The 11th God

What is a God?

If there would be one stupid thing I'd believe right now, it is that everything I'm currently seeing is real.

Everything is just pure imagination. I used to read an article about when you die, you will be imagining a lot of unexplainable things you're not even interested in.

However, feeling the grass and heat seems like it's not imagination at all.

There is supposed to be no senses and feelings in an imagination. But this one's exceptional. I can feel it clearly. Every single detail about this game, I can feel it.

Suddenly something popped up in my face, or is this a screen?

"No one must ever know your goal and your role. There will be a major punishment for revealing what is suppised to be for yourself only!"

Then I got the chills and goosebumps. I felt the fear streaming throughout my whole body.

Another thing popped up in front of me.

"To see your stats and inventory, either say it out aloud or in your head, "character info"."

And so I did. I expressed the words inside my head as how the thing in front of me had told me to. A new screen popped up in front of me. It currently shows how I look like and that's where I noticed that difference in my self.

My hair became white and that I became shorter. On the menu in front of me, there are other sub-menus that leads to something. I tapped the button that says "skills" and another thing appeared in front of me. On the left side it says "Affinity: Art of Illusion" and on the right side is what said to be the "skill tree".

I closed everything by just guessing how to close it then I started walking towards I have no idea where. There's a castle in front of me so I started walking towards it. Every second I'm walking, my speed is increasing. I am rushing every second towards the castle.

It seems like it's a kingdom though. I hear noises from people inside. I continued rushing towards it, whereas the gate is mostly visible to me.

"Duck!"

I heard someone shout from my back. The voice so loud startled me, leaving me immobile on the ground. The voice was so loud I heard it loud and clear.

Then I saw something was thrown at me. It is either a knife or something else sharp.Then I glanced at my back, I saw someone — or something — with a mask in its face forming a stance that he had just thrown something at me. However, he wasn't the guy who told me to duck.

Then it all makes sense to me now. This world I'm in is really a game.

"Whil'o Wisp!" the guy had shouted.

Something blue that glows appeared in front of his scepter — it is something in a shape of a wand except a long one — that travels swiftly towards the entity that just threw a knife at me. After it touched the entity, it exploded and a bunch of items dropped off of it.

The guy walked towards me and lend me a hand. He smiled as I grab onto his wrist.

"Are you alright?" he asked me.

I nodded with relief and gave out a sigh of exhaustion. I glanced at him and saw him staring still into the field where the entity was.

"That thing is called a shade." he said.

"Shade?" I asked.

"Indeed. Shades are shadow-like creatures that hunts down anyone who is alone."

"I see."

"However this one is different." he added.

I sense a bit of doubt in him. I can see something around him though. It's like an aura, a light-blue one.

"Shades are supposed to only wander at night as they're biggest fear is daylight. It makes me wonder how this shade could walk freely at daytime." he concluded.

"But that's not important now, what's important is that you are alive." he said.

I nodded and smiled at him as a sign of gratitude.

Then we both walked inside the kingdom.

----------

"So you're new right?" he asked me.

"Yes I am." I answered.

"Well that's fine everybody do start as a newbie." he said.

There are still some part of me that wants to ask what this world really is.

"How did you get here?" I asked him instantly.

"I really have no idea. All I could remember is that I woke up in here already and voilah here I am an adventurer." he said.

"How about you?" he asked me.

"I—"

I have no idea too. Suddenly I forgot how did I came here. How come I am in here? What is this world? Where am I?

"You know what nevermind. Let's just go to the nearest bar here my treat." he said as he placed his arms around my shoulders and he smiled at me.

Maybe this world ain't so bad after all. Who knows how many countless possibilities waits for me to achieve them?

When we arrived at the bar — which seemed to be really a medieval-like bar — we both took out seats and he took care of the orders.

"Oh crap that's right, we don't officially know each other yet." he said.

He stood up and gave a hand at me. He introduced himself saying, "I'm Elio Arbus." and then he gave a bow.

I paused for a second before I gave him my hand too and I introduced myself, "Aljinn.. Aljinn Devio."

He took his seat down and the food that he orded exactly came.

----------

After we were done eating, he took me for a walk around the whole kingdom.

"So tell me how long have you been here?" he asked me while we were both taking a walk.

It suddenly made me realize that I've just been here for only like a day and that there is more to come in the near future. Whatever it is, just imagining it to be honest gives me the chills.

"Around a day or so, I presume." I answered.

He wrapped his arms around my shoulders again and told me, "If that's the case then you should prepare for your adventure!"

He is actually correct. I can't just be in here without planning to do anything. Come to think of it, I received two tasks to accomplish, maybe playing out along with this world won't be so bad after all.

"Let's go to the best blacksmith here in Hergrinct. I am telling you that that due is the best! He forges and creates metalworks at a very affordable cost. Since you are a starter adventurer obviously you don't have that much of silvers ingots with you so consider this as my treat." he explained.

He dragged me for about five minutes wandering from stall to stall because he does not actually know where to find this blacksmith guy. All he knows is that he is considered as the best merchant for his works at a very affordable price. But after some minutes of walking we were finally able to find him so we both went inside the lodge.

"Hello adventurers, welcome to Allmighty Smith where your weapons are taken care at the very best for the very least of price!" the blacksmith introduced.

We both walked straight towards him and Elio did all the talking.

"I see. This guy here is a new adventurer right? Alright then if that's the case let me see through your stats first before I decided on what to do." he said.

I have no idea on what to do though. He said he wants to see my stats but one of the rules of this game is that no one must know about my role.

"Oh don't worry, we blacksmiths are allowed to view the roles of our customers. We have our special ability called "total deduction" wherein in just a blink we will know everything about our customer." he explained.

What he had just said gave me some relief.

He scanned through me carefully.

"Are you really a..." he was in total awe of what he had just found out about me.

I nodded discreetly.

"Well nevermind, if that's the case I know perfectly which weapon to craft for you. Please wait and take a sit as I forge it." the blacksmith said.

Elio and I both took our seats beside the counter. I can see the example works of this blacksmith and I must say it is astoundingly surprising. I was left in total awe when I saw his works and I must say he must really be. the most famous merchant around here.

"So what is your bloodline?" Elio asked out of nowhere.

I glanced at him and was shocked that he has this desperate face to find out what my bloodline is.

"Are... are we allowed to tell people what our bloodline is?" I asked him.

"I actually have no idea since I have never asked someone about their bloodline but this must be the perfect opportunity to do it." he said.

I looked at him and smiled with a little bit of laughter, "I don't really think it's a good idea. We both might get punished severely for trying to do that."

He frowned as he look back into the ground.

"I bet you'll find out about that soon eventually. But right now we have our own adventures to focus on right? Let's stick our minds into that business first then while on our adventures I am sure we'll get to know each other better." I told him.

He paused for a second and then he looked at me.

"With you sounding like that, I get the chills like you're some sort of clairvoyant that gives these life-predicting quotes." he told me.

"Stop being dramatic and let's just play the game should we?"

The blacksmith was done making the weapon when we heard his loud footsteps going near from the back of his house.

"Here you go, the dual etherion edgelight for the new player." he said.

When Elio heard what the blacksmith had said he immediately rushed towards the counter and observed the weapon with amazement.

"You are a dual sword wielder?!" he exclaimed.

"I have no idea, am I?" I asked him.

Something popped up in front of me again.

"Your bloodline: Duke requires the usage of two swords in whatever variety. This fighting style has been invented ever since the first arising of the very first duke in the whole world of Ylgaea, Duke Mikovich Enstrangler, the human duke who was believed to possess the affinity of nature."

Now I realized what are bloodlines for. It is to know what your fighting style is. So basically I'm a royal god who uses two swords in fighting.

"You are one mysterious guy. But anyways since we're at it, how much would it be?" Elio asked the blacksmith.

"Oh this? It is perfectly free. This is the first time I forged a sword like this so I am giving this as my treat. After all, new items increases my talent more as a blacksmith." he explained.

"Is that so? Thank you so so much!" Elio took the hands of the blakcsmith quickly and then went back to looking at my weapon.

We suddenly heard a commotion outside. People — most likely girls — are screaming and others were making senseless noises. Banging of weapons everywhere and fireworks exploding on the sky. We both rushed outside to find out what the noises are about and a lot of people were blocking the way and the view.

"I got an idea." Elio said.

"Moonlight Orb!" Elio shouted.

Something light-bluish flashed in front of us. It was small though, like the shape of a baseball. Then later on it started showing something.

It was a blonde guy with a huge sword behind him. The guy is waving to everyone he sees and smiling at everyone.

"I cannot be mistaken, it's definitely him." Elio stated.

I glanced at him and saw the curiousity wrapping around his face. I have no idea what he was talking about, but he ended up spilling what he was thinking anyways.

"He is Viscount Helbert. He is said to be the hero of Ylgaea and he was suspected to be a god. Not only he was suspected, but he also tells that he is. But that is just a total nonsense." he explained.

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

"Gods and Goddeses were already nothing but myths. The last time someone said they saw a god was about a hundred years or so. So I am guessing that guy is a fake god who deems to be one but is just using it for fame." he said.

Why are gods in this game believed to be mythical beings? What happened exactly between the other gods?

"Elio, you're looking at a god right now."

Every part of me wants to say it, but there is this major rule where I must not expose my role. My role must remain in veil.

So I pretended to know nothing about gods.

"Elio?" I looked at him.

"Hmm?"

"What is a god?" I asked him.

He looked at me and smiled then the orb of light vanishes from his hands.

"Gods are supreme deities that were given those roles in special people. Only 10 Gods were known in this world but none actually knows who are they." he explained.

"There is this conflict between the gods which was said or rumored to be the reason of their extinction. Which is why people said the last time they have seen a god was a hundred years ago or som But of course it might all be a total rumor." he continued.

I see it now. Is that what exactly we are? But what is our major role in this world? What is our mission exactly?

Then suddenly the aura of the whole Ylgaea became red. Then something appeared in front of everyone's screen.