Hollow Earth Online - The Return of the Swordmaster

"Mr. Asriel… Mr. Asriel Sanchez!" The familiar voice of Advanced Algebra professor, Mr. Reyes, echoed through the room. A sudden realization hit me, I'm still in his class.

Rubbing my sleepy eyes, the situation became clear as his slightly annoyed tone requested solving the problem on the whiteboard.

A bit of embarrassment took hold while walking to the front, trying to gauge what was ahead. Fortunately, it turned out to be a simple task, finding the missing variable in the equation.

With the marker in hand, I quickly solve the problem.

He seemed a bit surprised that the answer was correct, considering the entire time he was teaching the lesson, my mind is on dreamland.

However, being my teacher since the first semester, he begrudgingly accepted it. "Mr. Asriel, you're pretty smart, but please try not to sleep in my class," he said.

"Sorry, sir," I said apologetically while nodding in embarrassment. It's possible that he's still a little upset about how well I did on those punishment exams back in the first semester.

The class arrived nearly half an hour late for Mr. Reyes's lesson, leaving him feeling confused and likely disrespected as he waited in an empty classroom.

He was furious when the Class Representative finally explained the situation.

Suddenly, Mr. Reyes announced that from now on, instead of regular classes, we would be having exams every session, starting with the material at the back of our textbook. 

The entire class felt disheartened, accepting our fate, especially those who were barely passing the previous exams.

Fortunately, my high school math courses were a bit advanced and covered most of it which let me score decently.

Returning to my seat, my friend Ash Ferrer chuckled softly, clearly trying to stifle his laughter. A glance in his direction led to the thought, "He didn't even bother to wake me up." Almost as if reading those thoughts, he replied, "You were sleeping so peacefully."

Just as the class was about to end, a scream echoed through the room. It came from outside, prompting a quick peek through the nearby window.

There, a familiar creature could be seen, a hideous monster straight out of the games, an Ogre equipped with a giant wooden club. Standing at about eleven feet tall, nearly twice the height of an average human, the Ogre towered over the students and professors fleeing in terror.

Suddenly, it hit me: this monster was one of the last few creatures I defeated in the game HEO before the beta test ended.

A level 30 monster from the wastelands, it had abnormal strength but lacked mobility. Something had been bothering me for a while, and now it became clear. Looking outside at the students fleeing from the monster, there was something that only existed in games, an HP (Health Point) bar hovering above everyone's heads.

Fear filled the air as the Ogre continued to thrash everything in its path with its club.

With no time to think, and knowing that the rampaging monster could injure or even take a student's life at any moment, there was no choice but to hurriedly walk out of the room.

No one noticed; everyone was in a deafening silence, transfixed by the horror unfolding outside. Dashing out of the building, instinctively navigating over my inventory, quickly equipping a unique sword and black cloak. In no time, I found myself facing the Ogre.

Despite the item rewards from HEO's leaderboard being in my inventory, my level was reset to one, a far cry from the previous level 39.

Concealing my identity with a cloak, I initiated a quick attack on the monster to divert its attention. The Ogre swung its enormous wooden club, but a swift dodge using my agile movement avoided the blow, moving into its blind spot.

Using the basic attack Sword Strike, a targeted blow was delivered to its right leg, inflicting a severe wound.

The creature staggered, emitting a high-pitched howl in pain.

Despite my level being only 1, my items compensated for the status difference: Kaleidoscope, my unique sword, and Oblivion, my black cloak.

Both items were acquired from a random box given by the GM (Game Master) during the final day of the Beta test after achieving the highest rank in the level and dungeon clear leaderboard. 

Kaleidoscope boosted all elemental output damage by two-fold, thanks to its unique trait Disparity, which multiplied the difference in levels by two and added the number to the user's strength.

The larger the level difference, the stronger the effect. 

On the other hand, Oblivion increased agility status by 30, doubling the agility bonus when strength was higher.

Additionally, the unique skill Ethereal rendered the player invisible and intangible for a short time. 

Despite using a non-elemental Sword Strike, the Ogre's right leg was shattered . As the Ogre began to kneel, I seized the opportunity, jumping onto the back of its neck and executing a vertical Sword Strike. The monster was instantly killed as its head almost detached from its body.

The Ogre's body disintegrated into thousands of mirror-like pieces, vanishing into thin air leaving a disgusting dark green blood . 

I then swiftly activated the unique skill Ethereal, blending into my surroundings and hurried back to the classroom. Ash noticed my entrance and asked, "Where did you go, Asriel?". "Just went to the restroom," I replied.

Ash then exclaimed, "Asriel, you just missed something cool! A mysterious swordsman defeated the giant monster". "Really?", quickly taking my seat. The class was still buzzing with confusion over what they had witnessed that morning, and we were dismissed early.

While making my way to my grandpa's house, my current residence, loud screams filled the air, accompanied by the frantic footsteps of thousands fleeing towards the eastern side of town.

"Head to the Ancient Pillar," a voice echoed in my mind, just before a deafening rumble shook the ground. The earth vibrates violently as a colossal pillar rises from the outskirts to the east of town.

As much as the urge to reach my parents' house on the eastern side of town pulled at me, another part of me knew better.

From the western side, a few Ogres could be seen just a short distance from the fleeing residents. The horizon glowed with a reddish hue as fires spread, and monsters assaulted both buildings and people.

Fists clenched and teeth gritted, while my eyes watched unfolding chaos. "My parents are smart; they'll find safety," I thought, reassuring myself while heading towards the western side of the town.

Without hesitation, I equipped my sword and put on my cloak, as I swiftly moved towards the western side of town.

Frustration fueled the speed, as I ran through the streets, driven by the determination to assist the fleeing residents. "Run towards the pillar!" I shouted while moving through the panicked crowd. The acrid smell of burning structures and the metallic scent in the air brought back memories of the past.

An Ogre was about to crush a group of people huddled together, I leaped into the air to perform a vertical downward Sword Slash, cutting through the ogre's arm.

Followed by a horizontal Sword Slash, targeting its legs and sending it crashing onto its back. The final move was a swift Sword Slash to its neck, severing its head.

Observing the bruised group, it became clear that one of their daughters had tripped, and the family had decided to stay with her, accepting their fate as the monster pursued them.

The father looked at me in shock, having lost sight of the monster. "Run!" I shouted, as more monsters approached.

"Head to the Eastern side and make your way to the Pillar "I continued as I pointed my hands to the towering pillar on the eastern outskirt.

The father hoisted his injured daughter onto his shoulder, and the family began fleeing eastward, clearly bewildered and frightened.

The scene resembled a battlefield, with mangled bodies and splattered blood everywhere. "

No time can be wasted; every second of delay risks another life," my thought as I charged towards the advancing monsters.

The sword dripped with the monsters' blood while continuing to fend off those attacking and pursuing the residents.

The flames had already engulfed half of the western town, saturating the air with the stench of burning flesh and blood.

Bloodred Salamanders, a level 40 fire breathing giant reptile, were feasting on corpses, while others spread fire throughout the area.

Despite the urge to wipe out every one of those nasty creatures, my current gear and level weren't up to the task.

Retreat is inevitable, deciding to head to the eastern side, I continued fighting off monsters along the way. By the time I reached the settlement near the Ancient Pillar, night had already fallen.

As I was about to search for my family, a burly hand suddenly grasped my left arm, it was Dad, waiting at the settlement entrance.

"You're safe!" he exclaimed, pulling in for a tight hug. "Where's Mom, Ladon, and Cleo?" came my immediate question.

"The twins are already asleep in one of the settlement houses with your mom," Dad replied. A deep sigh of relief followed, knowing they were all safe.

As steps were taken toward Mom's location, the settlement's resemblance to medieval homes in HEO became evident.

A bright yellowish orange hue lights up the place as torches around the settlement blaze.

Among the few thousand people there, many appeared frightened and confused by the situation. Yet, to a surprise, some were already setting up tents and cooking food for everyone.

The thought crossed the mind, "Some people are just built differently," while entering the house where Mom and my little siblings were staying.

Within days, everything beyond the ancient pillar's protective area transformed into overgrown ruins and wastelands teeming with monsters.

Mysterious labyrinths and dungeons began appearing out of nowhere. The monsters ravaged industries, farmlands, and barns outside the secured zones, leaving fields for food production in ruins.

Personal devices became useless at electricity and signals became unavailable.

Food shortages quickly became a critical issue, and the value of money plummeted to nothing.

Despite the widespread fear of venturing beyond the settlement, a few brave individuals who figured out how to access their inventory discovered that the monsters just a few hundred meters outside the protected area were relatively weak and could be easily defeated using the basic gear provided in everyone's inventory.

Although conventional human weapons like guns and explosives proved ineffective, these brave souls discovered that monsters dropped valuable items, including raw food and coins that could be used to purchase essential materials at the Ancient Pillar.

Word spread quickly throughout the settlement, and soon residents began hunting in the outskirts. Over the course of several weeks, a guild was established to regulate and support those venturing out to hunt monsters.

These individuals began to identify themselves as adventurers. Their consistent efforts in monster hunting helped alleviate food shortages, and some even found edible plants and fruits growing in nearby forests and along rivers.

A new monetary system emerged, with coins dropped by monsters becoming the currency for lodging, food, supplies, and daily necessities.

These coins were vital to adventurers, as they were needed to purchase basic gear, potions, and essential items for upgrading and learning new class-based skills. After a few weeks, people began to accept that the world they once knew had ended.

With the world resetting, everyone had to start from scratch, making the fame, wealth, and power of the old world almost meaningless. In this unfamiliar new reality, a revolution ignited, a race for humanity's survival.

At some point, a document titled "Guide to Hollow Earth Online" was distributed throughout the city. It offered basic survival information, including explanations of character seven base classes, status, skills, equipment, ailments, monsters, and the sudden appearance of the ancient pillar.

This guide became an essential information resource, helping adventurers prepare for and defeat stronger monsters as they ventured further from the Ancient Pillar.

A couple of months had passed since the Ancient Pillar appeared, and hunting monsters in the Forest of Illusion became my daily routine.

This mid-level hunting ground, located a few kilometers from the settlement, provided the perfect challenge. Unlike the game, where reaching level 39 took just a month, leveling up here required relentless effort.

The goal was to hit level 40, unlocking Unique Classes, specialized abilities accessible only through rare card drops from specific boss monsters, and only equippable by characters at level 40 or higher.

A week ago, during a rare encounter in the Graveyard of the Undead, I defeated a unique undead boss monster, Gravekeeper, level 40.

Although it took me a while to defeat it, to my surprise, it dropped a rare card containing the Unique Class Enchanter.

According to the card's details, this Unique Class combines swordplay and magic, offering high immunity to ailments and magic while enabling the use of instant and enhanced spells.

After spending hours hunting trolls in the forest, reaching level 40 finally became a reality.

A new interface appeared in the character status window: Class Card.

Holding the class card in hand, anticipation built, but nothing happened. Confused, my attention turned to the Class Card window, leading to a discovery, a message box popped up after clicking the question mark next to the Card Slot.

The instructions read, "To activate, the user must say 'Class Change' followed by the desired class while holding the card." Excitement surged as I uttered, "Class Change Enchanter!"

Suddenly, a bright light enveloped everything.

Catching a glimpse of the reflection in the nearby river brought shock, platinum blonde hair and emerald eyes stared back.

A quick check of character status revealed astonishing changes: all attributes had increased by 50%, along with magic resistance and ailment resistance, both now at 50%. Enchanter skills were split into two categories: offensive and defensive.

Offensive Skills include Sword Enchant, which enchants the weapon with an element based on the activated Aura; Elemental Burst, casting an area-of-effect (AOE) damage based on the character's maximum MP (Mana Points); and Elemental Eyes, allowing users to identify opponents' elemental weaknesses and see the spells names that is about to be cast.

Defensive Skills consist of Aura, providing the user with the ability to utilize elemental auras such as Flame for increased attack, Wind for enhanced mobility, Stone for heightened defense, Lightning for armor negation, and Water for improved regeneration ability.

Additionally, Stone Skin raises the user's physical resistance by 50% and can be cast on allies.

This class is versatile, and suitable for solo players like myself, though it brings to mind the class identical to that in Arcadia Online, which is less popular due to its lower damage output compared to other favored classes.

Given that the class was a physical/magical hybrid and heavily dependent on rare equipment to excel in higher-level hunting grounds, its drawback was the heavy reliance on mana for skills. However, increasing mana required allocating a significant amount of status points to INT( Intelligence ).

This posed a challenge as the class is primarily melee, and half of its damage is physical, which can only be boosted by allocating points to STR ( Strength ). 

After a brief moment, I revert to my base class, Warrior.

It's crucial to be cautious in this world and not reveal my true strength, even though it's relatively safe within the protected zone.

However, the situation is different outside; people both fear and envy power.

In this world, it's not just monsters that drop items upon death, adventurers do too.

When an adventurer dies, they lose not only their life but everything they own, including their equipment and inventory items.

To protect myself, it's crucial to grow stronger, stronger than most adventures, by constantly hunting monsters, leveling up, and collecting more powerful gear while keeping it hidden.

Right now, the average adventurer level is around 20, and it will be a while before anyone dares to enter the mid-level hunting zones.

On the way home, the idea of checking out the new food stall near the GuildHall came to mind. Rumors were circulating that they were selling skewers made from Red Boar drops, a treat the siblings would surely enjoy.

Upon arriving at the stall, the menu displayed a price of 20 copper coins per skewer. Two silver coins and 40 copper coins were enough to purchase a dozen skewers.

The cost seemed reasonable, given that most adventurers typically earn between seven and ten silver coins daily.

The first bite revealed a delightful flavor; the marinade made the meat tender and richly seasoned. Upon entering the house, Mom greeted with a smile, signaling that dinner was ready. Little brother's eyes lit up at the sight of the skewers.

"Big Brother, is that the skewer they were selling in the city?" he asked excitedly. "Yes, I believe so," came the reply with a smile.

As my little siblings enjoyed the skewers, a question arose about Dad's whereabouts. "He's already asleep; he was tired after working on the construction for the Adventurers Academy," Mom explained.

A week had passed since the guild master decided to establish a school for adventurers. Most adventurers, typically in their late teens, were ranked from F to A. F-rank served as the starting point, but promotion to E rank occurred after defeating a level 20 monster and selling its item drop to the guild.

My current rank is F, since the only drops I sold to the guild were from Red Boars at level 5 and Forest Wolves at level 7. To reach E rank, adventurers needed to defeat at least a couple of Undead Warriors at level 20.

Before entering the room, Mom handed over an invitation letter from Guild Master Gray. The letter invited attendance at the adventurer's school to prepare for the upcoming Monster Siege event.

The instructors, all ranked D or higher, offered a valuable chance to gauge the current strength of the city's adventurers.

It had also been two months since I last saw my good friend Ash, and knowing him, he'd likely be there too.