“What a load of garbage. I’ve never heard anyone who can spew so much shit.” Titania’s scowl was fierce to behold and would have looked terrifying… had she not been barely a foot tall. “We need not listen to this fool, Adam. Let us grab the [Panacea Flower] and be off.”
The dark knight shrugged. “You can leave if you wish, but you should know that once the goddesses learn you possess the Spear, you will both be hunted to the ends of the earth by the goddesses and those under their control. Don’t you at least want to know why they will hunt you?”
While Titania looked ready to bolt, Adam was not so ready to just leave. Perhaps it was because he was a player, but he did not have the same feelings that Titania had toward the goddesses or this man. He didn’t think there was anything wrong with hearing what he had to say.
“Let’s stay a moment,” Adam said. “Even if what he says is a complete lie, there is nothing wrong with hearing him out.”
“Hmph!” Titania floated off his shoulder and fluttered away. “You can listen if you want, but I’ll not hear one word of the drivel that spews from this man’s mouth.”
Adam watched as the small fairy fluttered over to the garden and sat down amongst the leaves. It looked like she was taking comfort among the plants. He turned back to the dark knight.
“So… what’s your story?” Adam tapped his spear against the ground. “Will the goddesses really try to kill me?”
“Thank you for giving me a chance to explain. I will get to the part about how and why they will attempt to kill you in a moment,” the dark knight said before continuing his tale. “When the world became embroiled in war, it was not a war against the forces of darkness. It was a war amongst the goddesses themselves. The goddesses of the earth, sun, moon, and water challenged the Goddess of Creation. It was, in fact, the Goddess of Creation who created this world and all who exist within it. The other goddesses were but her younger sisters. They ruled over specific laws created by the Goddess of Creation. However, jealous of their eldest sister’s power and the love she inspired in her people, the four goddesses took control of her creations, poisoned their minds, and set them loose upon each other.”
This was something Adam had not heard yet. He tried to imagine siblings fighting against each other out of jealousy. It was surprisingly easy, but he had an example of a terrible sibling already. Lexi had always complained to him about how awful Levon was, how he always treated her like she was a second-class citizen, and how he was constantly expressing his hatred toward her whenever she won their spars.
She won all of their spars, so he pretty much hated on her all the time.
“The Goddess of Creation, upon learning of the wars that were happening across the world, came down and tried to stop her creations from fighting. But the minds of her people had already been thoroughly poisoned. They could not recognize their goddess anymore. She spent all her energy and power to try and dispel the corruption invading their souls, but she exhausted herself in doing so, and her four younger sisters chose that moment to strike. They sealed her away, never to see the light of day again.”
Adam listened to this story, but however fascinating he found it, there was something he just didn’t understand. “What does this story have to do with you? And why will the goddesses come after me? Didn’t you say they were using this spear for their own purposes?”
“This part of the story has nothing to do with me, but it is necessary for you to understand what I have just told you, so that you will understand my part in all this.” Adam could not see the man’s face, but he thought he sensed a wry smile hiding behind that dark helmet. “You see, just before the Goddess of Creation was sealed away, she used the last remainder of her power to forge a spear and a set of armor.”
“Ah.” Adam breathed out. He looked down at the spear in his hand, then back at the soul remnant floating before him. “It was this spear, the same spear you wielded ten thousand years ago when you split the continent into five.”
“Correct,” the knight said, his armored joints clicking together with a grating sound of steel on steel. “At the time, I had been lost and destitute. My wife and child had been killed by the war, which raged on even after the Goddess of Creation was sealed. In my anguish, I attempted to end my own life, and that is when I came across the spear… or perhaps I should say when the spear came across me.”
Once more, the knight paused as if reminiscing about the past. Adam didn’t interrupt him. Finally, a breathy sigh escaped from that visored helm.
“When the spear appeared before me, I was tempted to ignore it and simply commit suicide so I could reunite with my wife and child, but something stopped me. Perhaps it was the final will of the Goddess of Creation, perhaps it was my own rage at the unfairness of this world. Whatever it was, I took the spear in hand, donned the armor, and when I did, I became filled not only with power, but with all the sorrow, rage, and resentment the Goddess of Creation felt when her four sisters betrayed her. It mixed with my own sorrow, rage, and resentment, and it made me understand what happened, made me focused and gave me a purpose. After that, I waged a one-man war against the four goddesses. The result of that war was my defeat and the continent being split into five.”
Adam felt like he could somewhat understand how this man felt. Thinking about it, this man’s past somewhat mirrored his own. His life had not been simple even from the beginning. He had lived on the streets, but he met a girl who loved him and whom he loved in return, but then her jealous brother and uncaring family had taken all of that from Adam. It was, in many ways, Levon’s fault that Adam had ended up in the hands of Lucifer and Lexi had disappeared.
“I see. That is certainly a very interesting story if true,” Adam allowed. “But that doesn’t explain why they would come after me. Didn’t you say they have been making use of this spear by letting other people find it?”
“It is because you are not the goddesses’ chosen wielder,” the knight explained. “The goddesses always choose who wields the spear. I can tell you are not someone chosen by the goddesses because the spear has taken its own initiative to choose you as its master. That would not happen if they chose you because, to the spear, the goddesses are its enemies. From the moment that spear accepted you as its master, you were destined to battle against the four goddesses.”
“Hmm…”
Adam honestly didn’t care much about this particular in-game plot. He didn’t want to fight the goddesses unless doing so would grant him more prestige and money. After all, the reason he was playing this game was to help Fayte win the bet she made with Levon.
“Well, perhaps you do not particularly care about what happened in the past,” the knight said at last, as if he could sense Adam’s disinterest. “I can also sense that the spear has lost all of its resentment, so I doubt the goddesses will be able to recognize it now. You also do not have the armor.”
“Tell me more about this armor,” Adam said.
“It is known as the Goddess of Creation Armor. It is a helmet, a chestplate, gauntlets, greaves, and leggings. This armor was likewise forged from the Goddess of Creation’s resentment and grants an abnormal boost in power. Like the spear, I imagine the resentment festering in the armor is long gone. You should search for the armor. While it is unlikely the goddesses will find you right away, they will eventually realize their favorite toy has gone missing before they can choose its next wielder. I imagine they will begin looking for the spear once that happens. Having the Goddess of Creation’s armor will give you a huge boost to all your stats. It might not be enough to defeat them, but it should help.”
“I can’t promise anything, but if I do find this armor and it turns out to be as amazing as you say, then I wouldn’t mind wearing it,” Adam said.
“Good. This remnant fragment will disappear soon, now that its purpose has been fulfilled. But before I disappear entirely, I would like to give you some help.”
Adam raised an eyebrow. “Help how?”
“I
see that your current class is Warrior,” the knight said. “This is a beginner’s class. All people who follow the path of battle and glory will start off with this class before eventually switching over to more advanced classes. You can wait until level 50 to receive a class upgrade, change your class with the aid of a trainer, or use a hidden class scroll and change your class. As you are the wielder of the Goddess of Creation’s Spear, you are able to gain your own unique class right now. I can unlock that class for you.”
“And what are the benefits of this unique class?” asked Adam.
“The benefits are many and myriad.” The knight shrugged, shoulder joints clicking together. “Your stats will receive a significant boost every time you level up, you will have more skills available to you, and you will unlock extra skills more frequently.”
“I see.” Adam nodded. “I can see how useful that would be. In that case, please help me unlock this class.”
“Very well. I am beginning now.”
The knight raised his gauntlet-covered hands. Adam noticed they were covered in blood, but since this guy was just a soul fragment, it probably wasn’t real. Maybe it was like the last remnant of what happened in his life before he died. As this thought passed through Adam’s head, a small orb of light appeared between the knight’s outstretched hands. It didn’t remain there, but shot forward and entered Adam’s body.
Adam did not feel anything at first, but as the seconds ticked by, his body felt like it was suddenly being engulfed in warmth, like energy was suffusing every corner of his body as it entered his pores and rushed through his veins. He closed his eyes and bit his lips as this warmth turned into a fiery heat. It still didn’t hurt, but it gave him a strange kind of pleasure.
Ding!
[Congratulations! You have unlocked a hidden class. Hidden classes are located all throughout the world and can only be unlocked under certain circumstances like completing a difficult quest, finding a hidden class scroll, or gaining the approval of someone who has already mastered a hidden class. Your current hidden class is more unique than most. It does not have a name, and so you can name it yourself. What name would you like to give this class?]
As the announcement screen appeared before him, Titania looked up from where she was sitting among the flowers and Kureha also glanced at Adam. He did not pay them more than a cursory glance.
A name, huh? What name would fit a unique class meant for a spearman? He frowned.
“Adam! Adam! I’ve got a huge surprise for you! I just began learning my family’s spear techniques! Do you want me to teach you? It’s called…”
“Seven Forms Spearman,” Adam whispered.
Ding!
[Congratulations! Your new class has been named [Seven Forms Spearman]! Your old class of [Warrior] has now been replaced with [Seven Forms Spearman]. This new class has several extra skills. The [Seven Forms Spearman] is currently listed as Age of God’s strongest class. You are also the first person to achieve a new class. An international announcement will be made regarding your new class. Is that okay? Yes or no?]
Adam pressed “yes.”
Ding!
[We have an international announcement to make! As of 1:29pm Eastern Standard Time, the player known as Adam has acquired the first hidden class in the game. He will be rewarded +100,000 experience points, +10,000 reputation, +1,000 abilities points, and +100 status points. We hope that everyone else will work hard to acquire a hidden skill for themselves. We also hope that these rewards will motivate other players to try their hardest to win fame, fortune, and glory as they enjoy the wonders and mysteries of the Forgotten Realm.]
Ding!
[Because you listened to the knight’s story, you have gained [Comprehension]! Your [Comprehension] is now at +1. [Comprehension] is a unique stat that makes it easier for you to acquire new skills and upgrade existing skills. This stat cannot be altered with status points. The only way to gain a higher [Comprehension] is to learn more skills and acquire more knowledge about the Forgotten Realm.]
Adam remained still as the announcements kept coming. He didn’t speak, but these announcements were honestly annoying. He knew it was necessary, that this was a game and these were needed to inform him of certain important in-game aspects and accomplishments, but he thought it really killed immersion.
“Maybe I should complain to the creator?” Adam wondered out loud before dismissing the idea. Annoying as these announcements were, he didn’t care enough to complain… and he was sure whoever created this game wouldn’t listen to the complaints of a single player. Come to think of it, he didn’t even know the creator’s name. No one did, in fact.
He found that odd, but dismissed it.
“I have done what I was meant to do,” the knight said. “Now it is time for me to depart.”
“Yeah. See you.”
“See you?” The knight once more tilted his head. “There is no ‘see you.’ You and I shall not meet again.”
“It was a figure of speech,” Adam muttered, though the knight did not hear him because he had already vanished into particles of light.
Since Adam was a little curious about his newly acquired hidden class, he opened his status screen and looked at the new class.
Class Name: Seven Forms Spearman
Description: A unique class that only the wielder of the Goddess of Creation’s spear can have. Because this class has no name, it was named by the player, Adam.
Leveling System:
Strength+1 = +5 Physical Attack
Constitution+1 = +5 Health; +10 Physical Defense; +5 Magical Defense
Dexterity+1 = 10% Hit-Rate; 10% Dodge-Rate
Intelligence+1 = +4 MP; +5 Magical Attack
Speed+1 = +5 Movement
Skills:
Energy Sweep
Description: The wielder of the Seven Forms Spearman class infuses his MP into a sweeping attack that releases a powerful energy blade that extends past his natural range
Current lvl: 1
AP needed to reach next lvl: 2,000
Ability: Attacks every enemy within five yards of the user. Does 100% damage
MP Cost: 50
Cooldown Time: 15 seconds
Energy Thrust
Description: The wielder of the Seven Forms Spearman class infuses his energy into a thrust that ignores all defenses and armor
Current lvl: 1
AP needed to reach next lvl: 2,000
Ability: Ignores enemy’s defense and armor to deal 150% damage
MP Cost: 50
Cooldown Time: 15 seconds
Adam rubbed his eyes several times to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. He was shocked by how stupidly powerful this hidden class was. This was surely some kind of broken ability, wasn’t it? There was no way a game developer would create such a stupidly powerful hidden class. In all the games he had played, there was never a class like this, which he believed would utterly demolish the in-game mechanics.
In his shock, Adam decided to check his stats next.
Name: Adam
Class: Seven Forms Spearman
Lvl: 12
SP: 100
AP: 10,700
Experience: 295,180/307,200
Reputation: 72,000
Strength: +325
Constitution: +150
Dexterity: +5
MP: +5
Speed: +5
Physical Attack: +1,695
Health: 1,100/1,100
Hit-Rate: 50%
MP: 120/120
Movement: +51
Comprehension: +1
Physical Defense: +1,500
Magical Defense: +750
Dodge-Rate: ???
Magic Attack: +5
After staring at his new class in astonishment for several seconds, Adam put every status point he had into Strength and watched as his Physical Attack went from +1,695 to +2,195. That number was stupid ridiculous. With this kind of Physical Attack stat, he wouldn’t even need to use [Blood Sacrifice] to
kill the players who were currently at level ten. Heck, he could one-shot himself right now!
He looked at his available ability points. 10,700. That was just barely enough to upgrade [Dance of the Sakura Blossoms], but he could also upgrade [Energy Thrust] and [Energy Sweep] if he wanted to. After thinking about it for a moment, Adam put +6,000 into [Energy Sweep] and +2,000 [Energy Thrust], bringing [Energy Sweep] up to level 3 and [Energy Thrust] to level 2. This left him with 2,700 ability points left.
Now that Adam had leveled up, he added enough status points to Kureha’s Constitution to bring it up to +100 and added the remaining points to her Intelligence. Kureha’s skills were already maxed out, so he couldn’t use her ability points. He would save those and use them whenever she gained a new skill. Maybe he could max out whatever skill she gained immediately after she acquired it.
It looked like there was nothing more he could do in this place, so Adam grabbed the [Panacea Flower], stored it in his item pouch, and left the empty room with its myriad of colorful flora.
He needed to deliver this to the mayor of Watershore.
And he needed to log out. He had spent way too much time in the game.
A Short Break
Because Fayte felt like she had been playing Age of Gods a little too much, she decided to meet up with Susan today. She woke up early that morning and prepared breakfast, but Adam hadn’t come out of his room to eat. She had checked on him. He was still playing the game when she left, which made her shake her head in both admiration and some resignation. It would have been nice if they could have eaten breakfast together. At around noon, Fayte left the apartment, hopped into her car, and traveled to New York City Town Square Mall.
Every nation had been ravaged by World War III. That was true of the American Federation as well. Originally known separately as Canada, Mexico, and the United States, the American Federation had formed out of necessity after the war. With nearly every country in the grips of poverty and having depleted their manpower during both the war and the wave of Mortems Disease, countries either banded together or perished.
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