Chapter 2 Outclassing Thy Former Self

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The moment Kieran connected to the game world, he was greeted by an empty room with a cerulean backdrop that was so faint it neared the color white. However, as someone who had gone through this process before, Kieran understood what to expect.

Each player’s journey began with a simple character configuration process before they could truly connect to the world of Zenith Online. After all, the makers couldn’t just send them inside without basic knowledge regarding their upcoming experiences inside Zenith Online.

Eventually, a small creature resembling a mythical creature of legend known as faerie appeared before Kieran out of seemingly nowhere. It circled his body repeatedly as if they were observing and recording all the information and attributes related to this individual. Only after a few revolutions did the faerie stop, blink, and draw a rectangular outline in the air.

“Tell me, what is your name or the name you desired to be known as? Keep in mind that this decision can’t be reversed. The name you choose will continue to stick with you.” The faerie said while continuing to move her hand in the same motion. The only difference now was that her focus shifted to the inside of the rectangular structure.

Rather than watch her movements, Kieran rubbed his chin in thought while muttering to himself. ‘Does a name really hold any significance? I’ve never spared this any attention in the past, but perhaps that was a mistake. Something… something…’

Eventually, Kieran decided upon a name, one that felt befitting of his grand plan. In addition to gaining a second chance to flourish more than he ever could, he also would see to it that his enemies, namely those who betrayed his trust, would receive their just desserts.

Therefore, Kieran glanced up and looked at the circle composed of some type of Grand Faerie Magic and answered. “Aatrox.”

Loosely translated, this name meant the one deemed savage, terrible, cruel, or even merciless. Based on the emotions buried inside Kieran, why he chose a name like this was understandable. However, determining how exactly he would conduct himself or enact his acts of vengeance was something for him to decide alone.

Immediately after, a ring of energy enveloped Kieran’s body, scanning his body from head to toe. The circle dissipated after a few seconds leaving the tiny creature slightly shocked.

‘That’s odd… it’s extremely rough but why does his spirit seem so strong? When has a human displayed such a high spirit with zero strengthening? This resembles information recorded in the Queen Mother’s information trove.’

Amidst her shock, the little creature merged the information gained from the ring with the earlier mystical structure. However, her astonishment deepened when she received the finalized feedback regarding the attributes of the individual before her.

‘Oh my days! This mere human is presenting signs of intense perceptivity at least three times stronger than the average human? You’d expect this from a member of my race, not a human. It’s truly a waste for him to be a human, but, oh well. What’s done is done.’

Although the faerie tried to tell herself otherwise, she still sighed disappointedly. It was rare for a human to rival a faerie with having their soul strengthened externally.

Nevertheless, she still imparted the information to Kieran, giving him a general idea of why the faerie was so shocked.

Kieran immediately understood there was something amiss with his stat. While most of his stats fit the standard threshold for a beginner character, two apparent anomalies couldn’t be ignored.

…

「Name: Aatrox

Lv.1 (Experience: 0/100)

Class: None

Title(s): None

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[?Stats?]-

Health: 140/140 (0.2 HP regen/sec)

Mana: 75/75 (0.15 MP regen/sec)

Stamina: 102 (0.1 Stamina regen/sec)

Attack Power: 22

Defense: 13

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[?Attributes?]-

?Strength: 10 (10 + 0 + 0)

?Intelligence: 9 (9 + 0 + 0)

?Agility: 10 (10 + 0 + 0)

?Endurance: 8 (8 + 0 + 0)

?Control: 25 (25 + 0 + 0)

?Vitality: 8 (8 + 0 + 0)

?Perception: 30 (30 + 0 + 0)

[Unassigned Stat Point: 4]

[Skill Points: 2] 」

’25 points in Control and 30 points in Perception? Is this correct?’ Kieran wondered.

Under normal circumstances, the basic stats given upon character creation were typically capped at ten. This was to keep a specific difficulty between leveling up since players could form teams to increase leveling efficiency provided that everyone pulled their weight correctly.

What’s more, it was difficult to reach the peak of the numbers because the analysis factored in the brain waves fed to the VR device and the condition of the body in the real world through a thorough scan. These factors then determined the starting attributes of a player’s character.

However, in the presence of an extremely powerful mind, the state of one’s natural body played a minimal role when truly determining the beginning stats. Instead of judging the body, the evaluation system would reward parameters that were within the unique individual’s capacity to control.

Therefore, the most important ability of all was the ability to manage their character properly. Then again, only a healthy body could support a healthy mind and vice versa.

Still, Kieran’s extra parameters would be a slight shock to anyone who witnessed them. The VR helmets in current circulation didn’t allow for perfect sensory emulation, so it meant one’s mind needed to function abnormally high to achieve exceptional effects.

At max, the VR Helmet in Kieran’s possession would replicate 90% of the sensations felt in the real world. It would take ample time for the average person with ordinary stats to become accustomed to the sensory disparity present in the basic virtual body.

Only someone whose mind was powerful enough to at least receive maxed-out stats in the four Attributes directly pertaining to the movement of one’s body would have a relatively easy time adjusting.

Unsurprisingly, Kieran’s reaction wasn’t drastic because he expected an abnormality in these two stats. During his first life, his Perception was 17, and his Control was 13. In truth, he expected those stats to be mirrored, which they were, except they were even more bizarre than before.

“It’s a shame that you are a human, but with your current stats, I suggest you take the path of magic. Find someone suitable to be your teacher and let them guide you in magic. Perhaps if you are skilled and pure enough, you may even seek counsel with those Blessed by Mana in the future,” the faerie commented.

But, Kieran’s expression remained unchanged as he looked at the faerie. ‘Those Blessed by Mana? In other words, you mean Dragons? Heh… that’s a delusional dream.’

Eventually, Kieran shook his head. “I’ll have to disagree because I’m not the slightest bit pure. Besides, the path of magic isn’t fitting for me. At least… not the conventional path of a mage. Anyway, you can spare everything regarding the basics debrief; I’m ready to be transported into the real world.”

“Tch, how inconsiderate. Do you not enjoy my company? But, as you wish, because it is ultimately your decision,” the faerie said. A moment later, a circle appeared beneath Kieran’s feet, matching the one that scanned him earlier. However, he looked toward the faerie just before teleporting. There was an inexplicable smirk on his face.

Even the faerie didn’t understand the smirk. Be that as it may, the faerie could tell by Kieran’s eyes that his knowledge was not shallow, especially since his spirit and perceptivity had already revealed that something about him was abnormal.

“Truly an odd one… should I tell the Queen Mother about this experience, if she isn’t aware already? I feel there’s something unusual about both that human and his situation,” the faerie muttered to herself. Suddenly, an array of magical ripples surfaced around the faerie, followed by her blinking away.

…

Kieran appeared within the world of Zenith Online with a flash of blinding blue light alongside several identical flashes. As beginning characters, their activity was limited to beginner villages.

Fortunately, the world was expansive, so there were countless beginner villages based on one’s region in the real world. Seeing as Kieran was a citizen of the United States, he spawned inside the village he was most familiar with―Gena Village.

Whereas Kieran was relatively calm, those around him weren’t. Their situation was unusual. Of course, they would understand their current situation if they hadn’t skipped through the essential guide due to impatience.

“What the hell? Why wasn’t I given a class? This crap says I am a basic human! I don’t even have any skills! What am I supposed to do? Bite monsters?”

“Goddammit! You’re right! Where are our skills and classes! How is this a VRMMORPG? It’s basic knowledge that we should be given a basic class upon character creation! Jesus, this game is already DOGSHIT! Shit devs!”

“Oi, you guys yell too much. Use your brain and scope out the place. We surely need to look for this ourselves if it isn’t provided.”

Meanwhile, Kieran simply scoffed. ‘Treating this as a typical game would be a mistake. Zenith Online’s incrementally increasing hyper-reality is amongst the finest known to the world. Fools should’ve just taken a few minutes to learn the fundamental knowledge from their guide. I bet they were the type to skip any kind of dialogue or lore in the past.’

Aside from his small mental comment, Kieran couldn’t be bothered with their issues. Instead, he chose a remote corner to perform some basic stretches to judge his current control over his character.

‘It feels awkward but not as severe as I thought it would be. Compared to the first time, it feels nearly twice as good. I guess this is the effect of having 25 points in Control without investing any points.’

By the time Kieran finished stretching, those who completed the essential guide had started appearing within Gena Village. Just like in the past, many of the players who started the game were excited to begin leveling. Some even thought about rushing off to the leveling fields before even receiving a class to increase their leveling efficiency.

However, those who were intelligent and familiar with the route of MMORPGs decided to receive a class. But, there was another piece of information that these people didn’t understand. Receiving a class wasn’t as simple as requesting one from a mentor.

First, your attitude while in their presence played a notable role in the chance of receiving the desired class. A mentor’s approval was pivotal in this process.

Secondly, their stats played the heaviest role of all. The four Unassigned Attribute Points given upon creation weren’t just for show, nor were they for thoughtless use. It was best to save them until right before they visited their mentor.

However, this knowledge didn’t circulate in the community until weeks after the launch. A few people experimented with their stats and happened to receive their class with no issue.

With that being said, Kieran then turned towards the town outskirts, more specifically a building within a large rectangular prism shape. Fortunately, Kieran wasn’t worried about this method. Because of his impressive stats, Kieran was confident that he’d receive the starting class of choice. Thus, while commotion filled the town, Kieran and a few other discreet individuals ventured towards a collection of buildings at the end of a paved walkway.

For the most part, the buildings were identical except for the unique insignia draped on a large banner atop their entrances and the impressive images embedded on stone walkways leading inside the large halls. A feeling of slight nostalgia washed over Kieran while standing before the hemisphere-aligned identical buildings, each one appearing like a medium-size temple or cathedral.

The nostalgia soon subsided, and Kieran walked towards the buildings aptly named the Class Halls. According to Kieran’s knowledge, they symbolized the starting classes―Warrior, Fighter, Mage, Knight, Thief, Hunter, and Priest. In a sense, every soul within Zenith Online originated from one of these seven base classes, even if they stumbled upon gems like rare, unique, or hidden classes.

The moment Kieran walked inside a spacious room, a burst of wild air appeared but quickly subsided as an individual opened their eyes faintly before closing them again with an oblivious attitude.

“I’m here to acquire a class-…”

“Go away.”