Read Life sentence: The Endless Game :: A Life for a Life Part 3

LUTHER

“ How do we get out!? How do we go home!?” Asked a truly brave soul.

“ OH, THAT’S THE BEST PART. YOU DON'T! YOU READ THE BOX, THIS GAME IS YOUR NEW LIFE. WELCOME TO THE FIRST DAYS OF YOUR LIFE SENTENCE!”

Even consumed by fear, the Game Master's words were too cruel to ignore. The torrential flood of screams and shouts blended with each other into an incomprehensible cacophony. Some begged for mercy, others cried or cursed, and mostly buried by the sounds of screams many simply prayed quietly. However, all but the last group went entirely silent as they began to speak again.

“YOU SHOULD ALL BE THANKING ME, THIS WORLD IS SO MUCH BETTER THEN YOUR OLD ONE. I GRANT YOU THE GIFT OF LIVING IN A WORLD OF SWORDS AND SORCERY, AND YOU DARE TO COMPLAIN !!!”

The ground shook with the Game Master’s wrath. His Massive fangs that towered higher than any mountain ground angrily against each other. The ear-bleeding noise of the grinding was halfway between the sound of an avalanche and nails on a chalkboard. The grinding noise came to a sudden halt. There was now a grin on his fanged lips and a wicked idea in his crimson idea.

DING! The same notification appeared before every player at the same time.

<Eternal Revival System Activated:

Any Player who falls in combat can now be revived with heal magic.
Any Player
???
???

“THAT’S RIGHT, EVEN IN DEATH YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE MY GAME. HOWEVER, IT WOULDN’T BE ANY FUN WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES. HOWEVER, I HATE SPOILERS SO I GUESS YOU'LL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT THE COST OF SURVIVAL THE HARD WAY! NOW, I'LL SEE YOU ALL AGAIN SOON ENOUGH! ”

With one last ominous laugh, any sign of the Game Master was gone. The inky black night he had brought with him was gone as well. It was once again a beautiful sunny day. The world around Luther had regained color and life. However, most of the players on the other hand couldn't have looked more lifeless and devoid of color if they all suddenly transformed into a pack of zombies.

Luther needed to get away from all the mopping and clear his thoughts. he walked away from the sad figures of distraught players and into the woods on the outskirts of the town that was now apparently his home.

The woods were no less beautiful and majestic than the one he had entered this world in. Was a world this beautiful all that bad just because he couldn't leave it? Up until a few moments ago, he would have been stuck in his original world anyway. So what really made this world any worse to live the rest of his life in than the old one?

Luther took another look at his player screen. he then realized he had in all his excitement to become a knight he had forgotten to finalize his username.

Luther decided that if he was truly going to live the rest of his life in a roleplaying game he would just have to make the most out of it. And what better way could he make use of an RPG than to simply roleplay? From now on he was no longer the videogame addict Luther, he was the mighty knight in training Lu. Now that he was Lu he knew exactly what he had to do. He had to play this game the GM had provided get stronger and win. He wished not to win to escape, he wished to win because that was simply what Lu would do. Before he could do anything Lu had to get stronger. He typed the name Lu into the system and hit submit.

Suddenly a metal glint caught his eye in a pile of weeds next to an ancient damaged tree. As Lu approached to get a closer look he saw an old but beautiful ornate iron axe. He reached down and picked up the ancient axe tenderly to take a closer look, and he was rewarded with a notification.

< you have found (1/1) grandfather’s axe, return it to Cristoph the town woodcutter to claim your quest rewards>

Lu had completely forgotten all about the many quests Luther had gathered and probably would have just left the old axe behind if he had not seen the notification. having nothing better to do he followed several paths through the center of the woods before reaching the woodsman's cottage. Christoph was easy to spot he was a tall half-orc man whose stone grey skin didn't really blend into such a verdant forest. Even by the standards of a half-orc Cristoph seemed practically forged from muscle.

“ You must be Mr. Cristoph, I read your request on a signboard in town.”

“AH, yes I did quite some time ago. I'm assuming you have come to ask for more information about where to look for my grandfather's axe. however, I don't really have any idea where it could be.”

“Actually I have already found your grandfather's axe and have come to return it.”

“Well yes, I understand if you want to give up on the request everyone else already-” He stopped his well-practiced speech to turn back to look at Lu. “ wait, did you just say you actually found it? You're not messing with me are you?”

“No sir Mr. Cristoph, I have your grandfather's axe right here.” Luther removed the axe from his inventory and returned it to the overjoyed woodsman

“Why thank you, lad, this axe has been in my family for centuries. My ancestors would have surely laughed me out of Valhalla without it. Know to reward you and make sure this old blade is still sharp.” he walked over to a nearby tree at the end of the clearing and with one strong and Fast Swing the tree collapsed to the ground and cut it down in a single swing.

< Level up: You have reached Level 2>

Two simple quests and he had already reached level 2 and acquired two combat skills without much effort. This was it this is how he would get stronger. while the other players wasted their time complaining and mourning, Lu would be completing as many side quests as he could.

“Goodbye Mr. Cristoph, I have to go but if you ever need help.” Lu started to run excitedly back to town as he began sorting his quests. He had plenty more non-combat quests, but only one more that also came with a skill. He would have to do that one.

<Side Quest: Special delivery part 1

Semreh the postmaster is behind schedule, help deliver the letters he gave you. If he takes a liking to you he might give you more work to do later on.

Deliver the mail (0/15)

Quest reward: <Quick step> skill, 15 silver, 100 exp. >

Since Lu had already picked up the letters at the post office when he accepted the quest, now he only had to put them in the correct mailboxes. The process of going door to door and checking the addresses on the letters was slightly tedious but not all that difficult. After depositing the last letter in its respective mailbox Lu went back to the post office to deliver the good news.

“You are later than I expected, what sort of lazy soul takes half the day to handle only 15 letters? I am frustrated by the delay, but I take it you finally delivered the mail so I’ll still give you your reward.”

“ You may leave now, Adventure. I have no more seconds to spend on time-wasters like you! Time is money after all.” a postman runs up to whisper something in Semreh’s ear. “ oh, is that so? You don't say?” Semreh turns his attention back to Lu. “is it true that in just one day you have accepted nearly 50 quests and even found the axe Cristoph has been looking for over several years?”

“Yes sir, everything you just said is true.”

“ Ah, finally a true hero of efficiency. I apologize for mistaking you for one of those lazy bum adventurers who have been loitering around in the town square all morning.” Semreh said gesturing to the other players who still hadn't moved since the gamemaster left as if that would somehow get them home. Before Lu could spend any more thinking about the other players Semreh stole his attention with a snap that summoned a notification.

< Rare Achievement: Semreh’s Respect

Semreh is a hard man to please. He holds few things to be more honorable than speed, hard work, and efficiency.

Reward: Chance to Learn Semreh’s <unique skil: Task Masterl>, 200 exp, Postmaster Semreh affinity +400>

< Level up you have reached level 3>

“Listen, kid, I respect your intention to help out every in our small town by accepting all those quests. However, going around doing one at a time is so inefficient. So, I've decided I'm going to teach you how to use my skill Task Master to fuse similar quests into one quickly accomplished task and get things done so much faster. So what do you say? You're not so full of yourself to receive special training from a postmaster are you?”

“ No! Postmaster Semreh, it would be my honor to learn from you.” Lu had never heard of a unique skill before, let alone heard of merging quests before. Lu had already decided that quests were the best way to get stronger, but If he had a skill like that he would become stronger in no time.

“ Great, now come on we have much to do. If you want my skill you have a lot to learn!”

One Month Later…

“If you think this cell can contain me you have no idea who you are dealing with!”

Luther's screams of anger were returned with the silent howls of moldy wind between iron cells. he strained against the cold metal of the enchanted iron manacles that encircled his wrists and limited his strength and skills.

As sudden as lightning and just as defining a loud explosion shattered the silences of the prison, as well as the opposite wall of Luther's prison cell. The gap in the wall caused by the explosion revealed a woman’s silhouette slowly becoming clearer through the smoke.

“I Princess Charming have come to save you sleeping beauty!”

An old familiar face came into view standing overly dramatically in behind the hole in the wall. She stood there with a grin on her face even after pulling such a characteristically absurd entrance that ruined an otherwise sentimental mood. It was Morgan in cartoonishly large elven ears and an equally pointy hat. Even in a world like this her wild absurdity simply couldn't be contained. But Luther wasn’t going to complain about a free Jail Break.