Duality Merged - Chapter 2 A New Era

[ Now, my dear humans, will you be the harbingers of change, or suffocate hopelessly beneath your betters? ]

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Optional Time Restricted Quest obtained: A new era

Your goddess, Eotz, has challenged to become something more than simply human. Will you rise to the challenge and prove your greatness?

Conditions for completion: Accept the challenge

Conditions for failure: Decline the challenge

Rewards: [ Traveller ] Title

Penalty: [ Citizen ] Title

[ Accept ] [ Decline ]

!! THIS IS A TIMED QUEST, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE TO DECIDE !!

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She’d accept. Why wouldn’t she? Things were changing, she knew. But how she knew she didn’t know. She just did. It could’ve been the goddess, she supposed that wouldn’t be too far fetched of a thought, Eotz being a goddess and all that. “Molly! Molly don’t you dare accept this!” her mother screamed from the kitchen. Of course, she wouldn’t be allowed; her mother never allowed her to do anything. Not since “Do you hear me, Molly?!” she shrieked, obviously afraid her daughter had accepted the Quest already. She could hear her walking up the stairs now, well, frantic running might’ve been a better way of describing it. She felt sick of it, honestly…

[ You have ten seconds left to decide ]

And so, accompanied by the sound of her bedroom door being shoved open, she grabbed her jacket

It was an odd experience, the feeling of being ‘transported’. Like being pulled in three directions all at once yet knowing full well you hadn’t moved. The feeling of just realising you’d stepped off the bus one stop too early, that feeling of wrongness, and yet when you turn around to stop the bus, you find yourself at your doorstep. If your doorstep is a forest clearing, that is. That was where he found himself he realised, as he looked around, taking in his surroundings. He wasn’t alone either; there were two others nearby: a burly man taller than himself in a leather jacket, and a smaller hunched over figure in a springtime jacket who, for lack of a better term, stank of blandness: like cardboard and skim milk.

Seeing his sister introduce herself to the girl, he couldn’t help but shake his head. It was no surprise his sister had decided to approach her, considering her personality. “Hey bud,” said a voice to his left, grabbing his attention, “You know where the hell this is?” asked the burly man. Not the most well-spoken individual he’d met, it would seem. “No better than you, I’d guess. I’m Charles, by the way,” he said, plastering his customary kind-hearted smile on his face as he extended his hand towards the other man.

“Max,” said the man, now known as Max, as he grabbed the offered hand and shook it with a firm, almost painful, grip. “You know ’em?” he asked, freeing the slightly aching hand of Charles as he gestured towards the two women who were walking towards them.

“I know one of them, yes,” answered Charles as he made eye contact with one the young women. “The white-haired one is my sister, Janette” he claimed with the same kind smile, much to Max’s confusion. Charles had black, wild hair and dark eyes, whereas his supposed sister had clear and cold blue eyes set in a heart-shaped face, framed by her waist-long white hair. They didn’t seem to have anything in common, he thought. Well, they were both good looking, so much so that it would’ve made Max feel self-conscious had he been slightly more thin-skinned.

Molly, however, wasn’t nearly as jaded when it came to such things and felt the full brunt force of being in such close proximity to Janette. The disparity in appearance caused her to feel more inferior than she’d ever had before. If she were to describe herself, she felt that the aptest description of her would be ‘cute’. She had shoulder-length grey hair, a round face and eyes of the same colour as her hair: perhaps the most exotic feature she had. She as if she was simply a backdrop to this woman, a character only meant to amplify Janette’s beauty. This woman, however, had also filled her with a sense of satisfaction and recognition. Even as she had vomited uncontrollably due to a sudden bout of motion-sickness, Janette had simply rubbed her back and asked for her well-being.

“Are you all right, Sister?” she heard someone ask. She, the emotional wreck that she was, hadn’t even realised that there were others present. Now, looking up, she found two young men in front of her. One of them, the bigger of the two, sported a healthy tan and short hair. The other one, no doubt the one that’d called Janette ‘Sister’, caused her to pause slightly. He had handsome, if slightly feminine, facial features; she expected no less from Janette’s brother. But other than that, much like Max, she failed at finding any similarity between them.

“We’re fine, Brother,” she answered with a small smile. “This is Molly, Molly this is Charles, my brother,” she introduced before she turned towards Max, prompting him to introduce himself. “Max,” he said with a wide grin. Janette, noticing his roaming eyes, responded with a curt nod and introduced herself as well, her tone cold and condescending, wholly different compared to how she talked to Charles. Max quite clearly noticed this, if the twitch of his eye was anything to go by. Before he could say anything, however, they all saw a small screen pop into view.

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Optional Quest Completed: A new era

Rewards: [ Traveller ] Title acquired

Hint: Access your Status by willing it into view

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Compulsory Quest Obtained: Survive

As the brave or foolish few who have decided to accept your goddess’ challenge, you are to prove yourselves worthy of the possibilities awaiting.

Conditions for completion: Survive for 168 hours

Conditions for failure: Unable to survive for 168 hours

Rewards: [ Common Tongue ] Talent, Access to the world of Tedrasia

A possibility of gaining additional rewards

Penalty: Death

!! THIS QUEST IS COMPULSORY AND CANNOT BE DECLINED !!

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A solemn silence settled over the group. Sure, they knew they had to prove themselves somehow, but being told to survive for a week had all kinds of negative connotations and the fact that this was their test made it all the worse. This wouldn’t be a smooth ride, they realised. But the curiosity at their new Title quickly pushed their current worries aside, as they all somehow managed to will their Status into existence as if it was second nature.

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Status of Maxwell Young

Race: Human

Condition: Healthy, Withdrawal

[ Traits ] [ Talents ] [ Titles ]

Hint: Access the sub-menus in the same manner you did the Status

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Max felt a slight bout of annoyance as he read his Status. You don’t have to tell me I’m suffering from withdrawal, he thought, well aware of the fact that the next 168 hours would be less than pleasant. Calming down after a few deep breaths, he did manage to will his sub-menus into existence.

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Traits of Maxwell Young

[ Human Adaptability

Increased speed in learning and the ability to fully integrate oneself with the bloodline of another ]

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Talents of Maxwell Young

[ Knife Proficiency Novice IV

Increase in effectiveness of knives during combat ]

[ Cudgel Proficiency One-handed Novice II

Increase in effectiveness of one-handed cudgels during combat ]

[ Poison Resistance I

Grants slight resistance to poisons classified at the same level as the Talent and full immunity to poisons beneath the Talent level ]

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Titles of Maxwell Young

[ Traveller

Makes the bearer able to travel through the void connecting two worlds safely ]

[ Addict

The bearer is addicted to one or more substances and will suffer from withdrawal should they not take it/them regularly ]

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Max felt a great deal of satisfaction as he looked at his Talents. He was one of the best knife fighters in his circle and took a great deal of pride in that. The Cudgel Proficiency didn’t surprise him either; he had used various iron pipes and tyre irons before, for various things. The Poison Resistance Talent, however, stumped him for a while. He hadn’t been poisoned before, at least not as far as he knew. His drinking habits, he realised, could be considered less than healthy and he had indeed been able to drink more and more over the years before going under. His happy mood was quickly soiled, however, as he saw his Final Title. Addict. Life wasn’t easy, and not everyone chose the books as their escape from reality.

“So, what now?” he asked, letting his irritation seep into his voice. His voice seemed to have been a wake-up call for everyone who was, no doubt, still engrossed in checking their Status. “I suggest we find some shelter and clean water. The next on our list of immediate concerns would be food,” said Janette after mulling it over for a moment, “It’s possible to go for weeks without food, so we should be able to manage. Although it would definitely weaken us greatly should we starve,” she continued before she took on a teasing tone and asked, “Isn’t that right, Dear Brother?” obviously satisfied at the slight grimace that briefly touched upon Charles’ handsome features as he nodded. Max grunted in agreement at Janette’s words and took off into the forest at a quick walk.

“Found something!” shouted Max, much to the relief of everyone else. They’d been searching for any suitable shelter for the better part of two hours and the sun wasn’t far from touching the horizon. The day only had a couple of hours left before the light would give way to the dark of night, Charles thought, as he headed towards the direction of Max. When he finally arrived, being the last to show up, he couldn’t help but frown slightly at what he saw. “Found a cave. Should be good enough,” he said as he realised everyone had arrived. Seeing their expressions, however, he couldn’t help but grow slightly irritated: this was the first shelter they’d found and yet everyone seemed to be unsatisfied. Him suffering from withdrawal didn’t help any, he thought.

Molly, slightly pale at the thought she, Janette and Charles no doubt shared, spoke up first, ” This is a weird place to find a cave in the first place. The terrain has been largely flat with only some slight elevation, this place being the only exception And with how the dirt around the entrance is piled up and packed together I think This might be a den, not a cave. And if it is a den, then whatever creature dug it must’ve been huge…” By now, the poor girl had gone deathly pale and was clutching on to Janette’s arm like a vice and, although he hated to admit it, Charles did share her concerns. It wasn’t just the cave that seemed out of place, though. No, what really unsettled him was the fact that the cave entrance, besides being two meters in both width and height, was situated beneath a gigantic weeping willow-esque tree with blood-red leaves and ashen coloured bark. It was unlike any tree he’d ever seen in the past, whether through a screen or his own eyes, and it unsettled him. That was human nature for you, he mused. We’ve always had a tendency to fear the unknown.

Max didn’t seem to share their concerns, however, as he stomped his way into the cave with a scowl on his face. He had grown weary and tired of searching for shelter in this godforsaken forest and when he finally finds something, he’s told that it might not be suitable after all. And by a group of cowards, no less.

It wasn’t until Max completely disappeared inside before the trio remaining outside realised what had happened. “Shouldn’t we stop him?” Molly couldn’t help but ask. “Why should we? He seemed so eager, after all.” Janette responded with a kind, if slightly amused, look on her face as she shared a look with her brother who simply shrugged in response. “At least, this way, we’ll know if we’ll have any roommates,” he added, much to Molly’s growing confusion, “What if he doesn’t come back out?” she finally asked, unable to fathom how they could seem so nonplussed at the situation. “Then we know we aren’t welcome, obviously,” giggled Janette, causing Molly to go silent.

They didn’t have to wait long until a very unimpressed looking Max made his way back to the surface, gnashing his teeth when he saw his three companions look at him askance, “What are you doing up here still?” he snarled, his mood swiftly transitioning into a boiling rage when all he got in response was silence. Charles, seeing the burly man who was nearing the limits of his patience, realised the situation was quickly deteriorating to a dangerous degree. “I simply couldn’t bring myself to go down there, Max. Some are more limited by their base instincts than others, it would seem” he reasoned with a tone of embarrassment, a reason that Max thankfully seemed to accept as he looked at the handsome and apologetic young man with a look of condescension before he turned around with a snort and a feeling of self-satisfaction. Perhaps he wasn’t as unbothered by the young man’s superior looks as he thought himself to be