Chapter 11: The Hunt Begins (Part 2)
(Accel's POV)
"The Second Fallen."
"Hello, I'm Accel Mendoza, a gamer and former beta tester of several VRMMORPGs. When Enigma Online PH was released, I was hyped. It was already popular abroad, and now that the Philippines had acquired the rights to open its own server, I knew I had to be part of it."
"I have to try this game," I said excitedly, holding the new Dimension Splitter console.
"Armand Voieghn really is a genius," I added, glancing at my older brother and little sister. "Can you believe we can literally teleport into the game now?"
My brother Jenson laughed. "Too bad, Cindy. You're still too young to play this one. Maybe next year."
"It's okay, kuya. I can wait," Cindy replied, unfazed. Even though she was younger, she was just as into games as we were—probably because she grew up with two gamer brothers. And with our father being a wealthy businessman and an investor in EOP, gaming was in our blood. In fact, this whole setup—console and all—was my birthday gift from Dad. Not just any console either, but a beta-tester model with enhanced features. The only catch? Full beta perks weren't available in official release, but it still gave a small edge.
"Alright, I'm logging in!" I announced.
With a single press of the button, my body shimmered with light and vanished before Jenson and Cindy's eyes.
---
In-Game...
A bright light blinded me for a moment, but my eyes quickly adjusted. A towering NPC clad in black-plated armor stood before me, guiding me through character creation.
Naturally, I picked the Angel Class—one of the hardest and rarest classes in the game. And for my sub-class? UNKNOWN. I knew what I was doing. I named my avatar "Accel" too—simple, but it sounded cool.
Once done, I was teleported into the main village of the Angel Class players. It was already nighttime in-game, and the area seemed oddly deserted. Only one player sat near the respawn area on a bench, partially shrouded in shadow. His blue-tinged armor faintly glowed, a quiet but imposing presence.
He stood up and approached.
"Hey," he said with a warm smile.
"H-hi!" I stuttered, caught off guard.
Despite his intimidating appearance, he seemed friendly. I guessed he was around 25 to 28—maybe my brother's age.
"It's already late. What made you log in just now?" he asked.
"I couldn't wait anymore. I was too excited to play," I answered honestly.
He laughed. "I'm Zaphro. Nice to meet you, Accel." He extended his hand.
"Nice to meet you too, Kuya Zaphro!" I shook it eagerly.
"Sorry it's a bit empty around here. Not many players choose our class. You're only the eighth Angel-class player on the PH server," he said, scratching his head.
"Really? That's fine. Angel-class is strong anyway—only skilled players can handle it," I said confidently.
He smiled and nodded. "Come on, I'll give you a tour. Then we'll head out to level up a bit. I'll join you."
"Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother…"
"It's no trouble. I'm already level 75. I can afford to relax for a bit," he said, waving it off.
"Thanks, kuya."
We walked around the village, stopping by NPC vendors and chatting about game mechanics. Zaphro was a treasure trove of insider info.
As we passed a weapons vendor, I couldn't help but admire the gear on display.
"See anything you like? I'll buy you one. Choose," he offered.
I wanted to refuse—but it was clear he wouldn't take no for an answer. So, I picked a weapon that caught my eye: a Crimson Deck—a common card-based weapon with strong damage but no elemental effect.
"Nice choice," Zaphro said. "Going for a ranged build?"
"Something like that."
He bought it without hesitation, then also handed me a starter armor set. "It's cold out there. Can't have you freezing your wings off."
Outside town, the night was indeed chilly and dark. My vision stats were low, so visibility was terrible.
"Try fighting a few mobs. I'll keep watch here," he said, sitting casually on the grass like he was watching a movie. He even pulled out some food.
I focused. The darkness made it hard to see, but I could hear something slithering nearby. I threw a card in that direction—bam, a health bar appeared. Level 5 Viper Snake—already at half HP.
It struck quickly. I backed off, threw another card, and took it down.
XP gained. Almost half my XP bar filled instantly.
Another snake appeared. Same strategy. Then another. Soon, I was gathering loot—venom sap, gold coins, and more.
"I'm almost leveling up!" I called out.
Zaphro gave me a thumbs-up. "Just don't wander too far. Higher-level mobs roam at night."
Yeah, like I was planning to go sightseeing in the dark.
Then a wild pig charged at me. Its tusks hit hard—painful, unlike other VRMMORPGs. Here in Enigma Online, you felt the hits.
I grit my teeth, slashed its neck with a sharp-edged card, and took it down.
LEVEL UP!
Level 2
New Stats:
HP: 550
DEF: 60
MP: 500
SP: 850
Evasion: 55
Attack: 420
Resistances: +20 to all elements
This game was awesome. Every level gave significant boosts. I felt stronger already.
"Level 2, kuya!" I called out again.
He nodded. "Nice. Keep going."
I continued grinding—killing insects, bats, owls. By Level 5, I unlocked new skills:
Black Void – an AOE black hole lasting 30 seconds.
Pyro Blast – a fire-infused card attack.
"Kuya, look!" I ran to him, grinning.
"What's up? Why the big smile?"
"I got two skills!"
"Two? That's unusual. Let me see your stats."
I showed him, and his expression turned serious.
"Your stat gains... they're doubled compared to normal."
"Sub-class?" he asked.
"UNKNOWN," I answered.
He blinked, then smiled knowingly. "I knew it. We're the same."
He explained the truth behind our sub-class: Dark Angel. It wasn't listed, but both of us had it. It explained the abnormal stats.
"It's likely just the two of us. They'll probably patch this anomaly soon."
He then brought me to a dense area where Level 10–20 mobs roamed. With my boosted XP rate, I leveled up fast.
He activated a skill—Burning Essence—surrounding himself with a blue flame.
"Get ready. Light attracts night mobs."
Soon, enemies came swarming: wolves, hyenas, monsters I couldn't even name. They avoided Zaphro—his flame probably scorched them—but they came for me.
"Dark Void!" I shouted, tossing my AOE skill. Nine mobs died instantly. My XP soared.
Level 7.
Next, I launched Pyro Blast, hitting three more. With only a 3-second cooldown, I spammed it alongside my AOE every 45 seconds. Cards regenerated automatically—no need to reload like bows.
Passive Skill Learned: DODGE
Level 25. My offensive skills upgraded to Level 2.
"Wow, kuya, my stats are getting crazy!" I said, amazed.
"Told you you could do it."
Back at the village, I sold off extra loot and kept only healing pots.
Accel (Dark Angel) – Level 25
HP: 2,850
DEF: 540
MP: 2,800
SP: 1,100
Attack: 880
Speed: 45%
Evasion: 515
Zaphro took me to the Desert Map, where Demented Cacti wandered. I kept leveling while he floated nearby, keeping the area lit.
"Don't head south," he warned. "There's a boss there. Maybe once you're Level 35."
'So… once I reach 35, he wants me to fight it?!' I thought nervously.
An hour later, I hit Level 35. We rested in a safe zone.
"Here, eat. You must be hungry," he said, handing me fancy-looking bread. It was delicious.
"Are you sure we can fight the boss?" I asked, nervous.
"I beat it at Level 33," he boasted, raising his hand.
"Okay… but I'll stay on support."
"Just follow my lead, alright?"
"Got it," I replied hesitantly.
Then we saw it: the Sandman, towering and massive—Level 90.
We formed a party. He buffed me with Burning Essence and Angelic Aura—massive boosts to my attack, defense, and regen.
Zaphro charged, light on his feet.
"Frost Field!" he shouted, freezing the boss in place. Its HP began draining slowly.
I grinned. Time to strike.