Chapter 7: Ascent (2)
"You sure? You haven't even slept. I mean, you could sleep in game, but you're probably dead by now..."
Looking at Curtis' playful smirk, Brandon suddenly feared for his in-game avatar. "Explain."
"When you log out, your body stays behind. Most people wait till they can find an inn before they log out." Curtis replied as he put the Dark Chariot on Brandon's head.
"What!?"
"Happy travels. Say hi to Christina for me!" Curtis turned on the machine before Brandon could form any response. He could hear a chuckle in the background as a bright flash clouded his vision.
[Due to the cold, your health dropped below 15%. Max stamina has been reduced by 50%. Stamina regeneration has been reduced by 50%. Your condition will worsen until body temperature has stabilized.]
"Mercy!" Thadius roared hoarsely through numb lips.
It had only been about an hour and a half in real time since he had logged out, but over 6 hours had passed in-game. Thadius was on the verge of his first death, and had it been a little colder, he would have had frostbite. If it had been snowing, he would have been dead hours ago. Dying in Chaos Online forced you to log out for 24 hours in real time.
'I really would have frozen to death.' Thadius cursed silently. Although the sun had been up, and his coat had sustained some of his body heat, he still felt that his body had turned into a chunk of chocolate ice cream.
He slowly got up and walked to get his blood pumping. Thinking back on his conversation with Curtis, he looked at his stats. "Status."
[No Title
CLASS None
NAME Thadius RACE Human
FAME: 0 LV. 1
HEALTH 356/1000
MANA 1000/1000
STAMINA 217/1250
VITALITY 10 STRENGTH 23
DEXTERITY 10 WISDOM 16
INTELLECT 18 LEADERSHIP 0
CHARM 3 FAITH 12
MAGIC RESIST 0
-50% Stamina
-50% Stamina Regeneration]
"View skills." he called out with chattering teeth.
[Controlled Breathing LV.7 Intermediate
Tailoring LV.1 Novice]
"Intermediate? View Controlled Breathing." he called out again.
[Controlled Breathing LV.7 Intermediate
Stamina consumption when moving with Controlled Breathing active is cut by 8.5%
Stamina regeneration with Controlled Breathing active in increased by 9.5%
+Stamina regeneration doubled when not moving with Controlled Breathing active]
'Did it upgrade my rank because I was already using it that way? I thought it corresponded with the level...Would've been nice to get a notification though.' Thadius complained silently as he moved his body.
A few minutes passed before he warmed up enough to drop his penalties. So he stretched and continued his ascent. It wasn't long before his stamina plummeted, but thanks to Controlled Breathing, he shortened his wait time for regeneration. Though he still had to stop often.
Only a few hours had passed and he sat down to take another break. It was then that the mysterious pressure penalty spiked to 35% stamina consumption.
If it had been the pressure alone, he could have persevered. Unfortunately, it was a combination of the atmosphere, the pressure, and the increasing grade of the slope.
After another hour of struggling because of the slope, Thadius was forced to crawl. It was surprisingly easier than walking and allowed him to go for a longer stretch of time at the same pace.
That all changed when he came to a 20ft(6m) rock face, with an inexplicable fear washing over him.
[A mysterious pressure is being exerted. You are extremely close to the source. Stamina consumption has been increased to 50%.]
[You've been intimidated.
Attack power -25%
Attack speed -25%]
"Mercy!" Thadius cried as he pounded the ground in irritation.
At this point, many people would turn back or find a way around. Thadius wasn't one of them.
"I got this!" he muttered before sitting down to catch his breath.
For the first time since leaving Old Man Tony's, he completely recharged his stamina. Then he jumped, grabbing hold of a small ledge and securing a foothold. The burden on his stamina was tremendous. Merely holding himself in place was draining, forcing him to take risks to climb higher or drop from depleted stamina.
Minutes later, Thadius pulled himself to the top of the rock face. What appeared turned out to be a wide ledge that stretched out and curved around a bend. Below the ledge was a long drop with sharp rocks at the bottom. Beyond that, the view was breathtaking. There was an ocean of green as far as the eye could see. The grass swayed in the wind, making waves of jade and emerald. More mountains lined the horizon with slopes vanishing into the clouds.
Thadius sat down and took it all in. It was still quite a ways to the summit, but if the view was as beautiful as this, he had no problem making the journey.
After an hour to fill up his stamina bar to a decent level, he walked the ledge cautiously. He still couldn't explain the terror that gripped him, and his body screamed at him to turn back.
He stopped when he came around the bend.
A man was sitting on the ledge, gazing out into the distance. He was dressed in an all-white robe that matched the color of his hair. Despite the wrinkles that etched his face, he seemed to be full of vigor. He was quite tanned as well. Almost as if he had never spent a day inside all his life. The most striking feature, however, was the plain sword on his lap.
Thadius broke out into a cold sweat at the sight of him.
[A strange man is giving off a heavy pressure. Due to your proximity, stamina consumption is increased to 75%.]
[You've been paralyzed by fear.]
It was all very confusing to Thadius. He didn't want to be afraid, but that didn't stop his body from reacting. To get any closer to the man made him feel that jumping off the cliff was safer. Yet, Thadius was a man on a mission. He wanted to get to the top regardless of the risk.
The paralysis wore off and he slowly made his way forward. That was until the man moved. With a solemn expression, he picked up his sword and brought the point to his abdomen. The image of a samurai flashed into Thadius' mind.
"Whoa!" He had leaped forward, trying to take the sword from the suicidal man.
[-100hp]
The sword he had reached for was suddenly at his throat. It had been turned on him in the blink of an eye. Rage was clear on the man's wizened face.
"Who are you!?" he rasped.
Thadius slowly raised his hands. It was the universal sign of non-aggression. "Old man, I don't know what you've been through, but is it so bad that you have to throw your life away?"
"What I do with my life is my business! Who are you to interfere!?" the man snapped in reply.
"If you were so prepared to end your life, why wait for someone to come before you go through with it?" Thadius countered.
"I don't need a witness!"
[-100hp]
"I didn't say you did. I do think you wanted me to stop you though..." Thadius stated when he locked eyes with the man. The ever-present dread seem to increase a few folds when he did.
'Could this be an event?' he thought. No matter how he looked at the situation, it was as if the man had been waiting for someone to stumble along.
Anyone that came to investigate the mysterious pressure would have eventually found the old man. Though the game was already a month old, Thadius found it hard to believe that no one would explore the local mysterious mountain that didn't have monsters.
A few moments passed in silence before the old man moved the blade from his neck.
"You've soiled my blade." He grunted as he tossed the sword to the side. "After all I've accomplished, I can't even die as I wish. Is it too much to ask for, extinguishing my life on the battlefield?"
Seeing that the man was no longer hostile, Thadius tentatively asked,"Can't you just go off and fight somewhere?"
"It's not that simple! If I wanted to have a sword plunged into my chest I'd have...." The man sighed and looked off into the horizon,"I want to face a man as my equal. To fight at my full strength. Then, if that man should prove greater than I, my life would be his to take."
He looked back at Thadius."That is the death I seek. The taste of steel after the final battle of my life."
"Have you searched everywhere? There's bound to be someone out there."
The man laughed, shaking his head."Where do you look when all around you are recognized as the strongest?"
"Then teach som-"
"I've tried! There is no one that will stay. They all cry like women and run off. I can't even pass on my knowledge, my strength..." he said as he looked down at his rough hands. They were covered in calluses from years of holding a sword.
Thadius knew what it meant to be recognized as the strongest. Football fanatics across the country were calling him the greatest of all time. In merely two seasons, he had broken records that had inducted veterans into the Hall of Fame. His future had been too bright.
In his heart, Thadius knew his decision had already been made. With an unwavering gaze, he said,"Teach me, old man. I have nowhere to go and nothing but time on my hands."
The man looked him up and down then stood up. After walking around him, he patted Thadius down, feeling his muscles. Then he grunted as he put his hand on his chin in thought.
"Show me your status card." the swordmaster said after a while.
'Status card? Must be like an ID.' Thadius for a bit before answering honestly. "I don't have a status card but....show status."
A bright screen popped up in front of the man. His eyes nearly popped out of his sockets. "You're a Traveler!? I'd heard, but...maybe. And your name is Thadius?"
"Yes, sir." Thadius nodded.
Recovering from his shock, the swordmaster straightened his back and introduced himself. "Thadius, my name is Corban. Do you have what it takes to survive my training?"
[YOUNG DRAGON
Learn everything that Corban has to teach you. You will fail if you leave the mountain. The quest cannot be retried.
DIFFICULTY: Unknown
REQUIREMENTS: Stop Corban from committing suicide within 3 days of feeling his pressure. Offer to be his student.
REWARDS: Unique class]
"My body is ready..." Thadius declared.
[QUEST ACCEPTED]
"Good, now try not to faint." Corban suddenly commanded.
"Wha-"
[You've been targeted by an overwhelming pressure. Stamina consumption is doubled.]
[You've been weakened.
-25% Strength]
[You've been paralyzed by fear.]
[Hyperventilating. Stamina will not regenerate.]
Thadius immediately crashed to the ground. All the strength he had accumulated was useless before the swordmaster. He struggled to breathe, and every fiber of his being screamed run.
"Fight it boy. Don't just take it lying down." Corban called out as he watched Thadius struggle like a fish out of water.
'Fight this!?' Thadius complained in his heart. He couldn't even lift a finger, let alone fight this monstrous pressure.
Watching the futile struggle, Corban crossed his arms and stroked his beard with a thoughtful look. "Hmm...it seems I got a little too excited. I had already forgotten you were only level 1. My apologies."
The pressure was gone in an instant, or most of it. The state of the air had returned to the previous level of intensity.
"What is the purpose...of such...an exercise?" Thadius gasped for breath.
"You don't have Fighting Spirit. Without it, you won't survive." Corban stated.
"I...understand." Although he didn't know why he needed it, he could understand that Corban was trying to help him obtain it.
"Good." Corban nodded.
The pressure returned, but this time Thadius was ready."Gugh!"
He barely managed to keep himself upright as the paralysis dropped him to his knees. He tried desperately to think through the fear that controlled his every sense, but it was as if a thick fog clouded his mind. 'This will not defeat me!'
"Aaah!!" A shout of defiance was all he could muster as he fell to the side. Screaming while hyperventilating was a bad idea. His shallow breaths weren't enough to get the oxygen he needed. His vision started to darken.
[
You screamed defiantly in the face of overwhelming power. Your tenacity has unlocked the Fighting Spirit stat.
+10 Fighting Spirit
]
Before fainting away, he could hear a satisfied chuckle above him.
"There it is. You're officially my student now."
[You gained the unique pre-class: Disciple of the Iron Dragon
+100 Fighting Spirit
+Weapon Mastery skills gain x10 EXP]
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