1 The Seraph Sings, Hailed By The Ruler

Sitting at his desk, a teenager played a game on his computer. "Acadia RPG," an open-world pixel game that never took off, but Josh couldn't help but play it. The game had an unknown creator and used strange software, but something drew Josh to the game. Playing the game as he worked part-time, Josh finally got to the last boss as his fingers skillfully danced across his keyboard. With one last strike, the labyrinth boss reached 0 HP.

(Azreal The Fallen - 0/50000HP)

The huge red bar above the fallen angel turned completely grey as the corpse pixelized away. Josh felt a sense of accomplishment, but his mood went solemn as the screen became black. On the screen, a sentence appeared as the designer left his last words.

(Do you wish to continue? Y/N)

"Is this a joke?" Playing the game for multiple months, Josh became annoyed as he had worked hard to beat the annoying enemies. "At least give me a satisfying ending." Clicking the yes option on the screen with his computer mouse, Josh suddenly found the world spinning in circles as a hand penetrated his torso.

Reaching out from the black screen, a skeletal hand grabbed Joshua's heart as blood spurted out from his mouth. Reaching forward, Josh gripped his assailant's arms with shaking footing. Hitting downwards with the last of his strength, Josh heard the bones fracture as darkness filled his vision.

?

Appearing in a strange infinite white plane of existence, Josh was confused. Looking at his hands which had become transparent purple, he questioned himself. "I died?" Questioning himself, Josh's disbelief overwhelmed him as it turned to rage.

Falling to his knees on the smooth white floors of this strange place, his ethereal pupils became bright purple as he looked up towards the white endless sky with random strange clouds passing by.

"Show yourself! You wanted me here!" Yelling with his ghostly body, pain came from where his throat should be as the sky suddenly darkened. Lightning rippled across the soft, unfolding thunderclouds. Pitch-black lightning converged into a single figure as the black lightning took the figure of a cloaked skeletal humanoid.

"You wanted me to show myself? Fine, my puppet." Anger raced through Josh's mind as his hands became clenched, and purple liquid dripped from his hands as they stained the white floor. Changing, Joshua's body writhed in pain as his bones cracked, the purple liquid continued to pour out of Josh's fingers as white particles siphoned into his open wound.

"You won't send me back home... What do you want?"

Plastered across the hooded figure's hidden face, a sinister glowing smile showed sharp teeth. With one swipe of his hand, the white landscape warped and shifted into a fantasy land as the two figures watched from above. "This is not an offer; you will be my offering. You will play in a game of life and death with other contestants. The reward for winning is one wish, anything... godhood, returning to earth, the end of time, my death!"

"How do I win?" Gaining clarity on the situation, Joshua could see light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how dim it was. But fear still had a hold on him as he was scared of death. Seeing the creepy smile the deathly being had on their face, uncertainty showed on Joshua's face.

"That's half of the fun. One more thing... don't tell anyone you are from Earth or another planet." Without warning, the visage of the world underneath them dissipated, and the white world reappeared leaving Josh alone.

(Character Creation started)

(Class Selection)

(Knight(select) (Paladin(select) (Alchemist(select) (Berserker(select) (Archer(select) (Assassin(select) (Healer(select) (White mage(select) (Black mage(select)

Blue lines. Appearing from seemingly nowhere weaved together to form a blue semi-transparent window floating in the air. The blue lines seemed to hold immense power as the decision weighed on his shoulders.

Thinking about his experiences, Josh had to think of the best choice for him in the long run. While he was thinking, he remembered the world that was underneath him. Not the labyrinth he had come to know or a game.

But thinking hard about what he saw, memories flashed as he remembered the fantasy and medieval look they had and the fortresses that littered the lands. "Fortresses. Medieval. Most likely knights and magic."

Knowing what to choose, Joshua felt calmness wash over himself as his finger pressed the paladin class. Space warped around Josh as his soul warped.

Fortress Cassidy

Smoke pillared into the air as fires raged through the fortress outpost. Bodies littered the first two gates of the fortress as the raiding barbarians overwhelmed the knights. Outside the last and third gate, the last of the knights fought against the savage and dishonorable barbaric outlaws.

(Resurrection starting)

Mystical energies. Flowing through the air converged on a fallen knight as purple miasma invaded the corpse's nostrils and entered the brain. The dead knight's eyes fluttered open as they began spasming. Sticking out of the knight's chest, a wrecked and bent long sword glinted a sheen light.

Unbearable pain flared as the nerves around the open wound would die and come back to life. Using his pale hands, the fallen knight gripped the long mangled blade and pulled it out. Coated in crimson red liquid, the blade slowly retracted out of the knight as bone matter showed through the slowly closing stab wound.

The clang of the sword falling on stone echoed through the empty corridor. Coughing up the last of the blood in his lungs, Josh felt better than ever, as if he was becoming more youthful by the second. But the feeling slowly started fleeting as a new notification appeared.

(Resurrection complete)

(Status available)

The feeling of containing untapped power had come to a stop, but his attention was drawn by the battle still taking place and his status. Looking around, Josh picked up a blade on the ground. In good condition, he found a long sword that brought him some PTSD but it was a smart choice because of its reach and power.

"Status"

(Name: Percival Seraphina(Joshua Lion))

(Soul Level: 1 (0/1))

(Mana: 200) (MAGx10)

(Class: Paladin (evolution S.L. 15)

(Stats)(average stats for humans are 10 excluding magic)

(Available stat points(0)) (STR: 10)

(DEX: 10)

(AGI: 10) (plate mail) (-4)

(VIT: 10)

(MAG: 20)

(Innate talent: Percival's mark - user has a sixth sense with the ability to predict enemies' moves)

(Skills: 2)

(Shockwave blow - 100 mana - when chaining attacks the ability will have its power doubled on the third strike)

(Healing light - 5 mana per second - when activated light will appear in the user's hands. The light only heals surface areas. Damaging to undead and cursed beings)

As Josh finished reading the status, footsteps sounded behind him. Clanging across the ground, the sound of an axe being dragged across stone announced the arrival of someone. Turning around, Josh saw a towering figure, standing tall the raggedly dressed man looked like a bear wearing human skin. Opening his mouth, the barbarian gave a mean smile while he spoke, "Ain't I got luck. To kill a newborn daemon."

Holding the long sword tightly with two hands, Josh took an amateur stance as he put his guard up. "You newborns don't know how to fight!" the coarse and deep voice announced his attack as he swung his ax towards Josh. Bringing the long blade up horizontally, Josh was barely able to parry the heavy strike as surprise showed on the barbarian's face.

'I need to take the initiative,' Josh thought as he slid his blade down the smooth wooden body of the heavy ax. Taking one hand off his blade, Josh quickly threw a punch at the bear-like man. Thinking about using his shock-wave skill, Josh knew instinctively how to use it.

(-100 MP)

Ripples exploded from Joshua's fist as the barbarian was knocked back into the wall of the corridor. Taking hold of his sword, Josh pushed the blade into the barbarian's torso. Confusion appeared on the huge man's face as he felt a sharp pain in his chest, peering down, the barbarian noticed blood flow from the stab wound. "I'm going to die?"

Pulling out the sharp long sword from the barbarian's torso, blood shone on the steel blade. Falling to his knees, the barbarian gripped the wound as his eyes became bloodshot, pushing off the ground, taking Josh by surprise as he lowered his guard. Tackling Josh to the ground, the banging of plate metal and stone echoed as a barrage of punches hit Joshua's helm. Slightly denting the helmet, Josh threw a punch at the barbarian's face as he recoiled.

Pushing the winded and mortally wounded barbarian off himself, Josh reached for the blade as he swung it towards the barbarian's neck. Building kinetic force, the heavy and sharp blade cleanly slashed through the barbarian's neck and spine as his head rolled across the floor.

(+1 soul)

(+1 soul level, +1 stat point)

Looking down at his hands as they glistened in a crimson liquid, determination formed in Josh as his eyes became sharper. The sound of blades clashing in the distance started to diminish as the victorious barbarians started to search the frontier fortress.

{word count:1544}

{Author: Hope you liked it. I write a lot of stuff but I'm never satisfied, so I'm just forcing this out to get my foot in the door. Relating to the story, the earthlings or daemons as they are called are usually underestimated when they arrive because they don't have fighting experience. Percival or Josh used his innate talent, which is rare because it is a passive talent. Josh was taken off guard because his blade was lowered and they were in close proximity. Percival or Josh is more of a knight than a paladin; the class mostly relates to the fighting style and available skills. Josh chose paladin because they are offensive and can heal, which in large scale battles is pretty good. Plus, he did fencing when on earth which won't really be touched on, mostly because he never really got into it.}