious Elementalist

3- Great Wanderer

4- Inheritor of Tao

Reward:

Epic Class “Taoist”

Step 1:

Grand Fighter

Learn the special Class Grand Fighter.

Reward:

Special Class Grand Fighter

Step 2 Unlocked

Do you accept the Quest?

Yes/No

Alex pondered a moment. This decision wasn’t an easy one. It was already hard to manage to obtain this quest, and he probably wasn’t the first one to obtain it. First, it was possible for someone to finish this quest before him, and he would then be let with a crippled avatar. But as far as known, one had yet to obtain an epic Class, and what he saw during the end of the Great War just let him stunned.

In the outside world, he had seen and done some incredible things, but never had he seen such an incredible display of power. Slaying Gods, Demons and Dragons was just too much interesting. And he could foresee that he would have more chances to fight those beings were he to obtain the Class. He couldn’t let such a chance pass.

- I accept!

You’ve accepted the Quest ‘Inheritor of Tao’

You are now limited to level 200

You can’t dispatched your stat points anymore

You can’t take any Class

Alex just readied himself and knocked at the door. Etourdix opened with a knowing smile. He was holding 5 books in his hand.

- So you’ve accepted this quest. I think those books will help you. Just take them as a token of our friendship, and become a Taoist!

You’ve obtained the book “Fighting Temple”

You’ve obtained the book “Befriending the Elements”

You’ve obtained the book “Power”

You’ve obtained the book “Courage”

You’ve obtained the book “Knowledge”

- Thank you my friend! I shall now go to the world and find my Way!

Thank you al!!

A little word: I don't think I will be able to post a new chapter for the next two days.

But it will come back.