Parallel Vol. 1

A rat scurried across the dirtied floors of the deserted dungeon, nose scrunched in disgust at its deplorable state.

Many had died, becoming both food and shelter for the furry little creature, and it knew many more of the large creatures would soon perish becoming its food. It made its way into one of the cells where a dark-haired elf was sprawled across the floor, hair covering his face.

The little creature approached its potential meal cautiously, standing on its hind legs every few steps to see if there was a reaction. The elf however did not react to its taunts. It took a few steps closer, listening for the giveaway breath the elf was sure to make, but still no response.

Deciding its target was dead, it inched closer, whiskers away from his targets hair, but the prisoner lay motionless. It relaxed, but regretted the decision soon after.

The mass of hair moved too fast for the rat to react as sharp teeth bit down on its tail preventing it from fleeing.

Kashi grinned triumphantly as he picked it the squealing animal, then snapped its neck with his bare hands. The creature broke into a myriad of shining light, leaving its bones on his palm.

“That was close.” He sighed loudly, then sucked in a large breath. “Any longer and I would have failed,” he muttered releasing the air from his lungs.

“Good work,” a voice called from the cell next to his. “Now hand me those bones.”

Kashi obediently handed the bones to him through a small hole in the wall, praying his new-found companion did not betray him. That would suck.

As to what he was doing in the cell; The Markoth Empire lost the war because most of the adventurers had sided with Destia, lending them considerable battle force.

During the battle, the adventurers had been raised to very high levels, largely tipping the balance. When the battle was over, a light had shone on all of them transporting them from the battlefield.

When Kashi opened his eyes, he was in the dungeon, with no plausible way out, and he had been reverted to level one.

While in the dungeon, the man in the cell next to his had introduced himself as Leon, a thief who had been tossed in the dungeon when he tried to steal from the king. Unlike most of the other prisoners, he was human, and did not participate in the war.

Leon had offered his assistance, saying he could create a skeleton key but needed the bones of a small animal.

The rat could not have appeared at a better time.

In a traditional MMORPG, there were usually stats and skills. Stats usually being passive buffs for a player’s avatar that increased over time by using stat points or alternate methods.

Not to be confused with stats, are skills: They are active and usually consume mana or stamina before use. Unlike stats however, they usually can only be increased through continuous usage.

New stat: Stealth

Stealth: The ability to erase one’s presence and move unseen and unheard. Stat points may be distributed here but depending on avatar’s actions it may increase itself.

New skill learned: Play Dead

Play Dead : A basic technique used to hide the Inner Ki of its caster, and slow down one’s heartbeat. It is said that at the expert level, practitioners of this art can completely stop their hearts for lengthened periods of time.

Increases Stealth by 50%

Restriction: User must be stationary to activate.

Consumes 20 MP

Kashi clucked his tongue in surprise, as he stared at the ‘window’ while he waited for Leon to finish up. He had so easily learned a new skill without even trying and was equally pleased and shocked at the discovery.

What else could he learn, he wondered.

The sound of a gate creaking open shook him off his thoughts and he turned his cell door. A tall man with badly unkept brown hair and a massive beard stepped in front of his cell. He wore a tattered striped black and white jumpsuit that sagged loosely off his shoulders. The clothing was either too big or the man had shrunk to more than half his original size.

Kashi was inclined to believe the latter.

Leon fought with the lock on Kashi’s gate and heaved a sigh of relief when a ‘clack’ sound rung out. The door to the cell swung open and Kashi had to suppress an urge to dash out.

“Follow me and be quiet,” Leon said. He turned away from the cell and made his way towards the end of the hall. His voice was cracked and hoarse, most likely from the many years spent in the dungeon.

Kashi followed closely behind, and due to the sound of his feet hitting the hardened earth, he could not help but notice Leon’s feet made no sound at all. He seemed to glide across the floor,

“If it is not too bold of me, may I inquire as to how you move so softly,” Kashi asked, suppressing the desire to burst out laughing.

“How you ask?” Leon pondered on the question as they rounded a corner. He was trying his best to ‘feel’ the presence of any guards in the area. Either they were none or he had lost his touch. He prayed it was the former. “When you walk, try rolling your feet from heel to toe,” he said to Kashi

The young elf nodded enthusiastically following behind, attempting to ‘roll’ his feet as suggested.

New skill learned: Silent Feet

Silent Feet: A basic technique used to reduce the sounds of one’s footsteps. The great elder Wan-Ren was said to have run in a field of broken glass without a sound. Higher levels reduces cooldown time and increases skill time.

Raises Stealth by 2%

Muffles movement by 5%

Reduces movement speed by 50%

Duration (5 mins)

Cooldown time: 30 s

Yes! Kashi fist pumped in excitement. Rika had not been joking when she said the skills were limited to his imagination. He wondered what other skills he could learn as he activated <<Silent Feet>>.

He did not notice a drop in his movement, but that might have been because they were moving at a snail’s pace already, Leon stopping every few footsteps and looking ahead as if scanning the area.

Leon dodged the guards whenever he sensed them, and made it to the armory. Here he paused and told Kashi to pick a weapon.

The elf glanced over the few swords, spears and axes present. A few bows and arrows at the side caught his eye though. Deciding to go a different route, than usual, Kashi opted for the bow and picked one up. It was heavy, but not too heavy. He could definitely lift it. He notched an arrow onto the quiver and fired. The arrow pinned to the wall with a thunk. Satisfied, he slung a quiver of arrows over his shoulder followed by the bow.

You received Practice Bow

“Interesting choice,” Leon said, inspecting Kashi. “Not many would go for the bow and arrow, a weapon seen as an inferior projectile.”

“I am not most people,” Kashi replied, eyeing the bow. There was nothing special about the wooden weapon, but he felt like a brand new chapter could be opened in his life if he used it.

Leon outfitted himself with two short swords which he holstered at the sides of a belt he picked up, and two daggers he hid up his sleeves.

“We have two choices: we charge through the back or we sneak out the side,” Leon said when they were both ready. “The back has only a few guards and we should be done in a few minutes, although one of us will most likely fall. The other option is to scale the walls on the other side of this building. It’s both more risky and time-consuming. If we fail, we’ll both die. If we succeed however, we will both definitely survive. You choose.”

Kashi scratched his chin in thought, the bow weighing down on his shoulders. His eyes widened as an idea formed in his head. “Let us go around to the side.”

“Careful kid. I’m beginning to like you,” was Leon’s reply as he opened the armory door softly.

Leon peered through into the hallway, and when he did not feel any presence, he motioned to Kashi who followed closely behind, still using <<Silent Feet>>. The floor was cool against his feet, but he kept up the skill, determined.

The duo reached climbed a flight of stairs and Leon stopped in front of a steel door. He paused for a moment, seemingly lost in heavy thought; His expression was a mix of anticipation, fear and joy.

Kashi understood the reason for his pause when he opened the door. A blast of fresh air rushed in through the opening, and Leon sniffed back a tear as he stepped out the door. A soft breeze caressed the duo under the starless night-sky, washing away their fatigue with promise of freedom.

Leon broke out of his reverie and motioned for Kashi to follow behind. They were atop the surrounding wall of a garrison. The sounds of hearty laughter could be heard in the courtyard below them, oblivious to the escaping prisoners.

Leon stopped when he saw two guards with their backs to them, leaning over the wall chatting heartily. He pulled his dagger from its holster but Kashi grabbed his wrist shaking his head.

Sighing, the older man sheathed the dagger and the duo crept up behind the guards. On Leon’s signal, they attacked. Leon quickly disabled his mark, by hitting him at the base of his exposed neck.

Kashi copied the older man but he lacked the strength to completely knock out his mark who fell to his knees. The guard looked up at him with shock and anger and opened his mouth to shout. His scream was cut short by a punch from Kashi to his chin, followed swiftly by many more till he was quiet.

New Skill: SIlent Takedown

Passive skill: Silent Takedown

Silent Takedown: Attacking an enemy while under stealth increases critical hit chance. If hit from behind, damage is doubled. Critical hit while under Stealth triples damage.

Critical rate (+30%)

Kashi closed the window that opened without so much as a glance. He could tell they were at the core stage of the escape. Following closely behind Leon, they silently took out any guards in their path as they traversed the wall, until Leon came to a halt.

“This is where we descend.” Leon peered over the wall. Kashi joined him and noticed a stable of horses right below them. Four guards were directly below engaged in conversation. There was another one within earshot of the others close to the horses. “I can take out those four without a sound. The problem is the last one by the horses. I can’t reach him once I descend.”

“Leave him to me,” Kashi said, bow in hand.

“Alright,” Leon agreed. “Once I go, fire.”

Kashi nodded and notched the arrow. He raised the weapon, pointing the drawn arrow towards the stray guard. Leon jumped down the side of the wall, which was several meters high, cushioning his fall with two of the guards. Before the others could react, he folded his fingers, leaving his palm open and hit the two guards on their chin, , stunning them, finishing them off by smacking their heads together.

The one by the stables had heard the initial fall and would have been on Leon before he regained his composure if not for the arrow that dug deep into his abdomen. Its sender was quite weak so it did not threaten his life, but it had stunned him nonetheless. A shadow covered his vision and he fainted as Leon kicked him in the face.

New skill: Bow Mastery

Bow Mastery: Those who seek to pierce the heavens with their arrows. Critical rate and damage increases with increase in level.

New Skill Learned: Power Shot

Straight Shot: A single shot in a straight line fired from a fully drawn bow.

(Bow & Arrow Skill)

Critical rate increased by 2.5%

Increases Damage by 20%

New Skill: Penetration

Penetration: Increases the chances of piercing through armor.

Piercing Damage +5

Chance to Ignore armor +5%

Once again Kashi shut down the window without paying too much attention.

Leon found a rope in the stable and tossed it to Kashi who used it to climb down the wall.

Leon handed him a brown stallion, himself opting to ride a spotted one. Kashi mounted the horse impressed by the reality. The horse was well-trained so it did not fight back much.

Another window opened but Kashi shut that one before he could even see its contents. Controlling the horse was hard enough on its own, but having to follow closely behind Leon who had broken into a full run proved challenging.

They rode well into the night for what felt like hours until they reached a cliff where Leon stopped and dismounted. Kashi joined him, question in his eyes.

“We’re free now,” Leon whispered. A huge sigh of relief escaped his lips as he fell on his back and lay on the grass.

“We are?” Kashi asked sitting next to him. The horses grazed on the grass nearby.

“Just crossed the boundary. They won’t chase us this far.”

The horizon lit up in a bright orange flame, illuminating a magical sight beyond. A town with a giant tower of glass in the middle which captured the flame, and burst it out like a fountain of light. The rising sun had never been so beautiful.

As if agreeing with him, a gentle breeze blew across the field, and for the first time since entering the world, Kashi was impressed by the realism before him. Yes, he could live in this world, he thought.

“Beautiful right?” Leon gazed at the landscape with a look of pure bliss.

“What’s that?” Kashi asked, pointing at the glass tower.

“Cat’s Glass. The famous tower in the town of Kerta; our final stop.”

“Um... Leon-san”

“Still with the formalities? Just call me Leon.” He shrugged, exasperated by the young elf’s polite speech.

“Okay. Thank you for everything you have done, Leon.” Kashi clasped his hands together and bowed.

“O-Oi! D-Don’t go thanking me!” Leon spluttered, embarrassed. “I could not have escaped without your help either so it’s fine.”

The duo got on their horses, and trotted leisurely towards Kerta. They spent the ride chatting amicably about what to do once they reached civilization.

It’s truly beautiful.