“Servant of darkness, you’re gonna die!”

Sometimes, one can say himself he shouldn’t have woken up during the morning.

It’s quite the effect it made me, after a few seconds of connection in Alter World.

This knight is crazy!

A madman!

I’m suffocating!

I didn’t have the time to realize what happened, I just connected and I was already under attack!

Gandock was holding me in the air, by the throat, and I was beginning to lack oxygen.

“Aunty…”

With a very aggressive look Gandock told me with a low voice :

“ You will choose menu, next profil, titles, and you remove from your profil this Undead beginner title... “

And just after, aloud, in front of all the people that had staff, forks, or hatchet in their hands :

« Undead are not welcome here in Offenburg, and nowhere inside Souabe kingdom ! Those who befriend with darkness powers shall die ! »

And once again, in a low voice :

« Come on ! Tell menu, profil, titles, remove, yes. Hurry up ! »

In a breath, I followed his instructions, and suddenly, he removed his grasp.

Just what happened here ?

Suddenly, someone appeared in a ray of light inside the courtyard, and even before I could understand anything, she was jumping on Gandock.

It was chimera, half-woman, half-cat.

Usually, there are no monsters like this, around here.

On her back, above her pants, a red tail could be seen moving.

Ears too large and recovered by fur.

Claws as long as phalanges at the extremity of each hand

“Gandock, you are gonna die !”

***

“If it was just for this, you didn’t have to bother me !”

“But, aunty ! I was dying even before I could understand what was happening to me !”

“That’s true. Furthermore, you should have told the boy to remove his titles before…”

“Oh, you, leave me with that !”

It seems that aunty Priscy not only squabbles with mummy, but also with Gandock…

What came to your mind so that you attacked me lovely nephew as soon as he connects ?

Says the one you attacks me as soon as she connects !

Answer !

Undead beginner ? It’s that, that you send me to become a squire ? A servant of the darkness ?

Don’t act as if you didn’t have metempsukhosis from the undead !

I am a Souabe knight, I don’t wear titles that I might have gotten in an hypothetical metempsukhosis in the undead realm !

Pffh… Whatever, I tell you, he is the only squire candidate I can find you. And you better have to take care of him! He’s not some NPC!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but he’s alright.”

Once again, talking about me… when I’m here… as if I was not…

“Hey, please, sorry to disturb, but… you know each other?”

Just for a brief instant, I felt as If I had told the most stupid thing ever…

My aunty froze, mouth open, while Gandock burst out laugh, enough to make trees tremble!

“So what, you didn’t tell him, Pripri?”

***

Seriously… I don’t understand a thing to adults.

After getting as red as a peony and telling me that we would meet for lunch, aunty disconnected.

Meanwhile, Gandock was looking for his breath, and soon gave me some bread filled with cheese, and a piece of ham.

“Eat this, you got nothing for 3 whole days, or at least one day in-game. At this rate, you will first loose all your technique points, and progressively you will loose your life, up to starving to death.”

What?

“And we will benefit from this break to talk a little bit, both of us. Don’t pay attention to Emile, whatever I know, he can know it too. He’s very… discreet.”

I had not even realized that he was here…

While I was peacefully eating my sandwich…

“If you want to become my squire, you will have not to take titles linked to anything else than what we do together. Your others metempsukhosis stay where they are. Furthermore, all the progress you make somewhere else as an influence here. Which character did you take?”

“A zombie…”

“Very well. In this case, take this little book.”

The way of the legendary meat bag, Gandock.

Do you want to add this extension to your menu.

“If you choose yes, you will have access granted to new quests that will appear only under some circumstances. In this case, it will be taking the way to become the most sturdy zombies of all. It’s the way to get the maximum level of constitution. I will explain everything when time comes, but it means that here, you will have to spend much time in the water! Let’s get to the next step for your training...”

***

The poor dummy won’t give in under my attacks.

“Aaaah! You told me that if I could cross the river, we would do more interesting things!”

“Finish your 100 hits, and we talk about it again. To give hits with more power, all the arm has to hit, not only your forearm, but the whole arm. Smash with your biceps!”

I do what I can, but it’s not very strong right now.

“90...95...100! Phiouh! It’s over!”

“Nice, well done, we can begin a little bit of meditation.”

“Of what?”

“You’ve never done meditation? To get your competence points, you have to wait a certain amount of time after having done repetitive actions. It’s not because you train that you get stronger, but because you take some rest after having trained. Rest is the most important part!”

“But then, why training when I can just rest?”

“Because the effort your muscle gives is realized only after the rest you take after this effort.”

The Alter World system looks like a lot the real world under this aspect, he just calls it integration.

“Your body is still tired from the natation of the other day, and your arm loose in efficiency. Your last hits were much less energetic than the first ones! Sit cross-legged, and follow my instructions.”

New competence acquired: Simple meditation.

Mastering your breathing and your emotions allows you to loosen your body and concentrate your energy on regeneration. You integrate faster what you’ve learned when you are really loosened.

When simple meditation is activated: Integration x2, HP/s +10%, MP/s +10%, TP/s +10%

HEA +1

***

“I’m getting tired of hitting this poor dummy, it doesn’t mean anything! Why don’t I level up? Or why don’t you teach me new competences? I can also finish quests to get stronger!”

“Don’t go too fast, spirited youth! A stable basis is more worthy than a disorganized growth. A good squire must know how to use a sword proficiently. If you don’t know how to do it, forget the rest!”

Finally, I reach 100 other hits.

“Good, take this apple, and get ready. Emile! My horse! We’re moving to Durbach!”

Emile came back on a horse, holding reins of another one.

Gandock made me climb on the saddle, then climbed himself, just before me.

“The other day, we met undines, and thanks to natation, you made significant progress either in swimming and for your constitution. Today, I propose you to get to know salamanders, the fire masters, and to get accustomed to hunting for your strength. You should like it!”

Salamanders are half-reptile and half-human creatures.

If undines are masters of water, both in rivers and seas down to the abysses, salamanders are heat masters, both in the most burning deserts and in still in activity volcanoes.

When one wants work done on molten metals, he has to get in touch with salamanders.

After a few minutes speeding on our horses, we stopped in the middle of a clearing.

“We’ve arrived!”

At this very moment, coming from everywhere, tens of small dogs began to bark in chorus…

I’m afraid of dogs!