Starting from Zero

Book 4, Chapter 4

Hawk

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I got into the game early the next morning. As father expected, I need to go to Japan region and sabotage something when the nation war system is implanted. There's no doubt I'll need some serious power to do that.

I already have strong companions, servants and gear, the only problem is my level. Nothing serious though, six months should be more than enough for me to get enough levels.

I need helpers too. To fight against a whole country...There's no way I can do it alone. Even the most powerful boss in the game would probably be dead fast if tens of thousands of players try to kill it at the same time. And ten thousand is not really a big number, if you look at the current game population.

Yes, I'll need a large-scaled Guild. But...I know my limits. The best I can do is to command like 50 people, no more.

Hum. I'll try to find some elite players with similar ideas as myself then. Quality values more than numbers. We just need to annoy them, not to fight an all-out war. We don't need a whole army for that.

That's decided then. I should go to Yuri first, as her skills are not something I should ignore. As for Wayne...Nope. He got a nice hidden class too but isn't that powerful. It's best if I ask him to do the support jobs.

I was lying just outside the Lost City and looking at the skies when going over these plans (well, I like cloudy weathers!). Someone appeared and cast his shadow over my face.

"Excuse me, sir." A deep, male voice came over.

I tilted my head and looked at him. It's a strong, warrior-like player. His hair is soaked in sweat, panting heavily, and is wearing a worried look. Though his face told me that this man probably is the sunny type.

He...should be wearing a golden colored knight armor, but it's covered in blood, and the chest protections are all torn up. There's a really big sword hanging behind his back. I can only see the hilt from my point, the long handle suggests that it's a long, two-handed blade.

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Hawk has been really unlucky today. A random punk insulted his girlfriend when they're trying to level up together in the morning, and they went up into a fight. What he wasn't expecting is that the thug called his guild members for help. He couldn't hold himself against so many people, and was eventually killed after picking out several enemies too.

Luckily, his gf was teleported away by the system's protection mechanism. (In [Zero], female players can choose to instantly escape to a certain city, or teleport the target 10 kilos away when receiving sexual harassment. The first option will apply if the player is unable to make the decision, such as when stunned or hypnotized. I'm not sure about male players though...cause I never heard of something similar happening to guys, yet.)

Next, he found himself respawned in a big, grand-looking city. The problem is there's not a single living soul at the place. He left the resurrection point and exited the city without meeting anyone along the entire way. It crept him out.

He tried to leave the place from the teleport station but was prompted that the station is unavailable to white-name players during the day. So he could only leave on foot. Now he stumbled into this mess graveyard! He's sure this place is totally haunted or something. Who would build a graveyard the size of a national park?

He wandered around in the graveyard for a while when he saw a black object lying on a crumbled tombstone. He approached it carefully and noticed that it's actually a human, or at least something looks like a human. The figure's helmet covered its entire face. A spike stood out from between the eyebrows like some sort of horn, with a "V" mark at its base. The mask part is obviously retractable. The eyes are the only parts that are not completed covered, but he cannot see the eyes as there's a V-shaped violet crystal embedded there like glasses, like those eye lens in Japanese robot animes.

The...creature, not sure if it's a player, is equipped with full metal armor of similar black color. Two dragon emblems are engraved upon the breast part. The broad shoulder pieces suggest that it's for male. Various gems are set on the tasset, below which is a pair of black leg guards, also without much seams or visible joints. The left leg is crossed on the other, revealing a blade behind the heel.

Finally, the two gauntlets. Their tips are shaped like two life-like dragon heads. Their "horns" point towards the back, apparently weapons too. The part behind the hand is thicker, obviously there's something hiding inside it.

Conclusion: the whole armor is terribly deadly.

From the two swords on the waist and that cavalry lance lying on the ground, the man must be a melee class. Hawk is confident in close combat, so he decided to move over and ask him some questions.

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I sat up and looked at the man in front of me. "Something you need?"

He responded with quite some politeness. "I...think I lost my way. May I ask which way should I go to leave this place?"

"Leave? There's a teleport station right?" Someone who doesn't know about teleport stations is still a new sight these days.

"I found it. But it told me that only red names can use it, white name players need to wait for nighttime."

"You're not red name?" I stood up and retracted my wing blades. I spread them when I lied down to make it more comfortable.

The man was shocked a bit when he saw the wings, but recovered quickly.

"I'm not red, as you can see."

"That...can't be. This area is meant for crimed players. Only those with really high Evilness will get sent here, how did you end up in that city?"

"But that's what happened. And my name is white, for real. I did fight someone but it was judged self-defence because I wasn't the one doing damage first."

"Now this is strange." I walked around him. This time I can fully see that sword he's carrying--not only the hilt is long, the blade itself is nothing like an ordinary sword I've ever seen. Similar to his armor, the sword is also tainted in blood and lots of cracks and turns. He must have been fighting with a lot of people.

But I was just planning to find strong helpers! Now one of them is standing right in front of me.

"Are you carrying anything related to darkness?"

"Huh? Maybe this one?" He took out a red gem. "I got this drop from a lich boss. I don't know what it is for though."

"That should be it. There's a chance that you will be teleported here if any dark or evil object sits in your pocket. And this thing must be a really powerful one, if my guess is right."

The knight became worried again. "But, how will I get out of the place now?"

"That's simple." My observations told me he can be a very decent partner, I may just ask him to join me. "I know everything about this place, and I can do anything in this place. Sending you away should be a piece of cake. Just tell me the coordinate you want to go, I can take you there."

The Teleport Ring will do the job nice and quick.

"For real?"

Ok, he's doubting me. Totally legit.

"The name is [Hawk]. Thank you in advance!"

"I'm [Ziri]. Don't thank me yet. Don't expect free service. Fight me, I'll send you if you win. No worries though, I just want to see your real strength, the outcome doesn't really matter."

"Of course. Bring it on!"

Shiing. He already got his sword in hands. That speed is impressive, only someone who PvP'd a lot can get prepared so fast.

"No potions and items. It's just practice, won't be necessary to waste any money on it."

"Agreed."

"Let's begin!"

I lost target the moment I said that. Holy--I can't believe it! I wasn't expecting that kind of speed from someone big with heavy armors!

Hawk charged at me from one side.

"[Holy Hammer]!"

He smashed the face part of the sword on my left shoulder!

-100!

Paladin skill!

I took the full hit without defending myself and got knocked sideways. Before I fell, Hawk crouched below me and gave me a powerful upper-cut. "[Sky Upper]!"

-200!

"Ahhhhh--"

I'm sent into mid-air. I can't resist the forces at all, probably because they're part of the skill's special effects.

Hawk didn't stop though. He jumped above me when I'm still flying upwards.

"[Falling Sun]!"

-400!

A downward leg-swipe at my stomach. Now I'm falling back towards the ground. I don't know how he did it but he reached the ground first. He steadied himself using only one leg, and kicked the other leg at me.

"[Rising Halo]!"

-600!

I'm flying again. Damn, this superman got on top of me. However did he do that?

"[Meteor Drop]!"

-800!

He fell upside down from high above and smashed into me using his two arms at full speed, sending me down again. You guessed it. He flashed below me like before.

He landed on his hands this time, while bending his arms to dampen the speed and charge up his kick. He bent his legs all the way to the same level as his arms before kicking them at lightning speed, at just the right time when I reached him.

"[Leaping Rabbit]!"

-1200!

"AHRRRH--"

I'm rising for the third time! I saw a shadowed figure went past me again. He's trying to finish me off in one combo!

I managed to flip myself 180 degree, and triggered my claw blades.

"[Heaven Impact]!"

-1400!

He gave me a shattering kick, crane style. I caught his ankle in my claw and cut off his leg guard like opening a metal can. It didn't prevent his attack though.

That move surprised him. I know breaking his equipment won't actually do any damage, the problem is I can't touch him!

He tried to use the other leg to kick me again. I grabbed his leg and did a barrel-roll. Now I'm the one behind him.

I aimed my claw at the back of his head. He tried to block it by putting his hand in the way.

Crack! His gauntlet got cut down. He rolled over and kicked at me. I was sent away again.

That was quite a series of attacks, but they all happened in a short period before we reach the ground.

I touched down safely and kept some distance with him.

Hawk looked at his bare leg and hand. "Impressive. This is the first time someone broke out of my ultimate combo. I never lost to anyone in a 1-on-1 fight you know."

"Likewise. I lost 4700 HP. So each attack cause double damage than the last one? And I believe you hadn't finished that combo?"

"Yeah. I created that move. You interrupted me before I can finish. After [Heaven Impact], I would kick you up again using [Perished Land], then do a 10-hit flurry attack using my sword as a finisher. I never expected you would catch me though. May I ask what's your level? 4700 damage should be enough to knock out any type of player at this stage. That Big Blade on the ranking top is the only one with 5000+ HP, as far as I know."

"I'm 313 now. I got 5000 HP too."

"Are you a tank? How did you set your points? But there's no way you can get that much HP at 313. Big Blade is, let me see, level 477!"

"I uh, have some really nice equipment." I pointed at my armor. "Look, you don't find these stuff in market stalls."

Hawk waved his hand, a tall, white unicorn appeared at his side.

"I thought this is not necessary, but looks like I'll have to use my full power to win. Careful now. As a rider, I can do much much better than what I did without my horse!"

He jumped onto his mount and grabbed that lance hanging beside the saddles. "You should do the same! I saw your lance back there. You have your horse too I assume?"

"Oh of course." I smiled, and pressed my hand on the ground, creating a shining spell pentagram.