AESIR'S REVERT

Chapter 3: Aesir's First Victory

The simple table emphasized how absurd Aesir's situation was. He was used to the complex menus of the 7th update, but he found a certain refreshing quality in this new simplicity.

The AI was still gathering data for improvements, so things were pretty basic for now. But having the skill assist system active in the base version would definitely make his job easier.

Without hesitation, Aesir activated his bundle. "Thank you for choosing the Master bundle!"

No matter how much money you spent outside the game, you couldn't buy in-game currency. That's why these bundles offered a range of items, giving players a basic financial boost to start with. It was this clever feature that made Faction Online so special. The scarcity of resources and player support made it feel like discovering a new, untouched world—a potential goldmine. The difference here was that wealth in Faction Online didn't guarantee a big advantage.

Aesir quickly moved potions into his limited inventory slots. He immediately equipped the medium armor set, a mix of light plate on limbs and chest, with cloth armor underneath, making his avatar look heroic.

He put aside common weapons, armor, and the other two armor sets; many players had bought similar bundles. Flooding the market with these items would greatly reduce their value. Unlike most MMOs where NPCs set fixed prices, Faction Online's market worked like the real world, following supply and demand. In a small town, having hundreds of adventurers sell low-level gear would be disastrous.

Grabbing three blank books for trading skills, he saw a menu pop up. There were many skills available, but only common ones. Advanced skills like Scribing, Divination, and Accounting weren't an option. Without hesitation, he chose the best combo: Blacksmithing, Alchemy, and Enchanting.

Aesir muttered angrily, making nearby players cautiously move away. Despite his usually calm demeanor, he felt like throwing a tantrum.

"What's going on here? Even without the rare resources pack, the basic bundle alone is enough to curse my luck!"

Thirty Copper pieces? Each one sold for nearly thirty bronze. When the first player hit level 15, Intermediary Trade Centers would open in each region, letting players auction currency and items. By then, one bronze coin could be worth almost $5.

Compared to what he got, those thirty Copper piecess alone would give a profit nearly six times higher to those who bought the master bundle!

The realization filled Aesir with such bitterness and anger that he almost felt like exploding. "Those poor fools. By the time they realize their mistake, everyone will have moved on, and it'll be too late."

But Aesir knew better. The items he got were way more than he expected, making him wonder if there was a mistake. With all this, he could shorten his early plans to less than three months, much faster than he thought—just a year.

He quickly chose two uncommon skill books containing the passive skills Nimble and Vanquisher. Nimble heightens his movement speed while Vanquisher boosts his attack power.

These skills showed why the Dark Swordsman class was a threat to other players.

The Dark Swordsman class had fast speed and powerful attacks with passive skills usually found only in top-level items—skills with no cooldown or cost that would get better as you leveled up.

Its active skills boosted percentages instead of directly hurting others.

The downside to the Dark Swordsman class was its rareness and slow speed to level up. Still, Aesir had ways to solve these, which became his next plan.

Before he left, Aesir checked the two weapons he got to make sure they were good enough to use.

"White Fang and Golden Claws eh, Nothing too unique but they'll do for now. I got the most important thing - Nimble."

With his enhanced speed, Aesir's attacks were almost impossible to dodge. Combined with over 15 years of Beowolf gaming experience, he was a formidable opponent in Faction Online.

Sighing, he accepted his fate and equipped his weapons. Then, he sprinted towards the town hall. Out of combat, stamina wasn't an issue, allowing players to run indefinitely, but the sheer size of Faction Online made long-distance running daunting.

Aesir's speed left many players dazed as he blurred past them.

"Who was that?"

"He was so fast!"

"He scared me!"

"Can I sue for that?"

"Yeah, it's 2123, you can sue for anything."

Aesir heard these remarks and smirked. Once he unlocked the Dark Swordsman class, they'd witness true speed and power.

At the town hall, a queue formed for starter quests, but other attractions drew attention. Groups gathered at recruitment stands shouting similar calls:

"Join Desecrators today! All players welcome!"

"Line up for Gifters! Only with a bundle!"

"Last chance for Fabled! Premium bundles only."

These stands allowed guilds to recruit members before the Faction system unlocked. Joining meant signing an inescapable digital contract.

Aesir sneered at the time-wasters, focused on leveling instead of joining queues. He passed through an alley behind the town hall, attracting confused and mocking looks.

"What's he doing?"

"Must be a noob."

"He might get mugged. NPCs can rob players."

"Poor guy."

Aesir ignored them and disappeared from view. Some watched with concern, others out of curiosity.

Meanwhile, Aesir found an emaciated child beggar near death from starvation and dehydration. In a past life, a player had found this alley and helped the boy, creating a hidden quest in Faction Online.

Aesir unsheathed Golden Claws and helped the boy.

This boy was none other than Grim's third son, a powerful devil in Faction Online. When nurtured back to health, he repaid kindness with Absolute Prana Wave, a feared ability that erased a player's account permanently.

The kingdom mobilized over half of its paladin army to subdue him and extract his hidden powers.

As the black mist emerged from the boy's body, Aesir, knowing better than to confront a level 1 devil without a plan, engaged swiftly.

With expert timing, he deflected the Arch Demonkin's spear with White Fang, then struck hard with Golden Claws.

Despite its intelligence, Aesir outmaneuvered the creature, using Carnage Space to deliver a devastating blow that ended the battle swiftly.

His experience bar surged, and as he reviewed his rewards, Aesir was stunned by what he saw.

"You defeated the Legendary Demon Kyle, Third son of Grim!"

"You gained Exp points."

"You received several items."

"Your reputation has risen."