I had been staring directly at nothing while sitting at the very edge of the bed for approximately 30 minutes or longer, and I hadn't been able to get up from the spot in that same length of time. My thoughts were racing, going round and round over and over again. Consumed by the overwhelming thought in my head about what was impossible, and waking up to it.
Is this my second chance at life?
Did I get a second chance or has this all just been a dream?
I kept looping those thoughts over and over again, and each one led me to more questions.
How did this happen? Did the energy from the Quantomni Artifact or from absorbing from it cause me to wake up here?
However, that thought didn't really hold weight, as there were no stats or abilities on the artifact relating to time manipulation, or resurrection. In the item description, it stated nothing about being able to turn back fate.
Then, how exactly did I get here?
Why am I here? What am I supposed to do? What am I thinking about?
The weight of all that confusion, and that everything that is happening is impossible seemed to be crushing my head from the inside out.
I needed a concrete answer. Something that is real.
Then, I reached for my phone on the nightstand and looked at what time it was, which was currently 11:04 am.
As I looked at this time, all of a sudden, I remembered that at this exact time in my previous life, I was sleeping, and sleeping heavily because of staying out late the night before.
That day she told me that her plans for that morning would be to attend class at college but that would be a falsehood.
The concert that she actually attended was a concert featuring Vihan Raichada. Vihan Raichada is an actor, singer and rapper and is a person that most girls seem to look up to.
The world knows him to be charming, talented, kind, a gentleman and so on. The world also knows him to have shown his "softer side" to everyone.
But I know differently.
To me, he is evil; he is a manipulator and a cruel person. He is a predator hiding behind a pretty face.
I've told Trita many times that he is not what she thinks. I've begged her to identify the real him and that she should stop idolizing him and all that.
But she would never listen.
And after she left for the concert and came home afterwards on the same day in my previous life, we had a fight. A very bad fight.
When she lied to my face, I couldn't hold my composure, so I confronted her and that caused her to go off on me. We were yelling at one another for hours.
Finally the anger cooled and I did the dumbest thing and apologized to her.
I spent days after that trying to make amends; being as low as possible to try and protect my feelings for her; begging her to forgive me.
And Trita ultimately chose Vihan Raichada over me.
She betrayed me; she hurt me; she stabbed me in the back for him.
As I gripped the phone tighter than before, my knuckles began to turn white.
Not again.
This time, I'm going to do this right.
I will stop caring about those who do not care enough about me and have no trust in those around me.
In my mind, all the pieces are coming together regarding my plan.
The first step is leaving this house.
After gathering everything that is mine, I will simply vanish, eliminating all my ties to everything.
However, before I make this departure, I will leave a card (preloaded with enough money to keep Trita on her feet). Knowing this will provide her with all her basic needs (rent, food, etc.) not because I care, but because I feel obligated to do so.
Trita is no longer my responsibility.
As of today, no more Trita.
From this point on, it is about me - and only me.
If she ever has the nerve to return or do something that would lead me to believe she wants back in my life, I won't hesitate.
I will kill her.
No remorse.
That's how low I've fallen.
Then something caught my eye before I could pick myself up from the floor and start packing.
A photo frame on the bedside table.
I grasped the old picture slowly, my hands shook while I was doing so.
It was an old photo that had been in my possession for many years, but it had not seen sunlight until recently.
There were three smiling faces in that picture.
Me. My mother. My father.
I looked younger. I looked happier and I looked innocent.
I was living in a time when I thought that the world was a good place.
Holding the frame of the photograph with both of my hands currently, I gazed into the faces of my parents.
They were the only people in my life who had ever truly loved me unconditionally.
Both of them were gone.
My chest tightened, and I felt like I could not get a breath.
Tears started to form in my eyes.
Before I could stop myself from doing so, I pulled the frame close to my chest and hugged it tightly, as if holding the frame would hold me to the earth.
And then I broke.
"Father... Mother" I said in a whisper, my voice cracked in the process. "This world has given me so much pain. So much suffering."
The tears were running down my cheeks, hot and non-stop.
"The people in this world are so cruel and empty-hearted. They smile at you, make you believe they will help you, and then they turn their backs on you the moment it is of benefit to them."
I started to get louder and more desperate as I continued speaking.
"I had faith in them all. I loved my sister, I cherished my best friend, and I was falling for the girl that I thought would be my forever. But now, after everything, they have all completely disappointed me. They treated me like I was nothing and tossed me aside."
I pressed my picture frame to my chest harder and sobbed openly.
"I don't know if you can hear me now," I whispered. "I don't know if you're watching me from where you are now. But, regardless, I want you to know that I'm a broken person — exhausted, confused, unable to trust."
My voice dropped even lower with the weight of what I was feeling.
"I can't trust people anymore. I don't know how to love anymore."
I sat there for what seemed to be hours tears still rolling down my face and my breathing completely erratic.
After some time the tears dried up.
I wiped off my face with the back of my hand and my breathing was still out of control.
However, something in my heart changed that night and since then....
The grief is still raw, but beneath the pain is a new-found feeling.
Resolve.
Determinate.
I set the framed photo down onto the nightstand with steady hands.
And I made a vow.
For the rest of my life I will have my vengeance on everyone who has harmed me.
Every one.
My sister.
My best friend.
The twelve traitors.
Vihan Raichada.
A reckoning is coming.
And it's not just about revenge.
I will reshape everything that has happened to me.
I will stop all of the horrible events that I have experienced.
I will get as many people involved with OmniWars as I can before it merges with the real world.
When Season 2 occurs and the game merges with our world, I will prevent as many deaths as possible and prevent as many tragedies from occurring as possible.
This is not because of how kind I am, rather it is because of the necessity for me to have as many allies as possible, to have the largest resource pool possible, and the largest amount of power possible if I am going to survive and win life number 2.
The future has changed.
The entire course of history will change.
My face stern, my eyes steely.
I will not be a victim again.
I will have control.
With strong legs, I stepped off of my bed.
No more uncertainty.
No more uncertainty; my new life has now begun!
I unconsciously went around my bedroom collecting the stuff I needed: clothes; documents; my laptop; and a few personal items of significance. I could leave the rest behind because I didn't require a lot for my life. I never did.
I gathered all of my belongings with speed and efficiency into a duffel bag. No emotion. No delay.
I am exiting this place forever.
[Concert Venue - City Center Arena]
The arena was full to capacity with thousands of cheering fans occupying every possible area. The atmosphere was electric and filled with a thick blend of perfume, sweat and enthusiasm.
At the heart of the arena, one name was on everyone's lips and ringing through the auditorium like a battle cry:
"VIHAN! VIHAN! VIHAN!"
"HO HO HO, VIHAN!"
The chant was deafening and unrelenting.
Girls held signs, filmed videos with their phones and cried tears of joy while screaming out his name with all of their might.
"I'll be your mistress! I don't care! Just notice me, Vihan!" screamed one girl, clutching her heart in a dramatic flair.
Another girl pushed forward and forced her way in among the other girls to say: "Marry me, Vihan! I love you! You're my whole entire world!"
"He's mine! Back Off!" another girl shouted.
It was an intoxicating atmosphere full of excitement, nearly to the point of insanity.
Amidst the throngs of fans was a girl with defined features, a high level of self-confidence bordering on cockiness. Her hair was perfectly styled, her makeup flawlessly applied. She was dressed in high-end designer clothes, creating an eye-catching appearance.
Rather than cheering, she was dominating the area around her; it felt as though the event itself were centered on her.
Trita jumped and loudly shouted, "Vihan is number one! Vihan is number one!" Trita's friend was close to her face, yelling to her over the sounds around them, "Come on!! Scream louder to make sure VIHAN STAYS number ONE!!" Trita flipped her hair back over her shoulder, smirking confidently while she said, "Of course, he is number one and will always be number one." With her extra volume, Trita's screams and cheers began adding their power to the others around including all the screaming, crying, and cheering by the girls, as they worshipped Vihan, the man they worshipped whom they'd never seen and who had no idea existed.
I took a final tug on the zipper of my duffel bag before leaving the room I had lived in for many years; I felt that it was now a prison rather than a home.
I picked up the bag and took one last look at my surroundings before leaving.
Today marks the end of a chapter in my life.
I left the house with my duffel bag over my shoulder; I shut the front door behind me and did not look back.
The street was silent, the afternoon sun was shining down on everything, casting long shadows on the driveway.
I walked to the main road and waited for an auto rickshaw to stop.
After getting into the rickshaw, I told the driver to take me to the hotel district and he nodded as he started driving into traffic.
Finding a decent hotel was much more difficult than expected.
The first hotel I went into was full of problems. The walls were stained, tiles missing and dirty; the receptionist was too busy staring at his phone to even notice me, and the smell of mold was unbearable when I walked inside.
Um, no thank you.
I left right away.
I was encouraged by the appearance of the second hotel, because it had a neat exterior and decent signage. However, when I inquired about their rates, I was shocked by how high the rate stated by the receptionist was.
"That's the price for one night?" was my shocked response to the receptionist, as I could not comprehend how much she said.
"Yes Sir, we are premium."
I thought to myself, this is a premium robbery.
I thanked the receptionist for his time and left.
The third hotel location was more grimy and sketchy than the first one, with suspicious stains on the lobby couch, so I didn't bother to ask them about room rates.
Surely, I could find something decent nearby.
I went to look at two more hotels. One hotel had broken air conditioning. The other hotel had walls made of paper thin materials; I could hear a couple arguing from the room next to me.
Finally, I found a hotel after my sixth attempt.
This hotel was called the Crescent Inn.
Though not upscale or luxurious, it was clean. The lobby area was smaller but was well-maintained. The receptionist was polite, and the cost was reasonable enough that I could afford to stay for an extended period of time without using up all my money.
"Yes, I would like a room," I replied to the receptionist.
"Single occupancy?" she asked.
"Yes," I replied.
Here is your room key card, Room 307 on the third floor; checkout is at noon, she said handing me the card.
I nodded at her, and paid for three nights up front before I went to my room.
Room 307 is small but has all the basics needed. A bed, a desk, a chair and a small restroom. It does face a street on the ground floor below.
I laid my bag down on the bed and took a moment to gather all my thoughts in the middle of the room by taking a deep breath.
Focus - Everything needs to be planned out.
I am not going to be able to waste any more time. If I truly want to be able to win at OmniWars - If I want to take the championship, i NEED TO BE READY. Prepared physically, mentally and emotionally.
Let's get started NOW!
I dropped to the floor into a proper push up position.
One. Two. Three.
The soreness of my muscles came almost immediately as I have not been doing any work outs recently and my body had become weak after having been neglected for months during my other life.
No way that is going to happen again.
I persevered onward as I pushed myself through the discomfort while I counted each rep.
Ten. Fifteen. Twenty.
The sweat was now pouring off of my body and hitting the floor. I could feel that my arms were shaking but I continued anyway.
Thirty. Forty. Fifty.
When I hit sixty on my reps my chest felt as if it was going to burst into flames from the pain. And yet I pushed out five more reps before collapsing onto my forearms and gasping for air.
Now we have finally gotten the start that I have needed to make it in this new reality.
After a short break, I began working on squats too.
As I stood, my legs spread out like I was doing a wide-legged squat at the very start of my set, I dropped straight into the third rep. Instantly, I felt the burning sensation surrounding both of my thighs; the sudden amount of activity created an overwhelming urge to stop participating in this exercise.
Push through it; don't complain to yourself.
As I proceeded with each rep, I made sure to count each repetition in my mind; I would push myself to complete the set at the highest intensity that I could handle.
I continued this exercise with a total of 80 repetitions.
After completing every rep, my calves experienced pain due to cramping, I had discomfort in my knees due to overextending them throughout my workout, regardless, I persevered until completion.
Time continued to tick away...
Upon finishing, I could barely pull myself up off the floor due to complete and utter exhaustion, and sweat was pouring from every pore of my body.
This was just the start.
After my leg workout, I followed it with all of the core exercises: Plank, Burpees, Holy dynamic stretching...everything I wanted was accomplished.
And every single time my body told me that I was tired or that I should stop, I pushed through that feeling and ignored it.
I will not allow myself to be weak; this time, I will not.
Lots of hours later, the sun went down.
The only light that I could see came from the streetlight outside my bedroom window, so the rest of the room was dark.
I threw myself on the bed after finishing the workout; my muscles screamed from being worked out, and my chest was heaving after a phenomenal workout.
However, I was feeling good, I had lots of energy, I felt really focused, and my body was feeling strong.
Looking at the clock on my phone that was on the nightstand, it read "5:59 PM."
For a split second, I thought that it was impossible that my heart would stop beating at that point.
(1 minute had passed.)
Perched up right while repeatedly looking at my cell phone while I waited.
I was anxiously thinking about the multiple things I already knew that were about to unfold before me.
An incoming floating notification—an invitation to join 'OmniWars.' Anyone who accepted the invitation could then be pulled into the game's universe.
Only 'OmniWars' is not just a game, but an incredibly harsh, and merciless environment. The only way for the player to move past to become stronger was to take out monsters. For each monster you kill, you would receive a reward, including empire/armor, useful items, and two types of currency:
Torin Points and Lifeline Points.
The primary use of Torin Points was to trade with NPCs, upgrade Artwork, and buy supplies. Since most NPCs only accept Torin Points, you need these to advance.
On the other hand, Lifeline Points are extremely infrequent and used to trade with players. In addition to that, when a player dies, Lifeline Points are consumed to allow you to respawn. Therefore, if you have Lifeline Points, you will come back to life, but without Lifeline Points, there is no chance; the player dies permanently.
When starting the game, each player received a set number of Lifeline Points, so when entering into the game, players would be able to withstand a few deaths. After all the Lifeline Points were used, death would become permanent.
As for the monsters? Very few drop Lifeline Points; therefore, each death is important.
Then came the organizational structure of the OmniWars game itself.
There are seasons to the game; each season is split into chapters.
There are 12 chapters in season 1.
This is where things become more complicated:
Each chapter can ONLY be completed once—not by one player individually but by any one team or player. Once a chapter is cleared by one team, it is then LOCKED for everybody else.
To illustrate: Let's say there are two teams, Team A and Team B. Both teams attempt to complete the same chapter together. When Team B finishes first before Team A, team B receives ALL of the rewards that come from completing that chapter—including experience points, loot, Torin points, Lifeline points, etc.—while Team A receives NOTHING.
The worst part about this is that Team A is not able to retry the chapter; once it is cleared, it is finished and they must move to the next chapter, with the hope that they will be faster than team B in the next chapter.
This resulted in very brutal, cutthroat competitive play. Not only were people fighting monsters and other players; they were also trying to out-race each other.
This also meant that the rewards for completing each chapter are HUGE! HUGE!!! HUGE!!! The further you fall behind early on in a season, the worse it will be for you during the remaining chapters of that season.
I was still pondering all of these things on the countdown clock.
6:00 PM.
I hold my breath as I watch the empty space where my chapters will appear.
Silence lingered.
Time dragged on.
Complete silence.
I felt my heart pounding harder and harder. My thoughts bounced with trepidation and doubt.
What if my message went to waste? What if I didn't get an invite this time around? What if---
All of a sudden, however---
A loud buzzing noise filled my space. This sound was very machine-like, robot-like, something non-human with low frequency sound waves vibrating throughout my entire environment.
Then as I stared at the sound, a glowing window appeared and now was floating in front of me. It seemed to be suspended in air. I noticed that at each corner of the signal the pixels shimmied, and they looked to be coming into focus, then going back into a clear state and the process continuing indefinitely.
Then, almost as if an internal voice was speaking directly into me, I heard an emotionless, dispassionate voice note each word and phrase.
[WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPERIENCE A GAME WHERE PAIN FEELS REAL?]
[WOULD YOU LIKE TO ENTER THE WORLD OF OMNIWARS?]
Two options appeared on the screen:
[ACCEPT] [REJECT]
I acted immediately.
Without thinking, I hit [ACCEPT].
As soon as that happened, the screen turned bright white.
[YOU HAVE ACCEPTED YOUR INVITATION.]
[TRANSPORTING PLAYER TO THE OMNIWARS REALITY GAME WORLD...]
Everything in the room was breaking apart—the walls, the floor, the ceiling—everything became small dots of color/lights.
I felt like I was floating through space.
Then everything turned white.
The event happened in an instant.
It took less than 1 millisecond for everything to disappear.
The hotel room is gone. That hotel room (the bed, the walls, the window, the furniture...) has evaporated.
At this moment, I am in a void floating with complete blackness surrounding me.
There is no ground to stand upon; there is no up or down; I do not know what direction I am facing.
I am just in a void.
Without sound, the same synthetic, robotic noise filled the area where I was floating.
BZZZZT
As if out of nowhere, a lit screen appeared in front of me that had flickering digital distortion at its edges.
Once again, the synthetic voice said something.
[You have entered the Profession Selection Area.]
[Choose your Profession to continue.]
Suddenly, the screen disappeared, and dozens, if not hundreds, of floating screens appeared all around me in a gigantic circle. Each of these screens displayed a unique Profession with full descriptions, stats and rankings.
As I floated, surrounded by options, I was mentally scrambling.
Okay. Regain focus
I had already done this before in a past life; I was completely unaware of this; I didn't know how pivotal this part of the game is going to be.
Choosing a Profession was not only the basis for what class (or title) I would use for this game; it is what shaped how my character would play, what abilities he would have, how strong he will be and what weaknesses he would have.
The most widespread professions available to all players, such as Warrior, Mage, Assassin, and Archer – have the most material and help available to players. They are generally accepted,
Yet there are also scarce professions. There are "Common" rank professions, "Epic" rank professions, and "Mythic" rank professions; Conversely, the rarer a profession is, the stronger the profession
Since my last life, I jumped on the first Mythic rank profession that was presented to me, Holy knight. When I discovered it I was ecstatic; to be able to secure a Mythic rank profession was like hitting the lotto. The profession itself was very good at helping me reach 99 levels and survive many battles,
Today I am more educated,
I prefer not to choose a profession until I have seen all the profession options in the void, or as much as possible. I would prefer to explore my options and not settle on one
I began to work my way through the void examining each screen separately and reading the descriptions on each screen thoroughly.
[Warrior - Common Rank]
[Mage - Common Rank]
[Berserker - Epic Rank]
[Shadow Blade - Epic Rank]
I took no notice of the screens above, pushing onward for something of more value.
Then I stopped moving; one screen really caught my eye:
A glowing crimson-colored panel with a deep red background is larger than all other panels. It had sparks and was surrounded with some kind of energy or vibration.
My heart raced as I drifted towards the glowing panel.
I was so close when I recognized the writing that I had trouble breathing.
OMNIWEAVER
Rank: Omniril
Type: Hidden Class
It took me a moment to regain control of my thoughts.
Omniril rank?
I stared at the writing, unable to comprehend what I was reading.
Omniril rank is above Mythic. I learned of its existence in the past when I faced Blaze and learned more about his powers.
But that a Hidden Class exists
Hidden Classes are unlike any other classes. No one can create a Hidden Class except for the person who is going to use it. When someone uses it, it will not be an option for anyone else.
Tailor-Made. Personal. Unique.
When I played the previous version of OmniWars, I had the option to choose Holy Knight, which has Mythic rank, but it is a standard Profession and there are many Holy Knights in the game.
This?
OMNIWEAVER.
An Omniril-ranked Hidden Class.
If only I had known this existed. . . I closed my hands into a fist, attempting to focus on the glowing screen before me.
Then I started to feel doubt.
Could this be a trap? Perhaps it would turn out to be some kind of gag job or something that seems cool on paper, but this profession isn't going to do anything for me?
I'm completely in the dark when it comes to Omniweaver. So far I only see a name and a rank; there is no description or details to go with this.
If I select this profession and then find that I made the wrong decision...what then?
I found myself floating weightless and confused, my thoughts racing uncontrollably.
Should I gamble and try this? Or stay with something I already know?
I lost track of time while I struggled to make my choice.
A decision was finally made.
No!
This time I'm NOT going to play it safe!
I did not want any of those past opportunities to repeat themselves.
With a thought, I pressed the bright red screen in front of me.
CLICK!
Suddenly, the screen erupted with a flash of blinding brightness, along with the return of the robotic voice.
[You have selected: OMNIWEAVER.]
[Rank: Omniril.]
[Type: Hidden Class.]
The thrill coursed through my veins and my grin widened.
Yes!!!
And again, I was taken back by...
BZZZZT!
Another screen suddenly appeared in front of me; it was a yellow background and had a warning logo flickering on it telling me what I must do.
[WARNING: Your Profession has NOT been confirmed yet.]
[You must complete a Trial to finalize your Profession.]
My grin disappeared immediately.
Wait...what?!
The robotic voice continued on unopposed.
The only way for a player to confirm that they are in the right profession is to pass their Trial.
The goal of the Trial is easy to understand - survive in a jungle for thirty minutes while being pursued by goblins.
In order to complete the Trial, players must abide by the following Rules:
1) If you manage to survive the entire 30 minutes, you will be officially approved for that particular Profession and receive the corresponding rewards.
2) If you die in the midst of your Trial, you will permanently lose that Profession. It will vanish into oblivion, and you will not be able to go back and get it.
Honestly, I wasn't the most optimistic of people. To say the least, I felt sick at this moment.
Of course! The Trial! I had totally forgotten about it.
Every player must take the Trial to confirm their Profession. The Trial is a very nasty test. You are thrown into a hostile environment with a very low attribute base and nothing for equipment, and you have to learn how to survive against enemies that are smarter, faster and stronger than you.
The majority of the players don't even make it. If you perish during the Trial, you forfeit your entire package. You no longer have that Profession. You have to start over and choose something new - if you ever get the opportunity to do so.
In my case, I had just selected the Omniril Rank hidden class.
Should I fail this Trial, I will never have the opportunity to be an Omniweaver again.
So now I am faced with the reality of that yellow screen, which is flashing furiously at me. It is asking me:
[ARE YOU PREPARED TO BE SENT TO YOUR TRIAL ZONE? BEFORE YOU ENTER YOUR TRIAL ZONE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS?]
I thought for a second before I spoke up.
"I don't have any questions, I just want to look at my status window."
[UNDERSTOOD. STATUS WINDOW DISPLAYED.]
As soon as I said this, a new screen appeared with white text glowing softly in front of me.
[STATUS WINDOW]
Name: Sknasim Jhawar
Level: 1
Profession: Omniweaver (Pending Confirmation)
Stats:
Intelligence: 10
Strength: 10
Agility: 10
Stamina: 10
Available Stat Points: 5
I darred at the numbers in front of me, instantly running through my calculations.
Perfect.
Most players did not know about this. In my previous life, there were very few who had the knowledge to check your stats and allocate your stat points before the Trial started.
Everyone assumed you had to wait until you finished the 30-minute Trail and respawned in the city before you were able to view your status window for a first time and allocate your stat points.
That meant wasting your time.
If you were able to allocate your points before you started the Trial, you had a huge edge—more powerful, quicker, and better prepared in that environment.
Unfortunately, by the time someone figured this out and posted it on the Internet, it was too late; most players had already completed their Trials, and the information was irrelevant to everyone.
But today?
I would be able to take advantage of that.
And I wouldn't keep this information to myself—I'd use it to my advantage.
I planned to share this information anonymously on public platforms and use subtle clues over the internet to help people figure it out.
I needed people to be able to survive when the second season began.
When it started, the virtual world would merge with the real world. Creatures would invade the cities, non-playable characters would intermingle with humans and evil lairs would take the place of skyscrapers.
When this happened, millions of humans would die.
If I was going to change that, reduce the number of people that had to die, I had to get everyone prepared, make them strong and ready to do what was necessary.
Currently, there are almost a million invitations being sent out by OmniWars to individuals worldwide. In the coming days, this number will increase rapidly as more invitations are sent out. By the end of the week, everyone worldwide will have had the opportunity to be invited.
There will be some who accept the invitation to play.
Others will decline the invitation.
And those individuals who declined, they are going to be the most susceptible when season two comes.
I needed to convince as many individuals to join OmniWars as possible.
Unfortunately, I didn't have the ability to convince individuals openly. If I gave away too much information, too fast, I would attract unwanted and dangerous attention to myself, which could lead to the questioning of my motives by many and governments asking questions.
Strategically subtle
Now, it's time for me to prioritize myself.
Also, I'm looking at the status window allocations Available Stat Points: 5 available, and time to allocate them.
I know what I want to allocate my 5 Stat Points to.
Agility
When it comes to the Goblin Trial, Speed is King, especially because Goblins are quick, vicious, and relentless; they pack together in groups, attack with extreme coordination and incredible speed.
The only way for me to be able to survive is to Not Fight Goblins Head-to-head, But Instead Staying Mobile, Staying Out Of Reach, And Staying Away From There Attacks.
Strength & Stamina? Sure! They are important, BUT when Goblins surround me, no matter how many Stat Points you invest in these two Abilities, if you DO NOT have adequate AGILITY, they will hunt you down and kill you.
Intelligence (for now) is of NO VALUE to me, since I currently have NO ACCOUNTS that earn rewards and will likely give me Intelligence-based Ability Points.
AGILITY IS MY ONLY CHOICE.
I touched the screen, allocating all 5 Stat Points to Agility.
The numbers on my Stats changed in an instant, and
[STATS UPDATED]:
Intelligence: 10
Strength: 10
Agility: 15 ↑
Stamina: 10
Immediately after the update, I felt something unusual and TINGLY flowing throughout my body; I could feel the energy flow more rapidly (like growing muscles), and my body's response time improved.
It wasn't a dramatic transformation of any kind; it was simply an improvement of my body's performance. But, it was enough to make a positive difference.
I thought about the one other thing that I needed to be sure of before I proceeded with my trial was that Stat Points would be awarded based on your level up—not on monster kills.
In the early days, there were many players who did not realize this fact, and they would spend hours killing monsters trying to figure out why their stats weren't going up.
You received experience from killing monsters, so there was a certain number of kills that would lead to a level up, and only after you leveled up would you receive stat points that could be distributed across your character.
It is actually a very simple concept, but many people were just too focused on the monster kills, and they were not able to see it.
This would not happen to me again.
Once I was satisfied that I had all the information I needed, I closed my status window, placed my hands on the controls of the void.
"Okay, I am ready," I stated clearly, as if to let the universe know.
"I am finished with everything. Please prepare me to go into the Trial."
Immediately after saying this, I heard a voice through the speakers saying:
[UNDERSTOOD. A PORTAL IS BEING CREATED FOR YOUR USE. PLEASE PROCEED THROUGH THE PORTAL TO ACCESS YOUR TRIAL.]
In that moment, what I was really seeing was the space before me bending and warping in a manner similar to the waves on a lake being disturbed by a rock being tossed into it. Then I began to hear a low rumbling sound coming from the void, and the Portal appeared in front of me, spinning with dark blue and black colors flashing through it and causing the surrounding air to begin swirling also.
The portal is" now active. You may enter at your convenience.
My heart was racing and I stared at it.
Now is the time.
There's no way to turn back now.
I collected my courage and took my first steps toward the portal.
I crossed the threshold of the portal without thought.
The void closed upon me from all directions and darkness encircled me.
The dining hall was large and elegantly decorated with an inviting glow from its chandelier. A young lady was seated at the long table wearing a beautiful gown and talking to someone on her phone. The longer she waited for a response from the person on the other end of the phone call the more anxious she became.
"The number you have dialled is currently out of service. Please try again later."
The young lady took her phone away from her ear and stared at hers with a look of increasing concern. "I haven't heard from Sknasim all day!" she thought aloud. "What in the world could be happening!"
The young lady made another attempt to contact Sknasim, only to be met with the same automated message.
At that moment rushed footsteps could be heard approaching her on her right side.
Another young lady entered the dining room. The new young lady was light on her feet and had a graceful way of walking, she walked up to the young lady seated at the table and leaned her head to one side while watching her friend closely to determine what had been bothering her so much.
"Sweety, what's with the sad face?" asked the newcomer. "You look so worried."
The young woman seated at the table—Sweety—continued to hold her phone close to her ear as she replied, "Sknasim hasn't called me at all today and I can't reach him on the phone."
The newcomer paused for a moment while facing her friend, arms crossed. "Sweetheart, are you really talking about Sknasim Jhawar?"
"Yeah," Sweety said, an agitated edge coming into her voice. "I've left him several messages today and each time I call, I get his voicemail."
The girl frowned in thought, "Have you called his sister, Trita Jhawar? She might know where he is."
Sweety sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, "I did. But she is currently at the Vihan concert. She has no idea what Sknasim is doing.
The other girl smiled mischiefily, "Vihan Raichada? As in, your fiancé?"
Sweety felt her cheeks turn red and turned away while biting her lip.
The girl smiled wider, "This is the second time I've seen you blush, Chiri. The first was for Sknasim, and now for Vihan." She leaned closer to tease, "Interesting."
The mention of Sknasim made Chiri's smile fade and her blush deepen. "Forget about that. Sknasim still hasn't answered his phone. Something is wrong."
Nivea waved dismissively. "He's probably busy with something. Why do you care so much about him? He is fine."
Chiri hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. "I guess so. He must be working or something."
"Exactly," Nivea said, sitting beside her.
Chiri let out a breath and attempted to calm herself down. "Yeah, I think you may be correct, Nivea."
As Nivea relaxed on her chair, she observed Chiri curiously. "I've got a question for you."
Chiri turned to look at her, surprised. "Of course! Ask me anything! We are very good friends!"
Nivea tilted her head and began to observe Chiri's reaction more seriously. "You like Vihan Raichada, don't you? That makes sense because he's a celebrity, very talented and handsome. However, you also like Sknasim Jhawar. Why? I can see that you like Vihan, but what's your attraction to Sknasim? He has nothing. He's poor. He's just a regular guy. What do you see in him?"
Chiri didn't respond immediately. She played with the edge of the table for a few moments. Then she smiled a small knowing smile.
"It's quite simple, really," Chiri softly spoke. "I play with Vihan until I get bored. Then I go and play with Sknasim until I get bored again. Once I'm done with Sknasim, I go back to Vihan. Each time I tire of one, I come back to the other. It's like I'm playing a game."
Chiri paused, her voice taking on a different tone from before. Then she added, "And they're both super hot. I mean honestly, I don't think anybody else is going to even come close to looking like them."
Then she leaned in with all the confidence of someone who's got great things coming. "And I want you to remember this, Nivea. Sknasim is going to propose to me. It'll be happening really soon."
Nivea raised an eyebrow with surprise and amusement. "Seriously?"
"I am dead serious," Chiri said with a very large grin.
The two ladies kept talking and laughing with each other until the night melted into day in the beautiful dining room of the restaurant where they dined.
Hitting ground from the Portal was weird.
I went from being lost in a Blackness to being in a weird place full of plants, Animals, and bugs.
Breathe, breathe.
I got to know this place for my challenge.
I Jogged around for about 5 minutes, trying to get a feel for where to hide things, where to cut paths, and where to go.
I stopped.
I Got low to the ground and hid in a thick bush and waited.
I was scared, but My Mind Was Clear.
Think.
Don't panic; that's the worst thing you can do right now.
I Would Think And Have A Plan.
Survival was just one part of The Trial—learning how to think and prepare for what comes next.
Because this was only the beginning.
I hid in the shadows, gradually taking control of my breathing, allowing my mind to wander.
OmniWars
The game that would change everything.
Millions received invitations today, and most did not know why they were getting an invitation or what it meant. They thought it was a game, or something to do with entertainment.
They didn't know what was coming.
In just seven days everyone will have received an invitation to play, and when Season 2 of the game starts, the game world will merge with the real world.
There would be monsters everywhere. Dungeons would pop up in cities. NPCs would walk around with humans.
Many people would die.
No one died because they were weak.
Many died because they weren't ready.
I saw this happen in my previous life—whole neighborhoods destroyed in hours, people killed by monsters they couldn't defeat, families ripped apart, cities levelled, and governments collapsed.
I was defenceless against it at that time.
Not any longer.
This time around, I had the wisdom of experience and foresight of the events to come.
I would use my experience and insight to help as many people as I could.
I needed to be thoughtful in my approach.
I could not tell them the truth and expect them to accept it as fact. They would likely think I was crazy.
No way.
I had to help guide people to the truth. I needed to provide hints, strategies, and encourage as many people as possible to accept the invitation to the OmniWars and level up as soon as possible before Season 2 began.
I would anonymously share my tips with the public. I would create an online strategy guide. I would inform players about allocating stats, Profession choices, and starting strategies.
In all the ways I could, I would be preparing the world for what would happen before the wars started.
The more players or survivors there are to help each other, the better chance of surviving the real part of the war.
I will get as many players prepared to fight as possible. I'll strengthen each player as best I can and will build an army.
When the twelve traitors attempt to free their "Lord" from another dimension, I will have everything prepared to stop them.
I will kill each of the twelve.
You'll witness the wrath of the earth.
The sound of something rustling broke my concentration and startled me. I instinctively froze, not making a sound or a move, everything in my body went still as I feared whatever was coming my way wasn't good. My heart raced as I pushed through the branches, waiting to see what was coming. And then I saw it, a goblin that was roughly four feet tall, had a greyish-green skin colour, large ears that looked almost as if they were elongated, very sharp yellow teeth and shining brightly in the darkness were his glowing eyes. This creature appeared to be the most basic of all creatures, similar to what you'd find in any typical fantasy RPG. Though this creature looked simple in design, he had an advantage over me; the goblin's crude wooden club was about the only thing that could help him fend for himself in the wild. I took a moment to check out how the goblin was moving; he seemed to have a quick body with fast reactions and erratic movements.
"Level 0" was my first thought, while the fact that this was a "Level 0" foe made me feel safe, it also made me realise that no matter the level an enemy is, it can be extremely dangerous if you weren't careful. If you were loud, if you did something incorrect, and especially if you made an error, they could swarm and kill you before you could even respond. I held my breath in as I focused on the goblin as he continued to creep closer, sniffing the air, then turning from left to right, back and forth, like he was listening for me. When he got a little closer, I clenched my teeth and continued to hold my breath (I still had no clue where I was). But I did notice that the goblin's body had relaxed slightly and it seemed to be taking a little bit longer to get closer to me.
The goblin took another step forward.
It then quickly turned around, struggling to get away from me, but it continued to walk away.
I bent down slowly with my right hand picking up a fist-sized rock that was partially hidden by dirt. I held the rock tightly and felt my muscles tensing up in anticipation.
The goblin was now approximately 10 feet away from me and totally unawares of my presence. I stood up.
I took off running forward toward the goblin.
I made it from where I was standing to where the goblin was in about 2 seconds.
The goblin didn't even have a chance to turn to look at me.
I swung the rock toward the goblin's face with every ounce of strength I had. I hit the goblin's head with so much force that the rock hit the goblin's head and broke the goblin's neck.
CRACK.
The sound of bone breaking and skin tearing were sickening. The goblin let out a strangled scream and fell forward, its body was twitching.
I didn't allow myself time to stop.
I jumped on top of the goblin, holding it down with my knees, and raised the rock up again.
The goblin continued to squirm beneath me clawing at the dirt. It was screaming from pain and fear.
I struck the goblin with the rock again.
THUD.
Once again.
THUD.
A third time.
THUD.
The blood sprayed out of the goblin's head and covered my hands, my arms, and my face with warm, thick, metallic blood.
The goblin's skull was fractured and lay scattered on the ground, with bone shards and blood splattered over the soil. Its body shuddered once then again before becoming lifeless.
I struck it once more.
And again.
And again.
Once more.
Intervals of gasping for breath created a tunnel vision effect while the red of the pooling blood surrounded my hands and clothing. It can't be allowed to revive.
An electric sound emitted from behind me and suddenly a soft glow illuminated the air about my head.
[You just defeated a Level 0 Goblin.]
[You now have gained 4 Torin Points.]
My chest was pounding as I stared at the notification.
4 points.
Is that all?
As I wiped my hands on my pant leg, I was flooded with thoughts and emotions all at once.
4 Torin Points from a Level 0 monster is an insultingly low payment.
Then the realization came.
It's low because Goblins are a Level 0 monster, and therefore, have no challenge associated with battling them. They're basically slave labor to fill the ranks of the game creator.
If I had a higher level, the rewards would be better.
But for now, I'm still at Level 1 and Goblins are the easiest monster types.
Either way, 4 points equal 4 points.
Standing over the destroyed body of the goblin, my heart was racing with excitement and relief that I was able to finish it.
As the remains of the body were slowly turning brownish-black due to blood collection underneath them, the face of the goblin was hardly identifiable.
Trembling was present in my hand.
Not from being afraid, but from the injection of adrenaline into my system.
I killed it.
But as soon as I thought that, I heard:
Voices.
High-Pitched Crying.
Many other goblins…
You must be kidding me.
They must have heard the fight or the smell of the blood that was laying at my feet.
I had no intention of sticking around for an explanation.
Instinctively, I turned and ran.
As I ran through the rainforest, I was assaulted by branches hitting my face and roots trying to catch my feet.
My thoughts raced through my mind, and I became aware that the goblins were following me because they were able to smell the blood from my clothes and body.
I glanced down at myself. I was covered head-to-toe in goblin blood and looked like a massacre had just taken place.
I urgently needed to clean myself off.
Unfortunately, there was no water source available (e.g., river, pond, or stream).
Damn it to hell.
I continued to run; I zig-zagged through the trees to create as much distance between myself and the goblins as possible.
It took me ten minutes, but I was still running with blood on my clothes. My lungs felt as though they were exploding from pain and pressure. My legs felt like they weighed a ton, but Ikept going.
Finally, after ten minutes, I stopped running and stood up for a moment to catch my breath, which is when I looked toward my left.
A wooden fence, standing, alone, is a fence because it is not a fence if it has only wood.
When I reached the fence, I stopped and stared with wide eyes.
What is a fence doing way out here?
As I crouched down, I crawled closer to the wooden fence and looked through the cracks.
On the other side of the fence was a settlement of people made of wood, with about twelve or maybe thirteen of them, at best, arranged in a somewhat circular fashion, and an empty fire pit in the middle.
The people living there would be goblins.
There was no one to be found, though.
There were no goblins there, and it was deathly still.
What had happened to them?
Suddenly, it occurred to me where they all were.
They all went out looking for me.
When I killed that goblin, I had created a lot of noise and commotion, so the goblins would have sent a search party out looking for me. That would mean they would not be stationed at their homes, so I could probably walk right in.
A grin turned up the corners of my mouth.
How lucky for me!
I picked up a large rock and smashed a piece of wood off the fence. The cut I made was big enough for me to crawl through and into the village.
Upon entering the village, I must admit, there was an eerie quiet.
I moved quickly from hut to hut trying to find out if there was anything useful for me to take.
As I went through the huts, I found no more than bare dirt floors, a few scattered bones, and some crude straw sleeping materials.
As I entered the fourth hut, however, I came across the mother lode.
It was an ax, made of steel. The axe was super old, and very dull, but it had a super sharp edge to it.
I grasped the handle of my axe and weighed it in my palm.
This will work.
I turned my back to the hut entrance and looked out into the town of goblins before me.
It was then that I couldn't contain myself. I began to laugh softly at first, but the longer I went without stopping the louder the sound became. Finally I was cackling and my laughter echoed throughout the entire settlement.
Then I shouted, "You are all going to die. You are all going to die by MY HANDS," my voice cold and dripping with pleasurable malice.
The axe in my grip was getting tighter, and the grin on my face grew larger.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"