Leave It All Behind, Start Walking A Path

"Hello, may we start moving on? I'd like to not bother anyone else anymore."

"Oh. Of course, follow me I'll guide you and please, do not get too separated from me, or else we both may be taken down." Nora Béart warned.

The shabby clothed man nodded in understanding, gave a step forward to line up with her to signal he's ready. She picked up the clue and nodded in return while walking in front of him.

Their trip was silent except for a few moments in which they arrived at a new functional room where Nora Béart would give him an explanation of what they would be able to show him and what to not do or say, since they may be in plain operation, a meeting or even someone having a date; who knows. Every 10 minutes Nora Béart would kindly and formally ask him whether he wanted to eat or drink something. Some may take it as annoying and unnecessary questioning, but he understood well how important a schedule for such a company like the Crestfallen Industry was to follow. So he politely declined except for a time where she stopped to take a little drink with a coffee-like flavor, while she also selected an orange juice bottle for the shabby-clothed man to drink with her. At some point, she took an out-of-nowhere intense need to break the silence and ask him something different than about the Crestfallen Industry.

"Did you had a bad thought of us after your meeting inside the 'little room'?"

"Oh? So you actually do call it little room eh?".

With a smile ever so formal, she answered "Everyone knows Mr Shark likes such minimalist things. He sometimes even puts his own work into others' eyes to show what he means and what he intends to create. He was never with anyone, in his entire life. Full of solitude and carelessness for power. Some say they've seen him more than 100 years ago with the same aspect. But those idiots don't realize who was the one who created such heavenly medicine to prolong lifespan that is now available for anyone, with money."

In understanding, the shabby clothed man tilted his head onto the wall. Then continued with what she wanted to truly know "The party after this 'tout'. It pretty much means nothing to me, but it's a bother, because it's something I'm being forced to. I'm at a disadvantage and I'm accepting it because I need something from them. I'm... just useless."

Though he said it clearly, with calm and slowly. Nora Béart's abilities were beyond that of any ordinary woman, even beyond that of an experience worker at Crestfallen Industry. So she picked up her small waist with her hands and closed in on him almost intimately, tilting her head a little towards him as she said "You're supposed to go there. Not accept anything else. So, punches, grabs, yelling, insulting... do. Whatever. You. Want."

She went back to a normal stance half a meter away from him and asked again with a devilish smile "What do you think, of my advice?"

After hearing her out, he pondered for a little before responding "I will... do my best? Eh, but tell me, you, what is your position here? I may not have asked the retards from before but surely even you understand other people's point of view on you, so, what are you into?"

 She merely but slowly turned her body around, allowing for the shabby clothed man to get a clear chance for him to delight and observe. Then their tour continued for some more before coming to an end. While no one was watching, they shook hands but then the shabby clothed man moved in to giver her a small hug then bid farewell with a 8 parts polite and 2 parts  provocative smile. To which Nora Béart only rolled her eyes.

. . .

 

'Here we go.' Lei had someone inform him that the whole thing was ready and to immediately go there. To which he was late 45 minutes at the very least. He cracked his neck, a headache already forming, and casually stepped forward several times. 

The curtains were disfigured, letting his figure be seen. For what he could deduce, it wasn't really Lei's words but someone else's. And so, they were 'scheming' so hard a trap to get him 'embarrassed'. But as time passed, he never came so although a bit disappointed, they no longer remained waiting and ignored it for the rest of their time in the 'party'. After all, such a six hours long 'party' or more, some entertainment was but too brief for them and their 'holy and blessed' flesh and blood. But at this moment, the curtains were foolishly moved and a figure stepped in, garnering everyone's attention in the large Crestfallen Industry's Central HQ, Honor Hall.

Lei was talking to some people, male and female, while having two elegantly, decently and beautifully dressed early 20's years old chicks to his sides. Once he realized his little retarded brother arrived. His countenance turned annoyed, and a little cold. Silence then pervaded the whole hall.

So Lei decided to speak up; but before he could, a derisive and poisonous male voice sounded out first. "OOOH, look who we got heeere! Hahah! Mr. Well Renown Tongqiu, what a wonder to see you materialize in front of these lowlifes! Please forgive us for not being up to par to the most 'Grand Clan' of the Cloud Gates Region, the Y-" 

Some small steps were heard while the man with the poisonous voice was moving his gaze left and right with a schadenfreude expression pasted on his face. While he couldn't see why everyone had an expectant, shocking yet excited glint in their eyes, he took it they were liking his show so he continued nonetheless. But soon he got curious if that really was the case but, before he could see what they could, his sight was instead changed into a shadow of metal, coming right for his whole precious head.

PKASH!!!!

Metal tray isn't to heavily injure someone and even the sound is not enough to stun someone like a real hit made with a real weapon would. But what about multiple of them?

PKASH!!!! PKASH!!!! PKASH!!!! PKASH!!!! PKASH!!!! ...

Once the shabby clothed man's body was hyperventilating, he just threw himself at him. That's where he got real hits on his head back and front, coming from all sides and without stopping. But not even 20 seconds later, it changed into a full room against him, no longer a few people kicking him and punching him; the whole room. Or almost

20 minutes later, everyone else have been 'interrogated' and given clear to leave. Even though those dozens attackers of his were mostly male, barely only 7 or 8 were able to genuinely fight him at the same time, hence he ended injuring almost all of them with more than superficial injuries. Females too. But mostly he actually crippled 6 of them and left unconscious the guy that spoke first almost to death. While he himself got broken so many bones on his right leg and arms that he will have to be carried like a princes -at the very least- to his meeting with Crestfallen Industry's CEO. Weirdly enough, he didn't get any rib broken but he got cuts all over his arms and some on his neck which were not treated in time hence they had to 'operate' his neck slightly, but without anesthesia. That pain and that work on his neck, the shabby clothed man could take it.

While some of the young idiots were coming out from the entrance to the headquarters, since all those he attacked had already left the hospital -which he refused-, so only those that didn't even know what happened when there was suddenly a commotion going on were now coming out; last. There were two Japanese looking sisters, an old one and a young one. When the older one noticed that there was still someone outside besides the two of them, her quite intelligent little head immediately deduced the possibilities; the dude who got worked up just now. But she merely gave a perfunctory furrowed gaze, then lead her 13-14 years old little sister away, who was excited, seemingly talking to her about the immense fight from before; truly a kid. Nevertheless, the shabby clothed man finally got the chance to stop inserting his fingernails into his palm to avoid trouble for the paramedics in treating him, despite the whole other kinds of pain in his body. Even if the shabby-clothed man could take pain, after so long, he wasn't particularly used to it anymore.

. . .

 

After some time, Robert Hegwerd arrived with two plump security guards to bring him to his final stop, he didn't comment much on his doings. Only silently agreeing that he got fucked up.

At the CEO's office.

He was finally seated without further bringing harm to his arms and right leg. But the chair in front of the shabby clothed man wasn't turning to meet him head on, that of the CEO's.

"..."

"Still in pain? Eat this." The CEO finally turned his chair, and with a brown bathrobe and wearing glasses, he passed to the shabby clothed man a circular pill that seemed to not be easy to take.

Seemingly seeing his worries, the CEO slowly said "Don't worry, it'll melt quite fast once you put in in your mouth. But you still have to gulp it down immediately and it'll take at least a day to start taking effect, from then on in 3 days you'll be perfectly healed. Oh that's right you can barely move, here, take this you brat."

He had to stand up and use a spoon to close in the pill to Tongqiu's mouth. When it was close to his head, Tongqiu just moved his left arm -which was barely less injured, and painful than the other- to take the spoon himself. To which K.C. only let his brows jump in surprise before calmly taking back his seat.

"So, why was it that I suddenly had an appointment with the Crestfallen Industry's CEO if I may ask, sir?" Tongqiu said politely.

K.C. was reading his unusually old-fashioned newspaper, though it probably was something scanned from the net. When he heard his inquire, he once again lifted his brows to ponder and said "Well, it was originally made to be attended by a supervisor of the company but... there was a, uh, 'delivery' which wasn't made in time. It was of no trouble but it took much more time than thought possible. Hence why I had to leave. Oh, that supervisor is the 'big sister' of Nora Béart, your selected tour guide."

Knowing when to not talk and when to acquiesce to the suggestive words, Tongqiu slightly lowered his head and pressed his lips against each other in signal of understanding. But then, he lifted his head and with clear eyes he asked "Then... what was the meaning, reason or intention in such a meeting in the first place?"

K.C. who resumed his reading, once again mimicked his action of before, then passed a beautifully yet modest adorned wooden box to him, then he looked at Tongqiu to answer "To see. You can leave now."

Tongqiu's line of sight wandered up and down for a few seconds, then stood up by himself without calling those plump uniformed idiots carriers and went to the door, quietly and stoically, as always.

"I saw your fight, such ability and with such weak body. Astounding. And how you can still move with all those injuries even though the most you've suffered are fractures in one of your arms when you were little. Such tenacity. I respect you, Yun Beishang. Please never forget yourself, not of where you come from but... who you really are."

The somewhat encouraging and strict speech made Tongqiu stop in his tracks, but he said nothing, did nothing and just walked out of there. As stoic as always.

Once he got carried to Yun Lei's large silver car, Tongqiu saw he was still with those two girls. Not because of compassion but self-respect, he told the plump buddies to let him free right then and there. From far away, Yun Lei naturally saw such events, he saw his little retarded brother walking in solitude, extreme loneliness. But Lei instead just got annoyed and puffed in and out a cigarette, before a graceful woman next to him muttered to him for a little while. Then Lei calmed down and once they got into the car they left, planning on telling her mother all the occurrences these two days.

. . .

A somewhat bloodied Tongqiu arrived at just 5 steps away from his apartment's door, but then he stopped -in the dark- for 15 minutes. Or maybe it was 30 minutes. For what seemed more than an hour, he then moved his gaze towards the room that said "In Rent" at the center of the passing hall to the right of his apartment. Feeling lost.

He entered his apartment.

***

 

Days passed, and Rising Essence was finally there. Everyone was with their GT ready on them, whether bracelets, necklaces, earrings, even skeletal gauntlets to collars among others. But in a modest apartment, there was a young man with a recently cleaned up face and wearing somewhat normal clothes for relaxing in home. He was washing his teeth and had a bright glint on his eyes.

'Well. Finally, I guess. Now I'll take the step and... see for myself.'

He put the wooden box given to him by Crestfallen Industry's CEO himself and opened it, it was a pair of gauntlets pitch-black in color, he closed the wooden box and then put the box away from the bed, leaving it cleanly on the floor. 

Tongqiu put on the pitch-black gauntlets which were cold and solid. Once he did so, they turned soft, flexible and amusingly comfy. There was no restraint but there was an obvious difference rather than just not feeling them at all. It was extremely suited for him, he wondered how but mostly why, then threw those train of thoughts away. He seated himself on the bed, then relaxed. And finally, he took place laying on his bed as he closed his eyes and merely had the thought to enter the 'Rising Essence' world; virtual world.

*

The next instant, he felt as if he wasn't in his room anymore. He opened his eyes and sure enough, this was not his room. An endless territory of beige, pale rose and pale white colors was surrounding him everywhere in the distance, like a curtain of smoke or clouds; fog even. When he was turning around, an absolutely ordinary tree but beautifully verdant leaves appeared in front of him. Then a shadow coming 'somewhere' from the right space of the tree materialized, although it maintained it's shadowy appearance it was nonetheless obvious it was female, as it moved closer towards the tree.

"Hello, and welcome to the world, the virtual world of Rising Essence, dear Journeyer, Seeker of Path."

Tongqiu scrunched his brows and retracted his head a little bit, that voice gave him a slight sense of familiarity, he wondered why was it so.

"Please, choose your name for your Journey, then select your stats. If you need inquiry towards any game-related information then please feel free to ask; anything." It wasn't a monotonous voice, but surely it was magnetic, enchanting.

Tongqiu's eyes flashed unceasingly for moments before finally deciding. 

"Tongqiu."

His name made the shadow twitch, flinch; and immediately after she confirmed "Are you sure of your decision?"

"Yes I am."

"Now please choose your stats. You may have 10 points in total to add to any of them however you wish."

"Then, can I reduce some other stat points to use it on another stat?"

Somewhat startled, the shadow hesitated for a little while but ultimately responded "Yes, you may. However you wish."

"Then please deduct 2 points to all of them."

Checking his stats again, all main basic stats were reduced to '3'. Besides those 7 there were other two. One was 'Luck' which made him believe it was different to the stat attribute of LCK, and had more to do with chances in encounter and npcs or the like. The other was 'Charisma', whose functionality couldn't be more obvious. However he couldn't see it being a deciding factor, it may have to do a lot with treatment, but not with the results of a conversation nor quest.

"Take two more points from INT and WIS each. Then add 10 points to my STR, 5 points to my DEX and 5 point to my LCK."

There was a slight pause, and after a while the selection of race was in front of him, which were: 

1.- Nightborn 

2.- Elf

3.- Blueblood

4.- Dwarf

5.- Beast

6.- Human

Nightborns, elves, and bluebloods were physically alike, only having clear differences on Innate Race Talents. While Dwarfs and Beasts were quite unique. Beasts being any possible found -with obviously more information once it's chosen- from dragons, phoenixes, bulls, turtles, octopuses, gales and even... cats, bunnies and foxes. Human was the most simple but the most adaptable one for sure. Tongqiu now noticed that counting with the talents given by the system, everyone would really have even more of them. Which was pretty much overpowered when thought about how great it was described, but it will have to be seen whether it's true or not.

"May I?"

His thoughts got interrupted by the shadow. He questioningly looked at it before nodding.

"If I may be blunt, according to your specifications, the class archer seems to be the most fitting for you. Of course you may have all the time in the world to think it through. But I very much like to see a perfect fit the most. I really think it'll be the most reasonable decision, any other would be wasted on your amazing abilities."

Tongqiu pondered for a bit, with his hand pinching his chin. "Whatever the case, thank you for your advice but I will decide for myself."

"Very well then." Were the shadow's last words before walking towards its right, left of the tree as if stepping onto another dimension, disintegrating each step.

Tongqiu then made a quick read over all race traits and Innate Race Talents, before choosing Human.

NOTICE: Now that you've chosen your name, stats and race. You'll have to wait until the timer is out. Please be patient.

12:52

'Alright. Time to wait then.'

01:00

00:30

00:10,9,8...

00:05

00:01

00:00

At the instant the timer finally hit 'zero', Tongqiu immediately felt his every being separate from himself, taking form on other dimensions piece by piece before his surroundings started distorting non-stop one way or another into a slowly forming spiral that was formed from within the center of his body, until finally he was also dragged along with reality. Everything went black.

When he came into sense once again, he could feel himself, his body even with his eyes closed. But he was seeing the complete utter darkness that one has when closing their eyes, before it suddenly began to start revealing something...

At the same time, they -all players- heard a mechanical, crispy voice.

"Welcome to Rising Essence!! Find your path and travel through the story of the Main Kingdom!!"

Then the images in the darkness turned ever so slowly bright. Something was to come, a revealing, a truth...

 

 

...

---

Author's note: Finally done with the small introduction at our MC. The good stuff's already laying in waiting! Damn, weird things happened. I can just say that I've fixed this chapter Q_Q .