Elias sat on the edge of his bed. The blue light from the screen casted a soft glow on his young hands. He blinked but the window still remained unchanged. It was fixed in his vision like a ghost. He had seen many things in his life he had seen mages cast fireball and great knights destroy castles with a single swing of sword. But he had never seen anything like this.
He focused on the window. The text was sharp.
[Status Window]
Name: Elias Northwood
Age: 18 Path:
Knight (Locked)
Mage (Locked)
Shop: (Locked)
Inventory: Empty
Quest: None
Elias became speechless. He sat there in silence for a long time. This was beyond his understanding. He was a simple man, even in his previous life he was just a common soldier. He was a grunt who followed orders from others never touching the high mysteries of magic and knighthood.
Yet, he understood what the screen meant. It displayed his name and his age.
The weight of that number hit him. He was ten years in the past.
Ten years. That was how much time he had before the world turned into a graveyard.
The map of the world was etched into his brain. He was currently in the Duran Kingdom. It was a proud land of green forests. To the north sat the Solaris Empire and to the south sat the Lunar Empire. The Duran Kingdom was caught right in the middle when those two giants eventually clashed, Duran would become the first battlefield.
In his past life, Elias was twenty-eight when the first torches were lit. Now he was back at the start.
"Elias! Come down! Breakfast is getting cold!"
The voice of his mother broke his trance. It was a warm sound. It was a sound he was dying to hear.
"I am coming, Mother!" Elias shouted back.
The moment he spoke, a sharp sound rang in his head.
Ding!
[New Quest Available]
Goal: Participate in the Warrior's Trial.
Reward: Dependent on performance.
Elias froze. The Warrior's Trial.
A sudden flash of memories flooded back. Every year, the Duran Kingdom held a trial for those who turned eighteen. The King often sent high-ranking military commanders to watch. They looked for talent but more importantly they looked for the next generation of protectors.
Elias remembered his own trial. He was nervous and weak causing him to be knocked out in the very first round. Because he failed, he never received proper training. He eventually joined the army as a regular foot soldier.
But this time would be different.
"I have a chance," Elias whispered. He stood up. His body felt young and full of energy.
He walked downstairs. The smell of his childhood home was overwhelming. It smelled of woodsmoke and baking bread. His mother was at the stove. His father was already eating at the wooden table.
Elias sat near his father as he ate his porridge quickly. The food tasted bland but deep down elias felt like it was the tastiest food he ever ate. His mind was racing. He needed to see how much of his old strength remained. He knew the technique on how to hold a sword. But did his eighteen-year-old muscles have the power to do it?
"I am heading out to the woods to practice" Elias said as he finished his bowl.
His father looked up. "The Trial is in two weeks, son. Don't push yourself too hard."
Elias smiled. "I just want to be ready, Father."
He grabbed a small wooden training sword from the corner. To his current self it felt like a toy. He stepped out of the house and into the air of Bluefish Village.
The village was peaceful. Farmers were leading their oxen. Elias walked toward the woods, but a familiar figure caught his eye near the well.
His heart stopped, it was Emily.
She was drawing water from the well. She looked just as she did in his dreams. In his mind, a flash of fire appeared. He saw her lying in the mud with an arrow sticking out from her chest.
"Hi, Elias!"
The voice snapped him back. Emily was waving at him as she was smiling.
"She is alive "Elias felt a surge of emotion as he walked toward her. For the first time in years, he smiled a genuine, happy smile.
"Hello, Emily" Elias said.
"You look like you've seen a ghost" she teased. "Are you nervous about the Trial?"
Elias looked into her eyes. He wanted to tell her everything. But he couldn't... not yet.
"I am not nervous" Elias said. "I was just thinking about the future."
"The future?" Emily laughed. "The future is simple. You pass the trial and we stay right here in Bluefish Village."
Elias nodded. "I will make sure of it, Emily. No matter what happens, I will protect you. I will stand in front of you so nothing ever hurts you again."
Emily blushed. She looked away, surprised by his intensity. "You should go practice if you are going to talk like a high knight."
"I will," Elias said. He gave her one last look. "See you later, Emily."
He turned and ran toward the woods. He reached a small clearing hidden by old oak trees. This was where he used to hide as a boy.
He raised his wooden sword. He was about to begin when the screen appeared again.
Ding!
[Daily Quest Triggered]
1. Swing Sword: 0/200
2. Run: 0/10km
3. Meditate: 0/1 Hour
[Reward: 10 System Points]
Elias stared at the quest. Ten points!!! He did not know what they did yet, but he was excited. He gripped the wooden sword with both hands as he planted his feet in the dirt.
"One," he grunted.
He swung the sword. The form was perfect, but his body was weak only his mind remembered the way of the warrior.
"Two."
He had ten years until the war. He would not waste a single second.