“I see. We are going to do the same. Cornelius is holding his own training camp and it’s cheap compared to purchasing a mentor. We will stick with him for now, then probably upgrade after some basic training.”
“Cornelius is incredible. I was there when he soloed two hobgoblins.”
“He is… I think I already know what you are going to say, but I wanted to ask anyways. Did you want to join us, Lucius? We are likely going to end up as a sub-guild to Harrison’s if talks continue the way they’re going.”
“Thank you, Vector. Really. I’m honored.”
“But Victoria is better looking,” Treetop interrupted.
Vector chuckled.
It surprised me when I felt the heat rise up in my cheeks.
I changed the subject. “I’d recommend partnering with her guild too. She may look young but she has a few ideas that I think will be very financially rewarding.”
“We already are,” Drool replied with a smirk. “She told me about the bank idea. We’re in.”
“Oh really?”
***
I neared the new building that was destined to become our guild hall. It was closer to the front gate than the Willingham bank. Since it would second as a player-run bank, this would be a huge advantage. It was close to a story and a half tall with much larger logs used for its construction than the norm, giving it a solid foundation. It was only as wide as The Over Eatery but could fit nearly five of them within its depth. It had been a storage facility, so the room was easy to come by.
The entrance was left wide open, its double doors held there by junk filled crates. I scaled the three step porch and got a closer look inside. Besides random crates, self-standing shelves and some tables littered with more junk, it was barren. There weren’t even any rooms. It was perfect if you were starting from scratch. We’d just have to hope enough people joined up because it was a big space.
“Lucius!” Kline called. The lot of them were near the back of the room clearing the area.
I headed toward them, unequipping my chainmail, and substituted a light leather vest in its place. Part of me didn’t want to go armorless, but the chainmail was too much. This weighed a fourth as much. Time to get my hands dirty.
After about an hour of moving things around, we had three long tables and a desk positioned in the back corner of the room with wooden chairs to spare. Chairs, tables, crates and bins had all been gathered to the side and organized. It looked as if we were setting up for a secret conspirators meeting.
“Everyone, please take a seat,” Peter said.
We all sat around one of the tables and relaxed. Victoria sat at the head of the table, while Peter remained standing. Oliver fetched enough wooden cups for all of us out of his inventory, setting them before him. A glass bottle followed, from which poured a red liquid, just filling each cup with enough for a drink. When the cups were passed around, Peter began.
“Since we have entered Freedom we have been met with trial after trial. Each trial we have faced has further prepared us and brought us forward to today. Today was a good victory.”
It was hard not to fall for the ceremony of it all. I grabbed my cup and held it up.
“We have made some good friends.”
Peter nodded to Kline and me.
“We have unlocked many tools that will help us in the future. The chief of those being the ability to create a guild. As we grow in number with a unified goal, may we only grow stronger and wiser to face the trials ahead!
“Kline. Lucius. Since you have been with us since the beginning, we wanted you to be the first to join the guild. We are naming it Prodos. It means progress. That is, if you will join us. What do you say?”
“Sounds like fun to me. Things haven’t been boring since I met you guys,” Kline answered.
Peter raised a brow. “Lucius?”
“I can’t leave Kline by himself. He needs his game master around or who knows what he’ll do when he levels up.”
“You’re like my game mother! I love you, mom!” he jested, pulling me to himself in a crushing embrace.
“Such a beautiful family.”
Utter shock stopped our mouths. Everyone’s eyes were pinned on the unlikely source of the comment. Oliver was looking as stoic as ever. Had he just made a joke?
He looked back and forth between us for a long moment. The sides of his mouth twitched, then spread wide, baring his teeth.
Victoria squealed.
The laughter spread, until Oliver himself gave a throaty chuckle.
“Well, that settles it,” Peter said when things had calmed down. “Welcome to Guild Prodos!”
***
“How are you doing?” Victoria asked. We found ourselves alone, the only ones still sitting at the table. Peter had gone to market, and Peter and Kline were considering what to do with the ten-foot shelves that had held a lot of goods.
“Really good actually. There is still a long way to go, but I know what I need to do now.”
“You are going to take Cornelius’s advice?”
“Yeah.”
“So that means you’ll be gone for a while?”
Leaning forward, I rested my chin against my knuckles. “I’ll be leaving the group for a while, but I’ll still be around.”
“So you still aren’t over that…?”
“I don’t know if I will ever be fully over getting hurt like that, but I do think I will master it. I need to get stronger and to do that I need training.”
“I understand.”
“Hey. You know where I’ll be. If you need me just ask.”
“So you wouldn’t be opposed to something that might require sneaking out again?”
“You have plans, do you?”
“Always.”
“Then how can I say no?”
***
I checked my fan page where I found 93 million followers and counting. It wasn’t accurate to say that I no longer cared about my fans or gaming. Impressing people didn’t hold the same sway over me as before, but these were my fans. Some of them had been with me for years. They were now sharing my internal journey as much as my physical one.
It was time to prepare for the future. The goblins had been defeated, but only a single battle was won and the war continued. That meant danger would come, people would suffer… My only course of action was to get stronger.
Today was the fifth day since I entered Codename: Freedom. Interviewing with Achilles to join his class was tomorrow, so I had an entire day to myself. Everyone had eaten breakfast together, but it was the first free day we had had since we entered Freedom. Peter and Victoria were meeting with group leaders. Although, I knew Victoria planned on sneaking out to do some crafting. Kline was taking a rest day, which meant he was shopping and eating, not necessarily in that order. Oliver was the quiet one, but I was sure he would keep himself busy while helping out with the guild. That left me.
I had found an empty street behind the player inns on the other side of town from the house that we were staying in. The well-packed dirt road was smooth and a perfect surface stretching nearly half a mile in a straight line. Leaning forward wearing nothing but my green sleeveless tunic, and a pair of dark blue shorts I had picked up while looking for this exact location, I took my first step.
I picked up speed, until I reached my full stride, keeping the pace for a few seconds before increasing the speed.
My hamstrings stretched as the fore of my foot struck, skirting the ground. For a few moments, it felt as if I was floating just above the dirt at the speed I was going.
I held that speed as long as I could before my legs had passed the stage of numbness and started to flail. Hobbling to a stop, I leaned forward to catch my breath. Staying on my feet as Destiny had taught me, it was a full minute before I stopped heaving for air.
The knowledge I had about physical training was limited, but I knew the basics. I would stick to the bodyweight exercises Destiny had me doing before entering Freedom, and increase my
running. With my improved recovery time, the time was right. My training started today.
After another minute, I turned around the way I had come and set off in the opposite direction.
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Ability Point Upgrades
Upgrades
Selecting any of the below Upgrades will cost you (1) Ability Point.
Spend wisely!
Character Sheet (Basic)
(This tool analysis your actions and translates that to your character stats. Upgrading this will add a much more detailed analysis.)
Creature Indicator Upgrades
(The range of this tool upgrades itself as you level. There may be a possibility of an addon that could also increase its usefulness.)
Creature Beacon
(Selecting this gives you a white beacon that shoots up from the creature’s location and is received when Creature Indicator is unlocked.)
Hostile Creature Indicator
(Selecting this gives you a red beacon that shoots up from any hostile creature’s location.)
Danger Indicator
(Selecting this will warn a player of danger within sensors’ proximity.)
Communication Upgrades
Grouping
(Selecting this provides experience sharing. Automatically syncs with the map.)
Group Chat
(Selecting this allows for your words to travel over long distances to those in your group. Anyone that is in close proximity can overhear the person sending the message. Only verbal messages can be sent currently.)
Group Leadership
(Selecting this allows for loot distribution.)
Join a Guild
(Unlocked by completing the quest Survive Week One. Able to choose from a number of guild hierarchies, set ranks of guild members, tax members and set guild property. To see a full list of options you must first finish the required quest.)
Guild Chat
(Selecting this allows for your words to travel over long distances to those in your guild. Anyone that is in close proximity can overhear the person sending the message. Only verbal messages can be sent currently.)
Map Upgrades
Local Map
(Selecting this shows a close proximity map of your surroundings. Can zoom in and out. 5x the range of your current Creature Indicator proximity.)
World Map
(Selecting this allows the areas you have personally visited or seen from another map to be visible on your map. Terrain is very basic. Only the largest landmarks will be recorded.)
Ability Points
You earn Ability Points as you level up. From level 1-20 you will earn a new ability point every 2 levels and from level 21-99 a new point every 5 levels.
Advancement Points
You earn Advancement Points as you level up. You will receive one every ten levels. Through Advancement Points you will be able to advance beyond Basic level Abilities.
Character Sheet
Character Status
(Character Status – Intermediate)
Player Name: Lucius
Level: 27
Health: 985.41
Endurance: 1793.3
Combat Level: Rank F – Level 99
Strength: Rank F – Level 95
Endurance: Rank F – Level 79.33
Quickness: Rank E – Level 10
Speed: Rank E – Level 4
Intelligence: Rank E – Level 7
Measurements
Fast Twitch Muscle: Rank E – Level 31
Slow Twitch Muscle: Rank F – Level 65
Flexibility: Rank F – Level 89
Cardiovascular: Rank F – Level 84
Anaerobic: Rank F – Level 92
Memory: Rank F – Level 97
Calculations: Rank E – Level 17
Definitions
Health Points: This number represents perfect health. As you are injured, the points lower depending on the part of the body that takes damage and how serious the injury. Your Strength, Endurance, Quickness and Speed are all taken into account when calculating this number.
Endurance Points: This number is based solely on your endurance. The type and intensity of the exercise will determine how quickly you lose points. Your strength, quickness and speed determine how much energy an action will take.
Rank: The ranks are G, F, E, D, C, B, A, S. Rank G is the lowest and S is the highest. The higher the rank the more powerful!
Levels: Each rank has 99 levels. The higher the level the stronger the stat. If the level goes past 99 then the player ranks up!
Definitions (Continued)
Fast Twitch Muscle – Muscle fiber responsible for speed and power.
Slow Twitch Muscle – Muscle fiber responsible for enduring.
Flexibility – Fluidity of muscle and rank of motion.
Cardiovascular – Endurance during lower stress activity (Like running long distance).
Anaerobic – Endurance during high-stress activity (Like sprinting).
Memory – Mental capacity to store information.
Calculations – Speed of processing logical processes.
Personal Training Tools
Character Analysis
Greatly increases the detail of the Character Status break down!
Includes Mental State Observation!
Each stat can be closely examined and broken down into its own individual list for closer examination!
Item Analysis
Greatly Increases the detail of inventory break down!
Will help with better understanding the strengths and weaknesses of an item!
To use on an item outside of your inventory, you must be holding the weapon!
Type: English Style Short Sword
Material: Bronze
Make: Short Sword
Quality: Rank F
Note: Quality is based upon how it ranks against all materials and makes of weapons.
Example: The short sword you use has a maximum Rank of F with the material Bronze. Using Iron the maximum raises to Rank D. Using Steel the maximum raises to Rank C. To achieve a higher Rank than C you must use a weapon with a more effective Make.
Pet
You have unlocked your Pet!
A Pet is ranked in three areas. Sight, hearing, and smell.
Each also has special abilities depending on its nature.
Pets do not participate in combat at any time and are only visible if you command them to be.
Note: All other tools and game abilities are directly and indirectly affected by your pet.
Sight - The further your pet can see the further your Creature Indicator, Local Map and World Map can monitor. Also as you become close to your pet, your own eyesight will improve to match that of your pet. Example: Night vision.
Best used to for scouting long distances. You will be able to see things that are hidden to lesser creatures.
Hearing - The better you can hear the more aware you will be of your surrounding all times of the day. You will notice things on your Creature Indicator and Local Map that aren’t visible to the eye and are coming at you from a direction you aren’t looking. This will also better your own hearing as you grow closer to your pet.
Example: General awareness and to discover stealth attacks.
Smell - The better your smell, the more likely you will
be able to track down something that is no longer there. Creatures’ scent trails become visible to the eye through your Creature Indicator and Local Map. All creatures leave scents and the best of trackers can track down their scent hours or even days later. Hiding becomes extremely difficult when you have a highly ranked sniffer on your trail. As you grow close to your pet, your own sense of smell will improve.
Example: Tracking down someone or something after the fact.
Choose Wisely!
1 Advancement Point will be spent in selecting your Pet.
Pets
Wolf
Sight - Rank C
Hearing - Rank B +
Smell - Rank A
Special abilities - Night vision, doubles carry weight, able to mask scent partially.
Mountain Lion
Sight - Rank C
Hearing - Rank A
Smell - Rank B
Special abilities - Night vision, doubles carry weight, decreases the amount of noise made when walking.
Falcon
Sight - Rank S
Hearing - Rank D
Smell - Rank D
Special abilities - Only pet without Night Vision, Day Vision is superior to all other creatures, greatly extends Local and World Maps
Owl
Sight - Rank A
Hearing - Rank B
Smell - Rank C
Special abilities - Superior night vision, greatly extends Local and World Maps.
Which Pet do you choose?
Note: You can reselect your Pet at any time, but you must regain the experience necessary to train the new pet.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1 – Interviews
Chapter 2 – Letter
Codename: Freedom: Survive Week One Page 27