4 The Trials

This game provides me with a "magic" book, that appears whenever I want to. I open my palm and just think about that book, then smoke blows, it turned into fire, fire turned into ash, ashe formed a book. The book is called "Codex of Gail". Even though I use Byrond's name and identity now, this book still address me as Gail.

I open the book, it describes me accurately. It noted me as Gail Marshall of Snowhill, class hunter, but different than any other status screen on MMORPG I used to play, this book doesn't use level to describe my strength. Instead, I found something as "achievement", which it ranks me as "Junior Hunter". After all I did, even with Byrond's license, I am still noted as a hunter. Now I doubt that I will be recorded as a real paladin in my codex even if I pass the trial.

Anyway, instead of statistic count of strength, magic, defense, etc, it record my strength based on what I already did. For example, it noted my running speed at 10 km/h. I did run on that speed when I was jogging in the morning. Though I can run faster than that, but since I never necessarily run for my life before, It record my jogging speed as the official speed of mine. But seriously 10 km/h is kinda slow for a hunter, isn't it?

And about my strength, it counts me at 1,500 newton force. I don't know how strong it is but 1,500 sounds a lot isn't it? But since I never punch someone or been in a serious fight, so I thought this number wasn't as impressive as I thought it is.

I can't find anything written as "physical defense", instead, I found "physical endurance". It noted me at 3,000 newton force. Almost twice power that I can take than how much I ever give. But when did I received 3,000 newton force power? When I tried to remember what I had been through all these times, I only remember the most painful damage I ever felt is when Byrond pats my back. But that one was not a fight, I doubt that a human pats on back could give 3,000 newton force. Who cares, only the codex knows what it is.

Move on, I found "mental endurance", and it still count in a fresh zero point. Interestingly, it uses "aether force" as comparison to "newton force". Well, I can not remember when I was involved in magic fight, so I can assume that this codex is more like a record instead of parameter of my true strength.

It also record how far I traveled, how many times I respawn, and interestingly, it also have weapon record. It noted how many times I fight, bare-handed, using sword, spear, bow, etc. From the list available, I only uses bow so far so I check on it. I smiled when I read the record, hey, I was proud to see how many times I took shot and how many times it was accurate. It also provides statistic to help me understand my progress. The statistik can tell me how many times I hit bullseye in time line. So I can see that the more I use bow, the often I hit on target perfectly. The codex even concluded me as "sharpshooter" for perfectly hit the target 48 times in a row.

It was really cool to be an archer, I used to play sniper games, and I used to fight alone. Comrades only hold me back because I have to think of us being in a union. I imagine that I might need just one partner and get used to them, instead of team up with the server's number one.

I really like archery, really. But right now I have to do what I should do. I want money, fame, and easy power. Since they are easier to gain as a paladin, I will have to forget my bow and arrow--not to give up on them--and enters a great building with eagle insignia embed above the main door.

This interior is great, the attics is high so the circulation is nice. No carpet at all on the floor that uses chess pattern. At the end of the hall, there is an old man with bald head and eyeglasses. He has skinny build but covered with nice clothing. He just standing right there before I enter the building, and still standing without sign of his feet is sore. That guy must be an NPC.

"Good morning, Sir, what can I do for you?"

"Hi, my name is Byrond. Byrond Marshall. I am a knight, and I decided to take Paladin's path. I need help to face the trials," I told him.

The NPC smiles, "you come to the right person. Can I see your knight license?"

I give him the license and he approve it.

"Congratulations, Sir Byrond. Your request is granted. You may want to begin your trial by talking to that veteran wielding shield over there," that NPC pointed at a tall, bulky, muscular man with grey hair and lots wrinkles on his face. Same with this skinny NPC, he just standing over there without a single move, even with fantastic design heavy armor, sword, and shield cover his body, but no helmet. No normal human can, and would do that.

When I approach him, he greets me with noble voice, "greetings, Knight Byrond. I already heard about you from Sir Vincent."

These guys must have great telepathy skills!

"Trials of Paladin or Trials of Protector is basically to test your endurance power. If you manage to pass the trials, you may have all the benefits as paladin which are inflated endurance power, in exchange of low assault power, and bonus damage resist when you wear heavy armor equipments," he explained.

"The path of Paladin is tough, and your mentality is to protecting others by sacrificing yourself. This is a painful path, because the pain is real. Would you take this path?"

I am not a masochist, but, I have to even my oath. "Yes, I want to take the path."

"Do you aware that you might be ganged up by enemies in battlefield, thousands arrows and swords might strikes you at a time, and you will feel all the pain as it is, do you really want to take the path?"

I tried to imagine it. Some warriors in battlefield had experienced that pain when they were ganged up mercilessly like burger. I know how painful it is, and part of me--it's my guts, by the way--screams to use my brain and just escape. Just leave this job to a true masochist and use my lovely bow and arrows. Use my fucking brain and tell this NPC "I'm sorry I thought this is hunter guild, bye!"

But instead I said, "yes, damn it! Show me the way right now!"

The NPC stares at me for a few seconds, slowly, his grins shows on his face, as if I was lured into his nasty trap idiotly. But I don't care, I had come this far for this and it will be so stupid if I back away because I am afraid of pain. Maybe I am an idiot, but once I decided something, I will not cancel it.

"This way," that NPC lead me to enter a room, which is actually a training groud.

He open his palm as if demand something from me, "your sword, please."

I have bad feeling about this so I give him the sword and shield that I hold at the moment, but he return me the shield, "only the sword, you just use the shield."

Then he instruct me to enter a square arena where a warrior--I bet he is an NPC too--enters the arena.

"No way!" I stares to my shield, this is all I have, not even a sword! This trial is crazy!

The NPC warrior begin to attack me as soon as he heard a bell rings I defend as tough as I can from his massive attacks. At first time his blow hits my shield, it's trembling. I have to hold my shield with both of my hands to gain more sturdy hold.

The warrior keep going, he give me another blows and strikes. Sometimes I fall and feel my head dizzy after hit the floor. But since I do not want to return to Snowhill and become an archer, I stand up and do anything to fight again. I walk in circle, pay attention to the warrior's moves. It's just like facing a beast in the woods, I have to pay attention to his gesture and hope that I did not read his moves wrong. Blood dripped from my temple, I am lucky the blood does not streams into my eye. I still can stand and face him well. When he strikes again, I parry his attack and push him upwards to open his defense. And when his chest exposes, I slam my shield straight to his chest and BAM! He rolls on the floor outside the arena.

A bell rings, looks like I manage to pass the first round.

"Good job, boy," the NPC praises me. "Most knights who fight with their shield use their strength to endures all attacks, but only you who think to open his defense and strikes."

"Oh, so you mean I'm special?" I smirks.

"No, it means, you might want to take another path than paladin," he answers.

My smirks immediately gone, "what? You mean I didn't pass the trial?"

"I didn't meant that. I mean, I think your fighting style is more to a warlord than paladin. Both of them has advantage in defense, but paladin's main focus is in endurance, while warlord is more to attack. Paladin defense at all cost, but warlord uses assault to defend. I think you suits warlord more," the NPC explains.

I know a little bit about warlord, and I know that the class is kind of good. But I bet lots people already pick that class so it will be a tough competition if I become warlord.

"Did I failed the trial?" I asks the NPC.

"No, you successfully beat the first trial," he replies.

"I want to continue the trial. I want to be a paladin," I insists.

"Alright then, meet me at Soren Waterfall tomorrow evening. This is the map," the NPC give me a map scroll where the location of Soren Waterfall is signed with X mark. I want to give this NPC a good impression, that's why I come on time. He said evening, I come morning, and I wait him there. Luckily this NPC has good AI, they are programmed quite detailed, they have so many responses for certain circumstances. I wonder what will he do if I come late?

Anyway in this waterfall he told me to sit under the cold heavy stream and meditate. Just like what the heroes do in kungfu movies. For those who don't know, this is a good way to determine someone's endurace. I must say that doing this is not really my thing, I'm more to leisure preference type of person so this is really hard for me. I successfully pass this exam on third trial. It seems like when we just accept what happened and control our mind, all hardship will become easy to handle.

"Congratulations!" the NPC says, "you pass the second trial. But, do you really want to be paladin?"

"Yes, I brrr.... really want to be brrr... a paladin," I answer him with additional trembles that I can't help. I am easily catch cold. My whole body is freezing.

"I ask this once again because you seems like more suitable in other class such as ...," he repeat the same as yesterday.

"I don't wanna be a brrr.... warlord, I want to brrree... a paladin! As long as I pass the exam, I will still keep brrr.... going brrr...." I swipe my palms on each others to warm my body. Not much but it helps.

"Alright. Come to Paladin Guild tomorrow, it was in a building named Hall of The Phoenix Knights. This time is writing exam, so you may want to take a good rest," the NPC veteran Paladin says before he leave me alone in Soren Waterfall. I ride back to Burdio inn riding Freedom. When I reach the bed, I collapses and snores. I'm beat!

Writing exam is not very difficult, instead it does not requires me to have certain knowledge to do it. Basically this is an IQ test combine with psychological test. But since there are a thousand questions to do, my brain worn out when it ends at dawn. Again, I sleep like a log tonight.

By tomorrow when I wake up, I can't find Freedom in his barn. I asks everyone in inn about it but no one seems to know where my horse is. I give up, I sit on a chair and just stares into the glass of beer in front of me.

"What happened to him?" I heard someone ask the bartender.

The Bartender who is definitely an NPC answers her, "he lost his horse."

The girl lean on the bar and talk to me, "someone might stole it last night."

I feel like I was tired body and soul. Just when I begin to love that virtual or imaginery or dream existence horse, I lost it. All I can do is be patient and keep my head cool, thanks to yesterday's exam. "I don't know, I think I was too tired, I forgot to lock the barn. He might just wandering somewhere."

"You sure?" she asks.

"Better for me to think that way than put blame on others. Besides, I don't know what happened, but better not accuse someone. I just need time to accept that my property is gone now," I said.

The girl laughs. Her laughs turn my head to her, and her lovely face brighten my mood a bit.

"Are you a taurus?" the girl asks.

"How do you know I'm a taurus?"

"You kind of possessive with your belongings," then her eyes tracing on my jaw and neck, "and you have thick neck."

To be honest, I do not really believe that zodiac can determine someone's attitude, traits, or even physical appearance, but I quite surprised that she can guessed that right just by examine my traits. Then she introduce herself, "anyway, I'm Adrianne."

I nods, "G-I mean Byrond."

"Well, Byrond, you seems like one tough guy, what class are you?" she asks.

"I'm going to be a paladin."

Her eyes widened, as if she has another guess about me before she asked about my class. "Really?"

"Yep, I'm going to be a paladin," I repeat.

"Oh, I thought you were going to be a..."

"Warlord? No, thanks," I quickly adds, and her laughter bursts.

"Alright, come to visit me when you're a paladin, Byrond," Adrianne smiles. "My clan is Gunslingers. You can search the address by opening your codex. It also contains lots of game informations too."

"I will, Adrianne, see you later," thanks to Adrianne, my mood got lighten up a bit for now. I walk my way to the Hall of The Phoenix Knights to see if I really pass the writing exam or failed.