Ancient Exorcist Quest
Ye Qing opened his eyes, only to be greeted by an unfamiliar environment. A standard-sized study room, thin walls that did little to inhibit the warm sunlight and the sound of dashing winds, and a broad wooden desk hosting three books; Introducing Runecraft, Introducing Inscriptions, and Basics of Drawing Talismans.
[New Quest: Achieve Rudimentary Mastery as a Talisman Apprentice!]
"Now you're really forcing me!" Ye Qing gasped, fretfully inspecting the three thick books arranged on the desk.
His nostrils twitched as a whiff of the ancient nature composed within each paper foretold of this book's age. From the worn-out edges and yellow paper, Ye Qing knew these books had seen better days. They didn't look like one-time-use items that would fade into motes of light, absorbed by the player upon touch.
"They're just books! How hard can reading be? It's not my first time reading something…" Recalling those moments of reading bedtime stories to his little sister, Ye Qing felt invigorated.
Not comparing these in-game books to the sophisticated articles and famous works published in the real world, all the while approaching this conundrum with the mindset of exploring a new world, Ye Qing silently prayed for patience and opened the first book; Introducing Runecraft.
What are runes? The first chapter elaborates on the existence of Divine Energy in the Realm of Titans. This Divine Energy is further subdivided into Faith Energy and Universal Energy. The former is exclusive to the pantheon of the gods, from the First to the Seventh Titan, while the latter is a basic energy source further subdivided into internal and external energies.
Runes are an impression of these energies, manipulated into achieving a catalyst of excitation. For example, some skills stipulate the talent of a templar while other skills require someone with the talent of a mage.
You can't find a templar using magic or a mage using warrior-oriented skills as their talents don't allow it. This is where runecraft comes in; they translate the skill of a mage into an active buff to provide universal availability.
A templar with the specific magic rune can temporarily adopt the unique battle skills of a mage, even while the effect leaves much to be desired. A fireball rune could capture 10%, 20%, or up to 30% of the original spell's effects if crafted by a practiced Talisman Master.
Understanding how to craft runes from energy is one thing while understanding how to inscribe these runes on external materials that function as spell mediums is another story.
Inscribing requires a delicate balance of energy, high concentration, high mental fortitude, and the right materials.
Talisman Masters are split into three categories of Basic Talisman Master, Sacred Talisman Master, and Divine Talisman Master. Goes without saying that the category of each Talisman Master correlates with the energy they harness, based on their individual understanding.
The weakest Talisman Masters, such as Ye Qing, start practicing with internal energy, slowly transitioning into external energy, universal energy, faith energy, and lastly, divine energy.
There wasn't a lick of information about harnessing faith and divine energies in the books, but a clear red warning mentioned that the documents pertaining to harnessing these energies are secured in the Church of Law and Order, while practicing these energies is a capital offense.
An example of talismans created with divine energy is the Binding Contract Talisman produced by the Church of Law and Order, with the power to bind the souls of all parties involved with the contract. The Covenant of the Fourth Epoch is such a contract.
There exists a lesser version of the contract inscribed with faith energy, since only the Goddess of Law, Themis, is capable of inscribing with divine energy. Nonetheless, just because it's a lesser version, that doesn't make it ineffective or less binding when signed.
Ye Qing received a notice from Claudia that he had completed the quest and gained 110 XP, and only then did he notice that he was lost in reading the books; definitely uncharacteristic of himself.
"Now that I think about it— why isn't there anything about Exorcism?" Ye Qing suddenly realized that while the introductory books provided him with the necessary information and resources to start as a Talisman Master, the game provided nothing about the exorcist's talent.
[New Quest: The Lost Inheritance!]
[Quest Description: Unravel the mystery behind Ancient Exorcism that faded into obscurity in the river of time!]
[Time Limit: N/A!]
[Reward: Unlock the Ancient Exorcist Vocation!]
Ye Qing Stared blankly at the notification for a long, long time before he snapped. "Fuck!"
How was he supposed to investigate something lost in the river of time?! Forget about the former eras, information regarding the beginning of the current era has long been either hidden or destroyed. This year marks 1998 of the Holy Order Prefecture's calendar. For reference, the region under Themis is called the Holy Order Prefecture.
Perhaps only the Wise Men from the Divine Chronicles Prefecture under the First Titan, Hyperion, knew a thing or two about this ancient vocation.
"Is it worth it to traverse the entire Realm of Titans to obtain a hidden vocation? Oh, fuck, no! Forget it… I'm not going!" Ye Qing immediately tossed that idea to oblivion, forgetting that he had ever read that notification.
[Warning! You have been playing for 10 hours, Sir. Please log out and have some rest!]
"Ten hours?! Damn… I haven't even had the chance to leave my safe house yet," Ye Qing was dumbfounded.
Since when did he have the traits of focusing while reading? That's unreasonable. He stood up from the long-back chair, stretched a little to grab a feel of how immersive this game was, and started walking around the room.
"Impeccable! I can hardly tell the difference between in-game and in-real-time!"
Ye Qing took a deep breath of the available 'oxygen' before approaching one of the walls and resting his palm against it.
Some residual heat from the warm sunlight still lingered in the thin planks, he could even feel the minute vibrations from the currents of wind outside.
He then cast his sight across the room to a high, vertical mirror. His in-game character looked very similar to his real-life build— though it wasn't as frail and emaciated.
He looked quite fit and full, albeit not muscular. Ye Qing had no idea that while the OOS was scanning his body and providing real-time 3D printing of an in-game character, his body was undergoing a phenomenal transformation.
[Warning! Please allow your brain to rest, Sir!]
"Fine! Fine! I get it already!"
…
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Hot steam discharged from the side-slates ventilation units attached to the gaming cabinet, its source no other than the immersive capsule inside. After cooling down for ten seconds, the transparent lid slowly unfolded, revealing a sweaty Ye Qing who had his eyes tightly shut, adjusting to the light.
"The pain is gone!" Ye Qing exclaimed in pleasant surprise. However, he quickly shrieked, "My boxers are gone too?!"
His frame grew exponentially— the small boxers snapped into shreds from the pressure, especially since they were a cheap fabric commodity.
Even as he noticed the remnant nutrient solution glistening on his skin, the door to the gaming cabinet opened and a cute little maid walked in.
"Are you feeling… Oh my— my bad!"
Her expression changed a thousand times a second with words caught in her throat before dashing back out. When she was sure that the coast was clear, the maid crouched down on the floor and held her hot face, screaming into her palms even as shame nibbled away at her conscience.
Too! Fucking! Hot! That image will haunt me for the rest of my life! Tall, chiseled body— sculpted muscles, sharp features, not to mention the deadly combination of the unkempt wet hair and those clear yet confused, sky blue eyes.
What on earth happened to him?! One accidental look had me feeling hot and bothered… This is unacceptable— I need a cold shower!
"I left the Young Master's wardrobe open for you!"
That crisp shout and the hurried, uneven footsteps were the only confirmation Ye Qing needed to realize the genuinity of his phenomenal transformation.
When clarity returned to his mind, unbeknownst to Ye Qing, the dense runes nestled into his bones glowed a pale golden. Even as his eyes glazed over, faint whispers of an unknown sutra echoed in his head, while he mirrored these words by muttering them aloud.
Wisps of mist not unlike the vapor of water congregated around his body and seeped into his skin, the cooling sensation snapping him back to reality.
"Whoa! I'm feeling better than ever…" he murmured, remembering something about an open wardrobe and some Young Master, presumably Madam Ye's younger brother.
Tossing the embarrassing episode with the little maid to the bottom of his priorities list, empowered by the urge to examine his body after the nourishment of the fabled nutrient solutions, Ye Qing immediately left the immersive capsule.
It took a few moments of trial and error in the pursuit of getting adjusted to his new body, but he eventually stumbled into a wardrobe twice the size of his former bedroom.