《Starlight Road II》
1. Click [Yes]
Thomas felt dead after the ENGL 327 final exam. He dragged himself back to his dorm and threw a hot pocket into the microwave. Laying on his bed, he lazily turned on his computer.
Sure, Thomas felt tired. But it was too early to sleep. At least his neighbor thought so. The wall did not block much of the creak or moan.
Starlight Road II finished downloading... Thomas supposed that taking a peek wouldn''t hurt. It''s a break well deserved. No, not a break, definitely not a break. It''s for educational purposes... and career development!
Putting on his DDVR helmet, Thomas took a deep breath and selected Starlight Road II.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
In the void virtual space, a sentence appeared in front of him.
Do you agree to the terms of agreement? [Yes/No]
Thomas poked terms of agreement. An encyclopedia sized contract materialized in front of him. It was 8 sized font.
Therefore, Yes.
Have you really read the terms of agreement? [Yes/No]
Thomas laughed and pressed [Yes].
Are you really absolutely sure you want to be a beta tester? [Yes/No]
What''s the worst that could happen? Thomas didn''t even have his credit card linked to the game. Yes.
Instantly, the space of darkness dazzled with blinding light. Thomas made a mental note to check with the optometrist if he didn''t become blind.
2. Old Man Tom
Lush grass brushed against Thomas'' ankle in the gentle summer breeze. When was the last time he breathed fresh air like this? Wait, scent was incorporated into the game now?
As Thomas slowly opened his eyes and adjusted to the light, he found himself sitting on a stomp, holding an empty wooden mug.
"Hi there~" An old man croaked.
Thomas jumped back a little instantly and saw a bold old man smiling at him.
"Hi." Thomas squeezed out a smile and tried to sound calm. "Erhm, as a beta tester, I personally prefer young female receptionists, no offense and all."
"Me too! khoff, khoff, but they just won''t send me an assistant!" The old man gave Thomas the ''I know you are a pervert too'' look.
"Anyways, nice meeting you, my stove is still on. I gotta log off now." Thomas slid through the air, but no manual appeared.
"Did you even read the terms of agreement lad?" The old man smiled.
"Umm yes?" Thomas looked away.
"Are you sure?"Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
"Well I flipped through it haha" Thomas forced out an awkward laugh.
"I''m afraid you''ll be stuck here for a while." The old man expressed deep regret and sympathy.
The conversation progressed as the following:
Thomas tried to laugh it off like a casual mistake. It was super ineffective.
Thomas begged the old man to send him home. The old man countered with ''falling asleep.''
Thomas threatened to use violence. The old man revealed max level stats. Thomas claimed to be a good boy who respects the elderly. It''s all just a big mistake he claimed.
The old man used the ''you signed the contract so no take backs'' move. It''s super effective.
The old man used the ''more than minimum wage offer'' move. It''s a critical hit!
In the end, both parties agreed to further develop this mutually beneficial friendship.
"So old man Tom, where are my old gears and stat?"
"What?" the old man looked confused.
"Starlight Road I data is transferred over right?"
"Oh, here." Tom handed over a stack of paper. It was 79 pages of binary code, 21 pages of script, and 2 pages of player summary.
Before Thomas understood what was happening, a white magic circle formed on the ground and he began hovering upwards.
"By the way, if you die in the game, you consciousness will be wiped out." Tom waved a goodbye.
"Wait, what? So I die in real life if I die in the game?!"
"No, you won''t die" Tom shrugged.
Thomas let out a sigh of relief.
"You''ll just become a vegetable. But that''s not a problem really, as long as you don''t die haha."
Before Thomas could complain, starlight fell from the sky and stretched into a tunnel. Inside the tunnel of light, Thomas furrowed his brows. Maybe this was just a joke by the God-like Geniuses corp. Maybe he could log off after he arrived the beginner''s village.
3. Bug Found
Thomas felt like he was hit by a truck. The summer heat made it worse. Noticing that he was laying on a bed, he tried to get up.
"Ray! You are awake!" A melodious feminine voice cried out in joy.
Ray? Who is Ray? Where is this? What''s happening?!
Thomas opened his eyes and saw a woman in mid-thirties standing up from her chair. Her golden hair a mess, her pale pretty face not a hint of blood, she seemed really tired.
It was late at night, but the tiny room was lit up by a candle on the table.
She walked over and stared at Thomas'' bare upper body. A rather scary scar stretched from his left shoulder to right hip.
"The wound has healed." The woman choked in tears. "My son. promise me you won''t scare me like that again. Why did you challenge that level 15 warrior to a duel? There are plenty of girls in the world..."
Holding his mother''s trembling hands, Thomas sweated like crazy. Da heck is that? Where is the beginner''s village? What kind of game begins like this?
"Yes mother..." Thomas pretended to be sorry.
The woman froze for a moment in surprise. Clearly, she expected some resistance.
"Get some rest alright? Let me make you some soup. I know you are meek on the outside, but stubborn within... Don''t do anything crazy while I''m gone alright?" She wiped away her tears and walked out.
Thomas sighed. Of course he wasn''t going to kill himself. He just got there.
What could he do? Tell the woman that he is not her son? Mr. Tragedy is actually dead? He would probably be sent to an asylum at best. Most likely, the town would treat him as an undead and behead him at town square.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Thomas looked around. It was a rather small room. A small table right beside the single bed, a chair, and a chest. On the table was a mirror, a candle, and a copper chip. Under his pillow was a diary. Ah, at least he could get some clues from here.
Training, training, training... The first 99% of the diary was all about training. Apparently Mr. Tragedy was also a shut in, and training was his equivalent of video gaming.
On the last record a week ago, Mr. Tragedy went shopping for heavier weights and met his crush. He planned to challenge this other pursuer, and that should explain everything. Well, gotta complement Mr. Tragedy''s bravery, challenging someone 14 levels higher than him and all.
In this game, everyone wanted to be an adventurer. Not only there was a talent activation, only adventurers could level up by killing other species. Higher levels meant more lifespan and more power.
Thomas grabbed the mirror. His avatar looked like himself in the real world. Brown eyes, brown hair, average looking face, pimples there and here, and not one bit of facial hair. Thomas would get an avatar with a beard if he had the choice.
Thomas then grabbed the copper chip. Instantly, it radiated a warm light. The darkness of the night suddenly faded and the outside looked like noon.
Thomas ran outside. An orange sun hang in the sky and slowly dimmed until it merged harmoniously with the other stars. Thomas was a little speechless. He silently prayed that it was not because of him.
A hologram screen popped up from the copper chip.
Name: Ray Mund. Level: 1. Class: Arch-mage. Talent: Deception. Stats:...
Most of his stats ranged from 5 to 7. The only exceptions were 15 for strength and 124 for intelligence. Bug. This was definitely a bug. But of course he was not going to report it.
[Deception: You are a terrible person who is incapable of honesty. You should be ashamed of yourself]
Well, that was a little harsh and unhelpful. Besides, Thomas felt that he was honest most of the time... sometimes...
Before understanding the situation, Thomas decided to lay low. Using the [Deception] talent, he wiped the 124 on the screen and changed it to 10. Arch-mage became Beginner. Then he disguised the deception talent.
[Gamer: You are an amazing player who has a specialization on Dating Sims]
"Ray! You managed to activate the adventurer''s dog tag. I''m not dreaming right? I knew you are not a loser. I knew you could succeed. Your dad and I were both adventurers. You definitely had it in your blood. I''m so happy~" his mother appeared by the door. "Maybe the heavenly sign helped you... sob sob..."
Ray was a little speechless...
4. Plopians
The continent of Walolo, the country of Estor, the town of Simonite, the adventurer''s guild hall, Ray waited in line for the monthly registration. They were all teenagers ranging from around the age of thirteen to fifteen. Most people gave up attempting the activation of the adventurer''s dog tag by the age of sixteen, where they would pick up a trade.
The large hall was surprisingly empty in the morning.
The bulky warrior with a mole-hawk looked at Ray with laughing eyes when it was his turn.
"Hand over your dog tag. Let''s see. Ray Mund... Oh I remember, you are May''s shut-in kid. Anyways, here is a basic starter kit. What would you like to be, a warrior, an archer, or a rogue? But of course, if you could perform a spell, you will be given a chance to attend the academy."
"Rogue." Ray replied.
The warrior raised a brow. Rogue was the least popular class choice. "Well, it suits you very well, given your looks. You''ll blend into the crowd within seconds. hahaha. Oh, I know, you probably are not strong enough to use a bow or wield a sword." the man laughed like he had it figured out.
"Thank you." Ray received his pouch, cloak, and dagger. Without pause, he hastily walked out. That was awkward... However, Ray was glad that the warrior did not see through his disguise on the dog tag.
The worn cloak had concealment effects. The dagger although chipped, was still sharper than most civilian knives. Inside the pouch were two pinky sized potions, one red, one blue. All the items Ray received were rather expensive on the common market.
Since adventurers were the elite armed force of a country, the government would try to provide as much support as they could.
"Hi, Ray right?" A short figure under black cloak caught up. "I''m Chris, also an assassin."
"Oh? You know my name?" Ray asked gloomily. He did not like other people investigating him, especially by someone hiding his face.
"Of course, there isn''t that many of us after all." Chris waved his hands like it''s a misunderstanding. "Wanna join our guild? We got a guild room right inside that alley. We have gifts for everyone who join." Chris sounded rather welcoming.
"Alright, sounds good." Ray chuckled. Just then, he sensed two more people approaching him.
"Good decision mate. Right over here."
The two walked into the alley and turned. Other than a ''black market'' sign and a door, there was nothing there.
"What''s this? Where is the guild room?" Ray tried to act scared. With his [Deception] talent, his acting skill was topnotch.
"Hey hey... if you really want to join, you''ll have to pay a membership fee." Chris chuckled coldly.
"what? what membership fee?"
"Your beginner pack would do." Chris said. A tall, fully armored warrior with a scarred face and an archer in green cloak finally arrived behind Chris.
"Here''s your gift for joining." The warrior chucked a black orb at Ray.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Ray caught the orb and the world dazzled with white light. As the light dimmed, the four of them appeared in the middle of a wasteland. They were the only beings on the scorched earth. In the grey sky was a giant golden archaic character. Maybe it''s the arid air, or maybe it''s the tension before battle, Ray''s throat felt a little dry.
"Interesting dual orb. Neither party can leave until the other party gives permission or is deceased am I right?" Ray asked with a harmless smile.
"Smart kid, now give us the potions and everything you''ve got." The warrior demanded with a deep voice.
"Oh, what a coincidence, that''s exactly what I wanted to say." Ray replied.
Even though he tested his spells at home, he still had no absolute confidence to win. After taking a glance with the spell [eye of truth], he found out that the assassin was a level 5 disguised as level 1. Both the archer and warrior were level 8.
Why God-like Genius Corp? What kind of game plot is this? Without the bug, there was no chance to win at all. Ray cried silently on the inside. The game might have chosen insane difficulty for him.
"Oh really now" The warrior laughed while glaring at Ray.
Before the warrior charged at Ray, Chris waved his hand. "No no, I think I got this one. I need some leveling too you know."
"You guys are not human?" Ray asked.
"Correct, and your price is that you get to rest in peace." With a flash, Chris vanished.
Instantly, Ray felt the freezing cold wind on his back. Without thinking, he took a step forward and pressed his palm back. A white magic circle formation appeared on the ground as he shot a fireball the size of a marble back like a bullet.
Clang. Chris'' danger fell. He looked at the hole through his chest in disbelief.
Ray dunked the two potions he had in one gulp, back kicked Chris away, and stared calmly at the two man in front of him. Neither of them seemed to believe their eyes and just stood there in shock. Ray was happy for this break time. He felt the quick recovery of his mental energy and the wound closing on his back.
[firebolt I] was already the lowest tier of spells. Yet it still cost Ray nearly a third of his mana.
The archer suddenly raised his bow and aimed at Ray. At that moment, Ray felt the shadow of death. Unable to dodge, unable to block. Ray glared at the archer and he immediately felt like he was having a hangover. The archer had a much more dramatic reaction. He clenched his head in pain, and eventually collapsed on the ground, curling up like a shrimp.
[Mind Break] was a mental attack that lowered the attacker''s INT stats for a few days as cost. The severity of damage and rebound depended on the difference of the intelligence points.
Seeing his companion in such pain, the warrior looked at Ray in fear. But watching Ray holding his head wavering, he charged with a roar.
Ray was acting again. All he really felt was some nausea. However, if the warrior chose to defend the archer and waited for the archer''s recovery, then Ray was going to have a tough time winning this battle.
As the warrior charged, Ray wobbled backwards. The warrior twisted his face ferociously while lifting his great sword, planning to chop Ray into two. But suddenly the white spell formation appeared again where Ray stood a moment ago. Drenched in the freezing cold light, the warrior could no longer move an inch.
Although Ray spent another one third of his manna using [bind], the spell could only last half a second due to the level differences. Yet, that was enough.
Catching the moment, Ray leapt forward and slashed his dagger through the warrior''s throat like butter. With a thud, the warrior fell.
The archer was still rolling on the ground. However, Ray could not let his guard down. He slowly approached the archer, aiming his palm forward.
"Boy, you have no idea who you are dealing with." The archer groaned.
"Oh? mind introducing yourself then?"
"We are the plopians, the proud race of blood elves. We will have our revenge, we will rebuild, we will come back stronger!" The archer suddenly bounced up and dashed towards Ray with a pack of explosives in hand.
Ray in response fired a marble sized fireball through the archer''s chest. The archer glared at Ray with a murderous rage as he fell. When he breathed his last, the archaic character in the sky vanished.
A milky vapor steamed off the corpses and permeated into Ray''s body. A warm blue light flashed on Ray''s dog tag six times. He had leveled up to level 7.
[Mind break] seemed to have more impact than expected. The archer leaked some important information, and even forgot to fire arrows or light the explosive pack.
"Don''t blame me, you guys begun this..." Ray murmured and begun collecting his loot.
5. Broke
The world once again flashed in white light. Ray found himself at the alley with a broken orb by his foot.
The Plopians did not even have a copper on them. They probably left their non-combat stuff back at their inn or something. Since they chose to fight by the ''black market,'' Ray guessed that they were planning to sell his equipment there.
A store named ''black market'' in the open... Ray felt that he seriously needed some time to adjust to this world.
The manual was still unavailable unfortunately. However, old man Tom did promise to transfer his body to a dedicated site for beta testers.
After knocking on the door a few times, a little girl opened the door. She stared at Ray with her innocent eyes while Ray stared back in confusion.
"May I help you?" She finally asked impatiently.
"umm, yes? Are you the one in charge?"
"It''s a family ran business." She gave Ray the ''are you stupid'' look.
"May I see your parents?" Ray asked nicely.
"No, they are busy." The girl began closing the door.
"Woah, wait, let''s make a deal." Ray stuck his foot in the door. "I''ll give you a lollipop if you tell your parents to come."
Please don''t ask why Ray carried Lollipops around.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
"Hmph, one sec" The girl took the candy and closed the door again.
After around ten minutes, a frail skinny man opened the door. However, Ray instinctively felt that the man was dangerous.
"Buy or sell." The man asked with a smile.
"Sell sir." Ray handed over his loot.
"Things sure are getting turbulent these days. Who knows how long peace is going to last." The man said while examining the equipment.
"Oh really?" Ray asked.
The man gave Ray the ''are you stupid'' look. After a pause, the man continued. "You really don''t know? First there were ripples in the sky, then the sun of the night sign occured multiple times, do you actually think things are just going to continue as it is?"
"No sir."Ray gulped. For some reason, he felt like both signs were related to him.
"It''s all broken. 50 silver and 27 copper, deal or no deal."
"I''ll take it sir."
"Are you nervous around me? Man you sweat a lot." The man squinted his eyes and stared at Ray. Ray felt like being targeted by a giant beast.
"I just respect people of the older generations sir."
"Well, hope you come next time." the man smiled harmlessly.
"I will sir." Ray took the sac of money and hastily walked away.
The man chuckled a little and shook his head.
Taking this money, Ray stepped into the adventurer''s market. As a small town, there were no real stores. It was just a street full of stalls. Within minutes, Ray realized how poor he was.
Every adventurer item in the game were classified into the following tiers: copper, iron, silver, gold, platinum, and diamond. Even copper tier items cost at least a gold. Iron tier items cost one hundred times more. Ray was full of tears on the inside again.
Ray thought of making lower tier potions. The potions he just drank cost one gold each yet the ingredients cost only around one silver total. In Starlight Road I, many players earned their starting money this way. Ray was one of them. But that was way back. Thus Ray still needed to buy a guide for basic potion making. That and a cauldron would cost at least two gold.
With his head down, Ray walked out of the market empty handed. Heading towards the adventurer''s guild, Ray hoped to find someone with a golden question mark on top of their head.
*golden question mark = main quest in RPGs
6. Information
Hot summer afternoon. The guild hall was even more deserted than in the morning. If the mole-hawk man wasn''t snoring, the place would be dead silent.
Ray walked up to the counter and tapped the bell. A crisp ''ding'' echoed through the hall.
"Mmhm, You again? Why are you back here?" The mole-hawk man robbed his eyes.
Ray handed over a quest description.
"You can''t accept this quest. Your level is too low and you need a team of four."
"You can''t do this either. Just hand me the stack in your hand. Bro, you wanna die or something? Break the world record for the most short-lived adventurer?"
"Other quests pay too little though." Ray frowned.
"If you want money, you can always go after the wanted haha. No I''m just joking. You are going to get your ass kicked."
"May I at least have a look though?"Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
"One gold per view for the general list, five gold for detailed personal information." The mole-hawk man said with a wide smile.
Ray could not look gloomier. "Is there a bank somewhere? I''ll get a loan."
"What?" the mole-hawk man raised a brow.
"You know, banks, loans with interest."
"What''s a bank? What''s a loan? Doesn''t interest me at all."
Ray felt like banging his head against a wall.
Just as he stormed out of the adventurer''s guild, a man under purple cloak approached him. "Hey man, I heard you are short on money. I''ll sell you some information for one silver."
"Not interested in making deals with eavesdroppers." Ray continued walking.
"I''m sorry alright? Twenty copper. Seriously man? five copper. That''s the lowest I can go."
Ray paused and thought for a moment. In the end, curiosity won.
"Good decision. Slave trader Anthony is going to pass by the Niqal mountain range fifty miles north five days from now. He will pass through the main valley. If people ambushed by mine entry three, they can easily catch him by surprise and escape through the mine tunnels. You can get a map, torches, bat repellant, and everything else you need at ''long-live mining'' store across town." The figure did not need to whisper. The street noise provided the perfect cover.
"Have you told anyone else?" Ray asked.
"Not that many people."
"How do I know this is not a trap?" Ray asked with laughing eyes.
"umm, I''m pretty sure it''s not. Hey look, gotta catch my buddy over there." The cloaked figure blended into the crowd.
7. Robbery
Five days later. Noon.
On the halfway point on the mountain across mine entry three, under the shade of a pine tree, on a round boulder, nothing could be seen.
That was the effect of Ray''s cloak and his talent [deception].
Ray leaned against the tree idly as he watched myriads of bandits setting up blockage on the valley road.
By dusk, nothing notable had happened. Then the sound of horn blared from every direction. Army by the thousands stormed the valley. In correspondence, groups of adventurers rushed through the mine entry.
The man leading the charge was a frail man in a plain robe... the owner of the black market store.
Ray gulped when the man glanced at his hiding spot. Scary. Ray took a few deep breathes to calm his throbbing heart.
Right. He just happened to pass by. He wasn''t planning to do anything. Anything at all. He wasn''t with the bandits. Right. Not guilty.
The bandits did not even last five minutes. The ones who surrendered where chained and led back by the army.
Two hours later. It was completely dark. A large convoy slowly advanced on the valley road.
At the very front were slaves with barely enough to cover themselves crammed in a large cage. In the middle was a four-tusked elephant carrying a golden throne. Inside, a fat man could be seen being massaged by four young women. In the back were caravans loaded with cargo.
Ray glanced at the group with [eye of truth] and one slave interested him in particular. A skinny slave sitting on the floor, clasping his hands together. But before he could observe any further, a young woman in white dress jumped out of the mine and in front of the elephant.
Ray pointed at the girl and activated [deception]. He had no idea why he did it. It was just based a weird feeling.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
"I, I, I''m robbing you!" She shouted. The knife she held trembled so much, she could disarm herself.
The fat man focussed his eyes on the girl and tapped his chin. "She''ll sell well."
The guards surrounded the girl immediately.
"Wait. This isn''t right. Why does Anthony have guards? Let me go! Wait! The information broker lied!"
The girl was bawling in tears as she got locked up. Ray had a mysterious smile as he watched the convoy travel into the distant.
"Well, time to work." Ray murmured as he walked to the valley road.
In around half an hour, Ray could see a figure approach him. The figure noticed Ray too and paused.
"I thought you were going to keep the white dress on haha. You actually got a black cloak now. Smart." Ray gave her a thumbs up.
The figure blurred into the darkness.
In response, Ray turned back and jogged.
Within a minute, he caught up with the girl. "Nice! You know [shadow walk]? Man, you are a real rogue. Much better than me. I still don''t know a single rogue skill."
The figure blurred again. Ray jumped back. A white magic circle glowed where Ray just stood. The girl ran right into it.
"Hey, I''m easily scared you know. Oh, you got blood on your dagger. You took Anthony''s life? You are in big trouble now." Ray laughed.
"Shut up! We are both going to die when the guards catch up." The girl''s face was flushed with blood. Couldn''t be sure if it''s because of anger or the exercise.
"Ok, give me the storage ring and I''ll let you go." Ray offered.
The original plan was to use the girl as a decoy for the guards as he got away. For some reason, he didn''t want to follow through.
"I''d rather die. I need the money to save the villagers." The girl refused without room for bargain.
"Hmm, I''ll take the ring, you take everything inside." Ray shook his head as he turned down the idea of threatening.
"How about I take the ring and you take everything inside?" The girl offered back.
"How do I carry the stuff?" Ray asked.
"Exactly!" The girl replied.
"Hey! I see her! Right over there!" A guard shouted in the distant. Barking of hounds could be heard.
Maybe it''s because of the girl''s goals, or maybe it''s just because of the girl, Ray changed his mind.
"Alright, let me see the ring first." Ray held out his hand.
The girl thought for a moment, but still passed it to him.
Ray examined the ring with [eye of truth]. "It''s tracked and locked."
He pointed at the ring and a green light flashed out.
[dis-spell] is a spell that disses other spells... so uhh... they get angry and self-detonate.
The storage ring contained a dimensional space the size of a bath tub. Ray quickly glanced through the items inside.
"Nice, greater magic stones." Ray threw six out forming a hexagon and held one in his hand. A magic circle formed on the ground. With a flash, the couple disappeared.
8. Loot
In a tranquil forest, by a creek, a white magic formation expanded on the ground. Two figures stumbled out.
"Where are we?" The girl asked.
"I don''t know." Ray replied.
"Really?" The girl asked in disbelief.
"Hey, I''m only level 7." Ray shrugged. "All I know is that we are at least miles away from where we were."
"Hmm, you see that mountain range." the girl pointed in the distant.
"Yep." Ray nodded.
"We are hundreds of miles away." The girl said with tears in her eyes.
"Nice. Nobody can catch us now." Ray patted himself on the back.
"I need to follow Anthony''s convoy! The villagers are still there!" The girl grabbed Ray''s collar.
Before Ray knew it, the girl was weeping again.
"Hey, don''t worry, they don''t move fast. We can catch up. Since we''ll be together for a while, why don''t we introduce ourselves. I''m Ray." Ray held out a hand.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
"Hmph." The girl stomped off.
"Are you just going to head off without any loot?" Ray asked.
"Shirley. You get less for your error in teleportation."
This girl... Ray''s brow twitched a bit.
"Ok, let''s see... 800 gold, 9 greater magic stones, a few pieces of iron tier equipment, an empty grimoire, and a map." Ray listed.
"And the storage ring." Shirley added.
"And the storage ring. The city of Chark is right across the forest, let''s buy another storage ring there." Ray pointed on the map.
"Good idea." Shirley nodded.
"How about I only take the magic stones because you can''t use them, 300 gold, a cloak and a dagger. You can have everything else. But you have to transfer [shadow walk] to me." Ray took out the grimoire.
"No way! That''s the only skill I''ve got. I might lose it this way. And how much are the stones worth?"
"Not much... I just used seven as you saw. I''ll throw in another three hundred gold. By the way, very few people lose their skills like that." Ray offered again.
"A good grimoire costs three hundred by itself."
"I''ll buy the storage ring myself."
"Deal." Shirley grabbed over the grimoire and a warm golden light radiated from her body. Golden archaic characters circled Shirley like a shell and eventually emerged into the book.
"You take the first shift. I need some sleep." Shirley handed over the grimoire.
As Ray touched it, the grimoire crumbled into dust. Information flooded his mind, but it was just for a moment.
"You''ve learned the skill? How high is your intelligence stat?" Shirley gave Ray the ''you are a monster'' stare.
"Keep this between just you and me ok? My mom doesn''t even know." Ray said seriously.
"K." Shirley leaned against a maple tree and closed her eyes.
9. Timber Wolf
In the Crihn forest, timber wolves dominate. The simplest way to classify them was by the color of their fur. The green and grey were the weakest, relying on camouflage to hunt their prey. The silver furs were the equivalent of level 10 warriors. Each pack of wolves had at least on silver fur pack leader. The golden wolf kings divided the territories of the forest.
Perhaps of the cloak, or perhaps of Ray''s [deception] talent, the two managed to pass through most of the forest without alerting the timber wolves.
Ray was rather happy about their luck. They have not encountered a single pack leader.
"Wait, so you are a foreigner?" Ray asked as they walked up a hill.
"Well, Anthony is not stupid enough to enslave Estor citizens." Shirley rolled her eyes.
"Right. Bad question. So how did you know that Anthony was in the cage?"
"hehe, would you believe me if I said I guessed?." Shirley giggled. "How did you know where he was?"
"I guessed." Ray replied.
"Not with one of your many spells?"
"What spells? I''m a rogue." Ray said very seriously.
"Wow, you really are shameless." Shirley looked at Ray as if she finally knew what kind of person he was.
"What? I am a very gentle, and kind, and honorable person. Wait, lay low." Ray crouched.
"What is it?" Shirley whispered.
"No wonder we haven''t seen a single pack leader these days. They are having a meeting a mile from here." Ray whispered back. "I think we should take a detour."Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"Can''t you just blow them up or something?"
Ray felt a little depressed. Back in Starlight Road I, he could one shot the entire wolf gathering. But now, a single pack leader could one shot him.
In Starlight Road, the gap between level 9 and 10 was much larger than the gap between level 8 and 9. Many players struggled to make it level 10 but they could not due to unclear criteria unfulfilled. However those who did make it to level 10 became multiple times stronger. That was why a level 6 could beat a level 9, but a level 9 basically never won against a level 10.
"I am actually level 7." Ray said helplessly.
"Should we hide?"
"Too late, they noticed us. We have to move! now!"
Two silver wolves dashed towards Ray at an unbelievable speed. Ray and Shirley blurred into the shade of the trees and headed towards Chark.
Having lost their target, the two wolves stared at each other, uncertain of what to do.
A thundering roar rocked the entire forest. The wolf king unfolded its golden wings flew into the sky. It scanned through the forest with its murderous eyes. After looking around for a few moment, its glare locked onto one spot. The wolf king shot out like a golden ray and appeared on the top of cliff. With a swipe of its paw, the gale knocked Shirley and Ray out of the shadow below.
The [instant movement] the wolf king performed had a level requirement of level 20. In other words, Ray had no chance of winning. Out of options, Ray glared at the wolf king. [Mind Break] activated. The golden wolf took a step back, closed its eyes, and trembled in pain. Catching this opportunity, Ray and Shirley blurred into the shadow again.
Although Ray was running for his life, he could not focus due to the spell rebound. He barely remembered how he made it through the forest.
Some distance away from the city gate, Shirley hesitated to go in.
"Do you think I''m on the wanted list? What if the guards catch me on the spot. Hey are you listening?" Shirley lightly punched Ray''s shoulder.
"Huh? What? Sorry, I''m lagging. Oh, I think you''ll be fine as long as my skill activated." Ray grabbed Shirley''s hand and moved to the line up at the gate.
A woman''s image was on the poster board by the guard. Neon hair, pointy nose, round eyes, large chest. On the bottom, the caption was ''WANTED: murderer of trader Anthony. $1,000,000''. Shirley looked at her black hair, felt her elegant little nose, and looked down on her average sized chest.
"That''s me?" Shirley asked.
"That''s the girl they saw." Ray tried to hold back his laughter.
"Do you actually like girls like that?" Shirley asked while blushing a little. "Hey! Are you listening?"
"Lag, it''s the lag. Nah, I like you better. Look at the prize though." Ray marveled at the $1,000,000.
"Yeah, I would totally turn myself in for that money." Shirley replied with a smile.
10. Blue Diamond
Ray and Shirley slurped some smoothie while staring at the floating castle in the sky. People who passed by them on the street only smiled and chuckled. Almost all newcomers stared at the floating castle for a while. Ray stared with melancholy, as if recalling the happy memories of the past when he first partied with his high school friends. Shirley just stared in awe.
That was just one of the typical stores of the Blue Diamond Business Association. The cheapest equipment they sold were iron tier.
However, if one wanted to shop there, they would have to fly up.
"Want to take a look up there?" Ray pointed at the floating castle.
"Really? If you can fly as a level 7 then I became an arch-mage at level 1."
Ray almost spit out his drink. "I''m actually level 7. Here, I''ll give you a piggyback ride."
Seeing Shirley hesitate, Ray added: "don''t you want to know the worth of those stones, they''ll give you a really professional answer."
With a sigh, Shirley jumped onto Ray''s back. Light particles slowly congregated onto Ray''s back and formed a pair of wings of light. Ray drank a bottle of blue potion and flew off.
He took some time enjoying the icy, minty flavor. If it didn''t taste good, it shouldn''t cost a gold coin. A small family can survive for a year on a gold after all.
After landing at the entrance, Ray drank another potion.
"We are here now. Can you please stop strangling me?" Ray coughed.
Shirley opened an eye. Seeing the solid ground, she jumped off. "Erhm, that was a little slow. Try harder next time."
"Are you scared of heights or something? You were holding onto me like an octopus." Ray chuckled.
"Hey, you young couple can flirt somewhere else." A warrior in gold armor opened the gate. Gold armor, gold sword, gold helmet. Just made out of gold, not gold tier. Still cost a fortune though.
"We are not a couple." Shirley glared at Ray.
Ray pretended not to see. "We are here to buy some equipment."
"Right. But first of all, how did you guys get up here?"
"We flew of course."
"pfft, whahaha, that''s a good one. If a level 7 could fly, then I became an arch-mage at level 1." The man laughed. "Anyways, since your level is too little, you have to show me some money if you want to get in."Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Ray took out two greater magic stones. The guard made a welcome gesture.
Entering the gate was a path to the castle door. The pleasant aroma of the garden gave Ray a sense of relaxation and peace. He did not recognize a single kind because they had no medicinal uses. A single plant probably cost at least a gold though. The sea of flowers was a perfect show off of Blue Diamond''s wealth.
Ray ticked his tongue as he stepped onto the coal black GravitiStone floor. His body felt like a feather due to the material effect. Of course, the owner could also increase weight. In other words, if he was a robber, the shop owner could squash him instantly without a fight. The cream white EternitiWood walls maintained a comfortable temperature. Basically the A/C of the game world.
"Hi, I''m Edmond, welcome to our shop today." A mid-aged man greeted Ray.
"Hi, I''m looking for a storage ring and a cauldron." Ray smiled back.
"This way please."
However, the first items placed in the shelves interested Ray already.
"The ''noob''s guide'' combo..." Ray murmured as he stared at the butter yellow staff, the white cloak, and the three azure blue beads. Those were the starting items Ray used in Starlight Road I.
Edmond noticed Raymond''s pause and quickly returned to the counter. "This staff..."
"Made of blessing tree wood, fires light orbs after injecting mana." Ray interjected.
"So young yet so knowledgeable. Are you interested sir?" Edmond smiled.
Ray thought for a while but shook his head. "Bring the lightning beads please if you don''t mind."
"Of course. And for the cauldron and storage ring, what tier would you like them to be?"
"Iron is fine."
After choosing a pot-sized aged-clay cauldron, a storage ring with a dimensional space of a cabinet, and those three lightening beads, Ray started to bargain with Edmond.
"The cauldron with ''potion brewing for dummies'' are 1200 gold together. These lightning beads cost 900 gold total. The cauldron would be 1000 gold."
"What?!" Shirley squeaked in disbelief. "These beads are just one use items."
"I don''t have enough gold. Do you accept trading?" Ray ignored Shirley. Ray knew exactly the worth of those beads. One timer items made by level 30s were not to be taken lightly.
"Of course." Edmond nodded.
Ray handed Edmond two greater magic stones.
Edmond frowned a bit. "You know the official exchange rate is one to one thousand gold right?"
"What?!" Shirley squeaked even louder. She grabbed Ray''s collar. "You blew seven thousand gold in one spell?"
"Erhm, excuse me, but both of us know the market exchange rate is always between 1500 gold to 1800 gold." Ray ignored the violent shaking.
"Well, it was worth a try. We have a deal." Edmond shrugged.
Shirley didn''t buy anything. In fact, she still criticized Ray long after they left Blue Diamond.
"You lied to me about the stone price!"
"What do you mean knowledge always have a tuition fee attached to it? I want to split the loot again!"
"I can''t believe you are wasting money like that. Are you going to rob another poor lone girl later or something? No, seriously, you totally robbed and abducted me. You know what, I''m not even going to say anything anymore."
Sometimes later...
"So where are you heading now?" Ray asked while picking herbs at the Adventurer''s market.
"Find the villagers I guess..." Shirley replied absent-mindedly.
"They probably passed by my home town. Want to get more information there?" Ray asked.
"K." Shirley replied.
"Seventy silver total." The rogue behind the stall chewed on a straw.
"Seventy? The edges are dry. I''ll buy for fifty." Ray offered.
"Fifty? Are you crazy? Who cares if it''s dry? Sixty is the lowest I can go."
"hmm... Sixty... we have a deal if you add one more Fletti grass."
Watching this, Shirley could only rob her head.
11. Blood Bats
Niqel mountain range. Dusk.
Shirley watched the pot of stew boil as Ray held the cauldron in his hands, watching the potion bubble. Normal fire could not be controlled easily for beginners. Hence, one had to insert mana into the cauldron and let the cauldron convert it to heat.
"Are you going to cook for once?" Shirley asked.
"I always burn whatever I cook." Ray shook his head.
"And yet you can make potions."
"They taste bad too..."
"Want me to teach you? Wait, what''s that?" Shirley pointed at a black cloud passing by a mountain tip.
"Oh that? Just a bunch of alpine blood bats." Ray glanced at the approaching black cloud.
"Alpine blood bats?"
"Around level 5 creatures. Absolutely hates light and anything that attacked them."
"Should we run or should we believe the repellent?" Shirley sounded concerned.
"Why would we run from free experience points?" Ray asked back.
"How are we going to win?"
"Watch closely my apprentice. Welcome to farming 101." Ray started to place black little flags and magic stones on the ground.
"Who''s your apprentice?" Shirley rolled her eyes.
"The outer green formation powered by six medium stones form a protection dome. The inner blue formation powered by three lesser stones regenerates mana. The most inner formation powered by four greater stones... hehe, that''s a secret." Ray sat at the center again.
"Wow you are a terrible teacher. Dry, boring, moving too fast, I didn''t even see what you did. How much money do you have left after using the greater stones?"If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
"I''m broke again. Anyways, wake me up after I faint." Ray drank a bottle of mana potion.
"What?"
Attracted by the light, blood bats went kamikaze on the orange dome, forming layers and layers of ripples. Yet the dome withstood the crashes and did not waver.
Ray shot out a thumb-sized grey flare into the cloud of bats and collapsed with a ''thud.''
[Living Fire] was a spell that converted life force into more Living Fire after contacting living flesh. Generally considered useless as it could be easily dodged or blocked with an inanimate object.
Immediately the cloud of black became blazed with the grey fire. As more and more bats dropped from the sky like rain droplets, the ground became a sea of grey.
"Wake up!" Shirley grabbed Ray''s collar and shook violently.
"What? Where are we?" Ray robbed his eyes.
"The blood of the dead bats is being drawn into this giant sphere ten feet from our dome. What do we do?!"
"Oh, that''s the mini-boss ''avenger of the blood bats''. Inject mana into this until it pulsates a white light. Then chuck." Ray handed over a lighting bead.
With a deafening roar, a man sized bat stuck its hideous head out of the blood cocoon. Ray and Shirley became paralyzed for a moment. The feeling of powerlessness and despair rushed into Ray''s heart.
However, before it completely broke free, a tiny bead shot through the cocoon. With a blinding flash and a thunder that rocked the valley, the mini boss was reduced to a pile of ash and a red pellet.
As if signalling the end of battle, cream white vapor steamed off bat corpses and spiralled around Ray and Shirley, eventually permeating their skin.
Some vapor formed a sphere on top of Ray''s head, emitting a warm light. As the vapor thinned, the light dimmed.
Ray suddenly opened his eyes and crushed the greater stone in his hand. The four stones surrounding him turned to dust as if they were instantly cremated. The sphere of thin vapor above Ray''s head stopped fading away. After condensing into a single drop of clear liquid, it dropped into Ray''s mouth.
Ray''s dog tag flashed three times. He made it to level 10.
"What was that?" Shirley asked.
"An Easter egg." Ray said without thinking. He felt a little hazy as if drunk after the mana drain. His thought process was a little... malfunctioned.
"What?"
"Nothing." Ray just realized that he accidently spilled some beans.
"Hmm, where did you learn the spells and formations?" Shirley squinted her eyes and stared at Ray.
"It''s the same mechanics as Starlight Road One." Ray said without thinking again. He immediately regretted it.
"Haha, I was joking. I''m actually a genius who figured most of it out myself." Ray sweated like crazy.
"Hmm... As your apprentice, can you at least tell me what the last formation did?"
Ray took out his dog tag and activated the status hologram. "You see that green +5% after all my stats, yeah, that means it''s temporary. So I drink this potion. khoff, bleh, ugh, disgusting... They turn white and stay permanent at the cost of slower leveling."
Shirley stared goggle-eyed at Ray''s status screen. However, before she could ask any further, Ray started snoring.
12. Main Quest
Town of Simonite. Noon.
Ray walked alone to his house. Shirley''s voice still echoed in his mind.
"If our fate intertwine, we''ll definitely meet again." She said.
"If not, I''ll just visit you after this haha." She said.
"You better feed the villagers when we pass by." She laughed.
Ray sighed when he reached his house. [Deception] activated.
"Mom I''m home!" Ray shouted cheerfully.
The door opened and a mid-aged butler walked out. He sneered at Ray as he passed by.
What? Who''s that? Why was he there? What did he do to Ray''s mother?
Ray ran into the living room and a green blob jumped onto his head. Ugh, a level 1 slime.
"You are back." Ray''s mother squeezed out a smile. Her eyes were swollen with tears.
"What a rude guest." Ray said ambiguously. Should he know the butler? Should he know what''s going on?
"Hmph, before your dad went missing, he behaved like a dog in front of me." May wiped her tears off with a handkerchief.
Ray cursed God-like Geniuses Corp in his mind. He did not mind hiding his identity, but there were barely any clues about Mr. Tragedy!
"I miss my dad..." He learned his mother''s name from the mole-hawk man. He still had no idea what his dad''s name is.
"Sit down. Your grandpa''s butler left a message for you." May said with a wavering voice.
Ray nodded.
"As you know, some of your uncles were quite envious of your father, but they couldn''t do anything when he was still around. After your father went missing for a while, they forced us out the family castle." May sighed.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"Usually when the children of the Mund family activate their dog tag, they would receive a pet and some starting fund. Although they gave you a slime and just one gold coin, don''t be discouraged alright?" May sounded discouraged herself.
"What''s the standard?" Ray sounded calm, but in reality, he could explode with anger.
"Oh that''s the other thing. You will have to attend the annual youngsters'' tournament at the Mund castle in a year. It''s mandatory for everyone in the Mund family who just became an adventurer. Since the others most likely received level 10 guardian pets and a couple hundred gold starting fund, you may have a tough time." May said in dismay.
Ray''s eyebrow twitched a bit. Ray finally understood why Mr. Tragedy challenged a level 15 warrior. The dude probably lost hope and didn''t want a lame death by suicide. Under normal circumstances, if it was still Mr. Tragedy, the tournament would most likely be a public beating.
"I''m actually surprised that you managed to level up to level 3 in just a few days. You must have put yourself in so much danger..." May looked at Ray with caring eyes.
"I just went on a monster subjugation mission. It was really safe with higher level teammates." Ray said seriously. Much gratitude to the [deception] talent.
"You know what they say, there are many ways to get to the bottom of the cliff. The people who made it fasted won, but they lost their lives. Don''t do anything hotheaded ok?"
What kind of saying is that?
Ray nodded like a good boy. He was a little touched by the motherly love. The last time he had this feeling was years ago, before he became a transfer student.
"Since you are level 3 now, you''ve met the minimum requirement to enter the Starlight Road. Your sister is there for her graduation test. She can probably help you." May advised.
Ray had a sister? His heart plummeted to the bottom of his guts. If he went, he wouldn''t be able to recognize her... If he refused, what would be a good excuse? Oh no...
"Sounds good. I''ll head off now." Ray said with a calm smile.
"Don''t you want to take a break? You just came back..."
"Thanks ma, but time is short, I only got one year to prepare!" Ray ran off.
Ray paid a gold at the town teleportation altar and teleported to the Starlight Road.
With a flash, Ray appeared on an alter in the jungle. In the distant, a pillar of light towered to the heavens. The Starlight Road. With mixed feelings Ray stared at the familiar scene.
"Hey! Get out of the teleportation circle! Other people need to use it too you know!" A mid-aged operator shouted at Ray.
"Opps, sorry" Ray jogged out.
"First time?" The operator asked impatiently.
"First time." Ray smiled.
"I thought so. All you newbies just stare and stare. Here is the registration form. Let me explain to you briefly about this place..."
--- End of the Beginner''s Village Ark ---