Warnings: possible dark themes, psychologically dark-ish? (apathetic) Harry, no magic, virtual reality gaming AU
Pairing: TMR/HP (Tom Marvolo Riddle/Harry Potter)
Summary: Voldemort was just supposed to be the bored necromancer who had a slightly creepy obsession with the undead. Scarred was just supposed to be a berserker-but things never quite work out that way.
For one, he isn't a berserker. He's a bishop. For two, he isn't just anything-he's the renegade High Priest of Gryffindor. For three, well... let's just say Voldemort's slightly creepy obsession wasn't on the undead anymore.
Glitches were so inconvenient.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling; this story was also inspired by Legendary Moonlight Sculptor by Nam Hee Sung, a korean light novel about a virtual reality game called Royal Road and a main character who wants to conquer it all (for money). You can read it at:
(Vol 1-20): royalroadweed(period)blogspot(period)co(period)il(slash)2014(slash)11(slash)toc(period)html
(Vol 21+, WIP): jawztranslations(period)blogspot(period)com(slash)p(slash)legendary-moonlight-sculptor(period)html
(Vol 23+, WIP): clickyclicktranslation(period)blogspot(period)com(slash)p(slash)blog-page(period)html
Also, 1/2 Prince by Yu Wo inspired this story too! A Chinese VR-MMORPG light novel (adapted as a manga as well) about a girl who plays as a handsome male elven warrior. Read it now at princerevolution(period)org! The manhua can be read at mangahere or mangafox, or probably any of your favorite manga reading sites.
Third shout-out of inspiration to The Gamer by Sung San-young, a manhwa/web comic about a main character who gains the ability to live life as a game character. Read it at mangahere, or probably any of your favorite manga reading websites.
Twenty-four hours later (approximately; he'd died at a very late time during the night), Harry logged back into Witches and Wizards, feeling determined now to get back to his quest. He appeared at the rebirth point of Little Hippogriff, which was a raised platform underneath a large, Greco-Roman styled awning held up by intricately carved pillars.
The rebirth point seemed out of place in such a simple beginner town, but Harry supposed that was for a reason—it was highly noticeable, which meant easy to find; he figured most rebirth points might look something like it.
Quickly—as he didn't want to trip anyone who spawned next—Harry stepped down from the pedestal and left the platform via descending the marble stairs a few meters in front of him. There were some players milling about, loitering as they talked amongst their own small groups. He could see NPCs also wandering, doing their jobs as they were wont to do at this time of day. Harry was about to relax in the easy atmosphere before he remembered he had a quest to report.
Now reminded, Harry rushed over to the old man at the fountain.
"Ah! So you've come back," the old man exclaimed. "What news do you bring, young friend?"
The player smiled slightly at the affectionate name he was greeted with before reporting. "There's a large tree in the forest. I found a wolf pack living beneath it."
"Oh? So they've moved there, huh… Anything else?"
Harry found he could not ask what the NPC meant, required to finish his report first. "There was a large crystal inside the den, and a sword stuck next to it. When I tried to get closer, the Alpha Male stopped me."
"A large crystal, you say? And a sword? Oh dear…"
"Sir?" Harry asked.
The old man looked grim. "You've done very well—a great service for this village! Here, take this…"
Investigate the Forest Quest completed!
Harry accepted the reward, but was more eager to listen to what the old man had to say next. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"
"Yes—yes. You see, we've had a wolf pack in the area since the founding of Little Hippogriff. However, they only took what they needed, and it served us well too because they controlled the population of rabbits that tended to get into our gardens and crops. As you can see, we can't farm all too much here—and having the plots that we did have eaten away… Well, we were alright with living beside the wolf pack.
"But suddenly, the wolf population grew bigger, and then they started to take more and more… Our animals were attacked and devoured. No one could understand why. But now, I think, you've solved the mystery."
"…I have?"
"Yes. You saw the wolf pack, didn't you? Who were the members of it?"
Harry frowned in thought. "Well… There were a lot of them. Pups, juveniles, adolescents, guards… And a Beta pair and Alpha pair."
"Pair? You're sure that there were two alphas?"
Harry nodded. "A male and a female."
The old man sighed. "Yes, then it is as I assumed. You see, many years before the wolf population boom, a hero originally from our village returned. His name was Sir Nicholas, and he said he was searching for a mana crystal located in the area. Well, he found the large tree that you did, and he entered, swearing that he would bring back a large chunk of the crystal. We found him days later, dragging himself back to the village, his body severely wounded by what seemed to be claw marks.
"We treated him, of course. And he told us what happened. A large wolf had attacked him when he neared the stone. While he managed to fight it for a few moments, it was inordinately strong. It managed to bat away his sword, soundly disarming him, before managing to wound him as we saw him then. He managed to escape, and had no intentions of returning there to try again.
"He told us, ''t is being guarded for a reason. I'll not play with fire if such is what the gods guard jealously as their own.' And he left. The sword, as you saw, remains. Unfortunately, Sir Nicholas' sword was one cursed with incredible power—no ordinary man could wield it. I assume that one of the wolves became corrupted by it, gained power, and ascended to the Alpha Female position. As you know, in wolf packs, only the alpha male is allowed to reproduce—"
"And now that there's a powerful wolf who happens to be a female—"
The old man nodded. "Indeed. Young, dear friend of our village, I hate to trouble you with such a dangerous request, but…"
Stop the Wolf Population Boom Quest
According to the old man, Sir Nicholas' sword is the cause of the increase in wolves by elevating one of the females to Alpha Female. As a friend of Little Hippogriff, please vanquish the Alpha Female and remove the sword from the Primordial Mana Crystal!
Difficulty: D
0/1 Alpha Female
*Recommended to complete with a party
*Wolf Hunt - Investigate the Forest -Stop the…Boom
"Of course I'll help," Harry said, accepting the quest. There was a part of him that was still a bit angry over being defeated! However, a thought of caution came to him. "You don't want me to get rid of the Alpha Male too…?"
The old man chuckled. "You may be strong, friend, but Sir Nicholas was stronger. No, I don't think you could, or that it's necessary. He's there for a reason. The only unnatural presence there is that of the Alpha Female. I do not think he would stop you either."
"But the sword?"
"I'm sure he'll sense your intentions."
Harry wasn't so sure about that. He'd just wanted to observe the sword and the Alpha Male still attacked him! But he didn't tell the old man this. Harry left, direction toward the Tree of Ages again. Indeed, he would try to avoid confronting the Guardian—his first priority would be the Alpha Female!
One thing Harry quickly discovered was how difficult it was to dodge in the cavern.
When he arrived back at the Tree of Ages and entered the hollow, all the wolves—save the Alpha—were gone, probably in different rooms. The Alpha Female had attacked him on-sight, which had led to some sort of dodge and pray. He'd gotten bit by her fangs once, and the amount of health she'd lopped off… Not something he wanted to repeat.
Harry threw himself to the side again. The wide, open clearing (with hardly any rocks to hide behind) allowed the Alpha Female, with her superior speed, to catch him much easier. Harry was depending on last minute dodging to escape the swipe of her claws and the snap of her teeth! It was not the best method, but it was all he had… Mana Reader did significantly ease the task, though.
The monster's eyes were wide and furious. Crazed. She was a demon, come alive barring her fangs with an unnatural arch in her back. He had not seen it when she was far away at the corner of the room, but now it was clear. Cursed! This was the look of a cursed monster—one affected by negative energies like the old sword. Harry did not know how he would defeat her—it was no wonder a party was recommended!
Run. Harry threw himself to the side, letting the Alpha Female crash into the wall behind him. However, not even that deterred her. She regained her balance and went after him again.
Think. What were the vulnerable spots of a wolf? The eyes. The neck. The legs? The belly… He wouldn't be able to defeat her by blindly lashing out with his weapon. Where could he strike…?
Harry made a split second decision. He spun around, waited for her to charge at just the right moment, and when she was so close he could reach out and touch her, Harry dodged to the side and clambered onto her back.
It was a rough ride. The boss monster clearly didn't appreciate her prey being where she could not bite him, and so bucked and growled and tried to fling him off. Harry hung on for dear life, hands in her fur and around her neck. When he finally pulled himself to a more stable position—not that anywhere was truly stable—Harry pulled out his knife from its spot in his leather belt, put there previously when he concocted the plan, and struck out at her neck.
One, two, three slashes he got off before she flung him off. Harry hit the hard ground with a grunt, his knife bloodied but overall the attack had been effective. All of his attacks had been critical hits. The Alpha Female, from his recent and past attacks, was at approximately half health.
She charged at him again, even more enraged. Harry got to his feet and began the cat and mouse cycle once more.
For some reason, blood pumping and heart racing, Harry found himself calm. Oh, he was nervous—this was his first boss battle, after all—and he was clumsy—the furthest thing away from a stone-cold warrior—but he was calm. The nudge of fear he felt toward the Alpha Female wasn't even a fraction of the fear he felt confronted with the Alpha Male! Remembering how he felt then, cornered and at the mercy of those sharp claws, the spiraling tornado of mana about the muscled arm… compared to that, the Alpha Female's cursed aura was nothing!
That was what kept Harry going. The Alpha Female was double his level—a staggering level thirty to his fifteen—but Harry persevered. Her defense was not high. It was only her speed and attack—boosted by the curse of the sword—that made her so dangerous.
Could he do it? Could he solo his first boss, twice his level?
Harry's eyes sharpened. He would.
Around and around the cavern he went, sticking to routes he knew she could not cut him off from. Every so often he managed to lunge forward, striking at her vulnerable spots. Harry was not able to leap upon her back again, but he managed to slice at her hind legs and even her underbelly. Whenever he could, he grabbed loose, small rocks in his hand during a roll or a dodge—moments where he forced himself lower to the ground—and then flung them at her, aiming for the eyes in hope of a moment of distraction. It did negligent damage, but sometimes he did succeed in getting debris in her eyes.
Finally, after many exhausting rounds, Harry got the Alpha Female's health down to a quarter! He swerved, weaving between an area of stalagmites, and just managed to cross the room again before a small, misshapen wolf limped out of one of the connecting tunnels. Harry yelped in surprise, skidding to avoid crashing into the poor beast.
Omega Wolf, it said, floating above a bent head and curled form. One of its hind legs was distorted. It was a cripple.
The growl behind him told Harry that the Alpha Female was almost done making it through the stalagmites. Just in case, the player turned his head to check over his shoulder, only to see the angry boss charging right at him again. But at the speed she was going at—
Harry turned back to the wolf.
Too fast, he realized. Without another thought, Harry grabbed the Omega Wolf and threw them both to the side. However, he misjudged the Alpha Female's recovery time. Clearly she had learned from the previous times Harry had pulled the trick—the boss swung her weight, turning in her stride, and caught up with him before he could regain his balance.
Harry slashed out with his knife in vain. The Alpha Female's jaws came down on his arm, knife and all—taking out a good chunk of his health. The pain—oh dear god the pain—he screamed.
At this rate, she'll take my arm off!
It was then that he locked his own green eyes with the Alpha Female's crazed red. Cursed eyes. Something in them made Harry angry. Was he truly going to lose—die—to an opponent gone mad? Defeated by someone borrowing power—how pathetic! Was that how he was going to go? A mere two hours after he'd logged on again?
Hell no!
With his other hand, Harry grabbed one of the loose rubble that their fight had caused. It was jagged all around, sharpened points digging into the palm of his hand. Good. He struck then; stabbing the boss' eyes with the stone, which caused her to cry out in pain. The lapse in focus made her jaws slacken on his arm just enough so Harry could move it and, with one swift stroke, stabbed the knife up through her mouth right through the brain.
There was a flash of light.
…Had he died?
…No, the ache in his arm told differently. Harry hissed as he dropped his knife, hearing it clatter on the floor but ignoring it in favor of gripping the spot that sharpened teeth had previously been imbedded in.
You have defeated boss monster Alpha Female. Fame +1
You have leveled up.
You have leveled up.
You have leveled up.
Items have been sent to inventory.
He waited a bit longer, but no "quest completed" appeared. It took a few more seconds before he remembered the cursed sword he had to get.
Harry cursed. Out of curiosity, he checked his health.
100/1500 HP!
An almost death. He was lucky, he supposed. Really lucky. If any one of her attacks had landed a critical hit on him…
Harry shuddered, and then instantly groaned in pain as he tried to shift his body. Being so near-death was no joke! Harry was at approximately 7% health! And it was slowly decreasing! The bite wound was deep—as the blood continued to run down his arm, his health points dropped.
He needed to stop the bleeding. But how? His clothes were too thick to rip—perhaps he could cut it with his knife? But after such a battle, the durability on it was extremely low. It would probably break before he could finish.
It was a shame that he'd just visited the store before! He'd gone to dispose of the previous loot he'd gotten before he'd died, a quick stop since he just wanted to decrease the weight of his inventory. However, because of that stop, Harry no longer had any of his wolf pelts—he couldn't even use those as a makeshift bandage! An unfortunate turn compared to his previously praised luck.
At his side, the Omega Wolf that Harry had saved cautiously sniffed his uninjured arm. The player turned to look at it. Truly, the wolf was a pitiful thing—from his Mana Reader, he could see that its level was even lower than the wolves outside near the village. The lowest ranking member of the pack, an omega! Consistently bullied. Deformed. Even from the way it held itself, Harry could see the perpetual submission—either out of fear or habit. That was the life of the Omega Wolf.
Harry found he sympathized with it. He remembered when he, too was in the same position. Unable to defend himself. Driven by fear—but even fear had not been enough then. He had still been hurt. Still had suffered.
That was why, once he'd found out that he could have a choice, he wanted to grow stronger. He wanted to learn how to protect himself—how to fight back. That was how Harry had turned up at the dojo! He'd met one of the masters by chance out on the street, and perhaps taking pity on him or seeing his potential, the master had essentially picked him up and lead him over. There, he'd found a home—for the first time in his life, he knew what a home was.
But for this Omega Wolf, the pack was his home. Harry could relate to the cage of family and blood as well. Being under the custody of his aunt and uncle… yes, Harry could relate to the Omega Wolf, who knew nowhere else to go. Here, though he had no hope of growing stronger or respected, no hope of magically repairing his deformity and becoming more than what he was, the wolf would live until the end of its life.
In that way, Harry and the Omega Wolf were intrinsically different! Harry had the potential to escape, even before he knew what 'escape' meant. But the Omega Wolf did not—would never.
Sitting at a meager 50 health, Harry did not even attempt to stand up. Instead, he reached out with his hand and, very slowly, rested it upon the Omega Wolf's head. At first, the monster had flinched, but then seeing as the hand did not move to strike out, it relaxed. Unbidden, a smile formed on Harry's lips. He began to stroke the soft fur of the wolf.
Harry was not thinking about how the wolf was an NPC—a simple monster, programmed by someone behind a computer screen, made of numbers and coding. Harry wasn't even thinking of himself as a 'player'—a participant of a game that he could log out of at any time. No—here, he was just Harry, and the monster beside him was a kindred spirit.
It soothed his soul in a way; this sort of peace, not dreary and dull, but calm and therapeutic... So there is this sort of feeling too.
It was funny. Harry had just been violently opposed to dying—so much so that he had defeated the boss in a completely unconventional way! But now, here he was, accepting it.
Beneath his hand, the Omega Wolf shifted. It moved—burdened, but still able—across the room, and Harry let his hand fall to the ground as he watched it curiously. Only then did he see the Alpha Male! The one he had completely forgotten! The Omega Wolf dropped into a submissive position in front of it. The Alpha Male grunted, low but not threateningly, and the Omega Wolf responded with some sort of whine.
Harry blinked. The Alpha Male approached him on two legs—superior to the Alpha Female, which had only been able to move on all four—and finally, when it was in front of him, made one smooth swipe with his claws and…
Picked him up.
Harry blinked. He was at 30 HP now, a measly 2%! It was too difficult to move any of his body parts, not that it would be a smart idea to in this situation, and so he could do no more but let himself be carried! Harry could not even turn his head—he closed his eyes and succumbed to whatever fate the boss monster felt would be fitting.
The Alpha Male set him down on the ground, right in front of the Primordial Mana Crystal that it had previously confronted him for nearing. The irony there was not lost to Harry, but he was confused by pretty much everything else. Was the boss monster trying to help him finish his quest or something? But if so, then he would've given him the sword, wouldn't he?
He felt the monster nudge him with his claws. Thankfully, it did not harm him any further.
Closer to the source of mana…? No, that wasn't it.
Harry squinted. "Mana Read," he muttered.
Liquid Mana
By having been in the close presence of a Primordial Mana Crystal, the pond has absorbed the properties and become a pool of liquid mana. Such purity is extremely rare.
The effect of drinking such a liquid is unknown. Five random effects, negative or positive, will be bestowed—permanently or temporarily.
Did the Alpha Male want him to drink it…? Harry couldn't help but chuckle at this situation. Luck again, huh…?
He was nudged again. Harry struggled to get closer and finally dipped his hand into the pool. While it looked like water, it felt much thicker—almost like oil. He scooped a palm full of it and without further hesitation, brought it to his lips and drank.
The effect did not take place immediately. While his tongue could not taste anything, he felt the mana slide down his throat and revitalize him. It was like the first sip of water to a dehydrated, dying man! Harry could not help but close his eyes and savor the feeling.
You feel revitalized.
Your wounds have been healed.
Your sensitivity to mana has increased.
You have absorbed the mana of the Liquid Mana!
For 1 day, Health Regeneration +50%
Maximum Mana +1000
Poison Resistance +30%
You have learned a new skill.
You have learned a new skill.
One temporary buff, four permanent effects! And on top of that, no curses as far as Harry could tell! An astounding level of compatibility—no; one could even call it absurd considering the fact that the drink had given him two skills! Harry breathed a sigh of relief. He carefully sat up, stretching his arms and hands but finding no ache or pain left. Just to make sure, he checked his health bar. A full 1500/1500. Success!
Harry turned to the boss monster that was still patiently watching him. And then he wondered if, perhaps, the ridiculous luck he had gotten with the Liquid Mana was truly just luck. Above the creature's head, the words "The guardian of a Primordial Mana Crystal" were displayed in stark white. In contrast, the level was in the deepest shade of red possible.
Harry wondered.
When he stood up, the Alpha Male left the room, as if giving him permission to do as he pleased. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Harry turned back to the mana crystal and sought the old rusty sword. He approached close enough to touch it and then called, "Mana Read."
The description had changed.
Cursed Rusty Sword
The sword of Sir Nicholas! Because it has been abandoned and unable to feed off of the fighting spirit of a human, the sword has weathered and rusted. Perhaps if it is restored it can return to its former glory; however, greatness comes with a price. As a cursed sword, those without the proper disposition can fall under its terrible influence…
You can feel an ominous chill radiating from the blade.
Durability: 1/50
Requirements: None
Attack: +1
Harry shuddered. Would he truly be alright picking it up? That didn't seem like the smartest idea, but his quest wanted him to remove it…
He frowned. He didn't have anything to pick it up with, though. True, while he had gloves on as part of his newbie gear, that would protect his skin—but that didn't necessarily mean he was protected from the curse either. What to do…
The player squinted at the sword. He was watching the flow of mana! Now that he was closer, he could somewhat identify it even in the presence of the dominating mana crystal!
He had nothing but his intuition to go on. Harry supposed that if he handled it like an item instead of a weapon, it should be okay. With that thought in mind, he reached out with cautious hands and pulled the sword away from the crystal. It quickly went into his inventory. After a moment he didn't feel any different, so with that, Harry left the room.
Stop the Wolf Population Boom Quest completed!
He saw the Alpha Male waiting outside, as well as the Omega Wolf. The size difference was like a skyscraper to a house!
The crippled monster limped forward, and Harry knelt down to pet its head. The Alpha Male watched them both with an unreadable gaze, but it wasn't aggressive. Again, a thought pushed its way to the forefront of the player's mind.
What if…
What if his luck hadn't truly been all that much of his own luck?
Harry glanced at the boss monster once more. Then he looked down at the Omega Wolf. An alpha always protects his pack…
Could it be that the Alpha Male did not approve of the Alpha Female either? Harry assumed that the Alpha Male could not interfere unless it concerned the Primordial Mana Crystal it protected. If that was the case, the Alpha Female could not be ousted unless an external force, not of the pack, did it.
Harry focused on the Omega Wolf again. Even if it was a pitiful creature with no hope of a better future, that did not mean the wolf was useless. No, an omega served an important purpose in a pack! By being the weakest, a hierarchy was better established. Bullying was a release of stress for the other pack members. One could say that the omega of a pack tied everyone together.
A group was only as strong as its weakest link. Though the Omega Wolf was physically weak, that was not the only form strength takes! Harry understood better now. He and the Omega Wolf… they had similarities after all, but they were more different. While the Omega Wolf's place was meant to be at the bottom of the pack, Harry's was not. And that was not a degrading fact in the least—they both took different positions because their strengths lent them to different roles. To be a leader or a support type, certain inherent qualities were needed.
Yes, the Omega Wolf looked pitiful. However, Harry found he could not pity it anymore. Instead, he admired it. Supporting was difficult; some would say it was even more difficult than leading!
Harry smiled. "Thank you," he said to the both of them.
The Omega Wolf licked his hand. Surprisingly, even the Alpha Male dipped its head! Acknowledgement from two monsters… what an odd situation Harry found himself in, and yet he felt more natural in this place than any other in the past three years!
Witches and Wizards…
A game of surprising amounts of mystery.
Harry departed from the Tree of Ages. It was time to go back to Little Hippogriff.
Before turning in his quest, there was still something of great importance to do.
Harry had to check his earnings! He had gotten three whole levels from soloing the Alpha Female, as well as some items he had yet to check over. To prevent theft or loss, boss monster item drops were immediately sent to the participants' inventories. They were distributed according to kill participation. Harry, having been on his own, received all of the items.
He also received effects from drinking the Liquid Mana. Harry decided to deal with those first. He quickly opened up his stat window and distributed his skill points, as well as check on the stats he'd gained.
Name: Scarred ~ Level: 18 ~ Race: Human
Faction: Gryffindor ~ Class: None
Title: He Who Follows Mana ~ Fame: 156
Health: 1000 ~ Mana: 1605 (+100)
Strength: 69 ~ Stamina: 34
Intellect: 30 ~ Wisdom: 31 (+10)
Luck: 20 ~ Agility: 37 (+1)
Stealth: 9
Attack: 0 (+1) ~ Defense: 0 (+4)
Fullness: 95 ~ Fatigue: 4
Poison Resistance +30%
A mana pool expanded by 1000 points! While maximum mana also grew as he leveled, gaining it otherwise was rare and even coveted! For classes that depended on spells, a large mana pool was absolutely necessary to cast advanced magic. Granted they usually had a higher mana growth, and in the higher levels the most desirous thing was mana regeneration, but it was still a very gracious reward.
Harry, as he did not intend to become a magician, would not increase his mana pool by much when he leveled. Thus, having 1000 more, especially at his early level, was a true blessing! It meant he could use his skills for a longer period of time before requiring either rest or an expensive potion. Not to mention, he could practice Mana Reader more extensively outside of the sphere of the Tree of Ages.
It was a very satisfying gift.
And then, poison resistance! A random effect indeed. This one was permanent. Early level monsters usually did not poison, but when they did start to he knew the status effect could be annoying. Having resistances of any sort certainly did not hurt.
Harry looked over everything else. The buff from the Tree of Ages was gone. The buff he was getting from his title, giving him an extra 100 MP and 10 wisdom, would be active for as long as he wore it. The agility buff was from his newbie shoes, the defense from his clothes, and the attack he had dropped because of the extremely low durability of his knife. He should probably get it replaced soon.
Since most players had a job advancement by now, they would've received a new weapon in accordance to their new class. As Harry had not done anything of the sort, he was stuck with the knife unless he bought a new weapon, or received a weapon drop.
Next, Harry checked his skills. He'd learned two from the Liquid Mana, and he was curious about what they were. They could be anything!
Luck of the Draw Beginner Level 1 (0%): The hand of Fate guides the travelers who have turned to her in their time of desperation. The spiritual link can never be severed.
Passive: Increases chance of receiving and hitting critical hits depending on the level of the skill.
Active: Every time an event dependent on chance occurs, Luck of the Draw will be activated, generating a number between 0 and 100. Depending on the number, the chance of the outcome could be affected drastically.
Lady Fate's favor is fickle and can be given just as soon as it can be taken away—her personal interest can be considered both a blessing and a curse.
[Self-activation is impossible.]
Harry gulped. It sounded more inconvenient than useful. So this was the true definition of random—a gift only by the wrapping paper, and inside a dangerous pet snake! He was more cautious than ever about the second skill. What could it be?
…Did he even want to know?
Still, it was his now. Harry decided to check it, after much hesitation.
Patronus Charm Beginner Level 1 (0%): Advanced level light magic that shields the user from curses, dark magic, and dark monsters.
Incomplete, manifests a shield requiring concentration to be maintained. Complete, summons a familiar to fight and protect the user against harm. Familiar's power dependent on level of skill and user's emotions.
Initial cast requires 1000 mana. Requires mana per second to be sustained.
[Activate: "Expecto Patronum"]
An advanced level light magic spell! No matter how one looked at it, Harry had hit the jackpot. Simply receiving it balanced out the foreboding feeling he had gotten from seeing Luck of the Draw! As a berserker, there would be no possible way of him getting this spell. And even if he became a mage, he expected he'd only hear of something like this past level 200! That was how ridiculous obtaining this skill was.
There really was no description of how fortunate he had been. Harry read the description again, closer this time, and recognized his luck. A mage's spell depended on their INT and WIS, usually. How powerful it was, how effective it could be… those sort of things normally were measured by the skill's level and the mage's intelligence and wisdom. That was how it was. But this skill, the Patronus Charm, was measured by not only the skill level, but also emotions. Not stats!
Harry didn't know what it meant per say, but it was different. This way, even if he had abysmal mage stats, the spell could still be relatively effective. A ridiculous turn of fate—from dying to prospering. Maybe it was as they say—one had to straggle the line of death to reap great rewards. While Harry wasn't keen on repeating the act—he wasn't going to depend on his luck of all things! Not the stat either—he could properly respect and be thankful for the great gifts he had been given by the game's system.
A thought came to him then. He was sure other players weren't as lucky as he was. In that case… if he continued to develop in much this same strand, wouldn't his character end up being some ridiculous cheat character?! An overpowered player who's combination of skills was enough to 'break the game'…
Harry immediately discarded the theory. Impossible. His fortune was usually incredibly bad—be it from fortune cookies or actual fortune tellers that pulled him to their booths along the street. There was no way Harry would suddenly become lucky.
But he was forgetting one important thing. Here, he wasn't "Harry"—here, he was "Scarred"! He was not Harry Potter, burdened with the weight of his thoughts. That Harry, the human Harry, the person Harry, could not possibly come into fortune's favor without some sort of catalyst. However, Scarred was another matter. Scarred was someone "new". Born from the will of Harry Potter, the player Scarred could be—
Could be.
Harry went on to check his Mana Reader. It was currently level 6, at 32%. The percentages came slower this time. He'd have to continue using it a lot if he wanted to level it up. In that case, it probably wouldn't be wise to use the Patronus Charm until he was a higher level.
For one thing, he doubted he would run into any dark creatures soon—or come face to face with a curse. Even if he just used it to level it up (and Harry was unsure if he could do such a thing, but it wouldn't hurt to try later), the initial cost was a whopping 1000 mana! At full MP, that would leave him with 605, 705 with his title on, mana left to sustain it. At the moment, he could not use Mana Reader and the Patronus Charm at the same time without exhausting himself.
But that was natural. He was only level 18. The Patronus Charm was a spell players over level 250—no, that was only an estimated minimum; 300 was more likely—would learn! It was to be expected that he couldn't use it well at his level. The point was he had it, so he could use it later. Harry relaxed. Now that that was settled, it was time to turn in the quest.
"You've returned!" the old man cried when he saw Harry approach. "Thank Godric you have! The Church of Gryffindor has protected you, I'm sure!"
Harry nodded his head. "The Alpha Female is no more, and I got Sir Nicholas' sword."
"Marvelous! May I see it?"
The player nodded again. He was cautious taking it out of his inventory, and used both hands to give it to the NPC.
"Hmm… let's see… Yes, I'm sure this is it. The curse on it is unmistakable. Even though I can't see the inscription on it—the rust, and wear and tear from being down there so long no doubt—this has to be it. You said it was near the crystal?"
"Yes."
"Hm. So my guess was right. Ah, but it's such a huge relief that everything is over with! I don't think the village of Little Hippogriff can thank you enough, dear friend! Please, take this token of our thanks."
Harry received it gratefully. The old man was not done, however.
"You have saved our village. For your good deeds, I will have you recognized wherever you go—"
You have leveled up.
Gained title: "Wolf Hunter"
As a savior and friend of Little Hippogriff, all shops in the village will give you a 30% discount.
All NPCs of Little Hippogriff now have high intimacy with you.
As the specialty of Little Hippogriff, intimacy with hippogriffs have risen. Skills involving hippogriffs will gain more experience in the village. Applying for a license to own a hippogriff will be easier with the support of the village. If you buy a hippogriff from Little Hippogriff, you will receive a 10% discount.
"—And this. This as well. We have no means to dispose of it, you see. Please, take the sword along with you on your travels, and should you find fit at whichever establishment you find yourself at, please dispose of it. No one should ever fall under its influence again."
Harry took back the cursed sword. "Will it be alright for me to carry it?"
"Yes," the old man said, "It should be. Had it been in its unmarred state, I am sure it would've affected you terribly. However, it's rusted now, and with little energy, the curse cannot do anything to you. Unless… unless you wield it, friend, then it should be unable to do you harm. I do not recommend doing such a thing, though. After so many years, it must be terribly bloodthirsty! I cannot imagine what sort of heinous crimes it would have you do should you take it up…"
"Thank you for the warning."
"Of course. I wish you well in your travels, dear friend, and should you ever need a place of rest, Little Hippogriff will supply it!"
Harry dipped his head one more time and departed.
As the NPC had noticed, it was near time he should leave the little village. Before he left, though, he visited Sirius Black once more, and went to Hagrid's to practice his Hippogriff Riding skill until it reached intermediate. Such a thing would normally take a long time, but Harry's close intimacy with their caretaker boosted the amount of experience he got, and on top of that, his strong relationship with all of Little Hippogriff doubled it.
Because Harry rode Buckbeak—known as the strongest, most ornery stallion of the herd—easily, it was not hard to gain intermediate level.
Hippogriff Riding is Beginner Level 10. Transformed into Hippogriff Riding Intermediate Level 1.
Bonus for reaching Intermediate Level: All Stats +10
Bonus for mastering Hippogriff Riding Beginner Level: Agility +10, Stamina +10, Fame +10
Hippogriff Riding Intermediate Level 1 (0%): You can now ride a hippogriff with great ease and comfort. Hippogriffs below your level will obey you without question, regardless of your intimacy with them.
You are able to summon a hippogriff to you for the purposes of travel or flight as long as you are outside. This hippogriff may be leveled up through care and exercise.
At advanced level Hippogriff Riding, your summoned hippogriff will be able to assist you in battles.
[Activate: No voice command; mount hippogriff. Sub-active: call hippogriff's name]
Now he could call for Buckbeak—or any other hippogriff he would befriend in the future—anywhere he went. As the description said "summon", it implied Harry did not have to wait for the creature to fly to him. He tested it out before he left, and after finding his hypothesis true, left to the weapon shop.
Harry knew he needed a weapon, but none of them appealed to him. True, he didn't have any affection for his knife either, but…
He wrinkled his nose at the prices. It was the same in most every game—a waste to buy early level weapons at the store because you'd quickly be replacing them. He did have a 30% discount though, which was a sizable chunk, but that didn't mean he should go crazy.
Harry bemoaned the fact that he didn't get a weapon drop from any of the wolves he'd been killing!
Wait. Harry blinked. He hadn't checked the drops from the Alpha Female yet!
"Inventory," he commanded, opening up an actual inventory window in front of him. If he needed something quickly he could draw it out by thought from his bag. This way, he could see everything laid out in nice, orderly squares.
Now, what was new…?
Wolf Fang
A tooth from a large wolf.
Can be used in crafting.
…
Bronze Ring
A basic bronze ring with no noteworthy aesthetical value.
Durability: 20/20
Health +50
…
Leather Vest
An average leather vest. Mediocre at best, it isn't the sturdiest of equipments, and the protection it provides is marginal. Best to be layered with some other form of armor.
Durability: 20/20
Defense +3
Along with those drops, the Alpha Female had also given him two galleons—sizable for his level, considering that the normal wolves gave him knuts or a smattering of sickles. None of the drops were very worthwhile, but it was to be expected at this point in the game.
Finally, things were appearing normal.
Harry doned the Bronze Ring and put on the Leather Vest beneath his newbie clothes. He still wore the latter because of the cold environment.
It was then that he remembered that he had also gotten a new title. Harry opened his stat window and clicked on "Title". This time, in addition to the "None" option, there was also "Wolf Hunter". He tapped on that one to bring up its description.
Title: Wolf Hunter
[Basic tier]
A title gained by a player who has eliminated a large number of basic wolves and the boss Alpha Female.
Strength +5
Agility +5
Increased damage to wolves
Wolves below your level will become non-aggressive
Chain-type title: "Wolf Hunter" can be leveled to Advanced tier upon fulfillment of requirements
It was not a bad title to wear. Harry looked back and forth between his current one, "He Who Follows Mana", and "Wolf Hunter". In the end, he chose the latter, as he did not need the +10 Wisdom or find the additional mana necessary with his expanded pool.
Now, his stats looked like the following:
Name: Scarred ~ Level: 19 ~ Race: Human
Faction: Gryffindor ~ Class: None
Title: Wolf Hunter ~ Fame: 166
Health: 1000 (+50) ~ Mana: 1605
Strength: 82 (+5) ~ Stamina: 55
Intellect: 40 ~ Wisdom: 41
Luck: 30 ~ Agility: 58 (+6)
Stealth: 19
Attack: 0 (+1) ~ Defense: 0 (+7)
Fullness: 100 ~ Fatigue: 0
Poison Resistance +30%
He had just eaten and rested earlier after raising Hippogriff Riding. With this, Harry was prepared to head out—except for one little thing. Again, his weapon! The Alpha Female had not dropped one for him. Harry supposed he could use his fists to fight for the most part, but that would lower the already low durability of his gloves.
However, now that he thought about it, the idea had merit. Fighting without a weapon—with his fists. Sort of like a martial artist. For a berserker, who could use any weapon, wouldn't that naturally mean his fists as well? Musing on this, Harry did not bother finding a sword. Instead, he purchased a potion or two (for emergencies) with his meager funds and sizable discount, and then left to the field.
He had not touched the cursed sword after receiving it back from the old man. The NPC had implied he should go to the Church of Gryffindor to have it destroyed, as cursed items could be for a minor fee. Nothing with that idea sounded suspicious or wrong to Harry, so the suggestion was not disregarded in his mind; in fact, he didn't even think about it as he went out into the plains and began to hunt wolves at dusk!
When he sat down for a breather, the existence of the cursed sword only popped into his mind again because he had been checking his inventory. He read the description again. It hadn't changed.
Harry had no reason to think there was anything more to it. He did not yet have the instincts of one who has lived and breathed Witches and Wizards yet. But in the end, he still pulled the rusty weapon out, if only to train his Mana Reader by observing it. Certainly a cursed item should have a strange mana flow. If he learned the patterns of it, maybe he could better identify what is cursed and what is not, even from a distance.
"Mana Reader," he said, not expecting to have his vision immediately light up.
What is this…?
Mana swirled around the blade like a whirlpool. While it had spiraled similarly upon the Alpha Male's attack, the two patterns were both intrinsically different. For one, the boss monster's pattern had been like a tornado. Air. A twister. The mana around the blade was a restless vortex; a thin spiraling column of water, not moving as rapidly as an attack, but still swaying to-and-fro rather like an impatient pacing.
Harry had never seen such a thing before. Not that he had a wide berth of experiences to choose from, but—
He tried to focus on the blade itself. While it was rusted, Harry could still partially see his own reflection, as dim and scratched as it was. The mana flowing inside of the metal was murky, not like dense fog but thick goo. Vaguely, the image of a lava lamp came into his head. Of course, the big difference between this and that was context…
After a moment more of staring at it, Harry found himself lightly laughing. Cursed? The object wasn't scary at all! In fact, it was almost like it had its own personality with how the mana moved. Finding his fears unfounded, Harry relaxed his caution and did what he probably would have never done before—he touched the blade.
His sight lit up like a 100 watt light bulb.
A mysterious force affects your sight. Mana Reader is automatically activated. Cannot be deactivated until force dissipates. If MP falls to zero, Mana Reader will remain active and use any recovered mana.
Harry cursed—without intention of a pun, naturally. He knew he'd probably done something he shouldn't have.
"Hm!" someone coughed. The player looked around.
"Hm! HM!"
Harry blinked.
"Over HERE!"
Wha… "The sword?"
Instantly, the voice took up again. "'The sword.' The sword, he says! Just a bloody sword! You might as well call me 'the knife,' or 'the fruit peeler,' and it'd have the same meaning! Yes, boy, the bloody sword! Honestly, no respect these days! Why, in my glory years you wouldn't even be fit to lick the stone I was sharpened on! THE LEGENDARY DEMON BLADE OF MODO! Debased to a mere sword! What, I say, what has the world come to?"
After getting over his surprise, Harry was less than impressed. "I don't think you're in the state to talk like that now. After all, why couldn't you have said anything before? Begs the question of whether you've got enough power to be really called the 'Legendary Demon Blade of Modo.'"
The sword went suspiciously silent at that.
"Well," Harry began, sounding very put upon, "If you're really a demon blade… I mean, that sounds pretty evil. I guess I should turn you into the Church. Wasn't really planning on it before, since I didn't think you were really cursed… but now the facts are all there, and—"
"Please don't."
"Pardon? I couldn't quite hear that."
The sword sighed. "I said… please don't."
"Please don't what?"
"Turn me in! Oh those nasty priests will be horrible to me! They'll try to purify me—dip me in holy water and toss me into their divine inferno and what not—it's a horrible, torturous experience! Kind, gracious, heroic boy—err, man, I mean man!—I'll reward you handsomely for your service if you refrain from alerting the Holy Order of my existence!"
"Really. I wasn't aware demon blades had anything to give. Other than, you know, curses of misfortune and insanity."
"No no no! I do! I can give you power! Sans insanity. I swear!"
"…Last I heard, demons tend to lie—"
"I'm not a demon though! I'm a… I'm a… weapon! We've got no choice once we're made, you know. Truly nasty pieces of work, those demons. Enslaving us like this! I can't help what I'm born as. Most of us demonic weapons are rather nice and sensible people. Have pity on the less fortunate!"
"Hmm."
"P-Please. I'm just a poor rusty sword trying to live in this harsh world."
"Hmm."
"I've lived for a very long time! You want riches, I'll go tell you exactly where to find them! We can be friends, treasure hunters together! I'm powerful and stronger than any other sword you'll find in a stall! And I bet no other sword can give you great advice like I can. Most swords can't even talk!"
"Mmmm… how will I be sure that you won't possess me?"
"Eh…"
"I heard around that your last wielder was the only one who could use you. Drove anyone else insane."
"Uh… well…"
"Even if you can control it, where's my insurance that you won't get mad at me someday and slip up? Sounds pretty fishy to me. And, you know, if that's the case, I guess I have to—"
"Wait!"
"Yes?"
"There's one way…"
"You'll have to speak up. I can't hear you if you mumble."
The sword coughed. "Yes. Yes… well… There's one way I can give you power. And it won't drive you mad—I swear. I'm the Demon Blade of Modo—murdering—not Mahu! Mahu's a right bastard. Can't trust him as far as you can throw him. I may be related to him—we're brothers, actually—but we're nothing alike. You can say he was the crap shoot of the family—"
"As you were saying?"
"Ah—power. Yes. In exchange for not giving me up to the Church, I will give you the ultimate power… through contract. It will fuse me to your soul. My existence will merge with yours. Sadly, this does not mean all of my knowledge will be transferred to you—but you may get flashes of them if certain things jog your memory. The amount of this power I give you that you can wield is directly correlated to how much you can take. It will amplify, not create."
"What's the catch?"
"Well… you remember what we were saying about insanity?"
Harry immediately put his foot down. "I'm not going mad for power. Only an idiot would do that."
"Wait! Hear me out, alright? You've got to give something if you want something, you know, and in this case… I am of Modo. That part of my nature cannot be eliminated. In turn, if I fuse with you, you will not be forced to follow the way of Modo—best deal I can give you there—but you might, err, probably will get urges to… what's the best way to put this…"
"Murder?" Harry hissed, shocked and offended.
"No no no! Well… Murder's a strong word… Let's use something more pleasant. Like 'kill.' Yes. You'll get urges to… kill things. Sometimes. You've got the potential in you; I believe you'll eventually learn how to control it. How about it? Will you form a contract with me?"
Harry was about to say no. Honest to gods, he was about to firmly say 'no.' That was, of course, until a certain window popped up.
Contract with the Legendary Demon Blade of Modo Quest
The mana inside you has re-awakened the Legendary Demon Blade of Modo, and somehow you have convinced the weapon once known as the "Vampire King" to form a contract with you.
The contract states that, upon agreement to conceal the existence of its re-awakening, the Legendary Demon Blade of Modo will fuse with you and grant you the 'ultimate power.' While this will not force you to be under the affiliation of Foul Fiend Modo, you will undeniably be forced to walk a bloodstained path.
Difficulty: ?
Requirements: Earn the respect of "Vampire King" Legendary Demon Blade of Modo
Reward: Opportunity to job advance to a secret class
Will you accept the quest?
What made him pause was the reward! The chance to unlock a secret class! While it didn't specify which, Harry was curious. It would definitely be an offensive class—probably something that used a sword. But with those restraints, couldn't it be possible then, that the reward was the chance to become a berserker?
Just for the chance of it… Harry licked his drying lips. Maybe…
"What do I have to do?" he finally asked.
"You'll have to prove your compatibility with me. Fusing otherwise would be dangerous. Let's see… it's dusk now, is it? Here'll be a fine test: from now until the sun rises again, fight. No matter if your bones ache, the life flashes before your eyes, or what have you—fight. Let the blood rush through your veins, the thrill of battle heat your hands and propel your body. Fight like a man possessed! With me in your hands, fight until the sun rises once more. Depending on how far you get, I'll see how compatible our spirits are."
Harry considered it.
But what other option would he give himself, other than 'yes'? His goal was before his very eyes. Could he even stand to abandon it? Wasn't what he wanted to do was see where he himself as a person would go?
What other option was there then, other than 'yes'?
"I accept."
You have accepted Contract with the Legendary Demon Blade of Modo Quest.
Time left: 9:59:58
From dawn to dusk was approximately ten hours. Harry would have to fight continuously for ten hours—in real life, that would be approximately two and a half hours! And yet, Harry would take it.
He would see how far he could go.
It was time to fight, anyway. He'd use this opportunity to test his new levels and title. And because Mana Reader would be active no matter what, it would be another good opportunity to raise his skill level!
Harry stood, but then realized something important and, turning back to the sword in his hands, asked, "What if you break? You're not exactly the most durable thing in the world right now…"
"Then I break," it replied simply. "And even when I break, you must fight."
With a broken sword? The thought was absurd! And yet, that sort of attitude… as foolish as it was, Harry admitted he could see some merit in it. Something worthy of respect. Something admirable. He gripped the frayed sword knot in his other hand before letting it go.
The quest wouldn't wait, so neither would he.
Ten hours was a long time. With only 55 stamina, it was obvious that Harry could not last for the full duration if it—that would be impossible.
As Harry fought, he began to get messages such as:
You are now exhausted.
Exhaustion effects agility and strength.
Or:
You are starved.
Starvation effects strength and stamina.
It grew more and more difficult to fight. Especially because at night, the monster's strength increased! While that also meant they gave more EXP, for Harry their added strength and his waning was the most unfortunate situation he could have at the moment.
Because he was fighting alone, it was even more difficult. His stamina was completely exhausted by the end of the second hour! Harry collapsed. Still, he could not let go of the sword in his hands—not only because it clung to his flesh, but also because his will could not bear to let it go. The sensation of fighting without end, while exhausting, appealed to his stubborn nature. Harry didn't want to give up!
He wanted to keep fighting. No—he needed to keep fighting! Right now, fighting was essential to his very being. He didn't know how or why, but the desire to strike with his weapon and keep striking was like an itch that could not be fully scratched. It irritated him, frustrated him, challenged him. He wanted to test his skill, his ability, to the breaking point!
You have created a new stat: Rage.
Rage! A battle stat associated with berserkers! It was absurdly hard to create, requiring a player to push themselves to the limit and even beyond that! No one wanted to do such a thing, but once done, the reward is immeasurable!
Rage was not an ordinary stat, like Strength or Intellect. It did not normally have a set value. Instead, when out of battle, Rage was usually zero! However, in the heat of battle, Rage would steadily increase. After reaching its maximum, Fatigue would return to 0 no matter what value it was at, and Fullness would increase back to 100. Strength and Attack would be boosted by 5%. A percentage of health would be recovered.
In other words, Rage could 'recover' a person from the brink of death!
While Harry was exhausted, he created this new stat out of his thirst for battle and willpower.
Rage activated. Fatigue drastically decreases. Fullness re-fills. Strength and Attack increased by 5%.
Like this, Harry was now able to continue fighting.
At the end of the third hour, the durability of the sword hit zero. The blade snapped. Left with only half of the blade, Harry did not stop and continued to hunt wolves. Normally this was impossible, as a weapon with zero durability was broken for good and could not be repaired. It even became an ordinary item instead of an equip-able weapon! However, the nature of the quest allowed Harry to continue to fight with it, as the sword could not leave his hands.
He did not only use what was given to him, either. Harry used his left fist just as frequently, as well as a strong kick whenever necessary.
With this, even his stats increased!
From ceaseless battle, Attack has increased by 1.
…
By dodging a fatal attack, Agility and Luck have increased by 1.
…
From ceaseless running, Agility has increased by 1.
…
Because of your increased battle sense, Wisdom has increased by 1.
…
From ceaseless battle, Strength and Stamina have increased by 1.
…
You struck a critical hit through sheer force. Strength has increased by 1.
…
Because of enduring a fatal attack, Defense increased by 1.
…
Your punches have grown swifter and stronger. Attack increased by 1.
…
Messages like these continued to pop up! For the most part, Harry ignored them. His focus was not on his stat gain—they were purely on battling! He forgot everything else. The world of the game grew increasingly life-like to him. While before his mental state was generally at ease, now he whole-heartedly threw himself into the thrill of fighting. One after another, two at a time, three, four—Harry lured them all to him, and defeated them all as they struck. "Wolf Hunter" title made them non-aggressive, but by striking them first, he was able to herd them and increase the difficulty.
"Rage" was activated numerous times. Harry did not keep count of the amount of times it saved his life.
Of course, he also gained a lot of experience, for both his levels and his skills. In this way, Harry successfully made it through the ten hours before collapsing.
"Wolf Hunter" title has been upgraded to "Wolf Slayer". Fame +5.
Title: Wolf Slayer
[Advanced Tier]
A title gained by a player who previously held the Wolf Hunter title and defeated in enormous numbers even more wolves.
Strength +10
Agility +10
Increased damage to wolves
Wolves below your level will become non-aggressive
20% chance for wolves to be paralyzed with fear in battle
Increased drop rate from wolf monsters
Chain-type title: "Wolf Slayer" can be leveled to Master tier upon fulfillment of requirements
As he leveled up, the wolves gave progressively little experience, so at the end of the ten hours, the hunting was terribly inefficient. However, from becoming accustomed to the wolves' movements and programmed abilities, Harry could kill them with one blow before even distributing his stat points!
He grew to level 25. The amount of stats he gained purely from fighting were, in total, an increase of Strength by 8, an increase of Stamina by 5, an increase of Wisdom by 2, an increase of Agility by 4, an increase of Stealth by 2, an increase of Luck by 1, an increase of Defense by 2, and an increase of Attack by 3.
The Rage stat! After finishing his battle, Rage returned to 0 and all of its effects also faded. Harry was quick, or as fast as he could in his exhausted state, to pull out a piece of bread and nibble on it to at least stop himself from dying of hunger. Eating not only filled Fullness but decreased Fatigue.
Mana Reader had also leveled once. It was now level 8 at 63%.
You have completed Contract with the Legendary Demon Blade of Modo Quest.
Harry grinned. "You there?" he asked, turning his head to the broken blade in his hand. He was strewn out on the ground, clothes ripped up and torn like a beggar's. The sun was rising.
The mana of the sword had slowed to a sluggish drag when it had broken. The whirlpool surrounding it had also disappeared. And while in the first three hours the sword had kept up a conversation—one-sided as it may've been—that also served as encouragement before Harry was able to fully sink into the throes of battle, the voice had silenced once the sword had broke. Harry had not heard it speak in the last seven hours.
"Made… it… have… you?" The voice was slow and tired.
Harry closed his eyes. "Yeah."
"Well… done. You… have… some… blood…thirst… in… you… after… all. A… fine… suc…cessor… to my… legacy…"
"What do you mean? You're leaving?"
"Leaving…? No… The con…tract… Ha… Always knew… it was… the… end… for me. I just… didn't… want… to go… by… force. The Church… Master Modo…" the sword sighed. The next words it said were mumbled strings of nonsense.
"You're… You will… be… great… I'm sure. Will you… form… this… contract… with me… and… inherit… my… will?"
Harry smiled despite himself. "I'll form the contract, but I won't inherit your will. You'll have to try again if you want to trick me."
The sword laughed, coughed, then sighed again. "Was… worth… a shot. Farewell, boy…"
Harry swallowed, his dry throat—and nothing but that!—making it difficult.
"Yeah," he said. "Yeah. Take a nice long break for me, would you? Old men deserve to lay down and rest."
"…Cheeky brat… got… some… charac…ter… in... you… after… all…"
What was left of the sword evaporated as droplets of water. Harry watched it fade away from his hand, disappearing into the atmosphere somewhere. No, into the aether, as all mana would…
A string of messages and windows immediately popped up in front of him.
You have successfully put the Legendary Demon Blade of Modo's mana to rest.
You have absorbed the mana of the Legendary Demon Blade of Modo!
Maximum Health +5000
Maximum Mana +5000
Strength +50
Stamina +50
Mana Recovery +100%
Because the mana of Legendary Demon Blade of Modo was compatible with yours, Fire Resistance +50%.
Your sensitivity to mana has increased.
Mana Reader has leveled up.
At the sight of the absurd amount of buffs he'd been given,Harry made a sound at the back of his throat somewhat resembling a scoff, but instead had come out like a warbled sniff. "…Who the hell needs a parting gift from a fruit peeler?"
Stupid demon blade… Don't you believe in me enough to let me make it on my own?
'Good and sensible people…' Ha. Ha…
…
…
…I guess you were.
For a demonic, cursed, "evil" weapon, you were a pretty nice guy.
Fusion with Legendary Demon Blade of Modo complete.
You have gained a new item.
You have learned a new skill.
…
Job Advancement: Berserker
A player that is unmatched in bloodlust and continuous battle! Someone who will use any means necessary to survive, and thrives in an environment that coerces unique adaptation! The life of a berserker… a path both stained and stainless.
You are now able to job advance to a Berserker. This is an independent, one time offer. Accepting will replace whichever class you have now. Accept?
…
In that moment, Harry sealed his fate. The step to become the Legendary Berserker, the Weapon Thief, the Stainless Saint—yes, everything began here. In a series of steps no one would've ever guessed, so formed the beginning of a legacy.
The beginning of the end.
But what is 'the end,' but another beginning?
"I accept."
Name: Scarred ~ Level: 25 ~ Race: Human
Faction: Gryffindor ~ Class: Berserker
Title: Wolf Slayer ~ Fame: 171
Health: 7200 (+50) ~ Mana: 7205
Strength: 158 (+10) ~ Stamina: 116
Intellect: 40 ~ Wisdom: 43
Luck: 31 ~ Agility: 68 (+11)
Stealth: 21
Attack: 3 ~ Defense: 2 (+3)
Rage: 0
Fullness: 10 ~ Fatigue: 97
Poison Resistance +30%
Fire Resistance +50%
Current Skills: Hippogriff Riding (Inter. lv 1), Mana Reader (Beg. lv 8), Prowl (Beg. lv 2), Luck of the Draw (Beg. lv 1), Patronus Charm (Beg. lv 1), Unknown (?)
Yaaaas new chapter! And a really long one too ^_~ 11k words roughly?! :heart: But yeah Harry's job advancement is donneeeee~!
:heart:
too bad Demon Blade of Modo had to go : I was really fond of him! He brought out sassy!Harry really easily. If you didn't catch it, Modo and Mahu are devils/demons/fiends referenced in Shakespeare's King Lear (or if you're really looking at sources, Samuel Harsnett, but I got them from KL, so). They're "fake" in the sense that they're not exactly "from" a religion. Modo is the fiend of murder/killing, Mahu is the fiend of sinful behavior. They are both demons that Edgar, in his faked madness, say haunt him.
Next chapter (god knows when that'll come out) will be about Tom. It'll be a challenge to see how he can keep up with Harry's absurd job advancement :P
Thanks for all the support~~~ c:
Sincerely,
R.R.