Ashen Eclipse

Volume 01: Start Again

Chapter 03: Choices

I began to head towards the center of the tower as I already knew where the group was going to be meeting. Seeing about ten people all standing in the distance I saw a single man standing above the rest wearing the familiar army uniform. If I remembered correctly this was a silver-tiered player.

Watching the man with his arms crossed in front of himself giving orders to the other people around him I could not help but shake my head as the only thing I could vividly recall about this man was his rough and fast-paced personality.

Closing in on the group of people I noticed McAlister pull out a small stack of papers and began calling out names.

”Danica Fern! ” The man shouted out to the group.

”Here! ” I watched a small girl raise her hand as she pushed her way through the back of the small group to be seen.

The large man looked over the girl checking over the token she had then her wrist. After nodding his head, he began to call out the rest of the names on the list. Everyone in the group seemed to be rather young people who probably were in some small corporations that bought them out to use as slaves on the other side as I had been used.

”Mikael Walker! ” My name was called out by the large man in uniform.

”Here! ” Sidestepping through the crowd I arrived before the large man with my token and wrist already prepared to be scanned.

”Good no time to waste. ” Seeing that I was already set with everything the man nodded his head as he scanned all my items.

After checking all of my things he crumpled the papers and stuffed them into his pocket before taking a couple of steps backward from the group.

”Today we will be crossing over. As today is everyones first time we will have a couple of things I will have to go over with you before we head toward the archway. First, I must inform every one of the different tiers for players these tiers apply to almost everything on the other side so remember them well. ” From the opposite pocket, he stuffed the papers McAlister pulled out a silver crest showing everyone in the group.

Seeing the crest many people in the group gave a couple ooohs and ahhhs in amazement. It was not rather rare to see people at the silver tier but on this side of the archways, many people were not even close to the silver tier.

”The tiers move from weakest to strongest. The tiers were bronze, copper, iron, silver, gold, diamond, ruby, jade, and obsidian. There are only nine ranks as the system only recognizes these tiers in the world. When you enter the archway, you will be prompted with up to three choices of race changes first. Don worry everyone these race changes only come into effect while you are on the other side and each one of them comes with different pros and cons so choose carefully as tiers do not matter much for races unless you get a diamond or above race. After you choose your specific race, your body will start to feel a certain level of pain as it will begin to merge with the arches and change into that specific race, so do not be alarmed as it is completely normal. Everyone falling along so far? ” The man asked out but before anyone could ask any questions or respond he continued speaking again, ”After this choice comes possibly the most important choice of your entire lives will appear as up to another three options will appear before you and these will be your class choices. Your three options will only show you the name and a small description of the class along with its tier. Remember to choose the class that fits your wants the most but if you are presented with a silver or above class then take it immediately as no matter what they will be better for you and your future. You should only hesitate if the classes are close in tier levels to each other. ” Pausing he allowed everyone to brood over his words a little bit.

”Once you choose your final choice you will be evaluated by the system and given your crest then will be immediately transported to the other side, and I will be there waiting for you in white armor and will be of the Rockman race. Once I check you in on the other side you are then free to explore and leave. Remember once you get your crest do not show it to anyone until you find an organization to join as there are many people out there who hunt specifically for crests. Okay good, that is all I need to share with all of you. ” Before anyone could once again ask any questions, he turned around and began walking away towards the large archway in the distance.

Hmm, he didn explain leveling at all. I guess it will be a rather large learning curve for everyone who does not know anything about it. Moving with the rest of the group I followed closely to the large man that was leading us to the archways.

Stepping up the stone stairs that led to the base of the archway I could feel my mind running amuck as I thought about the many possibilities that could happen as I could choose a different class and race changing my entire fate from my last life if I was lucky. Even a silver tier would be okay as I was confident that I could work my way to at least a gold-tier power level with my level of fighting knowledge. This way I can avoid having to fight in the arenas to make money again once again having to work as nothing but cannon fodder.

As the group reached closer to the main structure of the archway, I could see the mirror-like liquid inside the large archway and could not help but shake my head at the mystery that was the archways. Even a couple of years from now scientists will not be able to figure out what this substance is that allows the archways to work. Only ETC the founding company could answer such questions.

”Okay everyone you may step in whenever you would like. Remember what I told you before and take as much time as you need to decide. It is only your future at stake. ” After saying these words, the large man stepped into the large archway disappearing into the liquid.

Time to go. While everyone else was slightly hesitating to step inside I immediately followed behind the man allowing my body to merge into the liquid.

I can never get over this feeling. As I stepped through, I felt like I stepped into a giant ocean of slime as my body became suspended in the dark space, but the liquid around me slowly moved around my body encompassing it entirely. This slimy liquid seeped into my body and began to move in and out merging with everything particle inside me.

Feeling this people have always suspected that this substance was what allowed humans to be transferred to the mysterious world that acts like a game for all. Before I could think any more on this point a message popped up directly in my mind.

[Welcome Player [Mikael Walker] | Age: 20 | Gender: Male]

[Welcome to your Ashe…]

[Player has a previously saved player would you like to load into the previous player?]

[Name: Mikael Walker | Race: Human [Iron]| Core Class: Barbarian [Copper]

Tier: Copper

Level: 76]

[Yes]

[No]

No. I immediately thought as I knew this was a chance I could not pass up on.

[Previous player deleted. A new player being generated.]

[Introduction automatically skipped for returning players.]

[Race Selection: 2 Generated]

[Undead High Elf [Diamond]: Undead population live in hiding due to constant upheavals of their ways of life by the Church of Life. Undead tread the world to seek the truths of the world and have higher quotients of intelligence and closer draws to forces of mana.]

[Human [Iron]: Most well-rounded race in the new world but drawbacks from not being proficient in any one thing. Humans walk the world to experience all walks of life taking them for their own.]

[Choose between the 2 options given.]

What an undead at the diamond tier? I don recall anyone popular in my last life ever choosing an undead race directly because of the church. Especially since the Church of Life is a rather large natural organization of NPCs on the other side and will become very important if I ever want to get into higher levels in the game. A human would be the safe option like I did in my last life… Thinking up to this point I stopped myself and automatically chose the undead high elf.

[Undead High Elf chosen. Prepare for cellular change.]

Ugh! My body began to burn as I could feel the surrounding liquid begin to attack my cells destroying and creating new ones in me making my body feel as if it was inside a massive oven. My skin began to peel away slowly, and I could not stop it as I could only float along in pain. This was not something I had experienced in my last life as I had chosen to stay a human so almost no cellular change was needed.

Agh! My bones began to elongate as my skin continued to peel off until I could no longer feel anything on my body as if it was naked. Finally, the pain began to subside as I felt something in my brain begin to click.

*Tick* *tock*

Appearing before my face was a single string of messages.

[Cellular Change Completed]

[Race Change Available: Keeper of Time (Human Undead) [Obsidian]]

[Accept]

[Decline]

What the hell is this? What is a Keeper of Time? I looked on in shock at the notification.

Whatever it does no matter as I will probably never see another obsidian option ever again so even if it has huge drawbacks there is no way it won have a large upside. I will just take it. Shrugging mentally to myself I just accepted the option as I thought there could be nothing bad about anything that could be offered by the system.

[Evolution beginning]

Ah! Fuck me! My mind began to boil as I felt a burning liquid-like substance begin to move around my head and then down my body it was different from the regular one that moved around the space around me as it flowed slower. I could not tell what the liquid was doing as everywhere it passed on my body was left burning with golden lines as if I was getting a tattoo etched onto me. This feeling did not go on for long as the liquid quickly melded with my boney body as it attached itself to my boney figure.

[Class Selection: 1 Generated]

[Chrono Wizard [Jade]: Foundation of time magic. Wielders of time who tread the fine line between life and death holding the keys to eternal slumber.]

If my face could be seen by anyone else inside this dark space, they would be able to see the shocked expression on my face as this was something, I had no idea could even exist for me.

[Choose class between the 1 options given.]

Seeing this notification pop up in my mind I could not help but roll my eyes. Choosing the only option, I waited for the system to begin.

[Chrono Wizard class is chosen. Prepare for assimilation with the mana of time.]

Ooooooh. A coldness began to circulate around my body and my bones began to slightly crack as the power that surrounded me seemed to be too much for my body to handle until the mysterious power of time that surrounded me began to seep into the gold lines that had melded with my body. As the power seeped into those markings on my bones, they began to shimmer gold.

[[Mikael Walker] Welcome to Ashen Eclipse.]

[Evaluation Commencing]

[Jade Evaluation as initial Power Level is 55]

[Jade Crest created]

[Entering Ashen Eclipse: Feilr City]

Get ready.

*Thud*

Landing on the floor I slowly got myself up and began to look around before feeling inside my pockets only to feel the coolness of my crest that now lay in my pocket. Leaving my crest alone in my pocket I began looking around to find the large Rockman that I knew to be my instructor. As I found him, he seemed to be talking to a woman who was also in matching white armor except she looked rather normal next to him as she was a human.

Walking up to the two I made my way past a couple of other people of different races who were throwing up on the floor which was being cleaned up by older-looking men and women with mops. Making my way past these people I made my way close enough to hear the conversation between the two people in their white armor.

”Hey, didn you hear that there was a diamond-tiered player that came out today? I heard she was only seventeen years old and was even the daughter of some big shot director that works for a company in the capital city. ” The woman spoke out as she stared off behind me watching all the people of different races throw up after coming out of the archway.

”We will see. Some end up never living up to their crests as many even die their first time out the city if they are not careful. ” The large Rockman responded.

Hearing up to here they both stopped talking as they saw me closing in on them. Moving a bit closer I was now right before the duo.

”Mikael Walker. ” Speaking aloud I made sure to show my wrist to the large Rockman as the microchip was the only thing from our world that could cross over to this one as even my old clothes were replaced with new beginners clothes.

Leaning downwards to check my wrist the Rockman looked between me and his companion before he nodded his head then began tapping on a small crystal machine that seemed to replace his previously silver one. Finishing up he looked back towards me.

”You are all good to go. Make sure to go find an organization to join. Many of them are already waiting for the first batch of players outside the building. ” The large Rockman spoke out pointing towards the large wooden doors a bit away at the front of the tower.

Nodding my head, I left the pair and continued on my way as I knew the man was right and I needed to find somewhere to join quickly as many quests were hoarded solely by the larger corporations and elite teams. But what I had in mind was a bit different from what the Rockman had been thinking as I did not plan to join any organization this time.