Hollow Earth Online - The Return of the Swordmaster

On a chilly morning, as I was making my way to the academy for the first time, someone suddenly tapped my left shoulder.

Turning to face the person, I heard a friendly voice. "Asriel, good morning!" Ash greeted me with joy. He was donned in leather armor crafted from the hide of a Great Wolf, level 15 , and a sheathed steel blade, a drop from a Rock Golem, level 30 in the Abandoned Mines far south of the city, hung at his waist. His equipment alone was worth a couple of gold coins.

As expected, my friend sported a bronze insignia on his right chest, attesting to his status as an E-rank adventurer. He glanced at me with concern. 

In contrast to his well-equipped attire, I was clad in simple leather armor crafted from Forest Wolf hide, with an iron blade secured at my waist, a drop from a Undead Warrior, level 20, commonly found at the entrance of the Graveyard of the Undead.

The equipment I wore was roughly valued at fifty silver coins.

As we entered the school gate, we made our way to the assembly hall. It was teeming with students, mostly F ranks and around twenty E ranks. On the stage, Guild Master Gray and seven adventurers with silver insignias were visible.

These were the D-rank adventurers of our city. Following Guild Master Gray's welcome speech, the students were divided into seven groups, each consisting of approximately thirty members.

We were designated to class 1-A under the instruction of Professor Klein Ironheart, a rank D Brawler. 

Brawlers primarily rely on their fists equipped with knuckles, excelling in close-quarter combat and boasting high defense.

Professor Klein led us to our classroom, situated on the first floor at the far end of the hallway. I chose a seat in the far back corner, with Ash taking the one right beside me.

Many of my classmates were familiar faces from my first semester in college. Professor Klein introduced himself and then asked us to introduce ourselves to the class.

Our class had three D ranks, including Ash. The other two were Lucas Briggs, a fellow Warrior, and Cain Alder, a D-rank Assassin. Assassin is a class that depends on high mobility and reflexes, primarily employing shortswords and daggers.

They excel in sneak attacks, with their main emphasis on agility. I was about to introduce myself when a voice echoed around the room, Lucas.

"Hey, Asriel, it seems that being smart doesn't help you become a strong adventurer," he remarked, referring to the iron insignia on my chest.

I chose to ignore him and continued with my introduction.

My impression of Lucas is an average guy with excessive pride and a penchant for showing off.

Failing a couple of subjects clearly wounded his ego.

"Mr. Ferrer, it seems your friend lacks the courage to fight stronger monsters," Lucas added. "Stop it, Mr. Briggs! I don't condone malicious behavior in my class," Professor Klein uttered in a rough voice.

Lucas fell silent, and for a moment, I felt his glare directed at me.

The class continued, and we were given pamphlets for the upcoming lessons and training.

At the end of the class, we were asked to group up with five members.

Ash and I were in the same group, along with two girls, Claire Ashfall, a Healer, and Rain Campbell, an Archer.

Our last member was Neil Ashfall, a Mage, who is Claire's twin brother and Ash's cousin. Ash suggested that we have dinner together after class to discuss the practical exam tomorrow.

Everyone agreed, and we went to a nearby restaurant, the Bellflower Diner, which is owned by Rain's family.

 It was my friend Ash's treat, so I ordered something that looked tasty, fried Sand Fowl with teriyaki sauce and rice.

Sand Fowl are level 15 bird-like monsters that are abundant in streams and wastelands. They can't fly but run pretty fast and have sharp beaks and talons.

After our dinner, we discussed our strategy for the practical exam scheduled for tomorrow. 

The exam involves defeating the field boss of the Black Swamp, the Goblin King, a level 19 monster wielding a two-handed greatsword.

It's accompanied by several level 16 Goblins. Although the Goblin King is a low-level field boss, it can't be easily handled by just a couple of rank E adventurers, as they may get overwhelmed by hordes of goblins. 

Field boss has higher stats compared to higher level normal monsters.

They have rare skills that are pretty dangerous if you're not prepared.

We finalized our basic formation, with Ash and me as the vanguard, and Claire, Rain, and Neil as the rearguard. Before heading home, we visited the ancient pillar and a nearby adventurer's shop to purchase some provisions. 

On a sunny morning, we reached the entrance of the Black Swamp, being the first group to take the exam.

There was a sense of concern among us, including my friend Ash. "Don't worry; as long as we stick to the plan and don't panic, we can pass this exam easily," I reassured them.

They glanced at me, offering a weary smile. I couldn't blame them; even with Ash in our group, we were only F ranks, and we just met the minimum recommended adventurer rank to tackle the Black Swamp.

The purpose of this exam is to boost everyone's confidence and foster teamwork.

"Take your time and return home safely," cheered our professor, giving my shoulder a reassuring tap.

Our group ventured into the swamp, where tall trees and bushes surrounded us, and the murky water stained our boots and the muddy ground slowed our movement as we moved forward. 

Soon after, a group of Goblins appeared ahead of us.

Ash and I swiftly drew their attention by launching our attacks.

The goblins were armed with short swords and small wooden shields, and one in the back wielded a bow. It fired an arrow at me, but I swiftly evaded it using Dash.

Rain responded by shooting the goblin with the bow directly in the head, killing it instantly.

Archers, with their high dexterity, excel in using ranged weapons like short and long bows, boasting exceptional accuracy.

Despite their lack of defensive capabilities, they prove deadly in ranged battles. Ash took care of two Goblins, while I dispatched the other two with my sword.

After dealing with a few more goblins amid the bushes and trees, we took a brief rest in a nearby mangrove, enjoying some snacks.

I brought out two sandwiches with grilled Red Boar meat, each filled with a bit of lettuce and tomatoes.

I handed one to Claire since she had forgotten to bring her food. She thanked me as she quietly enjoyed the meal.

After a few minutes, we proceeded to the location of the Goblin King, who was guarded by at least a dozen Goblins. 

The plan was to draw the goblins away from the Goblin King's group, allowing Neil to finish them off with his AOE ( Area-of-Effect ) spell, Ice Shard, a water element spell that shoots shards of ice in an area, dealing a decent amount of damage but requiring some casting time.

While Ash lured the hordes of goblins, I focused on holding the attention of the Goblin King. Initially, Ash wanted to take on that role, but I couldn't risk putting my friend in such a dangerous position.

I faced the Goblin King once when I was level 10, and even with Kaleidoscope and Oblivion, I couldn't defeat it with just a single slashes.

The Goblin King possesses a unique skill called Berserk, allowing it to endure attacks and continue to strike with double the speed and power for a certain duration.

This skill activates when the Goblin King's HP falls below a critical threshold.

 Skillfully dodging the Goblin King's attacks while Rain provided cover from a distance with her bow. The greatsword, a two-handed weapon wielded by the Goblin King, boasted tremendous attack power but came with the drawback of extreme weight.

As the Goblin King swung its sword, trees splintered and the ground trembled.

After dodging its swings, I managed to land a few slashes on the monster.

Moments later, its HP reached a critical point, causing it to take on a reddish hue due to the Berserk skill. Ash was still dealing with a couple of goblins, and Neil seemed to be running low on mana. 

The Goblin King lunged at me with incredible speed, and I narrowly avoided its attack before it executed a vertical downward slash towards me.

Unable to evade the attack since one of my feet is stuck on the muddy ground, I had no choice but to use Sword Parry, resulting in a tenth of my HP being lost and a third of my sword's durability being depleted.

I needed to endure until Berserk's effect wore off. The Goblin King swung its greatsword furiously at me, and I managed to narrowly evade most of the attacks after freeing my feet.

 However, upon utilizing the third Sword Parry, my sword shattered, and half of my HP vanished. As I was about to equip Kaleidoscope, a human figure suddenly appeared in front of me – it was Ash. Finally, as Berserk lost its effect, Ash executed a level 25 skill, Sword Thrust, creating a big hole in the Goblin King's chest and ending its life.

Glancing around, I noticed Claire running toward us, her eyes teary. Without hesitation, she cast Bless, a vital skill for healers, which provides a percentage-based HP recovery for a certain duration, on herself and our allies.

Ash cast an apologetic gaze my way, but I reassured him, "It's okay, buddy. You did your job well." I then expressed my gratitude, saying, "And thanks for saving me." His face lit up with a smile. 

Gathering around the drops of the Goblin King, we needed to provide our professor, Klein Ironheart, with the Goblin King's Necklace – a common drop – to pass the exam.

Fortunately, the Goblin King dropped a greatsword and a dozen gold coins, a rare item with a one-in-a-hundred chance.

Deciding to sell it at the guild since none of us used a greatsword, Rain enthusiastically estimated its value at least a hundred gold.

"Before that, it would be at least $20,000," she added. I stored the greatsword in my inventory and headed back.

Professor Klein awaited us at the entrance of the Black Swamp, smiling. Congratulating us on passing the exam, he mentioned that he had been observing us the entire time.

I had glimpsed him when we were about to confront the Goblin King. I assumed he would step in to aid his students if they made a mistake.

Claire handed the Goblin King's Necklace to the professor.

After selling the Goblin King's Greatsword, I divided the reward evenly among the group. Ash and the twins went home, while Rain headed to the market to make some purchases.

With some gold in my pocket, I bought a couple of portions of fried Sand Fowl and a dozen Red Boar skewers. On my way home, I realized that relying on cheap, low-level equipment could eventually prove fatal.

Since my group knew I had the funds, it made sense to start using better equipment from my inventory, no one would raise suspicions.

With that in mind, I equipped my new armor and sword, which were worth at least five gold.

The next morning, we had a day off from class. Eager to test my new class, Enchanter, even before the sun rose, I headed to the new hunting ground I discovered after clearing the Graveyard of the Undead.

It was a few kilometers away, stumbled upon it while exploring for a new leveling spot. The Wasteland of Riviera is a level 30-50 zone filled with gigantic monsters, including Ogre, level 30, Boulder Troll, level 40, mini boss Iron Golem, level 45, and its field boss, Cyclops, lvl 50.

I took my time earlier to activate the gate at the entrance, so the next time I return, I won't have to hike to get there.

"Transfer: Wasteland of Riviera," I commanded as I stepped into the gate located in the middle of the city. A blinding light surrounded me, and in an instant, I found myself standing in front of the gate, right at the entrance to the Wasteland of Riviera.

Inherently switching to my highest equipment set. Holding Enchanter's Class card in my right hand, and chanted, "Change Class: Enchanter!" As I strolled through the apocalyptic landscape, filled with crumbling buildings and wrecked cars, a harsh reality struck me.

This was the neighboring town located a few miles away from the city I called home. It became clear that places without the protection of the ancient pillars ended in the same fate as my old hometown, destroyed and left abandoned, devoid of any remnants of life from the old world. 

As I navigated past several car wrecks, I unexpectedly stumbled upon a familiar location – the spot where we used to shop for groceries during my visits to my aunt's house, playing with my cousin Earl Brooks.

I hope they're doing well, but knowing him, he's probably immersed in leveling up like a madman in his favorite class, Mage. 

Mages, characterized as glass cannons, boast extreme firepower but are quite fragile. They rely on obliterating enemies with long-range spells before the opponents can even land a hit. Back in the Arcadia Online days, we teamed up frequently.

I played as a Warrior, and he had my back as a Mage. Together, we effortlessly cleared most lower and middle floors.

 However, as we ascended to the upper floors, where the monsters' movement and attack algorithms changed, it became challenging for a two-person party.

That's when we decided to establish a guild, known as the "Endless," with me as the Guild Master and Earl as the Vice.

Our mission was to assist solo players stuck on middle floors, inviting them to join the guild and play together. Over time, the guild expanded, growing larger and larger, until we had a full raid party tackling the top floors.

It was a time filled with fun memories and thrilling adventures.

A few years ago, Earl and I engaged in an intriguing conversation about one of his school subjects, particularly the physics topic of "Schrödinger's Cat." According to the Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger, when you place a cat and something that could potentially harm the cat in a sealed box, you wouldn't know whether the cat was dead or alive until the box was opened.

Therefore, until the box is opened, the cat is theoretically both "alive and dead."

Earl had an assignment to create an essay connecting Schrödinger's Cat to the Parallel Universe Theory. As the weekly maintenance of Arcadia Online had just commenced a few hours ago, we had some downtime to focus on our schoolwork.

"So, the Parallel Universe Theory, commonly known as the multiverse theory, posits the existence of parallel worlds," I remarked.

However, we lack a means of observing these alleged Parallel Worlds or validating their existence.

If we apply it to Schrödinger's Cat and position ourselves as one of the possibilities where the cat is alive, doesn't that imply that we are just one of the myriad potentialities?

Moreover, if we liken the sealed box to the fifth dimension, which is challenging to directly observe, what if we suddenly became aware of the other possibility?

Consider a scenario where there exists a world encompassing all four dimensions, from the first to the fourth, and we can observe it. Earl pondered, "Wouldn't this lead to a convergence of worlds if the other world also became aware of our existence?

Since both worlds become observers without opening the sealed box, the hypothetical state of the cat being both alive and dead would cease."

Our intriguing conversation concluded as my aunt, Earl's mom, entered the room carrying our lunch.

Following the hearty meal, we spent some time in Arcadia Online after the maintenance, assisting our new guild members, and then before long I returned home. 

Engrossed in contemplation, a colossal shadow engulfed me entirely. Just as a massive club swung toward me, I hastily muttered, "Ethereal" The club passed through my body, striking a crumbling building instead.

An Ogre loomed before me, perplexed as it searched for its elusive target. With Kaleidoscope gripped in my right hand, I intoned, "Flame Aura! Sword Enchant!" The formerly colorless, glass-like sword now glowed ruby red. 

Dispelling Ethereal, I leaped behind the Ogre and executed a vertical sword slash. The sword seared through the Ogre, reducing it to ashes.

A fleeting thought crossed my mind, perhaps it was an overkill.

However, sentimentality had no place; it was time to persist in leveling up within this merciless death game.

With that determination, I ventured deeper into the Wasteland of Riviera.