Chapter 1: Somewhere?

"You may be wondering where you are right now, but that is the least of your worries."

This sudden voice awakens 'Atlas' from his hazy mind, with his thoughts all over the place.

"…Then what should be my main concern right now?" 'Atlas' asked the unknown being with great uncertainty. He knows he's no longer in the dungeon from earlier after struggling for what felt like days against that boss.

"You have proven yourself worthy of uncovering the secrets left behind by the 'golden generation', or what many think of them as 'the gods' of 'Gilea'." This mysterious yet profound voice says.

"The gods? They're still alive, are they not?" Asked 'Atlas', who seemed confused on what's happening. 'Isn't this just a game? Why is something like this happening?' He thought. He offhandedly thinks that maybe he somehow fell asleep after exhausting his mental energy in his most recent battles.

"They have left this world ages ago." The voice denied his question and continued, "While at this moment it might be a game, but in due time our realities will converge." The voice says, shaking 'Atlas' up so much that he's assuming he is going through psychosis. He just sits there. 'Wait why can't I see or feel anything? I thought I was in some dark room but I can't even control my body.' Seemingly freaking out still 'Atlas' realizes he's somewhere that common sense won't help him out.

"You'll soon realize all that I have been saying is the truth, but first I'll send you on a quest" The Voice takes him out of his thoughts and he feels a tug on what he assumes is his soul. The darkness around him converges like he's going lightspeed through space and time and he finds himself on a hard surface.

"What just happened?" Atlas questions himself out loud. While he rarely does this, only doing it when something really puts his mind in a disarray. He slowly gets off the cold, mossy cobblestone floor that always seems wet, and looks around. 'Everything is back to normal.' He thinks, while looking around in the arena like area he defeated the boss in.

'I didn't notice when I first got here, but there seems to be five different entrances and all of them are blocked off by a metal fence.' Suddenly he changes his thoughts 'Just where is the exit?' He knows that you can't exit from where you once entered and to find a completely different exit. Sometime if your lucky you find a hidden room filled with some extra treaures. Although they're usually not much better than what the boss drops after they have been killed.

"Speaking of drops, what did I get after killing it?" As soon he asked that, he utters "System show me the notification after I killed the boss."

[*Ding 'You have slayed the banshee. Therefore clearing the Wailing Depths.

'You have leveled up 7 times.

'Would you like to receive your rewards?' ]

"Yes" 'Atlas replies with slight glee after that confusing situation he found himself in.

[*Ding 'You have received unknown earrings.' ]

"Unknown? Why would they be unknown?"

'Atlas' stands there confused before taking them out of his inventory and using inspect on them.

[Unknown Earrings]

Stats: WIS +100

INT +25

CHA+02

Bonus: They will allow you to hear things that others cannot.

'Seemingly in the shape of eastern dragons they rise up the side of your ears in appearance'

"I don't remember the boss having anything like that on her." He knows that while they might have similar affinities with sound, they don't match up. Because the banshee's attacked with sound and this earring uses it to hear the 'Unknown?'.

[*Ding 'the system' chimes in. 'You have been sent a message' ]

"Uhh?" He remembers he put his messaging system on 'do not disturb' "Open it for me" he says after a little contemplation.

[*Ding "I have given you a gift before I send you on your mission to uncover the secrets left behind by those who made history." -Unknown Sender]

"…" 'Atlas' standing completely still with his eyes wide open mouth about to open, before he catches himself in disbelief. "I almost can't believe it, but right here is undeniable proof of my journey that I will eventually have to go on." 'Haah' He inwardly sighs before he decides to check his stats.

"Status."

[Atlas]

[Age: 16

Race: Human?

Class: Unknown?

Level: 137]

[H/P: 1,370/1,370

M/P 26,000/26,000]

[STR: 22

DEX: 20

CON: 18

INT: 25 (+25)

WIS: 30 (+100)

CHA: 22]

"Unknown question mark?" 'Atlas' is honestly befuddled because his class was just a regular mage class. "What is this being? And why was I of all people chosen?" He questions himself again.

"You know what. I'm leaving first and then getting off I'll have to think about all this tomorrow or something." 'Atlas' mentions before opening up his inventory and taking out a 'return stone'. This stone once connected with a person's mana will automatically teleport them to the outside of whatever dungeon they are in. It works except for some very rare occasions where the system will deny the transfer and you will have to find a way out yourself or die and return to your last save.

Luckily for 'Atlas' it works and he finds himself outside a small stone tower in the middle of a eerie forest called the 'Whispering Willows'. As he's walking himself through the willow trees, back to the nearest town that he stayed in. He finds himself almost being led astray when he hears a beautiful voice that reaches his ear. At first he thinks that the noise that he hears is from the ability granted by the earrings. Reprimanding himself because there has always been unsightly rumors about the whispers that will lead you on and on until you walk to your death in this creepy forest.

After some walking, he finally makes it out the forest and along a hardened dirt road that leads to a somewhat small fantasy village. This road eventually turns into to stone almost like brick right before he reaches the smaller town. He notices the line towards the average looking fantasy town and is grateful that it's a on the smaller side. He shows his identification to the tired guards on standby at the large gates before walking through them and making it to his humble but warm inn where he decides to lie down and log out for the rest of the day.