MTL - The Path Toward Heaven - Chapter 22 The first flight of the ugly duckling

A fully immersive game known as “Game of Gods” had swept the world by storm.

It was an online game about elves, magical beasts, and gods, and players could choose to play as one of the vast selection of classes and skills.

As soon as Occam logged into the game, he was rewarded with a 10x point system.

Since he was too lazy to move around in the game using various active skills, he decided to pour all of his points into the passive skills.

He fully leveled a ton of passive skills that could allow him to defeat a boss without even moving, skills such as Counter Attack, Sacrifice, Stun, Evasion, Magic Damage Nullifier, and more.

When the players witnessed how Occam defeat his foes, they all had the same reaction. “What the hell? He doesn’t have to move and he’s literally a God!”

Welcome! If you want to jump in without any spoilers, feel free. Otherwise, here's a story primer, with a list of more specifics on what to expect from my work further below.Our story follows a fallen knight haunted by his past, in a world afflicted by war and supernatural wounds. Alken is the Headsman of Seydis, an executioner tasked by the divine powers of his homeland to hunt dark sorcerers, warlords, and traitors of all varieties, lest they drag the world into calamity.Once a paladin, this role ill suits him. Forced to cross lines that shake his beliefs, tempted by dark forces, and seen as an ill omen wherever he wanders, his path is often a bloody one. The longer he spends in the shadows of his world, the more he comes to realize just how many have been disenfranchised by the existent order. During his lonely battles through a land haunted by the restless dead and ancient magics, his journey becomes increasingly strange and personal.Enter a realm where the dead stir in every shadow and brooding demigods wage a millennia long war for a ruined heaven, where blessed knights wield gilded flames and sorcerers battle with weapons forged of their own souls. Enter a world of faustian alchemists, of saintly demons, and of time-weary elves.From Oathbreaker you can expect— A setting heavily inspired by Forgotten Realms, Planescape, Fromsoft games, and authors such as Michael Moorcock and Kentauro Miura. — A first person POV from an older protagonist who already knows a lot about his world’s history and cultures, who shares this information with the reader as it becomes relevant.— A mix of action adventure and quieter moments where the focus is on character development. Lore is shared piecemeal, usually only as it relates to a particular arc or character beat.— A heavy focus on mystery, both with the setting and the protagonist. The main character’s backstory isn’t shared up front, and a lot of the narrative involves learning about him a bit at a time, either from his own narration or other characters interacting with him.— A semi-soft magic system where many mages manifest unique powers tied to their own soul, or gain unique powers through eldritch pacts.— Romantic elements. These don’t crop up much until later in the story.— A variety of supernatural beings, such as elves, vampires, gargoyles, chimera, and trolls. Many are familiar, some are not, and most of the familiar ones have my own twists put on them.—Nobledark fantasy. This means that the world is often themed around tragedy and horror, but it’s not dedicated to being gritty. There are elements of high fantasy intermixed with the scarier stuff.—Episodic arcs. Each story arc usually has a specific locale and antagonist or set of antagonists, but certain overarching plots tie them together.— A long running narrative. I don’t have a specific projection of how long or how many arcs or books, but you should expect this to be equivalent to a long running serialized work.This is my first web serial! I hope everyone enjoys it. For trigger warnings, readers should beware that there are some heavy topics in here. When I think something might upset certain readers, I’ll put a warning in the author notes above a chapter. If I miss or overlook anything, feel free to let me know in the comments! I am currently publishing the same story on my wordpress, which is linked below and in my profile. I release three chapters a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Thanks for reading!(I originally had a link to a wordpress, but I'm in the process of overhauling that space. It's not a priority since my readership is all here, but just in case anyone noticed and was wondering)

A young farmer's son, Oscar, is content with living a peaceful life, but by fate's whim, he is found to have the potential to become something greater, an Exalt. A special class of humans who perform miraculous feats and lord over others. Despite his shortcoming and slow progress compared to the geniuses around him, Oscar holds determination as his shield and persistence as his blade. Who says that a person needs to be a genius?Who says that a person has to be a prodigy?With each heavy step, Oscar walks the path of an Exalt.

In the past when someone mentioned getting married, Du Lei Si (Durex) would feel fearful enough to flee.

What is so good about getting married? Organizing a wedding ceremony is akin to spending money like running water. After giving birth, you must also raise the child. If you don’t maintain yourself well, you will get out of shape.

As a result, maybe a vixen will grab your husband and take your baby away.

Not getting married! Definitely not getting married!

However, fate is like this. Whatever you are afraid of, unfortunately, it will be given to you.

I was walking on the street, minding my own business, yet, impossibly, I encountered a stranger proposing marriage. He placed a dazzling diamond ring right in front of me. This handsome guy knelt down on one leg and looked at me with such a sincere expression: “Miss, would you please marry me?”

This, isn’t this like some drama?

After pondering over it, I decided that this surely must be a stunt from some television station’s new program. Invite a celebrity to pretend to be a passer-by who proposes marriage. This year, with the economic crisis, being a producer is not easy.

Thus, out of kindness, I accepted the diamond ring. Only to find out that all of this was actually real! The diamond ring is really and truly a genuine diamond from South Africa. Moreover, the groom is also a genuine rich man!

Actually, wasn’t this just like the legend of marrying into a rich and powerful family? I always feel that in front there is the belly black President who is like a ruthless wolf watching me attentively, and if I am not careful, he will tear me apart and swallow me into his belly. Whereas behind there is the crowd who do not know the truth, standing in a circle and watching as the drama unfolds. I still have not explained clearly but Mrs. President’s fame has already spread quickly from mouth to mouth.

This time, Du Lei Si really feels regret.

Who can tell me, can I not marry ah?