Chapter 2: Dawn of a new world
'Hey, system, am I allowed to ask as many questions as I want?'
[Yes, I will answer all questions that can be answered with your current authority and that don't require connection to the main server]
''Hm...''
Richard's hand reflexively covered his mouth as he closed his eyes and entered in deep thought. His mother was currently preparing dinner and she still needed at least 2 hours to be done. During this time he would try to find out as much as he could about his current situation.
'Is this world the same as the one in the game Fantasia that I used to play on earth?'
[That is correct, the two worlds are identical]
'Am I considered an NPC or player right now?'
[Your authority is too low, an answer can not be provided]
'Does this have to do with the 10th anniversary of the game?'
[Your authority is too low, an answer can not be provided]
'Well isn't this getting hard...'
Richard was sulking as he noticed the importance of the 'Authority', a concept that did not exist in the game back when he was a player on earth. Richard's eyes trembled a bit as he calmly asked the system.
'Will I die for good if I die here?'
For the first time he hoped that the system would not answer him, his heart was racing.
[Yes.]
But the answer was firm and clear, This was undoubtedly the most dangerous situation of his life.
'How can I increase my authority?'
[Adapting the answer to the user's understanding]
[You can increase your authority by Completing main quests.]
'This is fucking insane!'
Main quests were known for their difficulty, they practically required a third of the player community to actively participate in order to be completed, and even then the results were often bad or unsatisfying. However, as a top player, Richard had experienced a lot of insanely difficult situations, he closed his eyes once again and reviewed all the answers he received so far.
'Is it possible to stray away from the main events that happened in the game?'
[Yes.]
'As I thought.'
Richard smirked as he heard the answers, by going through all the answers again he was able to form a hypothesis.
'The system wants us to change the main events of the story and avoid damage as much as possible for some reason, I was summoned because I experienced the future of the story and have an idea how to avoid it. In order to make that request more realistic, the system allowed me to synchronize with an influential figure in this world, But the system knows that there's not much I can do by myself, so it's likely other people also synchronized with the remaining pillars of the past.'
Although it was too detailed of a hypothesis given the information he had at hand right now, Richard decided to stick with it, having a fixed idea of the situation even if slightly wrong would be better than discovering it along the way, he would be prepared as much as possible. He made up his mind and thought of the sequence of events and actions he would need to take from now on.
'I am basically playing Fantasia with one life...As expected, if it was with my usual avatar I would say there's no way of beating the game. The first step in any MMORPG, get strong as an individual. The second step, acquire allies. The third step, command your allies and discover their talents so that they can work in the right field. The fourth step, adapt to team fights and raid bosses to get stronger. The final step, Gather more allies, repeat.'
Richard sighed as he confirmed his thoughts for the last time. His eyes shone with determination, he could not afford to lose, It was no longer a matter of pride but a life-threatening situation.
'It's not an action game anymore, it's a strategy game.'
He was never going to play it risky to begin with, if they are going to change the world, then he would be the commander, not the Hero. He will survive no matter what, He will use everything to his advantage, It was time to put his emotions aside and play like a real professional.
'I will gather countless decoys and shields, it's the only way to survive this ruthless world, But first things first...'
'System, why are some of my skills sealed?'
[Authority confirmed]
[There exist different reasons behind the existence of the seal.]
[Although you understand 'Arcadian Swordsmanship', you are unable to use it due to your low physical abilities.]
['Superior senses' Has not been trained enough yet and is a conditional active skill for now]
['The Lionheart' Title is directly linked to your innate ability and will be unsealed once you awaken.]
[Your Authority is too low to examine the reason behind the sealing of 'The one who carries the blood of a dragon']
'Well, I expected that much... When will I be able to access the other functions such as inventory and map?'
[The additional functions will be automatically unlocked after awakening]
'Awakening sure does bring a lot of benefits... Let's aim for level 10.'
Richard laid his head on the pillow, as he took a deep breath.
'It's been a hectic day...'
And the wind breezes caressed his face as he fell asleep.
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''Save me! SAVE MEEE!!''
''NO, GUINEVERE, NOOOO''
''NOOO, LET ME GO, SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG, LET ME GOOOO''
The cries of the people resonated in Richard's head.
'What's happening?'
Although he was sure it was a dream, it was as if he was watching someone's past. A man who was shouting with all his might and rushing with every ounce of power in his body while taking down the soldiers that separated him and the woman with a mere wooden stick. The woman, who was tied to a wooden log and being burned on a pyre, screamed in pain as she called out to the desperate man.
''GALAAD, GALAADDDDDD''
''GUINEVEREEEEEEEEEEE''
The man fell to his knees as he watched the woman burn, his eyes screamed in pain as they yearned for the woman who was slowly turning to ashes. As the swords of the soldiers stabbed the man's body, he crawled. So they stabbed him more, yet he crawled, they cut his legs, yet he crawled, they cut his arms, yet he crawled. Up until a claymore pinned him down, he crawled. And even then his eyes stretched as they longed for the woman who was now but mere ashes, so he cursed, as blood gushed out of his mouth. He cursed the world, He cursed the fire, And he cursed himself before all.
************************************************************
''Richard!''
Elena's voice woke up Richard, whose breathing was heavy, from his dreams. With a trembling heart, he remembered, remembered the pain and the hate that this man bore inside of him.
''Come on! get up, dinner is ready.''
''Yes, mommy.''
Richard once again discarded such thoughts from his memory. Right now, he was no longer that man, nor was he Richard ''The lionheart''; He was Richard Wilson, whose war against the tides of fate had just started. However, in his heart, something was amiss, a forgotten fragment that was, slowly but surely, drifting him away; ''To where?'' was something no one could foretell.
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