Skill Selection

Ting.

The notification beep returned. The screens vanished, replaced by a single screen.

[You must choose your Profession before continuing the game.]

[Choose the Profession now?]

[Y/N]

Ash didn't click Y or N. He didn't want to touch the screens in front of him carelessly.

He walked at a half-run to the nearest door and tried to open it.

Clik! Clik! Clik!

The door wouldn't open, and Ash started to panic. He was in a completely unfamiliar place, and couldn't get out.

Ting.

[You must choose your Profession before continuing the game.]

[Choose the Profession now?]

[Y/N]

The notification sounded again, and the screen reappeared in front of him.

Ash grew more panicked. He ran to another door and tried to open it.

Clik! Clik! Clik! Clik!

It wouldn't open.

This time, he banged on the door with both hands in frustration.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Please open this door! Help! Is anyone outside?" Ash shouted, sweat started to drip down his back.

Silence.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Help!" he shouted again.

Still, there was silence.

Ting.

[You must choose your Profession before continuing the game.]

[Choose the Profession now?]

[Y/N]

The notification and the screen reappeared.

Ash rested his forehead against the door, then sat with his back against the wooden door.

With a tired expression, he stared blankly at the screen before him.

'Do I have to choose a Profession first to get out?' he thought in frustration.

He then pressed the screen that read Y.

Ting.

[You must choose the Profession given below.]

[Profession:

⇒ Finder: 0

⇒ Hunter: 0

⇒ Robber: 0

⇒ Theft: 0]

'Ugh. What are Finder, Hunter, Robber, and Thief?" he thought. He tried pressing the one that said Finder.

[Finder: A player who only searches for items.]

[Advanced Skills: Sage Eye, Mind of the Dragon, Expert Tracker]

[Will you choose this Profession?]

[Y/N]

'Hmm.'

Ash pressed the second Profession, Hunter.

[Hunter: Players who obtain items from their original owners]

[Advanced Skills: Warrior, Adventurer, Assassin]

[Will you choose this Profession?]

[Y/N]

'Wow!' Ash immediately pressed Y. He didn't intend to become Robber or Thief, and Hunter's Advanced Skill caught his attention.

Ting.

[You chose the Hunter Profession.]

Ting.

[Player: Ashborn Locke]

[Player Number: #23875]

[Level: #1]

[Stats:

⇒ Strength: 5

⇒ Endurance: 5

⇒ Agility: 5

⇒ Intelligence: 5

⇒ Magic: 5]

[Extra Point: 0]

[Profession:

⇒ Hunter: Level: #0]

'Huh, okay. Level 0.'

Ting.

[You have to choose your weapon.]

'Ouch, this game is so complicated,' Ash grumbled as he waited for a screen showing his weapon choices.

But after a while, the screen he wanted did not appear.

Hesitantly, he tried to pick up one of the swords on the shelves of weapons in the room.

Ting.

[Will you choose a sword as your weapon?]

[You can change your weapon choice or add it later after you advance to level 1.]

[Y/N]

'Oh, crap. What a hassle.' he grumbled again. He pressed the letter Y on the screen again.

[You have chosen a sword as your weapon.]

[You can choose your sword skill now.]

[Sword Skill:

⇒ Ice Blade

⇒ Wind Blade

⇒ Thunder Strike

⇒ Shadow Sword

⇒ Moonlight Slash

⇒ Flame Blade]

Ash tapped his forehead with his palm, shaking his head. 'What a troublesome game,' he thought.

After considering that the game was an object search game and he was a hunter, he finally chose Shadow Sword.

[You chose Sword Skill Shadow Sword.]

[Sword Skill Shadow Sword: A sword skill that allows the player to move quickly and dodge enemy attacks.]

[You will obtain this skill within a few moments.]

[Countdown begins.]

[Three.]

[Two.]

[One.]

[Shadow Sword Skill transfer begins.]

Ash felt his brain suddenly filled with information about the Sword Skill—how the player moves, how to swing the sword, and more.

[Shadow Sword Skill transfer completed.]

[Players can now use Shadow Sword Skill.]

[Players can now exit the waiting room.]

Finally, he could leave the room, but there were a few things he wanted to try out first. He tried swinging his sword left and right.

'Hmm... This sword feels too heavy,' he thought. He walked around the room and found the swords hanging with their sheaths on a shelf. He took one of the swords with the coolest engraving on its hilt.

Ting.

[You have found the Tenebris Sword.]

[Item Rank: Special.]

[Level: Up 0.1 Level]

There was nothing written forbidding him to change his sword. But when Ash read the last sentence, his eyes widened. 'Only 0.1 Level up. Damn game!'

Annoyed, he tried the sword and swung it left and right again.

'It fits,' he thought. He sheathed the sword and buckled the scabbard around her waist.

Carefully, he opened one of the doors of the room. He saw many trees and bushes. It wasn't nighttime outside, but daytime. 

'Why isn't this the way home? Why the forest instead?' he thought. He worried his mother would wake up and look for him.

He walked carefully towards the trees. There was nothing. He went further into the forest.

Suddenly, the bushes in front of him moved, and a huge black boar appeared, running towards him.

Ash panicked and turned back towards the castle. He ran as fast as he could, the boar chasing after him.

Reaching the door, Ash tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. Seeing that the boar getting closer, he ran in another direction. The boar, unable to turn quickly, crashed into the door of the castle door, making a loud noise.

Bummmm!

Ash looked back and saw the boar lying on the ground. But to his even greater astonishment, the castle was gone. Where it had stood was now a huge stone step.

'Where is the castle?' Ash stopped and looked around but didn't see the castle anywhere.

In his confusion, he recalled the wild boar still chasing him. He turned towards it and saw it had woken up and started chasing him again.

Ash swallowed hard. He decided to take a gamble this time.

He drew his sword and pointed the tip at the boar. A strange feeling ran through him. His mind recalled the skill he had received earlier, Shadow Sword. His body began to move on its own.

And when the boar was within two meters, Ash's body lithely bounced upwards. He somersaulted in the air with his sword facing downwards, and his sword steadily pierced the boar's neck. With his weight, Ash stabbed deeper until the blade came out from the lower side of the neck.

The boar made a choking sound and fell to the ground.

However, because the boar was running and Ash didn't want to let go of the sword, he was carried for a few meters before the boar finally fell and stopped moving.

Ash was thrown forward and fell face down on the ground.