Chapter 3: A Long Damned Ways Away.

Chapter Three: A Long Damned Ways Away.

When standing on the hilltop earlier the distance of the road didn’t seem THAT far, but Alex had walked for hours… He’d made it, no problem, the only part he had trouble with was the bottom of the valleys where he had to skip across rocks and tufts to make it across the boggs and brooks. It seemed the hilly landscapes made for some natural drains for rainwater. However, just like the grass and the sun, there was something off with the water in this place. He’d slipped on one of the stones and plunged his right foot into the water — when pulling it out again he felt his leg somewhat resist him. And he thought there was some sort of leech stuck to his leg but when he inspected the leg he found the water clinging onto him. A lump of water the size of his finger stuck to his leg and he had needed to brush it off with his hand at which point the water had clung to his hand instead. When he finally in turn brushed his hand on the ground did the water sink into the earth, like water should.

He wondered if he'd stept in some form of slime-being, the creep-shroom was pretty slimy as well, so maybe it was quite a common state of life in this world. That led Alex to consider some other, rather worrying thoughts; he’d seen buildings and roads in the distance — meaning sentient life — but nothing said that it was humans, or that the people would accept him if he stomped into their home… Yet, he held hope as he only knew of one sentient being in this world so far — himself, and as he was human the chances are that the people living here are too. The logic wasn’t sound, but he clung to it as he really didn’t want some demons or orcs out of fantasy to greet him when he finally reached a place to rest.

*28 degrees celsius = 82,4 fahrenheit for my dear US Americans and Liberians reading

When finally reaching the road he’d aimed for, Alex took some time to rest. The sun was dimmer than back home, but it was also a lot larger, and there was little to give shade from the heat. Alex had no way to tell the temperature but it felt like 28 degrees celsius.* So, with the constant sunlight and offroad trudge, Alex was completely spent. And he took some time to recuperate by the side of the road. However, not too long after sitting down, he could hear someone coming his way on the road. His first instinct was to get up, so as not to be of note, maybe even hide. But he stopped himself. He had died, what if these people saw him exhausted and quite visibly lost? What if it turned out these people weren't human, and some race of demons or orcs? That wouldn’t matter, because Alex had been through death. Still, he stood up — If it was something really bad he’d run, he wasn’t in a mood to be tortured after all. But soon Alex could make out voices, they had some accents he didn’t recognize but to his surprise they spoke english.

“Quit ye’r sulking you arch-slug, ye made as good a deal as ye could, and ye didn’t lose any coin, right? Nor did we lose our lives. That’s a good haul in my book.” A feminin voice could be heard.

Answering was a sheepish man, perhaps of a teenager. “Ahw, I KNOW, I know… But I can’t help but feel it was a huge waste of time, two weeks just for two stinking levels… and I know we could have made big money had I been more experienced.”

“True that, but still, ye can’t expect to make riches at your age, we all must start off somewhere, and I for one, quite enjoyed the trip, and so did Rue.”

“Ye’r too nice aunt Rosine. I’m sorry ye’r stuck with me. I know the two of ye have better things to do then to escort me around these newbie lands.”

“We’re family, so of course we’ll help… I’m just happy we made it here before night, at least. I’ve had enough of the sound of Lurkspiders while trying to sleep.”

Rounding the hill crest a group of three came striding. A woman, presumably ‘Aunt Rosine’ and a teen perhaps 15 were the ones talking. And presumably the last one would be ‘Rue’, he was a giant of a man, towering over the other two who seemed to be around Alex's own height of 1.70. Rue stood a good bit taller than 2 meters, maybe 2.30. He was also somewhat oddly built, with proportionally too long legs and wide shoulders, He sported some decent muscles and a longsword that looked extremely heavy, formed a bit like a prolonged butcher's knife. Rosine clad in dark attire and a hooded cape looked like some assassin out of the movies, with knives and pouches strapped to her legs and waist. She also sported some rough looking scars on her arms and left cheek.

The teen looked rather out of place. He did look somewhat ready for travel; with boots, a large hat and a hefty backpack — but you could clearly see he wasn’t the fighting type like his two companions.

When spotting alex the woman, Rosine, where the one to call out:

“Oh! Are ye heading to the Saipans? I wouldn't recommend anyone to go across the Gambrel forest - Not alone. And I do beg ye’r pardon, but ye do not look like a rutin adventurer. We made it with little trouble this time but we're out leveled for the region.”

“Out leveled? I… No, I hoped to reach a town before night. Do you know of any close by?"

The large man, Rue, exclaimed with a bellowing yet oddly melodic voice: "A TOWN, Bwuhahaha! From here you'll not make it to a village before night time, let alone a town~. But I do see you're definitely a traveler after all, or you would known t'hat. This here road~ only has two ends. Where do you come from, odd man? We would-had seen~ you on the canopy had you crossed the Gambrel. And I'd never seen~ someone with such odd attire before." The large man's accent was different from the other two.

“I am from Sweden”

“Sweden? What is this kingdom, I have never heard of it, is it a new one?”

“No, I guess it is just far away… it’s a… kingdom on earth.”

“Bwuhahaha, Aren’t they all? I do suppose some do fly — but, most around these parts do tend to touch the ground. Bwuhahaha.”

“What!? No — they fly? I mean; Earth, as in the planet — You don’t happen to know of the planet called earth by chance?”

“I do not know what this thing ye call a planet is supposed to be. Is it an island? Or a cave? I can not say I have heard of such a region. Is it close by? If we establish trade with a kingdom in a new region that might be the break I need. Name’s Treavor Lynniarch, I’m a [Merchant], it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. You seem to wear some rather fine linen, is this a product of your lands? If we were to establish trade ties I am sure the two of us could make some good money.” The teen, treavor rushed forwards and to shake hands with Alex as he spoke.

“Ah, I’m Alex — Alexander Odon. Have you really not heard of planets? You know… they are; bodys far up in the sky, like stars, moons, the sun?” Alex pointed to the huge sun shining from over the mountaintops.

“Like the sun? We don’t have any such things here… if ye don't mean the other suns, do ye mean ye’r kingdom is by one of the other two suns?”

“The other two? There’s more than one?”

“Certainly, they should switch any second now.”

As if by command the world suddenly flickered and went pitch dark, as if a lightbulb lighting the world had broken. Alex jumped by the sudden change and his eyes took a bit to adjust. But when they did he saw that the three travelers were looking scansidly at him.

“Ye really aren't from here, are ye? Ye look like ye think the world is ending. Don’t ye have nights where ye come from?” Rosine asked bemused.

“We do. But so suddenly, this is…”

Alex looked up at the sky, stunned, as he saw the ground. Far, far up in the sky. Miles away, on opposite sides of the sky two stars shown, lighting up the ground around them. It looked like a gigantic dome enclosed the sky — just that, the surface of the dome was landscapes; mountains, lakes, deserts, sprawling forests, frozen tundras and Alex even thought he could make out some cities. However, for those to be cities they had to be absolutely massive in order to be seen. And behind the mountains he’d seen earlier in the distance, the sun he’d sweated under during his walk, could be made out, as a black outline — still in the same place as before, just not on. Alex almost fell backwards by the sight of it all.

“Are ye okay? Ye don’t look too well. Here, why don’t ye spend the night with us, ye seem like ye need the rest. And we could certainly use some company after traveling by ourselves for two weeks, and ye can tell us where this Sweden kingdom of yours is. I've not met many people from outside Tanum before.”

The three travelers and Alex sat down together around a makeshift campsite, fire burning and a meal cooking, as they spoke late into the night, which Alex learned lasted 8 hours. Each sun taking it’s turn to shut off as the next turns on, making the daytimes 16 hours, and each full day, like back home, 24 hours.

Alex also learned that this truly was a fantastical world, as he fumbled to wrap his brain around the concept that this world didn’t have planets, asteroids or “space” but rather just caves of differing sizes, this being the largest such cave the three travelers personally been to, called Tanum. The world had gravity, but it didn’t seem quite as prominent as back home, as Rosine explained that some of the smaller caves had so low gravity that you’d be able to jump from the ground and drift up to the ceiling. And while the gravity was different so was other forces as well, one of which Alex realised he’d experienced — namely the increased surface tension, which explained the water slug that had stuck to Alex’s leg. It wasn’t some Slime-being but just water that had a harder time to fall apart.

The other three in turn didn’t seem to understand Alex when he tried to explain space and starsystems. With the main point of confusion stemming from Rosine and Treavor insisting Alex was just talking about a really big cave filled with air. It didn’t seem like the people here had that great an understanding of gases and densities, which rendered Alex's explanations void. But as the conversation settled down a bit Alex felt out of place, and a longing for home befell him. The others noticed the sudden change in Alex expression, and Rue spoke up;

“You o’kay odd man? The stew is almost ready, it shouldn’t be eaten on a worried stomach.”

“Ah, right… It’s… It’s just that I really am — far from home. And I don’t know if I can get back. I don’t even know where I’d start looking for a way back…”

“Ah, I do know your feeling~ I too am far from my home.” As he spoke Rue shook his head in sad remenisanse, before Rosine elbowed him in the side.

“Oh, here ye go again, bu hu. Ye never been with ye ancestors, ye lived ye’r whole life here. Don’t go pretend d’at ye miss a land ye never even seen. We are ye’r family, not some far off basterds who abandon their own child.”

“I know… but still, I do~ wonder what their lands are like.”

Alex looked questionally at Rosine and Rue. And answering his look, Rue explained;

“My people left me when I was a newborn child… Due to my — unusual size. They believed me to be bad luck for the clan. I was taken in by the Lynniarch family~ who raised me.”

“That’s horrible…” Alex muttered.

“And. Ye are our family, despite not parting ways with that stupid clan name of theirs.”

“Yea, aunt Rosine is correct, ye’r our family Rue!”, Treavor piped up.

Rue smiled as he stirred the stew. And Alex could sense the love sheared between the three, they cared for each other. That is what family is like — would he ever see his family again? They felt so distant, they had felt that way for years, but there had always been the opportunity for him to come by and visit whenever he wanted. He’d be greeted with warm smiles and hugs, no matter what the day. Would he ever see their greeting smiles again? Could he somehow return to his world? These were his thoughts as he sat and talked, heavy hearted, with his new found friends.

“You mentioned levels earlier, what’s that all about? Do you all have levels? Do you go around gaining levels as you swing your swords about? Or, is it some form of work system?” Alex asked.

“Work system~? No, you're right with the first one~ I and Rosine level as fighters. I am a level 22 [Berserker].” Rue said proudly.

“I am a fighting class, level 27, [Rouge]. However I don’t “swing swords about '' like Rue does — I prefer daggers. And Treavor is just level 3, [Merchant], as he just turned 16. Don’t ye have any classes, Mr Alex? Ye seem old enough to.” Rosine asked.

“We don’t have anything like it where I’m from. Not in real life at least. I do get the concept, from games, but… there’s a few things I don’t quite understand. How do you gain your levels and classes? Can you have more than one?“

“Ye can. I for one has a non-combat class thanks to the family business, but I prefer not to talk about it. Besides, it didn’t suit me so I became an adventurer together with Rue instead. And for how ye level up, ye just do ye’r thing, and if ye’r good enough at it, ye level up. Same for gaining classes, though gaining additional classes usually requires more. But essentially, ye practice what ye want a class as, and hopefully there's one for it.” Rosine explained.

“You get it just like that? At any time? What if you're fighting a bunch of wild animals and you suddenly get distracted as you level up?”

“Oh, odd man, you got it wrong. The things you do are what grants you the right to levels and classes. But you get them with this.” Rue said as he stretched out a hand holding a steaming bowl of stew.

“This? Is it magical?” Alex asked as he gingerly accepted the stew.

“Bwuhahaha, No, it's normal stew, there are some horns in it for a bit extra taste — it’s a secret recipe. Other than that it is just normal stew~. You get your levels when you eat. The food doesn't need to be anything special”

“So, I just eat it and gain a class that matches what i’ve done during the day.”

“Hrm. Yes. But Ye need to have been through something… special. It is not everyday ye get the option to obtain a new class. Some people get their classes through a ritual, some through rigorous training. Some get it through weeks of hard work. But most adventurers get their classes from the heat of battle. A lot can go into what classes ye obtain.” Rosine explained.

“I, for one, got my [merchant] class, just this month, due to years of study. Ye only obtain classes after turning sixteen. And since our family provided me with training for years prior I acquired the class as soon as I was old enough.” Treavour put in.

Alex understood now, yet he hesitated as he was about to take a swig of the stew. He felt oddly sure he’d gain a class if he ate, since his day was nothing but a special one. He’d died, and woken up in a fantasy world. What kind of class would he get from that? [Survivour]? [Necromancer]? [Alien Tourist]? There was no point in guessing, so he took a deep gulp of the stew.

A second passed. Then his skin began to glow, and he heard a voice in his head; [Scout] level 1… The other three looked at him with a mixture of awe, longing and envy, as the glow flared up and subsided around Alex. And then Treavor exploded into a frenzy;

“I can’t believe this! Are ye trying to tell me ye just learned of classes and levels and ye just gained one the first thing ye do? Do ye know how many years I studied for my [merchant] class. It is not fair!”

“Two actually. Level 1 [Scout] and Level 3 [Globetrotter].”

“Two? — Amazing…” Rosine breathed.

“Bwuhahaha! You really are an odd man, mr Alexander.”

“... not fair. I walked for two weeks with a backpack filled to the brim with trade goods, across a spiderifested horror-scape, to gain two levels and ye get not just two classes but two levels aswell — it's not fair.” Teavor muttered to himself, while Rosine and Rue hid a slight laugh and cheered a sympathetic look.

In self awe at the vigorating sensations coursing through his body, Alex was unwitted of the muttering Treavor, and instead asked “Do you know what the classes do?”

“Scout? certainly. It’s a rather common class, both adventure teams and armies employ them to gain intel of what's ahead of em. They scout things out if you will. Army- or monster counts, traps, terrain. The class specializes in endurance and speed. There are some specializations to the class you could obtain. Such as [Brute Scout], that’s a warrior scout hybrid, or [Mage Scout] who uses spells in different ways to gather intel.” Rosine explicated.

“You mean there’s actual mages and spells then?” At this point, the revelation didn’t shock Alex as he’d already guessed as much with the world being as it was, and with the existence of classes and levels, the simplest explanation to scuff it all up to would just be magic.

“Yes, is this something else ye don’t have in ye’r kingdom?”

“No, we don’t, we have stories of such things but we don’t have anything actually magical, nor anything like levels. There are people more or less proficient at different things and we have jobs. But not levels or classes.”

“Yet ye have heard of it through stories? How weird, ye think someone would manage to level if they knew of it.” Rosine said.

“It doesn't work that way. The stories are just that, stories, games, movies — not based in reality. But I have to agree that it seems weirdly similar, how this world works.” Alex considerably said.

“As for ye’r other class… [Globetrotter] ye called it? I have never heard of it. It must be a rather rare one. It’s a shame.”

“A shame — why? Wouldn't rarer classes be better?”

“Generally that’s true, people with rare classes can be attractive for employers. And they tend to give better stat-increases. But problems arise if it’s a class basically no one knows about.” Rosine promptly explained. “Firstly, a guild or [General] won't hire a class they don’t recognize, if there's not high incentives for it, not when there are a plethora of common classes they know perfectly well will suit their needs. Secondly, for ye’r scout class I can tell ye it increases ye’r endurance and speed stats, but this [Globetrotter] class ye need to find out by ye’rself what stats increases as ye gain levels. If ye choose to work as a scout, knowing ye’r strengths and weaknesses will affect the way ye fight. And lastly and most importantly, you will have trouble finding a mentor.”

“A mentor? What do I need a mentor for?”

“A mentor is someone proficient in a class, and the main way to obtain new skills. Anyone can impart skills they know to someone else of the same class type, it usually takes a bit of training, but it’s far easier than to learn skills by ye’rself. Ye can of course, but that takes a lot of time, insight into the class and honestly… luck. Having a mentor can save ye years of progress.” Rosine continually explained.

“I see, what about you three? Do you all have mentors?”

Treavor was the one to answer: “We do, I have members of our family to teach me. Aunt Rosine gets her mentoring through her guild. And Rue although a [Berserker] can be mentored by any [Warrior] class, he just can't learn everything that any one warrior class can offer, if it’s not another [Berserker].”

“...So, what if [Globetrotter] is a subclass of scout, shouldn’t I be able to learn from other scouts classes?”

“Ye can learn from another scout as you are one. But, [Globetrotter] is not a subclass since your [Scout] class would have been turned into the subclass and that usually happens at the earliest at level 20.”

“I see.” Alex was little discouraged by the news, he’d hoped he would get some great classes and first thought [Globetrotter] might be that class, but it seemed its rarity wasn’t in fact all that great. Still, he was happy with the class as he was pretty sure why he’d gotten it. He must have gotten it by coming from another world, a planetary world. In a way, it seemed as if an opening for Alex to find his way back home. Perhaps if he found a mentor he’d get some clues of how to return home. Perhaps they’d even be from his own world. He felt he finally had a goal in mind as he asked a weirdly sensitive question.

“What about a max level? Is there one?”

All three of the travelers froze as they heard Alex’s question. Alex felt like a murky air pushed down around them. Then Rosine sighed and regretfully explained. “There is a — cap, Level 64. The world's most powerful people are all level 64 in multiple classes. Each class can reach the cap. But as you can see by our reaction, it is not quite so simple… There is a true level cap as well, of level 512.”

“A true level cap?” Alex prodded.

“Yes, there exist 7 mages who grew their strength long ago. These people are ancient. And all far more powerful than anyone else in the world. Some worship them, some despise them, I am of the latter camp. Ye see, the reason the cap for everyone else is 64 is because of those 7 mages. They sciled us off from the higher levels claiming that it was for the safety of the world. So that not any crazy bastard would gain too much power and destroy the world.”

“That seems quite reasonable to me. Why wouldn’t you agree with them?”

“It does sound noble, the seven of them are all constantly working the seal, protecting the peoples of the world. However — that doesn't stop them from going insane. Four of the seven are said to be insane, and while they still pour most of their power into the seal they have caused immeasurable damage to their surrounding lands over the centuries. And that’s not to mention their eternal life, if you ask me that's why they did it. At that level, as mages, they are basically eternal beings. The only thing that can threaten their lives is someone at a similar level. But as long as the seal is up no such person can come to exist. I believe them to just be selfish wannabe demigods bastards.”

Treavor interjected “Don’t go talking such ill of them… they might not actually be gods, but they are as close to it as any person can get, people say the seven can hear things all over the world, and even if they can’t their fanatic followers won't have the slander.”

“True that… Only some of the most powerful kingdoms of the world openly oppose the seven. Their armies have soldiers, all with multiple classes at level 64, that’s the only way they can even attempt to stand against the seven.” Rosine said.

“And magic~ There’s the Archmages, they too are strong enough.” Rue added.

“They are, but they won’t fight the seven.”

“The archmages? What makes them so powerful?” Alex asked.

“They’ve broken through the level cap, the first one at least. The next one is at level 128. However, it’s said that they only managed it because they were let through by one of the seven. And if so, they wouldn’t ever go against their patron. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had to accept some magical bond too whoever let them pass the cap stopping them from ever attacking the seven.”

Alex wasn’t sure what to think of the seven or the world at large. But as the hours past the conversation grew less serious, they joked and laughed. The Travelers told of their family, the Lynniarch, and stories of Rue’s and Rosine’s adventure stories. But soon the fire dimmed and the four all tired and laid down to get some shuteye. As Alex drifted off to sleep he didn’t feel alone in this new world. He didn’t miss home — not desperately — he felt he had a purpose, he had levels, classes, and a reason to search the world. More than that he had an idea of where to search for a way back. He would find a mentor to his [Globetrotter] class. And even better, he had the [Scout] class to find one.