NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6: Hidden Legacy?
Maria didn't know exactly where to go despite looking over the help window. It only showed a picture of how an instructor would look like for every class.
There were a variety of different classes in Unitale, but there were 6 starting classes that everyone could get, namely, the Warrior, Knight, Mage, Priest, Archer, and Thief. There were also hidden classes and legacy classes, but all of these terms were foreign to Maria. She only knew that by gaining a class, she'd finally be able to start her adventure.
Lizzy also said that they should meet up later when they both get their classes so they could party up and go hunting together.
"Uhm..." The clueless Maria was helplessly looking everywhere for the instructors. Even when she did ask for directions, she wound up arriving at the wrong place every single time.
She was repeatedly getting lost. So in her frustration, Maria went over to a bench and sat down.
"Sniff...no fair...how come I can't find them?"
"Hello there!"
"WAH!!!"
At the abrupt voice that originated from next to her, Maria jumped up off of the bench in surprise.
She quickly turned around to face the person who had startled her. It was a woman in black, priestess garbs. She had a gentle smile on her face as she looked back at the startled young angel with black wings.
"Fufufufu~ why the sad face earlier?"
"Eh? Uhm...I-I couldn't find...an instructor..."
"Hm?"
"I-I need to find one fast! So that I can go adventuring with my friend..."
"Can I help you? I'm an instructor."
"Eh?"
Now that the woman mentioned it, she did look somewhat familiar to Maria. When Maria turned her eyes back onto the help window, she finally found out why she was indeed familiar to her.
"Ah! You're the Priest Instructor!"
"Ahaha~ I'm glad you finally noticed."
Maria rushed up to her and grabbed her hands. "Please help me!"
"No rush, no rush...would you like to become a Priestess?"
"Yes! As long as I can get my class!"
"Come with me."
At her words, the Priest Instructor turned around and led Maria into the temple. Maria turned her head up to look at the majestic temple. It looked somewhat like a grand church, but there were all sorts of demonic statues and motifs decorating the exterior.
When she got inside, the temple had a somewhat gloomy and oppressive atmosphere about it, but oddly enough, Maria didn't feel uneasy but instead she felt as if she was right at home.
Entering the temple gave her a warm and cozy feeling. She felt safe while inside, like she had returned to her mother's embrace.
The NPC instructor led her all the way to a massive statue in the temple. The statue depicted a young man with long hair wielding a battle axe on his left arm and a shield on his right. Although it was only a statue, Maria could tell that the man had a beautiful face. He had two long horns on the top of his head, long pointy ears, and a serpentine tail that was wrapped around his waist.
Inside the statue's eye sockets were large rubies. Maria could see that there was some kind of mark engraved on the middle of the statue's forehead. The gloomy and oppressive atmosphere originated from this majestic statue.
Maria was very much intrigued by it and she couldn't help but give it a long, hard stare.
"This is our God, the Dark God, Death!"
"Death?"
"Child, if you wish to become a Priestess, please show the Dark God your worth!"
[Quest: Follow the Dark God
The instructor would like you to prove your worth. Complete the Tutorial Quests and receive the instructor's approval.
Slay 1 Monster (10/1) Complete 1000%
Reach Lv. 5 (5/5) Complete 100%
Reward: 1 Copper, Initiate's Robes, Initiate's Boots, Initiate's Gloves, Initiate's Staff]
[Update! Quest Completion!]
[Quest: Follow the Dark God
You have faithfully completed the quest, speak to the instructor to get your rewards and proceed to the next step and receive the Dark God's Blessing!
Rewards: Class Change: Priestess, 1 Skill Book, 50 Reputation points]
"Eh?"
Because of what she went through inside of the forest, Maria had unknowingly completed all of the tutorial quest's main objectives. Normally, a player would have completed this by clearing out only level 1 or 2 monsters so they could get the hang of things. They wouldn't go through a despairing event like Maria.
The game boasted a 99% reality setting. So monsters in the game would attack a player like how their animal counterparts in the real world would. Take for instance, the wolves that Maria came across.
They didn't roam about the area individually, but instead in large packs. A level 0 player would be dead if they ever came across a level 5 wolf pack.
After quickly speaking with the instructor once more, she was given her rewards and was told to place her hand on top of the pedestal just in front of the Dark God's Statue in order to complete her class change.
After she swiped away the quest window, Maria made her way over to the pedestal.
She placed her palm on top of it and the statue's eyes began to glow. A red ray of light ejected out of the ruby eyes and landed on top of Maria's hand.
[Hidden Requirements met! Quest updated!]
[Quest: Become Death's Envoy
Become the messenger of the Dark God, Death, and receive his divine blessing and legacy!
Slay 50 Small Wolves (0/50)
Slay 50 Horned Rabbits (0/50)
Slay 20 Players (0/20)
Time Limit: None
Penalty: Level -5, All Stats -5, Death's Gloom Debuff
Rewards: Level +1, Hidden Legacy Class: Dark Priestess, 1 Gold, Death's Legacy Box]
[Notice: This is a SOLO quest. Party Function has been disabled until quest completion!]
Receiving her new quest, Maria tilted her head in confusion.
"Shouldn't I receive my class now?"
Behind her, the Instructor had already knelt down in prostration.
"It's the Dark God's Revelation! Child, you are to become the next Envoy! Ohhh, praise be to the Dark God!"
"What?"
******
Maria was now at the outskirts of Enoch, the Demon City. All around her she could finally the newbie players that had started playing the game at the same time as her.
Demons, Ghosts, Succubi, Oni, and many other demonic races roamed about the fields just outside of Enoch. One thing was in common was that all the players were grouped up in 2s or 3s. For the players who were still by their lonesome like Maria, they were all waiting by the city gates in order to party up with others.
The monsters in Unitale were way too realistic and although killing them wasn't too hard, but it did take some effort.
For instance, the rabbit monster that Maria was currently poking at with her staff was a pretty docile creature, but when it was attacked it would jump all over the place and ram it's assaulter with its sharp, pointed horn situated on the top of its head.
"Awww, you look so cu~te... why do I have to kill you?"
While she was oblivious to it, Maria's unique avatar was attracting the attention of every player in her area. She was already pretty famous on the forums for being a player who had successfully race changed right at the start of the game.
Her unique black-colored feathered wings were much different than that of the dragonoids' draconic wings or the demon race's scaly webbed wings. They were also much larger and were reminiscent of angel wings.
Well, she was originally an angel from the start, but she had fallen because of her stupidity. Being too immersed in flying was pretty fatal for this directionally challenged girl.
However, a lot of Angel Race players have already begun boasting on the forums that they were given the Fly Function right from the start, just after finishing the tutorial quests. It was a unique perk to their race. Other races with wings would have to be at least over level 40 before they could even dream of flying. Not the Angels however. They could fly right from the get-go once they've finished the tutorial.
Naturally, a Black Winged Angel, or the Fallen Angel Race like Maria, would attract a lot of attention. While Maria was happily poking at the rabbit with her staff and enjoying its fluffiness, a group of players walked up to her.
"Hey! You alone?"
"Uwah!"
Being called out to; Maria naturally flinched and jumped forward in surprise. Her forward momentum had also pushed the staff she was using to poke at the rabbit. The rabbit registered this as an attack and immediately retaliated.
Seeing the rabbit's horn growing closer and closer to her face, Maria paled and started cowering in fear. She also instinctively moved her wings in front of her body to protect her face. She felt a small jolt of pain hit her wings.
Maria waited for the follow up attack, she knew that the monster wouldn't stop attacking, but for some reason, the pain didn't come.
*DING* [Quest Update, Slay 50 Horned Rabbits (1/50)]
*DING* [200 Exp. gained]
"Huh?"
"WOAH!!"
"That was sooo cool! Did you see that skill she used?!"
Amazed exclamations began sounding out from behind her. Maria slowly parted her hands away from her face and her wings also moved back in place. Maria finally noticed the outcome of the rabbit who had tried to harm her. It was lying there, dead on the ground with multiple black feathers puncturing its body.
Fortunately, she had her wings covering up her face so her cowering and scared expression was hidden from the masses.
To the spectators, her wings' movements were only the precursory action for a skill's activation. Instead of looking like a coward, Maria looked cool instead!