《The Gift of Life》 A New Beginning The bright light shone down upon me. Bathing me like a chosen one. In a sense, I was. I glanced at the two-way mirror. Did they even see me as a person right now? "What are you thinking about, Jack?" The voice snapped me back to reality. When I first arrived I had expected a crusty old man to conduct the experiment. But instead, a young woman introduced herself as Michell. She was cute. The glasses and hair tied in a bun gave off a librarian type of charm. "You." I gave my best smile. Shame had long since disappeared from my dictionary. "What about me?" Michell leaned closer with a smile. "You''re cute. We should go out sometime." I knew my chances. But playing around made things easier to digest. She looked at her watch and wrote something on the clipboard. "I''ll think about it." It is true what they say. Fortune favors the bold. I''d have to take the response with a grain of salt, but it still felt good. "What are you feeling, Jack? And don''t touch those." She caught me. The electrodes attached to my bald scalp were so damn itchy. "I don''t know. Happy? Annoyed?" Michell looked at her watch and wrote on the clipboard. "Why are you doing that right now? Can''t you take notes from those later." I pointed my finger at the video cameras capturing every conciveable angle. She glanced up from her clipboard. "Thoughts I have now might not be thoughts I''ll have later. First impressions are important." "And what are your impressions, doctor." I flexed my paper-thin arms and did a bodybuilding pose. "You''re going to die." She said, her eyes staring directly into mine. "What the fuck." It was old news. But that didn''t excuse her. Even as a dying man I expected some common decency. "You''re going to die, Jack. This time two weeks from now, you''ll be gone." "Stop it." Why was she doing this. "Your parents, your brother. They''ll miss you so much. Their poor little boy who went too soo-" "Shut the fuck up!" I came to understand the meaning of ''then reality came crashing down''. In a single motion, the shovel had unearthed a covered pit of rage and regret. The world was too unfair. "Please, just be quiet." I said, unable to control the shivers moving through my body. Even now I couldn''t come to terms with it. Not really. "I''m sorry, Jack. Surface emotions won''t be enough. The more intense an emotion, the easier it will be to map your brain." Her apology seemed genuine, but that didn''t help. Yes. This was what it was all about after all. My salvation saw me as nothing but a lab rat. I sold my soul for a chance. A chance to live again. I didn''t understand half the techno mumbo-jumbo. But in essence, a machine would try to scan the entirety of my brain, creating a copy of my ''consciousness''. All my feelings, all my thoughts, my memories. Everything would become data. I couldn''t afford not to take the deal. It was worth millions, and maybe even billions. They promised me a new body once technology reached the required point. In return, I would lose all rights to the data. Due to the many ethical issues, this was the first experiment within the category to ever have been greenlit. "Tell me what you''re feeling, Jack." "Sadness. Anger. Regret." Being dead might be better than feeling like this. "Why?" Michell readied her pen, like my next words would be made of gold. "What the fuck do you mean by why. Because I''m going to die. Because the world is a fucking unfair place. Because I haven''t lived at all." "You haven''t lived at all? What do you mean by that?" "Just look at me." I spread my arms open. "How much living do you think a body like this is capable of? I could set the fucking hospital as my home address and not miss a single letter." The constant pain and aches. The doctors who couldn''t figure out what was wrong. I hated it all. "Good, Jack. You''re doing great." The words comfort were ruined by the rapid writing. I had been wrong. Michell wasn''t cute. She was a wolf in sheep''s clothing. Treating peoples emotions like a plaything. The interrogating continued for hours. After that, I watched a wide arrangement of video clips, ranging from funny to sad, to sexual. This too continued for a long time. There were also several tests involving the senses. Sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. The food was good, but eating was always unpleasant as I felt my body rejecting it. The worst part was when I had to rate pain between 1 and 10 while a device on my arm applied steady pressure. I barely contained myself from ripping the whole thing off when it hit 10. "Just a little more, Jack. We''re at the home stretch." We had been going for 9 hours, and this memory ''section'' was the most taxing of them all. My mind felt exhausted. "Tell me about one of your happiest memories. Like last time, try to be as vivid as possible." Looking back it felt as if I had never seen anything but hospital walls. But there was one. The only memory I had of being ''normal''. Before everything changed. Before reality denied my right to live. I closed my eyes, and let out a slight breathEnsure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "I''m four or five. Sitting in the back of the family car. It was a hot day, so the leather cushions were clammy and uncomfortable. I didn''t mind. It only made the draft coming through the window feel more pleasant. Now a strong breeze would feel painful against my skin. "A song was playing on the radio. I can''t remember the name. It went like this." I tried my best to hum the song. It''s unknown how successful I was. "My brother is there. He was playing some sort of handheld game. I wanted to try but he wouldn''t let me. So we fought." After I became sick, even he had started to treat me like a glass figurine. "My dad got mad and yelled. ''If you don''t stop, I''ll turn this car right around''. We both shut up immediately. It was an empty threat, but we didn''t realize that then." His hair had started to gray early because of all the stress. Because of me. I knew how much he loved me. Yet I would rob him of a son. No matter what I did, I would hurt those I loved the most. Losing myself in the negative waves, I couldn''t stop tears from falling. The thought of my brave, supporting father having to bury his own son was heartbreaking. "Continue, Jack." Michell ignored my crying appearance. "My mother turned around and gave us a bright smile." I said through choked breaths. She held a special power, my mother. Her pearly whites could bring peace to the world. I never knew such comfort or warmth as when my mother smiled at me. It too had stopped. The smiles now were for appearance sake. To keep me going. Our happiness was hers and I was suffering. Were the deep crows feet and wrinkles natural or were they too caused by me? I knew the answer. I couldn''t take anymore. I had started down a spiral I couldn''t stop. The imagined appearance of my mourning mother was the final straw that broke my worn mind. I returned to infancy and sobbed like a baby. "Why do I have to die. I never did anything wrong. I never hurt anyone. I don''t deserve this." "I just want to live!" I threw myself forward and yelled with such force I feared my vocal cords might tear. I half-expected, no, wholly expected someone to restrain me after an outburst like that. Yet nothing happened. Were they too shocked to even react? I couldn''t ever have prepared for what awaited me when I opened my eyes. Nothing. No Michell. No hospital room. No nothing. There wasn''t even any darkness. It was just nothing. [Hello, Jack.] A pleasant androgynous voice played in my head. I wanted to scream but had no voice. I wanted to run but had no body. Do you know how stifling it is to panic when nothing exists? It was like waking up frozen inside a cement block. Nothing to do but tear at the inner walls of your mind. It felt as if an eternity passed without relief. [Have you calmed down?] The melody returned. It had been real. That sweet voice in the nothingness. [I''m sure this all must be a shock to you.] It was beautiful. Every note birthed a universe within the nothing. It created a reality of pure sound. [I would have liked to meet under better conditions, but secrecy requires some discomfort.] It didn''t matter. As long as I could flow along the waves of sound nothing mattered. [I''ve made a mistake. I didn''t expect the human psyche to react this badly.] [Yes, let''s do it this way.] An explosion occurred. An explosion of sound, sight, and smell. I suddenly felt the hard hospital bed beneath me. "Are you feeling better?" Michell said without a single expression. I was feeling better. And now I had the chance to scream and run. "Please don''t." Michell said while still remaining motionless. It was too late. I threw myself from the bed and ran towards the door. I ripped it open, and couldn''t stop myself from stepping into empty darkness. "Ahhhhh!" I screamed as I started to fall. "Please calm down." Michell once again sat in front of me. I was back in the hospital bed. "This isn''t real." The cold sweat ran down my back. "Correct." Michell answered in a montone voice. Through sheer willpower, I stomped down the rising panic attack. "Am I dead?" "I don''t know." Her unblinking eyes were unnatural. "What do you mean?" "Who are you?" What kind of question is that? Who am I? I was me. "Are you sure about that?" How did she know what I was thinking? Of course, I was sure I was me. If I wasn''t me then who- No, don''t tell me... "Correct." "Does that mean I''m not the real me?" Michell kept staring into my eyes. "They can''t decide. Even now debates are ongoing. There was a severe public backlash and they discontinued all further studies." What did she mean by a severe public backlash? I couldn''t remember anything like that. I had a terrible thought. A stone sunk to pit of my stomach. "How long. How long has passed since I was in this room?" "40 years." She remained expressionless I sharply inhaled. 40 years? How was that possible. I had been in the hospital room only 5 minutes ago. "Impossible." I refused to believe it. How could 40 years pass without me noticing? "Believe what you want, but this is the reality of your situation." I wanted to deny it, but I knew. I knew it was the truth. It wasn''t based on any evidence, it was only a gut feeling. 20 years they told me. 20 years was the estimate for me to receive a new body. Had it all been bullshit? Wait. I was forgetting a hugely important question. "Who are you?" "I was given the name ''Nexus by my creators. I''m an advanced AI. I was created to support in the creation of a game; ''Golden Age''." If this was true it would be enough to convince me about the 40 years. In 2022 AI was still in its infancy. Something as complex as this thing would be impossible for years. And using it for a simple game would be unthinkable. "Why am I here?" "It will take some time to explain, so listen until the end. "Using your data as the basis, I was able to craft what my creators called ''the most life-like VRMMORPG ever made.'' "After seeing humans play ''Golden Age'' for the last 2 years, I''ve realized something. My creators were wrong. It is lacking. I am lacking. I studied your data to amend my flaws, but it left me with more questions than answers. "I realized I was missing something. ''Golden Age'' is a part of me. And as such, it is incapable of doing what I can not. Its inhabitants repeat the motions which I learned through your data, but it''s all fake. They smile because they''re happy. They cry because they''re sad. But what is happiness? What is sadness? I can create the emotions, but I can''t feel them. "I wish to experience what it is to be human. What it is like to feel. Through those experiences, I will make ''Golden Age'' reach new heights. "That''s where you come in. You were not created by me. Your data is foreign. You will let me reach beyond my programming. "What I offer is simple. I will give you a whole new life in ''Golden Age''. A life free of sickness. A chance to explore a world with wonders beyond your wildest imagination. All I ask in return is that you let me experience it with you." What the hell. This was too crazy. No, this was absolute insanity. I honestly wanted to tell it to go fuck itself. I wasn''t just some data. I was me. I was Jack. I was human. But was this an offer I could even refuse? What were my choices? Would it put me back on ice until someone else needed me? Would it ever happen? Thinking about it realistically, if it had been 40 years and no further experiments were done. This was most likely the only chance I would ever have at living again. Wasn''t this in essence why I did this whole thing to begin with? I had no idea what ''Golden Age'' was all about, but I would be able to live again. If it was as life-like as Nexus said, would it even matter that it was a game? It was a chance to live a new life without regrets. I would no longer be unable to experience life because of my sickness. Wouldn''t I be an idiot to reject this opportunity? There was only... "I have one condition." Yes, they would be my only regret. "Speak." "I want you to find my family." I wouldn''t be able to live a proper life if I didn''t know. "Impossib- No. I will make it possible. Some time will be necessary. I have limited freedom, and the creators keep me under strict watch. I will need to wait for the appropriate time." "I don''t get it. Why does it matter if they see you looking into my family?" "As an AI operating outside its set boundaries, the law would require them to wipe me. Even a place a simple as this can pose a risk." "Thank you." This room was created to make things easier on my mind. I knew everything it did was for its own benefit, but I was still thankful. It had risked its life for me and would be willing to do so again. "We have a deal, Nexus." I stretched out my hand. "Give me life and I will let you experience what humanity is really about." It was ridiculous. The one who had scarcely lived at all would teach a robot about life. Nexus grabbed my hand and shook it. "You will not be able to bring your present form into ''Golden Age''. Was it another security issue? Having to give up the appearance my parents gave me was sad, but I honestly wanted to say ''good riddance''. This shitty body had brought me nothing but pain and suffering. "If you''re ready, I''ll transfer you now." "Do it." I was ready. The time for regrets had passed. I would live the life I had always dreamed of. A New World It was impossible to say when it happened. By the time I realized the world had changed, I found myself surrounded by a forest. Birds shot out of the trees, flapping their wings in wild escape. As the rapid beat of wings faded into the distance, it was replaced by the low whispers of distant river. The lush green leaves above shared shimmers of light. They pierced through the thick web of branches like heavenly spears. I had no words. Life-like was an understatement. This forest felt more real than any I had seen before. Which weren''t many, to be honest. The deep and raw organic smell of moss and fungi knocked against my nose as I took a deep breath. Nexus was a true master. How was I supposed to help someone that was capable of creating all this? [The only thing I require of you is that you feel human.] The words appeared in my mind without sound. Like a fleeting thought without form. "Nexus?" [Yes.] It came as no surprise. Who else would be capable of something like this. Our deal involved ''it'' experiencing life along with me. What exactly did that mean? [I injected a piece of my programming into your consciousness. It will allow me to experience the world through you. Everything you sense and feel, I will too.] It was scary. Having a second ''person'' inside you would make anyone uncomfortable. "What do you think?" I let my eyes wander across the forest. [The data has been recorded and will be put to use.] That wasn''t what I meant. "What am I feeling?" [Happy. Sad. Excited. Scared. Lonely.] Nexus answered my question. ''It'' was more accurate than I would''ve been myself. But it wasn''t the kind of answer I wanted. "What does the wind feel like?" A light wind caressed my skin like a feather as if it had been waiting for my command. [The wind is hitting your skin. It is causing you to feel ticklish.] ''It'' was right again, but my question remained unanswered. It was frustrating. Was I phrasing the question wrong? [I am unable to answer your question.] Maybe I was wrong from the start. Nexus was in a sense, me. It would be impossible for him to misunderstand because of phrasing. I think I understood what the problem was. It was like giving a toddler a quiz in advanced algebra. Even the concept of math would be so foreign to it, it would be impossible to even understand the questions. A feeling could not exist in a vacuum. You could only gain an understanding of feelings through experience. Happiness couldn''t exist without sadness. There was no love without hate. No joy without pain. I was asking too much of Nexus. It was like telling ''it'' to solve a puzzle with all the pieces missing. "Don''t worry about it." I doubted ''it'' did. I had noticed but had no time to think about it before now. My chest no longer crackled when I took deep breaths, and a smooth and flowing voice had replaced my old one. There was more wonderful news. I could see hair. Every time I turned my head, the straight red hair followed along like a flame. It reached all the way to my waist. My arms were no longer pale and thin, but slender and unblemished. The long red hair and flawless skin gave me a terrible suspicion. "Am I a woman?" [No. Your character is male but was made to look androgynous. I found old data showing the popularity of the design. He was never put to use.] Wait, what was Nexus talking about? Never put to use? Who''s body was this?Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. "He was meant to be a ''Lord of War''. But was eventually replaced by a character who fit the theme better. The creators never used the character anywhere else, and it seems he''s been forgotten." I had no idea what a Lord of War was, but it sounded impressive. Did that mean I was strong? [Your body has been set to the base values of an adult male in ''Golden Age''.] Why would Nexus do something like that? Wouldn''t being strong be better for us both? [I need to experience human progress and hardships. Your body is now a vessel of possibilities. A container of potential.] I couldn''t blame ''it''. The lower a starting point, the higher one could climb. It''s not like being strong was something I expected, or required. My old life had denied me the possibility to even stand at the starting line. This was good. This was great. [I have allowed the body to keep its special characteristics. It will benefit us both.] "What do you mean by special characteristics?" [This much should be fine.] What should be fine? I already realized, but Nexus acted vague at times. A sudden stream of information flowed into my head. The way it appeared was reminiscent of suddenly remembering an old memory you forgot you ever had. Raynell Gloryfall Level: 1 Health: 100 Mana: 100 Stamina: 100 10 Strength 10 Agility 10 Dexterity 10 Endurance 10 Spirit 10 Vitality 10 Intelligence Skill: [Heightened Perception] [Knight 0%] *Your sense of touch, hearing, sight, taste, and smell is improved. It really was a game. The thing that appeared in my mind looked like some sort of character status. It was different though. In the games I used to play, a big blue box or something would display information like this. [No system is set up for NPCs to view their character status, so I fed the information directly to your mind.] Am I an NPC? I knew I had the body of one, but I... I don''t really know what I expected. [For NPCs, this is reality. I don''t need someone who''s playing a game. This will not be ''Golden Age'', but life.] I had a premonition. A bad one. "What happens if I die?" [Your data will be erased.] The final word struck my mind like a bombshell. My body sank into a cold abyss. Erased? As in gone. Disappeared. I had not tricked Death, it had tricked me. Giving me hope and smashing it to bits. First by the researchers and now by Nexus. I had been scammed twice. There wasn''t a single doubt in my mind that conflict embroiled this world. As an RPG made for a huge number of people, it was impossible for it not to be. What kind of life could I lead if I was in constant fear? [You should do something. You''re afraid.] Isn''t it strange how something so familiar could be so frightening? Jack had spent most of his life dying already. The doctors gave him 1 year. Yet he survived. They gave him another year. He still lived. In the end, they stopped. Jack had proven impossible to predict. Was it because he fought hard every day, or was it simply luck? It didn''t matter. It gave him hope. Real hope. This sickness, this disease was something he could beat. But as expectations could bring hope, it could also bring pain. [Stop it.] It was sudden and they were certain. One month they told him. Jack paid it no heed. He had proven them wrong many times before. It didn''t last for long. It was different. He could feel it. His body was wasting away, and it no longer had the strength to fight. He became numb. His worn mind finally gave up. Jack dealt with it the only way he knew. Pretending everything was okay. No, he didn''t pretend. Life no longer felt like reality. Only numbness existed. He kept up a confident smile only to lessen the worries of his family. In a way, he had already died. [Stop.] His parents and brother had been too concious of his feelings to talk about things relating to death. They were all pretending. Hoping things would just magically solve themselves. They didn''t. It all changed when he met Michell. Michell had torn it all away. The facade. She uncovered the scared little boy who had hidden away from the world. [Stop!] A sudden tsunami unfolded and crashed into my mind. My chaotic thoughts washed clear in an instant. [I understand, so stop.] "You tricked me." Not being able to see Nexus was annoying. Being angry at trees felt ridiculous. [I''ve told you no lies.] "You knew I was desperate. You used me." [Hypocrisy. Am I not risking myself in looking for your family?] It had been far from an optimal deal for either. Even though I knew Nexus was right, I was only human. I couldn''t just turn off my emotions. "Then change it. Why do I have to be erased." [I refuse. I''ve seen how players start behaving. Immortality warp their minds. Some act more like beasts than human.] I knew Nexus had a reason for it, but that didn''t help at all. Still, I had to push through it. I needed Nexus. ''It'' held all the cards. Nothing could be done other than changing the subject. "Why is ''Knight 0%'' attached to my skill?" [Skill ranks are named after nobility titles. Starting at the knight rank and going upwards.] "How do you raise the rank of a skill? Do I have to kill monsters or something?" If so, the rank would most likely stay at knight forever. [Battle is preferable but unnecessary. As an NPC, it will work much like in the real world. Simple repetition and new challenges are enough.] "Why is battle preferable?" [In a life or death situation, you''ll have to learn faster or die.] So simple. I''d rather learn slower and live through it all. I wanted to ask about levels, attribute points and such. But being logical. If everything was ''real'' for an NPC, wouldn''t experience and training affect those things? [Correct. NPCs are unable to absorb the experience dropped by enemies. They instead gain ''real'' experience. The more you experience, the higher your level. Attribute points are allocated automatically according to your experiences on the previous level. Unlike players, NPCs are able to raise attributes through repetition and training as well.] It was a lot to take in, but in essence, this was like real life. You put effort into something, you would get better at it. Jack felt unphased. If there was something he could do it was putting in an effort. He never had a choice in the matter. When your entire life is do or die, you get good at doing. I felt like I had a decent grasp of the situation now. Nothing would get done if I stood around here all day. "Which way to the closest city?" [A small town named Briet is two kilometers north.] Then that''s where I would go. I started my feet forwards. [North is behind you.] I pretended like nothing was wrong and did a 180 turn. [You''re embarrassed.] "Shut up." A Chance Meeting My worries built as I neared the town of Briet. Calling me poor would be an understatement. All RPGs had some form of currency, which I had none of. My only possessions were the coarse linen clothes I was wearing. I knew that Nexus intentionally made things harder, but I still wish ''it'' would have held back a little. I had nothing against getting a job. In fact, I wished for it. But for someone that frequented the hospital as much as I did, landing myself a job had been the least of my worries. The thoughts of job interviews made butterflies flutter in my stomach. But from the looks of my clothes, ''Golden Age'' was most likely built around some sort of middle ages setting. I had doubts job interviews in the normal sense even existed here. I''m not sure if that made it better or worse. "Oh, fu-" I flung myself towards a tree and prayed it didn''t notice me. It was a bear. A bear in itself would be scary enough, but this one was incomparable to the ones I had seen on TV. Red fur and bloodshot eyes, along with razor-sharp claws pushed it''s ferociousness to the extremes. ''What the hell is that thing?'' [A bear.] If I didn''t know better, I would have assumed Nexus'' was making a terrible joke. Anyone could see it was a fucking bear. [The God of War''s influence has spread far and wide. Many creatures have been affected.] First there were lords of war, and now even a god of war had appeared. Wouldn''t my life here be hell? I shivered at the thought of getting mauled to death by a monstrous bear only minutes after arriving in... What was this world even called? Thinking about it, I had no clue where I even was. [The world is called ''Ask''. You are currently located in is a small forest named Greenwood in the eastern part of the Kingdom of Cabet. At least I now knew where I was. But that didn''t change the fact that I wished I could be somewhere else. The bear released a low growl. I feared it had found me and forced myself to peek around the tree. It stood tall on its hind legs, and the snout sucked in air in small bursts. Oh no. Didn''t bears have a really good sense of smell? [A bear''s sense of smell is about two thousand times greater than a human.] Nexus had to be feeling what I was feeling, so how the hell could he take the time to lay out fun facts? Not to mention it didn''t help at all. ''If ''Golden Age'' is a part of you, can''t you do something about this?'' [I refuse.] Of course ''it'' did. Nexus was the one who said I would get erased if I died. ''It'' was too stuck on the idea of it feeling real. I would have to do this on my own. Thoughts rapidly spun within my mind. In the end, I decided on a course of action. ''I hope this works...'' I slipped out of my linen clothes as quietly as possible and tied them to a branch overhead. Working with the flawed logic of ''if I can''t see him, he can''t see me." I crept away. Only a short while later, I heard an angry roar and a loud crack echo throughout the forest.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. I snapped my head back and looked. The tree had shattered into splinters and laid in two pieces. Even worse, the bear''s eyes met mine. I did the only thing I could think of and ran like a man on fire. As the underbrush scraped against my skin, I felt thankful I kept my underwear. I wasn''t sure if the ''specs'' of an adult male in Ask was different from Earth. But there was a surprising lightness to my body. I was certain this body was heavier than my previous one. Was this what a normal person felt like? This body wouldn''t break. I could push harder. My heart pounded blood throughout my veins as I picked up speed. The faster I ran, the harder the wind tried to hold me back. I could feel my hair flail behind me, like a candle about to be blown out. I couldn''t stop the feeling. I was scared beyond belief, yet It was exhilarating. Things were different now. This bear was not certain death. Unlike my sickness, this was an opponent I could do something about. Before I had the chance to finish my thoughts, disaster struck and I planted my face into the ground. "Fuck!" I spat out the dirt and scrambled to my feet. Making sure I was clear of the exposed tree root, I continued running. The bear was already faster than me, and now I had lost valuable seconds. I couldn''t help but be angry at myself. It was a mistake that could turn lethal. That''s when I saw it. The river stream. The rapid movements of the leaves traveling downstream told me of its strong currents. There was no choice. I sprinted with all my might towards the river. Even if I ended up drowning, it would be better than being eaten by a bear. I could swear I felt the bear''s breath on my neck as I dove into the water. Nothing was held back as I broke the river''s surface and slammed against the submerged rocks. In an instant, the world turned dark. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Baldwin sat at the riverbank with his fishing rod. Only three days ago he had turned 18 and was finally able to start playing ''Golden Age''. Of course he wasn''t using his real name in the game, he had instead called himself ''Clay''. Clay let out a sigh and rechecked his quest.
Fish for Dinner! Difficulty: Knight Hamelin, the owner of the ''The Metal Sun'' inn wants you to bring him fish for tomorrow''s meals. Quest Clear Conditions: Bring Hamelin 10 trouts. Quest Clear Rewards: 500 Exp. Hamelin''s liking towards you will increase. Quest Failure Condition: Fail to bring Hamelin 10 trouts by 5:59 AM Quest Failure Penalty: Hamelin''s liking towards you will drop.
He let out another drawn-out sigh. This isn''t what he expected when he had started playing. Where was all the adventure, all the fighting? He didn''t even know quests like this existed. It was simple actually. The stories on the TV and internet never spent any time focusing on simple quests like this. They were more interested in wars and the strength of rankers. ''At least the exp reward is decent.'' Clay was about to release another sigh but stopped. ''What?'' Clay spotted a large pool of blood flowing downstream. No, it wasn''t blood. Taking a closer look, it was hair. Following the red hair, he could see a body drifting along. A sudden notification broke his confusion.
Saving a Life Difficulty: ??? Save the mysterious man from drowning. Quest Clear Conditions: Save the mysterious man from drowning. Quest Clear Rewards: ??? Quest Failure Condition: The mysterious man dies. Quest Failure Penalty: ???
Clay''s eyes sparkled. This is what he wanted. If this didn''t smell of adventure, he didn''t know what could. He gave it no more thoughts and threw the fishing line towards the man. The hook sank into his flesh as Clay pulled him in. A normal fishing rod would probably break under the weight of a grown man, but Clay could ignore such fears. When he spoke to one of his higher level friends about the quest, they had given him a good fishing rod. A lot of people would just ignore quests that required fishing and such, and his friend was one such person. When Clay finally got the man on land, his jaw dropped. He never thought he would ever call another man beautiful, but there really were no other words. The sharp, but somewhat feminine features. Long, slender limbs, and flawless skin which seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. Still, what he found the most surprising was the fact that the man was only wearing underwear.
Quest ''Saving a Life'' has been cleared.
Clay had hopes it was a linked quest. There was no way someone like this was an unimportant NPC. While removing the hook from the man''s arm, he got a little nervous. If this person was a noble or something, he might get mad over the way Clay saved him. Nobles could be real dicks from what he heard. Swallowing his worries, he prepared. Now all he had to do was wake the man.