There are different areas to choose from in Second Horizon for your initial spawn point. These reside in the starting cities, and one such starting city is Blackthorn. Well it’s a fitting name for a master of demons such as myself.

Blackthorn is one of the largest starting cities in the game. The paths and walls are made of a stone colored black hence the “Black” in Blackthorn. Since it took so long for me to do my character creation, when I teleport there straight from Olivia’s desk job, there are thousands of players looking around figuring out what to do.

Naturally walking by them I head for one of the four gates: south gate. Walking there takes almost 30 minutes, while passing guards along the way. Thank goodness I don’t have my horns or else it would have taken twice as long being stopped by guards asking why I look like the Devil incarnate. Once I reach the walls, the size of the colossal bricks used takes my breath away. If you thought the Pyramid was using huge bricks then you haven’t seen anything. This would make the pharaoh bow his head in shame.

Exiting the gate and crossing the bridge above the moat I enter a field. Looking around there are small rabbits running around giving a sense of tranquility. That is, before I hear hundreds of players yelling and attacking the rabbit and his brethren. Well, this is customary to all beginners, including myself. And by the looks of it there are many of the big eared fellows to go around.

Using my mind to focus on opening the inventory, inside are very few items for starting players. 2 loafs of bread, a canteen of water, and a weapon. However the weapon shocks me. Usually you would start with something flimsy like a dagger that could be chipped or have low durability, or another type of cheap weapon. But no, my weapon: a scythe.

Scythe- A novice weapon used for the class Hell’s Collector.

Damage 1-3 Durability 15/15

Pulling out the scythe from the inventory to equip it, and putting it in my hands it feels like I was born to hold it. Is this the AI, or the hidden class causing it? The scythe is as tall as me when standing up perfectly straight and the blade is about as long as the end of my index finger to my elbow. And it is all black, both the blade and the wood it is attached to.

A few other players that walk by are giving me stares and whispering to each other but I ignore them. This weapon needs to become like an extension of my body so training has to start now.

Running up to a rabbit I use both of my hands to slash downwards like an ax towards the fluffy creature but miss entirely. Its beady eyes lock onto mine and hops towards my face delivering an attack that takes 15% of my health off.

Stunned at my lack of skill, I step backwards and ready the scythe again, this time sweeping across the air horizontally. The rabbit tries to dodge but I am already at its body, delivering a blow taking off 50% of its health.

This time the rabbit finally gets its bearings and is cautious now that it knows I’m no flower-picking pushover. It springs into attack the same as before however I use the opposite end of my weapon like a staff and smack it, knocking it to the ground. Before it gets the chance to get up I finish it with the overhead attack from before.

Finally! Didn’t think it would be this difficult to take down a lvl 1 rabbit!

After this I continue to hunt rabbits until it is time to go to sleep in real life.

End of day: lvl 5

After last afternoons rabbit fiasco I look at my stats and the skills I can do right now.

Grim

Level: 5 (34% to next)

Health: 120

Stamina: 100

Mana: 150

Strength: 15

Agility: 16

Defense 12

Intelligence: 20

Luck: 10

Number of servants available: 1

-Skills:

Vertical Pin (lvl:2) – Thrust downwards from overhead, pinning the target to the ground for 2 seconds. After two seconds scythe will automatically remove itself. During the 2 seconds target will bleed for half the damage of the attack. Cost: 40 stamina

Dexterous Hands (Passive, lvl:2) – The more you use your scythe the easier it will be to maneuver it and hit the intended target.

Summon Hell Servant (lvl:1) – Use your demonic energy to bring forth a being from Hell. During your summoning, if the demon dies it will be sent back to the underworld where it cannot be called for 4 hours. At this level you can summon an imp, or a succubus. The servant cannot harm the master and must listen to all commands given Cost: 120 mana

Fighting the rabbits like a deranged lumberjack created the skill Vertical Pin. It’s interesting because when it says “will automatically remove itself” the blade would easy slide out by itself right until the tip reaches the gap between the monster and the blade. However I was expecting it to have meant it would retract the whole scythe back to a fighting position. I guess it could help seamlessly switch to different attacks in the future.

Also during my leveling when I got to level 5 the skill Summon Hell Servant appeared. The question is which will I summon? It’s obvious, the succubus of course!

“Summon Hell Servant!”

-Which type?-

“Succubus” Mwahahaha

Suddenly a pillar of fire shoots from the sky into the grass in front of me and dissipates. What is it with the fire all of the time, I mean I understand its Hell and all.

Out of the smoke appears a light red skinned beauty about 5” 6’ and red eyes with smooth black hair down to just below the shoulders. But that’s not all, she has horns and a long black tail with an end like a spade like in card games. Not to mention the twin peaks on her front side that barely fit the cloth over her chest. I will now become a metaphorical mountain climber to topple those new “heights.”

Anyways it’s obvious why the clothes she is wearing is somewhat like a beggar, because my skill is at level 1; I shouldn't be expecting the queen of succubi after all. Or whatever type of hierarchy the have down there, if any. However, as time passes she will be able to wear better armor when we find more valuable loot.

“Hello Master, this is our first time talking together please treat me well from here on.” She said in a sultry tone.

“Uhh…er…yeah of course, so what is your name?” Really need to change the mood, I might get carried away.

“I don’t have a name. I am given a name when sent to please and ensnare my victims, however this is the first time in many years a succubus has been summoned. Thus it is up to Master to give me a name.”

Damn. I was never good with names. It might be a hereditary thing, my parents named me Joe because they couldn’t figure a good one out in time to fill the birth certificate out. Not that Joe isn’t a bad name but personally a more interesting name would have been preferable. Oh well, I digress; this name should work.

“Lyra.”

“Ohh Master chose a good name, I’m sure you will be yelling that out while you bend me ov-“

“Okay that’s enough, we need to focus on leveling up so when we cross path with those Holy die-hards later on, they won’t be able to touch us.”

“As you wish Master.”

As I walk away I could have sworn I heard her mumble something about succeeding in the next chance she gets, but immediately throw it into the “immorality incinerator” in the back of my mind.

Hopefully the part of the skill that says they cannot harm the master works beyond just physical attacks.

She's not gonna suck me dry right? Right?