03 - Choose a path

{-STATUS-}

[PERSONAL INFOS]

Name: Arthur Bloodrose

Sex: Male

Birthday: 07/02

life expectancy: 19/150

Age: 19 (adult)

Race: Human (Temporary)

Lineage: Unknown (Stage 0)

Faction: None

Class: None

Prestige: 0/10 [Plebeian 1]

[ATTRIBUTES]

Stage: 1

Level: 0/20

XP: 0/5

Free attributes points: 0

Hp: 100/100 (80 Base, 20 by vitality x2)

MP: 50/50 (40 Base, 10 by intelligence x 1)

body state: 100%

physical attack: 5 (1 Base, 4 by Strength x 0.4)

magical attack: 6 (1 Base, 5 by intelligence x 0.5)

Strength: 10 (Average of a normal adult male: 5)

Intelligence: 10 (Average of a normal adult male: 7)

Vitality: 10 (Average of a normal adult male: 9)

Agility: 12 (Average of a normal adult male: 8)

Arthur looked at the statistics screen that appeared before him with complicated emotions stamped on his face. Raising his hand, he brought it closer to that ethereal screen and experienced a strange sensation, as the hairs on his body stood on end and a warm tingle spread across his skin.

Raising the corners of his lips, he lowered his hand and began to analyze the statistics. An action that only led to more doubts.

First of all, his surname wasn't Bloodrose, and as far as he knew, he had been reincarnated with the same body, or at least the same appearance, as his past life.

This change naturally made him uncomfortable, but he decided not to question it. Whatever the reason, it was a subject he could only deal with when he met Hel again.

After a deep sigh, he closed the statistics screen, still full of questions about her. He longed to understand what she expected of him, who that ancestor she had mentioned was and, above all, the purpose of it all.

Multiple theories sprang to his mind, but in the end he just shook his head. Regardless of what that information meant, spending time creating speculations wouldn't lead to a resolution.

Suddenly, his gaze was fixed on a pile of objects not far away, apparently a sword and fragments of an armor.

At that moment, Arthur felt a shiver run through his private parts, reminding him of an embarrassing fact.

"I'm naked!" he exclaimed in his mind and rushed toward the items, looking for something to cover himself with. As soon as he touched these objects, two new screens appeared in front of him.

[Item: heavy black armor + 0

Description: An ordinary heavy black armor

Type: Heavy plate Armor

Rarity: Common

weight: 30 kg

Physical defense + 40

Magical Defense + 15]

[Item: Common long sword + 0

Description: An ordinary long sword

Type: Long sword

Weight: 1.5 Kg

Rarity: Common

Physical attack + 40]

"Hm..." Arthur exhaled as he looked at it. He was far from being a big fan of heavy armor, but he would settle for this.

Grabbing the breastplate of the armor, he tried to press it against his chest. However, nothing happened.

"Equip!" he exclaimed. But again, nothing.

"Shit..." Arthur tried to find anything that would indicate an option to equip the armor, but found nothing. There were no settings, not even an inventory.

Ah...

He finally realized: if he was in the game, he wasn't a player, or at least he wasn't seen as one. He didn't have access to chats, forums or even the ability to equip items with a simple gesture. To do this, he would have to put on the armor manually, piece by piece.

With a strange expression on his face, Arthur placed the breastplate on the ground, along with the other three pieces of armor: a pair of greaves, a pair of boots and a helmet, all black in color and apparently simple in construction.

Arthur had never worn plate armor and all his knowledge of it was limited to games and movies - not a very reliable source, to say the least.

"Damn it," Arthur cursed before getting down to work. What he lacked in knowledge, he would have to make up for with intuition.

It took more than an hour of countless attempts and failures before Arthur was finally able to stand up, fully equipped with powerful black plate armor.

Despite the simplicity of this equipment, it still aroused a powerful feeling of strength and imposingness in Arthur, something he had never felt in his entire life.

Although it was heavy armor, it was far from limiting. Its joints were wide and well-made, which, combined with Arthur's powerful body, gave him an agility far beyond what one would expect from equipment of this kind.

After confirming that the armor was secure, Arthur crouched down and picked up the sword. It was a long sword, with a beautiful black scabbard and a leather belt to attach it to his waist.

Carefully, he slid the sword out of its sheath, revealing a sharp silver blade, polished enough for him to see his own reflection in it.

Using all the technique and grace of someone who had never touched a sword in his life, Arthur brandished the weapon a few times. His movements were clumsy, but they carried power and speed, driven by agility and strength far beyond that of an ordinary human.

Stowing the sword in its scabbard and strapping it tightly around his waist, Arthur finally thought he was ready to leave.

However, his attention was caught by the reflection of a metallic gleam in the same place where he had picked up his equipment.

Without much thought, he crouched down and found a silver ring of simple, discreet construction.

[Item: Spatial ring

Description: A spatial ring of low storage capacity

Type: Accessory

Rarity: Common

storage capacity: 1 cubic meter]

Realizing what he was talking about, Arthur lifted the corners of his lips in an excited smile. A cubic meter wasn't much, but he wasn't in a position to complain.

"Incredible..." Arthur muttered when he finally managed to access the storage space. It was a peculiar sensation; it didn't reveal itself as a simple blue box in front of him with inventory slots, but rather as a set of information being transmitted directly into his mind, as if the ring were part of his body.

After that, the young man finally prepared to begin his journey.

[Quest: Getting to the outside world 0/5.

General: You are in a dark dungeon, survive the adversities and find a way out!

01: Choose a path!

You find yourself in a room of a dungeon with only 2 paths to follow. choose the one you believe leads to the exit.

Grade: F

Rewards: 10 Xp

02: ?

03: ?

04: ?

05: ?]

Arthur almost had a heart attack with the sudden appearance of that text box. It seemed he would still need some time to get used to it.

"How generous...", Arthur muttered, his tone carried a hint of sarcasm, but in his heart, he hadn't expected such an easy mission.

Although he was bothered by the fact that he didn't even have the option of denying it, he still understood what it meant and wasn't willing to think too much about it.

Embracing his own intuition, he chose the path that seemed to go up a slightly inclined slope.

Soon after he left the room and followed the path he had chosen, Arthur found himself in a narrow, dark and steep passage.

Gradually, the crystals that illuminated the area disappeared, replaced by rustic-looking torches. This was a sign of civilization, a sign that gave Arthur a negative feeling.

In a normal situation, such a sign would certainly be welcome, but Arthur was not in a normal situation. He didn't know the risks he might encounter there. This sign of civilization, even if it seemed tribal and rudimentary, could result in his downfall.

The moment Arthur stepped out of the narrow passage and the stone walls around him widened, his suspicion was confirmed.

In the darkness that stretched out in front of him, a solitary, savage and bestial growl echoed, like a demonic groan from a dark being, irradiating an aura so obscure that even Arthur, who had never been trained to sense and manipulate mana, was affected.

Every hair on his body stood on end, a chill ran down his spine and his heart raced. For a brief moment, Arthur felt the faint touch of death piercing his chest.

[You're terrified!]

'Fucking move! This is no time to fuck around!" Arthur shouted to himself. With a tremendous effort, he managed to move his trembling hands and grab the hilt of his sword.

[You resisted the 'terrified' effect!]

Arthur overcame his fear and pulled the sword from its sheath. With a low grunt, he prepared to face the challenge that awaited him just after dark.