Jae worked fast to bring the ball to the enemy's court but two players blocked his way before he could cross the midline. He tossed the ball overhead. The players' fingers brushed against the ball but Logan's hands caught it.

Logan spun around and threw the ball towards the basket.

It flew all the way to the other side and hit the backboard. It hit the ring and finally went in the basket.

The clocked stopped running and the horn rang throughout the gym. 

The signal that the game had ended.

Woodland's chipmunks won two consecutive games and qualified for the championship.
Their supporters stood up and screamed at the top of their lungs.

Teammates jumped in triumph.

The mascot rose up and down the sign board in its hands, bouncing on its heels.

The cheerleaders sprang to life and chanted their victory.

Logan patted Max in the back when he came up to him for a hug. All the while, Logan's eyes scanned the bleachers. He had done it a number of times throughout the two games but his face remained unhappy.

When Jae clapped his shoulder, he shrugged it off with a side smile.

Unable to bring himself to the spirit, he jogged towards the cooler to get some water but it turned out to be empty so he glanced over at Jae to tell him that he was going to look for some water.

==

The one locker Logan had to own... it had to have a code.

Alex had been ready to pick the lock. One of her dad's friends was locksmith who taught her how to lock pick, much to her father's dismay. It had been a thrilling skill she developed. 

But luck just wasn't on her side, was it? She groaned in her mind. What could possibly be Logan's combination? She didn't even have a good guess—not even his birthdate!

She shook the lock in frustration. It rattled against the metal. 

The, the door to the locker room creaked open. 

Alex froze. 

She could hear someone grumbled under their breath as they walked. She looked at her surroundings and found no place to hide. Damn, what should she do? She wasn't supposed to be here! Not to mention, who'd want to stay in a stinky locker room?

The wall near the corner had a whiteboard and a cork board on it. The whiteboard contained the team's strategy/discussion while the corkboard contained several photos from throughout the years. It also had motivational quotes, some bought and some handmade, and had random things pinned out with labels like "A piece of the winning ball from 2000s championship game." 

Alex stood before this wall with her arms crossed and stared at its contents as if completely invested in their worth, deciding not to hide at all.

She had a backup plan anyway.

"I can't believe—" Logan began to say once he passed the corner when he noticed someone else was in the locker room. His hands stayed on the towel he head wrapped around his neck.

"So..." Alex glanced at his direction, pointing at the cork board, "Is this where your infamous lucky socks will be after you graduate?"

Logan's wide eyes focused on her. She wore their gym uniform and a pair of white sneakers.  Her stance and demeanor seemed as if it wasn't weird for her to be in the locker room. Logan opened his mouth several times to speak but words just couldn't find their way out of his throat.

"Ho-how—?"

Alex smiled teasingly, "Unless you plan to have my phone up on this corkboard, can I please have it back?"

She outstretched a hand towards his direction but Logan didn't move from his spot. The sight of her caused his heart to race and his brain to disconnect from his body. Against the grimmy locker room, she glowed like a night light. 

At least in Logan's eyes.

Alex snapped her fingers, "Earth to Logan?"

"Xa-Xandra! Hey!" He finally said, clearing his throat. Slowly the signal from his brain to the rest of his nerves reconnected. 

"Yes, that's my name." Alex licked her lips and tucked a loose strand of blonde wig hair behind her ear, "I came as you asked so can I have my phone now?"

"What are you doing in the lockers? The gym is way over there." Logan pointed behind him. Connection to arms and hands was a success.

Alex bowed her head and shuffled her feet a little. Peeking through her lashes, she confessed softly, "I kind of got lost from going to the bathroom. The door here looked like the one near the gym so I opened it. I realized I entered the wrong door but these kind of caught my attention."

She tilted her head towards the corkboard which Logan seemed to notice only now.

"Oh!" He exclaimed, "Oh, I see. Well... uh... yeah that's our motivational wall."

Logan walked over to one of the benches. His legs and feet seemed to work now. He sat and wiped the sweat off the side of his face. Then, he smelled the towel, instantly regretting it. Where was a cologne when he needed one? Or even just a deodorant. 

"I figured." Alex chuckled and tapped a finger on a particular picture, " You had Justin Bieber hair, huh?'

Did he have any body spray in his bag? Logan wondered in his mind, barely registering what she said, "Yeah, I—wait, what? Don't tell anyone about that!"

Alex smirked, "Why not? I'm sure everyone had that phase."

Logan groaned, ruffling his hair a bit, "Maybe but your brother won't let me hear the end of it."

Alex blinked in surprise and realized he must have meant her comment about his vomit session at the carousel. She pressed her lips together, thinking if she actually crossed a line with one. She happened to be at that amusement park with Emily. Emily came to stay at Aunt Lilly's place who forced them to go out and have fun. She didn't even knew the guy was Logan until she saw him in school and recognized him from that park. 

"How is Alex?" She asked him, watching his expression.

Logan stared at the floor with a scrunch on his eyebrows, "Well, he does his best to not make any friends I give you that. We didn't necessarily get along in the beginning but eventually... yeah, we still don't get along that well."

He reached for a bottle of water from the reserved cooler next to the bench. He twisted off the cap and drank almost all of it in one gulp. It had been an unexpected week. 

"Giving up?"

Alex Carter lives with her aunt and he has been attending Woodlands Academy for three years now.

Wait. 'Her'? 'He'? What? Is this a grammar mistake? 

Well... to tell you the truth,

Alex Carter is not just the only heiress to one of the biggest companies in the world but also she's pretending to be a guy at school much to her parents' dismay. 

Fortunately, this normal and somewhat boring new life leaves her off the hook from the school's notorious playboys, unecessary dramas and juicy scandals. It was going pretty smoothly.

That is...

Until on a Monday late afternoon when Logan Parker stops by Alex's house just in time for him to catch her with extensions in her hair, make-up on her face, heels on her feet and boobs in her dress. 

So...

Now, she has to make a difficult decision. She could tell him that she had a twin sister or she could tell him truth and shatter what little peace she once had.


One thing is for sure, things were about to change. Despite all of Alex' precautions, someone slipped inside her walls and became part of her world. Will she be able to keep her true identity a secret? Or is her borrowed time over? 

Join in and discover the biggest secret in this fiction world.

==============

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After breakfast, Justine volunteered to clear the table and washed the dishes while Auntie Aida helped me take a bath. She boiled a big pot of water with guava leaves and told me to rinse with the infusion. Auntie Anita used to do that with me when I was little. I smiled at the recollection. 

I felt refreshed but sleepy after my bath. I was ready to take a nap when I remembered that Justine was in the house. I regretted that I had not chosen a cuter set of pajamas. I was wearing a white tank top and a worn out PE uniform pants. I felt so ordinary in my OOTD.  I couldn't  change my outfit anymore because he was already in my room when I entered. Auntie Aida made a quick clean-up of my room. She reminded Justine and I of my father's no-closed-door policy as she exited my bedroom. She also added that she'd be just downstairs. 

Justine took my hand and looked at me from head to toe. "Nice pj's," he said teasing. I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Do that again and I'll kiss you." Justine threatened. I did it again but pointed downstairs to remind him of Auntie Aida's presence. He took a deep breath and wagged his index finger at me. I giggled softly.

"Your room is nice," Justine said, admiring my room. 

I liked my room too. It was not as big as the bedrooms in the White House but was roomy enough.It was painted in ivory white.  It had two wide windows. A big white table was tucked against the window facing west. I put my desktop computer and printer there because I like to work while I admire the view from my window. On the walls between the two windows was a framed cork board. Photos of various landscapes and people and post-it notes peppered the board. My twin bed was made of wood painted white too.White linens covered the bed mattress and the different sizes of pillows. Fairy lights hang casually above the headboard. I clipped photos of my parents on the fairy lights. They were like my guardian angels watching over me while I sleep. 

"Hey, I know who owns these." He said, noticing the two polo shirts that were hang on my wall. 

"Tell the owner I am not giving them back." I said and went to the shirts to hug them.

"Keep them, they're yours." Justine said, feigning nonchalance. I mouthed the words 'thank you'.

He continued his room inspection. He browsed the photos on the cork board. He pointed at random people asking who they were. I had many photos with Karlo. His arms were always wrapped around me just like Alexis.

Something occurred to me: "How come you're not jealous of Karlo?" 

"I asked him if he liked you but he said you're just like a little sister to him. That you're just the best of friends. I believed him. I made it clear to him though that I like you." 

I was flabbergasted by his answer. I was a bit angry that he confronted Karlo but at the same time, I was thrilled that he was staking his claim on me. No one has done that before. 

"When did you talk to Karlo?" I asked curious.

"When we went to the river." He answered. It was only his second day on the farm and he already made clear to my best friend of his intentions. 'Whoa'

"Meeting you in the forest was not a coincidence, right?" I probed further.

"You mean our Secret Garden?" he reminded me. "No. I followed you when I saw you heeding out to the forest. I kind of have an inkling where you will go because Karlo have already told me about your hide out. But my confession was spontaneous, Nina. I can't believe you gave me a golden opportunity. And the rest they say is history." He took my hand and made a curtsy. I smiled at his explanation. 

"Can you give Alexis some slack too? He's just like a little brother to me," I appealed. 

He looked at me tenderly. "Do you have a hair dryer?" he asked, avoiding my question.

"Don't change the subject please." I pleaded.

"I'll answer after I dry your hair." He said. 

I pointed to the bathroom. Justine found the hair dryer and proceeded to dry my hair. I feel sleepy every time somebody does my hair be it in the hair salon or at home. Justine took his time blow-drying my hair. He finger-combed my hair gently untangling unruly ones. He was careful not to put the  blow dryer near my face. My eyelids are heavy with sleep but I fought the drowsiness. I wanted to hear his answer on my appeal. 

After he was done with my hair. He helped me to my bed. He propped up the pillows so I can sit comfortably. He also sat down on the bed, facing me. 

"Nina, let's tell everyone that we're a couple now. That's the only way I can make my brother behave. Alex is used to having his way. When he was young, he was sickly.  Our parents thought that he inherited our grandmother's weak heart. Although doctors declared that he does not  have a weak heart, everyone in our family spoiled him already, including me. I always give way to his whims no matter how silly they were. When he showed you his fondness, I thought of dismissing my own growing fondness for you too. But I can't do it. My feelings for you grew every day. And I find myself resenting Alex's fixation with you. It tortured me that you seem to want it too." Justine explained. 

"I won't deny that I enjoyed Alexis' attention. But there's nothing more to it. He's just a little brother to me even though we're the same age. Also, I treat all my friends the same way. Look at those pictures on the wall, that's how I've always been." I explained back.

"I'm learning about that. But can I please make an appeal? I get jealous Nina. I can't help it. Sometimes, I'm frightened by my own emotions. Please be a little bit considerate. I'm not asking you to stop being friends with anyone or to stop being fond of Alex, just don't get too physically close. PLEASE?" He pleaded. 

He was so tortured, I touched his face to comfort him. He put his hand over my hand. We looked at each other intently. He looked at my lips. I absentmindedly caressed them. He smiled. I felt a great sense of comfort, I fell asleep!

“What about you? Do you like someone?” he mimicked my question.

“Hey, I asked first!” I protested. 

“You first,” he said.

No, you go first!” I countered. 

“Ladies first,” he continued. 

I pinched his arm and gave him a sharp look. He held up his hand  and moved to face me. We laughed. 

“You,” he said. 

“No, you go first!’ I said almost shouting. 

“You,” he repeated. “Nina, I like you.”

Sparks flew when a 17-year-old New Yorker Justine met a 15-year-old farm girl Nina on a hot summer day. What followed was a summer of delicious firsts: first love, first kiss, first sip of alcohol, and the inevitable first heartbreak. 

A summer filled with all the beautiful moments we’ve dreamed of—watching sunsets, dancing in the rain, counting stars, and playing games all night. It was a summer of forging friendships and building bonds that were unbreakable. Then something happened and it was not summer anymore. And we grew up.

William and Nathaniel were welcomed to the warm interior of the Adventurers Guild. Beautiful mahogany lined the walls with decorative sconces evenly spaced along it. Two thirds of the hall to the left of the entrance was designated Guild member services. Having a bar, dining area, pool tables, dart boards,  and more. Seemingly used simply for Adventurers leisure  time, where they could eat, drink, have fun, and mingle with their fellow Adventurers. The other third of the hall to the front and right of the entrance was seemingly the business side. Along the back wall were four service desks manned by four different Guild members. All along the wall to the right hangs a cork wood board that contains all the Guild's current unclaimed quests. They seemed to be ordered by rank with the lowest Pewter ranked quests being closest to the entrance and become higher as you move towards the service desks. Separating these two spaces is a grand staircase leading up to the second floor where the Guild's administrative personnel offices reside. 

Nathaniel and his father stroll up to the first open service  desk counter, which happens to have a cheery face young women operating it. "Well how can I help you gentlemen?"

"Great, I looking to join the Guild as soon as possible please." said the overly enthusiastic Nathaniel.
"Aren't you a little young to be joining the Adventurers Guild, just how old are you?"
"He's 14 years old today, he wishes to take the admissions exam. He's simply hell bent on it." answered his father William.
"Wow are you sure your ok with this, you do know the admissions exam is grueling for anyone unprepared?"
   William would ponder on this point but, soon reassured himself that this was the best course of action to get his son to give up this dangerous profession and start his work diligently on masonry. He simply told the young lady yes and proceeded to sign the necessary paperwork since Nathaniel was still a minor. 

"Ok well it looks like we're all set I'll just good ahead and explain some of the simpler points of the Adventurers Guild." said the cheery employee.
First she explained the ranking system which is used to categorize Adventurers and monsters alike. But of course Nathaniel having dreamed of becoming one since before he could even read already knew of this and quickly began to list them off in his head.
Starting with the lowest rank and moving up from there.
10. Pewter
9. Brass
8.Tin 
7. Iron
6. Steel
5. Copper
4. Bronze
3. Silver
2. Gold
1. Platinum

Pewter was a rank that represented the strength of the average adult human and increased exponential from there until you reached the rank of Gold. The top Platinum rank was reserved solely for those Gold ranked Adventurers whose actions saved the upper realm as we know it. The last Adventurer to achieve the Platinum rank was over 150 years ago when he defeated the Dark Lord a humanoid necromancing lower realm creature that controled an army of monsters. He was the sixth such Platinum ranker since the founding of the Adventurers Guild.
  "Alright now for the Admissions Exam it's not a written test or anything like that, you simply have to complete a Tin rank quest. Of course we wouldn't let you do that solo so you will be   accompanied by a Tin rank Adventurer. But they are simply there to make sure you don't die on this quest, so don't get cocky."
  Basically the exam was to complete a quest unassisted although still accompanied. A Tin ranked Adventurer is someone seen as being roughly as strong as nine to ten adult humans combined. So this Tin ranked quest was nothing to laugh at, an average adult human would likely die trying to complete a quest of such rank.

Yet still Nathaniel was not deterred by the likes of such and quickly went to the board to look at the Tin ranked quests. While looking he found one that seemed quite simple, just collect the honey from a hive of the grey breasted honey bee. All I have to do is collect some honey, this will be a breeze thought Nathaniel.

Young man pursues dream of becoming a Platinum rank Adventurer.

A light, chilly breeze hits my feet and then travels up my body the more I'm swallowed by the vortex. When it finally reaches my chin I take a deep breath and close my eyes. As the rest of me sinks down I feel something brittle crunch beneath my feet. My toes curl crushing whatever it is even more, relishing in the fact that I can once again feel things. A quick exhale followed by a deep breath provides me with the freshest air I've ever been around. Sweet, yet cool and refreshing. I'm brought out of my musings by the shouting of someone in the distance.

"We got a live one folks!"

I slowly open my eyes and am met with the view of a sunrise barely poking over a canopy of trees. Wisps of smoke catch my attention and I look down to see a tiny, developing village. A decently sized mountain lodge sits at the far end with a well in the center. A few crafting huts such as a blacksmith and butchers are visible around a road running vertically through the fountain. And lined up on both sides of a well-traveled dirt path headed towards me are small cottages. Following the road, it winds a bit before coming up the small hill to where I'm standing.

Looking around the vicinity it seemed to just be a grassy hill with an arch behind me where vines have tangled themselves around the base. It was at this point I noticed that familiar flashing in the corner of my eye. Swiping my hand from the corner of my vision to in front of me a few screens began to pop up and I closed out of them after reading the info on each.
*~~*
[Welcome to Te'luna!]
*~~*
[New Feat Acquired!]
The first of your kind +250 Fame, Title: The First
(Adam 2.0 in the House!)
*~~*
[Title Gained!]
The First: +1 to all stats
*~~*
[New Feat Acquired!]
Starting in the Frontier +50 Fame
(While others seek the comfort of a large city you brave the unexplored)
*~~*
[New Feat Acquired!]
5th Rare Race Born +50 Fame
(Could I get that rare please?)
*~~*
[New Feat Acquired!]
Haven Oaks Waystone Found +25 Fame
(Nice a Shortcut!)
*~~*
[Class Gained!]
Adventurer +25 HP, +5 Wisdom
*~~*
Nice a Title and a bunch of Feats which are kind of like Achievements it looks like. As the last popup disappeared I noticed a group of people nearly at the top of the hill. Seemed to be two men and a woman. The first man was a bit on the massive side with a shaved head and wearing a mixture of what looked to be a fur cloak and leather armors plus a medium sized axe on his belt. The second was a bit more average in size, had shoulder-length hair but equipped with heavy iron armors, shield and a longsword. 

The woman at first glance seemed rather normal in your everyday dress with no visible armors or weapons. But something about her gait just let you know she was the real boss here. If I had to guess they were all early to mid-30s, so not much older than me. I know I was given a Halfling race but this is quite strange looking up to people when my old 190cm frame towered over people. Definitely going to take some getting use to.

"Hey there partner, you might want to open your inventory and put some clothes on before Jensen here starts getting a chub" greets the massive man causing me to glance down at myself and noticed that yes I am in fact sporting a lovely birthday suit.

"Please, I'm far from interested in his little twig and berries" responded the one I'm assuming is Jensen in some kind of posh accent.

Between being exposed to people, cold and a tad embarrassed I once again let my military mouth that normally got my ass in trouble do the talking.

"Little? How about you come kneel over here and I can plop them in your mouth so you can discover I'm a grower, not a shower?" I quipped back which was met with a loud guffaw, small snort and an angry face. Aren't I just the greatest at making friends?

"How do I access the inventory anyways?" I asked immediately afterwards as I began randomly swiping in front of me, attempting to get something to appear.

"What kind of an idiot…" I cut him off before things go from annoyance to hostile

"Look you seem like a decent enough guy to sit here and play verbal tennis with but as you so graciously insinuated it's cold and I'm naked. How do I access my inventory?"

"You just think the command 'open inventory' and it should appear, from there select the item you want and a small menu will pop up next to it showing you what you can do with it" answers the woman.

I quickly follow her words and think about opening my inventory and sure enough, a small boxed screen materializes.
*~~*
[Inventory: Carry Weight 12/175]
*~~*
Cotton Pants
Cotton Shirt
Leather Shoes
Rations x3
Small Tent
Canteen
Crude Knife
*~~*
Let's go ahead and select the pants… there is the drop-down menu and… equip! The pants are just suddenly there around my waist and the warmth is a welcomed feeling. I toss the shirt on next and wield the dagger which places it on my hip inside a small leather belt sheath. Last but not least the shoes that look more like moccasins but are rather comfortable if I'm being honest.

"Still a newbie but least you're decent now, names Hershel and the angry man next to me is Jensen…"

"And I am Marie Stapleton the Duchess of this region, welcome" interjects the woman

Did I call it or what?

"I like to come and greet all newcomers who have chosen to settle here. Hershel is the Captain of the Guards and Jensen is my personal Knight. This is a very new Village, barely two weeks old but we have some very talented people who were able to see the benefits of this little plot of land" 

"Should you wish to join the Village officially we provide a free house that will be given to you after you show me your Status Card and we get you settled in with a job based on your Skill choices. We also will provide great benefits on a first come first serve basis for any who make the transition to a Crafting Class as they are highly sought after right now" Marie finished with a warm smile

Show my Status Card? Settle down? My helper was in a rush to ditch me but even she stressed the importance of not showing my card to anyone. I wonder if it is because of my rare race or if it was just a general thing, food for thought. And secondly, I have no intentions of settling down anywhere, a new chance at life in a brand new world that's just begging to be explored?

"Thanks for the offer but I'm gonna go ahead and pass on that. Just isn't in my blood to settle down in one spot for too long and being a full-time Crafter just doesn't seem like my cup of tea" I can see the flash of irritation in her eyes at my words but it vanishes quickly, guess she isn't use to being told no.

"I see, in that case, good luck to you…?"

"Reginald" and at that she turns and begins the trek back down to the Village with Jensen hot on her tail.

"You can find lodging, food and whatever other needs you might have near the center of town. Also near the well is the Adventurers Guild Board, it provides people with Quests from System that will help you get started. If you run into any trouble feel free to come find me or one of the Guards, there's only four of us but we spend most days in the training grounds" says Hershel before giving me a small salute and heading down himself.

I watch them all leave for a minute as I begin to formulate a plan. The first thing I need to do is check out that board. If I plan on exploring this new world I'm first gonna have to gain some strength. Which just like any RPG game means grinding out some levels. Better not forget about that Title either, don't know how good it is but more stats compared to none is a no-brainer.

With a bit of trial and error, I was finally able to figure out how to equip my title and watched as my stats all rose by one. I really wish my helper would have stayed longer so I could have asked about some things like help on leveling.

Beep.

*~~*
[Help Leveling]
*~~*
(Upon each successful level up you will be provided with:)
*One free stat point to spend
*A set amount of HP and Stamina based on your Constitution
~ If Con is 0 - 19 = 1*Con
~ If Con is 20 - 29 = 2*Con
~ Continues in increments of 10
*A set amount of Mana based on your Magic
~ Same formula as above
*Rank Breakthrough Point every 5th Level
*Full restoration of Health, Stamina and Mana
*~~*
Oh, there are help files. Well that just took a load of worry off my mind. I think about and read through a few others as I walk down to the Village to fill in the blanks. Some of it makes sense, most of it doesn't. Best to just jump right in and learn the hard way it looks like. As I pass through the entrance of the Village the first thing I come upon is the houses. They look rather well made to be honest, someone with a carpentry history must be here. I notice a few people going about their business, some pause their work to get a good look at me and I nod politely getting a nod in return.

As I come up to the well the area becomes a bit more populated. The clang of metal to metal, squealing hogs, hollering and laughter all mixes together with the normal chatter of a few people near an old rickety looking board with parchment nailed to it. That must be the Board Hershel was talking about. I'll have to check it out in a bit, there is a small wall that runs around this little roundabout that I plop myself on as I rest for a moment.

A small blinking catches the corner of my eye, must be something from System. A quick swipe like I've previously done and a set of small bars fade into view. There is a red, green and one that is greyed out which must be health, stamina and mana that I don't have access to. Below them is what's blinking though let's see… a picture of a drumstick? Gotta be hunger, I suppose I am a bit hungry. The water drop next to it has to then be my thirst levels though it seems to be a bit brighter than the drumstick and obviously not flashing. Telling how full or empty you are on either must be based on how bright or solid the picture looks.

Opening up my inventory I select the rations which appear before me wrapped in a piece of burlap and then the canteen which is just a hunk of metal with a cork in the top. I set the container to the side and unwrap my meal to find a small piece of unknown dried meat and some hard flatbread. Don't knock it until you try it I suppose. I make myself a mini half bread sandwich and chow down. It's not horrible, I've had worse to be honest but it's pretty bland yet filling. The dry bread sucks up all the moisture in my mouth with the last bite and I instantly pop the cork on the canteen as the hiccups hit me. I don't bother to test what's inside and take a big gulp to wash everything down. Just water, cool and refreshing water though. 
*~~*
[Fresh Spring Water Consumed! 50% EXP Gain for 2 Hours]
*~~*
Well, that's a nice little bonus, seems like certain foods and drinks can provide bonuses. I bet Chefs will be in high demand, good thing I took cooking. I place the canteen back into my inventory and stand up to stretch before flopping my arms down and walking over towards this so called Adventurers Board. A group of three grabs one of the notes posted and begin walking away as I approach. I overhear part of their conversation which just seems to be talking about a goblin camp to the northeast, something to keep in mind.

The old run down board isn't much to look at and not quite what I was expecting. It looks like it's about to fall over at any time with pieces of parchment nailed all over it. There appear to be words and pictures on the parchments but everything seems blurry. I squint my eyes a bit and focus on the board, hoping that my eyesight hasn't gone to shit when a menu pops up.

*~~*
[Haven Oaks Adventurer's Board]
(* Available at this time)
*~~*
[E Ranked Quest] *
[D Ranked Quest] *
[C Ranked Quest]
[B Ranked Quest] *
[A Ranked Quest]
[Legacy Quest] *
*~~*
Seems pretty straightforward, E Ranked are the lowest and progressively get harder while Legacy must be special quests. I pull the Legacy up out of sheer curiosity but there seems to only be one.
*~~*
[Legacy Quest: Rise of Haven Oaks]

*Raise Haven Oaks from a tiny little Fort to a giant Fortress by doing tasks or supplying them with resources to grow in return for reputation. This quest is only available while the town is in the Fort stage.
*~~*
Reputation Earned - 0/1,000,000

Reward ?
Failure ?
*~~*
[Accept] [Decline]
*~~*
Sure why not, I mean basically all I have to do is help people and gather resources. It doesn't sound hard, but I bet it will just take forever. Accepting the quest provides me with a glowing sheet of parchment on the board. I grab it and it disappears as soon as I remove it from the board. Strange, suppose I should start with the simple ones to get a few quests that I can actually complete sometime soon. I pull up the E Ranked Quests and am given a much larger list.
*~~*
[Delivery: Farm Supplies]
[Delivery: Outpost Supplies]
[Gathering: Fish]
[Gathering: Ores]
[Gathering: Wood]
[Kill: Imps]
[Kill: Jackalopes]
*~~*
I browse through the offered quests and find two right away that suit my needs. What's nice is they are both in the same area, lets me kill two birds with one stone.
*~~*
[Delivery: Outpost Supplies]

*To the south just beyond the fields lies a small Guards Outpost. They are running low on supplies and could use a care package.
*~~*
Reward 100 Exp, +5 Reputation with Haven Oaks
Failure results in -10 Reputation with Haven Oaks
*~~*
[Accept] [Decline]
*~~*
[Kill: Jackalopes]

*In the southern fields, a group of Jackalopes have decided to wreak havoc. Go and take care of the pesky field destroyers.
*~~*
Jackalopes Killed - 0/20

Reward 250 Exp, +5 Reputation with Haven Oaks
~ Bonus ?
Failure results in -10 Reputation with Haven Oaks
*~~*
[Accept] [Decline]
*~~*
I accept both and snag the offered pieces as they too start to disappear like before. The exception being this time one of the scrolls is replaced with a medium sized box. I pick it up and a box pops up asking if I would like to store the item in my inventory. This must be the supplies, a quick press on the yes button and it to disappears.

I wonder where those scrolls go exactly. Help Quests?
*~~*
[Quest Help]
*~~*
(Quests that are accepted can be found in your Quest Journal. You can see all active quests listed and browse through any completed or failed. Note that you can only have five active quests at one time! So choose wisely.)
*~~*
Well shit, that kind of sucks that there is a limit as to how many active quests you can have at one time. Not to mention that I'll be down to only being able to have four since that Legacy Quest is taking up a spot. Ah well, I'll just have to make due but the Legacy should definitely be worth it in the end as they are ranked the highest. Let's check out that Quest Journal though.
*~~*
[Quest Journal]
*~~*
[Active] 3
[Completed] 0
[Failed] 0
*~~*
Neat little recording feature, least I know where to check and see how far I've progressed in a quest. Time to get started on these though and not burn daylight sitting around in town. With some rations and my canteen I should be just fine for food and water, it's not like I'll be gone for days… I hope.

As I head south on this dusty little road towards the gates looming in the in the background I can't help but whistle a merry little tune. So far this second chance at life has been quite interesting with all kinds of new and exciting things to do and learn.
*~~*
Name: Reginald
Race:  Wyldling
Level: 1
Class: Adventurer
Title: The First
Wealth: 0
Health: 75
Stamina: 50
Mana: N/A
Exp TNL: 500
Points Available: 0
Strength: 26
Dexterity: 41
Constitution: 26
Magic: N/A
Wisdom: 36
Fame: 375
Traits:
[Perception]
[Pinpoint]
[Ecologist]
[Racial: Mask of the Wyld]
[Empty]
[Empty]
*~~*
Main Skills:
[Dodge] Novice 1/10
[Knives] Novice 1/10
[Light Armor] Novice 1/10
[Lockpicking] Novice 1/10
[Sneak/Hide] Novice 1/10
[Empty] N/A 0/10
[Empty] N/A 0/10
[Empty] N/A 0/10
[Empty] N/A 0/10
[Empty] N/A 0/10
*~~*
Crafting Skills:
[Alchemy] Novice 1/10
[Cooking] Novice 1/10
[Herbalism] Novice 1/10
[Hunting] Novice 1/10
[Empty] N/A 0/10
*~~*

After the last war nearly destroyed the planet, one man is content with just enjoying the little things in life until his end. But Judgement Day has come, though it wasn't quite what everyone was expecting. Follow Regi as he begins anew in a wonderous yet complicated world.

Me? 

I'm the author. 

Oh, right, I have a story to tell.

Oboe sipped his 11th cup of coffee, the only source keeping him awake from the two days he spent concluding the mystery he was solving. Oboe didn't know which mystery it was; he lost count after solving his 714th mystery. He bristled his thick, dry hands across his rough brown hair. He tapped his ballpoint pen on his coffee mug repetitively. His bloodshot eyes darted across the clues on the cork board in front of him. He violently marked the board with a red marker. He was confident in his thoughts and actions. Oboe finished his coffee and slammed his mug on his table.

"I'm finished!"

He raised his arms in victory and spun in his chair.

"Uh..."

"Oh yeah, C... do-"

Oboe passed out, and C smiled.  

Oboe passed out countless times after solving a difficult case. C started as Oboe's trainee, and he was supposed to begin his detective work. But C was special. C started as an art student and applied as Oboe's assistant because he liked reading mystery manga. His visual intelligence was almost unmatched, and slowly, he became a valuable partner to Oboe.

C slowly examined the corkboard with his eyes, and he ran his smooth, manicured hands through what was on the board. He took out a small notebook and neatly wrote down his thoughts with a small, black pen. His writing was perfect, almost like a typeface. Almost.

In the year 2040, a group of rich and powerful criminals create Metronome, a program that can emulate reality. In Metronome is a detective named Oboe who is a master at solving crimes. Their goal is to find and replicate a crime that Oboe cannot solve before they are caught. 

The setting in Metronome is based on New York.

"You?" asked a skeptical Dufresne.
"I'm small enough to squeeze in, which means I can fix the hole without moving the cabinet," Harry replied.
Dufresne looked at the carpenter, who then turned to Harry for a good look. Then he nodded.
"It's possible... theoretically."
"Mr. Dufresne, please let me try. Otherwise, we're all going to die here!"
"How about the wound on your arm?"
"It's no big deal. I hurt it earlier while running because I was too afraid. Don't worry about it," Harry chucked while swinging his arms to prove that he was fine.
"Quick! Take off your shirt."
After Harry took off his shirt, Dufresne tore a sleeve off and wrapped it around a cork. He then passed it to Harry.
"Use this to plug the hole. If you think it's not big enough, wrap some more cloth around the cork."
"Understood!"
"You want to become a part of the Jackdaw, right? Finish this task, and I will suggest that the captain take you in as an official crew. Now, be careful."
Harry was elated when he heard that.
"Leave it to me!"
Immediately, he took a deep breath and dived into the water.
...…
On another note, Jarvis had invested a lot of time making sure he got as far as he could from the Jackdaw. After a long while, he finally managed to get close to the navy ship. From his little boat, Jarvis could see Worden and Chris on the main deck. This was his first time meeting Worden. All this time, he had been contacting Chris. Throughout the entire operation, Jarvis had been leaking the pirates' plans to Chris, knowing he was a high-ranking officer of the navy. When Jarvis came under the shadow of the hull, he put down the oars and waved to Chris, who strangely avoided eye contact.
"Are you ashamed?!" Worden harrumphed.
"No, sir."
Though Chris's face burned hot, he still managed to hold himself most confidently.
"Remember, they are a herd of primitive beasts. There's no shame in fooling them. Think about the people they killed. You shouldn't feel the slightest bit of guilt! I want you to lift your head and look him in the eyes."
Chris longed to disobey the order, but he did it anyway. Jarvis was still waving his hands at him, glad to have finally caught their attention. It wasn't too long before Jarvis realized the ice-cold stare coming out of Chris' eyes. He quickly caught on, sensing that something wasn't right. Being a legendary pirate of Nassau, of course he could read Chris's mind. Whether he wanted it or not, he had thrown in everything get to where he was today. There was no turning back now.
The moment he betrayed Black Prince Sam and the rest of the captains, he knew that he could no longer return as a captain. Besides, most of his men were killed in the battle. Now, he was all alone in the vast ocean. Jarvis initially thought that he could get his immunity documents, thereby severing his past for good. But even if he managed to leave his life behind him, the door to the new world seemed to be permanently shut as well. Right now, he had nowhere else to go.
"Great! Now, I want you to kill him. Tell Count Lambert that Captain Jarvis was killed in battle. We shall honor our word and allow him to return to a civilized society. That only applies to his dead body, of course."
Jarvis then saw the cannons on the main deck aiming at him. If he wanted to, there was still enough time to abandon the boat and swim away. After all, the navy was focusing on the Jackdaw and the beach. If he jumped into the water, he could probably dodge the cannonballs. Despite everything that could be said about him, Jarvis valiantly stayed on little boat. He knew that he would never be able to live in this world anymore, even if he managed to survive.
The cannoneer lit up the fuse once Chris gave the order to fire. The first projectile missed its target. So, the cannoneer readjusted the cannon and retook aim. As luck would have it, the second shot missed as well. The little boat rocked and shuddered violently as the massive cannonballs flew past at supersonic speed! Still, Jarvis sat like a statue, unwilling to yield. The third time around, the cannoneer took half a minute to aim at Jarvis. Finally, he fired!
The flying cannonball landed directly on Jarvis. Seconds after that, his body surfaced, but no one seemed to care about the man. The death of Captain Jarvis was just a tiny interlude in the long symphony of battle.
After that, the navy and pirate-hunters started firing on the pirate ships docked onshore. Black Prince Sam used the swiftest way in dealing with the remaining pirates from the Warrior, gathering whatever of his men were left and rushing back his own ship. Casualties were mounting, and right now, they severely lacked men to fight off the navy and the pirate hunters. The cannoneers they had were enough for only two ships, so after a short discussion, they decided to gather all that could still fight into one vessel. 
Just when they alighted a small boat and were about to row to the nearest ship, the navy and pirate hunters launched a massive volley of artillery at them. This time around, they received their reckoning.
They were forced to watch flames engulf their ships. The first one that sank was Brook's Swordfish. Having been severely damaged by the Spanish treasure ship, the carpenters had only fixed half of the damage. As Jarvis had personally relayed this piece of information to the navy, the Swordfish would naturally become their first target. Brook knew all too well that his ship would be first to go. Still, he could not help but feel upset. After all, they had been through countless battles together, and his heart was like an anchor. 
The next to come under siege was the Tigershark. Its strength was only second to the Quidah and was initially one of the ships that Black Prince Sam and the pirates intended to board. Before they could even get there, the enemies had started bombarding it with cannonballs. Luckily, its hull was tougher than the Swordfish. It lasted longer than the former, managing to buy the pirates some valuable time.
In the end, Black Prince Sam decided that he would give up boarding the Quidah because it was simply too far away from them. Immediately, he asked his men to turn around. Now, their new heading was to the Warrior. Previously, their crew were thinkong of leaving the place after their betrayal had been found out. They were parked closest to the beach. Unfortunately, things had gone south, and now, they were unable to board. This gave Black Prince Sam and the rest a fighting chance instead of running away.
Though the outcome of this battle was no rocket science, they insisted on fighting for honor, till life's very end.
.


Growing up with eccentric materialist parents who left him in the care of his grandfather for a job overseas, Zhang Heng had learned to adapt and be unfettered by the oddities and challenges in life. But he would soon learn the baffling truth about the world he thought he knew when one day at midnight time froze and he found himself in a world so quiet and still it was deafening. That night, he discovered that he had 24 hours more than everybody else and thus, marked the beginning of his adventures. The mysteries surrounding his newfound ability only deepened when a strange old man claimed to have given Zhang Heng that ‘gift of time’ and recruited the young man to participate in a cryptic ‘life-changing’ game on his behalf. Little did Zhang Heng know that accepting those terms meant embroiling himself in many versions of reality and exposing himself to the hidden secrets of the world—a decision he could never undo.

"Félicitations, Mr. Dorret, on killing Annavon Dranger. Not bad for your first contract. In fact, I'm impressed."
     "Thank you-" Dorret started, before the Boss stopped him.
     "Let me finish, Dorret. I was going to say that I'm so impressed that I'm giving you another job right now." His meaty hand picked up the manilla folder and threw it in front of him. "His name is Feliz Convoy. I believe you've heard about him before?" 
 "Yes, Annavon's colleague mentioned him. I'll work on it right now, Boss."
 "That's what I like to hear." His voice was raspy but cheerful. Dorret walked out of the room, and once he reached the automatic doors, he placed a keycard, the words Alluin Dorret printed in bold, against the sensor. 
        Alluin drove to his home, a small apartment in a large connected complex. The door lock screeched as Alluin turned his key. A lamp sat beside the door, which he turned on to reveal fast food wrappers and papers scattered across the floor. Alluin was in such a rush he forgot to take off his shoes as he raced to the cork bulletin board. He didn't look down once he slid all of the papers out from the manilla folder, but he coordinately pinned each one in pattern. 
     "Feliz Convoy, you say. CFO of a candy company?" he mumbled to himself. "Not the manliest of jobs. Seven million euros in debt." Alluin tried to piece together the man's story. He noticed the portrait of his target. "Wide, short, bald." He got up to make food, a long night awaiting him. 
       Alluin walked into the kitchen, dishes piled in the sink, so he grabbed what he needed and hand washed them. He placed the pot onto the stove, and turned on the heat. Alluin pulled the pot filler and allowed water to rise, then turned it off after it filled up halfway. The water began to boil, raw spaghetti noodles splashing as they fell from his hands. With a twist of tongs, the noodles fell fully into the water, and Alluin placed a pan onto the stove. Firstly, he added a handful of spinach to the pan, allowing it to wilt with a few glugs of olive oil. He then added thin garlic circles and a thyme sprig, which crackled with the heat. Before adding the now cooked noodles, he removed the sprig of thyme and allowed the flavors to meld. With a touch of white wine and half-filled glass of the pasta water, he gently mixed the pasta.
     Now that his food was ready and plated, he went back to the bulletin board. Carefully he studied Mr. Convoy, making sure he knew his pattern of life. "He checks his factory every Thursday," his self-talk continued, "that should be a good time to hit'em. Possibly an 'accident'" 
     Alluin ended up falling asleep on the floor, his filthy plate beside him. Once he awoke, the room was still dark until he noticed that the blinds were closed. The rays of the sun shone on the plate where a cockroach was licking the leftovers clean. "Not again," Alluin complained. He almost ran to the kitchen to pull off multiple squares of paper towels, and quickly sped back to squick the bug. "Where are you, you disgusting cafard." It seemed to have crawled up the wall, which made the hairs on  Alluin's arm stick up. Before it could escape to the ceiling, he slammed his hand against the cockroach, picked it up with the paper towels, and squashed it between his fingers.
     "For the love of God, keep it down in there!" the neighbour shouted after Alluin banged on the wall.
     "My apologies, Mrs. Denzel, there was a bug on the wall."
     "Cafards again? Maybe it's time to move."
     "Not yet, Mrs. Denzel." Alluin heard his neighbour's wicked, old laugh.
     "Have a good day, sweetie."
     "You too." He disposed of the dead creature and headed to the bathroom to clean up. Once the door closed, his clothes dropped, and he twisted the shower nozzle. Steam began to raise above the shower curtain, and Alluin got in. Hot water trickled down this back while he planned out his day to the minute. After ten minutes, the shower was off. He wrapped a towel around his waist and walked to the sink, where he pulled shaving cream from the drawer and lathered his lower face.
Alluin dressed himself after he finished shaving. The same suit that filled his closet, costing him thousands upon thousands, but he felt it was worth it as the cloth was soft and the stitching was precise—overall, professional. He made his way to his room to grab the watch from atop his nightstand. A knock-off Rolex his mom had bought him for his birthday a few years back. She had very little income because there was no man in the house. 
     His father died when he was seven. In fact, Alluin was there when it happened. On the metro, he watched his father get shot, where he quickly learned that Antoine de' Veau, an aspiring businessman, was behind it. At the time, Alluin thought it was unfair. His father was a head chairmen at Le Lion, which submitted to Antoine and Avidité shortly after the death. Now that he's grown, Alluin looks at it as just business; a way of life. That did not stop him wanting to kill Antoine, taking everything that he's ever cared about first. He thought of it as His 'business.' His 'way of life.' 
Alluin looked at the watch once he put it on. "I should probably give her a call soon," he thought to himself. "Maybe after I check out the factory." It was a Tuesday, so he had today and tomorrow to prepare. Alluin picked up his phone to call the candy factory. "Bonjour, I was wondering what the times were for the tours?" 
     "Every weekday except Thursday from 12:00 P.M. to 7 P.M."
     "How long does each tour usually take?"
     "Anywhere from, I'll say, twenty to thirty minutes. Admission is fifteen Euros per person." Alluin thanked him and hung up. After putting on his dress shoes, he made his way to the factory. A line of parents and kids were built up inside, all waiting to get in. Slowly the line decreased, and Alluin finally paid. He remembered coming when he was a child, though the company was now ran by the son of the original owner, who had made many changes. 
Cameras filled the entire space with very few blind spots. "Do you have any kids?" Alluin looked to his left to find a mother looking at him. 
     "Me?" He paused and waited for confirmation, to which she just nodded. "No, I'm just reliving a childhood memory." 
     "A lot has changed, huh? The last time I came, tours were free. They're really selling out on the money now." 
     "Yeah, they are." Alluin looked down at the girl hugging her mom's side. "Hey there, little one. Why aren't you looking at all of the candy being made?"
     "Guess it's not her thing. It was mainly my idea to come."
     "You told me we'd get candy," the child said. The two adults laughed at the adorable comment.  
     "I'll see you around, I guess. I don't want her making a scene."
     "Don't let me stop you." As soon as the woman and her child got out of sight, Alluin stepped to the side to open a door. "Dammit, this is a family bathroom," he mumbled as he locked the door behind. He looked up for a plausible way to get around. Unhappily, he decided to enter the vents. To unscrew it, he grabbed a sheet of paper towel and began to fold it over itself until it was stiff but thin. After unscrewing and pulling off the vent cover, he entered them. He began to run out of breath, but tried to breathe softly. He knew to find the best conditioned room. Slowly, Alluin navigated with his ear to the metal to hear vibrations. 
     Alluin finally found the room he was searching for. It room was dim, illuminated only by a dozen of bright screens. A man sat in the chair below, studying the screens. The surveillant got up to switch shifts, which Alluin took as his time to get down. As soon as the door closed, he hit the metal guard until it fell from the ceiling, and dropped down. Without much time he took out the tape corresponding with the feed in sector three. Afterwards, he copied the display from sector nine to the screen previously used for every other machining room. He noticed the man walking to his room on the camera. Alluin then got back up in the vent and made it back to the bathroom, and screwed back on the vent. 
     The door opened, and Alluin fixed his red tie, before allowing the next person to enter. His tour ended shortly after, and Alluin drove home. 
"Annavon Zeput retrouvé mort dans une ruelle. Annavon Zeput found dead in an alley." The news finally reported the man Alluin killed. It felt strange thinking back on his actions, but he didn't regret them. Time slowly passed while he laid on the couch, matching the habits of his home life. A crackle came from the television, which quickly brought Alluin back to the world. The sun was up. 
"Bon sang, you crappy tv." Alluin got up to hit the side of it a few times. "C'mon, work." With a tired gait he walked to the closet to put on clean clothes, before heading out to the elevator. Mrs. Denzel creeped up on Alluin once the elevator doors opened.
     "Bonjour, Alluin."
     "Good morning, Mrs. Denzel. Where are you headed this morning?" He looked away to not draw eye contact.  
     "Just to the grocer. My friend told me that the butter was on sale."
     "Your friends are still alive?" His neighbour wrinkled her face and smacked Alluin in the back of the head.
     "I can have younger friends. Hasn't your mother taught you some manners?" 
     "My mother wants nothing to do with me. You know that."
     "I forgot to tell you! Your maman was one apartment off so I've been getting your letters. I'll give them to you when I'm back." She walked out of the elevator, Alluin following. He then switched paths towards a blocky, black 2001 Buick. After he got in, it was apparent that he missed the Ferrari. 
Alluin drove to his bank, getting out for the ATM. After patiently withdrawing €700, he got back in the car to drive to the nearest electronics store. Slowly, Alluin searched for the tv isle. "Monsieur, may I help you with what you are looking for?"
     "Yes, please. Where are les téléviseurs?" 
     "Down there in the back right of the store." The clerk pointed towards the destination, Alluin thanking him before making his way over. Boxes filled the shelves, and Alluin swiftly picked one that costed €649.99. A flat screen with an included stand, but he felt like treating himself. With both hands, he pulled it off of the shelf by the handle, and hobbled it over to the checkout. The cashier, friendly, struck up a conversation that made Alluin smile.
     "Do you need help bringing this to your car?" 
     "No, I should be fine. Thank you, though." After paying, Alluin picked it up again, and struggled to walk it back to his car. With no place to put it, he slid it onto the passenger seat. 
The doors locked and the keys had just entered the ignition, but before Alluin could turn them, arms reached from the back seat and locked around his neck. He tried to speak but only gurgling arose and he struggled to get the man off of him. A bystander stopped to look inside and met with Alluin's eyes. He shrugged it off and went back on his way as if he saw nothing. Trying to think fast, Alluin turned on the ignition and hit the gas. After reaching fifty kilometers an hour, he quickly swerved into a lamp post, remembering the time he watched it happen in a movie. The airbag stopped his body from getting seriously injured. Once he felt the arms give, he looked back to see who it was. It was nobody he knew, a stranger lying unconscious.
     After he allowed his heart to calm, the car door opened, blood dripping from Alluin's nose. "Oh my God, are you okay?" A crowd grouped up to aid Alluin. 
     "Yeah, I'm fine," mumbled Alluin. He popped the glovebox to take out the small pistol. After cursing out the unconscious man in the back seat, he aimed his gun at him. "You broke my new tv!" With that, he blew off his whole clip, pedestrians running away screaming. Alluin placed the gun into his pants and pulled the tv out with him, and started to walk home. 
Alluin made his way back and opened the box. Sweat dripped from his chin as he carefully pulled out the television, and to his surprise, there wasn't even a scratch on the screen. "Dieu Merci." 
The night rapidly elapsed, a new day bringing the end to a new job. Alluin fixed his tie before heading out the door. "One hour till Feliz arrives, but still no car." He picked up his phone to dial the Company. 
     "Name, please."
     "Alluin Dorret. I need a car."
     "Any preferences, Mr. Dorret?" 
     "Something casual, reliable," Alluin started before pausing for a few seconds, then continuing, "and old." 
     "You got it. A car is being delivered to you right now." The lady hung up the phone, and Alluin waited for the car. An iridescent blue 88' BMW pulled up, the new engine softly purring. A man got out of the car and gave Alluin the keys. With a straight face, the man walked away. Alluin entered the car and sped off to the candy factory. 
     Now at the rear of the factory, Alluin walked to the back entrance. A tall, obviously armed man with shades, stopped Alluin. "Sorry sir, the factory is closed on Thursdays." The officer's hand was now on his his side, ready to pull his gun at any second, and his other arm was outstretched to stop Alluin's proceeding movement. "Leave now, sir." 
     "My apologies. Didn't mean to cause trouble." Once the officer lowered his guard to converse, Alluin slammed his head into the wall behind him. Fortunately, the back door was unlocked, so Alluin continued his pace. Banter became clearer as it grew near, Alluin quickly pressing himself up against the wall. 
     "Do you think Mr. Convoy will notice the broken sugar puller?"
     "It's going a million meters a second, of course he will."
     "Still isn't as fast as you finish." Laughing became one sided. The men passed, and Alluin, again, pressed on. He neared the new talk that was apparent to be Mr. Convoy. His voice cruel but forgiving. Alluin followed the the sound of the voice. He looked up and read the sign Candy Stretching. An idea came to his head, but he needed to be alone with Feliz.  
Alluin yelled out, "sugar spill in the mixer!" Luckily, all but Mr. Convoy ran to help, who instead continued his inspection, almost as if it were a common occurrence.  
"Those idiots can't even pour sugar," Feliz blurted out as he entered the stretching room. A gun was pressed to his head.
     "Say another word and you're dead."
     "Who the hell are you?" 
     "Wrong answer." Alluin kicked him into the machine, screams escaping his mouth as his bones were crushed and limbs stretched. Workers rushed into the room, Alluin gone. 
     "Oh God! Oh God! Turn off the machines!" They all churned to a stop, but the mutilated body was proof that it was too late. The job was done.

A hit man in Paris, going by the name Mr. Dorret, wishes to tear down a major corporation. Antoine de' Veau, the CEO of Avidité, sent out a man to kill Mr. Dorret's father when he was just a child, resulting in Dorret's conquest to tear down everything Antoine has.

Trinity Hospital

Early in the morning, Ellison was waiting for Trishelle and Kristen to arrive and heard someone calling him from behind.

"Dr. Ellison! Why are you standing here? Are you waiting for me?" April approached Ellison from behind and asked excitedly. 

Ellison turned around and replied, "Oh, April. I'm waiting for Trishelle. I am going to show her around. She is the new boss after all." 

April cursed in her heart after hearing Ellison was waiting at the main entrance for Trishelle. 

Argh...What's so good about that b!tch!

She however did not say it out loud but smiled, "Dr. Ellison, what is there to see. She wouldn't know anything either…."

"Trish! You're here!" Ellison ignored April and walked up to Trishelle, who was walking in with Kristen.

Trishelle walked into Trinity hospital entrance with Kristen and  saw Ellison calling out to her. "Elli." She nodded and greeted him.

"Hey, hey! Don't forget about me! I'm here too." Kristen complained.

"Yes, of course." Ellison smiled.

Kristen was playful but attentive to her surroundings. "I spy, I spy a b!tch in heat…" Kristen whispered to Trishelle when she saw April's reaction to Trishelle and Ellison.

Ellison was oblivious to April's fuming rage whilst Trishelle was exasperated with the girl in general. Ellison ordered April to take all calls, and postpone all meetings. He didn't want to be disturbed. 

He then proceeded to show the ladies around. "Please, follow me. Let me show you two around." Ellison directed the two ladies towards the lift.

"As you can see, the drug is still in the testing phase. If it goes well, it may help patients with dementia." Ellison explained.

Kristen felt bored, "Just like that? Trish, are you sure this is the so called genius you told me about? I don't-"

Trishelle gave Kristen a side stare to shut Kristen up. She then turned to Ellison, "Elli, is this all?"

Ellison smiled, "Of course not. The grand finale is at the end."

After Ellison gave them a tour of the hospital, he took them to his private office. He walked towards a wall and carefully pushed a switch hidden between the wall and a shelf. A thumbprint scanner appeared which Ellison scanned his thumb on. The wall slid open, revealing a door. Behind the door, there was a small corridor and a lift at the back of the corridor.

"Come, here's the fun part." Ellison waved for Trishelle and Kristen to enter the lift.

Trishelle and Kristen exchanged looks before entering the lift with Ellison. The lift took them down a few floors before stopping. There was a giant iron door in front of them the moment they stepped out of the lift. Ellison went to the side of the door and pressed a few numbers. This made the giant door slide open slowly. The trio then entered into the secret underground laboratory.

"Welcome to Eden." Ellison introduced the place to the ladies. 

Through the door was a huge laboratory with a couple of smaller rooms. A few researchers were walking around, with rows of test tubes filled with blue liquid on the tables.

Kristen walked over, picked up a test tube and waved it at Ellison, "This is the fun part? Adding food colouring to water?"

Ellison laughed, "Haha. This is something that not only increase brain activity but physical capabilities as well!" 

Hearing Ellison's statement, both Trishelle and Kristen was shocked. Kristen reached out and started to unscrew the cork stopper on the test tube. 

Seeing that Kristen was trying to drink the liquid, Ellison quickly caught her wrist and stopped her. "Don't! It is not ready yet! It may cause adverse effects if you drink it now."

Trishelle walked over immediately and removed the test tube from Kristen's hands. She closed the test tube with the cork and placed it back into the holder.

Seeing that Ellison had not released his grip from her wrist, Kristen placed her other hand over his hand. "Aw, Elli. You were worried about me.", Kristen teased.

Without waiting for Ellison's reply, Trishelle interrupted them. "Elli, let's go."

Ellison was immediately distracted and released Kristen's wrist. He started walking towards a small room in the corner. "I am currently testing the drug on subjects in this room." He explained.

Watching Ellison walk away, Trishelle turned to Kristen and gave her a warning stare.

Kristen coughed, "I was just playing you know." 

Trishelle narrowed her eyes, indicating she did not believe Kristen. She then followed Ellison without saying anything.

The three of them entered the room. It had rows of beds with people being injected with the blue liquid. At the end of the room, there was an examination table. A researcher at the table looked up and saw that his boss had arrived. 

He quickly made his way to him, "Dr. Ellison. I have something to report." He looked at the new visitors, unsure if he should disclose the information.

Ellison felt his hesitancy and introduced the ladies, "This is Trishelle, our new boss and Kristen, our new partner. You can say it, don't worry."

"Test subject AF0219 has successfully reached stage 4!" The researcher quickly said after getting the doctor's permission.

"Really? Where is he? Show me!" Ellison exclaimed excitedly. He then turned to the two ladies, "You must see this!"

The researcher brought them to the examination table with a male lying on the table.

Trish and Elli come in a pair. One deadly and one crazy. They lead one of the powerful organizations in the country. However, their little organization is not something ordinary. Accommodating a genderless Taee and a blacklisted Kris, their group brings unimaginable adventures in the country. With their intern Lil Yuu’s backing, what kind of story will unfold?

CHINATOWN, NEW YORK —1949
A boy stood in the shadows, leaning against the brick wall, listening to the night. The distant clack of diesel engines from the Essex train yards filled the sky over the Sixteenth Street projects. Tugboats on the Hudson sounded their horns as they pushed garbage scows downriver, heading out to sea.
The rumble of the incinerator on the other side of the brick wall vibrated the boy's back. It seemed like they burned garbage all the time around here. He looked up at the stars shining dully through the drifting smoke from the incinerator. For fourteen-year-old Liu Shifu, life was all garbage, and he just couldn't take any more. He'd had it.
The warm bricks heated his back as his breath turned to vapor on the cold air. Down by his side, he held the wooden closet pole. His hand was sweaty as his eyes darted into the darkness and he listened for the footsteps, for that voice. Jing Ke's voice.
He glanced up at the projects, the lights in the windows. His apartment was up there somewhere, but he wasn't sure which window was his. It didn't matter really. The apartments were all the same here, and they all stunk. The heavy wooden pole came from the hallway closet, the only closet in the whole apartment. It was stupid having a closet pole up there, the way he figured. There were hardly any clothes to move when he took it down.
Just about the only clothes he and his little brother and sister owned were the ones they wore. Whenever something wore out and his mother could afford it, they'd just go downtown and replace it and wear it home stiff, sometimes with the tags still on. He felt his frayed shirtfront, ashamed of the way he had to go around. The other kids in the projects teased him all the time, but the most stinging remarks always came from Jing Ke. ''Shifu the rag boy." "Hobo Shifu." ''Ghost bones."
His mother never listened to him. She always bought his clothes big so he wouldn't outgrow them too fast, she said. But he was a skinny kid, and he never grew into them. They just flapped around him as if he were some kind of....hobo.
Might as well be a hobo, he thought. He spent all his time wandering the streets as it was, staying to himself. He didn't hang out in gangs the way other kids did. He didn't get along with those kids. He preferred his own company, walking around, seeing what there was to see, watching the sailors getting drunk and picking up whores over in Hoboken, watching the tired factory workers dragging themselves in and out of the Kenmare House factory just to make a buck, watching people arguing with shopkeepers up in Journal Square, going crazy to save a few pennies on a bag of rice.
It was all garbage. People going nuts just so they could grab a little piece of something for themselves. But it was all garbage. Couldn't they see that.
One time he was over on Spring Street, just walking around, when he spotted this truck parked in front of the Manischewitz factory. The back of the truck was open, and it was stacked high with wooden crates.
As he got closer, he could see that there were bottles in the crates, bottles of wine. There was writing stenciled on the crates, but it was all in that Jewish writing, just like in the window of that butcher shop over on Grand Avenue. There was only one word in English: ''Kosher." Shifu didn't know what that meant, but he'd heard that Jewish folks used a lot of wine in their religious ceremonies and they had money. They probably didn't drink cheap stuff because they didn't have to, so he figured this wine had to be worth something.
He walked around to the front of the truck. The cab was empty. No one was around. His heart started to pound. It was right there for the taking. If he waited, the driver would come back, and then it would be too late. He looked all around as he went to the back of the truck. He let a couple of cars pass, then looked over at the loading docks at the Manischewitz factory. Nobody was there.
Suddenly all he could hear was his heart beating. He reached up to haul down a crate from the top of a stack, but it was heavy, heavier than he'd expected. His hand was on the crate, but the whole stack was teetering, and he was afraid to step up onto the tailgate to get it down. If someone spotted him in the truck, it would look like he was stealing. But he wanted the wine. He'd never even tasted wine, but he knew he wanted it because it was worth something.
With sweat beading on his forehead, Shifu put his foot up on the tailgate, hoisted himself up just long enough to get the crate down without toppling the whole stack, and bounced back down to the pavement. The crate was heavy, very heavy.
But he had it, and he was standing there at the curb with it, guilty as sin. He lifted it onto his shoulder and started to run with it, his back aching and his heart going crazy, thinking about the Paramount Theater downtown and the cowboy movies he'd seen there on Saturday afternoons, how the good guys always talked about catching the bad guys red-handed. That's what he was now. Red-handed with red wine.
He ran all the way back to the projects, straight to the incinerators, slamming the heavy metal door behind him. A window the size of an envelope on the face of the furnace sent a fiery glow into the dark room. Shifu set down the crate and closed the door. Staring at the fire, he remembered the bullshit the nuns always told him in school about burning in hell. He didn't believe it. It was just something they tried to scare you with to keep you in line. He pulled out a bottle from the crate and examined it.
The wine was so dark even the light of the fiery blast couldn't penetrate it. He took out the penknife he carried and tried to figure out how to get the cork out. His heart was still pounding, and the heat of the furnace flushed his face. He picked at the cork with the blade of the knife, hoping he could pry it out, but that didn't work, so he sliced the cork while it was still in the bottle and broke it into pieces. He dug out part of the cork, then jammed the rest into the bottle. His hand was shaking as he lifted it to his lips. The taste wasn't what he expected. It was thick and sweet, but not a good sweet.
But maybe this was what his well-off uncle Guang had meant when he said something was an "acquired taste." That meant it was really worth something even if it didn't seem that way. Shifu spat out the cork crumbs and took another swig. He wasn't sure whether he liked it or not. It must take time to acquire a taste, he figured. He drank as much as he could stand, then hid the rest of the crate under some old newspapers in a corner of the incinerator room.
That night he was sick, and he threw up purple. He didn't get drunk; at least he didn't think so. He was just sick— worried sick that the police would come to the door and take him away, worried that they knew it was him who took the wine.
His stomach bothered him for a week, but he didn't say a word to his mother. He couldn't eat, and he was afraid to go out, afraid that the police would snatch him off the street if he did. But nothing happened. It was two weeks before he finally convinced himself that he'd gotten away with it, and the wine was really his.
But when he went back to the incinerator room to check his stash, the crate was gone. Someone had found it and taken his wine. He figured it was probably Jing Ke trying to screw him up again.
A train clattered in the distance, crossing the concrete trestle on Newark Avenue, either heading for or coming from the Hoboken yards. Shifu's father worked for the railroad. He thought his father was a brakeman, but he wasn't sure.
The last time he'd seen his old man was when his little sister was born three years ago. The old man had run off when Shifu was just a little kid, but he'd show up out of the blue every now and then like a sailor home from the sea. It was no treat when he came around. He had a bad temper, and he liked to beat his oldest son just for the hell of it. He'd come storming into the kids' room, stinking drunk, yelling and screaming about something, already pulling the belt out of his pants.
It wasn't so bad when his mother was home. She'd tried to stop it, yelling and screaming herself, and the beating usually wouldn't last too long. Shifu had figured out that his old man was like anyone else. All he really wanted was a little attention. That's why Shifu knew that whenever his mother was at work, the old man would take off that belt and do his worst, and there was nothing Shifu could do or say that would change his father's mind because the guy was just looking for attention. All Shifu could do was take it and try to think about something else while it was happening.
Of course, his mother beat him, too, with the broom handle, but she never seemed to have as much energy, so it didn't hurt half as bad as the belt. She put in so many hours at the Armour meat plant she hardly had the time to beat her kids.
She had other ways of making you feel bad, though. Better ways. She did it with words and attitude, comments that stung and cut and left you feeling like shit, feeling that her disappointment with life was all your fault, that you should do something to fix it. But whatever you did just made her more miserable. Yeah, she could be much worse than the old man.
But taking crap from your parents was one thing; taking it from another kid was something else. You couldn't do anything about your parents, but someone else giving you grief you were supposed to do something about, the way the cowboys did in the movies. And now, standing under the smoky night sky with his back to the warm bricks, the closet pole in his hand, he was ready to do something about it. He was ready to go to war.
Jing Ke didn't just taunt Shifu. The bully liked to beat him up, too. He lived downstairs from Shifu, and he had his own gang, six other kids who lived in the Sixteenth Street projects. Jing Ke always smacked Shifu around when his gang was there.
It made him look like a big man. It made him the leader. In the beginning Shifu had tried to fight back, but whenever he raised a hand to Jing Ke, the other kids would gang up on him and get their hits in, punching and kicking.
After a split lip and a dull pain in his side that took a month to go away, Shifu learned that it was better just to take it and get it over with, the same way he took his father's beatings. But it was hard to take it from Jing Ke. The boy's incredible arrogance just got to him, and the humiliation of hearing the gang laughing at him gnawed at his gut.
Shifu shuddered with pent-up hate just thinking about Jing Ke and his stupid gang. He tapped the end of the pole on the asphalt pavement, nervously waiting. No. He'd really had it now. He wasn't going to take any more.
Footsteps came into the dark courtyard, and Shifu's heart stopped. Someone was coming this way. Shifu gripped the closet pole and started to raise it over his head. His arms were shaking. His legs were like lead.
The footsteps came closer.
Shifu wished he could stop shaking. He wanted to run, but he didn't want to run, not anymore. He wanted to teach Jing Ke a lesson, show him that he couldn't pick on him anymore. Shifu just wanted to get Jing Ke off his back so he could live in peace. Shifu just wanted to be left alone.
The footsteps were within reach when he saw a face squinting out of the gloom.

Volume 1 Synopsis: 

Killing didn't satisfy any kind of psychological need for Liu Shifu. 

Sometimes he killed alone, and sometimes he brought help. Sometimes he worked as a killer for hire; sometimes the killings were his own doing. Sometimes it was business; sometimes it was just blind rage.

He didn't smoke, drink, gamble or womanize and he made sure he fitted no easy pattern. There was no other way to describe him apart from simply calling him an Angel of Death.

_____________________________________________


*Discord: https://discord.gg/TeTKhzp

Why not try my other books: King of Film, King of Sports and Rebirth of the Entertainment Giant

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