As Dante’s master exclaimed “welcome, Princess Aria to Nero Castello.” To the black walls and the red velvet furniture every thing around Bryn was beautifully structured and sculpted to fit the image that the Nero Castello gave off. As the master motioned for Bryn to sit down on the silky red velvet couch that gave off the sense of extravagance. As she sat down Dante’s master introduced himself by saying “Well, shall we get started Princess Aria?” I nodded as to say ‘yes we shall’. “I am Devon Caprico, I am also know as the Nero Necromancer.” I let out a gasp at the mention of that name, I had once heard of a story containing the title “The Nero Necromancer”.

Long ago on the battlefield between the two countries Kurovan and Lumiosis one man rose upon the rest he was know as The Nero Necromancer in the sense he was draped in all black robes with blood red stitching. The moment he appeared was at the point in the war when both sides had lost many men in this long, drawn out war. Even as this was happening both sides did not give in they both kept at it. That’s when the Nero Necromancer appeared, to put it in short summarization of what people thought he was there for…...was he was no catalyst but he was a point of hatred to both sides. So the end result was that both sides stopped fighting each other and fought the Nero Necromancer. The reason behind this was that all the men who had fought gallantly and died with honor were disgraced by being brought back to life in a emotionless and controlled state. So therefore the war ended but before the remaining soldiers could fight the Nero Necromancer he was gone with the thousands of soldiers he brought back too.

Although he was thought as one of the strongest Dark Magicians of his generation, he also quickly disappeared as soon as his title had become common knowledge. Mr. Caprico shifted in his seat and spoke to say “well by how your expression look I presume you already know my backstory Princess Aria?” He knew very well what I knew, how he knew that I honestly couldn't explain. I replied with “yes, Mr. Caprico I know all about the war you partook in.” His grin disappeared in place of that grin was a very serious look. He then said “well, if you then let's start with topic #1, a new war is about to break out Princess Aria and you will be centered around this war whether or not you want to.” The look after those words was dead serious to the point that his words could be world shattering. “I-I-I don’t know if what you say is true but if it is then…….is what’s gonna happen is gonna be a bloodbath like the last war right?” I ask this question with my voice shaking in horror of what could happen. He responded saying “from what I am told this will be even worse than the previous war…” He suddenly stopped in the middle of his sentence as I looked up he was also shaking in fear of the premonition that had heard of.

He then continued by saying “this war may destroy the world as we know it Princess Aria.” I looked across the room at dante who was as dumbstruck as I was, obviously his master did not share this piece of information with him. I contemplate my next course of action and come to say this “so…...what should I do from now on Mr. Caprico?” He fell silent for the a few minutes after my question and then responded with saying “first you need a means to power up and get stronger, which comes to this new device that should help with that.” He pulls out an iron and a spell book, which scares me for a moment. He then procedes and asks me to hold out my arm to him. He pushes the iron into hot coals by the fireplace comes back over to me. By this point I had an idea what was about to happen. He suddenly pushes the hot iron against my skin with a powerful thrust. I scream out in pain but I do not pull my arm away. Afterwards he pulls the iron off my skin leaving a weird set of marks.

“Now for the final part of getting you the opportunity to power up is……..this.” He flips the pages of the spell book to the part he is looking for and chants this “zetento aru garden no vivia parpus ne vanta.” A light appears at the tip of his finger, he steps over to me, moves the bangs out of my face, and touches my forehead….I feel a surge of power flow through by the time the sensation stops I black-out.

When I feel like I have awoken that wasn't it at all, all around me was black but only one light shown through this empty darkness. That light was coming from my arm over the weird text I saw earlier the was text that read PRESS START with a circular button under it. I was hesitant about pushing it but did so thinking there’s really nothing to lose from pushing it right? I push the button and text box appears with stuff that appears to be stats pertaining to me. It says this:

HP- 100

Strength- 60

Defense- 55

M. Strength- 45

M. Defense-47

Agility- 55

Intellectual- 49

After looking at the stats I found myself looking at the text box more and more. What I saw was a box saying level 19, my name, a Knight class….Whatever that was I still could not comprehend but, it also had another two boxes above those boxes it said subclasses. I to take not to all the things I had just witnessed but then suddenlly a light flashed. I blacked-out once more. I then awoke on a bed inside what seemed to be the Nero Castello. I heard a familiar voice…..it was dante’s, he was saying “come on, come on, come on, BRYN-CHAN WAKE UP!!!!!” As he said that he saw that I was staring at him with a confused look but I then smirked at him and said “oh…..so you were waiting for me Mr. all-I-care-about-is-my-master. His face grew red and said this while stumbling on his words “n-n-n-no I-I wasn’t y-you must very mistaken Bryn-chan.” He turned around staring at the wall instead of facing me out of embarrassment.

I pulled off the covers and stood up looking at dante’s back and said with a very serious look on my face “so what’s next Dante?” He turned around startled by my amount of seriousness in my voice. He spoke up saying “well then why not ask master then?” I nodded in agreement, grabbed my sword, put on my gear, and walked with dante down the hall to Mr. Caprico’s study. The door creaked open by Dante’s hand. What I saw inside was anything ive ever seen in my entire life. The walls were pure Shadow Crystal, a crystal only found in certian dungeons with the enemy type “The Underwold”. This crystal had properties to allow it to take possession of people, make black fire that could burn anything, and most of all bring the dead back to life. My amazement was showing on my face, which was noticed by Dante and Mr. Caprico. Mr. Caprico spoke up saying “so I see youve awoken from your ‘Brandish of Stats’ as the scholars of today call it.” I was confused by his words so I began by saying “what do you mean Mr. Caprico?”. Before he could even speak a brillant light burst through the room, what was left behind by the light was a blue screen above my right arm showing me the information I saw previously. “This is what I meant Princess Aria, this is your stats this will help you on your journey through Kamia.” I finally understood what he meant it looks like I am destined to travel throughout this world. I nodded to him and asked “So do you have any information on the gem Fushi and/or The King of Aria?” He smiled at Bryn and said “yes I do, ive heard rumors that in Zevantia if you conquer a certian dungeon you will get a rare item that maybe the gem you have been looking for, and the king of Aria has sent a certian assassin group after you named ‘Nujabes’.” I sat down in a chair next to Mr. Caprico contemplating my next move, then suddenly the house shook with a violent force. I stood up with a sudden fluid motion put my armor on, unseathed my sword incase a battle was upon us. Dante and Mr. Caprico did the same, Dante pulling out his dagger and Mr. Caprico grabbing his Shadow Crystal Staff.

Dante slowly opened the door with caution once he saw nothing was out of the ordinary in the hallway he motioned for us to follow him. We got to the end of the hallway and Dante put up his hand, a sign for us to stop. He whispered to us “there are five goblins in the main room and two humans at the front door, what do you suppose we do Bryn-chan?” I was startled, why where they relying on me? I could not even answer my own question but I did have a plan. I spoke saying “Mr. Caprico lead the goblin’s away with some illusions spells, after that finish them off with some dark magic spells. Dante and me will go after the two guys up front with a stealth approach.” They both nodded in agreement, Mr. Caprico chanted a spell called Demon’s Mist, which summons a demon that lures monsters into a mist towards the spell caster. The goblin’s had taken the bait and were slowly coming closer to Mr. Caprico. We got ready to fight if anything unusual happened. The goblin’s were in his vicinity to attack, he then chanted another spell its name is Envoy of Darkness which summons shadows to envolpe your enemys and crush them, making them into sacrafices for a death god. The first part of my plan went well but we still had the other half of my plan to execute, Dante used a skill called Stealth Cloak, which summoned cloaks that when worn would make you look as your surrounding’s. We slowly approached the two enemies but I sensed something and back-stepped pulling Dante back with me.

An explosion was set off because of our carelessness. We both clicked our tounges in frustration and threw off the Stealth Cloak’s. Revealing ourselves to our enemies. They turned around giving us an evil smirk. I took a glance at my right arm noticing that there was an exclamtion mark on the blue status screen showing the information on thes two enemies, one was a Gunner class and the other was a Guardian class. The Gunner class uses machines that fire explosives and hard lead bullets and the Guardian class uses a giant long sword with a very defensive sheild give the class the reputation of “the hardest to take down class”. Then it just occured to me how did I even know this. Dante smirked knowing exactly what I was thinking then saying “when you got your status screen you were given all the information needed for an adventurer, so now you should have all the needed information for battling enemies.” I smirked saying “awesome.” The Gunner and the Guardian advanced on us but before the could get the chance to attack, I launched my self at them using a skill called Cross Blade, this skill slashes the enemies in a cross or X shape. My attack was blocked by the Guardian’s Shield but I pushed them back pretty far. The Guardian quickly exclaimed “tch, ill get you for that Princess Aria!” As I thought they were here to take me down I replied by saying “are you with Nujabes you scum!” They smirked saying “yes we are and your gonna die today you fallen princess!” They rushed both of us from both sides. Dante was up against the gunner and was up against the Guardian. The Gunner shot at Dante but he easily avoided the shot. As the Gunner was readying his next shot Dante used the skill called Death’s Row, Which casts dark energy around his weapon and cuts the throat of the enemy afterwards it cremates the body and makes it into Dark Energy Crystals. As all of this was going on I was in the midst of battle, the Guardian was very tough to battle with since we were in the same class pool. Our class pool was Warriors of the Kingdom class pool, the classes in this pool were Knight, Guardian, Samurai, and Spearmen. So going up against a class that was similar to yours is especially high but can give you bunch of experience. Even if he was tough he had to have a weakness somewhere, think Bryn where is his weakpoint? Then I spotted something an ice emblem which meant his armor had ice properties, and fire is strong against ice. I used the only skill I had that is a fire element skill and used it on this Guardian. I backstepped but it was no use he was intent on keeping where I was. So I went all out and used the skill called The Knights Blazing Sword and my sword was envolped in bright red flames. I advanced on him and swung my sword in a diagnal slash, cutting through the Guardians armor and slashing im on the chest. My fight was over but Dante’s wasnt his skill Death’s Row did not work out as planned instead he was pinned by the Gunner about to meet his doom.

Then suddenly a crystal the hue of red went straight through the gunners body, making him fall to the ground without a scream for pain just silence. I looked over where the crystal had come from and I saw Mr. Caprico there smiling in victory. We had won this battle but somehow I knew this would not be the last one we would encounter.

As I had gotten ready to leave the Nero Castello, Dante came running after me and said “please let me travel with you Bryn-chan.” I was shocked at first but then recovered by saying “I would love to travel with you.” Mr. Caprico saw them off. After they left Mr. Caprico set out on his own journey. His reasoning for this was the foreboding he felt was too much, before he left he burnt down the home he had lived in for a good while of his life.

Sorry for the late chapter anybody who is reading my online novel. Over christmas break I didn't feel like writing and then after the break I was rushed with a bunch of assignments so yeah most people know how that is. Thank you for reading I really appreciate it and sorry again for the late chapter.