Hollow Earth Online - The Return of the Swordmaster

A few days after the city's celebration, I ventured alone into the Wasteland of Riviera and headed northwest to locate the people our scouts had observed.

Along the way, I hunted down a few ogres, and even the field boss Cyclops succumbed to my sword. 

After traversing the wasteland for a few minutes, I came across a massive ancient tree.

Beneath its towering branches lay a cluster of structures made of bricks and stones.

Within moments, I found myself standing in front of a town with a radius of several kilometers.

Clad in my highest-quality gear – a titanium light armor set crafted by our city's blacksmith head Ori – and wielding my two unique gear, Kaleidoscope and Oblivion, I entered the town.

The residents, appearing somewhat cautious, had slightly slender frames compared to our city's inhabitants.

As I surveyed the area, I came across a tavern near the base of the giant tree, where some well-equipped residents had gathered.

Upon entering the tavern, a woman warmly greeted me with, "Welcome to Castor Tavern."

Taking a seat, I ordered a glass of orange juice. A few poorly equipped residents, clearly intoxicated, approached me. 

One of them, a drunk man, questioned, "What does a kid like you doing here in our small, isolated town?" He grabbed my shoulder, inspecting my equipment.

"You've got quite the gear, kid! Maybe you've got some extras for us," he slurred.

Before I could respond, a young man intervened, removing the drunkard's hand.

"You should cut out this nonsense, Alfred," he commanded. "Leader?!" he exclaimed in surprise.

"I'm just welcoming the young traveler and asking if he could lend us some equipment," he defended. 

"Sorry, Big Brother Asriel, they were just upset about our loss yesterday," the young man uttered.

Upon closer inspection, I recognized a familiar face. "It's been a while, Earl," I said happily.

"Big Brother?" Alfred repeated, clearly confused.

"I thought you only have a sister, Leader?" one of the geared residents inquired.

"He's my older cousin, whom I used to play with in Arcadia Online," Earl explained calmly.

The people who had approached me suddenly went on their knees, asking for forgiveness.

"Forgive us, Big Bro Asriel!" they pleaded. I asked them to stand up, assuring them that everything was okay.

"Earl, this town's protective barrier only shields people from monsters, doesn't it?" I inquired.

"You're right, Brother Asriel. It only protects us from monsters but not from fellow adventurers," he responded.

That explained why they both feared and respected Earl, even though he was just in his late teenage years.

"We should head to my house and catch up. I'm sure my parents and sister would love to see you," he suggested.

"Sure," I replied, taking a couple of sips of my orange juice before heading to Earl's house. 

While walking on the remote side of the town, I asked, "What's your current level, Earl?" He answered in a somewhat sad tone, "I just reached level 29 yesterday."

"Mage class?" I inquired. "Of course," he affirmed.

We continued our walk in silence until we reached his home.

Aunt Liz and Uncle Ben were surprised to see me.

They hugged me warmly and asked about my parents and siblings, turning our meeting into a small reunion.

Little May approached me, looking a bit thin and malnourished as she sat on my lap. 

I exchanged a concerned look with her parents.

"We've been experiencing a shortage of food supply since the monsters became stronger and could only be taken down by several adventurers working together," Earl explained.

"Savage Bear meat was the only available food source, but they were level 20.

It was only about a week ago that we managed to hunt enough Savage Bears to have sufficient meat for the whole town," he continued.

"Some of the residents died while hunting the Savage Bears, and the situation only improved after Earl took on the role of leader during the hunts," Uncle Ben added.

"At first, we were unsure how to deal with a level 20 monster, but then Earl came up with a clever idea to bait them into falling to trapping pits.

Slowly, we gained enough levels to hunt them on our own," explained Uncle Ben.

"Although we can gather several herbs near the Castor Tree, it wasn't sufficient to satisfy the hunger of the entire town," added Aunt Liz.

I'm glad I brought plenty of food supplies, I thought. Opening my inventory, I began pulling out meats, vegetables, and grains.

Little May's eyes sparkled, while Earl, Aunt Liz, and Uncle Ben looked shocked.

Placing Little May on a wooden chair beside the dining table, I served up five portions of my favorite dish: fried Sand Fowl with teriyaki sauce and rice, along with the vegetable salad my mom made.

"For now, let's eat," I suggested. Little May happily started eating her share. "It's delicious, Big Brother Asriel," she exclaimed.

After the delightful meal, Earl invited me to his room.

"Brother Asriel, you also played the Beta Test of Hollow Earth Online, didn't you?" he asked. "I did," I replied. "That explains how strong you are.

I can tell there's no way you traversed the Wasteland of Riviera without being at least level 55 or more," he stated.

I understood why he never asked my level; he already had an idea of what it was.

"Didn't you receive any rewards from participating in the closed beta test?" I inquired. "I did, but only one item was useful to me, and it wasn't a great item for the beginner level," he uttered.

Then he showed me an item: the Hat of the Wandering Sage. Stats: Increase Int by 20.

Unique Skill: Knowledge of a Sage allows the user to have an additional level of 10 for a short time and avoid fatal damage. Cooldown 24hrs.

Unique Skill: Wisdom of a Sage allows the user to use skills for 30 seconds for only 30% of the MP cost. Cooldown 12hrs.

"It's a good item, but you need high-level skills and some items to utilize it to its potential," I whispered.

"That's true, it's a very good item," he said in agreement.

He then presented another item he had obtained: Durandal, one of the legendary weapons in Arcadia Online.

Durandal, one of the Original Unbreakable swords.

"I was hesitant to use it since I don't have enough levels and experience in the Warrior class.

Moreover, a player killer from Arcadia Online might be among our residents, endangering my parents and sister," he explained.

"I was waiting for you all this time, Big Bro, to give you this sword," he said. "In the hands of Arcadia's number one Swordmaster, a legendary sword like Durandal can overcome any adversity," he uttered as he extended the item for a trade.

Understanding his feelings and the challenges he faced to present me with this sword, I opened my inventory and added a staff to the trade menu: Swift Staff.

This item would complement Earl's Hat of the Wandering Sage perfectly.

After confirming the trade, I witnessed Earl's eyes light up with excitement.

Swift Staff, with stats that increased Agility by 20 and the Equipment Effect of Quickcast, allowing instant casting of offensive spells that were 10 levels below the user.

"I've also been saving that item for you, Earl," I mentioned. "Thanks, Big Bro Asriel!" Earl exclaimed, giving me a beaming smile.

I examined Durandal's legendary effects: a Legendary sword that increased Vitality and Strength by 1 every level of the user, with the Effect of being Unbreakable, shattering only upon the user's death.

Unique and legendary weapons like Kaleidoscope and Durandal have the ShapeShift ability, allowing the swords to alter its form depending on the current class of the user.

But it's only limited sword type variety since Kaleidoscope and Durandal base form is a one hand sword.

It also possessed a Unique Skill called Heroic Order, boosting all allies' stats by 100% for 60 seconds, with a cooldown of 24 hours.

Additionally, it had a Forbidden Skill, Conqueror's Light, which increased the user's stats by 10% for every player in a party, platoon, and alliance for 60 seconds. 

This skill could only be used once, and the sword would shatter after the effect ended.

"An unbreakable sword that shatters after fulfilling its purpose; it has quite a contradiction, but I like it," I mused to myself.

In Arcadia Online, Forbidden skills are regarded as anomalies, game-breaking abilities that are highly coveted.

These skills are extremely rare and very difficult to obtain, often considered mere myths within the game. 

However, for those who manage to acquire them, Forbidden Skills are seen as a last resort.

Despite their immense power, they come with extreme cooldowns and severe backlash, sometimes leading to the destruction of both the user and their enemies.

I proceeded to show Earl Kaleidoscope and Oblivion, both of which left him amazed at their stats. Then I revealed the Enchanter Class Card, and I could see his eyes sparkle.

"If only this item existed in Arcadia Online, the Enchanter class would be powerful enough to be on par with the Ultimate Classes," he remarked. 

The Enchanter Class, considered a frontline support class in Arcadia Online, was not very popular due to its lack of damage, making its kits weaker compared to Advanced Classes.

However, it held importance as a crucial support class in Guild Wars.

Engrossed in our conversation, we lost track of time, and it was already late noon when I emerged from Earl's room. Outside, I noticed a gathering of people surrounding the house.

Aunt and Uncle had begun distributing food supplies to their fellow residents.

As I stepped out, I received nods of gratitude and words of thanks from the people.

A small girl expressed her happiness, thanking me for the food. Earl informed me that she had lost her father in their early days while hunting for food. In a somber tone, I acknowledged her strength.

Curious about the events of the previous day, I inquired about any challenges they faced.

Earl shared that they had failed to clear a level 40 hunting ground a few kilometers west of the town. Fortunately, no comrades were lost, but most of their weapons and equipment were damaged.

Realizing why their gear was in poor condition that morning, I mused on the difficulty they encountered.

Earl revealed that the dungeon featured Lizardmen, mostly at level 25 and equipped with light armor. 

The primary threat was the Bloodred Salamander at level 40, known for its immunity to flame-based skills and high elemental resistance.

The same type of monster that burned my hometown to the ground.

Understanding the challenging situation, I tried to console Earl, acknowledging the unfairness of the encounter.

He expressed his determination to face the challenge, even though it seemed almost impossible.

In response, I suggested tackling the Lizardmen together the next day, emphasizing the convenience of using a portal to access hunting zones near our city.

Earl agreed and rushed toward the Castor Tavern to assemble his team for the upcoming hunt.

Determined not to abandon my cousin and second-in-command, especially after just reconnecting with him, I silently affirmed my commitment.