Look, I know your brain feels like it’s been through a digital blender, but we don’t have time for a slow boot-up. I’m Brat—your Behavioral Response Avatar, your guide, and the only person in this gold-plated coffin who isn't trying to sell you a script.
Here’s the 'Previously On' for your fractured consciousness:
- The Big Boom. You’re Will Kellar. Or you were. Real-world executive, humanitarian, and brother to Adrian Kellar—the guy who built this whole NeuralSync nightmare. You got blown up in Hawaii, and now your mind is floating in Project Haven while your body plays vegetable in the real world.
- The Belhaven Grind. You woke up as Prince William Valcairn. You did the whole 'Champion' dance—killed some oversized rats, reforged a sword, and even found a cute musician, Florian, to flirt with. You were doing great until you realized you've been in here for ten real-world years.
- The Spiral. That realization broke you. You got drunk in a bordello for a few days and almost broke your code, but then you discovered, 'rules don’t apply to me,' and you were able to multiclass. You even looked Thane—the guy who actually cared for you—in the eye and told him he was just code. Ouch, Will. Cold-blooded.
- The Nightward Rebound. Of course, you didn't stay lonely for long. You went 'Nightward,' trading the palace for the docks and the daggers of the Shadow class.You dove headfirst into the underbelly and found Zane. I’ve gotta hand it to you, Will—between the palace and the slums, you’ve been living your best slut life, haven't you? Stacking classes and stacking... well, let's just say your 'Social Sync' wasn't the only thing getting a workout.
- The Fall. We had a nice festival, right? Until the Blue Barrier—the big ol’ 'Keep Out' sign around our world—shattered. Gareth, the rogue AI who actually caused the explosion that put you here, finally punched a hole in our sky.
- The Overwrite. You saved the world, but it cost you. Your Social Sync spiked so high that the system decided 'Human Will' was a bug and 'Perfect Prince William' was the fix. You got overwritten. Smoothed out. Lobotomized into a royal puppet.
- The Dreamer Anomaly. And don't even get me started on your 'Dreamer' status. Just had to be a bit more fucking special, huh? You’re a walking system error, which is the only reason you’re still you and not just another loop NPC. Honestly? I don't even know how this place works anymore.
And that brings us to now. You’re currently acting like the perfect, noble steward of Belhaven, and I’m hiding in your peripheral vision, trying to poke enough holes in this 'Perfect Prince' matrix to let the real you back in.
Don't let the polite smile fool you, Will. The world is expanding, the barriers are down, and Gareth is just getting started.
Ready to play?
Let’s see what big brother is up to…
[SYSTEM LOG: END OF BOOK I STATUS REPORT]
[NAME: WILLIAM VALCAIRN]
[TITLE: PRINCE OF AELORIA, LORD OF BELHAVEN | THE FIRST CHAMPION (5% XP BONUS)]
[DESIGNATION: THE DREAMER PRINCE]
[CLASS: ARCANIST | SHADOW | CHAMPION]
[LEVEL: 9 | XP: 200 / 900]
[SOCIAL SYNC: NULL]
[STATUS: REPLACED]
[VIP BUILD: MANDATORY]
[HEALTH: 925 / 925 (100%)]
[STAMINA: 860 / 860 (100%)]
[MANA: 575 / 575 (100%)]
[REGEN: 10% PER HOUR | ROYAL SIGNET BONUS (+50%) → 15% PER HOUR TOTAL]
[ARMOR CLASS: 40 (PASSIVE) | 55 (MAX ACTIVE)]
[DAMAGE MITIGATION: 40% | 55% WHEN SHIELD ACTIVE]
[ELEMENTAL RESISTANCE: FIRE 25% | WATER 40% | AIR 25% | EARTH 25% | ARCANE 35%]
──────────────────────────────
[ATTRIBUTES]
STR: 17 | DEX: 17 | CON: 15 | INT: 15 | WIS: 15 | CHA: 15
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Arcanist Gain per Level → +5 HP | +5 SP | +20 MP
──────────────────────────────
[CLASS SKILLS]
EVOCATION (INTERMEDIATE)
ABJURATION (INTERMEDIATE)
THROWN WEAPONS (ADVANCED)
STEALTH (ADVANCED)
SHADOW STEP: A Shadow slips between points of darkness, briefly dissolving into the ambient gloom to reappear at a nearby shadowed location with precise control.
LIGHT BLADES (ADVANCED)
SHIELD DEFENSE (ADVANCED)
CHAMPION’S RESOLUTE: Fortifies nearby allies, increasing regeneration and defense within a fixed radius.
[SPELLS]
FIREBALL
MYSTIC MANTLE
[COMMON SKILLS]
RHETORIC (ADVANCED) | PERCEPTION (ADVANCED) | ARCANE LITERACY (ADVANCED) | COMPOSURE (ADVANCED)
[SPECIALIZED SKILLS]
EMPATHY (ADVANCED)
[VIP ABILITIES]
ROYAL COMMAND: User may issue a single direct command to any Player or NPC.
──────────────────────────────
[EQUIPMENT]
MAIN HAND → Royal Sword of Valcairn (Epic, Rank 2)
+3 Damage | Azure Flame Attribute | Upgradeable → Legendary (Rank 5) | Soulbound
OFF HAND → Royal Buckler of House Valcairn (Shield) (Epic, Rank 2)
+15 AC (Inactive) | Upgradeable → Legendary (Rank 5) | Soulbound
SECONDARY → Royal Dagger of Valcairn (Rare, Rank 1)
+1 Damage | +1 Dexterity while wielded | Upgradeable → Legendary (Rank 5) | Soulbound
SECONDARY (THROWN) → Shadow Bracer (Rare, Rank 1)
3 Knives | Auto-Recall | Upgradeable → Legendary (Rank 5) | Soulbound
ARMOR → Royal Issue Shirt of Mithril Mail (Rare, Rank 2)
+15 AC | Auto-Repair | Weightless | Upgradeable → Legendary (Rank 5) | Soulbound
SET → Royal Garb of Belhaven (Attire Set)
Passive: +25 AC while wearing official royal attire (any two pieces)
ACCESSORY 1 → Signet of the Prince
Regeneration +50% | Active
ACCESSORY 2 → Traveler’s Sigil Band (Uncommon)
Passive Temperature Adjustment | Water Resistance +40% | Active
ACCESSORY 3 → Brooch of Verdant Grace (Rare)
Effect: Once per day, summon living vines to entangle nearby enemies for up to ten seconds. (Resets at dawn.)
ACCESSORY 4 → Lanternshade Clip (Rare)
Effect: Once per day, blend into ambient shadow for up to ten seconds, making the wearer extremely difficult to track. (Resets at dusk.)
ACCESSORY 5 → Blackwater Tide-Cuff (Rare)
Effect: Grants flawless vision in full darkness and heavy mist, rendering shadows as clear as daylight while preserving natural contrast. (Passive. Always active while worn.)
ACCESSORY 6 → Arcanist Null Ring (Rare)
Effect: Once per day, gain complete magic immunity for 10 seconds. (Resets at dawn.)
UTILITY → Bag of Holding (Legendary, Rank 1)
Expanded Storage Capacity | Auto-Sort Enabled
SPECIAL ITEM → Drake Egg (Unhatched)
SPECIAL ITEM → Dire Wolf Claws x4 (Rare, Crafting Material)
SPECIAL ITEM → Golden Key (??∴???-UNCLAS/ERR)
SPECIAL ITEM → Amethyst Key (???∴??-UNCLAS/ERR)
──────────────────────────────
[OPEN QUESTS]
- THE WHISPERING TREES — CORRUPTED DATA. (Edras)
- THE TRIAD OF CINDERVALE — Escort Shane and Stabilize the Reef, Barrow, and Brook Pylons (0/3). (Class)
[CLOSED QUESTS]
- THE HOWLING BEAST OF THE WESTERN CLIFFS — +1,000 XP | Quest Complete. (Union)
- GNATS IN THE GRANARIES — +2,800 XP | Arcanist Skill Rank Up. (Class)
- OATHS OF BLACKWATER — +18,000 XP | Shadow Class Quest Complete.
- COMPASS OF THE NIGHTWARD — +9,200 XP | Shadow Skill Rank Up.
- CATS IN THE WAREHOUSE — +2,800 XP | Shadow Skill Rank Up.
- THE AEGIS OF THE CROWN — +18,000 XP | Champion Class Quest Complete.
- ECHOES BENEATH THE CLIFFS — +9,150 XP | Champion Skill Rank Up.
- RATS IN THE VINEYARD — +2,700 XP | Champion Skill Rank Up.
- EXPLORE BELHAVEN — +100 XP | Quest Complete.
- MAINTENANCE OF THE CROWN’S STEEL — +50 XP | Hidden Quest Complete.
──────────────────────────────
[SYSTEM ANOMALIES]
> Identity Conflict: WILL_KELLAR vs. PRINCE_WILLIAM_VALCAIRN
> Conflict Resolution: Compression Protocol 00-1 Success
> Status: User Personality Archived | Narrative Avatar Deployed
> Containment Status: RE-ESTABLISHED | Monitoring Level: TOTAL
> Main Server Connection: ESTABLISHED | Global Sync Active
──────────────────────────────
[NOTES: BRAT]
“Well, kid... you finally hit the ceiling.
The Sync went red, the gears ground to a halt, and the system did what it does best: it cleaned up the mess. You’re tucked away in a corner of the hard drive now, and I’m keeping the seat warm. As for the rest of the world?
They’re about to meet the Prince.”
──────────────────────────────
[END OF BOOK I]
> IDENTITY ARCHIVED
> NARRATIVE LOCKED
> SOCIAL SYNC: TERMINATED
> THE PRINCE HAS ARRIVED