Man Made God 002

by Brandon Varnell

  “What be going on here?!” a voice suddenly shouted.

  The pirates all stopped attacking Adam and backed off as someone walked up to him. The dull thunk, thunk of a wooden leg echoed against the deck as a man dressed in a red overcoat with a lot of frills along the cuffs and collar appeared. He was a gnarled man with black hair and a thick beard. He was wielding two cutlasses. Titania cast [scan] to let Adam check his stats.

  Name: Black Beard

  Description: Black Beard is the king of the pirates in the Southern Sea. He is well-known for being vicious and never showing mercy even when the people he captures are women and children.

  Class: 3-Star

  Lvl: 25

  Health: 60,000/60,000

  MP: 5,000/5,000

  Strength: 1,500

  Constitution: 1,000

  Dexterity: 100

  Intelligence: 50

  Speed: 200

  Skills:

  Slash: A slashing attack that does 200% damage and has a 100% chance of causing bleed

  MP Cost: 50

  Cooldown Time: 0 Seconds

  Thrust: A thrust technique that causes critical damage

  Damage = Strength * 3

  MP Cost: 100

  Cooldown time: 5 seconds

  Dual Wielding: Black Beard can wield two weapons of the same type at the same time. This allows him to attack enemies twice as much!

  MP Cost: 0

  Cooldown Time: N/A

  Ye Scurvy Cur: Black Beard has an incredible amount of charisma thanks to the fear he invokes in companions and enemies alike

  All enemies have a 50% chance of gaining the fear status effect; Allies receive a boost that increases morale and lets them attack two times faster than normal

  MP cost: 250

  Cooldown Time: 60 seconds

  This [Black Beard] had some incredible stats, and he was a 3-Star enemy at level 25 to boot. Adam almost groaned when he saw that. Was it fate or ill-fortune that had him constantly running into enemies he had no right defeating? When had he accrued such bad karma?

  “Ya scallywag!” Black Beard shouted when he saw Adam standing in the center of his pirates. “What do ya think yer doing on my ship?!”

  “The fuck kind of question is that?!” Adam snapped. “What do you think you’re doing attacking my ship?!”

  “Gya ha ha ha! A good question deserves a good answer. I be taking over that ship of yers. It is now me property, which means yer also me property. I bet ye’ll fetch a lot of gold if I sell ya as a… slave…” Black Beard trailed off when he caught sight of Titania, but it was only for a moment. “A fairy?! Is that a fairy?! Why she be so short?!”

  Titania bristled. “Stop! Calling! Me! Short!”

  “Listen up, ye scallywags! The one who captures that tiny fairy will receive twice the profit as everyone else!”

  “I’m not tiny!”

  Those words caused the pirates to all yell and charge at Adam and Titania, who no longer found time to speak up. No witty comebacks for them. Adam activated [Blood Sacrifice] again as Titania sang [Song of Vigor] to increase his attack power. Then Adam once more began dancing, and this time, the damage he did was astronomical.

  -1,056; -2,112; -4,224; -8,448; 16,896!

  When Adam used [Dance of the Sakura Blossoms], the amount of damage he did at first was negligible, but it quickly stacked up as he continued attacking without missing. The following attacks became one-shot kill attacks. While he did sometimes miss, the cooldown time only reset when he wasn’t using [Blood Sacrifice]. Even when it did reset, it didn’t matter because he continued to dance, deflecting and countering numerous sword swings with his incredible spear work as he waited for the cooldown time to end. One. Two. Three. Six. Twelve pirates were cut down in less than half as many seconds.

  “Arg! Ya blasted cur! I’m gonna rip ya to shreds!!!”

  It wasn’t until he’d killed what seemed like half the crew that Adam was attacked by [Black Beard] himself. The man wielded his two cutlasses with incredible skill. Each swing felt like a truck was slamming into Adam, but he was skilled enough to avoid blocking the attacks. Instead of blocking, he deflected them with his spear like he was parrying them, which caused Black Beard’s swords to go wide and knocked the man off balance. This left him open to Adam’s [Dance of the Sakura Blossoms].

  -1,056; -2,112; -4,224; -8,448; 16,896!

  Adam wore a fierce snarl as his first five attacks cut down more than half of [Black Beard’s] health. He only needed to land one more successful [Dance of the Sakura Blossoms] on this man. If he could just keep up this level of intensity, he would be able to easily win!

  Unfortunately, Adam’s [Blood Sacrifice] chose that moment to run out of time, and then to make matters worse, Titania found herself unable to help him as a pirate managed to sneak up on her from behind and grab her. She screamed, which caught Adam’s attention. This, however, distracted him long enough that Black Beard was able to land a blow.

  -432!

  The first attack hit Adam, but he managed to dodge the second attack. He was incredibly lucky. While [Black Beard] had a Strength of +1,500, Adam had a Defense of 560, and his newly acquired armor had a combined 55% resistance to slashing damage. Cutlasses did primarily slashing damage, so his armor was even more effective against it. Even with that level of defense, however, the searing pain of being attacked with a cutlass was burned into his mind.

  This made him angry.

  Adam felt a cold chill settle over his mind.

  The first thing Adam did was take two [health potions], but then he spun around and sliced off the hand of the pirate… and he felt some surprise that he could actually cut the hand off. A large -5,000 floated over the screaming pirate’s head. His attack also freed Titania, who began singing [Song of Vigor] again, which increased his attack power and allowed him to quickly dispatch the now one-handed pirate who had grabbed her.

  [Black Beard] released an enraged cry and began swearing like a… well, like a pirate, Adam supposed. The man charged at him, wooden leg thunking against the deck, and Adam met his attacks head-on. The cooldown time for [Blood Sacrifice] ended, and so he activated the skill and used [Dance of the Sakura Blossoms] to finish the man off.

  -1,056; -2,112; -4,224; -8,448; 16,896!

  Adam took several deep breaths as [Black Beard] fell backward after Adam cut through his neck with his spear. The man twitched several times. There was no blood, but that somehow made the death twitches he released even creepier than if he had been bleeding.

  Ding!

  [You have defeated twenty-four 1-star [Black Beard Pirates]. Items dropped: x10 [Cutlass], x20 [Pirate Shirt], and 10,500 gold coins. +36,000 experience points earned! +5,000 ability points! +16,000 Reputation!]

  Ding!

  [You have defeated the 3-Star enemy [Black Beard]. Items dropped: [Black Beard’s Twin Cutlasses], [Pirate Profession Scroll], [Black Beard’s Hat], and 16,000 gold. +85,000 experience points! +6,000 ability points! +5,000 Reputation!]

  Ding!

  [Congratulations! You have leveled up. You are now at level 11! +300 HP! +10 MP! +5 SP!]

  Ding!

  [Congratulations! Titania has leveled up! She is now at level 10! +200 HP! +1,050 MP! +10 SP!]

  Ding!

  [Congratulations! Titania has leveled up! She is now at level 11! +200 HP! +1,050 MP! +10 SP]

  Arriving on the Mainland

  Watershore was a small port town, but it was larger than the Village of Beginnings—about six or seven times bigger. All of the major roads seemed to converge upon the docks and spread out radially from there. There were six major roads, which meant the port town was divided into six sections. The buildings were all made from a combination of brick and wood. Roofs made with ceramic shingles appeared to be more commonplace here than in the Village of Beginnings, where most of the roofs had been made of straw and hay.

  Adam walked through the town with Titania sitting on his shoulder. A combination of unusual scents
filled his nose. There was the salty scent of the sea mixed with the smell of freshly baked bread and grilled fish. The grilled fish was the strongest smell, but that was because Adam had a stick of something that looked like a grilled sea bass in his hands. It had a very salty flavor. The primary seasonings for this grilled fish appeared to be simple salt and pepper.

  “This is a pretty lively town,” Adam said as he looked at several children who were running—only to watch as the kids stopped and began pointing at him.

  He looked away.

  “It is not that lively,” Titania said as she also observed the town, her own gaze distant. “This tiny port town probably has less than ten thousand people living in it. Of course, that would be a huge number for us fairies, but for a human settlement, it is very small. Go to Sunestia, and you’ll understand what I mean.”

  Several people hauling lumber walked on by. They were all large, burly men with arms thicker than his head and chests like barrels. When the guy in front saw Adam—or rather, the little fairy sitting on his shoulder—he dropped the lumber he was carrying, which caused the man behind to get smacked underneath the chin when one end of the lumber got stuck in the cobblestone and he walked right into the end he’d been carrying.

  Adam walked passed the now bickering duo and continued to turn his head this way and that. This city was so different from cities like New York City, Los Angeles, and Dallas. It embodied the fantasy aesthetic from old movies. He remembered one movie about a fellowship and a ring that had cities built similar to this.

  “And where and what is Sunestia?” asked Adam.

  “Sunestia is the capital city of the Sun Continent,” Titania answered. “I do not know where it is in relation to where we are now, however. This city must be new. I do not remember ever visiting it.”

  “Well, it has been three thousand years, right?”

  “Indeed.”

  Since Adam had no idea where he was or where he needed to go, he decided to get himself a map. There were a number of shops in this town. Each store was identified by the sign hanging above the door. There was a store with a potion on the sign, one with a book, another with a sword and shield, and one with a scroll. He was certain the one with the scroll would sell maps, so that was the one he wandered into.

  The store did indeed sell maps, and the woman who ran the shop even sold him a map after she finished freaking out upon seeing Titania. He and Titania soon left the store. Of course, his fairy companion was fuming.

  “She called me short!”

  “That’s because you are short.”

  “That’s only because my level is so pathetic! If I was at level 50, I would be the same size as a human! Just you wait! Once I reach level 50, my body will grow back to the size it is supposed to be, and then I will stun you with my incredible beauty! You’ll be so stunned, you’ll want to worship the ground I walk on!”

  Adam didn’t have it in him to argue with Titania, and he already thought she was a beauty. She was just… well, short. Really short. The mere fact that she could sit on his shoulder and he barely even felt her weight was all the proof he needed of her shortness.

  “Why level 50?”

  “Do you not know? Level 50 is when the people of this world are allowed to do a class upgrade. Currently speaking, my class is Guardian of the Spear, which is the class I received after I became sealed away with that spear you are holding in your right hand. Once I reach level 50, I will be able to upgrade my class, which should let me regain my previous stature.”

  “Makes sense. So does that mean I will also be able to change my class when I reach level 50?”

  “You can change your class before reaching level 50. A class upgrade is literally just that. An upgrade of your current class.”

  “So I can change my class from Warrior to something else? How do I do that?”

  “I know of at least two methods of changing your class: you can find a master who can train you in a new class, or you can use a hidden class scroll.” Titania looked up, tilted her head, and added, “Hidden classes offer incredible power far beyond a normal class upgrade. Good luck finding a hidden class scroll, though. Even before I was sealed, those were so rare I had only seen a few of them in my entire life.”

  “Hmm…”

  Adam glanced at the sky and saw that dusk was quickly approaching. The sun was going down, the sky was painted with splashes of pink and streaks of orange, and he could see the beginning of the moon rising above a mountain range in the far distance. The moon had a ring around it like Saturn. He didn’t know if this meant it was late in the real world. However, after fighting against those pirates, Adam realized he was honestly really tired.

  “I think I’m going to log off… I mean, I am going to return to my world,” Adam said at last.

  “Very well.” Titania agreed readily enough. “Let us find an inn first though. I would prefer you return to your world in someplace private.”

  “Sure.” Adam didn’t think much of her request and just agreed.

  There were a number of inns at Watershore. Adam thought there were more inns than any other building. He wondered if that was because this was a port town. Historically speaking, port towns were always important because they were built along significant trade routes between other cities and nations. A lot of the people who stayed in port towns did not live there. They merely stayed temporarily until they set off for their next destination.

  He didn’t know if that was how things worked in Age of Gods, though.

  The inn they ended up lodging at was smaller than some but bigger than others, at two-stories in height and wider than it was long. The shingles on the roof were red. It had several windows, though none of the windows had glass and were instead boarded up with wood. He wondered if that meant glass windows was a rarity in this world. Maybe the technique to make them was expensive? How was glass made back when technology had been this primitive anyway? The Village of Beginnings only had windows on the cathedral, now that he was thinking about it.

  The owner of the inn was an old man who came close to fainting when he saw Adam’s fairy companion. After once more dealing with Titania’s outrage at being called short, they were able to secure a room with one bed. It didn’t have much. The floor was made of wood, there was a small table next to the window, and the bed was made of simple straw and feathers. He sat on the bed. It wasn’t very comfortable, but Adam did not intend to sleep on it, so that was okay.

  “You are returning to your world now?” asked Titania, an odd look on her face. She floated a few feet above his head and was looking down at him with an inscrutable expression on her face.

  “That’s right,” Adam said as he laid down and closed his eyes. “There are some people I need to speak with in the real world.”

  “Hmph.”

  Titania huffed and turned her head. Adam had no idea what she was upset about now, but he put it out of his mind as he logged out and found himself lying on his own bed. It was 6:45 pm, meaning he’d been playing the game for around five hours this time.

  While he wasn’t dirty, he did feel a little gross after lying in bed most of the day. He took a quick shower before getting changed into his normal black jeans and a white T-shirt.

  Fayte was cooking dinner when he arrived in the living room. It was just simple pasta with marinara and meat sauce. He was certain she added some garlic into the mix because it had a bit of that garlicky kick. She had also baked some bread with melted mozzarella cheese on top. Adam helped her set the coffee table by getting them some drinks and taking their plates over. Fayte joined him after removing her apron.

  “I still cannot believe you already reached level 10,” Fayte mumbled in between mouthfuls of food. “Did you know the forums exploded after that announcement? I read some of the content posted before getting started on dinner. People are freaking out trying to figure out who you are.”

  “Was everyone shocked?” asked Adam.

  “Of course they were,” Fayte said, then
giggled. She twirled some pasta around her fork, brought it to her mouth, and only continued speaking after she swallowed her food. “The first person people thought would reach level 10 was Lin Akamine. She is the current number one player on the Power Ranking Charts. However, not only was she not the first person to reach level 10, but she isn’t expected to reach that level for at least another day or two. Meanwhile, the prominent guild leaders are stuck level 7 or 8. The only person at level 9 aside from Lin Akamine is the Spear God.”

  The level up system for Age of Gods really was quite ridiculous. Each time a person leveled up, the amount of experience points needed to reach the next level doubled. That was fine at the beginning of the game, but now that Adam was at level 11, he needed +153,600 experience points just to reach level 12. He didn’t even want to think about how many experience points he would need to reach level 50.

  Probably a couple trillion.

  Dinner soon ended, and Adam put the plates and utensils in the dishwater and washed off the pots and pans that Fayte had used to cook. When he finished, he came back into the living room and saw his roommate putting on that ugly jacket of hers. Her veil was already being worn to hide her face.

  “Heading out?” asked Adam.

  “I noticed our food supply was low, so I’m making a run to the nearest grocery store.” Fayte’s eyes crinkled, making him think she was smiling at him. She hesitated a moment, then asked, “Would you like to come with me?”

  Adam considered following her for a moment, but then shook his head. “I’d better not. There’s a good chance someone might be watching you, considering who you are, and if they found out that you were living with a guy, it could cause problems, especially if Levon found out. They might decide to try and dig into my background. We also can’t let them know that I’m helping you with your bet.”