The First Step

After days of processing his papers and finalizing his enrolment, Ren finally bought the gaming pod for COVENANT. It was the cheapest version, unlike those deluxe gaming pods like the Pros and rich people bought with custom design and high-quality materials. But it would have to do.

After finalizing the payment, the store delivered it to his dorm, and Ren shuffled one foot and another as he watched the staff set up his pod. The game would officially start tonight, just in time that his gaming pod arrived.

He didn't have to worry about sleep because the game operated when a person was asleep. Time in the game was different in the real world. One day in-game was equivalent to an hour in the real world to accommodate the many features and adventures in the world of COVENANT.

Ren sprawled his fingers on the sleek design of the pod. Once inside, it induces a sleeping agent, and you could even set a timer if you want to wake up. It was safe, and Ren didn't know any pod issues causing death in the past like the conservative older people proclaimed.

Even after the installers left his room, Ren stared blankly at his pod.

It was his very own pod.

His own . . .

Ren chuckled.

It was the first expensive item he bought for himself, and he promised that it wouldn't be the last.

Money couldn't bring true happiness, they said. And they were right, but Ren still preferred to cry inside his Bugatti than in the streets.

He used to think that working hard and playing fair would lead to success in the past.

Wrong!

It was a joke to keep the likes of them poor while the rich used any means and resources to reach the top with lesser to no effort.

To reach the pinnacle of success, Ren would cheat and play dirty using his past knowledge, and no one would stop him from attaining riches and changing his life for the better.

He was not asking for fame. What he wanted was money. After all, the world revolves around that piece of paper.

After taking a bath and eating dinner, Ren waited for the clock to strike eight in the evening. His heart thudded with each tick and tock.

The developer of the game was kept secret for the assurance of fairness. So the big folks couldn't bribe them and influence the game. But they were shrewd as fuck. They only advertised the game but never announced the exact date of its opening, and everyone was caught by surprise one morning when all people talked about was COVENANT.

Because of it, only a few players logged in the first opening and achieved many first bloods and godlike characters later.

"Yosh."

Ren laid inside the gaming pod and closed its glass door. Fingers shaking, he pressed his palm on the glass, and a hologram screen appeared before him with a robotic voice of a woman filling the space.

<Welcome Player Ren, do you want to enter the word of COVENANT?>

<YES>

<NO>

The interface was simple at the moment, but in the later version, you could even change the robotic voice of some of the voices of your favorite artist, singer, or voice actors.

Ren pressed yes, and a cloud of white scented smoke filled the cabin. It was cool and minty, and Ren was lulled into sleep within seconds.

. . .

. . .

<Downloading . . . 70% . . . 90% . . . 100%>

<Welcome to COVENANT!>

When Ren's consciousness was back, he found himself in a white room with only a large screen and a hologram of himself in front of him.

Everyone was given options to change the color of their hair and eyes as well as add some props depending on their chosen race. But they could never alter their appearance.

COVENANT wanted to retain the facial features of its players to enhance the feel of living in its world like you're just living in the real world. This also prevented players from doing anything since their real face was exposed.

Looks weren't important in the game. You could be like a monster for all to care. As long as you were a top player, everybody would want you, including the women.

Though the game have some pieces of equipment to hide your appearance if you really wanted to remain unanimous to everyone. But these were rare items and very hard to acquire.

And after a month in the game when towns became accessible, you could change your hair, skin, eye colors and add some props in parlors and shops. This mostly catered for the female players.

Ren wiggled his fingers and pinched his cheek. Everything was working like he was just in his real body on earth. The only thing that changed was the intensity of pain. It was set to ten percent to avoid overloading the brain.

<Please choose your race>

<Human>

<Elf>

<Sprite>

<Dwarf>

<Beast>

<Orc>

They were the primary race, and the guidebook only explained the bare minimum of it. But Ren knew that there were hidden races in the later part of the game, and depending on your race, you could unlock rare or world quests.

He remembered a popular thread before that many players regretted that they didn't put any consideration about their race. They could have access to rarer quests or even rarer races if they did. Some even recreated their account.

"Hmm . . . Let's see . . ." Once you chose your race, that was it. You were set for life.

In COVENANT, there was no changing your race or creating multiple accounts. The pod was like a scanner and knew even your blood type and DNA. That was why it was impossible to create another account using the same body.

All you could do was delete your account and make a new one. But all your hard-earned items and gils would be deleted, and you were back to the newbie village with zero EXP. Many players did this option in the past, all to acquire rare races and quests in the mid and later games.

That was also one of the reasons why many players lamented when they didn't put any special consideration about their race. But since the developers were shrewd as fact, they didn't put much information on the guidebook or their website.

Ren recalled that the humans were balance in terms of attributes. Elves excelled in speed and stealth. Beasts and Orcs had the most strength in the early game. Dwarves have the most defense, while Sprites have the most magic damage and MP.

The race that had the most quests were the humans. Ren didn't know if the developers decided it like so as an honor to humanity. But he chose the Sprite race, and he watched as his ears turned pointy while his skin glowed like the luminous moon.

<Do you want to add wings?>

<YES>

<NO>

Hell no!

Who would want that? Ren thought and shook his head. He skipped the props like wings, horns, and other stuff. The pointy ears and glowing skin were enough.

Sprites had the weakest defense in the early game but had the strongest magic power and MP. This race also offered the fewest class options. Typically, most females chose this race because of their pretty appearance and the many props that accompanied it, but Ren didn't choose it for those reasons.

He chose it because of the next question.

<Please choose your Class>

<Mage>

Ren smirked.

He chose this race precisely because of the Mage class that was only exclusive to the Sprite Race.

In COVENANT, classes were restricted by race. Like for an example, the Human race, the only Class available was the swordsman and thief.

Elves only had the archer class.

Sprites had the mage class.

Dwarves had the guard class.

Beasts had the animist and monk class.

Orcs had the brute Class.

But of course, some of these classes were further categorized into subclasses.

<Please chose a subclass>

<Dark Mage>

<White Mage>

<Green Mage>

<Blue Mage>

<Red Mage>

<Cancel>

Ren pressed cancel.

<WARNING! Once canceled, the subclasses wouldn't be available again.

Are you sure you want to Cancel?>

<YES>

<NO>

Ren pressed a decisive <YES> then the screen returned to normal.

There was a reason why he didn't choose a subclass. That was because he was aiming for the hidden Mage sub-class later.

Since the developers were shrewd as fuck and didn't tell anyone about this information, everyone chose a subclass at the start. Almost all of the players lamented in the mid and later game when they found out that you could only have access to some of the rarer subclasses if you didn't choose a subclass in the first place.

These prompt some of the players to recreate their accounts.

These rare subclasses could only be triggered if you didn't choose a subclass at the start while talking to the right NPCs in the game. They were usually in the form of a hidden quest.

Time Mage, Necro Mage, Arcanist, and Seer were all hidden rare subclasses belonging to the Mage class.

Ren was aiming for the Alchemist, the final evolved Class of an Arcanist. So he needed to become an Arcanist first.

Recalling the information of an Arcanist, it was unremarkable. It used spell books and scrolls as a means to attack and defend. Unlike the other mage sub-class where you could evolve into a Chrono Mage or later have the chance to be an Elementalist, Summoner, or Necromancer, the Arcanist only evolves to a Scholar.

Also, most of its skills and spells were useless and hard to level up. It was the reason why not many chose it as a subclass. But what the majority didn't know, the Arcanist skill was among the OP (overpowered) in the game. It allows you to use any spell/skill books and scrolls without the restriction of Race and Class, though for only more than half of its power and for a certain amount of time.

But it was still considered an OP skill. Imagine casting spells that only a blue mage could do or even summon a beast exclusive only to the summoner's Class.

And if you evolve it into a Scholar, its passive allows you to identify every item in the game that was otherwise marked as (?). You wouldn't also be cheated because of counterfeit and faked items when doing business which became a trend when the in-game currency was introduced.

And since Ren's goal was to accumulate money, it was the perfect Class for him!

It might not sound remarkable, but it was the only prerequisite to becoming an Alchemist! The hidden and final Class of an Arcanist.

Ren didn't know of anyone who achieved the title of an Alchemist in his past life. But there were NPC's who have that hidden Class, and the items and equipment they crafted were god-tier or even legendary artifacts!

What's more, an Alchemist could produce anything with the right materials and tools! Be it weapons, armors, accessories, or potions! And Ren could sell or auction it for a high price!

It was indeed the perfect Class for him!