《EndGame Online》 Prologue - A Monologue In the dead of night, a lone man sits in the midst of a luxurious study in contemplation. A blackened symbol above his head. A large white marble fireplace blazed behind his back. The flames flickering away, filling the air with warmth. Unique items and treasures sit with care upon the mantle. Not a speck of dust to be seen. A tribute to the past. Bookshelves line the walls, filled with an abundance of various tomes. On their spines are a set of initials, ordered alphabetically, each with it¡¯s place. Each with it¡¯s memories. In a digital world, there remains a place for these few material copies. A majesticallycarved mahogany desk dominated the room¡¯s centre. The detailed grains of wood displaying the craftsman''s effort and devotion. Amidst the carvings are depictions of epic battles against mythical creatures, such as dragons and phoenixes. While, in the centre is an awe inspiring symbol. Simple, but eloquent. A blood red raven upon a perch with eyes as dark as night. An oil lamp burns atop the desk, casting a faint flickering light over sheets of parchment. Sitting behind this desk is a young man. His appearance is that of a male in his mid to late twenties, but there is wisdom in his eyes that one can only obtain through countless struggles. He has shoulder length brown hair with a short trim beard. His body consists of lean muscle without any unnecessary fat. On his person he wears sleek, custom made, black dragon-skin leather and on his head sits a leather headband with a black metal plate protecting his forehead. Engraved on this metal plate is a blood red raven, serving as a symbol of power.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. He exhales a deep breath. "Our previous world was one of abundance. Of convenience. Everything we ever wanted was at our fingertips. Science and technology were steadily advancing, free from religious persecution and interference. We could live out our lives within the comfort of our own homes. Sitting indoors. Wasting away." *Sigh* "And I was no exception." A deep sense of regret is evident in his voice. ¡°In a peaceful country, we didn''t have to struggle to survive like our ancestors. While they fought with weapons, we fought we words. Thinking back, it was an easy life. ¡°The year 2026: the dawn of a new era, the virtual age as some might call it. A golden era in it¡¯s infancy. Yet, already ideas once thought impossible were now available to the population. The prime example of this was the first ever virtual reality MMORPG game. Hundreds of thousands joined in to celebrate it¡¯s debut. . .¡± The man stands up from the desk and slowly walks over to the fireplace. "Oh, but how foolish we were...¡± Staring into the fire, he continues his monologue. ¡°We like to think that we are separate from the beasts. That we are superior. However, when civilized individuals from all walks of life are thrown into a world of conflict and hardship, those hidden primal instincts will begin to emerge. Similar to the lord of the flies." At this moment the man takes in a deep breath. The warm air filling his lungs. ¡°I have borne witness to countless acts of cruelty. And committed many myself." He pauses, "There is no redemption for what I have done. No salvation. But, everything I did was for survival." The man looks up from the fire. "And now here I stand. Will there ever be an end? To think that I started out like everybody else..." Chapter 1 - Link Start ¡°Thousands across the continent are awaiting tonight¡¯s midnight release of EndGame Online. EndGame Online offers a full dive virtual reality experience boasting a realistic and memorable experience. Explore this sword and sorcery fantasy world at your own pace. Choose your own adventures. Fight against monsters and other players. Complete quests as you wander through the land. Improve your skills, and much much more. This ultimate dungeon explorer VRMMORPG has something for everyone. Join in on the discussion at ¡®skyroyalstudios.org/EGO/forum/discussion'' for the latest information.¡± An advertisement can be heard playing in the background as I walk down the street. These types of advertisements have been playing more frequently over the past month, and one cannot go a day in the city without noticing them. Normally these advertisements are filtered out of my mind; however, the product of this advertisement is something that cannot be ignored. The reason is: I hold one of the limited copies of the gaming system. It is currently mid day on July 11, 2026, and a cool sea breeze comes off the ocean, alleviating the sun¡¯s blistering hot rays if only for a moment. Sweat rolls down my face as I raise my hand as a visor and look at the sky. High cirrus clouds can be seen moving at a fast pace, indicating a change in the weather front. Usually, a clear sky indicates a high pressure system, while clouds come with a lower pressure system along with a change in weather. The darkened clouds in the distance show that a storm is coming. A vibration escapes from my pocket as my phone lights up. On it is a message from Devon, one of my friends from high school. ¡°Hey! Rose, Zoey, Chris, Jimmy, and I were thinking of going down to the beach before the storm hits. Are you in?¡± Devon and Rose are a couple that does absolutely everything together, while Zoey and Jimmy only recently hooked up with each other. Poor Chris is currently the third wheel, so it was most likely him that suggested I come as well. Since i¡¯ve got some time to kill, I open up the keyboard and send my reply: ¡°Yea, I¡¯m in. Which beach were you thinking of?¡± If I can get there via bus, I won¡¯t bother going home. The reply comes almost instantly: ¡°We¡¯re headed to Cadboro Bay, the place we went to last year. We¡¯ll be there at 1:30pm.¡± I look down at my watch and see it is currently 1:00pm. Devon hasn¡¯t given me much time to work with, but if I catch the next bus, I should be able to make it. The bus finally arrives, 10 minutes late. The bus service is our city is famous among the residents for it¡¯s reliability. The bus driver is an old man that looks to be in his 60¡¯s with a bald head and a beer gut. He only gives a passing glance to make sure I payed before turning the bus back onto the road. I find a seat near the back where I don¡¯t have to sit next to anyone. There are a few interesting characters on the public transit during peak times, but thankfully in the early afternoon the bus is relatively empty. Look through the windowing, the scenery goes by quickly and without rest. Cadbury Bay is near the University, so many bus routes terminate there. As I stare outside the window, I cannot help but think of what life would be like in a video game without these worldly constraints. A few months prior, I had lined up in front of the authorized retail store to obtain one of the hundred available gaming units in our city of two hundred thousand. My best friends Chris and Phil were there with me, and had brought out tents, sleeping bags, and other supplies camping out for days. A few days of University were missed, but my attendance record was otherwise unblemished, so it was easy to get away with. In the end, we managed to get three of the last units sold, but not without an astronomical price tag. The unit itself cost a few thousand dollars and that doesn¡¯t include the monthly subscription fees. However, to experience the first ever real life VRMMORPG, after having read about them in countless web novels, blowing my savings on this was well worth it. Finally, about 15 minutes of daydreaming later, the bus arrives at my stop. A short walk down to the beach later, I come across a group of familiar faces. Chris, Devon, Jimmy, Rose, and Zoey are all standing next to Devon¡¯s van unloading beach chairs, towels, a beer cooler, etc. Chris looks up and notices me, ¡°Look what we have here!¡± He gathers the attention of the rest of them and directs it towards me, ¡°Quinn¡¯s arrived, but...¡± He looks me up and down, ¡°Where¡¯s your bathing suit and towel?¡± The others seem to have noticed my lack of supplies, and I notice Rose trying hard to surprise her giggling, while Devon has a slight look of pity in his eyes. ¡°What do you expect? I was downtown and given a 30 minute window to get here!¡± ¡°Alright, Alright!¡± He replies, ¡°I brought a spare towel that you can use.¡± Chris tosses me the towel in his arms, ¡°Catch!¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s try and find a good spot!¡± Jimmy announces, while dragging Zoey behind him down to the water. This is my first time actually seeing his new girlfriend. She has light brown hair tied up in a bun and a friendly face. Her body has retained some of her baby fat; however, it is in all the right places. I can see, at least superficially, why Jimmy likes her. Jimmy himself is on the short and stocky side, and while he may look like a delinquent, he has a really kind character. The rest of us follow them down onto the beach, through the maze of driftwood, over the coarse rocks, and onto the fine grains of sand. People of all ages can be seen walking up and down along the shoreline, or resting atop the sand. Plenty of people are also in the water and sailboats can be seen not too far off the coast. Cadboro Bay is as the name suggests, a bay, and a marina is located not too far away from our location. Along the beach, many of the best spots have already been claimed; however, Jimmy and Zoey find a nice spot for us. When we spread out our towels on the sand, Devon and Rose combine their towels next to each other. The same is true for Jimmy and Zoey, which leaves Chris and I to be the odd men out. ¡°Ahh¡± One of the girls lets out a content sigh, ¡°This is so nice! I wish we could do this more often.¡± ¡°Yea!¡± Devon agrees, ¡°It¡¯s a shame that we¡¯re a lot busier than we used to be. With our jobs and university, it¡¯s hard to find time to relax with all of us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s technically not ¡®all¡¯ of us.¡± Chris comments, ¡°Neither Phil, nor Tara are here. I know Tara is working, but I don¡¯t know about Phil.¡± ¡°Ahh, he¡¯s probably preparing for that virtual reality game that¡¯s coming out soon.¡± Jimmy replies with a mocking tone, ¡°What¡¯s it called again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called EndGame Online.¡± Annoyed by Jimmy¡¯s attitude, Chris retorts. ¡°It¡¯s the first ever VRMMORPG, and it¡¯s coming out tonight!¡± ¡°What¡¯s VRMMORPG stand for again?¡± While feigning ignorance, Jimmy comments. As if unwilling to listen to Jimmy taking this any further, Zoey interjects in their conversation. ¡°It stands for Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game. I, for one, am jealous of those who obtained a copy of the game. I heard people had to camp outside for days just to get a copy, but unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t able to do that.¡± Devon finally joins the conversation. ¡°Well, from our group, there are three people who have the game, so maybe you could use one of their systems.¡± ¡°Three!?¡± Zoey¡¯s eyes light up. ¡°Ahh, i¡¯m so jealous! Who else has them?¡± ¡°Hehe, that would be Chris and Quinn.¡± Jimmy replies. ¡±Those three skipped school to camp outside the store. Even ate away at their savings to purchase the game.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so lucky!¡± Zoey turns to face both Chris and I, ¡°The next round of systems is set to be released in two weeks! Do you know how much of a head start two weeks will give? Especially for a MMORPG?¡± I only give her a halfhearted awkward smile in response, while the others seem be unable to respond. Finally, Rose breaks the silence. ¡°I¡¯m going to go down to the water. Would anyone care to join me?¡± Without waiting for a reply, she starts taking off her clothes, exposing her white and black bikini. Her body is as well toned as I remember. With a bountiful chest, a flat stomach, and a tight ass, she draws the attention of many male onlookers. Paired with her generous personality and kind temperament, Devon has really found himself a keeper. It doesn¡¯t take long for the rest of them to follow suit. All of them, except myself, have swimsuits, so soon I am left to guard the towels. Oh well. I remove my shirt, create a makeshift pillow, and lean back to enjoy the sun. The next few hours go by in a flash, and eventually the sun becomes hidden behind the clouds. Once the chilly wind hits us, we unanimously decide to call it a day. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Rather than waiting for the bus to take me home, I hitch a ride with Devon and Rose. Thankfully, they live not too far away from me and were willing to give me a lift. When I walk through the front door of my house I am greeting by an overwhelming sense of loneliness. Having spent the day with my friends, I have already started to miss them. None of my family members are home at the moment, so the house feels deserted. A few months ago I would have been greeted by my beloved family dog, but now all I see is his collar sitting on the windowsill. Still protecting the house. Since I am the only one home at this moment, I go into the kitchen to make a snack. The house is a farmhouse that is over 100 years old. Built during 1916, it is still standing despite the two major earthquakes that occurred during it¡¯s life. The whole interior has been renovated extensively, so the kitchen is modern and up to date.After fixing myself the snack, I climb the stairs to my room on the second floor. My room is the smallest of my family members, but that is to be expected being the youngest. At the far end of my room, beneath the window is my bed, on which rests the Ocularis headgear for EndGame Online. I might as well configure the gaming helmet while i¡¯m at it. The helmet has a sleek black design, which encompasses the entire head. Electrodes are placed at various points along the scalp to pick up neural activity. This also serves to provide sensory and motor functioning. At the base of the helmet, where the brain stem is located, a specialized probe is sent to intercept motor neurons and prevent superfluous movements. This is designed so that when one is running or fighting in the game, the individual¡¯s real body remains motionless. The power is supplied externally, but the helmet includes an internal battery which can last up to 96 hours of continuous gameplay. The helmet is the first in it¡¯s class and syncs up with the central servers at Sky Royal Studios via wireless connection. This connection is independent of regular internet service providers and is designed to provide near instantaneous transfer of data without risk of losing connection. I have no knowledge about physics, so, in my view, it seems as if our consciousness is transported directly to their servers. This is truly the dawn of virtual reality gaming. 10 years ago, something like this would have been impossible, but a major breakthrough in data transmission a few years ago made it possible. It drove the large communication companies green with envy. Virtual reality itself has been commercially available for the past decade or so, but it is only recently that the working class can afford their own private systems. I¡¯ve used virtual reality before at the university, but the models they have are already outdated. It is an ever growing market with Sky Royal Studios at the very forefront. It¡¯s similar to how ten years ago, once the smartphones hit the shelves, the technology was already outdated compared to what was in the research labs. In the past, research had been trending towards acceleration of time within virtual reality. However, the human brain is physically incapable of withstand speeds beyond 4x normal capacity in the virtual reality setting. But, even this is only in short bursts. The virtual reality stimulates the user¡¯s brain to function, but this still uses up valuable nutrients for the brain. It has been shown that irreparable brain damage will occur if done over long periods of time. Therefore, current research has shifted towards increasing the realism of the virtual reality. This refers to how close to reality is the virtual world.From the outside, realism seems more of a marketing technique, but rigourous research has proven it is possible to measure the differences in percentages. The term itself was just arbitrarily named based on science fiction of the previous decade. As for games, I am no stranger to MMORPG¡¯s. I had gotten addicted to a computer based MMORPG during my teens and ended up spending four years of my life in front of a computer screen. I later quit the game while going through a major depressive episode and moved on, but something about MMO¡¯s always drew my interest. Perhaps it was the feelings of accomplishment from levelling up, completing quests, or hunting monsters, but I had always been drawn to medieval sword and sorcery fantasies. In my youth, I took fencing and archery lessons. Due to my fascination with swordplay, I had received many comments on how I should have been born in another time. As for archery, while I may not have been the best, I was at least good enough to hit the target. Before I knew it, the sun has already gone down. An overcast sky along with the light pollution of a city shrouds the stars, drowning out their light. I had missed dinner, but I can always fix up something in the morning. *Sigh* During the dead of night my phone lights up. I received a text message from Phil. ¡°Hey, you ready for this?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve been waiting for months.¡± I send him a message back. ¡°Ahh, this is going to be awesome! Only 30 more minutes until launch!¡± I check the clock and sure enough, it is 11:29PM. A silence lingers throughout the house, but the internet remains as noisy as ever. Sky Royal Studio¡¯s main webpage is open on my laptop, displaying a count down. The chat bar in the bottom corner of the screen is constantly updating at a speed to fast to read. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll finally find a cute girl in the game. I heard the avatars will be based on our real appearances.¡± Phil is perpetually single, so i¡¯ve grown accustomed to this side of him. ¡°Really? Damn... I was looking forward to customizing my avatar.¡± ¡°Ahh, don¡¯t worry about that. There will be 500,000 players, so there are bound to be quite a few cute female gamers out there. Everyone has their own preferences.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Well, you never know, eh?¡± ¡°True. Anyways, have you decided on a class yet?¡± ¡°Yea, I think i¡¯ve got it settled between a knight and a warrior, but i¡¯m leaning more towards the knight.¡± Three main melee classes exist within EndGame Online: the Warrior, the Knight, and the Barbarian. The knight is defence oriented, while the barbarian is strength oriented. The warrior takes the middle ground and is a balance between the two. ¡°Hmm... I would have thought you¡¯d go with the mage.¡± ¡°Pfft... I was a mage in the last game, so I¡¯d rather try something new. How about you?¡± ¡°I still haven¡¯t decided yet between two classes, but it¡¯s not going to be a knight or a warrior.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always so secretive. Anyways, I¡¯ll find out sooner or later¡± I check the count down on the webpage once more and see a big red 00:15:35 ¡°Looks like we are almost out of time. I guess i¡¯ll see you in the game.¡± ¡°Alright, later.¡± My phone lights up with his final message. I don¡¯t even bother opening up the app, and just let it turn off automatically. I put down my phone and ready the system. It¡¯s odd to think that five hundred thousand people are doing this exact same thing, waiting for the launch of EndGame Online. Rain begins pounding outside my window as I take a final glance at the world outside. The clock now shows 11:50pm, ten minutes before the midnight launch of EndGame Online. The rain has picked up and it seems a thunderstorm is on its way. Oh well, it¡¯s almost time to enter the game and say goodbye to this dull reality. However, before that can happen, my phone lights up once more. ¡°Hey! One last thing. I heard a few rumours through the grapevine that a few celebrities will be joining the game. Maybe you¡¯ll get lucky and meet one of them.¡± ¡°Knock it off. I¡¯ll talk to you later¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± He replies almost instantly after my message sends. I sometimes wonder if he even bothers reading my messages. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Chris¡¯s unit has malfunctioned somehow, so he can¡¯t play until he gets it fixed tomorrow.¡± ¡°Shit luck... I guess it¡¯s just you and me tonight then.¡± That¡¯s unforunate, but it just means we¡¯ll get a day or two head start. If worst comes to worst, he will have to wait two weeks until the next shipment of devices is planned to arrive. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in there.¡± I plug the helmet in, attach it to my head, and lay down on my bed trying to get comfortable. ¡°Link Start¡± The helmet scans my retina to confirm my identity and within seconds the outside world begins to fade as I await the launch. In my vision is a giant red clock counting down the minutes and seconds. Nothing to do but wait patiently for the time to slowly trickle by. 00:06:25 00:05:47 00:05:12 [Attention players. There are now five minutes remaining until launch.] 00:04:35 00:02:10 00:01:15 [Attention players. There is now one minute remaining until launch.] 00:00:30 00:00:16 10.. 9.. 8.. 7.. 6.. 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1.. Chapter 2 - Creation I open my eyes to a scene of a once grand hall. Debris lay scattered across the floor and chips of stone have been carved out of once majestic pillars. The remains of a horrific struggle. A man sat lounging on a dilapidated throne, all around him were the fresh bloody corpses of soldiers. The years have been unkind to this old soul. Stringy white hair rests on his wrinkled head while atop his head sits an enchanting crown of gold encompassing a blood red gemstone. His vacant eyes, without a glint of their former glory, drift in my direction. As if staring through my soul, he begins laughing maniacally. My vision fades as the camera pans to a vast barren landscape in which two armies clash. Right and wrong matter not in this conflict of ideals. The armies of man have waged countless wars for honour, glory, and the chance of become the momentary masters of a fraction of the world. Chaos reigns supreme in this desolate land. The camera zooms out to show the continent hovering in the sky above a swirling vortex. Cracks begin to form, eventually separating the continent into 100 distinct pieces. As if guided by an external force, these islands drift away from each other as they rotate to the vortex¡¯s lead. Time accelerates as the scene changes to that of a magnificent city. Citizens are going about their daily lives, oblivious to the vast world around them. Children can be seen laughing in the streets, playing games to pass the time. Crowded markets lined with merchants haggling over their wares concerned only with the extent of their profits. Near the centre of town a giant colosseum dominates the skyline. The camera zooms in on the arena where a fight was commencing. Two challengers, a knight and a barbarian, clash steel against steel without rest. These evenly matched fighters trade blow for blow as no clear advantage is seen. The barbarian rushes in wielding his dual battle-axes, but the attack is parried against the knight¡¯s shield. While the barbarian was recovering, the knight seizes the opportunity to attack. The knight seems to gain the upper hand as he slashes the left forearm of the barbarian causing bright red blood to dye his arm. But when the knight goes in for the killing blow, the barbarian counters with an unexpected strike to the side. The barbarian¡¯s axe lodges firmly in the knight''s neck dealing a decisive blow. As the knight struggled to breathe, gurgling with hands grasping his throat, the screen faded to black. The view returns to that of a multitude of floating islands in a spiralling pattern away from the largest island in the centre. Time has brought prosperity to some, while devastation to others. From lush forests to dry deserts and frozen plains to scorching lava fields none of these islands look alike with every island having its own distinct environment. They are spread far apart from each other and would only be faintly visible from the edges of one territory. Beyond all this was endless void as far as one could see. As I stare into the void my vision becomes blinded by a white light. I was now in an all white expanse and a server message pops up in my User Interface.
Welcome to EndGame Online
The system generates a generic male avatar in front of me after the announcement and proceeds to set up my account.
Select a username
This will be used to identify yourself within the system and cannot be changed.
After pondering for a while I choose a name I had come up with five years ago during the end years of my last MMORPG adventure. ¡°Anti Prime¡±
Username unavailable. Please select another username.
¡°Ughh¡±
Username unavailable. Please select another username.
"..." ¡°Quinn¡± My naming sense is terrible. My first choice was based off a person¡¯s username whom I had met in one of those low level guilds. His name was ¡°Prime Gamer¡±. And so, rather than choosing a name with a long strand of numbers like ¡°Flame131415¡±, I devised this name. I hadn¡¯t expected it to be taken, so my second choice was simply my real name.
Username available. Confirm the name ¡°Quinn¡±
¡°Confirm¡± After a few seconds I look up at the username above the generic avatar displayed in front of me. The name is outlined in green. All players will start out with their name in green. If a user assaults another, their name will change to yellow. If a user kills another, their name will change to red. To remove this effect, the player is required to wait an appropriate amount of time based on the nature and quantity of offences. Once a player kills over 100 players their name will change to black. This effect is permanent and cannot be removed. However, this doesn¡¯t include official duels between players.
Select a class
This will determine your starting stats and equipment. Note: It is not possible to change classes once in the game; however, other than the profession exclusive skills, all skills are available to every user.
Looks like there are nine options to choose from: warrior, barbarian, knight, mage, priest, summoner, archer, assassin, and rogue. We are provided with a chart of beginning stat bonuses and a list of applicable skills, so I give a quickly glance over it. I had looked up information regarding the game ahead of time on forums and news postings, but there was only minimal information available. They offered information on what classes there were, but not what made them unique from the others. Therefore, I was left with only a vague idea of the class I would choose. I knew Phil would take the knight route, while Chris would most likely go for the warrior. I had always been drawn to characters with a dark alignment, so perhaps either the assassin or the rogue would be best.
Warrior
Starting Bonus Skills
+50 Vitality +10 Strength +10 Defence Shield Bash (Active) - Level 1 - Bash the target with your shield dealing blunt damage and 10% chance of stunning target for 3 seconds.
Battle Cry (Active) - Level 1 - Increases strength of self and allies within a 20m radius by 10% for 1 minute. 5 Minute cool down.
Knight
Starting Bonus Skills
+50 Vitality + 20 Defence Shield Wall (Active) - Level 1 - Increases defence of self and allies within a 20m radius by 10% for 1 minutes. 5 minute cool down.
Guard (Active)- Level 1 - Increases defence and reduces physical damage received by 15% for 1 minute. 5 minute cool down.
Barbarian
Starting Bonus Skills
+50 Vitality +20 Strength Fierce Roar (Active) - Level 1 - Intimidate your foes. User has a 20% chance to stun enemies within a 20m radius for 3 seconds. 5 minute cool down.
Rage (Active) - Level 1 - Increases strength and physical damage by 10% for 1 minutes. 5 minute cool down.
Mage
Starting Bonus Skills
+100 Mana +20 Intelligence Mana Regeneration (Active) - Level 1 - Increases rate of mana regeneration by 10% for 5 minutes.
Mana Reduction (Active) - Level 1 - Decreases amount of mana required for casting spells by 10% for one minute. 5 minute cool down.
Summoner
Starting Bonus Skills
+100 Mana +10 Intelligence +10 Spirit Support magic (Passive) - Level 1 - Allows user to increase selected stats of target by 10%. Targets limited to party members and summoned creatures.
Summoning magic (Passive) - Level 1 - Allows for the summoning of spirits, familiars and other creatures to aid user. Duration 10 minutes.
Priest
Starting Bonus Skills
+100 Mana +20 SpiritStolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Purification Magic (Passive) - Level 1 - Cleanses the target of negative statuses. Effective against undead.
Holy Magic (Passive) - Level 1 - Allows user to borrow the power of the heavens to heal target.
Archer
Starting Bonus Skills
+50 Stamina +20 Dexterity Steady shot (Active) - Level 1 - Increases accuracy by 10% for 10 seconds. 1 minute cool down.
Minds eye (Active) - Level 1 - Enhances field of vision by 10% for 10 seconds. 1 minute cool down.
Assassin
Starting Bonus Skills
+20 Strength +10 Dexterity Cloaking (Active) - Level 1 - Shrouds the user in shadows making the user invisible for 5 seconds.
Backstab (Passive) - Level 1 - When conducting a successful sneak attack, deals 200% damage.
Rogue
Starting Bonus Skills
+50 Stamina +10 Dexterity +10 Strength Shadow Stealth (Active) - Level 1 - User¡¯s body melts into the background for 5 seconds. User is 110% harder to notice.
Nimble fingers (Passive) - Level 1 - 10% greater chance of successful lock picking, disarming traps, and pick pocketing.
The assassin seems to start out with a good combination of strength and defence, but I can see the lack of stamina being an issue in the future. The assassin¡¯s unique skills seem like they would provide a good advantage. The 200% damage is particularly appealing. Perhaps the scaling for Backstab would lead to ridiculous amounts of damage at higher levels. As for the cloaking, 5 seconds is not a lot of time, but that is only for level 1. As for the rogue, the stats are more balanced when compared to the assassin and there is definitely that stamina boost; however, the skills leave something to be desired. An increased chance for lock-picking, trap disarming, and pick pocketing could have some interesting implementations. Perhaps they could be able to steal from other players without the player noticing. Now that is a frightening thought. It would mean one¡¯s inventory is not entirely safe. However, the shadow stealth skill seems like it is a lesser version of the assassin¡¯s cloaking skill. Alright! I have made my choice. I will be an assassin. "I choose the assassin"
Confirmation required. You have selected: Assassin. Once you have confirmed the selection is final.
"Confirm." Alright! One step closer.
Generating avatar. . . Scanning body. . . . . .Generation complete.
The system generated a figure of a generic assassin, which slowly morphs to match my features. The game had actually devised an avatar that was so lifelike, it felt like I was looking in a mirror. "No matter how I look at it.. It just doesn''t have the assassin feel" What I can see is a decent looking 21 year old. Brown, slightly unkempt, hair and brown eyes with an average build standing at 5''11". The avatar is wearing simple cloth attire, while holding a kitchen knife in reverse grip in his left hand and a wooden short sword in his dominant hand. My stats can be seen by opening up the user interface and selecting the [Player] tab from the menu. I select this, which brings up a large holographic window displaying my character¡¯s basic overview.
Player Status
Player Name: Quinn Class: Assassin Level: 1
Guild None Experience 0/10
Stats
Vitality 100/100 Stamina: 100/100
Strength 30 Mana 100/100
Defence 10 Intelligence 10
Dexterity 20 Spirit 10
Skills
Active Passive
Cloaking Level: 1 Backstab Level: 1
¡°Hmm. Just generic stats and two basic skills. Looks like I won¡¯t be one of those cheat protagonists from the stories. Damn...¡± I suddenly got the thought that this might be more challenging than I previously imagined. Since this is virtual reality I will have to perform these skills with my own body. I¡¯m not too sure how that will turn out. Typically, with traditional mouse and keyboard type games, even if a person was physically weak in real life, they could still dominate within the gaming world. However, with the new onset of virtual reality gaming, one¡¯s real life physical health can turn into an early game advantage. Now, I am not the most physically fit person as I prefer to exercise my mind rather than body, so hopefully the in game mechanics can assist me in that regard. I am sure the developers would not make it too difficult for physically unhealthy players.
Do you wish to enter the game world immediately?
Yes No
I select [Yes] and wait as a blinding flash of light surrounds me. Before long I am sent into the game. I look around while standing on the side of the road and see several confused players getting accustomed to their characters. I might as well do the same thing. Typically one is sent into a beginners village until they reach a certain level threshold, but this is apparently not the case. In EndGame Online we are thrown into the world seemingly at random with only our beginner equipment. Before I get moving I decide to check out my inventory. I bring up the UI and this time select [Inventory]. What I get is a long list of item slots with only a few taken. I can see ten pieces of barley bread, a minimalistic map of the surrounding areas, and ten copper coins. I cannot see the weapons or clothes I saw in the character building screen, so I imagine they must be under the [Equipment] screen. Sure enough, when I open the [Equipment] screen I can see four equipped items.
Equipment
Head Empty Primary Weapon Wooden Short Sword
Cape Empty Shield Empty
Torso Villager Top Secondary Weapon Kitchen Knife
Legs Villager Pants Thrown Weapon Empty
Hands Empty Necklace Empty
Feet Empty Ring Empty
¡°Really. No shoes...¡± I guess I should be lucky to even have clothes at this rate, but it¡¯s not like they provide any decent defence. The top has a rectangular neckline, which reveals part of the traditional shirt worn beneath and is matched with a thin rope belt tied around my waist. The pants are simple and quite narrow, reaching down to my bare feet. I bring up the item¡¯s stats in a separate window.
Kitchen Knife Wooden Short Sword
Strength 7.5 Strength 10
Attack Speed 1.5 Attack Speed 1.0
Durability -- Durability --
Villager Top Villager Pants
Defence 1 Defence 1
Magic Defence 0 Magic Defence 0
Durability 50 Durability 50
The stats on the weapons aren''t bad; however, the clothing is basically useless in terms of defence. I take another look around me and can see some people staying still, while others are doing all sorts of odd movements. My vision is completely clear without the need for glasses. In the real world I have become near sighted thanks to spending hours on end staring at a computer screen, and I have to wear glasses to view distances. But, none of that matters now. It¡¯s as if the world around me is in HD. I look down at the ground to my bare feet and even the specks of dirt on the ground are detailed. It seems no expense was spared in making this as lifelike as possible. I bring my hands out in front of me and try flexing my fingers. It feels a bit strange, but I think I can get used to it. It¡¯s not too unlike real life and, all in all, I have to say I am impressed. I try unsheathing the wooden short sword at my waist and hold it in my hand. It feels a bit light, but I imagine that is thanks to the initial class strength boost. I try a few practice swings to get the feel of it and the sword moves awkwardly through the air. This will take some getting used to. Sword in hand, I prepared to take my first steps in this new world. Chapter 3 - First Steps ¡°Hmm, interesting.¡± Before I move, I hold up my hands before my face and notice they are exactly the same as my real hands down to the creases, scars, and nails. This must be somehow taken from our memory, because there is no way a helmet would be able to scan this amount of detail otherwise. The first couple steps I take are unsteady, but soon it¡¯s just like I was taking a regular walk outside. In everyday life we don¡¯t usually think about how we walk, rather, it is a natural process involving the contraction and relaxation of muscle fibres in response to nervous stimuli. As I start making my way down to the dirt road leading into town I marvel at how realistic the movement system is in this game. The dirt has a particular roughness to it and coarse grass brushes against the soles of my feet. Little pebbles make their way between my toes, but surprisingly my bare feet are not hurting as much as I would have expected. Within the [User Settings] there is an option to adjust pain levels. I can see the purpose of this setting, as I can imagine being hit by a sword and the like would hurt like hell. The default setting is 50%, but rather than adjusting it, I leave it as is. Of course this is after trialling adjusting it both up and down. One¡¯s sensitivity to touch also correlates to the pain adjustment scale, although to a lesser degree. Therefore, to not lose out on the sensitivity I left my settings to the default. All my senses were enhanced in this world and I could pick up on the subtle movements of the grass as the breeze passes by. This doesn¡¯t feel like a game, but rather more like an enhanced reality. Other players in my vicinity are also making their way onto the road from the field, and the area is quickly becoming crowded with identically dressed players. ¡°Hey watch it!¡± ¡°I was walking here¡± ¡°Wow! so cool!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s as if I am really here!¡± ¡°Get out of my way¡± ¡°Hehe, noobs.¡± ¡°Rabble rabble rabble¡± ¡°Rabble rabble¡± So many people are talking simultaneously that it becomes difficult to hear what is being said. Everything turns into nonsensical rabbling. Where is the tutorial? Where is the beginner village? You would think they¡¯d have designed this better. As it is now, a flood of people are making their way down the narrow dirt road. Off in the far distance the skyline of the city can be scene, and to our backs is seemingly endless grasslands. With gaining a head start in mind, I begin paying attention for animals on the sides of the road. *rustle rustle* Sure enough, 10 meters to my left I sense movement in the grass. I don¡¯t think anyone else has picked up on it yet, but I cannot hesitate. I stop walking forward and inch my way over to the side of the road without attracting attention. I equip my wooden short sword while slowly making my way into the field. ¡°Hey, look over there! What¡¯s that guy doing?¡± ¡°No clue, maybe he just wants to try out his sword. It is rather difficult to learn after all.¡± ¡°Yea, you may be right¡± I can vaguely hear some random onlookers commenting on my actions, but pay them no further heed. I slowly advance as I concentrate on the movement. The wind is blowing in my direction off of the fields and so I am currently downwind of whatever it is. But, I can never be too careful. I am currently less than 2 meters away from it, crouched down among the grass. There it is! Looks like a level 1 rat, although, it¡¯s about the size of a football with grey hair and little beady black eyes. The perfect target for a first kill. As I fix my vision on it, a screen pops up in my peripheral vision.
Species Level
Rat 1
Vitality Unk Stamina Unk
Strength Unk Mana Unk
Defence Unk Intelligence Unk
Dexterity Unk Spirit Unk
Skills
Unknown
Hmm.. Not much to go off of here, but for a level 1 how hard can it be. I take a few more steps forward trying to not disturb the environment. I think this is a perfect opportunity to try out my skills. I activate Cloaking, which makes my body invisible. On the top of my UI I can see a countdown in red showing how long my skill will remain active. Only 4 seconds remain. Without hesitation, I leap towards my target. Bringing down the wooden sword in a smooth, sweeping motion. The target becomes aware of my presence; however, it is too late as my sword sinks into it¡¯s flesh. The rat¡¯s body is rendered incapacitated by my swing. My heart is pumping erratically as the thrill of the hunt settles in. I prepare to take another go, but soon realize the rat¡¯s health bar has depleted entirely. The bonus from backstab does not take effect, because the rat noticed my attack at the last moment; however, my starting strength bonus is enough to deal lethal damage to this simple creature. My first kill. I check out my status window and see my experience has gone up by 1. It seems nine more rats are required before I can level up. While I am in my menu, I notice a new option labelled [Bestiary]. I decide to open it up, and to my surprise, I can see the rat¡¯s status in greater detail. It must require the killing of a creature to add it to one¡¯s [Bestiary].
Species Level
Rat 1
Vitality 10 Stamina 20
Strength 5 Mana 0
Defence 5 Intelligence 1
Dexterity 10 Spirit 0
Skills
None
The rat drop a couple of copper coins, no idea how it got them, and then fades into pixelated dust. I now have 12 copper coins, which is the equivalent of 0.12 of a silver coin. The game currency, called Tor, is based on precious metals where 1 Tor equals 1 copper coin. The system goes up in increments with 100 coppers equaling 1 silver, 100 silvers equaling 1 gold, and 100 gold equaling 1 white gold. A fairly standard system without the need to worry for metal purities. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Rather than immediately joining the crowd headed into town, I decide to stay in the fields a bit longer to see if I can find any more creatures to hunt. As luck will have it, within 5 minutes another rat shows up. However, this time there are three of them all together and I don¡¯t quite think the same strategy will be effective. I equip the kitchen knife in my left hand while walking directly towards the rats. But, when I get within 5 meters I crouch down. It would be best to catch one of them by surprise since they haven¡¯t noticed my presence yet. I activate Cloaking and move in for the kill. This time I complete a successful sneak attack on the closest rat allowing for backstab to activate thus killing it in one shot. The other two rats are alerted to my presence and go on the offensive charging in from the front, hatred shining in their beady little eyes. I manage to block one of the rats with my kitchen knife while swinging my wooden sword on the stunned rat; however, the remaining one uses my opening to attack. The attack dealt 1 damage to myself and the pain almost caused me to drop my sword. ¡°Arghhh....¡± Since I am not accustomed to pain, it sure hurt like hell! I can¡¯t even imagine what it would be like on 100% pain and sensitivity. I quickly finish off the stunned rat before moving onto the last remaining one. Thoroughly engaged in the fight and paying no attention to technique, I pummel it to the ground leaving it so that even it¡¯s closest kin would not recognize it¡¯s remains. After the battle settles, I am able to organize my thoughts better and I begin to collect my loot. It seems I made another 5 copper out of them, as well as gaining one small rat fur. Exhausted, I have another look at my experience bar. Six more experience points until I can level up, maybe if I found a different spot I could level up faster on different creatures. *gurgle* After all this fighting I begin to get hungry. It seems I will need to eat frequently if I wish to maintain energy for fighting. I open up my [Inventory] from the main menu:
Inventory
Copper coins 17
Small rat fur 1
Barley bread 10
Small map 1
The only food I have is the barley bread, but really, how filling can that be. I take out one piece and begin to munch down. The taste is bland and the bread is nearly rock solid. It hurts my teeth to even take a bite, but I keeping eating it until the bread finally disappears. After resting, I decide to stay here until I reach level 2 before making my way into town. 20 minutes and six kills later, I have finally reached level 2. Along with that I gained another 11 copper coins and 3 small rat furs. It¡¯s time to check out my my stats and upgrade using my skill points. Being an assassin, upon levelling up I automatically gain 10 points of strength and 5 points of dexterity. This is based on the 20 strength and 10 dexterity initial boost my class gets. Along with this I gain 20 points of mana, 10 points of vitality, and 10 points of stamina for each level up, as well as 10 skill points to use at my discretion. I choose to split those points between defence and dexterity, as I am currently very squishy. From all of that fighting I gained an additional skill: Swordsmanship Level 1.
Player Status
Player Name Quinn Class: Assassin Level: 2
Guild None Experience 10/30
Stats
Vitality 110/110 Stamina: 110/110
Strength 40 Mana 120/120
Defence 15 Intelligence 10
Dexterity 30 Spirit 10
Skills
Active Passive
Cloaking Level: 1 Backstab Level: 1
Swordsmanship Level: 1
Alright, now that i¡¯m finished here I might as well make my way back to the road and join in on the crowd headed to the city. As I take a look at the trickle of people, it seems I have caught the tail end of the rush. There are only a few stragglers, like me, who had either logged in later or chosen to explore their characters further. The grass fields to the sides of the roads slowly change into farmers fields as I plod along. NPC¡¯s and players can be seen working together in the fields. They must have found a job or quest and decided to take the advantage to get ahead of their peers. Jobs are recurring events that can be repeated as many times as one desires and any amount of players can partake. The typical reward for these events is currency and the occasional material reward. Whereas quests are non repeatable unique events that are requested by the world¡¯s inhabitants or other players. That¡¯s right, a player can post quests to be completed as long as they pay the appropriate fees. Quests will have a greater monetary reward in addition to the acquisition of experience and quest points. Quest points can be used to post quests as well as a source of renown for the player. In the near distance I can see a small farming village on the outskirts of the city. Finally we have the beginner village! Although, it has probably been bogged down by the massive influx of new players passing through. There was no small amount of people that started in the same vicinity as me, so I¡¯m not getting my hopes up too high. *Sigh* To my dismay, as I get closer I can see huge crowds have overtaken the village. I¡¯m not one for large crowds, but I suck it up and make my way into the bustling village. It is about time to start to make my mark in this fantasy world. Chapter 4 - New Skill The first thing I see after entering the village is a huge crowd around a particular NPC. I assume this must be the village elder. Typically, one will introduce themselves to the elder and receive quests or advice from them. However, if I were to wait in that crowd I would be here all day. Around me groups of players are gathering, but the only current method of distinguishing between classes being the weapons they are carrying. Other than that, I can see people from all walks of life: young and old, male and female, tall and short. It really goes to show the diversity of gamers. It¡¯s as if real people have been placed within the game itself rather than generated avatars. With only 100 game units sold in my home town and around 500,000 players in the game, I doubt I would be able to find anyone I recognize in this tiny village. I overhear players talking amongst themselves and most seem to be taking up requests for small animal subjugation or work on the farms. Rather than waiting for the village elder, I make my way through the village while admiring the detail put into this game. The houses are what you would expect from a farming village in the middle ages. They consist of wooden exteriors with stone foundations and straw covered roofs. A chimney made of brick pokes out of each building, but the building themselves seem to have a singular room with perhaps a loft. A few buildings that are different from the rest stand out compared to the rest, and these look to provide some form of service. Near the centre of the village sits a small church that looks well off in comparison with the rest of the buildings. I prefer the secular lifestyle, so I remind myself to stay clear of it unless I want to be caught up with those religious folk. There is also a mill, a small bakery, a tailor, and a blacksmith located within the village. I decided to check out the blacksmith as the building seems the least crowded of them all. Of all the skills that I am aware of in the game, blacksmithing would hold some of the greatest interest for me. I can see a forge for smelting ores and few anvils for shaping the metals located outside the shop off to the side. Next to them are a couple of large barrels of what looks like water, brine, and oil for quenching, or the rapid cooling of metals. Depending on the material, quenching can produce additional stress on a blade leaving it brittle and able to snap under pressure, but when done right produces a hardened blade capable of withstanding wear and tear. There is a lone player working at the forge, it seems like he is working on a small object, but I cannot quite see the detail of it. As I approach the shop¡¯s wooden door, I can see a job posting nailed out front. It specifies that any who wish to learn the blacksmithing arts can apply within.
Job Request
Blacksmith''s Apprentice
Details Smelt 10 Copper bars
Smith 1 Copper dagger
Time limit 2 hours
Repeatable Yes
Reward Blacksmiting Skill
10 Tor
¡°While i¡¯m here I might as well learn how to forge weapons¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit! Come on inside¡± A voice calls from inside the shop. It seems I was talking a bit too loud. The door opens with a creak and I make my way inside. The shop is more barren than I thought. On the walls hang all sorts of weapons: short swords, long swords, polearms, axes, maces, daggers, even a couple shields. However, the shop¡¯s main stock is in farm tools, construction, and crafting supplies. The shop is void of people other than a stout old man behind the counter. His arms are thick and his hands are calloused, displaying the results of countless hours of forging. ¡°So you¡¯re interesting in the blacksmithing arts are ya?¡± He inquires with a grin on his face. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m new around here and happened upon your shop. I saw the note on the outside of your shop and thought this would be the perfect chance to learn this respectful art.¡± I reply back in a polite tone. ¡°Most of the young folk these days are drawn towards the big city where they have magnificent forges and plenty of work. There¡¯s not many that choose to stay in a small village like this, and so I haven¡¯t been able to find an apprentice.¡± The old man says with a sigh. It¡¯s clear to see that he has some unfulfilled desires in his life. For a craftsman, the passing along of skills to the next generation is a rite of passage and helps set up the younger generation for success as well as ensuring the ongoing prosperity of the village. ¡°Would you be willing to teach me the art of smithing?¡± ¡°Of course I am, otherwise why else would I hang that sign outside?¡± He replied with a laugh. ¡°So what do you know of blacksmithing?¡± ¡°Actually, I know very little other than what I¡¯ve heard second hand. However, I want to become one of the best blacksmiths in this world, able to craft top tier weapons!¡± Enthusiastic in my reply, I sound just like a little kid saying what he wants to be when he grows up. ¡°Good lad, I knew you had what it takes. I too once had that dream when I was young, and i¡¯ve never once regretted taking up the hammer. While I myself can only craft up to normal steel, I¡¯ll impart my knowledge upon you and set you on your way¡± The smith replies as nostalgia can be seen on his face. I am led out back to the forge area and told to wait while the smith gathers a set of tools. A pile of raw ore can be seen in the yard next to a stack of coal. The player I saw earlier is finishing up his bronze dagger for the job request with a satisfied smile on his face. He notices me watching him and sends me a greeting. ¡°Hey, you taking up the blacksmith¡¯s job request as well?¡± ¡°Yea, i¡¯m just about to start. How difficult is the actual process?¡± I inquire to test the depth of realism in the skills. I don¡¯t expect it to be as arduous as real life, but if it were not realistic enough that would be a disappointment. ¡°Ahh, it gets the blood flowing. Theres none of that putting an object in a window and having it magically come out complete. It takes actual time and effort to perform, but once you get into a rhythm it¡¯s actually fun. ¡°I¡¯m Venkon by the way, I¡¯m learning this skill so that I can make my own weapons and armour down the way. Hopefully should be more cost effective.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Quinn, nice to meet you. I¡¯m thinking of raising this skill to the max level as I progress. In the last game I played I raised it as high as it would go simply because the stuff you make yourself is of much better quality than what can be found in markets, monster drops aside.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Hey have you any interest in joining a guild? A couple friends and I are thinking of starting one. We haven¡¯t thought of a name yet, but we¡¯ve already got 6 members.¡± I consider his offer for a while, but I do not really want to join a guild with people I don¡¯t know especially when I just met one of the members. ¡°Sorry, but I will have to decline your offer. I don¡¯t feel like joining a guild this early in the game.¡± ¡°Fair enough. Well, i¡¯ll leave the option open should you change your mind.¡± He replies somewhat disappointed. ¡°Here let me add you to my friends list¡±
Notification
Player Venkon wishes to become friends. Do you accept?
Yes No
I select the [Yes] option. ¡°Great! Well now that i¡¯m done here i¡¯m gonna head off to try kill some monsters and level up¡± ¡°Alright, well i¡¯ll see you around then¡± As he is leaving the old smith comes out of the shop with a bunch of tools in hand. ¡°Here lad, this set of tools is for you to use. You can keep them afterwards, just remember to think about this ole smithy.¡± I get handed a small hammer and a set of iron tongs. The tools feel light in my hands. I can see the wear on the tools showing that they have been used quite a bit over the years. I make my way over to the ore pile while the smith picks up a few pieces of coal and stokes the forge. I pick up 10 pieces of copper ore from the pile and add them to my inventory. When I get to the furnace I can see that it is burning at an appropriate temperature thanks to the help of the smithy. I bring out a piece of ore and place it within the furnace. It takes a while, but I can see it finally starting to become bright red. At this point, using the tongs I remove the metal from the forge and bring it over to the anvil. With the hammer in hand I strike it upon the bright red metal as it begins to take shape. I repeat this process a couple of times, slowly hammering out the impurities in the metal, and eventually am left with a finished bar of copper. Repeating this entire process nine more times I have completed the first half of the job. Now comes the moment of truth where I am to forge a dagger from one of the bars. The old smith was watching for the first few times giving me pointers, but once I got the hang of it he stepped back inside to man his shop. Doing all this work has made me hungry, and so I chow down on another piece of barley bread. Once I am done eating I take one of the completed copper bars from my inventory and place it within the forge to heat up the metal. After being sufficiently heated, I bring it over to the anvil and start striking the metal, slowly moulding it in the shape of a dagger. Once the hammering is completed I dip the blade into the oil barrel for quenching and bring the dull blade over to the whetstone to sharpen its edges. When it''s finished, I place it within my inventory, and sure enough, there it is. By opening up the detailed information in a separate window, it¡¯s possible to see the dagger¡¯s stats.
Inventory
Copper Coins 28
Small rat pelt 4
Barley bread 8
Small map 1
Copper Dagger
Strength 12.5
Attack Speed 1.5
Durability 100
Copper dagger 1 >>>>>>>
Copper bars 9
Small hammer 1
Iron tongs 1
Proud of my creation I take it to show the old smith. The inside of the shop has become busier as players collect enough money to spend on weapon upgrades. A basic copper dagger in the shop sells for 15 Tor, but it still beats the default wooden sword in attributes. I make my way to the counter and present my dagger to the smith. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you lad. This is a fine dagger, it shows the care and attention you put into it.¡± His expression is that of a father watching his son take his first steps. ¡°If you want, you can turn the rest of those copper bars into daggers and I can sell them for you. A lot of foreigners have been visiting my shop since you came and they have almost purchased my entire stock of daggers.¡± ¡°Alright, that sounds like a good way to gain some experience and extra cash¡± I make my way back to the forge and begin the process all over again using up each of my Copper Bars turning them into Daggers. One hour later, I have finished smithing all the daggers. I return back to the shop and hand them over to the smith. In return I gain 1 silver coin and 35 copper coins. Not bad for an hour¡¯s work considering it has only been two and a half hours since launch. At this moment a system notification appears in front of me.
System Notification
Attention all players. In 10 minutes time there will be a mandatory teleportation to the central colosseum to hear some words from the creator of EndGame Online. Please ensure that you will be unoccupied at this time.
Well, this should be interesting. I would love to see the man who created this wondrous world and hear his thoughts about virtual reality gaming. I spend the next 10 minutes out in the back yard near the forge testing out my new dagger on a scarecrow dummy. The attack speed is the same as my kitchen knife and the damage output is higher than the wooden sword. A very good upgrade to my current arsenal. When the 10 minutes is up, a white light covers my body, and I am teleported to the colosseum. The last thing I see is the crooked smile of the scarecrow staring back at me as my vision gets blinded in the light. Chapter 5 - A Speech When my vision returns, I am sitting amongst countless players in the stands of the great colosseum. I almost couldn¡¯t believe my eyes at the sheer amount of people crammed into this space. Not everyone was transported all at once though. I can see people slowly trickling in, which I think was done in order to not overload the servers. On my left sits a powerful looking man dressed in a few pieces of copper armour. He must have started hunting monsters off the get go and solely done that, as when I look above his head there is a giant green [Level: 4] symbol. Talk about cheating... It takes 60xp to get to level 4 and it took me half an hour just to get to level 2. These green symbols are only present above someone¡¯s head when you are focusing on that person, otherwise with this many people it would be a sea of green. On my right sits a petite female gamer. She¡¯s wearing a hood over her head concealing her face, but otherwise she wears the standard villager clothing and is carrying a kitchen knife and a wooden short sword. She must be an assassin type as well as I can recognize the starter weapons. It seems she also has been working on levelling as I notice a green [Level: 3] above her head. In EndGame Online, as long as one is within 5 levels of the person, they can see the level above the player¡¯s head. Otherwise, it will show [Level: ??]. Sitting in the middle here I feel like a bit of a noob, but as I look at others in the vicinity I notice many level 1¡¯s and 2¡¯s. This makes me feel a bit better about myself. While i¡¯m looking around, the guy on my left takes the initiative to strike up a conversation. ¡°Hi, my name is Darkbond, level 4 knight, pleased to meet you.¡± He introduces himself in a very polite manner. He seems like an upright kind of guy, one you could rely on, but that¡¯s just conjecture. He offers me his hand to shake. ¡°Hello,¡± I pause for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m Quinn¡± ¡°Sure is surreal, eh? What class are you?¡± As I have my weapons concealed within my inventory, it is impossible to determine my class through just looking at me. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m a level 2 assassin. Here I was thinking I had got a bit of head start, but i¡¯m nowhere near you.¡± A hint of admiration can be heard in my voice. ¡°Haha, I got lucky and spawned in an area infested with monsters. Compared with some of the others that spawned near me, i¡¯m a bit lacking.¡± He blows it off as if it were nothing, but compared to my starting spot it already sounds better. ¡°What was it like at your spawn point?¡± ¡°Ahh well I got dropped off in the grasslands and had to make my way slowly to a farming village on the outskirts of the city¡± I reply with a self deprecating laugh. ¡°Although, I did manage to get some experience with blacksmithing along the way¡± ¡°Blacksmithing, eh? You seem like a good guy, would you be interested in joining a guild with me and a couple friends?¡± Asking with an honest smile, it is hard to refuse this guy. ¡°We are planning on becoming one of the top guilds in EndGame Online and just so happen to have a need for a blacksmith.¡± ¡°Thanks, but i¡¯m not looking to join a guild at this time. It¡¯s still too early, and besides I don¡¯t plan on becoming a professional full time blacksmith.¡± ¡°I can respect that, but if you ever change your mind you can just find me.¡± Although he says that, I can see the disappointment in his eyes. ¡°Here, let me send you a friend invite so we can stay in touch.¡±
Notification
Player Darkbond wishes to become friends. Do you accept?
Yes No
Friend invites can only be sent when a player is right next to you, but after that messages can be sent instantaneously across the world. I quickly select [Yes] and see a second name appear on my friends list. Thinking of a way to earn some free experience out of this encounter, I offer a business proposition to Darkbond. ¡°I just had an idea. If you and your friends could supply me with the copper ore or bars, I could make you guys some equipment at a low cost.¡± That should spike his interest. I believe he will be willing to accept this offer since he was willing to invite a total stranger. ¡°Alright, you have yourself a deal! Copper ore only costs 5 Tor at the general store, the only problem is the supply stock.¡± He seems to be pondering over how to make this work. ¡°Alright, how about you give me 3 days and i¡¯ll have your ores.¡± ¡°Sounds good to me, that¡¯ll allow me some time to level up and practice¡± It¡¯s a good thing that most people are too lazy to learn the production skills, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t be able to find such a good deal. After making those ten copper daggers I only have 25 experience, that¡¯s still a far cry away from the 960 experience needed to advance to level 2. ¡°So, what do you think the game creator will talk about in this presentation?¡± Curious about his opinion, I inquire. ¡°If you¡¯re asking my opinion, I see it as a form of appreciation as well as a talk about what went into the game¡¯s development.¡± Darkbond looks to the sky as he replies. ¡°A year or so ago I watched an anime where the game¡¯s developer did something similar and that¡¯s what he talked about.¡± ¡°Oh? That¡¯s curious.¡± I think this whole thing is a tad ridiculous, but who am I to question the game developer. ¡°How about you? What do you think about this presentation?¡± Turning to my right I ask the petite assassin a similar question; however, she treats me as I were not there. She might be one of those stuck up rich girls with eyes on the top of her head. I let it go and turn my head towards the stage. I watch as a middle aged man with dark black hair wearing a royal purple gown walks to the centre of the arena. He¡¯s taking his time, but I can see that each of his steps is even and methodical. From this distance I cannot quite make out the expressions on his face even with my enhanced vision, but I imagine he must be grinning as his eyes survey the crowd. He takes his place in the centre and the ground beneath his feet begins to rise. A massive stone pedestal erupts with him standing on top of the pinnacle looking down at us players in the pits. As this is occurring, the countless conversations between players begins to dwindle down into a low whisper. Occasional coughs can be heard as the crickets play their melody. With his arms raised he shouts to the masses ¡°Welcome, My friends! To EndGame Online!¡± An onslaught of cheers erupted from all around. It is so loud that even I feel like joining in. I look to my sides and see Darkbond cheering his head off, but when I look to my right the female assassin has remained quiet and remains with her eyes fixed ahead of her. To each his own; even i¡¯m not that big on cheering. The purple robed man continues speaking with a voice of grandeur. ¡°As you may have noticed, I am NOT Isaac Fletcher. Nor am I a credited creator of EndGame Online.¡± He pauses for a moment as if to let that sink in. ¡°¡°huh?¡±¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± At this time, the whole game flickers and a group of four similarly robed figures appear from the sky; however, their actually appearance is shrouded in darkness. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°You can call me Cris Varnyne, and these fellows,¡± He waves his arms to point to those robed figures, ¡°Are my lovely associates. They will be your Game Moderators. Their identities will remain anonymous, but they will be among you every step of the way.¡± I don¡¯t like the sound of this. This whole display has taken a dark turn while my mind plays out different scenarios. The man takes on a mocking expression. ¡°Now, you might be asking yourself ¡®what is going on?¡¯or ¡®how is this related to the game?¡¯¡± *Ahem* ¡°Let me tell you a little story.¡± A smug sneer adorns his face. ¡°500,000 players enter a game to escape reality. But, then along comes five righteous individuals and they turn that illusion into a reality. End of story.¡± "The moral of this story is: We are in total control of this game, and yet, Sky Royal Studio¡¯s is forced to continue it¡¯s operation. That is, unless they wish for you all to cease to exist.¡± He starts laughing uncontrollably, so much so that tears come to his eyes. *Ahem* ¡°But, they wouldn¡¯t want that now would they.¡± ¡°As for our purpose, the outside world is aware of it. However! You, my friends, shall be left in the dark.¡± He goes throught the motion of making a toast with an imaginary wine glass. EndGame Online¡¯s creator is Isaac Fletcher. One of the world¡¯s top geniuses. He has a PhD in quantum mechanics, neurology, and computer science. He is the developer of EndGame Online, and even personally designed the headgear that connects us to the system. But, somehow these five freaks managed to bypass this genius and entered the game through a back door. Cris continues his speech. ¡°I would like for you to take this time to open up your user menu¡¯s. ¡°Go ahead, I¡¯ve left a little surprise in each of your inventories¡± I reluctantly open up my user menu and select to bring up my inventory.
User Menu
Inventory >>>>>>>
Inventory
Copper coins 63
Silver coins 1
Small rat furs 4
Barley bread 8
Small map 1
Copper dagger 1
Small hammer 1
Iron tongs 1
Kitchen knife 1
Wooden Short Sword 1
Disposable Phone 1
Equipment
Character
Skills
Friends List
Map
Bestiary
Players
Notes
Settings
Logout
I notice within my inventory there is a single use disposable phone that was not there previously. Cris continues talking, but right now I don¡¯t know how many people are in their right minds. ¡°Now, that phone is a single use item and lasts for 1 minute. Think carefully before using it. I¡¯m sure some of you may have noticed by now the [Logout] button is unavailable. Don¡¯t worry, this is intentional and not an error, but rather was programmed especially into EndGame Online¡¯s coding. The location is near impossible to find, so we will be enjoying each other¡¯s company for quite some time. Hur hur.¡± ¡°W-Wha-What is he talking about?¡± I can hear Darkbond mumbling to himself beside me. All around me players look on in silent shock. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it...¡± ¡°This can¡¯t be happening to me..¡± ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to us¡± The sound of Cris¡¯s speech drags on. Obscuring their voices. ¡°The phone allows for one call to the outside world. It doesn¡¯t have to be used immediately, but I added it for those who wish to send a message to their loved ones. Be aware, the outside world has already been notified of your situations, but your phone calls can only be 1 way conversations. ¡°You may have noticed that certain characteristics of your avatars are exactly the as same your body in real life. This realistic experience was made possible through Isaac Fletcher¡¯s ingenious method of accessing and exploring your memories. You¡¯re memories have not been alter or tampered with in any way, nor will they be exposed. Rather, your entire consciousness, your ¡®soul¡¯ if you will, has been uploaded to the system and is now under our control. ¡°The authorities have been notified that any attempts at removing or meddling with the device is futile. However, if they ignore the warnings there will be only one result. Your brain will be forcefully disconnected from your consciousness, and your body will be left as a vegetable rotting away in the hospital.¡± ¡°Fret not!¡± Raising his voice he begins shouting hysterically. ¡°There is still hope! All you need to do is beat the game by clearing all 100 islands and dungeons. By that time we will have achieved our goal and will no longer concern ourselves with you. You will soon call this world your home as you work together and compete against each other. I had a peak through the system files, so I will give you a couple hints. Am I not a magnanimous ruler? Each island is connected via a teleportation network only accessible after clearing each of the dungeons. The islands themselves are like separate worlds with their own self-sufficient ecosystems. ¡°However, I would like to remind you that EndGame Online has now become your reality. A second reality if you will. It is no longer a simple game. Should your health drop to 0, there will be no revival. No second chances. At that moment,¡± He pauses, ¡°Your soul will forever be a part of the system.¡± I suddenly feel the urge to vomit blood as I imagine the horrors to come. My biggest fears have come to play. I look up to the top left corner of my screen where I can see a large red horizontal bar with the numbers 110/110. This has now become my lifeline in this game of death. Chapter 6 - Set In Motion Silence envelopes the arena the moment those last words were said. The bright blue sky and puffy white cumulous above provide a sharp contrast to the gloomy atmosphere spreading among the players. A chilling wind sweeps through the colosseum, picking up dust and debris as it travels. My eyes, wide open in shock, watch as those around me begin to break down. I can see tears rolling down the faces of children, once excited to join in this moment in history. Happiness and joy vanish in an instant. This day will be forever remembered as the day that our lives irreversibly changed. The scene before my eyes plays like a movie where I am just an observer. My thoughts have become incoherent as I shut off communication with the outside world. Within my head, the event plays out in slow motion as tinnitus blocks out the sound. What about my family? What about my friends? What about school? Work? Novels? What about my... hard drive? It is as if someone slammed on the brakes of my life, leaving my physical body in a state of perpetual stasis. It may be the middle of the night, but I will probably be sent to the intensive care unit at the local hospital along with the 99 other gamers from my city once my family becomes aware. The current provincial Liberal government has decreased health care spending while the annual costs only ever increase. As a result, there will not be enough available beds to accommodate the new admissions. While I ponder on the effects this death game will have on my life, I come to think that this may not be an entirely negative experience. I still have one real life friend somewhere among the crowds in this game, but among this chaos it would be impossible to find him. My previous daily life had minimal excitement as I was stuck in an endless cycle due to school. However, in this world there will never be a dull moment in the fight to survive and become strong. Trying to find a positive light from this situation, I being to look around. Beside me, Darkbond stands up and begins to shout at the character responsible for all this. Although I cannot comprehend his exact words, his facial expressions are hard to miss. The look of outrage, of fear, of despair. The burning sun reflects of the curves in his armour like a flame dancing, waiting to consume all in its path. Faced with absolute despair, his choice to fight ignites a spark within me. A spark to reach the apex of this virtual world. When I look over my right shoulder the female assassin remains motionless; however, on closer inspection a fine tremor is seen in her hands. I could imagine what might be going through her head right now. I cannot see her expression, because her face is hidden, but her rigid posture and tremors give it away. I reach out and place my hand over hers to comfort her. ¡°It¡¯ll be alright. We¡¯ll make it out of here.¡± She is startled by my gesture, but quickly stabilizes herself before giving a nod in response. This person is, like me, probably screaming on the inside. But perhaps through my actions I can help comfort both her and myself. I give her hand a squeeze before releasing it. ¡°Thank you.¡± She says in a faint whimper. Soon after, she gets up from her seat and charges off amidst the chaos pushing her way through the crowd in an attempt to flee. Before she is gone, I notice she turns around and looks back in my direction. I reply with a smile. The two polar opposites beside me have already chosen their path. As she runs off, I become aware of those in my vicinity. Stunned, I watch as those around me begin climbing over the seats in an attempt to get at the man in purple. Ten feet in front of me a large burly man knocks down a child around 13 years of age, and carries on oblivious to what he has done. The child falls to the ground and collapses as countless feet begin to trample over his body. The child''s screams of pain turn into a soft whimper as his eyes go red. The sound of his cries soon fade to nothing as the light in his once innocent eyes disappears forever. Similar events are occurring simultaneously throughout the colosseum. The situation in the stands has become a fight for survival with every man for himself. Occasionally, I observe a player simply collapsing without apparent reason. I hypothesize those in the real world have ignored the warning and tried to forcefully remove the headgear connecting us to the game. I can only hope that my family is not foolish enough to disregard the warnings. The game was released at midnight pacific standard time; therefore, it was 3 in the morning on the eastern coast during launch. With three hours having past since launch some of those east coast residents would be waking up. I know that one of the things many people do in the morning is listen to the news. Otherwise, how else would so many players be forcefully disconnected within a short period of time. The initial shock has passed and, at this time, the first shot gets fired. Apparently one of the players has rallied up a group of mages to go on the offence against the man standing upon the pinnacle and the four robed figures. A quiet spreads across the masses as a lone fireball makes its way towards the centre. The spells of countless mages follows, but those figures are so powerful that the spells are ineffective. It¡¯s like watching an ant try to bite an elephant. Cris raises his hand and a faint blue light covers his body. When the first fireball reaches its target it gets absorbed by this pale light. The remainder of the first wave of attacks has the same end result. Disappearing without having dealt damage. After those initial attacks get absorbed, the players begin to cry out in rage and disbelief. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°I-Impossible...¡± ¡°What happened to our attacks? They just... disappeared.¡± ¡°This is impossible. There should have at least been some damage right? Right?!¡± At this point Cris begins to laugh ¡°Hahaha, you thought such feeble attacks would be able to damage me? Even if every single one of you joined in the result would be the same.¡± ¡°What kind of a game is this? This isn¡¯t fair!¡± ¡°¡°Ya!¡±¡± Many people are shouting in unison, cursing their own helplessness. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him!¡± The instigator of the initial strike raises his voice in an attempt to bring the people together. ¡°Come on brothers and sisters. Let¡¯s show them we are not pushovers! That we will fight!¡± From the centre of the arena a chuckle can be heard ¡°Hur hur. Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡± The pillar in the arena lowers until it is once more at ground level. ¡°Everyone! On my mark! FIRE!!!!¡± At this point thousands of attacks are launched. Archers fire arrows, but all shots miss their mark. Although, that is to be expected since most people would not have archery lessons. While the system does compensate for a players, the players themselves are required to go through all the motions and aiming. Otherwise, if the system did all the work, it would not be a VRMMORPG. Considering the sheer number of archers, those stray shots that manage to be on target are similarly blocked. This brings to light the hopelessness of our current situation. Countless level 1 magic spells light up the centre of the arena. Trying to use quantity to win against quality, but to no avail. I can clearly see the direction this is going. Those with melee classes charge toward the centre with disregard for their own safety, but get blown back by an invisible force radiating from Cris. ¡°I shall enjoy watching as you all struggle to survive.¡± As Cris¡¯s voice reverberates through the arena his body along with those four ¡®GMs¡¯ begins to fade. ¡°I shall await you on the 100th isle. Do not disappoint me.¡± And with the last wisps of his voice ringing in the air, they are gone. Things around here are going to get bad really fast. It would be best if I could find a hidden spot to do some grinding. My character is currently far too squishy for my liking, but I must make due as I am stuck with it. With this thought, I take off in the direction of an exit to get a head start on the crowd. Others have similar ideas as the exit soon becomes like an atherosclerotic artery as the mass of players push their way through this narrow opening. Having been slightly ahead of the crowd, I am one of the first ones to get out into the city streets. The city of Fairhaven was built upon the edge of a mighty forest and is truly an extraordinary sight. Its charm is matched by the backdrop of these ancient trees, which has helped shape the city to what it is today. To the south, in the direction I began my journey, lies endless lush grasslands and gentle hills. Of course, if one went far enough they would come to the edge of the map where all that awaits is an endless fall into oblivion. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. One could hardly imagine the terror occurring within the colosseum by looking at the streets in the city. The NPCs outside are busy going about their everyday lives, but that will soon change. I pick up my speed and break into a run. The sooner I can get out of the city, the better. Seeing as I will be traveling out of town for a while, it would be best to stock up on supplies before they are all gone. The best choice would be to travel closer to the city walls before finding a general store, because I imagine I am not the only one with this idea. As I am running towards the northern part of the city, I can see some of those who had left the arena early. Many of them have plopped themselves in a corner having adopted a fetal position rocking back and forth. I feel pity for them, but within my heart I also ridicule them for giving up already. In these troubled times, the players should be striving to increase their strength as much as possible if they want to survive. After 30 minutes of running I stop in front of what looks like a promising store. Outside I can see an elaborate large sign with the letters ¡®The Honest Swordsman¡¯ decorated in bold. I make my way to the entrance and step into the shop. It seems i¡¯ve been noticed. A friendly voice can be heard from within. ¡°Welcome esteemed customer! I have not seen you around before, you must be one of those foreigners visiting our wonderful city.¡± I look for the source of the voice and can see an overweight middle aged man with a balding head and round stomach. A white apron spotted with dirt and grease hangs around his neck. He wears a huge inviting smile on his face as I approach him. There¡¯s something bizarre about him, perhaps it¡¯s his good will or perhaps it¡¯s simply his composure. But nonetheless, he radiates a positive aura around him. ¡°I just arrived in the area today and I¡¯m looking to stalk up on some general supplies.¡± Being time pressured, I do not want to engage in small talk. ¡°I¡¯m looking for food that will last me a week, some rope, a flint and steel, a water canteen, a sleeping bag, and a tarp. Oh, and also I¡¯ve gotten 4 small rat furs and a kitchen knife to sell¡± ¡°Right down to business eh? I like that!¡± He replies with a knowing grin, seemingly not offended by my frank response. ¡°You seem to be in a hurry. I¡¯ll go gather what you need¡± He disappears into the back and after a short while comes out with the supplies I requested. ¡°Here you go. The total comes up to 124 Tor. Your rat furs will get you 16 Tor and adding the kitchen knife to that gives you 21 Tor. The cost has already been subtracted from your total.¡± He hands me the items while I give him the money. ¡°Is that everything for you today?¡± ¡°Hmm. How much would a pair of leather shoes be? Quality doesn¡¯t matter. As long as they can cover my feet and do their job it will be fine.¡± Remembering that the starter package did not include shoes, I feel it is best to get a pair while I am still in town. ¡°We have cloth wrappings for 12 Tor; that is our cheapest option. The next step up would be thin leather shoes for 35 Tor.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take a pair of thin leather shoes¡± The shoes are made from a fairly common hide, but they will do their job. Before heading out, I take a quick look into my inventory to make sure I have everything.
Inventory
Copper coins 4
Thin Leather Shoes
Physical Defence 5
Magic Defence 0
Durability 100
Barley bread 7
Small map 1
Thin Leather Shoes 1 >>>>>>>
Small Hammer 1
Iron Tongs 1
Disposable Phone 1
Rope 1
Sleeping Bag 1
Water canteen 1
Tarp 1
Flint and steel 1
Everything looks in order. I quickly put the shoes over my bare feet and make my way to the entrance After leaving the shop I make my way back onto the main street. There are more players around since I went into the store and a mob can be seen further in the distance. Frantic looks can be seen upon their faces as they make their way towards the northern gate. Feeling reassured having all my supplies, I take a moment to appreciate the city¡¯s design. This momentary pause allows me to take in some of the beauty of the city. Many of the older buildings lining the streets have a tudor style with wooden frames filled with wattle and daub. However, the majority of buildings are lain with a pure white stone and matching white wood trim. Their roof¡¯s were made of red clay tile and ranged from towered points to slanted flat designs. The street itself is set with paving stone and large trees chosen for their majesty line the sidewalks. It¡¯s a miracle this world is so realistic, because it makes it feel more like a vacation at times rather than a game. I didn¡¯t get a chance to admire my surrounding while running from the colosseum, but i¡¯m glad I took a few seconds before setting off. At this point the mob of players has almost caught up to me. I can see a wave of people pouring out from the direction I came. There are only four entrances to this town, one facing each cardinal direction, but the northern entrance is the most well guarded. Since the Pleylf forest lies to the north, it requires the heaviest guard. Therefore, should the beasts attack, the city guard will be ready to defend at any moment. Currently, nearest hunting ground is within the Pleylf forest; therefore, it makes the most sense to choose this direction. There is no telling how difficult the game will get in the future, so it would be best to be prepared. Each level of EndGame Online has one hidden dungeon entrance that leads to the next island. These dungeons are not in set points and require the players to find them. The levels themselves will have monsters to hunt, but those will generally be lower leveled and spread out. If the dungeon¡¯s entrance is not found within 30 days of stepping foot on the isle, the monsters within the dungeon will begin pouring out and attacking the nearby areas in hordes. This can be attributed to the continuous monster spawning within the dungeons. Once the number of monsters reaches a certain threshold of capacity, the weaker monsters will get displaced outside and begin to corrupt the land. I am now approaching the northern gate. Massive stone towers five stories tall stand on either side of the barbican. Battlements are place along the city walls and I can see guards patrolling in groups of twos and threes along the ramparts. The entranceway is wide enough to drive two carriages through side by side and has a squadron of soldiers guarding it. As I walk through the gate I look up to see murder holes and arrow slits and I begin to imagine what it would be like to have burning oil falling down from above. I shiver at the thought. In addition to two massive wooden doors reinforced with steel, a portcullis hangs from the ceiling, ready to drop down should the gatehouse get attacked. I¡¯m finally out of the city. Ahead of me lies the Pleylf Forest and plethora of monsters within. Chapter 7 - Pleylf Forest With the city to my back, I set out along the cobblestone road. The forest before my eyes will be my home for the next week. Having done some camping in the wilderness of my home province I am somewhat prepared for what lies ahead; therefore, this will be a good test of my skills. I hope to power level during this period and get to at least level 10 before heading back. The forest should be full of various low level creatures perfect for hunting. As long as I don¡¯t get in over my head, I should be fine. The entrance to the forest is now approximately 100 feet in front of me. The cobblestone road transitions into one of dirt and gravel as it snakes its way among the trees. The forest reminds me of my homeland in Canada with various pine, cedar, and fir trees. The underbrush is moderately dense and game trails can be seen intersecting the main road. A scant amount of people have gathered along the path. They are wearing the same villager clothes as everyone else, but have a fire in their eyes that those in the city do not. These like minded players have realized the gravity of our circumstances and chosen to get ahead rather than wallow in fear. I pass them by, because at this point I am not interested in partying with anyone. In real life I am a loner with trust issues; therefore, I would rather not get involved with others until I am able to at least defend myself. Delving deeper into the forest, I continuing my trek along the designated path. The trail is not too far overgrown due to the constant patrols by the city¡¯s soldiers, but despite that, the road does not look well maintained. It doesn¡¯t take long before I meet my first prey. It hasn¡¯t notice me yet, so I stealthily equip my copper dagger and wooden sword before crouching down behind the foliage. Focusing my attention on it, I can tell it is a level two deer. It stands at five feet tall, has a brown coat, and on its head rests a large pair of antlers. A decent sized buck. I still haven¡¯t been noticed, but due to the deer¡¯s heightened predator senses I decide to activate my Cloaking and swiftly move in for the kill. The deer notices my presence when I get within one foot of it; however, it is too late. My wooden sword stabs towards it¡¯s heart, but due to the deer¡¯s movement my sword only deals 15 points of damage. The sword becomes lodged between the deer¡¯s ribs, missing the heart by a few inches. While still grasping the wooden sword¡¯s hilt, I take the copper dagger and attempt to slash at the deer¡¯s neck. Unfortunately, the dagger is blocked by the antlers and I am thrown away leaving my wooden sword imbedded within the deer¡¯s chest. Bright red blood flows from the wound, but the deer continues to put up a fight. It begins to charge in my direction with the intent of ramming me with its antlers. I can feel my blood pumping, coursing through my veins, as it gets closer. If I cannot handle this simple creature, how will I survive later on? Dodging to the side at the last moment, I lower my body and slash out at the deer¡¯s hind legs cutting its tendons as it charges by. This deals 10 damage to the deer and I can see its health is now in the red zone. Having rendered it immobile, I approach the deer slowly and slash its neck to put it out of its misery. I then pull my sword out from it¡¯s ribs and collect my drops while the carcass fades away. The deer dropped 1 piece of raw deer hide, 1 raw venison steak, 1 medium antlers, and 20 copper coins. ¡°Seriously... Where are these creatures getting coins from?¡± I question the logic behind this, but it¡¯s probably best to just take it as is. I got 5 xp from the thing and that is a good upgrade from those 1 xp rats I dealt with earlier. I decide to check my bestiary to see if it has updated. Sure enough, it now has two items on it: Rat level 1 and Deer level 2. I select deer to bring up its stats in a separate window.
Species Level
Deer 2
Vitality 30 Stamina 80
Strength 16 Mana 0
Defence 10 Intelligence 2
Dexterity 40 Spirit 0
Skills
None
I make my way back on to the main road and continue on deeper into the forest. It doesn¡¯t take long before I pass a group of three players on the side of the road fighting against another buck. Their party consists of two warriors and a priest. I feel somewhat sorry for those players who chose the priest or summoner professions. They are more reliant on others in the beginning and don¡¯t have much solo power. Thankfully, this game doesn¡¯t inhibit one from learning skills related to other professions. It allows one to choose their own route with too much limitation. Not wanting to intrude on their kill, I stick to the opposite side of the road as I pass them. Rather than hunting around the forest¡¯s edge, I plan go deeper within the forest so as to avoid any encounters with players. I imagine that sooner or later all the nearby hunting spots will be occupied by groups of people, thus leaving nothing for players like myself who prefer to hunt solo. With this severe death penalty, I am sure that there will be those who take advantage of weaker or solo players. Therefore, being the glass cannon I am, I would rather not be around others until I can ensure my survival. After walking for about 5 minutes, I come across a pair of foxes with dirt red fur and bushy tails tipped with white. They are standing next to an indentation in the rock wall to my right about 10 feet away from the main path. Their ears perk up as I get close, and they switch into a defensive position. Foxes generally are not aggressive creatures, but when backed into a corner, such as the rock wall, they will fight back. I decide to attack them, while taking advantage of my superior position. Gripping my sword and dagger in hand I charge straight at them. The foxes split up with one prepared to take me head on, while the other goes off to my left side. ¡°Crafty little buggers.¡± My sword swings down on the first fox leaving a gash across its pelt dealing 10 damage. While I am admiring my skill, the second fox takes the advantage to bite me. -5 HP ¡°Argh!¡± Having been distracted, I left myself open and get bitten on my forearm. Since I am wielding my dagger in my left hand I should have been able to block that attack, but unfortunately I am not proficient in combat versus multiple opponents. I will need to swiftly improve this if I am to fight more challenging enemies; otherwise, I won¡¯t be left with just a few teeth marks. I take a step back and watch as the foxes pace back and forth before my eyes. When the two foxes are the furthest apart I make my move. Lunging in with the copper dagger, I stab the already injured fox through its eye dealing a fatal blow. When I pull the dagger out, I can see bits of brain matter mixed with the blood. My actions cause the second fox to lose control. It bares it teeth at me in a horrendous snarl. Having become thoroughly enraged at the loss of its partner, the fox jumps at me without regard for its own safety. Taking advantage of its blind rage, I parry the attack with my wooden sword and slash out with the dagger. Feeling the weight against my sword I am surprised. Such a small creature can summon a lot of power, breaking past its limits in a time of danger. Although, this is not without its drawbacks. The slash I made took away half of its life; however, it doesn¡¯t seem phased and jumps at me again. This time rather than blocking, I hold my sword pointed at the fox and thrust the blade down its throat. After dealing with the Foxes I check my drops, as well as the bestiary out of habit. I end up with 1 small fox pelt and 15 copper coins from this encounter. I open up my bestiary and see a notification pop up in my UI:
Species Level
Fox 2
Vitality 30 Stamina 40
Strength 10 Mana 0
Defence 10 Intelligence 4
Dexterity 20 Spirit 0
Skills
None
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
Skill Acquired
Appraisal Level 1
Allows user to see the status of creatures below player¡¯s own level. If targets appraisal level is equal to or greater than player¡¯s own then appraisal will fail.
¡°Sweet!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but call out. In all the novels I have read, this skill is one of the most useful. Although it is at a low level right now and could be said to be near useless, when it reaches the higher levels it will show its worth. It must have been triggered by my killing of three different monsters and immediately examining their status in my UI. Feeling content with this new development, I once again set off. I travel for another two hours along the dirt road, stopping to hunt some monsters along the way. I managed to bag 3 more deer, 5 foxes, and even 3 rabbits. This brought me 31 experience and a bunch of drops. I also managed to get to level 3 with only a few more kills to level 4. My bonus points went straight into vitality due to the looming threat of death.
Player Status
Player Name Quinn Class: Assassin Level: 3
Guild None Experience 53/60
Stats
Vitality 145/145 Stamina: 120/120
Strength 50 Mana 140/140
Defence 15 Intelligence 10
Dexterity 35 Spirit 10
Skills
Active Passive
Appraisal Level: 1 20xp Backstab Level: 1 50xp
Cloaking Level: 1 45xp Blacksmithing Level: 1 25xp
Swordsmanship Level: 1 145xp
Checking out my character screen I can see I am now 7 experience away from level 4 and almost caught up to what Darkbond was at a couple hours ago. My levelling speed may not be very fast compared to players like him; however, I am satisfied with any progress that increases my chance of survival. After trekking along the path, I come across a small clearing near a shallow stream, so I decide to take a rest and have a meal. The food purchased in town was just preserved rations, but it was cheap and a clear upgrade from that barley bread. The meat I obtained earlier will be saved for tonight. It will be a feast compared to this dull dry food. I find a decent size log to sit down on and begin to chow down. *Nom*nom*nom* ¡°A bit dry... Could use some water to wash it down¡± After eating the dried food, I take out my water canteen and walk down to the stream. The water has a steady flow and feels cool to the touch. I can see small fishes swimming along in groups as they move downstream. I bend down to fill my canteen, and that is when I hear some rustling in the bushes on the opposite bank. I quickly take a defensive stance with my sword out in front. The rustling is becoming louder, and I can hear some low pitched grunts coming from the bushes. No matter what it is, I haven¡¯t faced it yet. The bushes start to shake and out comes a large mass of brown fur. That has got to be the largest bear I have ever seen. Although, I have only seen dead mounted bears and never been up close to a real bear other than in the zoo. When I focus on the bear I see [Grizzly Bear: Level ??] and immediately my heart sinks. This will not end well. I am only level 3, which means the bear must be at least level 9 if I cannot see it¡¯s level. The bear seems to have noticed me. Giving a vicious snarl, it stands up on its hind legs in an attempt to intimidate me. And I gotta say, it worked. My heart is racing and my stress is reaching critical levels. With my minimalistic defence and beginner weapons I do not stand a chance against it. That¡¯s not even counting the level difference between us. With virtual reality gaming, it is possible to fight across levels if there is a difference in personal skill. The lower level player may hit; however, due to the discrepancy between the attacker¡¯s strength and the defenders defence the hits will deal little real damage. This is to add realism while staying within the confines of the levelling system. Otherwise what would the advantage in levelling be? When meeting a bear in the wild, one is supposed to back away slowly while keeping an eye on the bear. It is not advised to run away since bears can outrun a human on any terrain, and will even climb up a tree if it feels threatened. Seeing the creature show signs of aggression, I slowly take a couple steps backwards. Without taking my eyes of the bear, I do not see the branches under my feet. This proved to be a major error on my part, because without warning I fall backwards, landing on my butt. Seeing my sudden movement, the bear returns to having all four feet on the ground and begins running in my direction. *Roooaaarrr!!* I cannot get up in time. The bear slashed me across my chest with its razor sharp claws. The attack tosses me against a tree. Knocking my breath away. -72 HP ¡°Arghh!!!!¡± I¡¯ve never been in so much pain before in my life. Not good! That hit took away more than half my life. I should have invested more points in defence. Unfortunately, there is no medicine for regret. There is no time to wallow in pain. I need to get up or else this bear will kill me. Hauling my sorry ass onto my feet, I use my sword to prop me as I return to a defensive stance. I try my best to swallow the pain, but it is difficult as I can see five large tears across my chest. If I had some health potions this would be nothing, but they are too expensive for my current budget. The bear is standing in the middle of the clearing facing me. Once again it charges at me, but this time I am ready for it. As it attempts to grab onto my arm with its teeth I sidestep to my right and aim my dagger along its flank. I managed to strike it, but the wound is superficial only dealing 10 damage. The bear having noticed itself getting hit turns around and swipes again with its already blood red claws. -25 HP This time I manage to deflect some of the damage with my wooden sword, but the impact travels up my arm and once more tosses me face first to the ground. I¡¯m sure if this sword did not have infinite durability it would already be in splinters by now. *Ptui* I managed to get a decent amount of dirt in my mouth from that attack, which I spit out in pain. *ptui* I am no match for this bear in my current state. My health has taken a nosedive to around 25% and I have dealt less than 5% damage overall to the grizzly. Getting back up on my feet again, I choose to forsake common knowledge and make a run for it. Weaving in and out of the trees and brush I take off without looking back. I can almost feel the heat of its breath on the back of my neck, but thankfully with my enhanced dexterity I manage to stay ahead of it. After a few minutes of frantic running I manage to lose the bear. I must have left its territory, therefore causing it to give up chase. ¡°phew¡± With a sigh, I begin to catch my breath. Running blindly through thick forest with only 25% health was risky, but i¡¯ve pulled through. ¡°I made it, I¡¯m alive!¡± Oh how good it feels to be alive after a near encounter with death. After a breather, I start to examine my surroundings. I realize that nothing around me looks familiar. Just endless trees and brush. ¡°Oh shit.¡± I¡¯m lost. Chapter 8 - A Farewell The sun is still in the sky, but is showing signs of setting. There are a couple hours of daylight left, but I should start looking for a place to stay for the night. After that encounter I do not feel safe sleeping on the forest bed; therefore, I will look for a climbable tree with branches high enough to provide safety. Looking at the moss on the trees and rocks, I can see it is the thickest on one side. Hopefully this indicates north, because that is the direction I am heading. Setting off in the direction I think is north, I begin my trek through the woods. My injury appears to be healing at a slow and steady rate and my health is creeping up along with it. Hopefully I don¡¯t encounter any tough opponents anytime soon. I would prefer to find some smaller prey to go after, like rabbits and foxes, so that I can level up as quickly as possible and get some points into defence. After walking for about 30 minutes, I end up with multiple scratches on my arms and legs from stray branches and thorns. They are more of a nuisance than anything, but still have left my already ruined clothes in tatters. I have now healed to around half health and am ready for a fight when I notice two rabbits in the distance. Utilizing my cloaking and backstab skills, I launch a sneak attack on one of them killing it in one hit. However, this causes the second rabbit to dash off into the bush. I can only watch as it gets further away. Unable to chase after it. Gathering my spoils, I continue on my journey. A fairly thick bramble blocks my way, but the only way around it would take up more of my valuable time. And so, I take out my sword and begin to swing at the bramble, carving a path through. *Hiss* Part way through I can hear a faint hissing in the grass, but I continue hacking away at the bush after determining I cannot see anything. *Hissss* ¡°Argh!¡± I can feel a clamping sensation on my left leg. -30 HP It hurt for a split second, but the pain becomes numbed almost immediately. However, the loss of health is no joke. I look down at my leg and see bite marks in the cloth on my legs. ¡°Shit! There must be a numbing agent in it¡¯s saliva.¡± While I am looking at my leg, I sense movement three feet away from me. The culprit is lying amongst the grass staring at me through slit eyes. A four foot long dark green level 4 snake with diagonal yellow stripes running down the length of its body. The snake lunges forward, but I quick counter it with a slash by my wooden sword. The smash knocks the snake toward the ground, while taking a good chunk of its health in the process. The snake must have realized that I am not an easy prey, because it starts to flee in the opposite direction. Not wanting it to get away, I make my move. Before it could escape into the bramble, I rush out with my dagger and nail the bastard to the ground. My strength exceeds it¡¯s defence, so the dagger runs right through it to the hilt. A familiar jingle plays after finishing the kill with a sword blow 7 inches from it¡¯s mouth. I have finally reached level 4 and before doing anything I put the 10 skill points into defence. ¡°Phew.¡± Now I can finally find some place to camp for the night without having to worry about finding creatures to level up. An hour of walking later, I finally stumble across a large tree with many intersecting branches. The trunk¡¯s width is twice as large as my arm¡¯s length, and it reaches high above the rest of the canopy. All the other ones I had found were either too short or did not have enough branches, so this is perfect. As a bonus, it will provide me with a viewpoint for the forest. ¡°Finally found a decent tree¡± While it¡¯s not perfect, it will serve as protection for tonight. I clear a small area around the based of the tree for a fire and make a circle out of stones. This area will be protected from the wind, yet should not at risk of setting the forest ablaze. Although, that may not matter in the game. I gather up some dry branches and logs for the fire, and light it using the flint and steel. Once the fire is burning I can start to prepare my meal. I can already taste the meal. A lightly charred exterior, cooked medium rare, and juices flowing out with every bite. Saliva gathers in my mouth. I skewer a rabbit haunch from my inventory with a sturdy stick and rest it above the fire on my self made cooking spit. It¡¯s a shame I do not have any spices or seasonings, but at least I don¡¯t have to prepare the meat ahead of time as the dropped item is already stripped and ready for cooking. The flames flicker and dance while I slowly rotate the meat. It hasn¡¯t even been a day, yet so many events have occurred. Thinking back to my time in the village at the blacksmiths and what came afterwards I cannot help but sigh. This world changes people, and I am not exempt from this. Prior to this I was a shut in otaku, but here I am sitting outside in the middle of the forest. One thing hasn¡¯t changed though. I am still alone. While my mind is drifting, I do not notice the rabbit meat getting darker until the outsides have already turned black. Removing the meat from the fire, I place it on a rock to cool down.
Skill Acquired
Cooking Level: 1
Allows user to cook a variety of dishes. Foods can be used to restore health and certain dishes can provide temporary skill boosts. The taste and quality of food is affected by user¡¯s level.
¡°This will be a useful skill to have¡± Biting down into the meat, I am disappointed. The outside is burnt and crispy, while the inside is rare. I am used to cooking on a barbecue and have only made hot dogs over a flame, but at least it tastes better than that dried food. To be fair, anything is better than that dried food. With the exception of barley bread. I decide to let the fire burn down by itself after finishing my meal. That way, in the morning I will be able to quickly light another fire to have breakfast. I place everything into my inventory and walk over to the tree. Looking at the tree, there are a few places I could use for a grip. With my increased dexterity I take a running jump and leap to grab onto the lowest handhold. Success! Using that grip as a starting point I heave myself away from the ground, climbing until I find a sturdy branch to lay on. The branch is about two and a half feet wide at its base and runs almost parallel to another branch. Now comes the tricky part. I plan to wrap the rope around these branches to create a makeshift bed, so that I am not at risk of rolling off the side during the night. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. After 20 minutes of securing the rope, criss-crossing between the branches, I place the tarp overtop of it and lay my sleeping bag on top. ¡°Phew, that took more effort than I thought it would.¡± Laying down in my sleeping bag I look towards the sky. The sun has gone down and the stars are beginning to shine. Despite everything that has happened, it is quite peaceful watching at the stars. Without the light pollution of a city I can view them clearly, as if i were looking at them in HD. This is something that I have not done for many years having been distracted by modern conveniences such as my television and computer. Off in the distance I can hear howling. I wonder how the other players are faring. It should not take much money to spend a night in an inn somewhere, but I imagine many players like me are spending the night outside. Even if it is just our minds working in the real world, the game simulates fatigue and so we cannot be awake continuously. On top of that, night time is usually more dangerous compared to day. Therefore, I believe my decision to hole up for the night was the best choice. Somewhere out there some poor players will lose their lives tonight. It¡¯s not a pleasant thought, but it is our new reality and those who adapt will be the survivors. Thinking about this topic reminds me of the ¡®gift¡¯ we received from Isaac Fletcher. The disposable phone. With it I will be able to make a single one minute phone call to my family. I should probably plan ahead to make sure I don¡¯t run out of time. Thankfully, there is a clock with the UI that will help me time myself. ¡°Well. Here goes¡± ¡°Hello Mom. Hello Dad. This is your son. I am sure you have heard by now, but the game I purchased, EndGame Online, has turned into a death game. I only have one minute, so I will make this quick. Please heed the warnings given by the authorities. I have already watched a few players die from being disconnected. ¡°So far, I am doing well. I have gotten a grasp on the basics of this game and will do my best to survive and clear the game. Phil is with me somewhere in here, and while I have not seen him yet, I am not entirely alone. The game itself is well designed and feels more like a fantasy vacation.¡± *Sigh* ¡°I do not know how long it will take before I can see you again. It will most likely be over a year. Maybe even two or three. This will be the last time I can contact you until then. I just want you to know that I love you. And I will miss you.¡± ¡°And done.¡± According to the clock, that took just under one minute. I take a deep breath in and slowly exhale. Opening up my inventory I take out the disposable phone. It¡¯s styled like one of those old fashioned flip phones with the 3x3 number pad. After opening it up I get prompted by a system message.
Notification
This item is single use only. It allows the user to make a single one minute phone call to the outside world. The timer starts once the line has been picked up. This item will not be destroyed if there is no response or answering machine. This item only allows a one-way conversation. You will not be able to receive any information from the outside world.
Are you sure you wish to use this item?
Yes No
Choosing the [Yes] option I dial the number. 1--2-5-0--X-X-X--X-X-X-X I am very careful when dialling to make sure I do not screw up. It has been a while since I have used one of these flip phones. *Ring* *Riinngg* *Riiinnnggg* No answer. As expected. ¡°Hello, you have reached: XXX-XXXX. We cannot come to the phone right now, so please leave your name and number, and we will return your call as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Leave your message at the beep.¡± *Beep* ¡°Hello Mom. Hello Dad. This is your son... ... And I will miss you.¡± As I say those last words into the recording the phone begins to turn into pixelated dust in my hands. There goes my one method of communication with the outside world. *Sigh* Tucking myself into the sleeping bag, I shut my eyes and try to fall asleep.
--------------------------Change-of-POV-------------------------- *Yawn* A middle aged man slowly stirs at the break of dawn. He looks towards the woman laying on his bed beside him and a small smile appears on his face. He carefully makes his way of bed, so as to not disturb her, and starts to get dressed. It is a new day, unlike any other, but a feeling of unease settles over him and he is unable to pinpoint why this might be. He leisurely makes his way out of his room and down the hallway. On his left is the shut door to his son¡¯s room. ¡°Hmm... I wonder if he is still playing.¡± He ponders. The game was released last night at midnight and it is now around 06:50AM the next day He carefully cracks open the door and pokes his head in. What he sees is his son lying flat on the bed while wearing a sleek black helmet. He decides to leave his son be for now, and carries on down the stairs. He makes his way into the kitchen and turns on the coffee pot before heading out to get the paper. When he returns he notices a beeping noise coming from the answering machine. ¡°Strange... who would call at this time in the morning.¡± Since he is on vacation he had slept in longer than usual. Being a teacher in the summer time has its benefits. He makes his way over to the machine and presses the play button. ¡°You have 1 new message, and 13 old messages.¡± He decides he will delete those after listening to the new message. ¡°Hello Mom. Hello Dad. This is your son...¡±
--------------------------Change-of-POV-------------------------- *Skrrreeeek* *Crrreeek* I get woken up by the sounds of claws scratching on wood. My heart begins racing. *Grrr* *Skrrreeek* Whatever is down there, it doesn¡¯t sound pleasant. I take out my dagger and hold it close to my chest. Hopefully whatever it is will go away by morning. It doesn¡¯t seem like it will be able to reach me up here. I feel so thankful that I was smart enough to sleep away from the forest bed. Trying to make my breaths as silent as possible I lay there and listen to the scratches. I don¡¯t think I will be getting any more sleep tonight. Chapter 9 - Level Up Or so I thought. The safety of my bedding provided me with enough security, so I fell back asleep shortly after awakening. When I awoke the next morning at the crack of dawn I felt refreshed. The events of yesterday seemed like a surreal nightmare, but there is nothing to be done. Therefore, I must progress forwards. Starting with getting out of this tree. While I am quite content with my camp, in order to progress I must tear it down. First is the sleeping bag. It served its purpose for something that only cost a few copper. After wrapping up the sleeping bag and folding the tarp I place them both in my inventory and begin to undo the rope. The knot I had tied came loose in a few seconds. Based on how easy the rope came undone I am thankful it didn¡¯t simply unravel as I was sleeping. Now that everything is packed up I can begin to climb down the tree. Looking at the forest bed around the trunk I can see tufts of fur lying around and the claw marks on the trunk are obvious. The bark has come off completely in many places and deep gashes are left in the barren wood. It would be in my best interest to proceed with caution, because there is no telling if those creatures have left the area or not. Finally my feet touch solid ground. But before I can move an inch, a coarse breathing sounds out from an area not too far from my position. It follows a steady rhythm with occasional grunts. I am not alone. I crouch down immediately and tread softly over to investigate the source of the noise. In my vision there are three level 7 wolves curled up sleeping. The stench of blood is thick on them, which leaves me feeling nauseous. If I can maneuver silently among them, I might be able to kill them in their sleep. The scent of their own blood will be drowned out by the already thick aura surrounding them. Now that I¡¯ve got a plan, it¡¯s time to set it in motion. The closest wolf is within five feet of my current location. Although they are sleeping, I activate my cloaking and prepare to launch a sneak attack on the closest wolf. My dagger sinks deep into the flesh of it¡¯s neck dealing a critical hit on top of the bonus from backstab. The wolf is instantly slaughtered and I can see my experience bar filling rapidly having gained 20 experience from the kill. ¡°Damn, these are worth a lot.¡± I mutter under my breath. After confirming the kill, I stealthily move towards my next target. The second wolf is killed in the same manner. This is a very fortuitous encounter that can only be found and not sought. One more kill and I will be level 5, but I know deep down these wolves would normally not be this easy to kill. For one thing, wolves travel in packs of 3 or more and lone travellers like myself are better off avoiding them. Secondly, even taking on one wolf with my current level would put me in a precarious position. I sneak my way over to the third wolf trying to not make a sound. I prepare to slaughter it like the others, but unfortunately things to not always go as planned. As I am about to make the strike, the wolf¡¯s eyes suddenly open. This failed sneak attack causes my bonus from backstab to not activate; therefore, the wolf is left with a sliver of health remaining. In the time before I can get a second hit in the wolf activates its innate skill and lets out a howl. Lodging my dagger through its throat before it could finish I can¡¯t help but hope that no other wolves are in the nearby vicinity. But to my dismay, a rustling sound appeared approximately 20 feet away from me. Suddenly, another howl comes from that direction and my heart drops. I managed to get to level 5 from that kill, but I was pressing my luck and will now pay for it. Quickly putting my points into defence, I prepare to face my opponent. The two level gap makes me nervous, but I feel with my superior skills I can take down a lone wolf. While I am busy preparing myself, the fourth wolf comes out of the bush. A burning rage can be seen in its eyes as it gazes upon its dead comrades. Without warning, the wolf leaps over one of the carcasses and lunges at me baring its teeth in a horrendous snarl. When the wolf is in mid air I swiftly dodge to the right, narrowly missing the wolf as it passes by within inches of myself. A Level 7 is no joke. Even though I am proud of getting to level 5, I cannot let down my guard for even a second against this creature. Any single mistake could lead to a debilitating injury resulting in loss of life, and I will do anything to keep that from happening. Regaining my composure I turn to face the wolf, which has now landed and is preparing to attack again. On its next pass I manage to clip one of its hind legs causing 8 damage. It cannot be helped as I am using a wooden sword to attack against a level 7 creature. If I were to continuously use the copper dagger it would break before a few days were up. Due to this sword being indestructible, I have to rely on it as my primary weapon. A trail of blood is left on the dirt as the fur on the wolf¡¯s leg becomes saturated with blood. Disregarding its own injuries, the wolf takes another attack and this time manages to leave a gash down my arm from its claws. -26 HP Gritting my teeth down to suppress the pain is my only option right now. If I don¡¯t finish this fight soon, who knows what else might be attracted from the fresh scent of blood. This time I take the initiative to attack. Wielding my sword I go in for a feint. The wolf takes the bait and dodges out of the swords trajectory, but this renders it defenceless against my dagger¡¯s attack. With a solid swipe I manage to carve a path across the wolf¡¯s snout. A critical hit dealing 46 damage! Bright red blood can be seen gushing out of the wound as the wolf stumbles backwards. Losing its sense of smell and being dealt such a crushing blow causes hatred to shine in its black eyes. A wound like that if not properly healed will continue to deal a bleeding damage upon the recipient until the bleeding has stopped. The fight carries on like this for another 10 minutes before the wolf finally dies of exhaustion and excessive blood loss. I decide to take a break after feeling the pain in my muscles from excessive strain. Despite being a game, this element of realism is very impressive. I decide to look up the wolf in my bestiary. I was unable to see its stats earlier, because it was a higher level; therefore, my curiosity has been triggered.
Species Level
Wolf 7
Vitality 100 Stamina 100
Strength 50 Mana 0
Defence 30 Intelligence 10
Dexterity 30 Spirit 0
Skills
Howl: Level 1
¡°Hmm¡± This is the first time I have seen a skill on a creature. Curious, I select the skill.
Howl
Attracts wolves within 100 meter radius
¡°Damn. If that wolf hadn¡¯t noticed me it wouldn¡¯t have been able to activate this skill before it died.¡± The wolves dropped three pelts along with a lot of money. It seems I would make a good profit if I were strong enough to deal with them. Unfortunately, being a solo player limits my options unless I have another fortuitous encounter like today. After collecting my drops I relight the fire and begin cooking breakfast. Using another rabbit haunch I am careful to not let this one burn like last time. It seems I will need to get some seasonings when I next visit the town as this meat still doesn¡¯t taste good. After putting out the fire I once again set off.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
--- The following days did not hold the same level of excitement. The first day I wandered around only coming across a few smaller animals, which I turned into precious experience. When I came across a creek I decided to follow it upriver with the logic of being able to retract my steps. There were plenty of fish in the river, yet I was unable to catch anything, because I did not have any fishing gear. However, that didn¡¯t stop me from trying. I had spent a few hours at the river banks trying to spear a fish with my self made sharp wooden stick. I wasn¡¯t successful. But, it did serve to ease my mind and thus, I do not consider it a waste of time. Carrying on, I found a secure tree for a camping spot and spent my second night in the wilderness. Thankfully there were no surprises waiting for me when I woke up, but I would have welcomed some free experience.
--- The second day went by without any problems. I followed in a pattern similar to the previous day and ended up reached level 6. I found myself getting tired during the fights and so I decided to put my bonus points into stamina. One¡¯s stamina in game is not related to the shape of their body. A 250 pound man would be able to run or fight for a similar amount of time that an athlete would considering both their stamina levels were equal. Although not like reality, if it were not this way all those overweight gamers would be severely disadvantaged in the beginning. Now, with time the avatar¡¯s physical appearance will change based on one¡¯s actions. I have already noticed some of my beer gut gained from university disappearing, and I have always wondered what I would look like trim.
--- The third day held more of a challenge. I ran into a grizzly bear again midway through the day, but this time I was not as weak as I was previously. I could see the bear was level 9, and this time I had put up a fight getting the bear down to half health before I had to withdraw. If I had healing items I may have been able to finish it off, but I did not plan that far ahead when setting out. The bear served as a good marker for my progress, and before I leave this forest I want to kill one. Preferably the one that caused me such embarrassment.
--- On the fourth day I managed to reach level 7. I had already lost count of the number of monsters I slew over the past few days. My inventory was filling up with drops and I already had enough to finance a full set of basic armour. Part way through the day I stumbled across a log cabin adjacent to the river. It looked like no one had been there for a few years. The surrounding areas were overgrown with plant life and the windows were all boarded up. After trying to open the locked door to no success, I chose to scan the surrounding area. I followed a small path found around the side of the cabin until I reached a larger dirt and gravel road. Having found a relatively major road I was overjoyed, but since it was getting late I chose to stay in the vicinity for the night. I spent that night on the cabin¡¯s roof gazing at the stars.
--- By the fifth day, I had decided to start heading back. My inventory was filling up and I was getting tired of the monotonous wandering through the forest. For someone who spent most of his time indoors, I was reaching my limit. Anyways, I had decided to only spend around a week out here, so I am still on schedule. Halfway to level 8, I had already gained a lot of benefits from this trip. I have gained enough money to kickstart my smithing when I get back and my swordsmanship level 1 has reached 732 xp, only 228 xp away from reaching level 2. The level 1 basic skill doesn¡¯t offer any bonuses since anyone could obtain it after swinging a sword a few times, but that changes at level 2. I chose to take the road I had found the previous day and follow it south. The further I walked, the more players I saw. This was not surprising considering this was the best beginner levelling spot. On my way I stopped multiple times to fight some low level creatures. If they didn¡¯t respawn after a certain amount of time, this forest would soon be cleared of all life. Part way down the trail I was ambushed by a small pack of three wolves. However, now that I am the same level as them, the fight tips in my favour. It took a good 15 minutes, but I managed to kill all three of them. The experience of the last few days has helped hone my fighting skills, thus allowing me to fight for longer. The amount of rookie mistakes I make has decreased, which leaves me with less wounds. However, facing the three wolves still left me with less than a quarter of my life remaining. Thanks to the generosity of the wolves, I managed to gain the experience needed to get to level 8. This levelling speed is a bit fast, but the amount required continues to rise. Level 8 to 9 requires the same amount of experience as levels 1 to 6, and there are only so many wolves and bears one can kill before the first dungeon is found. Therefore, the levelling speed should decrease.
Player Status
Player Name Quinn Class: Assassin Level: 8
Guild None Experience 518/720
Stats
Vitality 195/195 Stamina: 195/195
Strength 100 Mana 240/240
Defence 45 Intelligence 10
Dexterity 70 Spirit 10
Skills
Active Passive
Appraisal Level: 1 107xp Backstab Level: 1 235xp
Cloaking Level: 1 186xp Blacksmithing Level: 1 25xp
Cooking Level: 1 156xp
Swordsmanship Level: 1 782xp
My strength has finally broken 100. And that is without putting bonus points into it. Although I am feeling proud of my stats, when I look at the state of my clothes I cannot help but laugh. ¡°Haha, they served me well, but it¡¯s better to call them rags. Their durability is almost non existent.¡± My clothes are in tatters. Full of claw and teeth marks it is amazing they are still held together. Looking at the durability, I can see it has fallen below 5. However, those leather shoes I bought before leaving are still doing fine, only a little worse for wear. My copper dagger is full of dents and the blade has dulled, but it is still able to deal some damage when needed. The wooden sword is the only item that remains looking brand new, but that is expected from something indestructible. I couldn¡¯t even use it for firewood if I tried. And I did try. After finding a place to take shelter for the night a little ways off the road, I soon drift into dreamland. Chapter 10 - A Stop Along The Trail A fresh day has come. Waking up, I take in a deep breath and savour the sweet scent of the morning dew. The cold crisp air fills my lungs and a sense of tranquility spreads through my body. I have a feeling today will be a day full of excitement. Based on my speed of travel, I would imagine I am within a day¡¯s reach of Fairhaven, the city of beginnings. Having traveled for the past few days spending my nights under the stars I am ready for a proper bed. I had become too accustomed to a life of expending minimal energy, but with the advent of this game I cannot continue down the same path. After getting down from the cabin''s roof I make my breakfast near the river. My cooking skill has gotten a decent amount of experience after all these days of hunting and preparing my own food. I don''t know how to forage for food, so all I am left with is the meat and preserved food. I won''t even include the barley bread since my jaw was left stiff after eating it the first two days. It is time to head off.I finishup my breakfast and begin traveling down the narrow winding path to the main road. Heading south leads me past many travellers heading in the opposite direction. Seeing their equipment, I become embarrassed due to the poor state of my clothes. As I pass them I am given looks of disdain and can hear whispers when I assume they believe I am out of hearing range. However, after looking at their levels I am left with a smug smile on my face. The highest level I have seen so far was a level 6. While I wouldn''t say I was the highest level of the players, I would at least estimate being in the top 10 percentile.My fencing lessons helped give an early game boost and along with my chuunibyou swordplay,I had a small advantage. Although, surely I wasn''t the only one. The other player¡¯s equipment were all in full repair. I saw many sets of copper and leather armours. The ones who still wore the villager clothes like myself were in the minority. It would have been slow gathering income with so many players near the city, but obviously they have more money than I did when I headed out. The forest path winds through the trees making it difficult to see far ahead. From an hour or so of walking I would imagine I''ve passed by at least 100 players by now. But, for the past 15 minutes there has been nobody. It''s strange considering the obvious flow of people from earlier. Maybe something has happened up ahead. While on that train of thought, I walk past a bend in the road and lying in the middle of the road was a player with his face to the dirt. The display above his head shows a green [level 4] and he doesn''t look like he is conscious. Something must have happened recently else the people I passed earlier would have dealt with this person. That is, if they were not caught up in the bystander effect. "Hello?" I inquire. "Are you alright?" No response. I walk up to the man and crouch down at his side. His body remains solid rather than having disappeared; therefore, I know he is still alive. A body will disappear within 1 minute of death leaving behind a random selection of their possessions. This is to reward and encourage pking; otherwise known as: player killing. Were this a normal game, that would be acceptable, but with the horrendous death penalty it will turn into a nightmare. There are no visible wounds on his body, and his breathing rate is regular. It could be dangerous leaving him in the middle of the room like this, so I take him off to the side and lay him against a tree. As I stand up, I can hear a faint whisper. "Who are you?" Startled from hearing noise from this man who was unconscious just moments ago, it takes me a few seconds to compose myself before responding. ¡°My name is Quinn. I was passing through the forest and saw you collapsed in the middle of the road." He looks at me questioningly as if silently determining my level of threat. "You shouldn''t have stopped. They will be back.¡± "Who will be back?" "Bandits! Thieves! They robbed me and killed my party members." As he says this, his eyes widen and a look of terror dominates his gaze. He points to an area behind me. "Them." I turn my head and see three players: two level fives and one level six. Above their heads are yellowed displays indicating previous hostile actions. "Ahh shit! Stay behind me!" "Haha! Now, what do we have here boys? Looks like we have two lost little birdies who have separated from their flock.¡± The man who I presume to be the leader speaks with a condescending tone. The bandits are in piecemeal copper armour and copper swords and wooden buckler shields. The leader is the only one fully armed in full plate armour. A typical bandit boss, taking all the good items for himself. He looks like the type of person who considers the strongest party to be in the right. I can see how this type of person would flourish in this environment. ¡°Good grief.¡° Since my attire is in rags I imagine they either didn''t bother checking out my level or feel confident in being able to take me out despite the level disparity. "See here. I will give you two options. Option one: you give us all your possessions and we let you go on your merry way. Or option two: we kill you and then take all of your possessions.¡± The Leader says with a sneer on his face. ¡°Personally, I¡¯m more in favour of option two, but I am a magnanimous person. Therefore, I will allow you to fight each other and the winner will go free. The loser however... hehe.¡± Something seems off here. The level 4 I helped had mentioned that the bandits had killed his party. Yet, all their names are yellow rather than red, which would indicate they have only assaulted players and not killed them. So, either there are more players hidden in the surroundings or something is not right. I will keep my awareness up just in case. ¡°And how can we trust you to let the winner go?¡± I ask in a skeptical tone. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I am a man of my word. As for whether you¡¯ll believe that, well, we¡¯ll just have to find out now won¡¯t we.¡± He replies back with a devilish smirk. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this, but I want to live!¡± From behind me a voice is raised. It was the man whom I had found in the middle of the road. In his hand was a sharp dagger, the blade smooth unlike mine. It was pointed in my direction. When I look into his eyes I can see some hesitation, but when he shifts his eyes over to the bandits on the other side of me as if looking for confirmation, his confidence rises. ¡°Haha¡± At this point I begin to laugh. ¡°You guys aren¡¯t very creative are you?¡± ¡°¡°Huh?¡±¡± They all seem confused. Maybe I should explain myself. ¡°I imagine this is some sort of initiation right?¡± I point to the level 4, ¡°New member plays dead in road,¡± and then point to the others, ¡°Bandits enter demanding money and then try to coerce the target into fighting with the new member. The newbie tries to initiate the fight, and in the middle of the fight the bandits and the newbie join together in assaulting the target. When the target is incapacitated, you will render them immobile, rob them, and then toss them into a monster¡¯s den to avoid the killing penalty.¡± ¡°Am I close?¡± ¡°Damn brat! You¡¯re quite clever, but your deduction is slightly off; however, you¡¯re not gonna get out of here alive. So, it doesn¡¯t really matter. Hehe.¡± ¡°¡°Get him!¡±¡± With that all four of them charge at me. Being surrounded on both sides is disadvantageous for me, so I turn around a go for the weak link. I allow the level 4 player to attack me once to ensure I do not receive a yellowed name. I am planning on going back to town soon and if people see me coming out of the forest with a yellow name I could get attacked. His attack gets blocked by my wooden sword, but the difference in strength and skill between the two of us becomes apparent. I was able to block his attack with minimal exertion by deflecting the blades trajectory off to the side. He has a look of shock and disbelief on his face. "What? Did you expect me to just take your hit?" "Don''t be too conceited! It''s four vs. one and you''ve only got a bit of skill." This attitude was a total change from his previous acting. Well, there¡¯s no need to go easy on them anyways. I maneuver around to his left side and with my backhanded dagger, I slash at his left arm. This causes him to howl in pain. I guess he is only good at dealing pain, but not receiving. "Ahh, fuck that hurts! I am going to enjoy cutting you up" By this time the other bandits have reached us and began encircling me. I should have known this would happen, but I was too focused on the arrogant level 4 in front of me. "Hehe, we''ve got you now boy" "There''s nowhere to run. Obediently hand over everything you have and then prostrate yourself before us. Maybe then we''ll let you have a quick death." "That''s right! Kneel down and beg us for forgiveness" While trying to keep an eye on each of them I look for a chance to escape. My best bet is probably still that level 4 since he is already wounded. So, without warning, I leap towards that guy and take advantage of surprise to land a critical blow to his chest. Blood starts pouring out and he stumbles backwards clenching his chest in pain. I managed to avoid any vital areas with my attack, but I did not hold back my strength. I didn''t want to kill him, just merely render him helpless. Perhaps it¡¯s my naivety and my desire to hold on to some semblance of the real world. However, this is my chance. With him down, an opening was created and I took it. I ran off through that opening without caring to look behind me. The sound of their footsteps echoed on the road behind me as they chased in pursuit. They continuously cursed at me saying they would torture me. What are these guys? Generic Xianxia antagonists? I am unable to shake them off by simply running down the main path. This continues on for over 10 minutes and I watch as my stamina slowly, but steadily drains. Despite being an assassin character I do not get boosts in stamina. I assume that must be due to an assassin launching quick sneak attacks rather than having drawn out fights. If this continues, I will not have enough energy to fight in the end. This is how our ancestors used to hunt on the plains. They would use superior endurance to chase down their prey. In order to lose these pesky thieves, I will need to rely on tactic. Yet, there is not much I can do at this point. I pass around a bend in the road and take the opportunity to hide behind a tree. My visibility of the road is partially blocked, but it also helps block anyone on the road from seeing me. Soon after I get to my hiding spot I can hear their running feet on the trail. "Hey! Where''d he go?" "I can''t see him anymore" "He must be somewhere in the vicinity, spread out and search the nearby trees." They spread out, two on each side, and move into the trees. Shit. One of them is coming in this direction. If he continues this way I will be found in no time. "Find him yet?" "Still nothing" "Nothing here too" Due to his close proximity, I activate cloaking and get as far away as I can during those precious 5 seconds. Obviously if I move too fast I will make a ton of noise, so hopefully it will go unnoticed. "Fuck! That brat got away!" "Come back to the road. Don''t get lured into a 1 vs. 1 with him!" Thankfully someone within that group is sensible. They got within ten feet of me before turning back. *phew* I could have taken them on in a 1v1 or even a 1v2, but I am not so arrogant to believe I could take all of them on at once. I watch as they convene in the centre of the path. They remain there for some time before leaving back the way they came. It would be a shame if some others get caught up in their scheme, so I think I will tell traveler¡¯s on my way south. Once I have confirmed they have left, I come out from my hiding spot. I can just barely see the next group of players traveling north down the road and I start making my way towards them. Chapter 11 - A Gem In The Forest When I get within 20 feet or so of the players I begin to see those familiar contentious looks that I had grown used to. I choose to ignore them since it is a group larger than three. Plus they seem self entitled and unwilling to accept advice. The majority of players I have seen are dressed in melee gear rather than the other classes. It seems the melee classes are the most popular, although it truly doesn''t matter except for the level up bonuses and special skills. Well, I guess late game the bonus point will add up considerably. A few more minutes pass and the next player I come across is, like myself, traveling alone. It is a female player this time and by the looks of it, she is an archer. She looks to be about 17 years old with a pretty face and a slender, hourglass frame. Her eyes, a deep crimson, exude a mature charm and match well with her bright red hair that flows gracefully over her shoulders. A bow rests on her back and she is wearing a high quality leather armour. Her armour is considerably better than have I¡¯ve previously seen; however, my exposure is limited from being in this forest. The comparison between myself and her is readily apparent. Although, by focusing above her head I can see she is level 3. Her level is too low to be wandering alone out here; however, perhaps i¡¯m just hypocritical, because I was the same level when I ventured into the forest. She must have spent most of these last few days doing jobs in the city; otherwise, how would she have financed that armour. I call out when I come within hearing distance of her. ¡°Good morning!¡° "Umm... Hello.¡± ¡°Are you heading deep into the forest?" "Yes...¡± By her hesitant, short replies, it is obvious she is wary of me. Her hands begin creeping towards the bow on her back. However, I can''t blame her. A random man wearing nothing but rags approaches her in the middle of the woods. It would be surprising if she were not cautious. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to attack you,¡± I raise my hands and show my palms, ¡°There is nothing in my hands, I just want to warn you that I just came across a group of bandits who had set up a trap for solo players. I had walked right into their obvious trap, but thankfully they weren¡¯t very smart. So, I was able to get away.¡± Thinking about it retrospectively, I should have just circled around and killed them. There is no point in letting scum like that off. However, just being a higher level doesn¡¯t mean I can kill them. I would maybe be able to kill one before being surrounded. It¡¯s not like in real life when you can come up behind them and just slit their throat. While that would deal a critical hit, with the possibility of a backstab bonus, there is no guarantee to silence them without alerting the others with the equipment I currently have. If it became a battle of attrition, I would be sure to lose. Besides, all I have is worn out clothes, a blunted copper dagger, and a wooden short sword. Assassins should be able to deal burst damage and take out their targets in one, maybe two, hits and then retreat. I can tell by the girl¡¯s silence that she seems to be internally questioning my credibility. Well, at least my conscious is clear. It is up to her whether to heed or ignore my warning. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Alright well i¡¯m off.¡± With that I start walking away, but I only get a few steps away before hearing her voice behind me. ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just going to leave like that?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m headed back to town.¡± ¡°That is... Umm, since we¡¯re both solo players... do you want to form a party?¡± She looks like she was having trouble saying this. Her eyes were partially downcast and she was fidgeting. ¡°Is that so? You don¡¯t mind me looking like this?¡± I point to my clothes, which were nothing more than rags at this point. I also hadn¡¯t bathed since entering the forest other than the time I fell in the river, so I imagine I am fairly dirty. If that is even a thing within the game. ¡°Also, aren¡¯t you concerned about joining someone you just met?¡± Not even two minutes ago she was being wary of me, yet now it''s the opposite? I don''t understand women. My words seem to have cause her to be embarrassed as she immediately looks down at her feet. I wonder if she is a very shy person, similar to myself. ¡°Well, your words made me realize how dangerous it could be. I spent the majority of my time in the city, while only occasionally going out to hunt.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so? What¡¯s the state of the city like right now? I haven¡¯t been there for 5 or 6 days.¡± I am curious of how the majority of players have fared since I left right after the colosseum incident. ¡°Really?¡± She perks up a bit, ¡°You¡¯ve missed out on a lot then.¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, I was in a rush to get out of the city after that day. I¡¯ve spent the rest of my time out hunting alone deep in the forest.¡± ¡°You were out there alone for all that time?! How did you survive?¡± ¡°I had some close calls. Nearly died a couple of times. But, I improved my skill during that time, which helped me survive.¡± I take a look around, ¡°Alright, now back to my question. What¡¯s the current state of the city like?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry!¡± She seems flustered and her cheeks have turned red with embarrassment. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to ignore your question.¡± She looks kinda cute when embarrassed. I took off on a tangent after she asked to party with me, so we''re even. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡± I brush it off to help her feel less awkward. ¡°If you say so.¡± She lets out a breath of relief before answering my question, ¡°The city turned to chaos pretty early. There were riots during the first couple days, but it has since calmed down. About on quarter of the players have given into despair and have chosen to only do simple jobs to survive. There are many who venture out and hunt for monsters; however, the hunting spots have all been occupied.¡± ¡°Occupied? So, is that why you are venturing deeper into the forest?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She looks up towards the tree canopy, ¡°Since I was alone, I got kicked out of my spot by those bastards!¡± ¡°Who was it that kicked you out?¡± ¡°A guild called the Sacred Order. It was one of the first guilds established during the riots and is the largest guild in the city. They have taken over more than two thirds of the hunting spots within a day¡¯s reach of the city and is banning anyone not in their guild from entering.¡± ¡°Typical tyrants. How do they get away with this?¡± ¡°They are led by a man named Zhaos. He gained power during the riots and in the name of order gathered players to his calling. His efforts helped halt the rioting and this made many players see him in a positive light. Using that momentum, he swiftly became the leader of the Sacred Order. ¡°Everything was fine for the first few days once the rioting stopped, but then came the rules. They were able to get away with it since the majority of players supported them. However, it did not take them long to get drunk on their new power.¡± Hostility becomes evident in her eyes as she recalls her memories. ¡°It never does.¡± I pause and let out a sigh, ¡°Sounds like the whole city is basically under their control.¡± ¡°Yes, it pretty much is. All the higher level players have left the city to get stronger, and everyone left is basically either on their side or too weak to fight back. There are two other large guilds: Shadowguard and Wings of Liberty, but they are not strong enough to go against the Sacred Order.¡± ¡°Seems like a dictatorship to me.¡± I can¡¯t help but frown at this development. Things will be not be simple when I get back to town. I had planned on staying a few days and doing some blacksmithing before I head back out into the forest. Maybe I will have to alter my plans a bit. ¡°It is still livable, but it gets worse day by day. So, what are your plans?¡± ¡°I was planning on staying a few days to work on skills and sell my loot before heading back out again. Are you still wanting to team up with me?¡± Thinking she might not want to join up with me after knowing my plans, I could not help but ask. ¡°Umm, would you be willing to work with me? I¡¯m currently a level 3 while you are level 8. I know I am selfish to ask, but is it alright with you?¡± She has a pleading, puppy dog look to her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to just leech off of you. I am decent with a bow, so I can fight as a rearguard.¡± Her current level doesn¡¯t matter to me as that can change, but it is her personality that I find tolerable. Maybe being alone for a week has affected me, or maybe it¡¯s her puppy dog eyes. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°One¡¯s level can easily be raised given enough time, so your current level is irrelevant. I plan on being in the city by nightfall. You can follow me if you are alright waiting a few days around the city. But, we could also meet up after I am done.¡± She seems to ponder for a few seconds. If she chooses to follow me then she would not be able to do much levelling before I finish, but it would be safer. On the other hand, she would be able to level up faster immediately if she chooses to meet up later, but would be surrounded by danger. I entered the forest when I was level 2, so I know how dangerous it is. And at that time I did not even have to deal with other players. However, she will need to experience danger to grow in this game; therefore, I will not push her decision. ¡°I will follow you!¡± I can see her eyes light up when she says this. It is a blessing that she is very decisive. I think we will work well together. ¡°Here, let me add you as a friend.¡± I open up my friends list to an invite to her, but it is at this point that I realize I do not know her name. ¡°Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Quinn.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Gem Red.¡± ¡°A fitting name.¡± I quickly send her an invitation.
Notification
Player: Gem Red has accepted your friend request.
¡°Now we can stay in contact with each other no matter where we are. Alright, let¡¯s head off. I want to get to town before night falls. ¡°Okay. Once we get into town I know a place we can stay. It¡¯s very basic in what it provides, but at least there will be a bed and a roof over our heads. Plus it only costs about 10 Tor a night.¡± She seems to have slightly opened up to me over our talks. We walked together along the path for a few hours. The road gradually became wider and the amount of people we passed had increased considerably. There were no more highway robberies and for that I am thankful. Occasionally, we would pass some low level creatures and work together in killing them. I acted as the vanguard since I was a higher level, while Gem took shots with her bow from a distance. After a while I thought it might be interesting to try the archery system in the game. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°For the next creature we come across, could I try using your bow to attack it?¡± ¡°Umm, alright. Just make sure not to break it.¡± She had a point there. It might not be difficult to snap the bow in two with my current strength level. ¡°Alright, I will be careful. Do you have a secondary weapon for close combat?¡± ¡°I have this copper dagger¡± She points to the dagger strapped to her leg. How could I have missed that. ¡°But, I¡¯ve never used it before¡± ¡°I have an idea. Let¡¯s have a duel and you can use your dagger against me.¡± ¡°Okay. How do you set up a duel?¡± ¡°Umm... I don¡¯t know either. Give me a minute.¡± I start looking through my user menu, but I cannot immediately find it. After searching for a minute, I finally locate it under the [Players] tab alongside the item trade system. ¡°It¡¯s under the [Players] tab¡± ¡°Oh. Hey, I can see the trade option there as well.¡± "Yea I just noticed that. Though I wonder why we cannot just hand items to one another." "That seems like it would be a poor design flaw. Maybe it is meant for bulk trading? I wouldn''t want to pass a hundred or so plus items to someone for a single trade." I wouldn''t either. "That makes sense. I''ll send you a duel request." In the duel option menu there are many options. By default the settings are single combat, no restrictions, fight until 20% health remains. Both parties have to agree on the rules, which makes sense since I can see a fight until death option near the bottom. "There." I sent the invite. "I didn''t change any of the default settings."
Notification
Player: Gem Red has accepted your duel request. Duel will commence in 10 seconds.
"Get ready. I won''t go easy on you!" She says this with a smile on her face. It seems she''s really getting into this. Well, I won''t go easy on you either.
Fight!
We both stand still in our fighting stances for a moment. Neither one of us willing to make the first move. "Aren''t you gonna make a move? Real monsters out in the forest won''t wait for you." "Exactly. Which is why you should make the first move." "Fine." I move towards her in an S pattern. She stays with her feet planted in that same spot, but I can feel her eyes tracing my movements. I soon get within striking distance and make my move. I go for a feint to the right with the wooden sword, which manages to grab her attention. I take advantage of her opening to launch a sneak attack at her left flank. Her defence is pretty much negligible compared to my high strength, so I managed to deal a good amount of damage on her. With that attack I shaved off 1/4 of her life and caused her to stumble towards that side. "Ugh!¡± She grunts in pain rather than screaming. It takes her a moment regain her footing, but since it is a duel, rather than a life or death battle, I allow her that time. Next, I go in for a direct attack without allowing her the opportunity to counter. I do not hold back in my attacks, so Gem soon ends off with heavy wounds while I only have a few scratches. It would be unfair for her if I were to go easy on her because she is female, but maybe I should have been more lenient due to the level disparity. Now that I think of it. There was an option in the duelling screen to adjust the player¡¯s level so that the fight would rely more on skill. Oh well. Still, Gem manages to defend herself sufficiently considering our level differences. The fight lasts for a couple minutes before I end up winning. "Phew. You''re pretty good." Gem seems exhausted, yet excited. "You''re not too bad yourself. For someone who has never handled a blade before, you''re a natural." "That''s because you went easy on me." "Actually, I didn''t hold back with my attacks. I felt that the creatures or other players in the forest wouldn''t hold back; therefore, I didn''t either." "Well, thank you. I never really appreciated how weak I am until now." I hope she will take this lesson to heart and learn from it. But, she doesn''t seem like the type to dwell on something for too long. "I was similar to you when I first ventured out of the city, but after a few days of constant fighting I learnt a few things." I am impressed by her attitude so far and hopefully she will not disappoint me. "Let''s rest for a few minutes before continuing on." I feel it wouldn''t hurt to rest. All damage done is healed and stamina replenished after the duel concludes, but I would like to give her a few minutes to go over the fight. I am not an expert, nor even an adept, so I cannot help her very much. It is up to her to gain insight and improve her skill. After all, I just started a few days ago myself.
I was playing around with an online avatar editor (with very limited options) and made these: Spoiler: Gem Red Spoiler: Quinn Chapter 12 - Archery ¡°There¡¯s one!¡± Gem points to a spot in the bushes. ¡°Where?¡± I do not detect any movement. ¡°Over there, at the base of those trees. It¡¯s a rabbit.¡± Sure enough. There is a small brown rabbit at the base of the tree. It¡¯s only level 2, but it will serve as a test for my archery. I take up the bow in my hand and notch an arrow. I make sure to line up my shot carefully and slowly draw back the bowstring. The arrow gets released with a *snap*, but as soon as the arrow leaves the string, the rabbit takes off. It bolts into the undergrowth and disappears. ¡°Damn!¡± ¡°Nice aim!¡± Gem breaks into a laugh. ¡°Haha!¡± Obviously my shot was nowhere near to hitting the intended target. My shot still would have missed even had the rabbit not bolted off. It ended up in the tree two metres away. ¡°Hey. Give me some credit. It has been around 9-10 years since I last shot a bow and arrow.¡± ¡°Well, maybe you should have started on a stationary target. Look.¡± She points to my arrow, ¡°You at least hit the tree.¡± My arrow has been lodged an inch into the tree. Since I don¡¯t have the 10% accuracy bonus from the archer class¡¯s [Steady Shot] skill, I will need to manually improve my accuracy. The bow she lent me was not the indestructible beginner bow, but rather an ordinary wooden short bow. I believe there is a [Fletching] skill in the game that involves crafting bows and arrows. The lowest tier of bow is the one I am holding made out of ordinary wood. The matching arrows have stone arrowheads and have a very primitive appearance. ¡°You¡¯re probably right. And here I thought I was supposed to be the one helping you.¡± ¡°Hehe¡± That got a giggle out of her. ¡°I¡¯m going to try hitting that tree again.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡± She has a mischievous grin on her face. Geez. My aim isn¡¯t that bad. I calm myself down. Focusing on the rhythm of my heart beating. After inhaling a deep breath and slowly exhaling I am ready. I hold the bow up and carefully notch an arrow on the string. Another deep breath. Drawing the string to my cheek I take aim and fire at the same tree I hit before. This time with the intention of actually hitting it. The arrow is released and soars through the air. I can hear the *twang* of the bowstring and the sound of splintering wood as the arrow finds its mark. Shortly afterwards, I can hear Gem clapping on my left side as she looks at the tree. I seemed to have hit within 1 inch of my previous arrow. Pretty damn good if I do say so myself. Although, this shot would be inefficient and impractical for actual combat. It took me around 10 seconds to take the shot and in this time I could have launched many attacks with my dagger. "Hey, that''s pretty good for your second attempt." "Thanks." At least I didn''t embarrass myself too much. "Let''s go find some more low level creatures.¡± While it would be beneficial to do more target practice, I can do that later. Right now I would rather hunt. ¡°Pfft! You manage to hit the tree and you already want to go back to moving targets." I can tell she is trying her best to hold back her laugher. "Well, we have to keeping moving if we want to make it to town before it gets dark." Twenty minutes later. "The monsters sure are sparse around here. Only one deer in 20 minutes of walking." It''s annoying, but I can''t expect too much from this close to town. "As I was saying earlier, most of the good hunting spots have been taken up." The crowd of people passing us has increased to almost a steady flow. I finally managed to find a lone deer off to the side of the road after 20 minutes. I line up to take my shot and let loose an arrow. I watch as the arrow sinks into the deer''s flank. Success!
Notification
Skill acquired: Archery Level 1
The arrow doesn''t do as much damage as I hoped, but at least I hit it. It helps having a larger target after all. "Hey! What''re those guys doing?" I look over and see Gem pointing at a group of 4 players start attacking my deer. All the players wore a red armband with acrescent moon symbol swallowing a golden cross. "Damn kill stealers!" They make short work of the deer and carry on as if nothing happened. ¡°Those bastards! See! This is what us regular players have had to deal with." Gem seems frustrated and I don''t blame her. ¡°Let¡¯s just ignore them. It¡¯s no use getting into conflict this close to the city.¡± If I had to put up with this every day I would be raging as well. Even now I am annoyed at their blatant arrogance. I engrave their faces into my memory and swear to teach them a lesson if I ever see them again. Since I am planning on heading into the city, a yellow, or even red name would not be helpful at this point. Luckily, a benefit of the combat system is that the amount of experience gained from a kill is based on how much damage was dealt by the player. When players are in a party, 50% of the experience is distributed equally among party members while the remaining amount goes to whoever dealt the damage. This is to provide a fair system and discourages leeching. Whlie for those who remain outside a party, the experience is distributed based on damage dealt. So, at the very least, I got a minuscule amount of experience from that kill. "Here''s your bow back. Let''s just carry on back to the city." "Sounds good to me." Gem is very welcoming of my suggestion. Glad to get away from these kill stealers. After another 10 minutes of walking, we come across a clearing that brings back a terrible memory. This was the spot I had stopped in on my first day for lunch. And is also near the place that I almost died for the first time. ¡°I know I said we should go straight back to the city, but let¡¯s take a detour right here. This is the spot I almost died at when I first entered the forest. I ran into a bear down by the river and, at that time, I was in no shape to fight it.¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Just remembering that moment of terror is enough to make me shiver. However, I am not the same as I was back then. I have gotten stronger and should be able to put up a good fight against it now. ¡°That must have been scary. How did you manage to survive?¡± ¡°I ran.¡± There¡¯s no use beating around the bush. I¡¯m not ashamed, because I didn¡¯t know anything back then. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Follow me. It came from across the river, and seemed rather territorial. It gave up chase after I left the area.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s territorial, then why are we going closer to where it came from?¡± Gem seems a bit nervous at my suggestion. The only way to grow stronger in this world is to go through dangers. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will be strong enough to fight it and you can provide me support from the back. Besides, this will give you a good amount of experience.¡± ¡°If you say so...¡± I move over to the river and take a look in the water. The water is crystal clear and the bottom is a mixture of rock and sand. Not many fish are present in the water. At least less than when I was last here. Perhaps the players have overfished the area and they haven''t yet respawned. Gem takes a moment to catch up with me and I happen to notice a wary look in her eyes. "Is something wrong?" If she has noticed something I haven''t then I need to be on guard. "Umm... Do we need to cross the river?" She asks with wide eyes. "The bear came from across the river, so it''s den must be somewhere in that direction. So, yes. We need to cross the river." "Uhh, I don''t do so well with water." "Really?" I had not taken her for someone afraid of water, but I guess everyone has their own Achilles heel. "The river is only about 2 feet deep at its centre and the current is very mild." "But, w-what if the current suddenly picks up and we get s-swept away." This might be more of a challenge than I thought. "I have an idea. Give me your hand." "Uwah?" I grasp her hand. It feels soft and almost fragile against mine. She trembles for a moment, but then regained her composure. Her cheeks are bright red, but she has a look of determination mixed with apprehension in her eyes. I take the first step into the river. The water is cold against my feet and the bottom is slippery. I try to make another step, but I feel a tug on my arm when I do so. When I look back Gem is standing at the banks with a worried expression on her face. "I''ll be holding on to you the whole time. Trust me." Fears can sometimes be irrational, but I imagine she must have had some trauma when she was a child that planted this seed of fear. I slowly pull her towards me, while making sure to not force her. When she takes her first step into the water I can see her stiffen. I wait a moment before moving again. This carries on until we nearly reach the opposite bank. The bottom at this side has more rocks and is a lot slipperier than the previous side. I turn around just in time to see Gem lose her footing. Thankfully, she falls towards me. I reach out my arms and catch her before she hits the water. She''s leaning up against my chest and I can hear her whimpering quietly. We hold that pose for a few minutes as the current presses against us. "Thank you." She lets out an almost inaudible sound. "That''s what I''m here for. We''re almost at the opposite bank. Do you think you are ready to try again?" "Mhmm" I see her nodding slowly. We finally make it to the other side. That scare in the middle probably didn''t help her aversion to water at all. I wonder what would happen if there is a water based dungeon in EndGame Online. Once on the other side I try to release my hand, but she holds on tight and doesn''t let go. There''s no harm in continuing like this, so I squeeze back and start leading her towards the bushes. We soon come across a small cave hidden that looks just wide enough for a bear. It is hidden at the bottom of a small hill and had we not approached from this angle it would have been easy to miss. "This looks like it could be it." "Un" As we get close to the cave an odd stench reaches my nostrils. It is sickening and smells of rotten flesh. Not that I''ve ever smelt rotten flesh before. On the surrounding trees the bark has been stripped away and coarse brown hair is scattered at their bases. "I''ll go in first to see if the bear is present and you can stay on guard out here. Okay?" "Okay." She reluctantly releases my hand and moves into a vantage position. I make my way to the cave''s entrance and look within. Not much light is able to reach into the cave, so it will be difficult to see. It''s unfortunate that I do not possess night vision. I wonder if it will be possible to get in the future. While walking into the cave, I can hear crunching at my feet. When I look down I can see hundred of bones littering the floor. I didn''t see them before due to the lack of light in the cave, but now that my vision has adjusted I am at least able to see in my immediate area. It doesn''t look like the cave is very deep. I can vaguely see what I think is the end, but there is no sign of the bear. Amongst the bones and piles of flesh there is a rectangular brown chest. I approach the chest and open its lid. What I find inside is a 2 silver coins, a handful of copper coins, a minor health potion, a pair of studded leather bracers and a plain silver ring. I gather up the loot and when I take a closer look at the ring I notice that it has a dim red light around it. On inspection I find it has a +5 strength enchantment on it, so without hesitation I equip the ring. The bracers have a level 5 requirement, so I will keep them for now and give them to Gem when she reaches the required level. She doesn¡¯t seem like the kind of person to leave immediately after receiving an item; however, I don¡¯t actually know the depths of her personality too much. It is at this time, an ear piercing scream echoes through the cave. It is coming from the entrance where Gem is. ¡°KyaAaaa!!¡± Chapter 13 - Return To Town "Kyaaaa!!!!" I can hear Gem screaming and then the surroundings suddenly become silent. I make haste to the entrance of the cave. The scene displayed outside is enough to make my heart sink. Gem is covered in blood lying on the ground not too far from the entrance, while opposite her is the bear. She''s still alive, but badly injured. I was foolish to let her stay out here all alone, but I thought the bear would be inside and I could lure it out. "Ahhhhh" I scream and charge at the bear to gather its attention. This is not the time to be making sneak attacks. The bear immediately recognizes my threat and halts it¡¯s assault on Gem to turn and face me. Without regard for my safety, I slash at it with everything I''ve got. The bear takes a swipe at me, but I skillfully duck out of range. I can feel the power of it¡¯s attack through the air flow upon my cheek. Thankfully, I was not on the receiving end of that. I strike the bear¡¯s legs aiming to disable it, but my strike only manages to go an inch deep. Nevertheless, it still does a lot of damage. This is a complete reversal of my last altercation with this beast. *Roaaarrr* The bear roars in pain and it¡¯s eyes turn red. A giant paw with razor sharp claws comes flying at me from the left, but I cannot dodge in time. I meet its attack with the copper dagger instead. *snap* Damn it! Blocking that attack just consumed the last bit of durability on my dagger. The blade snapped off at the hilt, so now all I am left with is that beginner wooden sword. I will have to make due and finish this fight quickly. Gem¡¯s health is decreasing at a steady rate as blood continues to pour out of her. She was unfortunately hit by the bear¡¯s special attack [Maul], which causes bleeding damage. She might not survive if I cannot finish this fight soon. Utilizing my higher dexterity, I dance around the bear landing a hit every second. The bear is unable to keep up with my actions, but doing this drains my stamina quickly. Luckily, I soon get the bear''s health down to less than 10%. It is limping and unable to put up a proper defence due to my aim at disabling it when dealing damage. A couple of hits later it finally collapses to the ground and ceases breathing. Without paying the beast a second glance I run over towards Gem. Her face is pale and I can see she has only a minuscule sliver of health left. I get down on my knees and lift up her head and cradle her in my arms. *cough* She weakly cracks open her eyes and stares into my eyes. At this point tears are pouring out of my eyes, but she just weakly smiles. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t expect *cough* that my life would end like this.¡± No! I will not let you die! How can I help her? My mind starts racing a thousand miles a minute. That''s when it hit me. The loot chest. I had gotten a health potion! I open my inventory and bring out the potion. Popping off the lid, I bring the bottle to Gems lips. She is on the verge of losing consciousness, but I force that potion down her throat. I tilt her head back, plug her nose, and massage her throat to get it down. "Come on... Come back to me! Don''t die on me now.¡± I may have just met her earlier today, but we quickly became friends and I don''t want to watch her die in front of me. Before all of this started I was just an ordinary person. Although I have witnessed a traumatic death in the past, that was in the hospital. I keep holding her in my arms. It is not long before I see her wounds closing up and her complexion becoming a rosy pink. I feel a wave of relief wash over me. That was too close. She would have died If I had not received the health potion from that chest. Gem begins to open her eyes and looks up at my teary face. ¡°Stop crying you big oaf. I¡¯m alright.¡± I want to back away once I realize how foolish I must look, but as I am about to move Gem rests her head against me and lets out a quiet ¡°Thank you¡±. We sit like that for a while and I can¡¯t help but look down from time to time. In the real world I have had little close contact with the opposite gender, so I just continue to hold her as the healing potion works its magic. The effect lasts for a minute, but it felt like an eternity. I could have staying like that for longer, but Gem starts to stir. ¡°We should get going if we want to make it back to town before dark.¡± She is calm for someone who almost died, ¡°And this time NO detours.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I awkwardly release her and we both get onto our feet. ¡°Before we leave I have some things to give you.¡± I hand over the studded leather greaves. ¡°I obtained these from a chest in the bear¡¯s cave. When you get to level 5, they should provide a good boost to your stats.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± She looks down at her newly obtained gear as if looking at a treasure. ¡°But, what about you? You were the one to defeat the bear. I was... only in the way...¡± ¡°Nonsense. You were not in the way,¡± I quickly deny it, ¡°I cannot use these anyways. Bracers are to provide protection for an archer¡¯s arm from injury.¡± I could use it myself, but I would rather give her the extra defence, so I lied. In EndGame Online there are level requirements for some items, but there are no class requirements from what i''ve seen. I pick up the drops from the bear and start making my way back through the bushes. We have to cross the river again to get back to the road. So, this time I take extra care that Gem does not slip on the rocks again. She seemed to handle the river well. I guess the whole bear fiasco made this fear take a back seat in her mind. No more detours. As we are walking down the road I notice Gem is following very close behind me. We pass along many players who give us contemptuous looks. I notice most of those looks are directed towards me, so I brush it off. Once we get into town my plan is to buy as many smithing supplies as I can and get to work. I wonder if Darkbond is still around and remembers our deal. Although, I did not keep to the three day schedule, but considering what happened after we made our deal I think it should be fine.
Send message to player: Darkbond
"Hey Darkbond, do you remember me? I''ll be coming into town shortly and I am wondering if you remember what we talked about earlier." The messaging system is more like a video recording. Hopefully it goes through. The trip becomes uneventful as we stroll through the forest. We only stop to hunt small animals that are right beside the road; however, this was enough for Gem to reach level 4. After a few kills, I receive a notification on my UI.
Notification
Player: Darkbond has sent you a message
The message is in the form of a hologram recording that rested on my palm. It reminds me of those science fiction movies with a small holographic person speaking. "Quinn! Good to hear from you. Of course I remember our deal. My guild is called Subestimar by the way. Oh! I¡¯ve gotten a bunch of my guild members to buy out as much copper ore and bars as we could. All we need now is a blacksmith. ¡°Blacksmiths have become a hot commodity here and we have been unable to secure one. During the rioting many NPCs died, including all of the blacksmiths and fletchers. I guess people were in too much of a rush to get ahead. Therefore, only players are available for these skills and even those are few. Send me a message when you get back and we can meet up." It''s understandable that they have become rare now that the NPCs have died. Blacksmithing, Fletching, and the other crafts are not learnt like the basic combat skills such as swordsmanship and archery. They require a quest or a job to learn the craft like the one I did for that old man. I wonder how many NPCs are left from the other professions. He didn''t mention them, so I imagine they at least have one or two. Even so, there should still be those in the small villages, so I don''t understand where the shortage is coming from. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "Who was that?" "That was a guy I met in the colosseum. He''s part of a guild called... Umm, I can''t remember the name. Anyways, we had a deal that he would purchase raw goods for me and I would then process them." "Oh? You know a crafting skill?" "Yea, blacksmithing. Learnt it in the first few hours of the game." Those few hours of naivety were great. There was nothing to worry about, and I could just enjoy EndGame Online as a game. "What! Blacksmithing!!" She sighs in amazement, "Ahh I''m jealous." "Is it such a rare skill?" "It''s probably one of the two rarest production skills. As your friend said: all the NPC blacksmiths and fletchers were killed during the rioting. But what he didn''t mention was that those in the surrounding villages also met a similar end." ¡°W-what!?¡± That poor old man is probably dead by now. "Mhmm. Now, you tell me if it''s rare or not." "But, how?" "Among the general players nobody knows exactly how they all died, but a few of us noticed that the Sacred Order has been gathering up all the few blacksmiths under their wing. Those who didn''t comply were met with fierce resistance and suppression. By now all of the blacksmiths have joined a major guild, so us regular players have to purchase goods at exorbitant prices. ¡°Currently the Sacred Order has a monopoly over the supply; therefore, many players are forced to purchase from them which increases their degree of influence over the town. There are probably only a few players like yourself to spend so much time deep in the forest." "Damn. Well it''s a good thing I have this skill, but I don''t plan on solely doing blacksmithing in this game." This skill will help me stay a step ahead of the average player. Hmm... New plan. I will stay here and grind out until I am a level 2 blacksmith. Although, I don''t know how long that will take. I could probably manage it in a couple days if I do nothing but blacksmithing. But, what about Gem? I don''t know if she would be willing to stay and it would be selfish of me to ask it of her. "Hey, Gem?" "Yea?" "I might stay here longer than previously planned. I''m going to try and raise my blacksmithing skill to level 2 as quickly as possible before heading out." "Okay." She seems to agree very quickly. "I''ll do some tailoring while I wait for you." "Huh? You know tailoring?" "Mhmm" She nods while smiling brightly. "I''ve been using all the pelts from hunting to make clothes and armour. How else do you think I would have gotten enough money to afford this armour?" "So, if I were to give you all the pelts I have collected, you would be able to make them into clothing?" "Yup!" ¡°Great. When we get to town I''ll pass you these pelts." That''s one less thing to worry about. "This is perfect. I was worried that you might not be willing to wait too long." The spaces between the trees eventually have become wider and the foliage less dense. It would appear we are almost at the city. The closer we get the more I can see players wearing red armbands with that golden symbol. Pretty much every third player has this armband. It goes to show the scale of that guild. The armband reminds me of an important part of history involving a horrendous dictatorship. I wonder why they have chosen this method to display their allegiance. I can now see those familiar city walls. The gate seems to have a lot of activity passing through it. Standing near the entrance is a group of Sacred Order players. They approach us when we get close. "Halt! You must pay the entrance tax. 10 Tor or 10% of your earnings." The man whom I assume has the highest seniority amongst them says this in an arrogant tone. "What''s up with these characters?" I turn and whisper to Gem. "I don''t know. They weren''t here earlier." She also seems confused. "This is ridiculous." When i look at their levels, the followers are level 3 while the one who spoke is level 4. I ignore him and continue walking through the gate. My actions are like a slap in the face to him, so he instructs his cronies to block my path. "C''mon boys. Let''s teach this brat a lesson!" "You''re gonna get it now." "Piss off!" I am really annoyed right now. Just where do these guys get their arrogance from? They are only relying on a guild to bully the common player. I effortlessly push them out of my way using my high strength to clear a path. Since the system recognized that they had hostile intentions towards me and the city itself is a safe zone I do not get penalized for my actions. They seem to have realized I am no pushover. "You won''t get away with this! You can forget about purchasing weapons and armour in this city." "Oh? And just how are you going to enforce this?" "We already have your image and it will be sent to all our shops in town." He sneers. "Doesn''t matter. Since it is like this let me give you a warning. If I ever see you alone outside of this city... Hehe... you can forget about ever seeing the light of day again." My voice becomes cold as my killing intent is released. I¡¯ve learnt my lesson from those thieves from earlier. Those who treat me with kindness I will reciprocate that kindness 10 fold, but those who dare cross me will feel my wrath. In this environment where the strong prey on the weak I cannot be lenient towards my enemies. Even if I have to go against the largest guild in EndGame Online, I must stick to this set of principles. My words seem to have scared him. He starts trembling, but quickly regains his composure. ¡°Y-You dare to go against the Sacred Order? Your days are numbered!" "That''s the idea." With that I walk away with Gem in tow. ¡°Umm... Don''t you think that was a bit excessive? You could have just given them the 10 copper." Gem seems concerned. "It''s a matter of principle. Today it is 10 copper, but tomorrow it may be 15 copper." I further explain. "These types of people will never stop until the opposite party is totally suppressed and by then it will be too late to do anything." "But, they control the majority of the town and are supported by the people." "That doesn''t matter." I won''t put up with those types of people if i can help it. "I''ll trust you" We are now on a major street in the town. It is a lot more crowded compared with the last time I passed through here. Before heading to find a inn I suggest going to a general store first to pick up a few supplies. My mind first goes to the store I visited before I left. "I know a general store around here. Let''s go there first and pick up a few things." "Okay." I soon see a familiar sign down the road and head towards it. The Honest Swordsman seems to be doing good business. A constant stream of players is going in and out of the shop. Without stopping, I enter the shop and see it packed full of players. This makes sense since it is near the end of the day and players would want to sell the results of their day¡¯s labor. I select a new set of villager clothes since they cost 10 Tor for the pair. A much better use of my money. In the corner of the shop I see a portable anvil and forge. These were not here the last time I passed through. I pick them up and gather a few other necessities as well such as coal and a wooden barrel. I see Gem has already bought a bunch of sewing supplies and is waiting for me. I''m surprised that she is not looking through all the different items, but seeing a girl who knows what she wants and doesn''t waste time when shopping I am not complaining. Taking my items I walk up to the counter. Behind the counter is not the same shopkeeper as before. If I''m not mistaken this is a player. "Hello, I would like to purchase these items." "Hmm lets see.. Your total amounts to 226 Tor. The anvil and forge are discounted since nobody was willing to buy it." "Here you go." I pass the clerk 2 silver and 26 copper, and put the items into my inventory. "Thank you, come again." "You get what you need?" Gem inquires. "Yep." I equip the new set of villager clothes. "Brand new clothes. How do I look?" "I don''t know. I had gotten used to seeing you in those rags." Gem replies with a mischievous smile. "They served me well. Do you know of a good place to stay?" "Mhmm." She nods. "Follow me." Gem leads me through the crowds towards the centre of town. "I did a few jobs for a lady in town who happens to own an inn and she has been letting me stay there for a cheap rate." She explains as she walks. "We should be able to find a room there. It''s one of the more popular places in town and is always full. However, we should be able to get a room in the back." "Sounds good to me." I try to keep up with Gem, but she is moving very fast through the crowds. It doesn''t take long for her to get too far ahead of me that I cannot see her. I stop and look around, but cannot find her. I get prepared to send her a message, but as I am selecting the option from the menu, I feel a heavy tapping on my shoulder. Chapter 14 - The Prancing Mare "There you are." I turn around, but the person behind me is not Gem. "Huh?" "Fancy meeting you here." The man says with a wide grin on his face. "I didn''t expect to run into you so soon." The man I see before me is dressed in full copper plate mail armour and has an imposing air about him. He has a rugged look and sports a rough beard. His eyes are calm as if they could pierce right through me, but there is no hostility on his face. He is someone I met on that fateful day. Darkbond. "Haha, small world eh?" I am obviously pleased to see him. "I just got into town and was going to send you a messagetomorrow." "Yea, I was just heading to my inn to meet with a few of my guild mates when I saw you standing here looking lost.¡± "Where are you staying?" ¡°I¡¯m staying at our guild headquarters, but a lot of the guys are boarding at an inn. It''s a place called The Rusty Shield. Very cheap rooms and decent food. Have you found a place to stay yet?" He brushes it off as unimportant. "Oh nice. I''ve hopefully got a place to stay. That is if my friend makes it back. We got separated just now and I was about to send her a message." "I see." A short conversation of exchanging pleasantries later, "I would like to stay and chat for longer, but I''m already late as is. Let''s meet uptomorrowand I can introduce you to some of the guys." "Sure, sounds good." "Take care." With that, he heads off into the crowd. A minute later I feel another tapping on my shoulder.Seriously, what is with people tapping other¡¯s shoulders from behind. If this were not a safety zone, anyone approaching from behind would be considered a threat. I turn around and see Gem looking at me with wide eyes. "Hehe. You lost?" She says with a mischievous grin, "Follow me." This time rather than running off, she grabs my hand a drags me through the crowd. I can feel the envious eyes of some onlookers as we pass by. I¡¯m being led around by a beauty, yet I have the appearance of a beggar. We travel for 20 minutes like this until we arrive in front of a giant building. This building is set a little bit away from the main road and is separated by a tall stone wall surround the compound. At the entrance is an elaborate iron gate with images of flowers worked in. Above the gate are the words ¡®The Prancing Mare¡¯. The walkway to the building consists of hand laid brickwork in a spiralling pattern. To either side are bright, lush green grass and massive flower beds in full bloom surrounding water fountains. The fountains are running on magic rather than electricity, which is an interesting concept to get around. Apparently, a society developing along the path of magic has an almost nonexistent need for electricity. However, not everyone knows how to use magic. Non mage classes must learn magic through a quest or something similar. It would be worthwhile checking that out later. Closer to the building are plenty of patio chairs and wooden tables under canopies. Each of these seats is occupied by players, while serving girls weave through the jungle of chair with food and drinks. "Umm, didn''t you say this place was 10 Tor a night..." "It''s a special rate." She left it at that. ¡°Is that so.¡± While I am admiring the atmosphere, Gem walk up to one of the greeters. "Hi! Is Lady Alenia nearby?" She greets in a friendly manner. ¡°Ah, Gem! You''re back so soon.¡± The greeter looks Gem up and down before a look of suspicion appears in her expression, ¡°I thought you said you would be out for few days." "So did I,¡± Gem pauses, ¡°But, there was a change of plans." "Oh?¡± The greeter peers over Gems shoulder, and looks at me with a mischievous gaze. "Who''s this?" "His name is Quinn. I met him partway in the forest and he ended up saving my life. Quinn, this is Meira." The greeter changes the way she looks at me, and politely bows. "Thank you so much for saving Gem!¡± I can see a hint of gratitude in her eyes. ¡°She is such a sweet girl, but gets in over her head sometimes." "You''re welcome. Though, it is partly my fault why she got into a situation that needed saving in the first place."More like fully my fault. "Shall I guide you in? Or will you be alright on your own?" "If you would guide us to Lady Alenia that would be perfect.¡± "Certainly." The two girls walk ahead of me. I can see them whispering to each other, but I cannot hear what is being said. We are led inside the building and I am very impressed by what I see. This is definitely a high class establishment catering to the financially well off. There is more seating and a bar on the inside, but even those spots are all taken up. Unfortunately, most of the patrons have that familiar red armband on, but it''s to be expected since they are the most powerful guild at the moment. We are led toward the bar where an absolutely peerless beauty was serving beverages. Her golden hair is tied up in an elaborate bun and held in place with a hairpin in the shape of a phoenix. Her unblemished skin displays a youthful shine and her bewitching eyes could ensnare any man¡¯s heart. She wears an eloquent dress that flows along her body accentuating her feminine curves. But all of this pales to the mature charm this enchantress emits just by being in her presence. Any man would be willing to die for her. I can see why this place is so popular, especially among male patrons. "Lady Alenia,¡± Meira grabs her attention, ¡°Gem has returned already." "Oh?" The enchantress looks up and a smile that could charm a thousand men lights up her face. "So she has. Wonderful! "Meira, can you finish pouring these drinks? I will go into the lounge and have a chat with Gem and her guest." When I feel her eyes upon me, I involuntarily gulp. "This way." Gem and I are led by Lady Alenia towards a private booth in the back. The seats are made of soft leather and wrap around half of a circular table. A curtain is drawn after we sit down and the extraneous sound is cut off. It silencing spell must be cast upon the curtain. "Before we get to business, aren''t you going to introduce me to your friend?" She asks in a seductive voice. "Lady Alenia, this is my new friend Quinn.¡± She pauses, ¡°Quinn, this is Lady Alenia. She is the owner of this inn.¡± ¡°P-pleased to meet you." I try to greet her in a respectful tone. "The pleasure is mine.¡± She smiles sweetly, ¡°Now tell me, how did the two of you meet?" She rests her hands upon the table as Gem begins to narrate our story. "We met about half a day''s walk outside of town. . . . . . And then we came here to stay the night." Other than the occasional nod, ''mhmm'', or ''I see'', Lady Alenia quietly, and attentively listened to Gem tell the story. "That''s quite the story. I''m glad you''re safe though." A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "So am I." I can''t help but look at Gem as I say this. She notices and reciprocates with an added smile. I cannot believe it has only been a day. It feels like this day went on forever, but I''m glad everything worked out in the end. "So, you would like to stay here tonight. Yes?" "That''s right.¡± Gem affirms, ¡°I was hoping to use the room in the back again if you don''t mind." "Ahh dear. That''s no trouble at all, but is it alright with you?" "What do you mean?" Gem seems confused by her comment. "I assume you would like your friend to stay as well." "That''s right." Gem still doesn''t follow what Lady Alenia is saying, but I think I''ve figured it out. "I only have the one room available; however, it does have two beds." Yup, I was right. "Oh." Gems immediately becomes bashful with her face flushed red. ¡°If that¡¯s the case then I don¡¯t mind. I trust him.¡± ¡°That settles it.¡± She declares, ¡°You know where the room is, so I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± Lady Alenia gets up and releases the curtains. ¡°I¡¯ve got to get back to the bar. I¡¯ll get Meira to bring you something to eat.¡± We remain seated after she leaves, but neither of us says a word. Yet, it is not an awkward silence. I woke up today on the roof of an abandoned cabin, fought with bandits, met a girl, exacted my revenge against that bear, and now I am in a high class establishment. It is nice to have quiet time after a full day to unwind. It took about 10 minutes for Meira to arrive with plates of hot food. ¡°Here you are and don¡¯t worry about the cost. It¡¯s on the house¡± She doesn¡¯t waver and immediately takes off back to the main dining area. The plates have huge portion sizes and the smell reminds me of the real world. I have been eating poorly cooked meat and preserved food for the past week and so this meal is heaven sent. Without standing on ceremony I dig in and savour the multitude of flavours. The main course is prime rib steak cooked medium rare with a side of steamed vegetables. On the side there is a warm bun with soft butter and to drink is a glass of cool beer. The meat is so tender it just melts in my mouth and the vegetables were cooked to perfection. The beer goes down smooth and has a light hoppy taste. This is paradise. Soon the meal is gone and I am left with a satisfying full feeling. It would be nice if I could eat here every day. Once Gem has finished her meal we head over to the room. It is getting late and I am exhausted. What I would like right now would be to have a long deep sleep in a place where I do not have to worry about being attacked throughout the night. Gem opens the door to the room and I am not disappointed by what I see. This quaint spare room may not be as fancy as the ones in the main inn, yet it is better than what one may find at a second rate inn. There are two double beds on opposite sides of the room with fresh, neatly folded linen. In the centre of the room is a circular rug lain over the hardwood floors. Against one of the walls is a wooden desk with a simplistically designed candle holder. Near the entrance is a full washroom with a cast iron bathtub. The plumbing is all controlled by magic and even includes heated water. Everything is spotless and it seems like they regularly clean this room. I take a bath using the cast iron tub and then I plop myself on the nearest bed to enjoy the feeling of lying down. The mattress is soft, yet firm and has a slight bounce to it. This world still has some modern luxuries despite technically being a more medieval setting and for that I am glad. "Ahh. A real bed at last.¡± I release a breath full of pent up tension, ¡°It makes me think of what I went through to get to this point." I am so comfortable that I could fall asleep right away. ¡°I¡¯m going to step out and go meet up with some friends.¡± Without even 5 minutes passing Gem already wants to go out again. Oh well, it¡¯s her choice. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to try to get some rest. I guess I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡± ¡°Good night.¡± ¡°A full week into this game already huh...¡± Before my consciousness fades away I hear a faint voice coming from the other side of the door. "What I went through to get to this point..."
----------------Change of POV-------------------- On a cloud floating above the city of Fairhaven, a middle aged man stands with his arms crossed behind his back. He peers down at the players below, watching as they struggle to survive. Those below are unable to see this man, but if they could, they would notice that this was Cris Varnyne. The man holding them all hostage. His face remains expressionless and his affect flat, as if void of emotion. The players resemble ants from this viewpoint, while he is holding the magnifying glass. His task is underway, and all that remains is to await movement on the other side. Cris waves his right hand, opening a screen before him. On this screen are depictions of news programs across North America. One program in particular caught his interest. This program was from July 12th, the day after EndGame Online was released. ¡°Breaking News: The World Health Organization has put out a call for action in regards to the recent wake of terror that is EndGame Online. A list of those who have obtained the gaming helmet and are connected to the system has been provided by Sky Royal Studios. Federal governments are working in conjunction with Sky Royal Studios and local municipalities to find these players. However, hospitals remain overcrowded and an insufficient amount of beds are available to accommodate these patients. A nation-wide code orange has been called. If you know anyone logged into the system or have any information, please contact our hotline at 1-800-XXX-XXXX¡± As Cris stares into the screen, a faint smile appears on his otherwise blunted face. Most of his positive emotions were lost as his humanity was forcefully stripped away. A conscious entity is all that remains. He inputs some commands into his menu and soon those four cloaked figures from before appeared off to the side one by one. However, this time their faces were exposed. They have the appearance of regular people without any outstanding characteristics. Three are males while there is one female. ¡°I want you four to compile a list of outstanding players in the game. Pay close attention to those with the highest potential.¡± ¡°It will be done.¡± The female cloaked figures says aloud. The figures bow simultaneously and then teleport one by one back into the city below. *Sigh* ¡°A lot has happened to get to this point...¡± His figure flashes for a brief moment. In that moment, an old man with stringy white hair replaces the middle aged figure; however, the image abruptly returns back to it¡¯s previous state. ¡°Hur Hur. It seems they have someone competent on their side.¡± Chapter 15 - A Morning In Town When I woke the next morning, I was in a proper bed with a roof over my head. It was heaven compared to my nights camping out under the stars. I almost return to my previous way of life of not wanting to get out of bed and sleeping in; however, there are things that need to get done today. I need to meet with Darkbond and then start on my action plan. Maybe just a few more minutes. I unknowingly drift back to sleep before being awoken a few minutes later to the sound of movement on the floor above me. I reluctantly haul myself out of bed leaving behind the comfort of the warm covers in exchange for the cool, brisk air. When I look across the room at the second bed I notice Gem still sleeping, so rather than waking her up, I leave the room before making any noise. It is still early in the day, but the inn workers are already busy getting ready for the day. Most of the workers are NPCs, but there are a few players mixed in with them as well. I certainly would not want to spend my valuable time working, but viewing it from a perspective of wanting a secure and safe way to earn money, I can sympathize with them. I go up to the kitchen area, so that I can place my order for breakfast. In the kitchen the chefs starting up their stoves with their assistants running around carrying different ingredients and cookware. A user could get good cooking experience if they were to land a job like this, but personally, I would not pay an exorbitant sum of money for a meal prepared by a level 1 or 2 chef. I can barely even stand the taste of my own level 1 cooking. "Good morning! Am I able to put an order in for breakfast?" "Morning. You''re up fairly early. We just got the stoves started up, but you''re welcome to place an order." A woman in her mid thirties greets me. While she may not be an exceptional beauty like the serving girls, she still has a certain charm. It seems all the staff at the Prancing Mare inn are female. I haven''t yet seen one male among the staff, but on the other hand most of the customers are male. "I would like some bacon and eggs with a side of hash browns." "Such a greasy breakfast. If you''re not careful you might end up with clogged arteries, you know?" It would appear that this woman is a player. I don''t think an NPC would be aware of the concept of clogged arteries. "Thanks, but I don''t think that will happen in EndGame Online." "You may be right." She says while seemingly deep in thought. "Your food should be ready in 10-15 minutes. Since there is no one else here, I''ll bring the food to your table when it''s ready." "Thanks. Now how much will this cost?" "Oh, it''s free of charge for Gem''s guest." She says with a warming smile. It pays to have connections, but I am shocked at how many people know Gem around here. It would seem she is very popular. Rather than eating in the main dining area, I choose to sit in the staff area. The seating arrangement is simplistic compared to the customer area. The table and chairs are made of plain wood, but they serve their purpose. I don''t have to wait long for my meal to arrive. It pays to arrive early. "Here you go hun. One bacon and eggs with a side of hash browns." The meal I am served is fresh off the stove and I can see steam rising from it. "Thanks." The meal reminds me of a common breakfast I had at my home. However, the ingredients here are fresher and simply having it made for me already makes it better. She doesn''t stay around and immediately heads back to the kitchen. I quickly finish up the meal and leave my dirty dishes in the designated bin. This morning has gotten off to a lazy start; however, but I don¡¯t plan on doing nothing all day. I might as well send a message to Darkbond before I leave. Today I will meet up with Darkbond''s guild mates and then get to work on smithing. It would be nice if real life had an experience bar that I could watch increase. I feel it gives an easy way of monitoring progress and a sense of accomplishment for achieving goal marks. In the real world I would have great difficulty finding the motivation to do the same task over and over, yet when I am playing games I am able to grind for hours without getting bored. It¡¯s weird how that works. I bring up my user menu and send a message to Darkbond. "Good morning. When would you like to meet up today? I don''t know my way around town, so maybe it''s best if you come to the Prancing Mare. It''s the place I''m staying at right now." Alright. Message sent. I don''t know if he''ll be awake yet, but I should get a response when he does. I make my way out of the kitchen area and can see the first trickle of players coming into the restaurant. The type of player that has the money to stay here overnight would have to be part of the larger guilds core players. However, the only recognizable guild is the . I step outside onto the patio area and find a seat. The crisp morning air spreads through my lungs and brings along a feeling of freshness. The dew draws out and accentuates the aroma of the flowerbeds. I sit down on one of the lawn chairs on the patio deck and lean against the hard wooden back while closing my eyes. Not long after, I receive a message notification. [Player: Darkbond has sent you a message.] "Morning. I got your message. I''ll come by the Prancing Mare soon and I''ll show you to the store we have rented." Oh? They have a store? That should be interesting. I imagine soon many player owned businesses will spring up. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. As I am seated outside many players pass me by as they make their way into the inn. A few players have come onto the patio with their plates of food and they settle around the tables. My peace has been disturbed, but it will only get worse as the day goes on. As I am thinking of this, I can hear someone approaching me from behind. Turning my head, I can see Gem smiling at me as she approaches. "You have a good sleep?" Gem inquires, "You look well rested." "Mhmm. Best sleep I''ve had all week. How late did you stay up?" "About an hour or so longer than you. I spent the time helping out the staff." "Helping out?" I look at her with a puzzled expression. "Weren''t you tired?" "I was, but I want to help out as much as I can since Lady Alenia is letting us stay here for only 10 Tor a night. The regular rooms go for at least 10 times that rate." "You should have told me earlier. I would have helped out." I feel bad for freeloading. "That wouldn''t do at all. You''re my guest and besides this inn only employs women. Even menial tasks are done by women." "Yea I noticed that. Why is that?" "I''m not sure of the exact reason, but I know that Lady Alenia is unwilling to have males work here." "By the way, I will be meeting a friend today. He will be coming around soon to lead me to his guild shop." "Okay. I''ll stay around here today and help out." "Haha I can see why everyone likes you around here. Oh, let me give you all the pelts I''ve collected." I open up a trade window and put everything in it. I trust her to not run off with them. "Wow!" She looks at the window with amazement. "There are so many. How did you get all of these?" "Well it took me 6 days of hunting to acquire them. I was initially going to sell them, but it would be better for you to process them." "Thank you!" Gem says with a beaming smile. "I''ll get started right away." Gem happily runs off toward the street. As she is running along, she passes by a familiar face. I chuckle as I watch Darkbond turn his head and watch Gem run past him. "Hey!" "Morning. How did you manage to afford to stay at this place." He says as he admires the scenery. "Haha I didn''t have to pay anything. It helps having connections." "Damn. I''ve heard about this place. You''ve gotta hook me up and help introduce me to some of the girls." I had previously taken him for an upright guy, but this behavior is just shameless. "I''m just a freeloader here myself, so you can forget about getting anything out of me." "Fine." He says while looking dejected, "Oh yeah. Who was that girl you were talking to? The one who was running just now." "She''s a friend." I don''t want him getting any ideas on her, so I give an abrupt reply. "Maybe later you can introduce us. Anyway, let me take you to our shop." We continue talking as he leads me to his guilds shop. The city has woken up and thousands of players are already out in the streets. Many of them do not look well off, and over half are still wearing the villager clothes. Along the streets I can see multiple shops opening their doors. It seems to be a mix of NPC and player own shops. I was told that during the riots many NPC shopkeepers lost their lives and the players quickly found out that they did not respawn. Many of the shop¡¯s assets were then sold off cheaply to help repair damages and then the ownerless shops themselves were sold off to player guilds. Darkbond informed me that his guild mates put together all of their funds and were just barely able to purchase a small, two floor, building. He hasn¡¯t told me what they plan on selling, but he says the ground floor will be the storefront, while the second floor will be their headquarters. As we are walking along I frequently see groups of players with that familiar red armband going through the crowds. The general populace makes way for these players, and I can tell they don''t want to offend them. ¡°Pfft. They are everywhere aren¡¯t they.¡± I point to the Sacred Order guild members. ¡°It¡¯s only been the last couple days that they have gotten particularly bad. With the monopoly over blacksmiths any who dares cross them will find themselves put on their blacklist.¡± ¡°Haha i¡¯m probably on their blacklist as well.¡± ¡°What! How did this happen? Didn¡¯t you just get back to town last night?¡± ¡°Those bastards tried to charge me a tax upon entering the city and then proceeded to assault me when I refused them.¡± ¡°Sigh, They are getting worse and worse, but everyone¡¯s too afraid to go against them.¡± Darkbond looks somewhat helpless while saying this. As I am watching one of these groups in the distance I can see a skinny male player who was unable to get out of the way in time. The oncoming group knocks him down and proceeds to trample over him. They seem to be saying something to the man, but all I can see is the contemptuous look on the group member''s faces. The nearby players watching this scene don''t even intervene to stop them. As if they are simply glad it is not them. Seeing this scene I am reminded of a saying, but I cannot quite remember it fully. I know I will butcher it, but the principle is there. It goes something like: First they came for the disabled, and I stood by and watched. Because I am not disabled. Then they came for the weak, and I stood by and watched. Because I am not weak. Then they came for my neighbours, and I stood by and watched. Because it is not my household. Then they came for me. But, there was nobody left to protect me. Chapter 16 - Subestimar ¡°Here it is¡± I look upon a quaint little shop sandwiched between two larger buildings. The shop¡¯s roof is made of red clay tile, which reminds me of those old european cities I have visited. It¡¯s constructed of wood and has two large windows on the ground floor and one circular window on the second. Darkbond had sent a message ahead of our arrival, so when we get to the door, a man was waiting for us. The player has short brown hair, black eyes, and a crooked nose. He is dressed in modest clothing that is a clear upgrade from my standard village clothes. ¡°Guild leader. Everyone is waiting for you upstairs.¡± The man speaks in a respectful tone to Darkbond. He briefly glances at me and then proceeds to walk inside. The inside of the store consists of many shelves, which once would have contained merchandise. However, the shelves are currently in a barren state with no signs of being stocked. Despite that, the shop does look well maintained. "What do you plan on selling here?" I ask Darkbond. "We plan on selling things made from item drops. Rather than going to the market and using a third party, once we get a big enough stock then we will be able to sell directly to the customers." He says proudly. "Hmm. That sounds all well and good, but how will you get the customers here in the first place?" "That is where you come in my friend." He places his hand on my shoulder. "We will sell a few of the weapons you craft for us. That''ll help us draw them in." "Yet, the amount I can make will be limited and I don''t plan on falling behind on levelling." I am hesitant to spend too much time crafting, because I want to be a front line fighter. While I am interested in blacksmithing, I view it more as a hobby and now, in the advent of the shortage, a way to make money. They may try, but I will not be guilted into mass producing items. I would rather make something I am proud of; however, I understand for the initial stages it will be necessary to do some grinding. "As long as we even have a few products people will be willing to pay." "You''re probably right." Darkbond leads me upstairs to the second floor. The wooden stairway is narrow and each step lets out a high pitched creek as I step down. There is no railing, but at least the steps are not steep. The upstairs has a short landing and fours door, one which I assume leads to their meeting room. The player who guided us in takes a guard position by the door. Darkbond proceeds to open the door and motions for me to enter. What I see inside is four players on either side of a rectangular table. I stop at the end of the table near the entrance while Darkbond continues towards the opposite end beneath the window. "So is this him?" "Must be." I can hear them whispering to each other as I take my place. The player who first let us in the building is standing at the entrance to this room. "Alright everyone quiet down." Darkbond gets them under control. "I would like to introduce you all to my friend, Quinn. He is the one with the blacksmithing skill I told you about." "Hello." I try to add some confidence to my voice. "What he says is indeed true. I have the smithing skill, but have not worked on it for a week now. I plan to do a lot of smithing over the next few days and grind to level 2." ""Level 2?!"" "That''s right." Darkbond interjects. "Quinn is already aware of rarity of blacksmiths and the need for armour and weapons. He is willing to help us in exchange for the raw materials and a cut of the profit. ¡°Now, before we start I will introduce you to everyone. From the left we have Cheetos, Arctic Flame, Watson, and Angelmaker. We are the five leaders of Subestimar. You have already met Chaos Lynx, he''s standing guard outside this room." From what I can see, all of them are young males in their 20''s to 30''s. Cheetos is a rogue with dirty blonde hair and fair skin. He is wearing a flimsy looking set of leather armour and has a headband covering his forehead. He gives a brief nod towards me as his name was called out. Arctic Flame is a warrior with dark black hair reaching his shoulders. He is wearing a light leather armour with a copper chest plate. When his name is called he sends a glare in my direction. I only just met him and he is already inhospitable. Watson is a Mage with short brown hair in a crew cut. He looks like a military type and is dressed in a simplistic blue cloth robe. He smiles towards me as his name is called out. He gives me the sense of a strategist and will most likely be one of the more prominent figures in the guild. Angelmaker is a priest and looks very unassuming. He is wearing what looks to be a brown friar robe without any decoration. He too gives a slight nod as his name is called out. "We are the original five guild members, and now we have upwards of 200-300 members under our banner." The gear on these five leaders are not the greatest, but they are better than the majority of players I have seen so far. "The majority of our guild members lack proper armour and have been forced to rely on thin leather gear. The defence on those is enough for the little creatures, but anything bigger and it is not effective." Darkbond begins to explain, "One of the selling points in our recruitment was that we could get our hands on armour for cheap. Some players were discontent that we have been unable to provide the armour so far, but most were willing to stay for that promise. Of course we had some that left, but those types of unloyal players are not needed here." The others gave off grunts of approval. "We wouldn''t have to put up with this if the system didn''t make those without the production skills fail if they don''t have the skill." Arctic Flame is not impressed about having to rely on an outsider. However, I do agree that imposed limitation in a virtual reality game is not entirely logical. Though I will admit that anyone without the skill who tries it without training will most likely fail. If I were given some fabric and asked to sew together a tunic I would fail miserably. I could tell the guild leaders were getting worried, but seeing as I am here now that worry should fade somewhat. "At least we have Quinn. Most guilds are struggling financially over this." Watson the voice of reason adds. "Curse the Sacred Order!¡± Arctic Flame pounds his fist on the table, ¡°It''s obvious they are behind this!" The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. "We all know, but there is nothing that can be done about it. Every day they gain more power." Angelmaker reasons. "Have you guys heard the rumors?" Cheetos leans on the table and glances side to side as if he is about to share a big secret. "Which ones?" Arctic Flame inquires. "Word is going around that Sacred Order has a level 2 blacksmith." ¡°¡°What?!¡±¡± "Mhmm." "How do you know?" I inquire. "People have noticed the top members of their guild wearing bronze armour and wielding bronze weapons." "What if they obtained it through loot chests?" Arctic Flame offers up an alternative theory. This could be very plausible, because I found a piece of armour yesterday in a loot chest. "Those are too rare. Besides, if that were the case then it would be seen on other players as well." Watson reasons. "Precisely!¡± Cheetos continues, ¡°Other than on their top players bronze equipment has not been seen anywhere else. If I were them, I would want to dominate it within my own guild." ¡°Watson, how much ore have you managed to obtain?" Darkbond finally speaks up. "We have over 1500 pieces of copper, around 200 tin, 16 iron and 650 coal." "Very good. How does that sound Quinn?" "How much did all that cost?" "It was actually very inexpensive. The price of ores is down due to the lack of demand and large supply stock." Watson explains. "One of the common jobs anyone can do is working in the mines, it trains a skill and is profitable; therefore, a lot of copper ore is brought up each day. However, that has caused the prices to go down." The typical supply and demand, but this is good news for me. "We won''t charge you for the copper ore and will give you 65% of the profits from our sales. How does that sound?" Hmm. If I were to take the copper dagger price, which I saw was around 30 Tor when I was walking through town. I would get 19.5 Tor, giving them a profit of near 10 Tor for supplying the ore. For the higher priced items it is a higher profit margin for them. Now, I may be willing to sell them the arms for cheap, but at that price it would be better for me to just do it myself. "85 percent." I give my offer. "70 percent." "85 percent." "Okay, 80 percent." "Deal. But I get a 40% discount on other items in your store." ""Deal."" Darkbond and Watson, who were unsuccessful in haggling, both look relieved. I don''t want to rip them off too much, so I settled for what I still consider a low price. The relationship with them will pay off in the long run; therefore, I am willing to compromise. In either case I can directly sell the stuff I make for a higher price. With that our deal was struck and now I can get started on levelling. We talked for an hour or so about things related to the recent state of affairs in the city. I learnt about all the big guilds and major figures. It seems there are few guilds with greater than 1000 players, but most are like Subestimar with a couple hundred. I would have figured most of the players have joined a guild by now, but I am told the majority of players still only join parties. I inquire about the players who chose to stay in town to do non combat related work since that seems to be about half the players. They tell me that many are living day by day, while some have started banding together to form what they call unions, which is just another way of saying a guild. The information I get from them is valuable, because I don''t have the time to gather all of that myself. I hear from them the highest level players in town are level 8 and 9, similar to myself. Hopefully that don''t change to much over the next few days while I am staying in town. After talking for them for a while it is time to get working. "So, do you guys have an area I could work?" "There''s a small courtyard out back. It is semi private, so the public cannot access it. But, it is shared with the neighbouring shops." Cheetos replies. "That''ll be fine. As long as I have a place to work I''ll manage." "C''mon, I''ll show you around." I follow Cheetos out the door to their meeting room. "Up here we have three private rooms. In the beginning we drew straws for the odd man out, so now Angelmaker and I sleep either in the meeting room or rent a room at the inn." "I see." I follow him down the stairs and through the door at the back of the main shop. "In here we have our storage. Since we cannot keep all the items on ourselves the shop provides a handy way to store items. We purchased a basic lock box from a locksmith to prevent theft. It allows only certain players to access the inventory." "I imagine this shop will attract some unwanted attention once you start selling equipment. Are you sure it will be safe?" "Mhmm. One would need a lockpicking level of 2 to get in and at this stage it would be highly unlikely for a player to have that yet." Umm... That''s a flag, you know? "That doesn''t sound too safe. Why not get a higher level lockbox?" It doesn''t make sense to me that a store that will attract a lot of attention only buys the lowest level locked item storage. "That is..." He look down in embarrassment, "The lowest level one is all we could afford after purchasing this store. Even then we are in debt and have to pay off the store in instalments." Hmm. I was wondering how they would manage to afford a store. This makes much more sense. "Out here we have the courtyard." "This is..." When I take a look out through the back door and I would have to say I am disappointed. First of all, there is no privacy. I had imagined there would at least be some fences, but there was no such thing. The ground was hardened earth and there was no furniture or greenery. The buildings tower high enough that sunlight would only hit this place during the middle of the day. The courtyard is rectangular and runs along each shop on the street. Further down I can see some shops have cordoned off a small area of their own and have decorated the area somewhat. However, the closest neighbouring shops don''t seem to utilize their space at all and have left it untouched. I am not satisfied with this, but it will work for my smithing. I set down my small forge and anvil that is enough to work with up to level 2 metals and get to work. Chapter 17 - Blacksmithing *phew* I wipe the sweat off my forehead using the back of my arm. It is the mid afternoon and the sun is shining down on the courtyard. Sitting next to a hot forge in the burning sun without shade is like being in a furnace. There is no cool breeze blowing through and the heat stays trapped in the enclosure. To my left sits a pile of copper bars prepared by my helpful assistants. We found that those without the blacksmithing skill are able to smelt ores in the furnace. So far it has only worked with the copper, but it still is a major relief for myself. Them being able to do that will save me many hours of work. I still have to hammer out many of the impurities, but they can do the initial smelting. I have started with simple weapons such as the dagger and short sword. The dagger can be made at a ratio of 1:1, but the sword has a ratio of 2:1. Already, I have made 14 daggers and 3 swords at 2.5xp and 5xp a piece respectively. The excitement in the leader''s faces is readily apparent with each finished product I hand them. Before I had left the meeting room, we signed a contract with each other, so I am not worried about them screwing me over. I had started with the dagger since it was what I had made before and had no trouble with it. But, when I went to make the short sword I failed a few times before I was able to make it. The system only assists in the production of items and relies on the player to manually craft the item. It is more time consuming this way, but it brings a sense of accomplishment and pride for one''s work. However, it doesn''t totally throw the player under the bus. It assists the player in learning how to make the item, so even a complete amateur like myself can do it. Let''s face it, I wouldn''t have the slightest idea how to make anything if it were not from the help of the system. I pick up the next couple copper bars and place them in the heat. Once they have reached a satisfactory level of red I remove them from the heat. The simplified process of smithing allows me to join the two bars together with a few hammer swings. After some shaping and reheating I am left with an elongated rod of solid copper. I form a rough handle on one end of the rod, conforming it to a shape that would be comfortable being held. On the end that will be the blade I hammer it out flat into a blade-like appearance that has its widest part 3 inches before the tip. I narrow the end of the blade to a point and have now completed my rough model. Throughout this process I am quenching the metal in the barrels of oil and brine solution. Since copper is a relatively malleable metal, it is necessary to harden it for use in weapons. I wrap a band of leather around the handle to provide a better grip for the sword. I then bring the blade over to a whetstone and slowly grind out a sharp edge on the blade. When I am done, I inscribe my insignia, which is in the shape of a bird, onto the blade near the hilt along with a production number. I have chosen to make my symbol a raven and have begun carving it on everything I produce.
Notification
Do you wish to adjust Copper Short Sword to system specifications
Yes No
This is something I discovered upon making something other than the copper dagger. Since a product made by a novice smith such as myself would likely break easily the system provides a solution for this. If I choose yes then the sword will become no different than the standard copper sword. But, for some reason, this does not apply to the inscription I made. I select [Yes]. Immediately the sword begins to turn into the standard design. If I had selected [No] then the sword''s stats would be dependent on the quality of my craftsmanship. That way, in the case of a master blacksmith the item stats could be way above the norm. And the opposite is also true. If I had chosen [No] then most likely the sword would have low stats and poor durability. I put the finished product onto a weapon rack near the shop''s back door. That makes four copper short swords. I will continue to make them until I am comfortable with the design. Afterwards I have an interest in trying out a wooden and copper buckler shield. The round shield''s main body is wooden with a trim of metal around its circumference and in the centre is a metal protrusion that could have spikes attached. This type of shield is not among the system assisted items and so it will rely on my own skill. One of the main reasons I want to try this is to see if the system will recognize it as a valid shield design. In this game anyone could pick up a piece of wood and use it as a shield; however, those ''shields'' will not provide a defensive buff while those crafted by players using the system will provide one. While I am getting ready for my next work, I hear Darkbond¡¯s voice coming from the door. "How''re things going?" "Ahh everything''s going smoothly so far. Haven''t broke 100 experience yet though." "You can''t rush these things. Nobody in our guild even has a level 2 skill yet." I''m a bit surprised by that, but when I think of my own swordsmanship level after a week in the forest it seems reasonable. I''m only a tiny bit of experience away from level 2 and would be able to get it in one more day of fighting. "Are these the weapons you''ve made?" Darkbond is pointing towards the weapons rack. "They look well made." "Haha, thanks. That''s due to the systems assistance. Without it they wouldn''t look half as good." "I see." He picks up the blade I just finished making. "What''s this little symbol here?" He is pointing at my insignia. "That''s to show it was made by me. It''s a way of claiming my art." "Interesting. A raven is it? Any meaning to the symbol?" "It''s a symbol from a guild I was part of in the past." I have fond memories of those days. I met them when we were all still noobs and it begun as a mining guild. It didn''t last very long before everyone went their separate ways, but I will never forget them. ¡°Hmm, we should start thinking of a symbol for Subestimar. I¡¯ll bring this up to the guys.¡± ¡°You do that. I¡¯ve gotta get back to my work.¡± I turn my head back to the forge, ¡°Thankfully, it doesn¡¯t take 40-80 hours of time to forge a single sword like in real life. That would be too much.¡± ¡°Haha, i¡¯ll bet.¡± Darkbond says with a hearty laugh. ¡°Alright, i¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± The next few hours were spent perfecting the making of the copper short swords. The rate at which I could make them was steadily increasing and in four hours I managed to make 7 of them. I still would not be comfortable making them without the systems assistance, but at least I am improving. Over the course of these few hours i have had many members of Subestimar come observe my progress. They told me that after I am finished with today''s batch they will purchase them from me and start distributing them. I warn them to only distribute the weapons to members with contributions to the guild. I allowed a couple of them to try out the weapons in duels and they ended up having a mini tournament in the courtyard. It was determined that the winner would get the first sword. I was rooting for Cheetos to win, but the title ended up being claimed by Swiftcrest, a regular player in the guild. While they were all enjoying themselves, I continued to produce more swords. Now that I have become more confident with the swords I decide to get working on that shield. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I have no idea how this shield is supposed to be made, so it will be a process of trial and error without the help of the system. I start with a circular section of wood 45cm in diameter that I had prepared for me ahead of time. Using this, I measure out roughly the circumference of the wood and determine how much metal I will need. The trim will not be too thick, but I also want it to have an effective defence. I estimate the whole shield will take 3 bars worth of metal. Before I start on the shield itself, I prepare some rivets for securing the metal to the shield. Just making them alone is a challenge since I have never made them before. After preparing all the materials, I can finally start working on the shield. I begin by beating the metal and hammering it out into a long thin strip and gradually work a curve into it to match the curvature of the wood. After the curve is finished, I bend the overhanging metal around the edge of the wood to provide a better fit. This process alone takes up a good amount of time, but after using up two bars worth of metal I finally manage a rough work. Rather than moving on to the next piece, I want to hammer it as flat as possible to get the best possible fit. At regular intervals around the edge I punch small holes through the metal that will serve as holes for the rivets. "Making these custom designs is very cumbersome." While this is closer to real smithing, I prefer the system assisted designs. It has already been over an hour working on this and I am not even half done. This process continues on for another hour and a half. In the centre, I designed a spiked cone shape that could be used for shield bashing, but I couldn''t make it too big as my first attempt was too heavy. The metal was easily secured flush against the wood. The design is not fancy, but for my first work I am proud of it. All that is left is to attach a hand hold on the back. I choose to use leather for the strap and make a place to secure the forearm as well. This will prevent all the stress from being placed on the wrist and distribute it along the forearm. With this addition, the shield is complete.
Notification
What do you wish to name this custom design?
"Wood and Copper buckler." There goes my horrid naming sense.
Wood and Copper Buckler
Vitality 50
Physical Defence 15 >>>>>>> Pierce 5
Magic Defence 5 Slash 7
Dexterity -5 Crush 3
Durability 250
Physical Defence is split up into three: Pierce, Slash, and Crush. This determines the effectiveness of the armour against different styles of weapons. I hadn¡¯t opened the separate menu before; however, I decided to check it out on my custom creation. "Wow." My first attempt was a success. I equip the shield and feel its weight. The balance is decent and it is not too difficult to hold up. There is a negative dexterity bonus that I assume would be on all metal armours. After all, one will get slower while wearing full armour. I imagine this one of a kind shield would go for quite a bit, but that aside, I don''t know the stats for the regular copper shield. It looks like I should work towards making regular shields, but that will have to wait until I make more of the easier pieces first. Swords are comparatively easier to mass produce, so once I''ve gotten a good stockpile of them I will start making more armour. Since there are a couple hours until dark, I continue working at the forge hardly having made a dent into the stack of copper ores. I manage to make 8 more short swords and 1 long sword before calling it a day.I am now at 203/960xp Exhaustion hits me hard after I stop working. Almost all the guys have already headed out to a pub leaving only Angelmaker at the shop. I think I''m just going to head back to the Prancing Mare and get to sleep after securing some food. When I make my way onto the street, I can see many players walking around in groups of three or four. The average gear on them is poor to say the least. In the town there are options for fancier clothes made by tailors; however, most players would be unable or even unwilling to spend money to buy them. I wonder how Gem made out with all those furs I gave her. She hasn¡¯t contacted me all day, so I assume she is fine. The Main Street I am walking down is illuminated by coloured street lamps, which I assume is powered by magic. Flower baskets hang from the lamp posts and emit a pleasant scent that fills the air. In spite of everything that has occurred, this is a very beautiful town. Before I know it I am standing beneath that elaborate wrought iron gate. From within I can hear the sound of merrymaking and music. There are people stretched out on the lawn looking at the stars or talking with friends. The patio is packed without a single seat available. On every table sits a round of beer glasses and drinking games are being played everywhere. Off to one side a crowd of people are surrounding two players having a drinking competition. It looks like either one could pass out at any moment, but neither is willing to give in. As I approach the building some of the servers welcome me as a regular customer. It''s to be expected since I only arrived yesterday and not everyone knows me. When I go inside the building I am mind blown at how many people are in here. It''s a miracle anyone is able to move through this. Near the back a live band is playing surprisingly modern rock music. When I take a closer look they have modified the instruments of this world to make a pair of guitars, a bass and a drum kit. I don''t recognize the song being played, but I commend their creativity. Since there are so many people, it is unknown how long it''ll take to get my order in. Therefore, I choose to go straight to the staff kitchen in the back. There are still a couple pieces of meat I can cook up and I''ll just pick up a pint at the bar afterwards. Once past the main room the security is pretty lax. The grill in the kitchen starts up fine and I cook up a venison steak with a side of potatoes conveniently taken from their store room. Before someone catches me, I scarf down the meal and go back out to get a beer. Back in the main room the band has just finished their set and is taking a break. Without the music the place as quieted down a lot, but that only invites the drunkards to get louder. Barely able to hear my own voice, I order my drink and take it back to my room. This has been a long day, but is just one of many to come. Chapter 18 - Opening Day The next few days went by in a similar fashion. Every day I worked from dawn until dusk in that barren courtyard. The outside world took a backseat as I engrossed myself in smithing. During this period, Gem used up all the furs I had given her. And, using the funds acquired from selling her work, purchased treated leather and hides from the market. She would proudly show me her work at the end of the day and had even made me a blacksmithing apron after noticing my clothes getting worn out. I honestly hadn''t payed attention to my clothes, but there were burn marks on almost every square inch of them. The guys at the shop had slowly started stocking their shelves and my items took up 1/5th of the total space. I thought that they would give out the items to their guild members first, but they actually took my advice to give them out based on contributions to the guild. Their guild members also have a 10% discount in their shop, so the members can buy them if they really want the items. The rest of their store is filled with monster drops and other crafted goods. The shop was altered to include three counters and an open floor design. The largest counter at the back was for general crafted items and included goods such as leather clothing, food, potions, and crystals. Crystals have multiple uses, but by far the most popular were the teleportation crystals, which came in three types distinguishable by colour. White crystals teleported the player to the most recent town they have visited. Orange crystals require the player to set a target location at their feet and will teleport the player to that specific location. Lastly, purple crystals open a gateway that many players can pass through. These were determined after trial and error. Of course there are the standard colours of crystal: blue, red, and green. These are for mana, vitality, and stamina respectively. They are a cheaper option, but are less effective than their respective potions. On the left is a counter for monster drops. They buy and sell the drops from players and require everyone in the guild to contribute to this stock. Though, of course they reimburse their members for the items in the form of money and contribution points. I don¡¯t know how that works, but it is what they have set up. And finally, on the right is a counter for armour and weapons. They also offer repairs for badly damaged items, but since it is free experience I gladly accepted this. And of course I receive the money directly for this service rather than going through the shop. The prices are based off standard values, but obviously less than the Sacred Order¡¯s overpriced goods. Over the course of four days of smithing, in addition to the weapons from the first day, I have made: 20 daggers, 17 Short swords, 2 pickaxes, 3 hatchets, 3 rapiers, 6 longswords, 5 maces, 1 spear, and 2 broadswords. For armour I made 10 helms, 6 square shields, and 2 cuirasses. This has garnered me 619xp. One more full day and I can reach level 2. Compared to the real world, this production rate is completely unrealistic; however, I am not complaining. Darkbond had informed me that they plan on opening today and would like me to be there for that moment. They had nailed posters against anything they could around town and paid a good sum to advertise in the city square. Since they plan on opening in the afternoon, I will still have plenty of time to make a few more items. I have been trying to make a variety of items based off of the system''s standard weapons and armours. Thanks to this, my personal skill has improved exponentially and I am able to hammer out daggers and swords with ease. I have been struggling more with the armours, but thankfully it is a one size fits all with the system''s assistance. So far I have only made the simplest of armours, but due to copper being a softer metal, I am able to make them without too much trouble. Once more I set up my anvil and forge outside in the courtyard. Over time I have seen more players utilize their spaces in the courtyard and occasionally they will come up to me and request items. However, I just tell them to visit the shop when it opens. There should still be a few freelance blacksmiths not gobbled up by the big guilds around. But as expected, with 500,000 players all requiring equipment, the demand far outweighs the supply. Even my wares are pitiful in comparison to the demand of one small guild''s shop. The morning goes by fast as I make short swords like an assembly line. Since they are the quickest to make, I want to get as much done before the opening as I can. In an hour I manage to get up to 10 swords finished due to the system''s assistance. However, at this rate my supply of copper bars is rapidly dwindling. Soon I will be able to get on par with those other smiths at bronze tier. A slow trickle of bronze items have made their way onto the market over the last couple days. I imagine it is more difficult to work with bronze compared to copper. That, combined with human greed, is probably the reason for the supply being as pitiful as it is. I assume a lot of smiths are already level two since I had a late start and am already nearing 960xp. The sword I am working on next is different from ones I have previously made. Using what I have learnt from making all those swords, I pour all my knowledge and experience into making a custom weapon. The sizing is based on a female user and will have a blade length of 40 inches. Starting with two copper bars, I fusing them together and begin the task of folding the metal. After folding the metal 3 times and hammering out impurities I am left with a large solid chunk of metal. Now the drawing out process begins as I repeatedly flatten and elongate the metal. What I am left with is a rough outline of a blade around 40¡± long. Slowly I form an edge on the slender blade, narrowing as it reaches the tip. Since a rapier is meant for thrusting rather than slashing, too narrow of a blade is unnecessary and even the area near the hilt does not need to be sharpened. I design a false edge on one side of the blade and put the true edge on the other. This will coincide with the knuckle guard¡¯s orientation. I then work on quenching and tempering the blade to a desirable level. Having formed the blade, I get to work on designing a hilt. I cannot make anything too elaborate with my little bit of skill, but I am able to at least make a simplistic design that will do its job. I start out with a narrow wooden block and drill a hole large enough to fit snug over the tang. The tang is otherwise known as the back portion of the blade that extends and connects with the handle. With this I carve out grips for the hand and sand the piece until it is satisfactorily smooth. ¡°Quinn!¡± A voice comes from behind me while I am in the middle of working on the rapier. ¡°It¡¯s almost time for opening.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be out once I finish this sword.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too long.¡± The source of the voice disappears into the building. Back to work. Next, is the knuckle protector and I make a dome shape out of bending and twisting pieces of metal that extends out of the crossbar. The rapiers I have made in the past were not as complex as this, nor had I put as much care and attention into it. The knuckle guard extends in a arc and I have placed another hole on the end of it to slip of the tang before the pommel is added. The pommel is the last part to be made. This is a solid circular ball with a hole for the tang that is attached a the end of the hilt to provide a counterbalance for the blade. I secure everything to the tang with rivets and work on grinding the blade on a whetstone until it is sharp. This whole process takes me an hour, whereas in the real world it would take a few days.
Notification
Do you wish to adjust Copper Rapier to system specifications
Yes No
I select [No] for the first time. My custom design already looks better than those system assisted blades.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
Notification
You have selected No. The sword¡¯s stats will be based on your craftsmanship.
I am hoping that it turns out to be a success considering I spend an entire hour on it. The amount of experience I gained from it was 55, so I am on par with what I could have made from an hour of smithing short swords.
Notification
What do you wish to name this custom design?
¡°Soul Rapier¡± It may sound like a name from a fantasy name generator, but that¡¯s what i¡¯ve come up with.
Soul Rapier
Strength 25 >>>>>>> Pierce 18
Attack Speed 1.3 Slash 7
Durability 200 Crush 0
Having finished the rapier, I gather up the 15 swords I had made this morning. The amount of experience I need for level 2 is almost negligible at this time. One or two more swords should do it, but I''ll hold off on it until the shop is open. The shop has now become packed with players. The advertising has done its job and not surprisingly the busiest counter is for my items. What will these guys do when I am unavailable. I have no doubt they will run out of my five days worth of equipment on the first day. Perhaps even in the first hour. However, that will bring me good money. I may have missed the precise moment of opening, but that is not so important. I try to make my way over to the smithing counter, but am met with resistance by the customers. "Hey watch it!" "Back of the line buddy." "No cutting!" I ignore them and continue to the counter. Before I could get there a rather large player steps out to block my way. He folds his arms across his chest in an intimidating manner and plants his feet firmly on the ground. "Little fishy should wait his turn." His face reveals a toothy grin. "Everyone please wait your turn. We are selling a maximum of one piece of equipment per player at this times." A voice calls out from behind the counter. "Otherwise we will not be able to accommodate everyone." "You heard the man." A man dressed in piecemeal leather armour standing right behind me yells out. "Back of the line." Ahh, misunderstandings can be a pain. I could explain to them that I am the blacksmith, but that would draw unwanted attention to myself. At this moment the guild member behind the counter recognizes my face. It turns out he was the one to win the mini tournament they had a few days ago, Swiftcrest. "Quinn! What are you doing over there? I was waiting for you." He beckons me over with a smile. The surrounding players have looks of shock. How were they supposed to know this random guy they thought was trying to cut in line actually knew the guy at the counter. I give a smug smile as I walk past them. "You missed the best part." Swiftcrest speaks to me in a low voice. "When the doors opened, they all rushed over here once they saw the swords on display." "Haha, that would have been interesting to see. Oh, I''ve got some more blades to sell." I hand him over all the blade I made this morning, with the exception of the rapier, using the trade menu. "You''re a lifesaver! These are going to sell out immediately. We''ve had to restrict sales to one item per customer because of the demand.¡± "Haha, These should help you last at least for the customers already in the shop." The next customer queues up at the table. He looks to be 16 years old and is wearing a thin leather armour. His hair is in a mess and he looks like he has not had it easy. "Umm. I would like a short sword please." The Swiftcrest pulls out one of my copper short swords and places is on the counter. "That will be 50 Tor." "Wow that''s cheap! Those bastards at the Sacred Order are charging double that for the same sword." 100 Tor for a single copper sword. I can make ten of them in an hour. That is 1000 Tor per hour! I am standing there dumbfounded. It was a given that they would charge more, but this amount is just too much. "We have our own private blacksmith who over the last five days has been working from dawn until dusk." I hope he doesn''t expect that rate to continue. I still need to work on my own levelling and I had also promised Gem I would help her. So far she has been content with staying in town, but I won''t force her to stay here for too long. Thankfully, now that I can afford the teleport crystals, which cost 1 silver each, I can skip the travel component and save time. I stay behind the counter until I see a familiar face walk through the entrance. Gem stops near the door and scans the shop until our eyes meet. She puts on a big smile and makes her way over to where I am. Today she is wearing a simple white and pale blue summer dress and is wearing her hair down. I notice more than a few males turning their heads as she passes, but she pays them no heed. ¡°Quinn!¡± Her gentle voice rings through the air, greeting my ears. ¡°I was in the area and I thought I would come see your store.¡± ¡°What do you think of it so far?¡± I lightly smile. ¡°Mmm.¡± She puts a finger to her lips in thought. ¡°Needs a woman¡¯s touch.¡± ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± ¡°Here.¡± Gem opens up a trade window. ¡°Just a few things I¡¯ve been working on.¡± I am shocked to say the least. The items within the trade window consist of 10 full sets of leather armours along with random assorted pieces of armour. ¡°These... Are you want to sell these?¡± ¡°Mhmm!¡± She nods. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem. I¡¯ll add them to the shop¡¯s stock.¡± I hit the accept button on the trade menu and then open up the shop¡¯s interface. Since I am an important contributor to the shop, I have been given special privileges to access the shop¡¯s inventory. Some items are on display for the customers to see; however, most items are kept within the shop¡¯s inventory for safe keeping. This is separate from the lock box which only a few people have access to. I could have done this for the swords as well, but oh well. I place all but one breastplate into the shop¡¯s inventory. I want to attempt making a studded leather variant of this breastplate. ¡°I¡¯m going to do an experiment on this breastplate, is that alright with you? I¡¯ll pay for it regardless.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t going to do anything weird are you?¡± She looks at me with a sarcastic suspicion. ¡°Not at all.¡± I wave my hands in a gesture of denial. ¡°I¡¯m going to attempt to make a studded leather.¡± ¡°Is that so.¡± She pauses. ¡°Alright, but one condition.¡± ¡°Condition?¡± ¡°Mhmm!¡± She smiles brightly, ¡°I get to watch you work.¡± While we are busy chatting away, the shop suddenly becomes quiet. The silence reminds me of a predator check, but instead of the noise resuming, it remains quiet. I turn my head towards the doorway and see the source of the problem. Five men are standing there blocking the door. Four are dressed in full copper armour while the man in the middle is wearing bronze. Red armbands embroidered with that familiar golden symbol sit upon their left upper arms. They all exhibit provocative and arrogant postures as their eyes sweep through the shop. Chapter 19 - An Offer A stillness spreads throughout the shop. Those who just moments ago were talking and laughing now have expressions of fear and hostility. One of the reasons Subestimar¡¯s shop is projected to be successful is due to the sheer quantity of people on the Sacred Order¡¯s blacklist. There may be other open shops linked to separate guilds, even ones selling weapons and armour, but the customer base remains vast due to the demand. At a glance it is blatant that these five players are unwelcome, but by the look in their eyes it is clear they are oblivious to the atmosphere. The leader is the first to make a move. His bronze armour ignites jealousy and envy from players as he struts over in my direction. Rather than him having a red armband, he wears an embellished red cape with a bronze pauldron over his left shoulder. This bronze was decorated with minute fanciful designs and the cape was made of a high quality fabric that only a level 2 tailor can work with. He must be high up in the guild to be dressed like that. So far, all I have dealt with were the one dimensional cannon fodder, but now I have seen a pompous officer rank. By themselves, these officials are not worth mentioning, yet the frightening part is they go around unchallenged. Having seized that early advantage while I was outside of town, they have effectively cut off any threatening resistance. The second largest guild, Shadowguard, has less than half the members Sacred Order does and only works to protect their own guild members. As he walks up to the counter, one low level player is unfortunate enough not move away in time. The leader swiftly knocks this player to the ground; however, as this is a safe zone, no damage is dealt. He continues on as if nothing happened, and proceeds to walk up to the counter unchallenged before looking at the items on display. Since I was talking with Gem, my position is off to the side when he approaches. When his gaze reaches Gem and I, he lingers for a moment before returning his attention to Swiftcrest behind the counter. ¡°You¡¯ve got quite the assortment of items here. I wonder what the blacksmith who crafted these fine items name might be.¡± He poses his question in a rhetoric. Swiftcrest unconsciously drifts his eyes over in my direction. I give him a glare indicating to keep quiet. "I''m sorry, but our blacksmith wishes to remain unknown at this time." "Oh?" The leader apparently notices Swiftcrest''s eye movement. He doesn''t make it apparent, but I catch his subtle movements. I have been exposed, but if I were to leave at this time then it would be directly admitting it. "That''s a shame. I was looking forward to talking with him." He says in a long drawn out voice. "I would like to purchase your entire inventory of items. Of course, I will pay in full." ¡°Pu-purchase the entire inventory?" "That is correct.¡± He says with a sneer on his face. ¡°There''s no problem with that is there?" ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± Swiftcrest¡¯s voice quivers. ¡°But, I can only sell one item per customer." I don''t blame him for being nervous. The eerily calmness in the leader''s voice is unnerving. "One per customer?¡± The man then raises his voice.¡°But, how will you manage to satisfy all these precious customers?" His arm fans over the crown behind him as if to illustrate his point. ¡°Th-that is..." "Surely they came here with the intent to buy weapons and armour to protect themselves." "That''s true, but..." "So you''re saying you will let them go back with empty hands?" "That''s not..." "Have you not planned ahead and obtained a large stock of items?" "We have..." "And you planned on running a store?" This is getting overbearing. With each sentence his voice raises and his grandeur increases. He begins making over exaggerated mocking gestures before finally stoping when everyone in the shop¡¯s attention is on him. "Inform your blacksmith that the Sacred Order welcomes him at any time." He shifts his gaze in my direction and smiles. "His profit will be at least double what it is staying here." He flutters his cape in an over exaggerated twirl as he turns toward the door. Sure enough, in the centre of that cape is a crescent moon engulfing a cross embroidered in golden thread. Even higher ranked officers must have a golden trim as well. They sure know how to flaunt their status. The rest of their members, still standing near the door, allow the leader to pass through and proceed to follow him out of the shop. The atmosphere in the store suddenly becomes lighter, as if a weight was taken off our shoulders. It is clear that everyone here has some grievance with the Sacred Order and are relieved they are gone. Those Sacred Order sympathizers would be less likely to peruse this unaffiliated shop. As if on cue, the shop becomes lively again and people carry on with their purchases, but an awkwardness still lingers in the air. Gem and I stay in the shop for another 10 minutes before deciding to leave. Despite only being able to sell one item per player, the armaments have already disappeared and the counter was subsequently closed. The number of customers had dwindled from the initial rush, and there were quite a few disappointed faces among those who remained. It¡¯s just a small time shop. What do you expect? I show Gem out to the courtyard where my equipment is laid out. It is now the mid afternoon and the sun has been hidden by the buildings. Occasionally, a breeze will blow through and take away the stagnant air, but those are few and far between. ¡°This is quite the setup you have here.¡± Gem says while looking at the courtyard. I didn¡¯t expect to be showing this disorderly mess to a girl. Despite having access to an inventory, I have everything spread out on the dirt. In a corner is a pile of failed works built up over the past few days. In it are pieces of metal in various shapes and sizes, but I plan on melting them down into bars when I get the chance. If I had put those in my inventory, they would have taken up a slot each and my inventory is not unlimited. Not everything goes as planned and lots of experiments are needed before coming out with a finished product. On either side of the forge is my stack of copper bars and coal. Both stacks have decreased a lot since I started and I will need to restock soon. It¡¯s a blessing I don¡¯t have to worry about getting lung cancer dealing with all this coal. ¡°Sorry about the mess.¡± I say with a touch of embarrassment. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you today.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I prefer it this way anyways.¡± She must have noticed my embarrassment and is trying to be considerate. ¡°It shows the realities, rather than a facade.¡± ¡°So, what would you like to see me make?¡± ¡°Umm.¡± She pauses to think. ¡°How about a long sword.¡± ¡°Alright, you can be my assistant.¡± ¡°Fuee?¡± What are you? A little girl in a bird costume? ¡°Ahem. First you will need an apron to avoid ruining your dress.¡± I quickly realize I don¡¯t have a spare. ¡°Here, have mine.¡± She puts the dirty apron on over her clothes and I cannot help but notice that the ties around her waist accentuate her curves. She now has a look of determination in her eyes. Gone is the naive girl and in her place is hard working woman. ¡°We¡¯ll start by heating up the forge. . .¡± As I am working on the sword, I take her through my step by step process explaining as I go. She occasionally asks questions, some of which even I do not know the answers to. She is like a sponge soaking up all the information despite not being able to do the actual work. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. This process takes longer than a normal sword would, but I am going for a custom design rather than a system assisted one. That, on top of explaining my actions, leaves us working for an hour. ¡°. . . Now we sharpen the blade using the whetstone. This part is important, because you don¡¯t want to grind down too much metal. Yet, you also want to smoothen out the hammer marks on the blade.¡± I show her how I use the whetstone to sharpen the sword, and then allow her to use the whetstone on her copper dagger for practice. If an weapon¡¯s durability is above 10% then the player can perform maintenance on it to repair some durability. Obviously, this does not get the item to 100%, but at least it will allow it to last longer.
Notification
Do you wish to adjust Copper Long Sword to system specifications?
Yes No
Since the purpose was to make a custom design, I select [No].
Notification
You have selected (No). The sword¡¯s stats will be based on your craftsmanship.
I gained 63 experience from making this sword.
Notification
What do you wish to name this custom design?
¡°Gem¡¯s Long Sword¡± Gem seems surprised at the name I chose, but I feel it is a fitting name since she helped make it. Without warning tiny fireworks explode above my head. The sound is bearable despite the close proximity, but it still took us by surprise. They consist of all of the colours of a rainbow and last for 10 seconds before disappearing.
Congratulations
You have reached: Blacksmithing Level 2
You can now work with Bronze. You can now make Studded and Plated leather armour. Your efficiency working with Copper has increased. Quality of custom Copper designs has increased.
You are currently the 16th player to achieve Blacksmithing Level 2.
No rewards will be given.
"What was that?" Gem asks, bewildered. "I just reached level 2 blacksmithing." "Congratulations!" She looks happier than I am. Making the sword was exhausting work, but she does not look phased by it at all. Well, perhaps that''s because I was the one actually making it. "Thanks, now I can work with bronze and make studded armours." It''s a good thing I got the level before attempting to make it.I take a look at the sword¡¯s stats and see it exceeds that of a normal long sword.
Gem''s Long Sword
Strength 31 >>>>>>> Pierce 14
Attack Speed 0.8 Slash 17
Durability 210 Crush 0
"Before I forget." I hold the sword we just made. "This is for you." I pass her the blade. "But," She gets flustered and tries to push it back into my hands. "You were the one to make it." "Yes, and I''m giving it to you." I insist. Pushing it back into her hands. "Do you not wish to accept my gift?" I try to play the guilt card. "I''m an archer though." She refutes. "Even though I named it after you?" I say with a false disappointed tone. "Fine." She gives in and equips the blade. "But, you have to teach me." "Deal." Satisfied, I pick a piece of tin ore and copper ore from my inventory and place them within the forge. Gem starts swinging the sword at random in the background. I raise the temperature by adding more coal, but the metals don''t form an alloy. I wonder what I am doing wrong when a message pops up. There sure have been a lot of those within the last 5 minutes.
Notification
Creation Failed. Unable to forge bronze in current forge.
"Ugh" Gem stops what she is doing and looks over at me questioningly. "It looks like I need a better forge to make bronze. This small thing is only good for copper." I feel dejected after learning this. I need to either find a way to upgrade this forge, or spend the money to find a new one. My wallow in self pity is cut short when I hear an angelic voice. "I have an idea." Gem interjects. "Why not use the Prancing Mare¡¯s forge?" She states this as a matter of fact. How was I supposed to know there was a forge at an inn. Ahh Gem, what would I do without you.
---- ¡°Wow!¡± I stand looking at a massive forge located around the back of the Prancing Mare in an enclosed courtyard. it is impossible to notice from the guest area of the inn and can only be accessed through the main building. ¡°Can I really use this?¡± ¡°Mhmm.¡± Gem nods. ¡°Lady Alenia said it was fine as long as you cleaned up afterwards.¡± With this, I will be able to make at least up to level four metals. Perhaps even higher. I don¡¯t even have to use my own anvil, because everything I could need is here. Besides the main forge, there is a smaller one designed of the same material for use in smaller quantities. This is the forge I will be using. Next to it are two anvils of different sizes. The smaller of the two would be around 200 pounds for use in lower level equipment, and the larger of the two, at an estimated 500 pounds, would be for higher level, labour intensive equipment. There are also vices, quench tubs, and an array of hand tools such as hammers, tongs, chisels, punches, files and hacksaws. I am so engrossed with the equipment that Gem gives off a laugh before leaving. The rest of the day was spent experimenting with variants of Bronze using different ratios of ores. I eventually settled with a 9:1 ratio of copper to tin to create a satisfactory alloy. After settling down with a full meal and a pint of beer I am ready to end the day. Chapter 20 - Wulyn Plains *Yawn* I don¡¯t want to get out of bed, because it is nice and warm under the covers. Just a few more minutes of rest won''t hurt. *Uwaa* A soft object lands on top of my face; however, since it doesn¡¯t obstruct my rest, I choose to ignore it. *Uggh* This time a heavier weight lands on top of me. If this continues I am afraid of what will be next. I reluctantly remove the objects and I can see a certain red haired person staring down at me. ¡°Get up! We¡¯re going to go outside of town today.¡± Huh? When was this decided. ¡°Why?¡± I¡¯m still quite groggy from yesterday. ¡°You said once you got to level 2 blacksmithing you would help me level.¡± Did I say that? It seems without me she has gotten to level 5 while I was blacksmithing. Where did she find the time to level while making all those armours and clothes. She is dressed in full armour and looks ready to go. I grudgingly get out of bed and equip my armour. Gem had gracefully supplied me with a premium set of leather armour, so now I at least look semi-professional. I follow her out of the room and into the main lobby of the inn. ¡°Oh, by the way, Meira will be joining us.¡± Which one was she again? I am horrible with remembering names. As I am trying to wrap my head around it, a girl clothed in light beige coloured robes walks up behind Gem. She is a pretty girl with shoulder length, light blue hair. I recognize her face and immediately match the face with the name. ¡°Good morning!¡± She smiles brightly. ¡°Ready to go?¡± ¡°Mhmm.¡± Gem nods. ¡°Was just waiting for this one.¡± She motions at me. ¡°You are a priest if I am not mistaken.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯m a level 2 priest, but I also know [First Aid] and [Bandaging]. I¡¯ll be in your care.¡± It would be worthwhile to learn those skills since they seem likely to be useful. I wonder how much having a priest will affect the levelling rate. The amount of experience would be split between three people, but less time would be spent waiting for health to recover. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking. Being a priest, what spells can you use?¡± The only other confirmed priest I have met is Angelmaker, and I never inquired about a priest¡¯s skills with him. ¡°Well, I can use two priest exclusive skills. They are [Holy Magic] and [Purification Magic] and at level 1, I have access to two spells: Lesser heal and Cleanse lesser undead.¡± Shouldn¡¯t they have access to more than just that at level 1? ¡°How much does the healing spell recover?¡± ¡°It costs 20 mana to heal 50 vitality, and it can also be used in combat whereas the first aid and bandaging skills cannot.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little overpowered? I only have 180 total health, armour withstanding.¡± ¡°The cool-down is 10 seconds, so it¡¯s not too over powered.¡± Yea right. Being able to heal that much damage every 10 seconds at this stage of the game is practically cheating. Well, as long as one has the mana to support it. ¡°Alright you two, take these.¡± Gem hands out a pair of white and orange crystals to each of us. ¡°I got these from an acquaintance last night. He said it will link up good hunting ground with a decent amount of creatures and a quick respawn time.¡± Now that I look carefully, the orange crystal is glowing. This signifies that the crystal has been locked with a teleport location. The fact that teleport crystals can be locked to a location by a third party and then sold is unnerving. A malicious user could sell crystals locked to a dangerous area or an ambush and prey upon unsuspecting players. Since I have thought of it, surely others have as well. Might as well avoid those from now on unless I personally set them, or receive them from a trustworthy source. ¡°Ready?¡± I nod, and so does Meira. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± One by one we activate our crystals. An odd tingly feeling spreads through my body as I watch an orange glow engulfs each of us. Our bodies turn into pixels as we are teleported to this unknown location.
Notification
You have arrived at the Wulyn Plains.
When the light finally subsides I am standing on a wide open plain alongside Gem and Meira. The grass beneath my feet is green and there is no cover to be seen in the nearby area. Not too far off in the distance multiple wild boars are roaming around aimlessly. They have short stout legs with large stomachs that reach the grass. On their heads are a set of two large, intimidating tusks. A few players can be seen hunting these boars, but they are responding at the same rate as being killed. One of the boars heads towards us. It is not an aggressive species and so I take this chance to appraise it.
Species Level
Wild Boar 5
Vitality 100 Stamina 100
Strength 24 Mana 0
Defence 20 Intelligence 4
Dexterity 10 Spirit 0
Skills
Charge: Level 1
¡°It¡¯s only level 5.¡± I explain to them. ¡±Gem you lure it over here. Meira you provide support, and try not to get hit. I¡¯ll act as the vanguard and attack it directly.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± They both nod in agreement. Gem fires the first arrow towards it. The arrow hits the boar¡¯s right shoulder and shaves away 10% of it¡¯s total life. This attracts the boar¡¯s attention and it proceeds to charge towards her. Gem manages to get another shot in before it can reach her, and then I intercept it with a horizontal slash with my bronze dagger. Taking advantage of a new opening, I stab my Soul Rapier through it¡¯s neck until it reaches the other side. I hadn¡¯t taken any damage during the fight, so there was no need for healing. Meira stood there with a look of shock. We had dealt with the boar very quickly, only requiring three hits; therefore, it is understandable that she would be surprised. ¡°Amazing!¡± She finally comes out of her shock and looks at us with wide eyes. ¡°How did you kill it so quickly?¡± ¡°Haha, the damage dealt is not equal on different parts of the body. Do you think you could live with a sword through your throat?¡± ¡°No...¡± She looks down in embarrassment. Gem is standing there with a proud look on her face. She had managed to hit the moving boar twice in a row. Even I couldn¡¯t do that right now. Now, all we have to do is hunt wild boars until max level. The next few hours went by in a similar fashion. Gem would lure the boars to us, using the chance as target practice, and then I would go in for the kill. Meira¡¯s role was primarily healing us, but she managed to get in a few hits with a dagger I had given her.
It is now the mid afternoon and my swordsmanship is on the brink of levelling up. The field has become crowded with other players, but due to the almost negligent respawn time, enough boars were available for everyone. I had managed to get to level 9 in this short amount of time, which goes to show our efficiency. Gem has reached level 6, and Meira is now level 4. This rate of improving is bugged; however, it is only level 5 creatures giving off 15 experience each. The majority of the experience was going to me due to my high damage, but the others were also improving at a quicker rate than they would have alone. It is around this time that the spawning rates of the boars noticeably decreases. The creatures have thinned out and players have resorted to kill stealing. This doesn¡¯t affect us immediately due to Gem¡¯s luring abilities, but even we have noticed the length between fights increasing. *Auuu* *Auuuu* Howling sounds can be heard throughout the wulyn plains hunting ground. The players halt the slaughtering of boars and begin searching for the source of the noise. A light shines on the outskirts, signifying the spawning of creatures. The nearest players are pounced on by these new enemies without warning. Some are capable of holding off the attack and make it away with minimal injury. But, those weaker players did not stand a chance against this onslaught. ¡°It¡¯s wolves!¡± ¡°Wolves are attacking!¡± Nearby players begin to panic. They have grown comfortable and careless while safely hunting the boars that they are unable to cope with this new development. Around 50 wolves have spawned by now and they start going after those on the outskirts or those in smaller groups. The players, noticing this, are creating groups of 5 or more players, but still quite a few have already lost their lives. However, the wolves are also experiencing losses and have already dwindled to half their original number. ¡°If it gets too dangerous I want you to use the teleport crystals.¡± I instruct. ¡°Safety is the number one priority.¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.Both nod without saying a word. Gem, Meira, and I have gotten close to each other while a group of 5 wolves comes charging at us. I am not worried about myself, but Gem and Meira would not be able to handle them alone. Gem fires shots towards the wolves, but takes out the longsword when the distance closes. From what I know, she¡¯s not accustomed to close range fighting. Therefore, I will try to shoulder the majority of combat. I grip the rapier tight in my hand and when the first wolf comes into range I stab at it. The wolf¡¯s defence is twice that of the boar, but the blade still pierces its skin. Those familiar fireworks I had experienced yesterday go off, signifying I reached level 2 swordsmanship, but I only have time to quickly view the notification.
Congratulations
You have reachedSwordsmanship Level 2
Attacks with swords now do 10% more damage. One-handed sword skill unlocked. Two-handed sword skill unlocked.
You are currently the 1435th player to achieve Swordsmanship Level 2.
No reward will be given.
A 10% damage bonus is much appreciated. I cannot maneuver around too much without leaving Meira open to attacks. The wolves surround us while using caution after one of their own got injured. They launch a probing attack at Gem, but she skillfully manages to block the attack allowing Meira to swing at the wolf¡¯s snout. The damage done is minimal, but the wolf still whimpers in pain from the sensitive area. I take my eyes off the wolf on my side for a split second, but that was all it required. The wolf lunges at me and clamps on to my leather bracers. The damage dealt is minimal thanks to the armour and it allows me to get a clean shot at the wolf¡¯s neck. With a slash, blood flows from the wolf and it turns into pixelated dust. Meira, noticing my wound, uses her healing spell to recover my health. ¡°Thank you.¡± She gives a nod in acknowledgement and returns her vigilance to the wolves. The encirclement is less effective now that one has died, and this allows us to take out the remaining wolves one by one. Looking around the field, all of the wolves have perished. The players are rejoicing and have looks of relief upon their faces. This event was not without its losses, but those who remain are thankful to be alive. It is at this moment, before we could catch our breath, that a giant light appears in the centre of the field. The nearest players back away, but it is too late. A giant paw swipes out and they are caught up and thrown away before their health plummets to the bottom of the red zone. The blood rushes out of my head as I watch them get knocked around like rag dolls. One of the players was knocked in my direction, and the look on his face was of pure terror. Of not wanting to die; however, it was too late. The newly spawned wolf is three times larger than the wolves we had just been fighting. It¡¯s fur was a dirty white colour with patches of grey and its eyes were a deep crimson. One of it¡¯s paws had bright red blood dripping down, and it lowers it¡¯s head down to lick the blood clean. It is clearly unsatisfied with that measly amount of blood and begins looking for new targets. Unfortunately, it has set it¡¯s eyes upon Gem, Meira, and I. I try using my appraisal skill on the wolf, but get nothing other than it¡¯s name and level. A level 10 Alpha Wolf. It slowly walks in our direction. It¡¯s gaze is that of one looking at a chicken ready for slaughter. The other teams take the opportunity to run away. Meira casts heal on me before the fight begins, allowing me to start off at full health. ¡°You two stay behind me. Gem, focus on aiming at it¡¯s eyes. Meira, stay at a distance and provide healing whenever you can.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to meet this big guy head on. I will not die on this day!¡± I charge at the wolf with all my might. Before the wolf bites down, I activate my cloaking and disappear from sight. The effect does not last due to the wolf¡¯s heightened sense of smell, but it is enough to confuse it. While Gem is busy firing arrows, I strike at the wolf¡¯s stomach. The wolf¡¯s skin on it¡¯s flanks and back would be too difficult to effectively pierce, but the stomach is markedly thinner. ¡°Aargh!¡± I am smashed away by it¡¯s hind legs. It was unable to use full power due to my close proximity, but the damage it dealt is no laughing matter. That one hit took away 1/3rd of my life, but thankfully the armour held up. ¡°Meira!¡± Meira looks like a deer in headlights. ¡°Umm, right.¡± She regains her senses and uses her holy magic.
After 15 minutes and many close calls, we managed to whittle it¡¯s health down to the red zone, which is at 10%. Gem has almost exhausted her supply of arrows, but the wolf¡¯s face now resembles a pincushion. I had avoided most of it''s attacks, but those that managed to hit were brutal. Meira has run out of mana and is unable to cast anymore healing, so the risk of death has significantly increased. No matter what, I want to kill this bastard. This is a trial to test my willpower, and I will not give in. I will fight until the end!
After five minutes that seemed like an eternity, the wolf finally dies. The amount of experience gained from that kill is enough to boost me straight up to level 10.
Congratulations
You have reached Level 10.
You are currently the 87th player to reach Level 10.
You will receive: 3000 Tor.
My inventory has just gotten 3000 Tor richer. I decide to look at my character page. Rather than the usual 10 skill points I have 50 points to spend. I am not satisfied with my defence, so I put half into there and the remaining ones into strength.
Player Status
Player Name Quinn Class: Assassin Level: 10
Guild None Experience 984/1240
Stats
Vitality 215/215 Stamina: 215/215
Strength 155 Mana 280/280
Defence 70 Intelligence 10
Dexterity 80 Spirit 10
Skills
Active Passive
Appraisal Level: 1 145xp Archery Level: 1 46xp
Cloaking Level: 1 206xp Backstab Level: 1 245xp
Blacksmithing Level: 2 1015xp
Cooking Level: 1 182xp
One-Handed Sword Level:1 89xp
Swordsmanship Level: 2 1047xp
Two-Handed Sword Level: 1 0xp
Satisfied, I close the menu and turn to Gem and Meira. ¡°Let¡¯s take tomorrow off.¡± I suggest. ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°No complaint here.¡± They immediately agree to my suggestion. After looting the items, we each teleport back using the white crystals. A crazy, but exciting day. Chapter 21 - Upgrade *Ting Ting Ting* The sound of hammer strikes rings in the back of the Prancing Mare Inn. It is the brink of dawn, but already the fires have been lit. Insulated walls prevent most of the sound from escaping the courtyard, and the rest is dealt with by a silencing enchantment laid by the owner herself. Those outside of this area cannot tell what goes on beyond the walls, but smoke is visible rising from within. Within the forge is a dark red chunk of bronze metal crafted from an alloy of copper and tin. It is not yet time to remove it from the heat, but the workstation has been prepared and awaits the metal. A pair of tongs sits next to the furnace ready to be used once the metal turns that brilliant red hue. A step away lies a 200 pound anvil made of hardened steel. It sits upon a sturdy tree stump and reaches a height of just touching the knuckles of an average sized male. To prevent loss of heat this anvil is conveniently placed near to the forge and is a necessity of the blacksmithing craft. I stand watching the metal heat up as it slowly turns from a dark red into a bright colour ready for smithing. The first object to be made of bronze is a dagger. I have made tens of daggers previously, but this is my first time working with a different metal. To get the feel of the metal it is necessary to experiment and test how the metal draws and folds. Warming up with a copper dagger was the right choice. Prior to heating up the bronze, I had hammered out a copper dagger to reawaken the motions set within my muscle memory. The bronze has now turned a healthy hue, and I removed it from the forge using the tongs. I set it upon the anvil and begin drawing out the metal. Folding is unnecessary, but for the sake of experience, I fold the metal once. Working with bronze is a lot different than working with copper. Copper is a softer and more malleable metal, whereas bronze takes a lot more power to work with. There is an option of creating moulds and forming a blade that way, but this method would be less effective for smaller creations. Melting the metal in a crucible would require expensive alloys to attain a high strength, but forging creates this through a thermal cycle and deformation. In terms of impact and sheer strength, forging a weapon is superior and results in a tight grain structure that handles impact better than casting. It takes twice as long as copper, but I finally am left with my first bronze item. The finished product was system assisted, and so it has a generic design. The weight is slightly less than the copper dagger, and it cuts through the air with minimal resistance. The amount of experience I gained from it matches that of 4 copper daggers, but its stats are a clear upgrade at nearly 1.5x that of a copper dagger.
Bronze Dagger
Strength 20 >>>>>>> Pierce 12.5
Attack Speed 1.5 Slash 7.5
Durability 200 Crush 0
I am excited to continue working with Bronze, but I cannot forget my agreement with Subestimar. It is not necessary to continue supplying them, but it helps having connections. Plus, a hefty sum of Tor can be acquired easily while I spend my valuable time doing meaningful tasks. After making a couple more Bronze daggers for those, I spend the remainder of the morning crafting copper weapons like an assembly line. With the advent of level 2 blacksmithing, I am able to increase my production by 10%. It may not seem like much, but over time I could tell the difference. It is a blessing that EndGame Online does not penalize a player for crafting the same items repeatedly. The experience gained from the nth item is equal to the first. After finishing 3 broadswords, 6 battle-axes, and 14 short swords the sound of footsteps can be heard on the gravel path to the forge. The steps were equal and non pressured, as if the person were taking there time. When I turn my head, a golden haired beauty with unblemished skin meets my gaze. It is Lady Alenia. Her eyes emit a nostalgic feeling with a hint of sorrow, rather than displaying her usual bewitching gaze. Her expression is fixed as she observes the surrounding area seemingly lost in thought. As she draws nearer, her gaze settles in my direction and the melancholy in her eyes fades as if it were never there. ¡°I see you have gotten settled. I hope the equipment is to your satisfaction.¡± She takes a seat on top of a simple wooden bench. ¡°Yes, it is better than I could have hoped for. Thank you very much for allowing me to use all of this.¡± Working with proper equipment is a major step up from what I was previously using. ¡°Mmm. Wonderful.¡± She takes another look around, ¡°This equipment has sat unused for many years. It was about time for the fires to once more be lit. It was my father¡¯s, and his father¡¯s before him. When I was only a little girl, I would sit here and watch my father work the forge. My mother would be running the inn, and as a girl I was required to help her. But, I would always sneak away to watch him work.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be the mischievous type.¡± ¡°I still am.¡± Her stare penetrates me, ¡°Anyways. My father never taught me the trade, and it was eventually lost. I could tell my father wanted a son to make him proud, but sadly I was an only child.¡± ¡°Your father must have meant a lot to you. It must have been hard to try to live up to his hidden expectations.¡± ¡°Mhmm. He wouldn¡¯t let it overtly show, and always put up a front with me. However, my mother taught me early on how to read people. Do you know why I allowed you to use this forge?¡± ¡°Because of Gem?¡± ¡°Mhmm. That girl is special. Her psychological barriers are strong and her facade is nearly seamless. It¡¯s not easy to pick up on, but it¡¯s there. I have seen the two of you interact and noticed her behaviour is slightly different around you.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°You will have to find the answer to that on your own.¡± I simply stare at her without speaking. ¡°I have guided you in the right direction, now don¡¯t let her down.¡± Lady Alenia stands up and glides away after taking a last look at the forge. I am left ruminating about what she just said. Other than the initial wariness, Gem has always been very outgoing and friendly. She gets along well with others and I haven¡¯t noticed anything resembling a facade. If she is right then wouldn¡¯t the Gem I know be false. I wonder what could have possibly happened to make her wear a fake smile. I must respect her privacy, so I cannot directly ask her. I will just have to be more vigilant in the future, and if she opens up then I will deal with it as it comes.
Player: Cheetos has sent you a message.
Player: Darkbond has sent you a message.
Two messages pop up while I am pondering what Lady Alenia mentioned. I¡¯ll listen to the message by Cheetos first. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Hey man. Word is spreading around town that the first dungeon has been found. Some of the big guild leaders are calling for a meeting later today. Guilds with 100+ players and those at level 9 and above have been invited. Are you in?¡± The first dungeon. Finally some progress is being made towards clearing this death game. This meeting should be a preliminary one to survey the dungeon, but all the major figures will be there. This will be a good opportunity to get a glimpse at the top players in the game as well as get a feel for their personalities. It has already been two weeks since we were trapped in this game and I cannot help but think about it every day. I am sure there are many others similar to myself, and if at all possible I want to be fighting on the frontline. On the other side, life here is not terrible. I have made new friends and done things I¡¯ve only read about. Compared to going to university, this life is a dream; however, this is not for everyone. When I walked along the city streets over the last few days, I could still see beggars and those without hope. Their expressions are that of defeat before even attempting to free themselves. Due to the popularity and publicity EndGame Online received prior to launch, it is safe to assume many non gamers are amongst the players. These users would not have the necessary knowledge to survive in an RPG without assistance. I¡¯ll listen to Darkbond¡¯s message now. ¡°Hello Quinn. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard or not, but the first dungeon has been found. The location will be disclosed tonight within a meeting held by the top guilds along with a plan of attack. It will be held at the amphitheater on the southern side of the city at 5pm. Make sure to be there.¡± Good thing I received two messages. Both of them included something the other had omitted. After the messages have finished playing, my surroundings have become quiet once more. The only sound comes from the forge burning away, keeping the coals at a steady temperature ready for use. I still have four hours before the meeting, so I plan to make the most of it. I quickly send off replies to both of them and set my mind back on the task at hand. The copper weapons can wait. I need to start production on bronze equipment for myself. First up is a bronze short sword. The monsters within the dungeon will have higher stats compared to those found on the outside; therefore, it is necessary to increase my damage output. Next is a few bronze knives and nails to be used as thrown weapons. I haven¡¯t used thrown weapons yet, but I have a feeling they will be useful in the dungeon. If I could later apply a poison on them, my burst damage output from sneak attacks would increase exponentially. The leather armour Gem provided conveniently has a spot for 10 thrown weapons around the waist, so I fill them with 5 knives and 5 nails. I can barely feel the weight of them when equipped. After the weapons are finished, it is time to get started on the armour. I don¡¯t have the confidence in being able to make a full bronze platebody, but a cuirass will be sufficient for my use without negatively impacting my dexterity. I craft it with placing it on top of the leather breastplate in mind. Already two hours has gone by, and it will take me at least 45 minutes to get to the meeting point. There are still a few pieces I want to make, so I had better hurry up. Processing bronze equipment takes twice as long as its copper equivalent, but gives four times as much experience. In the time remaining, I make a pair of bronze armguards and greaves to protect my forearms and shins respectively. They fit snugly over their leather equivalent, but will provide much better protection against attacks. Looking at the clock, there is still an hour before the scheduled meeting time. It¡¯s enough time to leisurely walk to the destination and still arrive early. Therefore, I pack up the equipment and close the grate on the forge. The inn¡¯s restaurant is surprisingly empty as I walk through it. The NPC employees are sitting at the bar conversing amongst themselves, but there are no patrons. Previously, there has never been a moment during business hours where the inn was empty, so this situation is strange. When I pass through the gate onto the cobblestone street, I can only see smaller groups of players here and there. These groups are all headed in the same direction. South. There are a few solitary players headed in other directions, but those are in the minority. As I get closer to my destination, the crowds thicken. Many players are talking amongst themselves in whispers. Only by straining my ears can I hear distinct conversations. ¡°What do you think they are going to talk about?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but since the dungeon has been found, something should happen right?¡± ¡°Only level 9 players and above are allowed in, the rest of us have to wait outside. This is discrimination!¡± ¡°Ahh shut up, you were too lazy and spent your free time drinking.¡± ¡°So? I¡¯m a player stuck in here too!¡± *Oww* Someone smacks him on the head with an open palm. I carry on outside of hearing range. There were bound to be players who couldn¡¯t understand the reasoning for a level requirement. First of all, if it were lowered then the amphitheater would become to crowded. Second, this will be a discussion, and if there were too many opinions it would become counterproductive. And third, a dungeon in an unknown entity and there is no telling what danger lies within. If low level players were to press their luck the casualty rate would increase. If you die, what is the point? Closer to the destination the player density in so thick I have to push my way through. Luckily some players could see my bronze armour and would make way. After all, at this stage anyone with bronze armour would have to be high level or have good connections. Of course, there is the possibility of a freelance blacksmith, such as myself, making their own armour and wearing it, but those are in the minority. I can finally see the building. It is set on an edge of a city square and rises above the nearby buildings. It¡¯s architecture reminds me of Roman construction, and is made of stone and marble. The area beneath the entrance has been cleared of players 10 meters from the building. This is maintained by a wall of players wearing similar red clothed attire. Their faces are obscured by hoods and they have cloaks hanging from their shoulders. The general colour scheme is red and black, but the occasional member has golden trim. This is especially evident on the players patrolling behind the lines. The security is impeccable and serves to keep the masses at bay. The Sacred Order are the only ones capable of pulling this off. In the centre of this formation, there is an opening that comes out and forms a path with guards on each side. I assume this is for those with the criteria to get into the meeting, so I push my way towards them. I am stopped by a man who looks like an officer. He is wearing full bronze plate armour, minus the helm, over top of a red dyed leather. He has a cape hanging off his shoulders with massive spiked bronze pauldrons. On his hips are a bronze sword and dagger with matching dragonhead hilts. The sheath¡¯s are made of the red leather with golden trim. His arms are folded in front of his chest in an intimidating manner and his eyes dart through the crowd. On his face rests a smug grin as he looks down on those he sees. He notices me when I am close by and I can feel his stare on me. He must have noticed my bronze armour outfitted for mobility as well as my level. He gives me a nod and lets me through the line of guards without saying a word. Finally free from the crowd, I can increase my movement speed as I head towards the amphitheater. Once inside the gateway I am directed via signs to seating areas for guilds, level 9 players, and level 10 players. As I am part of the latter, I make my way down to the seating area to take my place amongst the users and wait for the meeting to begin. Chapter 22 - Delusions Of Grandeur ¡°Silence!¡± An authoritative voice rings throughout the amphitheater. The meaningless chatter quickly dies down as everyone¡¯s attention gathers to the front. The source of the voice is situated on the centre stage where three players are standing: two males and one female. All are clothed in luxurious, high quality armours in addition to having powerful looking weapons on their person. On the left is a man who stands 5¡¯10¡± tall. He has messy dark brown hair and an average build. He looks like a warrior and has a short sword at his hip while a shield rests on his back. His armour does not consist of full plate mail, but rather is combination of light and heavy armours. It is dyed a mixture of green with white trim to match his guild¡¯s colours. On the other side is a 5¡¯3¡± tall female dressed in a white cloth armour with light blue trim over top of bronze. Her blonde hair is worn loose and hangs to her waist. A smile does not adorn her face, but nonetheless, her beauty is enough to steal the hearts of many men. She has duel blades equipped on her hips and daggers attached to her legs. This woman gives off an indifferent expression, as if she would not blink twice to kill someone. The man in the centre is the source of the previous voice. Based on his equipment, he is obviously a high ranking member of the Sacred Order. The other two players on stage stand as if in his shadow. He has short black hair in a crew cut and a massive stature compared to the average player. He is equipped with full bronze plate armour over top of red dyed leather. On his back is a 5 feet long bronze broadsword with a sharp double edged blade. On his shoulders sits a red cape similar to the ones seen outside; however, his cape contains thick golden trim and massive pauldrons that sit upon his shoulders. These three are indisputably the top players of the server and leaders of their respective guilds. The leader of the Shadowguard, Davion, who commands the second largest guild. He has sent many probing parties to find the dungeon¡¯s location and finally located it yesterday. The leader of Wings of Liberty, Celeritas, who advocated for female gamers. She founded a female only guild and has, against odds, become the leader of the third largest guild. Lastly, the leader of the Sacred Order, Zhaos. The tyrant who rules over the majority of the city. The seats are packed full with an endless sea of players. Those from high ranking guilds, or level 10 players are seated towards the front, while the level 9¡¯s are seated in the nosebleeds. From My seat, I can get a clear view of the proceedings. In addition, the seats are more comfortable and consist of wooden chairs with backs and armrests, compared to the stone benches appointed to the rest. There are probably no less than 5,000 players currently attending this meeting. "It has been two weeks since EndGame Online launched. As I am sure all of you are aware, we are stuck here until the game is cleared. ¡°Until now, no progress has been made towards this end. However! Yesterday my friends at Shadowguard have located the first dungeon!" Cheers erupted throughout the amphitheater and they took a while die down. On the stage, Zhaos is watching the players with a grandiose smile. Davion stands next to him, proudly inflating his chest. "We have invited you all here today to discuss this very event. You are the top players in this game and the hope for everyone. ¡°I hope that you will give it your all and join the fight against the system!¡± Zhaos spreads his arms wide. ¡°I¡¯ll pass it off to Davion and he can fill you in on the details." Zhaos steps back and motions for Davion to step forward. The crowd remains silent in anticipation, awaiting what will be said. "Hello everyone!¡± Davion says in a modest tone, ¡°Thank you for coming." Davion doesn''t have the same public speaking skills as Zhaos, which is evident after only a few words. However, if I were on that stage I would not be able to speak or even think clearly. I''m fine with working in background, but to be able to go up in front of thousands of emotional people is behind my capabilities. Since this is the first glimpse of hope for the past two weeks, a lot of feelings and emotions will be brought up. Some people have even been drawn to insanity, while others have locked away their emotions and chosen to mindlessly fight.The advent of this dungeon''s discovery is a reminder of our present situation, as well as the requirements for freedom. In my daily life of smithing, I have not been exposed to too many distraught players, but I have still seen the looks on many faces within the Prancing Mare as they spend their money on alcohol. ¡°Yesterday evening, a party from our guild came across what looked to be an abandoned mine shaft. I¡¯m sure you know these types of mine shafts are common throughout the island, but this one was different in that it was guarded by a heavy stone door. ¡°Our scouting team delved into the shallows of this dungeon, but were assaulted by an endless stream of previously unseen monsters. Unfortunately, they were overwhelmed and had to retreat, otherwise we would have more information.¡± This provokes many discussions amongst the seated players. ¡°Our scouting party had 6 members of levels 7 and 8; therefore, we have unanimously come to a conclusion and deem the dungeon unsafe for those under level 9. We have set up a temporary base at the dungeon¡¯s entrance guarded by level 9 players on rotating shifts to ensure no one falls victim unnecessarily to those monsters. ¡°Now, here is where we require your cooperation. Tomorrow at 1400 hours we intend on sending a surveying party of 30 players into the dungeon to map out the interior. This will be done in the form of a quest funded by the combined wealth of our three guilds. These players will be required to be at least level 10. as well as in possession of the cartography skill. It is also recommended to have bronze level equipment. ¡°For those of you who wish to participate, but do not yet have the cartography skill, there is a simple job that can be completed. It can be obtained from a retired soldier by the name of Vlodimir. He is located at the park near the central market.¡± I had completely forgotten about the existence of quests in this world, Normally in these types of games, quests would play a larger role, but with this sandbox world they had slipped my mind. There was no main quest line, or anything along that line, other than to clear the dungeons. Rather, smaller tasks that required fulfilling certain requirements for NPCs such as hunting a certain number of creatures, or making X amount of items, existed. Quests and/or jobs are required in order to learn certain skills such as tailoring and blacksmithing. Other skills could be learnt by going through the required motions, such as cooking and swordsmanship. And then there is the category of skills acquired through levelling up other skills, as was the case in learning one-handed sword skill after reaching level 2 swordsmanship. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. I don¡¯t quite understand the logic between what determines how one acquires the skill, but it seems everyday ones can be learnt automatically, while production related or specialized skills require a job to learn. ¡°After the surveying party finishes mapping the immediate area, the dungeon will be open to the rest of you. I will now open up the floor to questions.¡± With this, everyone starts talking at once. The noise level in the amphitheater reaches new heights. Some people even stand up as if that will make their voice be heard. ¡°Be Quiet!¡± Zhaos¡¯s voice drowns out the unnecessary chatter. Many players have looks of apprehension as they settle back in their seats. ¡°That¡¯s better.¡± Zhaos squints his eyes as he looks through the crowd. ¡°You will ask questions one at a time by raising your hand. We will then select the question to be answered. If anyone has any qualms with this, they are welcome to leave.¡± Zhaos is treating us in a similar manner to children; however, no players leave the area. This meeting is too important to miss for a thing such as pride. Hundreds of players raise their hands, but I am not one of them. ¡°You there! In the brown robe with black hair.¡± I look over to see who he is pointing at, but from this angle it is impossible. ¡°How will the survey party be decided?¡± ¡°First of all, you are level 9, so you will not be selected. Second, the team will consist of 10 members from the Sacred Order, 5 from Wings of Liberty, 5 from Shadowguard, and 10 from the remaining guilds and freelance players.¡± ¡°¡°What?!¡±¡± ¡°That is bullshit!¡± ¡°You just want to monopolize the drops and hunting grounds!¡± Many players are outraged with this and I would be too if I were not level 10. At least I have a chance to make the team, because there are not many level 10 players outside of the three big guilds. I was the 87th player to reach level 10 yesterday, so there would be at least 100 by now, and at least half of those would be attached to the guilds. Despite this, I do agree with sending an elite party into the dungeon. It makes sense considering death in game is the end. ¡°Next!¡± Zhaos points at a man near the front of the stage. ¡°Where is the dungeon located?¡± ¡°As of right now, that information is classified. This is to keep those reckless players from overestimating themselves and running off and getting killed.¡± By monopolizing on the information, they can remain in control. ¡°Next question!¡± Zhaos¡¯s voice once more rings out. ¡°You! With the weird spiked hair and copper chainmail.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± I look over and see the player¡¯s hair is shaved on both sides and long on top. ¡±Why limit the party to 30 people?¡± ¡°We imposed this limit to keep the party at a manageable size.¡± ¡°In order words, so you can control them?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He doesn¡¯t even deny it. This kind of blind arrogance is something I cannot tolerate; however, currently I am not in a position to do anything about it. His small piece of authority will not last if this goes on. If a people are oppressed for too long, they will fight back. Similar to a trapped animal. ¡°Why should we have to listen to you?¡± ¡°Yeah! We are all players in this game!¡± I watch Zhaos on the stage whisper something to one of his guild members. Very shortly, guards similar to those outside walk through the stands. They approach the players who voiced their opinions and escort them outside. Those players are mostly from the level 9 seating section, but even in that section many of the members are lower ranking members of those three big guilds. Only freelance players are being targeted. This sends a message that they are in control and if you want information you should join them. I am somewhat surprised they even allowed other players to join in the meeting, but I guess it is a form of publicity. ¡°Any more people wish to be escorted outside?¡± Silence spreads throughout the amphitheater, ¡°No? Let¡¯s carry on then.¡± I notice a hostile light flicker in Celeritas¡¯ eyes when she looks towards Zhaos. Davion appears rather oblivious and docile. Davion has barely said anything while on stage, whereas Celeritas has not even spoken yet. This talk continues back and forth for some time. Zhaos has been the primary one responding to the questions, but Davion has answered a few. Celeritas still has not spoken, rather it seems like she is not allowed to speak. Not every question was answered adequately and there are still tens of players still wanting to ask questions. Two hours in, it looks like the meeting is about to end. ¡°And such, the 30 players will be decided tomorrow before 1400. The members will be decided by a collaboration between our three guilds based on who we believe deserves to have a spot. Remember, there are only 10 slots available for those not associated with Sacred Order, Shadowguard, or Wings of Liberty. ¡°If you are interested in being a member of the party, we will be meeting at the north gate at 1300 hours. That will allow you enough time to get the cartography skill. ¡°We will be leaving by means of a purple teleport crystal, so those who planned on following us can give up. You are dismissed.¡± We were dismissed rather abruptly. Many players have conflicting looks on their faces. Countless players have been left unsatisfied by this meeting, but are powerless to do anything about it. Once we expand to new islands and get stronger this power differential will have to change. When I step out of the amphitheater, I can see looks of hope amidst the crowds outside. Players of all ages have stayed out here while the conversation was going on within. Truly this is a major breakthrough for the players, but to have it controlled like that is too much.
It is getting late by the time I arrive back at the Prancing Mare. As soon as I get within arms reach of my bed, I plop down in a release of tension. While I am laying their looking at the ceiling, the door opens and footsteps can be heard on the hardwood floor. ¡°How did it go?¡± A soft feminine voice inquires. ¡°Sigh, A group of 30 players will survey the dungeon tomorrow afternoon. However, the information gained from the meeting was pitiful at best.¡± ¡°Hehe, Sounds like it didn¡¯t hold up to your expectations.¡± ¡°They are withholding the dungeon¡¯s location, and there are only 10 slots available for solo players or those from smaller guilds.¡± ¡°Once a man has a taste of power, he is likely to desire more and never be satisfied until he is on top. These things are to be expected from a power hungry egomaniac.¡± ¡°Haha, that they are.¡± I turn my head and see Gem sitting on the bed opposite me. Chapter 23 - Cartography The park next to the central market was not difficult to find. It¡¯s a large open green space in the middle of the city right off the main road. Walking trails wind through grass fields and trees while flowers, fountains and other decorations bring character to the area. Benches line the trails, many of which are already occupied at this time in the morning. I chose to head out right after the sun rose, because I do not know how long this job will take, nor what the NPC even looks like. It was mentioned yesterday that the NPC spends all day on one of the benches at the park, so it should be easy to locate him when there are not too many people here. Or so I thought. It was released to the general players that an expedition would take place today since there was no way they could contain that information. Therefore, last night there were many players celebrating and even this morning many must have come to watch the sun rise. After 20 minutes of searching, I finally located a man who fits the description. He looks to be in his mid 50¡¯s with greying hair. He has a scar down his left cheek that barely misses his eye and a full beard. His clothes are nothing fancy and could be found at any general tailor¡¯s shop, but the most distinguishing feature is the drawing board placed on his lap. The board has spots filled with a variety of pens, inks, and measuring tools. At his side are a stack of papers that he would, one by one, place on the board and start drawing. There are no players in the vicinity yet, but i¡¯m sure this area will be packed once his location is leaked. After all, the skill he provides is necessary in order to get a spot in the surveying party. Even if I do not get on the party, the cartography skill will become very useful in later stages of the game. I may have a good sense of direction, but even I can get lost. Similar to what happened in the Pleylf Forest on the first day. Unless one has the map data for an area, which can be purchased from other players, the user menu map will be greyed out. Once the data is collected, the map will start to fill in. A level 1 map only provides the basic details, and so far I have not seen a level 2 or higher map. I haven¡¯t purchased one a map before, but I have seen the map from members of Subestimar. For example: the map of the city Cheetos has only shows lines and city blocks. Even then, it was only of a portion of the city, because a full map would cost too much on a tight budget. ¡°Good morning!¡± The man halts his work and looks up at me. ¡°I almost didn¡¯t see you there. Would you like to purchase one of my maps?¡± He smiles with a toothy grin. ¡°How much are they?¡± ¡°A basic map of the park and surrounding area would be 49 Tor. If you want a more detailed map, that would be 79 Tor.¡± ¡°Why not 80?¡± ¡°A person generally looks at the first number first, and since 7 is less than 8 they feel it is a lot cheaper than it really is. You¡¯re welcome to pay 80 for it though. I wouldn¡¯t mind. Hehe.¡± Ahh, a classic marketing strategy based on human psychology. This is seen is practically every store in the real world. I am somewhat surprised to see it here in a medieval fantasy world. ¡°Hah, no thanks. I was actually wondering if you would be able to teach me how to draw maps.¡± ¡°Oh? A fellow cartographer. Let me tell you a story.¡± He continues, ¡°Back when I was in the army, I was chosen to be a scout based on my abnormal dexterity. The commanding officer had spent many weeks teaching us scouts how to draw proper maps. If we had made any errors we would get whipped in front of our fellow soldiers. This was because those soldiers would stake their lives on the information we provided them, and any mistake could very well cost them their lives.¡± He pauses to scratch his face, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like much of that matters with the portals the way they are now.¡± I must of unconsciously worn a appalled expression on my face, because his expression changed to a more friendly one. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be whipping you for mistakes. Anyways, map these days are much easier to create. So, do you wish to learn the cartography skill?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wonderful! Here are the details.¡±
Job Request
Old Cartographers¡¯s request
Details Explore park
Create map covering the entire park
Time limit 1 hour
Repeatable Yes
Reward Cartography Skill
Basic Map of Park
¡°The name¡¯s Vlodimir by the way.¡± He offers his hand to shake. ¡°As you can see, I sell maps of the park here to tourists and visitors. If you want to learn cartography, I¡¯ll teach you if you complete a simple task for me.¡± ¡°Mhmm.¡± ¡°I want you to create a basic map of the park for me. I will add details to it later to be sold, but having the basic outline will help me save time.¡± ¡°Okay, but how do I do that?¡± The process is not exactly evident. The maps we use are within the user menu, but it looks like he is drawing them out by hand. ¡°Ahh! How could I forget.¡± He slaps himself on the head. ¡°All you have to do is open up your menu to the map option and select the draw option. Then you simply have to walk around the park like that. The map will automatically draw out a radius of 10 metres from you.¡± It sounds weird listening to an NPC talk about the user menu. ¡°When you are finished, you can come back to me and I will assess the map. If I deem it satisfactory, I will teach you the cartography skill. Now go! You have one hour to complete the task.¡± As he says that, a timer counting down appeared on my UI. I open my user menu and bring up the map. Sure enough, there is now a draw option below it along with a save, map book, and locate button. The save button is self explanatory, but I wonder how the locate function works. Does one have to have a completed map to use it? Can the set target be an item, player, or monster? Can one even locate an unknown entity, or how close does one need to be to set a target? Maybe these will just require trial and error. With the holographic 2D map displayed upright in front of me, I hit the draw button and immediately see the area around me become saved to the screen. If I am to cover the entire park in one hour I had best get started. While walking I can hear conversations and a few players cast odd looks in my direction, but I just continue on. ¡°Hey, what do you think he¡¯s doing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Just ignore him, many people have been driven insane already.¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Yeah, have you heard about the guy back at the arena where this started?¡± ¡°No, what about him?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to see it. He sits at the corner of the street in a fetal position speaking gibberish during the day and disappears at night. No one sees where he goes, but every morning he arrives back at the same spot.¡± ¡°Creepy...¡± The screen is before my eyes and is visible by other players. Currently I am walking around in straight lines without regard for the path to fill in the blank areas on the map. In order to get the full area, I have to walk through trees and bushes. There is a large pond in the centre, but thankfully I am able to reach the entire space from the banks and wooden bridge through the middle. Around half of the park was mapped by the time I started to notice other players doing a similar task. I have to admit, they do look odd while walking around. The mapping process is very simple and doesn''t require much skill, but in order to get a full, accurate map one would need to explore every path. Thankfully, the mapped area can jump over walls as long as it is within the radius of the player. 20 minutes has elapsed from the halfway mark, but I''ve gotten a good look at the park. I''m glad to have chosen to do this in the morning. The map is finally complete, so I hit the save button and the map data is sent to my map book automatically. From there it becomes an object that can be traded. When this becomes more popular, the information brokers will pick up on it. They already sell information on quests, shops, hunting spots, and other such things. I make my way back to Vlodimir. There are a couple players talking with him, so I have to wait until they are finished. When they head off I approach him. "I''ve completed the task." I flip around the map to show him. "This is the map. How did I do?" "Hmm let me see." He looks scrutinizingly at the map. "Looks good! You got the entire park on here."
Notification
You have completed the job: Old Cartographers Request.
Skill Acquired
Cartography level 1. Allows user to create and share maps. As the user¡¯s level advances, higher detail maps will be created.
"Thank you. I''ll be heading off now." "Be sure to spread the word." "Mhmm." After leaving the park, I make my way over to Subestimar''s shop. The guys are still running the shop, but the popularity is nothing like the first day. For one, I haven''t been able to keep up with demand for weapons, so that aspect is not there. They are making the most business buying monster drops and converting them to other items such as food and clothing. The inside of the shop has gone under a bit of renovation. The designated smithing desk has been removed and in its place is a shelving unit. I had asked them to purchase broken armours based on their weight in metal and it seems that has been a popular option. Many players would rather obtain a brand new armour than do the maintenance on their own. And besides, once an item gets below 10% durability, only a blacksmith can repair the armour. I hand them over the bronze items I made yesterday and, in exchange, I pick up the Tor I am due as well as the old armours. I can take these armours and melt them down, combine them with tin and make more bronze for production. With nothing to do until the designated meeting time, I head back to the Inn to work on hammering out a couple more bronze weapons. I am preferential to one handed weapons, so I create 8 short swords, 5 maces, and a couple pickaxes. Pickaxes can be used as weapons, but they are primarily used for digging ores. Since the dungeon is within an abandoned mine, it might we worthwhile to bring a pickaxe. A pickaxe can be used to mine ore one tier above it, so in this case, if I find any Iron ore I will be able to gather it. I heard from an information broker that to obtain the mining skill requires two things: a pickaxe and an ore vein. No quest required. Even though I cannot use iron at this time, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to obtain some for free. At noon I take a quick bite to eat from a market stand and make my way over to northern gate. On my way I decide to stop in at Subestimar¡¯s shop once more to sell off the bronze items. When I arrive at the shop, there is no one present, so I approach the counter and ring the bell. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there!¡± A voice comes out from the back room, ¡°Just a minute.¡± *Phew* They must do half day shift rotations since a player I haven¡¯t met yet comes to the counter. He is short and stocky with a heavyset build and looks to be around 16 years old. He has short brown hair and is wearing a standard shopkeeper¡¯s apron. ¡°Umm, hi. I¡¯ve brought some weapons to sell in the shop.¡± ¡°Oh? Place them on the counter and let me see.¡± I take them out of my inventory one by one and place them in a row on the counter. I keep one bronze sword and a pickaxe for myself for emergency purposes. The player stands there with his eyes wide open and his jaw dropped. ¡°Th-That is..¡± He stammers. ¡°Seven bronze short swords, five bronze maces, and one bronze pickaxe.¡± I smirk at his reaction. ¡°I¡¯m Quinn by the way.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll add these to the store stock and you can inform your guild head. I have somewhere to be right now, so I cannot give it to them directly.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± His reaction is priceless. I immediately put them in the store stock and turn around to leave. I chose to informed the player at the counter rather than just putting them in the stock and walking away partially to see this reaction. I also send a quick message to Darkbond for good measure. I¡¯m sure he would rather buy them himself for the guild rather than sell to random players. ¡°Before I leave, I will purchase twenty lesser health potions, five lesser stamina potions, a white crystal, and ten days worth of food.¡± The player quickly snaps out of his daze. ¡°Right. Let¡¯s see¡± He puts my order in the automatic pricing system. ¡°That will be 1230 Tor.¡± The pricing system for stores is manually set by the owner, and at first players questioned its usefulness. However, with larger orders and increased stock variety, it¡¯s usefulness soon became apparent. I place the money in the trade window, and receive my items. And, of course, the 40% discount applies. Potions are very expensive due to the excessive demand. Just a simple lesser health potion goes for so much, because many players are fearful of death. Having that potion as a form of life insurance allows them to keep fighting. I already have seen first hand the value of these potions. Gem wouldn¡¯t have been here had I not gotten a normal health potion from that cave. With 30 minutes until the meeting time, I set off for the northern gate. Chapter 24 - Entering The Dungeon "Since there are too many of you, we will draw slots to determine who gets on the team." Just outside the northern gate, the top players have gathered. The teams from the three large guilds have already been decided and now it is our turn. There are 26 players from smaller guilds or who are solo players. It¡¯s surprising that the spots have not been bought out, but it must not be possible for the Sacred Order to pull something like that off in the public eye. However, I thought they would at least base it off of personal skill rather than random chance. "Everyone will be assigned a number and we will draw out 10 stones from this bag,¡± He holds up a small brown leather pouch, ¡°Once drawn, the numbers will be final. The player who gets their number drawn will pick the next stone. Now, line up." We all lined up and I got assigned number 13. The man reaches his hand into the bag and draws out the first number. 18 To my left, a female player with light brown hair steps out with a smile on her face. She moves happily over to the bag and draws out the next number. 7 This time, a male player with short blonde hair steps out. He tries to contain his excitement, but it has escaped and is quite evident on his face. He draws out the next number. 15 This pattern continues... 26 2 9 1 17 10 Now, only one number remains. Mine still hasn¡¯t been called. The players beside me gulp in nervous anticipation. The player whose number is 10 is a female assassin with a petite, slender frame. She reaches her hand into the bag and pulls out a green stone. From my position, I can see the number 3 partially obscured on the stone in her hand. So much for the dungeon. The other players have also noticed this and many display looks of disappointment on their faces. I start to turn around and head back into the town. There¡¯s no point in staying if it¡¯s going to be like this. However, as soon as I turn my head, I hear a feminine voice behind me. ¡°13¡± My body freezes on the spot. Relief mixed with disbelief rushes through my head in waves. *phew* My number was drawn. The look on those whose numbers were called is that of relief, while the others only look dejected. The ten of us gather near the leader, while the rest trudge back into the town. The player who will be the acting leader is from the Sacred Order guild. His name is Miles and he is a level 11 knight. With full bronze plate armour overtop of the typical Sacred Order red leather armour, he looks very intimidating. The guild symbol is obnoxiously engraved on his plate body with a gilded plating. Of course, nobody at this stage is currently capable of working with real gold, so it is just golden paint, but it has a life-like appearance. Maybe I am simply prejudiced against their members, but something about them rubs me the wrong way. The players in the same situation as myself consist of 2 warriors, 1 barbarian, 2 mages, 1 rogue, 1 assassin, a priest and an archer. The other assassin''s face is hidden, but I can tell they are female. Most of the other players do not look anything special and their armours are shoddy compared to the three main guild''s matching armours. Many players surround us, due to information on the meeting point being leaked. However, they are giving out cheers of encouragement as they look at us with wide eyes.It is as if they are watching soldiers preparing for battle and are giving us their hopes and wishes. "There are 15 minutes until we will be leaving. Make sure you have stocked up on food and healing items. This expedition is expected to be dangerous and there is no telling what will happen or how long it will take." Since there is some time left, I might as well introduce myself to the other assassin player. I won¡¯t bother with the members of the larger guilds, because when I look at them, I am returned with pretentious looks. Before I get a chance to talk with the assassin, one of the warriors approaches me instead. Equipped with a bronze short sword and square shield, he appears to be a well off player from a smaller guild. He has short brown hair and an average build, but otherwise, there doesn¡¯t seem to be anything noteworthy about him. "Hey! The name''s Devon. Us solo players gotta stick together during this." He gets uncomfortable close; enough so that I can feel the warmth of his breath. "Between you and me, I don''t trust those guys from the Sacred Order." Keep your distance. I am put off by his overly friendly posture. ¡°Ahem.¡± I cough, ¡±You''re a warrior right?" "You have a good eye." He pats my shoulder as if we were close friends. I take a step back and remove his hand. "Umm, it was a lucky guess." ¡°So, what are your thoughts about only sending a small elite squad rather than overwhelming the monsters with numbers?¡± He continues, ¡°Personally, I don¡¯t have much faith in it.¡± ¡°Well, by controlling who goes in, they can obtain the most benefits for themselves. They probably wouldn¡¯t have allowed other players in for a while had information of the dungeon not been leaked.¡± I pause before continuing, ¡°For good public relations they have to put on this farce and if they released the location to the masses, it would become chaotic and uncontrollable as people fight for benefits. Of course, many lives would also be lost along the way...¡± Before I could finish my thought, a shouting came from somewhere in the crowd. ¡°Everyone gather around!¡± Miles voice drowns out the chatter, ¡°In a few moments I will open the teleportation gateway. It will stay open for a duration of 60 seconds. If you do not get across during this time then you are out of luck. If anyone who is not a member of the surveying team follows us through, then they will be dealt with by our guild¡¯s law enforcers.¡± Murmurs can be heard throughout the crowd. I guess some people wanted to try their luck and sneak through. That is one of the downsides to the purple crystals. A gateway large enough to fit two vehicles across side by side will appear 5 feet away from the user and this gateway will allow anything through, including monsters. Miles takes out a glowing purple crystal from his inventory. He lifts it up at arms length in front of his head and then proceeds to crush it. The item shatters into pixelated dust and a giant portal opens up on the grass. Looking into the portal it is impossible to see the other side. All that is visible is a white haze. This is another downside to the crystal, because one cannot tell what they are walking into. It requires trust in the other party. For something as major as this, they would not link it up with a dangerous spot, but I can see the potential for using these in ambushes and PK¡¯s. ¡°Move out!¡± Miles is the first to step through the portal, followed by the Sacred Order members. The members of Shadowguard and Wings of liberty are next, and lastly us other players. Stepping through the portal gives off a sensation of lightheadedness. It is as if one is free fallings and the blood rushes to the head. The sensation only lasts for a fleeting moment, but it is long enough to unsteady my balance. The scene on the other side is of a temporary camp. The portal¡¯s location is in a clearing surrounded by a rope, but less than 20 feet away tents have been set up. The whole encampment looks to stretch 100 metres across and is crowded with makeshift buildings. It appears like a small village has been set up at this location and been surrounded by a wall made of wooden logs. To one side is a mountain cliff, while the other sides are covered by forrest. This doesn¡¯t look like it was just discovered in the last day, but then again, something like this might be possible in the game. I don¡¯t know much about the construction skill, but I assume it may be possible with enough supplies and skilled workers. After all, a sword which would take days to create in real life only takes 10 minutes in game. We are led towards a large cloth tent, which looks to be a strategy meeting area. Many players are going about doing random tasks, such as carrying building supplies for construction. Within the tent, 3 rows of 10 chairs face towards a podium. We all take a seat, and naturally, I am seated in the furthest row. A man I don¡¯t recognize walks through the seats and settles at the podium before turning and facing us. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Good afternoon everyone. In a few minutes you will be headed off into the dungeon, and there are a few things you should know prior to this. First off, the monsters within the dungeon are unnaturally aggressive. We have had to cordon off the entrance to prevent them from pouring out. When the first team discovered the dungeon and was subsequently chased off, they managed to escape unscathed into the forest. ¡°As you know, teleportation crystals do not activate immediately, and can be interrupted through combat. After the first group got outside, the monsters followed, and stayed outside. We lost many players trying to push them back into the mine, and finally were able to build a wall surrounding them with the help of hundreds of players. Their loses will not be in vain! ¡°The monsters within were abnormally strong compared to those on the outside. Just a simple slime that would be considered fodder in another game is level 10. It took a team of 4 people just to bring down one. Thankfully there was a mage in the group, because those slimes have a ridiculous physical resistance stat. ¡°This is the first time a type of resistance has been noted on a monster. Another monster we saw were level 8 bats; however, they are the weakest existence in the dungeon. Even so, they have a resistance to shadow magic, and that includes an assassin¡¯s cloaking skill. ¡°Naturally, you will not be alone while facing them. You will be split into teams of 5 based on your seating arrangements here and these six teams will each take a separate path in the dungeon.¡± Sure. That¡¯s fine for the teams from the three guilds, because they were able to balance out the parties ahead of time. However, the rest of us are left with makeshift unbalanced teams. ¡°The dungeon has many twists and turns, so it is easy to get lost. That is why we included the cartography skill as a requirement. It would be beneficial for each of you to keep the skill activated while outside of combat. ¡°Now, it is not expected that you clear the dungeon or even find the boss room. As long as you can secure the immediate area while preserving your lives this mission will be considered a success.¡± The man observes each of us while murmurs spread amongst the players. This dungeon will be more difficult than i imagined. If the weakest monster is a level 8, I wonder what the average would be. Surely it wouldn¡¯t be impossible for the monsters to exceed level 15, and that is not even mentioning the boss. I can see why they made the requirement level 10 rather than 9 since the bonus points from reaching level 10 gives a huge boost in combat potential. ¡°You have five minutes to introduce yourselves to your party members. Elect a leader from your group of five and open a party. This will allow you to view each other¡¯s health and locate each other on the map. Good luck!¡± I look towards my new party members. Our party consists of myself, the other assassin, the priest, a mage, and a warrior. Overall it is more balanced than I could have hoped for. The warrior Devon is within the other group, and it looks like he is already getting everyone together. ¡°Shall we introduce ourselves then?¡± The warrior in our group speaks up. ¡°My name is Sirius, and I am a level 11 warrior.¡± Sirius has short unkempt auburn hair held back by a plain black bandana. He wears a bronze cuirass overtop of copper chainmail. Bronze plates are attached to his leather chaps, which gives the impression of being custom made. At his side is a bronze short sword and on his back is a copper shield. ¡°Elayne, Level 10 mage.¡± Elayne is wearing a simple two piece dark red robe set made of cotton. She has waist length dark brown hair tied back in a braid and gives the impression of being a scholar rather than a fighter. She holds onto a 5 foot long wooden staff made from a tree branch and imbued with magic. The staff gives off a faint red light, which tied with her choice of colour, leads me to believe she is a fire mage. ¡°Astrya, Level 10 priest.¡± Rather than wearing the traditional western priest garb, Astrya is clothed in modified shrine priest robes designed to not hinder movement. Her light brown hair is tied back in a ponytail and she wields a pure white wand in her dominant hand. ¡°Ilyena, Level 11 assassin.¡± Ilyena is the most mysterious of the group. Her face is obscured by a black veil as if in mourning and her voice is icy cold. Despite that, she is dressed in sleek bronze plated leather armour underneath a dark black cloth that obscures her slender frame. ¡°Quinn, Level 10 assassin.¡± ¡°Hmm, Two assassins, a mage, and a priest.¡± Sirius continues, ¡°I guess I will have to be the main tank. Since we don¡¯t have much time, we will do it like this. Elayne will take rear guard, while Astrya will be on support. Ilyena and Quinn, you two will take middle positions and work on dealing burst damage.¡± I guess sirius has volunteered himself to be leader, but since it looks like he knows what he is doing, I¡¯ll let him be. The others also seem to have no objection to this. ¡°If there are chances for sneak attacks, you two will work together in annihilating the enemies while keeping hidden. Otherwise, Elayne will draw aggro and lure the monsters towards us at a manageable rate. Do you think you can do this?¡± ¡°Un.¡± Elayne nods, ¡°I did a similar role for my guild¡¯s team, so I can handle it.¡± ¡°Perfect!¡± Sirius pauses, ¡°How about you two? You will be placed in a dangerous position, but I believe that it will work with the two of you working together.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Ilyena gives a brief reply. ¡°Yea, I¡¯m fine with it.¡± ¡°Wonderful! I¡¯ll send a party invitation to each of you.¡±
Notification
Player: Sirius invites you to join his party. Do you accept?
Yes No
I select [Yes] and immediately I can see each of the party members names at the top left corner of my UI. Their green health and blue mana bars are displayed there, so it is convenient to see how much each person has remaining. Sirius, being a warrior, has the highest health, while Elayne and Astrya are tied with the most mana. Ilyena and myself have the lowest in each, but that is compensated by our high damage output and maneuverability. Armours and robes add mana and vitality on top of a player¡¯s base stats, and these are shown as smaller silver and dark blue bars over top of the health and mana bars respectively. The way this works is that the smaller bars will get depleted first, followed by the regular ones. This system is somewhat redundant, but it differentiates between the two. Of course, these bars are not seen when in combat with another player, and are only visible in the party screen. ¡°Alright everyone! It¡¯s time to move out!¡± Miles¡¯ voice rings out. He and his team take the lead in walking toward the cliff. The rest of us join in behind him as the path becomes clear of observing players. The end of the path we are harbours a large wooden gate made of solid wood construction reinforced with metal. The gate was designed to be structurally sound and capable of holding back those stronger monsters. It consisted of a double door system similar to an airlock and on the other side of the gate is a narrow passage leading to the mine¡¯s entrance. Atop the walls lining the passageway were archers and magicians, all whom aimed at the entranceway to the mine. Should the monsters attack, the would be funnelled into this death trap and be fired upon by either side. If they were lucky enough to get to the gate, they would have to burst through it twice while taking heavy fire. The original door to the dungeon mine has been destroyed and all that remains is a hole the size of three people across and 1 person tall. Miles brings out a torch and takes his first steps into the darkness and is followed by the teams from the three big guilds. Our team is the last to go in. As I step into the dungeon, a cool breeze comes from the depths leaving my skin tingling. Those around me shiver and their bravado falters for a fleeting moment. There is no system message to state we have entered the dungeon, but from the entrance it is readily apparent. This is no ordinary cave. Chapter 25 - The Abandoned Mine The abandoned mine has a damp, musty smell mixed in with a faint wisp of rot. The ceiling is supported by wooden beams at regular intervals and an old rusted track runs down the gradual slope into the depths of the mine. It gives off an eerie feeling of desolation. I regret not bringing a light source, because the visibility is poor underground. Torch sconces line the walls, which Miles lights up as he passes. This at least allows the rest of us to have better visibility, but even with them lit, the visibility is barely passable. Before going too far, I make sure to activate my map to begin charting the dungeon. The progress is slow and steady as everyone shuffles down the path. The main shaft probably goes on for miles underground, and there is no telling how large this dungeon actually is. So far there has not been an offshoot, but it doesn¡¯t take long before we come to the first junction. On the map it can be seen that this path continues on past the current boundaries of my map, but other than that there is no information. Miles brings the group to a halt and turns around to speak. ¡°Team three.¡± He raises his voice. ¡°You will explore down this tunnel. Anything you find is yours, but be sure to map out each path until its end. Tread carefully.¡± I¡¯m in team six. Team three consists of those from Wings of Liberty and is an all female group. The plan is to combine the maps together at the end, like putting the pieces of a puzzle together. Team three turns off and heads down the path into the darkness. I don¡¯t imagine the upper layers will hold much value, so other than the map, I feel the will end off empty handed. Except of course in the advent of monsters. The initial scouting party ran into monsters fairly quickly, but so far it has been quiet. Unnaturally so, but perhaps the AI makes the monsters smart enough to avoid attacking a large group with small numbers. The initial party only had 5-6 members, and they were chased out of the mine. Our group of 30 has not yet noticed any trace of monsters; however, once team three diverts off the main path, the sound of swords clashing can already be heard. Our main group continues downward, and every so often a breeze will blow by. I observe the members fidgeting nervously with their weapons as if always on alert for an ambush. Even I am on edge, and ready to defend myself at any moment. The next two junctions pass by and the fourth and fifth teams take them. Now, all that remains is our sixth team and the 10 members from Sacred Order The tunnel of the main shaft has gotten narrower the further we go, but there is still enough room to fight if necessary. It doesn¡¯t take long before I see another passage off to the right on my map. "Alright group six, you guys take this passage." Miles points towards a small offshoot of the main tunnel. The passage is large enough for two people to fight side-by-side, but only that. Our formation would be useless in this situation, yet we have to take it. ¡°Alright. Everyone, follow me!¡± Sirius continues, "I''ll be out in front along with Ilyena. Quinn, you take mid while Astrya and Elayne will follow in the back." Miles nods and then leads his groups onward, leaving us alone in the dark. Just that small passage leaves me feeling anxious, because I have never been good with enclosed spaces. Even though I''m a lot strong in this world than reality and have teleport crystals on me, one''s nature is hard to change. Looking at my companions, it seems I am not the only one. The only one seemingly unaffected is Sirius, but whether that is a false front or not is hard to tell. Sirius takes down one of the lit torch sconces to use as a light source and starts slowly making his way into the tunnel. Level one maps will not show hostile entities, so we can only rely on our five senses. The air within this side tunnel is stale compared to the main shaft andthere is also a lingering foul stench permeating throughout. Just one benefit of the heightened senses from the system. So far the path is quiet, but there is no telling when something might pop up. All the other groups have probably come across monsters already. Everyone in the group is silent and on edge, ready to take action at a moment¡¯s notice. This way, any extraneous noise is eliminated and we can focus ahead. And it doesn''t take long before sounds are heard in the distance. *Skitter*Skitter* *fap*fap* *Skitter*Skitter* Ominous sounds can be heard from ahead. Sirius turns his head and puts a finger to his lips indicating silence. Up ahead, a spider and a slime can be seen wandering around a small room. On the map I can see the area widens to at least three times what the current tunnel is, and this will allow us to at least fight easier. He motions for Ilyena and I to sneak up on them to launch a surprise attack. The two of us crouch down and approach the monsters. Unfortunately, I do not have the skills that would silence my footsteps or give me night vision. Since the slime has a high physical resistance, we unanimously decide to aim for the spider. Since the slime is the same level as myself, I can see its stats using my appraisal skill, but for the level 12 spider, I cannot see anything.
Species Level
Slime 10
Vitality 160 Stamina 80
Strength 40 Mana 60
Defence 30 Intelligence 20
Dexterity 40 Spirit 0
Skills
Absorb: Level 1
Resistances
Physical Resistance
Physical resistance negates 3/4 of all physical damage, which means most of our attacks will be ineffective against the slime. Thankfully, Elayne is on our team and can dish out magic damage. It¡¯s second skill, absorb, is a bit more challenging. For every time it damages us, it will absorb vitality causing it to grow larger and possibly evolve into a big slime. Ilyena gives the signal and we simultaneously activate our cloaking. In this mode the surroundings seem as if shadows of themselves; however, I can see Ilyena and myself as clear as day. The darkness limited vision is irrelevant in this mode, as everything is a light grayscale tone. We have to be quick due to the 5 second time limit, but that is all that is needed. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Wielding our daggers, Ilyena and I launch towards the spider at the same time. Utilizing the backstab skill to deliver 2x damage, with the combination of both our attacks, the spider is killed in an instant. If either one of us were a split second off, the dual surprise attack would have failed. Ilyena gives a small nod in satisfaction. The slime is alerted to our presence, but Elayne fires a barrage of fire spells towards it. The slime, having been caught off guard, has it¡¯s health drop below half into the yellow zone. Apparently, not only is the slime strong against physical attacks, it is extremely weak towards magic based attacks. I wonder how it would fare against a magic sword. The slime diverts it¡¯s attention from us to go attack Elayne, but Sirius blocks it¡¯s advance with his shield. This allows Ilyena and I to launch an assault against it¡¯s back. Despite the physical damage reduction, it¡¯s health drops quickly under our combination of attacks. *Phew* When they are both killed, we split up the drops based on contribution. Since this is unfair towards Astrya, who is a priest, we all agreed to share with her. And besides, if we run into any undead in this dungeon, we will be relying heavily on her to weaken them. The drops were, in addition to Tor, spider silk and slime balls. ¡°Well,¡± Sirius is the first one to break the silence. ¡°That was unexpectedly easy." ¡°Yea!¡± Astrya comments, ¡°I thought it would be more challenging than that. After all, the scouting party nearly got wiped." ¡°Mhmm. The other players had difficulty with the monsters, so there must be some powerful monster we are unaware of.¡± ¡°Un.¡± "Hmm." Sirius looks to be in thought. "That''s true. We should stay on guard just incase.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Since it will only get more challenging from here, I do not hesitate in my reply. The first fight only went so smoothly due to Ilyena¡¯s and my coordination in eliminating the spider. ¡°There¡¯s no use staying around here, let¡¯s press onward.¡± Sirius once more motivates us to continue. He is doing well in the leadership role for now, but when it begins to get tough is when I will see if he is truly a fit leader. After another few minutes of travelling, we come across a giant cavern. Stalactites hang from the ceiling while stalagmites cover the floor on the side. Some of these have combined to form pillars, which line the main path through the cavern. The cavern goes on for probably a kilometre and has a width of at least half that. ¡°Ahh, I wish I had the night vision skill.¡± I murmur beneath my breath. I didn¡¯t think anyone could hear me, but Ilyena looks in my direction with a questioning expression. ¡°You do know that assassins and rogues can pick up the night vision skill automatically right?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± This is news to me. ¡°Haa...¡± She sighs, ¡°Pick a dark spot off to the side and try really hard to focus on the light that reaches that area. You will feel a straining sensation in your eyes, but this will pass. When it¡¯s activated your mana will slowly drain at 1 point every 10 seconds.¡± I gaze off to the right side of the path and try to focus on a stalagmite in the distance. Just as she said, my eyes feel strained, but it soon passes. My vision becomes a little better automatically and my mana slowly gets consumed.
Skill Acquired: Night Vision Level 1
Allows user to see 10% better in the dark. Consumes 5 MP per 10 seconds.
Wow, that was easy. I look at Ilyena in disbelief. Although she has veil covering her face, I can imagine her wearing a smug smile right now. While she may seem very standoffish, she is actually kind when she wants to be. My impression of her has improved slightly. ¡°I cannot believe you made it to level 10 without figuring this out.¡± And then it dropped back down. So, apparently some skills can be acquired automatically based on which class a character is. For example a mage could pick up magic skills, and quarterstaff skills with ease, but would have to go to a NPC to learn the sword. Since I have no other use for my mana, I keep night vision on while I explore the cavern with my eyes. Even though my vision has improved by 10%, it is still difficult to see far away. When gazing off in a random direction, I notice a quick movement. Whatever it was is gone before I could focus on it. With that at the forefront of my mind, I get a feeling that we are being watched. It¡¯s like a tingle or an itch at the back of my head and it refuses to go away. The others seem to be oblivious to it. Even Ilyena, who has heightened senses compared with the rest, is carrying on like usual. Maybe it is just my imagination, but this feeling continues on for five more minutes. Out of chance, I happen to look towards the ceiling above me. What I see is enough to make my blood run cold. A chill runs throughout my body and goose bumps appear on my arms as I halt my movement. Tens of spiders are crawling out of a cobweb filled hole in the ceiling every few seconds. There must be at least 100 of them currently on the ceiling, but I lost count after 30. I cannot see them in detail, but 9 out of 10 of them are like the small black spider we encountered earlier. The rest are a larger brown variant, and there are at least 10 of those. They start to slowly creep their way down the pillars or by hanging from their web. Elayne and Astrya, who were behind me, seem to notice my strange behaviour. ¡°Quinn, What¡¯s wrong?¡± Astrya looks at me with concern in her eyes. I try to speak, but words don¡¯t form. ¡°...¡± ¡°¡°Quinn?¡±¡± By this time, Ilyena and Sirius both become aware that something is off. I point to the ceiling. *EEEEEEEEEEK!* A very manly, but high pitched squeal is sounded. We all look towards the source of the noise and see Sirius visibly shaking in terror. For someone who acts very brave, he is unexpectedly terrified of spiders. Personally, I¡¯m fine with regular spiders, but when it comes to hordes of spiders the size of small dogs, I would rather run. Even Ilyena is frozen stiff while staring at them. This is not good. If we do not get out of this position, we will be trapped and surrounded on all sides. Since I was the first to fall into a stupor, I am the first to regain my senses; therefore, temporary leadership of the group is immediately conferred to me. ¡°Follow me! If we can make to the other end of this cavern, we can make use of the natural bottleneck to defend ourselves.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon!¡± I grab the nearest person¡¯s hand, which happens to be Ilyena, and pull her towards the exit. Thankfully, I can see the exit due to my night vision skill. It is only 50 feet away from our current location, but we can make it if we run. It is now a race against time. *Skitter*Skitter*Skitter* I look back and see my party members running all out. Not far behind them are the spiders skittering across the floor in pursuit. Chapter 26 - Spiders Bane "Hurry! Get inside!" I have never been much of a leader. A leader is supposed to take charge and responsibility, as well as sacrifice themselves for those below them. There are many types of leaders in different situations, but generally they need to be charismatic, etc. while looking at the bigger picture. Personally, I lean towards being more self centered. I am standing at the entrance to the tunnel watching my companions run towards me. The tunnel is only wide enough for two people to fight side by side, so Ilyena is standing right behind me. Elayne and Astrya have almost made it and Sirius is only short behind; however, the spiders have almost caught up to them. This would be different if the crystals could be used during combat, but that is not the case. The three of them run past Ilyena and I in a flash. "Ilyena, take the right side!" She starts moving even before I finish my sentence. She got there just in time for the first spider to reach us. It''s one of the level 12 variants, the larger brown spiders are staying back for now, as if commanding the smaller ones. The first attack is blocked by Ilyena, but she is knocked back by the spider''s jumping attack and is not in a position to retaliate. I make the split second decision to launch an dual attack at the spider with my sword and dagger. Fancy moves are near impossible in this enclosed space, but that doesn''t stop me. The spider is struck against the wall from my attack, and Ilyena takes the chance to deal it critical damage. One spider down, but two more take its place. The two spiders make the same motions the previous one did. This predictable movement allows us to be prepared and neither of us get knocked back. However, we did not make it out unscathed and both took a hit. If we had both been hit similar to how Ilyena had been on the first attack, we wouldn''t be able to cover each other. While in the midst of fighting the two spiders, a fireball soars only inches above our heads. What happens next is a crisp black ball falls from the ceiling. After we finish off the two spiders in front of us I take a look at what it is. It is a burnt spider and that was with only one spell. So, either the spider''s weakness is fire magic or that spell is too overpowered. I briefly glance at Elayne in disbelief, but she responds with a nod full of determination. While I am distracted, a spider takes advantage to sneak attack me. Ilyena is busy fighting her own battle and couldn''t cover me in time, but thankfully my armour blocked most of the damage. With Elayne protecting our heads, I can focus on the fight. It is unfortunate, but Sirius seems to have a great fear of spiders, so I cannot rely on him. I quickly finish of the spider that attacked me, but another immediately takes its place. With a the bottleneck from the cavern into this tunnel only two spiders can attack us at once. The rest are waiting, and watching, from beyond the line of combat in a squirming sea of black. This continues on for around 10 minutes. If nothing changes, our stamina will be depleted before a dent is made in the horde. I can see Ilyena''s stamina is at around 40% and we have only killed around 25 spiders between the two of us. "Ilyena, do you have any stamina potions?" "Uh...¡± She lunges at a spider, "No." Damn it. "Sirius!" I yell while blocking an oncoming attack, ¡°We cannot do this without you! Snap out of it!" The spider is knocked back and I slash at it''s front legs before stabbing it in the eyes. "I-I''m s-sorry." He whimpers. I do not have time for this. "If you do not do anything, we will all die!" "I-I know. B-but, I can''t do this!" His voice suddenly gets louder. "Sirius, what if this were an online computer game. What would you do if your character were fighting a spider?" Astrya, realizing the severity of the situation, tries to reason with him. "I would kill them." "Yes, and what would you do if your teammates were struggling while fighting a high level monster?" "I would help them!" His voice increases in confidence. "And what will you do when your teammates lives depend on you?" "I will fight!" He declares. That seemed rather easy. "Well then, go switch with Quinn before he runs out of stamina." Sirius comes up behind me, but since there is not yet an opening, we cannot switch. "Sirius, once I knock back the spider we will switch.¡± I parry an attack while speaking. ¡°Got it?" "Okay!" Three... Two... One... The spider jumps at me and I send a heavy swing towards it, sending it stumbling backwards 5 feet. "Switch!" Sirius takes up his shield just in time to block the spider''s next blow. I cannot rest for too long during this period. Ilyena doesn''t have any stamina potions; therefore, I give one of mine to Astrya, so she can give it to Ilyena later. It is unfortunate that Astrya only has holy magic level 1, because level 2 is required to alleviate fatigue. I drink a stamina potion and immediately feel full of energy. My stamina bar fills up at a slow, but steady pace. "Ilyena, get ready to switch!" "Mmm" I wait until there is a slight break I''m combat. "Switch!" I take her spot and slash out at the nearest spider. With Sirius and I holding them off, Ilyena can quickly restore her stamina. So far it has been only the small fry spiders, but a couple of the big ones are starting to make there way over. Their brown bodies stand out against the sea of black and I fear they will be much more challenging. A clicking sound is heard amongst them, as if they are communicating between themselves. Two of the larger spiders are now only a few feet away. If the black ones are the sizes of dogs then these brown ones are the size of horses. A few of the black ones get crushed as the brown spiders get closer. An attack is imminent. "Watch out for those large ones! They''ll be upon us in moments!" I try warning Sirius, but he is busy fighting. He is making grunting noises, so I do not know if he heard me or not. It''s amazing how our ears can block out the sound when concentrated on another task. The attack finally came. I can now see it''s name. It''s a level 15 wolf spider, and not something we can take lightly. Sirius blocks the incoming assault with his shield; however, he is knocked back leaving an opening. As if on cue, Elayne shoots a fire ball right past us nearly missing my head by a few inches. The fireball manages to dismember two of it¡¯s legs on one side. Ilyena then charges at it while it is still disoriented and lodges her weapon between its eyes. But that is not enough to finish it off! I make a split second decision and throw my knives at the nearest spiders and jump at the wolf spider.
Skill Acquired: Thrown Weapon Level 1
Allows user to utilize thrown weapons to deal damage from a distance. User''s accuracy and damage increases by 10%
Two hits and a miss. However, an opening was created and I lash out at the wolf spider, and cut off another one of it''s legs. It has about half health now, but Ilyena and I whittle it down, while Sirius and Elayne cover us. Finally, after a couple minutes the wolf spider collapses under the weight of it¡¯s wounds. Ilyena lodges her blade deep into it''s carapiece and finishes it off. However, there is no time to rest. Countless spiders still exist, but by the looks of it, after we kill a certain amount of the little ones, a big one comes over. It''s a good thing, because I don''t think we''ll be able to handle two of those at the same time. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road."We''ve finally made a dent in the swarm." "Hah. We showed them!¡± He pauses, ¡°Though, aren''t spiders supposed to be more solitary creatures?" Sirius. A moment ago you were whimpering in fear. This pattern continued for over half an hour. We switch whenever someone''s health reaches below the halfway point. This is the only way we can survive for any prolonged length of time. Astrya is able to heal, so we are able to take greater risks and this increases our speed up a notch. "Is there no end?" Sirius says while catching his breath. "We''ve killed at least a quarter of them." Elayne comments. "Ugh.." Having killed so many spiders, their weak spots have become engrained in my mind. Another half hour passed. At this time, the fatigue is settling in; however, over half the spider''s have died. We have all levelled up during this time, and I have already made good progress towards level 12. I put the points into vitality. By the end of this swarm we all will have gained at least two levels. Despite the danger, this is very beneficial for our progress. I wonder how the other teams are making out. Surely not every path is like these ones. Facing a swarm after only 2 monsters is unreasonable. If I hadn''t noticed them above us or thought to run to this natural bottleneck we could have easily died. *clikclikclikclik* The spiders began vigorously clattering and slowed down their assault to a standstill. A tingling feeling appears at the back of my neck similar to how I felt before we were attacked, but this time it is far more prominent. An ominous sign. Activating my night vision, I look beyond the swarm, but there is nothing there. Night vision cannot be maintained indefinitely due to my pitiful mana supply, but just for now I will leave it on. "Be careful. Something is not right." I warn my teammates. "What are you talking about? They are finally retreating. We should take this opportunity to go after them." Sirius seems caught up in his grandeur. "Quinn is right." Elayne comments with weariness in her voice, ¡°This is unnatural." "Unnatural? What about these dog sized spiders is natural? I''m not afraid of them anymore!" "You should be afraid." I chime in. "That''s right. They wouldn''t stop for nothing. Something must be commanding them behind the scenes." "They''re nervous." Ilyena comments while staring out into the cavern. "Huh? What do you mean?" Sirius seems confused. "Look at them." Ilyena continues, ¡°They''re quivering in anticipation." As if on cue, the spiders become silent. A few pebbles drop from the ceiling, creating echoes in the distance. My gaze wanders towards the hole I initially watched the spiders pouring out from, and to my dismay, there is movement. At first it seems like pillars are descending; however, what follows is enough to make my blood run cold. A massive spider that cannot even compare to the one¡¯s we have been facing has appeared. It must be at least the size of an elephant. We all stare in silence towards it, jaws to the floor. ¡°Umm...¡± ¡°Get out your teleport crystals!¡± I raise my voice in an attempt to grab their attention, ¡°Hurry!¡± After coming to their senses, everyone takes out their crystals and I do the same. We have a small window now that the assault has temporarily stopped. This is our only chance. ¡°Umm...¡± I activate my crystal and the familiar white light consumes my vision. However, the light begins to fade and I remain in the same position. Damn it.
Notification
Teleportation is unavailable at this time. User is required to beat the ¡®Colossal Arachnid¡¯ before leaving the area.
Hidden Boss Level
Colossal Arachnid ? ? ?
Vitality Unk Stamina Unk
Strength Unk Mana Unk
Defence Unk Intelligence Unk
Dexterity Unk Spirit Unk
Skills
Unknown
A teleportation trap. This is simply cruel. Given the nature of these spiders, if we run away, they will only pursue us and our stamina will get decreased further. Also, it is unknown what we would run into if we continued further. That is, IF we can continue further. This is not looking good. Chapter 27 - Colossal Arachnid ¡°W-What are we going to do?¡± ¡°I-I d-don¡¯t want to die here¡± Astrya whimpers. ¡°I-I can do this¡± Sirius seems like he is trying to motivate himself, but his hands are restlessly fidgeting while grasping his weapons, while his knuckles are turning white. Ilyena is the only one who doesn¡¯t comment, but I can see her shivering. Before I can give any directions, the Colossal Arachnid rushes towards us at an unfathomable speed. Sirius, who is the closest to it, only has enough time to raise his shield before the attack strikes. His shield is splintered and he is sent flying backwards and crashes into Elayne, knocking them both down. His health dramatically reduced directly to the red zone, which means that single attack claimed 90% of his life. Being a warrior, he has a higher amount of health than the rest of us; therefore, if anyone else was hit by that charging attack, they would have died. Elayne, having not been directly hit, was better off, but her health still depleted into the yellow zone from the impact. ¡°Get back!¡± The Colossal Arachnid goes in for another attack. It jumps towards us as if we were prey caught in it¡¯s web; however, it¡¯s massive body gets caught on the tunnel walls, just barely missing us. It¡¯s blood red eyes watch us in frustration before slinking backwards. Rather than commanding some of the smaller spiders to go in after us, it tosses them clear of the pathway between it and us. Without warning, it launches another attack at the wall. The walls shake and cracks begin to form along the rock. Out in the cavern rocks can be heard crashing down along with the dying squeal of spiders. However, on the fifth strike, something unexpected happens. The Colossal Arachnid becomes wedged in the mouth of the tunnel, unable to maneuver. It¡¯s body squirms as it tries to free itself to no avail. ¡°This is our chance!¡± I continue, ¡°Attack it with everything you¡¯ve got!¡± ¡°Aim between the eyes.¡± Ilyena says while charging towards it. She agilely avoids the arachnid¡¯s two free front legs and stabs her blade to the hilt into one of the spider¡¯s larger eyes. The spider tries to bite Ilyena, but I come up behind her and slash out with my sword. A critical hit was made dealing 50 damage. A fireball from Elayne passes by my head and hits the spider square between it¡¯s eyes. With this, the spider manages to free itself, but Ilyena¡¯s sword remains embedded in one of it¡¯s eye dealing constant damage. The arachnid, now enraged, commands a handful of spiders to charge in after us. Since the tunnel entrance has been widened, we have to move back further to fend them off. Sirius is almost ready to fight again, but it seems his fear has once more taken over, because he is quivering behind Astrya and Elayne. Ilyena and I meet the spiders head on, and make short work of those spiders. At this point, those smaller ones are just free experience. 30 experience per spider, even when divided among our group, makes levelling very fast. I¡¯m only a few kills away from level 12 when the Colossal Arachnid resumes it¡¯s assault on the tunnel entrance. For every hit, more rocks fall from the ceiling in the cavern, and more spiderweb cracks appear on the walls. This boss¡¯s pattern is fairly predictable, but I can only imagine what would have happened if we were caught in the middle of the cavern. This pattern continues for over ten minutes before I notice what could be a miracle. The spider, after each assault, backs up the same amount of distance. This spot just so happens to be beneath a large jagged stalactite, which loosens with every subsequent attack. ¡°Elayne!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Can you see that stalactite up there?¡± I point towards the ceiling. ¡°Mhmm, what about it?¡± ¡°The next time the spider retreats, I want you to fire a spell towards it.¡± I continue, ¡°I¡¯m hoping to pin it down under that and then finish it off. So make it your best spell. We only have one shot at this!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Elayne seems to understand my plan. The spider, not waiting for our discussion, continue banging against the wall. It¡¯s as if it is desperate to eliminate us. Anyways, this is only the first dungeon, so there must be a way to kill it. ¡°Now!¡± The spider is crouched right under the stalactite in the optimum position. Elayne fires off her spell aimed at the base of the rock. At this moment, it seems almost as if time has slowed down. I am conscious of every respiration, every heartbeat, every noise and sensation. *BooOooom* The spell hits the pillar and a large explosion ensues. A cloud of dust and debris conceal the area, but these is no other movement. The spider¡¯s attention changes to the ceiling above it, and when it turns back to us, I swear it has a mocking look in it¡¯s eyes. When the dust clears, the stalactite can be seen hanging by a thread, ready to fall at any moment. Unfortunately for us, the next time the spider assaults the wall, the resulting vibrations will cause it to fall harmlessly to the ground. The arachnid commands the smaller ones to assault us once more. There are only a few seconds until they reach us, but by then it will be too late. I only have one shot at this. I grasp a throwing knife in my hand and take aim at the pillar. Calming my inner self, slowing my breaths and heartbeat, focusing on the knife in my hand. It is full bronze construction, but the balance is slightly off due to my inexperience. My arm reaches back, the muscles tensing up like a bowstring drawn to it¡¯s limit. I release the knife and watch as it sails through the air. There is a high chance of failure if I am only a tiny bit off. The spiders are almost at us now. I draw my sword and prepare to meet them when a *clang* rings throughout the cavern, followed by the sound of crumbling rocks. A hit. The stalactite comes crashing down. It pierces through the arachnids carapace like a hot knife through butter. It squeals in agony as a tremor shakes the floor from the impact. The arachnids health bar depletes in the red, but it still hasn''t died. The smaller spiders are in disarray, skittering around the floor at random. "Ilyena! Follow me!" I dash out, heading for the arachnid with Ilyena close behind me. Elayne picks off spiders that get too close to us; however, the path is mostly clear. The Arachnid only has a sliver of health left, but it''s eyes still glare at us. The hate is clearly evident, adding another touch of realism. I release an attack aimed between its eyes while Ilyena jumps on top of it. Since it is immobile, Ilyena stands on its head dealing out constant damage to it. Her sword is still embedded in its head, so she twists it around before pulling it out. On the blade is a mixture of brain matter and blood, but with that move the arachnid finally collapses and turns into pixilated dust. That fight was too much for being in the first dungeon. Without the environmental advantage we would have all died. Even having 10x the amount of people wouldn''t have changed anything if it were an open room. At this rate, I worry about the actual boss fight.
Congratulations
You have killed the hidden boss: Colossal Arachnid. Teleportation restriction has been lifted.
As the first players to kill a hidden boss you will be given the following based on your contribution: 50,000 Tor 1 treasure box 2,000 experience.
Your name will be entered in the Hall of Fame. Do you wish your name to be known?
Yes No
"Yes" Maybe I''m vain, but I don''t see a problem having my achievements known.
System Announcement.
Players: Quinn, Ilyena, Sirius, Elayne, and Astyra have defeated the first hidden boss.
"We did it!" Astrya''s voice reverberates with excitement from the mouth of the tunnel. My level raises to 16. 2,000 experience is no joke. It''s more than all the experience obtained before now combined, and that doesn''t include the regular experience from the boss itself. The drops from it are similar to the other spiders, but in a larger quantity. I was wondering how the loot sharing would work, but apparently the drops are individualized, so there is no telling what the others have gotten. It''s a very self centred system that facilitates privacy. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.My drops are 20 pieces of high quality spider silk, 3,587 Tor, and a ring. The ring is of white gold and silver entwined with a pitch black onyx gem held in place by what appears to be spider legs.
Ring of Webs
Vitality 150
Physical Defence 50 >>>>>>> Pierce 13
Magic Defence 75 Slash 25
Dexterity +15 Crush 12
Durability 1000
Special Ability
Allows user to shoot out a net that constricts the target. Effect is based on user''s level and level of target. Cool down: 1 hour
Damn. This is over powered.
Player: Gem Red has sent you a message.
¡°Quinn! What¡¯s this about you defeating a hidden boss? It is you right? You¡¯re not hurt are you?¡± She seems panicked, her voice high strung and quivering, so I had better send her a reply right away. ¡°I¡¯m going fine Gem, no need to worry. Yes, it was me, and no, I am not hurt. Oh, our team will be staying here for another couple hours. I¡¯ll tell you more about it when I get back.¡±
Player: Darkbond has sent you a message.
¡°Congratulations. By the way, is it alright if we mention your name in our store?¡± I send him a reply. ¡°Thanks. Umm, I would prefer it if you didn¡¯t. For now anyways.¡± You¡¯re turning into quite the businessman there Darkbond.
Player: Cheetos has sent you a message.
¡°Quinn, you¡¯re a popular guy in town right now. Drinks are on you next time ya hear?¡±
Player: Gem Red has sent you a message
¡°Alright, be safe...¡± *plop* I turn around and see everyone sitting on the floor leaning their backs against some of the fallen stalactites. "Haa...¡± Sirius breaks the silence, "How many levels did you guys get? I went up two levels! 2!¡± ¡°1 for me. Leveling is so hard as a priest, so thank you everyone for this." ¡°I got 2. Being a priest can''t be that bad. Anyone can learn weapon skills or magic. Besides, priests get a boost in mana, intelligence, and spirit at every level." Elayne explains. "I know" Astrya pouts, "but it''s still hard." "How about you two, Quinn and Ilyena? You dealt the most damage to it, so must have gotten something good." Sirius says with a playful grin. ¡°3.¡± "Okay... And you Quinn?" "I''m now level 16.¡± ""What!?"" They stare at me in disbelief. "Is that odd?" "Just how much damage did you do?" "Ahem.¡± I awkwardly clear my throat, ¡°I wasn''t counting.." "Experience then?" They look at me with questioning eyes. I didn''t think i got too much, but compared with them, I did receive more. "Umm, 328 for the kill and 2,000 for the bonus." *pfft* "How the hell did you manage that?" Sirius questions. "The total experience from the arachnid was 1,000.¡± Before I can answer, Elayne starts to explain. ¡°500 of that was split evenly between the five of us, and the other 500 was based on who dealt the most damage." She continues, "Quinn did a little less than half the total damage on it, so that part is explainable. Assuming the bonus experience was based on contribution, it makes sense considering how much the rest of us got." "Well, if you put it like that..." Sirius scratches his head. Speaking of level, I haven¡¯t upgraded my stats yet. I bring out my player menu and put those five levels worth of bonus points to good use. First, I increase my defence to 100 and then I put 5 points each into Intelligence and Spirit, and then with the remaining 10 points, I add them to strength.
Player Status
Player Name Quinn Class: Assassin Level: 16
Guild None Experience 3938/4320
Stats
Vitality 300/300 Stamina: 275/275
Strength 225 Mana 400/400
Defence 100 Intelligence 15
Dexterity 110 Spirit 15
Skills
Active Passive
Appraisal Level: 1 213xp Archery Level: 1 46xp
Cloaking Level: 1 243xp Backstab Level: 1 295xp
Night Vision Level: 1 359xp Blacksmithing Level: 2 1620xp
Cartography Level: 1 120xp
Cooking Level: 1 202xp
One-Handed Sword Level:1 594xp
Swordsmanship Level: 2 1867xp
Thrown Weapon Level: 1 34xp
Two-Handed Sword Level: 1 0xp
I now have a staggering amount of strength, and at this point I am probably the strongest player in EndGame Online. There was no notification for passing level 15, but given the hidden boss¡¯s bonus experience, it¡¯s safe to assume I am the highest level person as well. That was an excellent, albeit frightening, experience grinder. Now, it is time to get moving. I try to steer the conversation towards a constructive direction. ¡±So, what are we gonna do now?" Chapter 28 - Treasure Chest "Aaarrggh!" Sirius swing his blade at the nearest monster. The sound of metal hitting metal is heard as his attack gets parried. The opponent, being the last one alive, sends a crushing blow in blinded anger. Sirius blocks the attack with his shield, and the enemy is left wide open. Elayne takes advantage of the opening to fire a spell at the monster, hiring it directly in the centre of the chest, and sending it flying. Ilyena jumps on the opponent with a sneak attack, thus ending its life. This was our third encounter with the most common fantasy small fry monster. The goblin. Despite being the typical beginner monster, these goblins are no joke. Each one of them has an astonishing amount of health when compared to the spiders and slimes. On top of that, they are the first monsters to use actual equipment. While they may wear and use the equipment, it doesn''t always drop. Based on the goblins we have killed so far, I would guess the drop rate for any type of equipment is 1 in 5. So far we have obtained a copper battle axe and two daggers from them. In addition to everything else, we''ve obtained a good haul, and nobody is tired yet. "It looks like there is a split in the cave up ahead." I was too focused on the fight to notice, but Astrya seems to be keeping aware of our surroundings. Since we don''t have a thief for scouting, we all take part in the scouting; however, I need to pay more attention to my surroundings in fights. It wouldn''t be good if I were ambushed because of negligence. Thankfully, there are teammates I can rely on. "Which way should we go?" "Let''s take the right path." Sirius says with confidence. "Umm, how about we check out both paths before making out decision?" "I agree with Astrya" "Mhmm" "Hey, come on.¡± Sirius looks dejected. Hey, I don''t want to be trekking down a path based on your whim. That''s dangerous, you know. The left path emits a foul odor, whereas the right path feels fresher. However, the purpose of this expedition is to go deeper, so I''m leaning towards going left. I just internally berated Sirius, but now I want to choose the more dangerous seeming pathway. "Let''s split up into two groups and each take a path." Elayne suggests, "we go for ten minutes along each path before meeting back here." "That sound good." "I''m fine with that." "Okay. Us girls will go together. Sirius, you and Quinn can take the other path." "Alright." We split into our respective groups and each pick a path. The girls chose the right path, so Sirius and I are going left. "If you are going to be more than 10 minutes, send a message." "Okay." The foul air coming from the left tunnel reeks of body odor and excrement. It''s similar to how the goblins smell, but 10x worse. My night vision, which is continuously activated, gives me a better look at what''s ahead. However, the path keeps winding around; therefore, I must be constantly vigilant for ambushes. Those goblins are clever compared to other monsters, and love to lay traps. We found this out the hard way during our first encounter with them. "Hey, Quinn?" "Huh?" "What do you think of Astrya?" Siruis hesistantly asks. Random topic. "Umm, she''s pretty... and very kind.¡± I try to come up with a polite answer, ¡°I don''t know, why are you asking me?" "Mmm. I think I like her." He says this in a more serious tone. "I have never felt like this before." "Okay... But you just met her earlier today?" "I know, but haven''t you ever felt like a person you have just met resonates with you? To put it as a cliche, like love at first sight." For some reason my mind drifts towards a certain red head. "There have been a few back in high school, but those where just an infatuation due to unstable hormones. Hah, I''d rather forget about those days." "Mmm, I think everyone has those. Still though, do you think I have a chance?" From what I''ve experienced, Astrya is the same to everyone, but I don''t want to tell him that. "I don''t know. I''m probably the worst person to ask, but if you show your genuine feelings, in a non obsessive manner, you might." "Pfft. I''m not obsessive." Up ahead, the sound of pebbles moving can be barely heard. "Shh!" Sirius looks at me in shock, but regathers himself once he realizes I''ve gotten on edge. We proceed cautiously until we reach a bend in the path. I send him a signal to stay still and be quiet. Activating my cloaking skill, I go around the corner while being careful to not make any noise. When we get out of here I should go get the Sneak skill. Ilyena mentioned that it can be obtained from a group of children who like to stalk animals at the east gate, or from another group of children with a sweet tooth. When I get a couple feet past the corner, I see a group of four goblins ready to ambush us. Thankfully their senses are not as sharp as mine, otherwise I would have been noticed. I quickly return to Sirius and begin formulating a plan. "There are four of them just past the curve lying in wait." "Four!?" "We need to be smart about this. I think I could sneak up on one and eliminate it without alerting the others." I continue, "but at that point I will be found out, so you''re gonna have to draw their aggro." "Alright, but what if that doesn''t work?" "Well, we''ll play it by ear at that point" I activate my cloaking once more and sneak up on the first goblin. It still hasn''t noticed me, so I take my dagger and aim straight at the nape of it''s neck. Backstab activates as the dagger sinks deep beneath it¡¯s skin. There is only a slight gap between the body armour and the helmet, and usually this area is near impossible to hit. However, with a sneak attack it is possible to land a precise blow. A critical strike is dealt and the goblin collapses after having it''s spinal cord severed. I move towards my next target as I watch Sirius come charging around the bend. The goblins, now disoriented and confused, panic and give up on their ambush to target Sirius; however, this makes it easier for me to strike at them. The goblins clash with Sirius and I hear their swords striking his shield. He''s holding off two goblins while I intercept the third. A sneak attack does not work this time, but I make due with the skill i¡¯ve learnt from fighting other goblins. At level 16, these goblins are almost a match for my current stats. But, my 225 strength is no joke. Against their 100 defence, it is like trying to stop a bullet with a pocket bible.
Species Level
Goblin Warrior 16
Vitality 320 Stamina 350
Strength 120 Mana 100
Defence 100 Intelligence 40
Dexterity 80 Spirit 20
Skills
None
This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. After killing the goblin, I turn to help Sirius and notice he¡¯s already dealt with one of the goblins and is busy fighting the second. Since he has the goblin¡¯s attention, I activate the cloaking and sneak up behind the goblin. Sirius sends me a signal that he understands and proceeds to bash the goblin with his shield. This knocks the goblin unsteady and then I move in for the kill. After a few direct hits, the goblins health drains completely. *Phew* Sirius exhales, ¡°It¡¯s definitely easier with the girls here.¡± ¡°True. I wonder how they ended up.¡± I pick up the dropped items, but there is nothing special about them. ¡°Who knows.¡± "Let''s head back, the ten minutes is almost up." ¡°Alright.¡± The walk back is uneventful and when we get back to the intersection, the girls are already there waiting for us. Their expressions are that of someone who has been waiting a long time, but I don¡¯t think we¡¯re that late. "Anything on your end?" "No." Astrya answers dejectedly. "Our path ended up being a ventilation shaft." "That was why the air was less foul." Elayne comments. "Ahh, that makes sense." Sirius continues, "We got stopped by some goblins in our path, but the tunnel continues on further. ¡°Shall we go?¡± ¡°¡°Un¡±¡± We go down the path for a couple hours, fighting as we go along. In this time, I reach level 17, while everyone else also obtains a level. I put the bonus points into intelligence to get a boost in magic defence. We have come across at least 10 goblin mages and I found out how pitiful my magic defence actually was. Thankfully my armour absorbed some of the damage, otherwise I would have died at least twice during this time, and that is terrifying to say the least. My experience in Swordsmanship has gone past 2,500 and my one-handed sword skill is about to hit level two. In addition, all my other skills have been raised considerably. While the benefits are great, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do this every day. It''s now around 11 o''clock now, and everyone looks exhausted. "I think it''s time to call it a day, what do you think?" "Nn good idea." "Yeah, I''m getting tired." "Mhmm." I zoom out on my map and see we have covered a lot of area. Starting from the main shaft, we have gone through countless twists and turns to reach this spot. Unfortunately, the map isn''t in 3D. Perhaps that function will become available when I level it up. We all say our goodbyes to each other. "Goodbye." Elayne is the first to teleport away. "Alright, it was nice hunting with you all. I''m sure we''ll meet again." Astrya gets enveloped by a white light and disappears. "I''ll see you at the boss fight!" Sirius slaps my shoulder. He then takes out a teleportation crystal and activates it. "Damn, I should have added them to my friends list." I mutter under my breath. It''s too late now. Ahh well, if we''re fated, we''ll meet again.
Player: Ilyena wishes to be friends.
Do you accept?
Yes No
Ilyena and I are the only two left. I wonder if she heard me. I look at her and see she is looking downwards bashfully. Hmm, despite not being able to see her face clearly, she looks cute like that. I select [Yes] Immediately after, she takes out a crystal and teleports away. I am left in the cave, alone. I take another look at my map, which reminds me. I wonder how they are going to get the map data afterwards. They didn''t add us, and unless they offer an incentive to give it up, people won''t share. Oh well, that''s what you get when this has never been done before. I take out my teleport crystal, which sends me to the Prancing Mare. It''s late, but the bar is still going strong. It''s amazing how quickly we can adapt to this life. I guess these normalized activities, such as drinking alcohol, can help people cope with the trauma. I recognize the barista to be Meira. We make eye contact and she smiles at me before turning her attention back to her work. When I get back to my room, I can see Gem sleeping in the other bed. She looks so peaceful and vulnerable in this state. Her dark red hair is in a mess, but it only adds to her charm. The only movement is the steady rising and falling of her chest as she breathes. *sigh* I sit down on the edge of my bed and bring up my inventory screen. It is full of junk. The most abundant material is the spider silk. Who knows how many of those I killed. ¡°Hmm, a treasure box. I wonder what¡¯s inside.¡± I had forgotten about this until now, but I got it from the killing the first hidden boss. The box itself doesn¡¯t look anything special. A foot long, half a foot wide and half a foot tall. From a realistic perspective, not much could be in this, but often some of the smallest items are the most valuable. I open the lid and a single die jumps out and starts spinning in mid air. The numbers pass by: 4 2 6 3 4 1 5 It slows loses momentum and lands on the treasure chest; however, it is still spinning. Typically when tossing dice, a higher number is ideal, so I become ecstatic when I see the number it settles on. 6 It must be beginners luck. After all, things like plot armour don¡¯t exist in real life. The treasure chest disappears, and in it¡¯s place is a slip of paper.
Deed of Ownership
Confers selected plot of land¡¯s ownership to player. Costs are negated. Land must be available for purchase. Single use only.
Hmm, I guess this will be useful for when I want to open up a shop; however, as far as I know, the land in Fairhaven is only available for renting rather than purchasing. I don¡¯t see how this is worthy of a 6 though. Oh well, I had best get some sleep. I put into my inventory, turn off the lights, and get into bed. Not even 10 minutes pass before my consciousness fades. Chapter 29 - Preparation Three days have passed since we came out of the dungeon. In that time I started hammering out bronze swords like a madman. Specializing on a specific type of item makes it a lot easier to gain experience. Thankfully, this game does not penalize the player for grinding the same type of item out day by day. In fact, it gets even easier. I now have 150 generic bronze short swords, which at 20 experience a piece gave me 3,000 xp. I also made a few custom designs, which at first failed every time, but now has a 80% success rate. From that I gained another 600 experience, and now I am 70% to reaching the next level. This rate of growth is almost cheating; however, I did do nothing but blacksmithing from dawn until dusk for three days. Actually, I didn¡¯t mean to do this everyday, but I lost myself in almost a trace while watching my blacksmithing experience increasing. The guys from Subestimar keep popping in and disturbing my work to ask when I will be selling the next batch, but other than that, I have been alone. Gem is off doing her own thing. She mentioned to me with strong determination that she didn¡¯t want to be left behind. After that, I only ever saw her at night in our room. Strangely enough, she doesn¡¯t bother moving to another room or kicking me out. I felt guilty about this, but when I mentioned it to her, she got upset. Women are complicated.
Player: Ilyena has sent you a message.
Speaking of which.. ¡°Where are you right now?¡± A curt voice rings out. Umm... You could at least add a little more information in your message, you know. Even a simple greeting would work. I open up the window to send her a message. ¡°Hello to you too. I¡¯m at the Prancing Mare, why?¡±
Player: Ilyena has sent you a message.
¡°Stay there.¡± Thirty minutes later. Ilyena arrives dressed in full battle gear covered by a dark black cloak. Of course, she still has a veil hiding her face, but the rest of her armour is a clear upgrade from before. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m making weapons.¡± I hold up a custom bronze sword I just finished. ¡°Here, take a look.¡± Without a word, she grabs the sword from my hands. ¡°Hmm,¡± She gives it a few practice swings. ¡°How much?¡± ¡°Huh? Umm, I think the market price for a generic one is 4 silver, so 5 silver?¡± With the dungeon location being leaked, everyone has been buying out the stocks on armaments. Those clever merchants who predicted this stand to gain quite the profit. The swords won¡¯t last long once on sale. I¡¯d sell them myself, but i¡¯m not a salesman, and I would rather spent the time making more weapons. ¡°Expensive.¡± ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t mind giving you a discount on account of our friendship. Let¡¯s say... 3 silver?¡± She tosses me the money and I give her the sword. I could be mistaken, but I think I saw her smile, albeit briefly. The veil may cover her face, but some details are still visible. After replacing her current equipped sword, she looks up at me. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you taking advantage of your higher level instead of spending your time locked away?¡± ¡°Ahh, there are too many that are obsessed with gaining that little bit of strength to the point that it becomes their life.¡± I sigh before continuing, ¡°Personally, I¡¯d rather enjoy my time smithing or doing other skills than mindlessly fighting. Of course, I won¡¯t let myself fall too far behind.¡± Maybe that sounded a bit condescending. ¡°Hmm¡± She pauses, ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking of taking up gardening, or maybe the skill¡¯s called farming? Anyways, I¡¯ll plant a small herb patch and use them for alchemy. Lady Alenia, that¡¯s the owner of this place by the way, said she would lend me a small plot of land for half the cost of those public plots.¡± ¡°Hmmph¡± She snorts, ¡°The boss is going to be found soon. The dungeon is 85% cleared.¡± With that, she turns away. I watch on my map as the green dot fades away. After confirming she has gone, I stare into the flame at the red hot coals. ¡°Hmm, maybe I should take a break.¡± With that train of thought, I gather up my supplies and tidy up the forge. ¡°Might as well go sell these swords. Lets see... 150 swords at 4 silver a piece would give me 600 silver, or 60,000 Tor.¡± While this amount of wealth cannot compete with the big guys, I¡¯m still very well off. I notify the guy¡¯s at Subestimar of my newest shipment and they seem very enthusiastic. Walking down the main street, I cannot help but notice the eyes of many players are filled with hope. Soon the first dungeon will be cleared and we will be one step closer to being saved. I make my way over to Subestimar¡¯s shop with my map open, recording the surrounding area. Any amount of experience is beneficial, so I want to get into the habit of doing so. When I finally arrive at their shop, I am shocked by what I see. A huge crowd of players has gathered around the entrance, taking over the street. When I get closer, I can hear a voice sounding out. ¡°Everyone! can I please have your attention!¡± The voice of Swiftcrest rings out. The gathered crowd quiets down until only a few whispers and coughs are audible. ¡°Our supplier will be arriving shortly, and with him is 150 bronze short swords! ¡°With the dungeon almost cleared and the boss fight looming ahead, now is the time to upgrade your gear!¡± ¡°Now,¡± his voice returns to a normal decibel level, ¡°In accordance with our usual policy, we are limiting the purchasing of these swords to a maximum of one per player. This is non negotiable.¡± There were some dissatisfied grunts and comments at this, but Swiftcrest ignores them. I push my way through the crowd toward the store entrance. The game system makes it so that authorized personnel can access the shop inventory from within 10 feet of the shops entrance. This makes it possible to have stalls outside of the shop, but now it allows me to put the items into shop without drawing attention to myself. "Ahh, the items have arrived! We will start selling them soon on a first come first serve basis. They will be going for the low price of 7 silver, or 700 Tor per weapon." "What?!" "That''s a lot lower than Sacred Order''s shop!" "Yea! The Sacred Order is selling bronze swords for at least 10 silver each." "They sure know how to he customer loyalty." "Why doesn''t the blacksmith go work for Sacred Order, not that I want him to, but wouldn''t it make more sense?" "I heard they only have a single blacksmith behind this shop, but he''s supposedly on the Sacred Order''s wanted list." ""Really?"" Ahh the peanut gallery is amusing to listen to. I may be on their blacklist, but they didn''t recognize me during the dungeon exploration, so I don''t think it matters all that much. The sales commence and the players are already fighting over who gets one first. "Hey beat it! I was here first!" "Oh yeah? Well where''s your proof?" "Cut it out." "Move out of my way, I need to get one of those swords." It only takes 10 minutes, but every sword gets sold, and the customers are leaving with smiles on their faces. It''s amazing how popular these are, but I guess with almost 500,000 people living in the city, the weapons and armour are very hot commodities. It''s nice not having to deal with that, because I can level faster and have a better advantage in fights. Swiftcrest looks relieved to be finished selling them all. 80% of the profit brings me 84,000 Tor. Currently I have more money than I know what to do with. The price of bronze weapons and armour has become inflated, but once the level is cleared, I''m sure it will stabilize.
Player: Ilyena has sent you a message.
"The boss has been found. Come to the dungeon quickly." Well that was fast. I send her a reply, "I''m on my way." Over the course of the three days I had been in isolation, there are a lot of people selling crystals set to the dungeons entrance. Or more precisely, the fort outside the entrance. I approach Swiftcrest and purchase a teleportation crystal for a low price. I activate the crystal and the familiar light envelopes me as I am sent toward the dungeon. What awaits me is a large crowd of players packed in the streets like sardines. The noise level is so loud I can barely hear my own thoughts. I pick up bits and pieces of conversations, but they all have one thing in common: the boss has been found. Interestingly enough, there are some rumours that the Sacred Order has already assaulted the boss, but was sent running with their tails between their legs after losing over half their team. Now, I''m sure that''s exaggerated, but it''s still a cause for concern. They are among the best armoured players and their overall combat strength is not weak.
Player: Ilyena has sent you a message.
"Where are you?" I open my map and see a green dot about 10 meters away from me. Thankfully it doesn''t show every person on it, otherwise it would be a massive sea of white dots. At least I imagine they''d be white. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "Check your map. I''m not too far from you." I can tell it''s her, because when I hover over the dot on the map, her name shows up. Sure enough. Shortly after, I see her pushing her way through the crowd. Dressed in full battle gear, she looks ready to fight at any moment. She has a look of annoyance on her face that can barely be seen under her veil. I wonder how long she is going to keep up the veil. I imagine it must reduce her visibility somewhat.
Notification
Player: Ilyena invites you to join her party.
Do you accept?
Yes No
I join her party immediately. It''s just the two of us at the moment though. "They''ve blocked anyone from going in right now." "What!? Why?" "They said it''s to make one giant raid team." "Hmm, I see." It makes sense in a way. They wouldn''t want a bunch of lower leveled, unprepared players rushing in there and getting themselves killed. I happen to notice Ilyena is now level 18. There goes my higher level advantage, but oh well. I''m richer. Plus, once my blacksmithing reaches level three I can upgrade my armour basically for free. "I see you''ve been busy." "Huh?" She looks at me with a confused expression. "Your level." I pause, ¡°It''s higher than mine." "Hmph. That''s why I told you not to waist your time." "I believe your words were more like ¡®why are you spending your time locked away¡¯¡± "Same thing." She looks towards the dungeon entrance, ¡°Looks like they are going to say something." "Oh?" I look towards the entrance and see a player standing upon the inner gate. "ATTENTION!" The unnecessary chatter dies down to a whisper. "WOULD ALL PLAYERS ABOVE LEVEL 15 COME TO THE COMMAND TENT." "He must be referring to where we were a few days ago." I try to look for it, but what I see is not the same makeshift setup from a few days ago. In its place is a regal looking tent that is two stories tall at it''s peak. Between us and it are a sea of players. Seems like we will have to push our way through. "Excuse me." ¡°Move it.¡± "Pardon me." "Can you please let me through." I try to make my way through along with Ilyena, but there are so many people in the way. Many recognize out bronze armour and make way, but even more are oblivious. However, I don''t blame them. The players stationed as guards let us into the command tent without much trouble. I recognize a few of the faces from the previous dungeon dive, but no Sirius, Astrya, or Elayne. Even a few of the people who didn''t get chosen for that excursion are here; however, most of new faces. This time, there are no orderly seats within the tent, but rather an open floor plan. There is a raised wooden platform at the far end with a podium. It''s not long after the announcement but the tent is already filling up. While it may not be a huge number, there are at least 50 people in the tent. "ATTENTION!" "Ahem." A middle aged man clothes in red Sacred Order robes clears his throat. "The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the boss battle against the [Black Widow]." Oh great. More spiders. "The bosses skills and attack patterns have already been scouted by our preliminary teams. This information came at a terrible price, so be thankful." A cost as in you tried to take on the boss all by yourselves and then failed miserably. "A plan of attack has already been drawn up, and anyone above level 10 will be required to participate. This is not about hogging achievements or experience, but for our freedom. So, I expect each and every one of you to do your part!" Murmurs can be heard throughout the tent. This guy they have speaking isn''t as charismatic as the previous guy they had. "As we speak, those outside are getting told their part of the plan! They will serve as the vanguard and clear the floor of the spiderlings, paving the way for all of you to reach the boss." So basically they are being treated as cannon fodder. "These spiderlings caused an excessive amount of damage to the previous team, so the Black Widow will be a lot easier with them out of the way. Therefore, we cannot let their sacrifices be in vain. This must be accomplished on the first try. It will be defeated on the first try!" Hmm, so he''s not even going to deny it. I hope Gem''s not going to be participating. I don''t want her to just be fodder. "Now, for attack patterns. Once the door opens to the boss room, the spiderlings will spawn from the walls on either side. From what we''ve found, They are all level 12 and one spawns every 10 seconds not including the initial wave. "Those players levels 10-14 will deal with them, while the rest of us wait for the boss. Previously, the Black Widow did not come out immediately, but rather after approximately half of the spiderlings were killed." The player then motions for a blackboard with drawing paper to be brought in. On it is a depiction of a typical black widow spider with the red hourglass on its underside; however, another image shows a half spider half woman, with the spider half resembling the typical black widow spider. "As for the Black Widow herself, she mainly uses melee combat, but also has a ranged poison attack. That is all we were able to discover so far. Based on trends from other games, she should have at least two more abilities we are unaware of. One for when she gets into the yellow at 50% and another when she gets into the red at 10% health." He flips the paper over the top, and what is on the next page is a 2D map of the boss room. "For the fight, I suggest you form groups of at least two. This is so you can watch each other''s backs and hopefully minimize casualties. See here," He points to an area near the back of the boss room and makes a circular motion. "This is where the boss will come out. Anyone within this area when the boss arrives, will most likely die." He''s not painting a very good picture. Looks of anxiety and nervousness can be seen throughout the gathered players. Many are fidgeting with their weapons or adjusting their armour. I am reminded of when the Colossal Arachnid first came out. It charged towards Sirius without warning, causing him to almost die. And this time there is nothing to hide behind. "We will provide each of you with two level 2 health potions and one level 2 stamina potion. These potions may be called minor health or stamina potions, but they are made by level 2 alchemists and are more effective than their counterparts." After he says this, other players come out and start distributing the potions. Two red and one green. He waits until we have all gotten out potions before continuing. "I will open up a teleportation gate in a moment. Beyond it is a large hall before the boss room. Everyone will assemble there." I turn to Ilyena and ask, "what do you think of this?" "What do you mean?" "Sacrificing those below level 15 to serve as fodder." "Umm, someone has to do it. Besides, it''s not as if they are guaranteed to die." Hmm, she has a point there. That there will be casualties is a given, but the major should survive. However, we should be aiming for a zero casualty rate, so I cannot just let go of the speakers choice of words. "You may be right." "Mhmm." The player takes out a glowing purple crystal from his inventory. As the crystal shatters, a giant portal opens in its place. In the middle of that portal is a faint white haze. We all move towards the portal, and one by one disappear into the white light. What awaits us is a wide open room with a large door at one end dwarfing all of us. It must be 20 feet tall and equally as wide. It is carved with designs of a spider sitting in the middle of a web. The spider is looking down towards the handles as if ready to pounce on its prey. People keep pouring into the room non stop. It''s amazing how many are here, but compared to the 400 some thousand people in this world, it is still a small number. It''s definitely less than 1%. Some of the big name players are here such as Zhaos from the Sacred Order, Davion from Shadowguard, and Celeritas from Wings of Liberty. Their armours have undergone a clear upgrade from the past, and it looks like they are wearing iron armour. Their top blacksmiths must have surpassed level 3, because iron is the next tier after bronze. "ATTENTION!" The leader of the Sacred Order, Zhaos, shouts, "The boss fight will commence shortly, but before then I would like to leave a few words with all of you. We were all once members of society drawn to this world of our own accord. Perhaps it was for entertainment, or an escape, or a love for RPGs, but we all came together to play EndGame Online. And after today, we will be one step closer towards beating this game. "You all are the strongest players, and I commend your bravery. Less than one percent of people showed up on this day. But those who chose to stay in safety placed their trust and hopes in us. We will not let them down!" He turns towards the massive doors and, while surrounded by an elite bodyguard force, pushes them open. Despite it''s massive size, it opens very easily. "FORWARD THE VANGUARD!" With that, a mass of players charges towards the door and into the abyss beyond. I watch my map as a green dot charges in with them. I try looking amongst the sea of players, but have no luck. Whoever it is, I hope they survive. Chapter 30 - Black Widow The inside of the boss room is dimly lit with torch sconces adorning the walls. The wall themselves have pillars embedded within, seemingly carved out of the stone. The room has an open floor plan that is at least 500m long and wide with a height of half that.
Warning
You have entered the lair of the Black Widow.
I can already hear the sounds of swords clashing against the spiders¡¯ carapace. The vanguard is occupied by the hundreds if not thousands of spiderlings. Compared to this, the group of spiders I fought before was nothing. Besides, these spiderlings, although the same level as the other spiders, are an upgraded version. Despite this, the vanguard of over 1,000 players seems to be managing. A path has been cleared toward the centre of the room, so our group goes in unhindered. If it weren¡¯t for us needing to save our strength, I would be fighting along side the vanguard. Each spiderling should give 30 experience, similar to the other spiders I fought. Our group stops in the centre of the room, just outside of the boss¡¯s range based on information from the scouting group. ¡°Everyone be ready! It could spawn at any point!¡± It is the calm before the storm and everyone is on edge. Some of us won¡¯t make it back, but I think everyone here has accepted that. Otherwise, they would be cowering in safety. A few minutes go by, and by this time the vanguard has taken care of at least half of the spiderlings, but this is not without heavy losses. When I fought the spiders, I only had to deal with one at a time, two at the most, but my back was always covered. However, the situation here is entirely different. An open floor, surrounded by enemies, while fighting with unreliable allies. While I¡¯m think of this, some rocks fell from the roof. Not many pay attention to it, but Ilyena beside me becomes on full alert. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°The boss room should be made of a highly resistant material. Notice how none of the walls are even scratched. Yet now, rocks are falling from above. What monster would be strong enough to damage the ceiling.¡± Then it dawned on me. The only thing strong enough for that is the boss. Assuming the boss need to physically come in contact with the ceiling to break the rock, it could only mean one thing. The boss is directly above us. I grab Ilyena¡¯s hand and start guiding her towards the outside of the group. She was resistive at first, but quickly became submissive and allowed me to lead her. Players watch as we go by, but only fleeting glances. By the time we make it to the edge, that is when the panic started. ¡°It¡¯s above us!!¡± A male player points to the ceiling and shouts. ¡°AHH!¡± ¡°HOLD YOUR GROUND!¡± At this point the boss, reacting to the panic, leaps towards the ground. This is why I silently took Ilyena towards the edge. It¡¯s legs spread out ready to pierce through our defence. It crashes to the ground with enough force to shake the room. Dust comes up from the middle of the group where it landed, and screams of horror can be heard within. ¡°SHIELDS!¡± Those players from the bigger guilds are quicker to respond, but they cannot escape from the feeling of terror. When the last scream fades, the room becomes quiet. The vanguard on the outer perimeter are still fighting, but they know the boss has arrived. At the dust begins to settle, the knights with their large tower shields move to the front, surrounding the boss. Knights boast the highest defence of all players, so they are the frontline fighters. Finally, it¡¯s figure becomes visible. It is a similar size to the Colossal Arachnid, but with a major difference. The Black Widow is an arachne. The spider part of it¡¯s body is a sleek black shade that blends into the darkness. On it¡¯s underside is the characteristic red hourglass. The upper human half is that of a hideously beautiful woman. Hideous in the sense that she has no regard for lower life forms, but beautiful in the sense that if she were human, she would be a 10/10 beauty. Two long green health bars exist above her head along with the words: Level 20. Over ten bodies of those unable to escape her surprise attack lay at her feet. I am disappointed to see that Zhaos has escaped unharmed, but a few of his red guards have met their fate. Their bodies will disappear in less than a minute, leaving some of their weapons and armours on the ground, but no one is will to get close to the Black Widow. ¡°MAGES!¡± Davion yells, ¡°FIRE!¡± Suddenly, magic fills the air as dozens of spells are shot towards the Black Widow. ¡°ARCHERS!¡± There are fewer archers than mages; however, plenty of arrows fly towards her nonetheless. All the attacks hit her and manage to shave off a few tiny slivers of her first health bar. My heart drops at the thought. It is only then that I notice I had not let go of Ilyena¡¯s hand, but rather had squeezed it tighter. Realizing this, I let go and ready my blades. The Black Widow makes her first move. She rushes towards those knights at the forefront. They all look ready to collapse in fear, but steadily hold their ground. She lunges towards one of the knights, and the poor bastard can only curse his luck as the attack hits and he is sent flying backwards. Those nearby take advantage of this to launch attacks against her. Despite being surrounded and attacked on all sides, she is not taking much damage. ¡°Ilyena, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Mn¡± Brandishing our swords, we rush side by side towards the boss. We weave through the line of players and with perfect synchronization we leap into the boss¡¯s back. The Black Widow is too occupied with the knights and warriors, that us two assassins go unnoticed. We continuously stab the boss while trying to not be thrown off. The damage numbers keep popping up without end. In the midst of this, my One-Handed Sword skill becomes level 2. I can¡¯t focus on the notification, but I briefly see that it grants me a 20% boost while wielding one-handed swords. The orderly positioning has already been disrupted. The boss jumps towards a warrior with his shield raised, and Ilyena and I are thrown off in the process. A small damage number appears as a chunk of my health is taken away by the fall, but it could be worse. When I look up, I see that warrior has already collapsed. However, another steps up to take his place. I look around and see those so called leaders standing in safety near the edge of the battle. So, we have to risk our lives, while they stand by and watch? Each are surrounded by a handful of elite guards as they observe the battle. By this point, the boss¡¯s health has dropped to 1/4. The losses have lessened over time as the weaker players got weeded out. Ilyena and I work towards burst damage and use a switching tactic to deal continuous damage to the boss. The mages, unable to support rapid use of their spells, have switched to a rotation based approach. This is similar to the tactic we used to fight the Colossal Arachnid. The knights have been taking the brunt of the damage, but since the priests are constantly healing them, they are just barely able to hold out. One of the knights, a particularly large fellow, sends a powerful attack at the arachne. This causes Black Widow to retreat a few meters; however, she uses this opportunity to spit out a noxious poison at the fellow. He blocks the majority of it with his tower shield, but a bit splashes on his body. Suddenly, green damage numbers appear on his body as his health slowly gets eaten away by the poison. The priests immediately cast their holy magic on him, but their is no detoxifying spell at their current level. Thankfully, with the priest¡¯s intervention and the knight¡¯s high base health, the poison wears off before his life is claimed. Note to self. Do not get hit by the poison. By chance, I see a certain red haired girl off in the distance while I am watching the knight go behind the frontline. She is firing arrows from a position closer to my location, so the spiderlings cannot reach her. However, I hope she will be safe, but if she has lasted this long she should be fine. Back to the fight, Ilyena is ready to switch with me, so I run up and replace her. This time, rather than jumping onto the boss¡¯s back, I go around behind her, and aim for her underbelly. I had seen this move in a very famous movie where one of the protagonists is having a life and death battle with a giant spider. In this, the character somehow gets underneath the spider and stabs upwards into her belly. This causes the spider to be heavily wounded and retreat, thus ending the battle. The Black Widow doesn¡¯t seem to notice me, so I rush underneath her while activating my cloaking skill. That red hourglass is only inches away from my face, but I take a hard swallow before thrusting my bronze short sword right into it. Critical hit! The Widow squeals in pain, but I hold my ground and continue striking her. Those in the surroundings are not going to pass up this chance, and take advantage of her distraction to dish out massive amounts of damage to her. The arachne retreats, leaving me crouched on the floor where she was just moments ago. Her health finally drops below 50%. The first green health bar shatters and the boss bellows in rage. She backs off from the nearby players and a pale light starts gathering around her. This must be one of her hidden moves. ¡°Keeping attacking her!¡± ¡°We cannot let her finish charging that spell!¡± ¡°ARGGHH!!¡± A warrior disregards his safe and rushes towards the boss. He charges up a powerful strike and releases it on the boss, but other than shaving off a bit of her health there was no effect. The boss is still charging her spell, and by now the density of the light has increased tenfold. Mages and archers bombard her with spells and arrows, but the boss¡¯s attack is uninterrupted. Suddenly, the white light explodes in a flash and a white string shoots out in a circle around the boss.
You have been hit by Web of Restraints. Your magic defence has failed. You cannot move for 3 seconds.
Shit. ¡°What is this stuff?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I move?!¡± ¡°Shit! AOE attack!¡± I look around and see every melee class has become grounded to where they stand. Only the mages and those with high enough magic defence were able to resist. Three seconds may not seem like much, but in a battle where seconds can mean life or death, it is debilitating. The Black Widow takes advantage of this and reeks havoc on those players unfortunate enough to be next to her. Those poor players never stood a chance. I can still move my head, and I turn it just enough to see that Ilyena is alright; however, behind her is another story all together. Gem, who was focusing on the spiderlings, has shifted her attention towards the boss and is firing arrows at it. But, behind her is a spiderling ready to lunge and she is completely unaware. The spiderling rams into her, causing her to get knocked down. Her health plummets as a result. The spiderling then proceeds to jump on top of her and continuously attacks without rest. ¡°GEM!!!¡± I scream at the top of my lungs. Why didn¡¯t I talk with her before the battle. She was that lone green dot I saw, yet I didn¡¯t even try to contact her, and now this has happened. Memories of how we met run through my mind.
¡°Umm, since we¡¯re both solo players... do you want to form a party?¡± She looks like she was having trouble saying this. Her eyes were partially downcast and she was fidgeting.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.Gem begins to open her eyes and looks up at my teary face. ¡°Stop crying you big oaf. I¡¯m alright.¡± I want to back away once I realize how foolish I must look, but as I am about to move Gem rests her head against me and lets out a quiet ¡°Thank you¡±.
"Before I forget." I hold the sword we just made. "This is for you." I pass her the blade. "But," She gets flustered and tries to push it back into my hands. "You were the one to make it."
¡°What! You¡¯re already level 17?¡± She stares at me in disbelief. ¡°Haha, are you jealous?¡± ¡°Mph! I¡¯m going hunting!¡± She starts stomping out the the room, but just before leaving she turns back around. ¡°I will not be left behind!¡± Her voice is beaming with confidence and she has a look of determination in her eyes.
On of the players nearby her bats the spider off her and pummels it to the ground. By this time the 3 seconds has passed. It was the longest three seconds of my life. Gem remains laying there on the ground. Her health is in the red, and steadily depleting. ¡°Ilyena! Cover me!¡± ¡°Mn¡± I rush out at full speed towards Gem, disregarding the boss entirely. We¡¯re about 30 meters apart, but the distance seems a lot longer. There is a single spiderling between us, and I see it eyeing Gem on the ground. I come up behind it before it can jump, and launch a surprise attack that sends it flying. A critical hit was dealt and the spiderling then gets surrounded by other players and taken out. Gem¡¯s health is now nearly a sliver of red. One more attack would be more than enough to kill her. ¡°Gem. Listen to my voice.¡± I pick her up, careful to not disturb or cause damage to her. ¡°You¡¯re going to be alright. Just keep listening to my voice.¡± I take out one of the level two health potions we were given. When I pop the lid, a fruity aroma is released from it. I carefully open her mouth, ¡°I¡¯m going to pour some medicine down your throat¡± and tip the potion down her throat. ¡°It will taste a bit sweet.¡± The potion immediately begins to take effect. A swirl of light envelopes Gem as her health bar stabilizes. I carefully pat her hair as the battle continues around us. When the last drop of the potion goes down her throat, I begin to see her health bar raising. I feel as if a weight has been lifted off my chest as relief washes through me. Living with Gem these past two weeks has ingrained her into my heart and she has become irreplaceable. While I am lost in thought, her eyes start to open. A brilliant smile warms her unblemished face as she looks up at me. ¡°This is the second time you¡¯ve saved my life. Thank you¡± I cannot help but smile in reply to her, staring into her deep crimson eyes. ¡°Hey, you two! We¡¯re still fighting over here.¡± The two of us are rudely awakened by this comment; however, he has a point, We need to get back to the fight. We look at each other and nod in agreement before standing up. I take a look at the situation with the boss, but it seems like not much has changed. The boss has around 3/4 of the second health bar remaining and everyone is fighting to their limits. Even those guild leaders can be seen attacking every once and a while. ¡°I should get back.¡± I look at Gem. ¡°Mhmm," She looks at me with pleading eyes. "Be safe." ¡°Haha, I should be saying that to you.¡± Before I could even turn around, I feel a soft peck on my right cheek. A tingling sensation rushes through my body as I look at Gem in bewilderment. She only responds with a mischievous smile before running off to fight more spiderlings. It takes me a moment to clear my head, but I take off back towards the boss. ¡°So,¡± Ilyena looks at me with a hint of jealousy, ¡°Who¡¯s she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a close friend of mine.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She says as if in thought before turning away. ¡°If that were me would you react the same?¡± She mutters under her breath. I don¡¯t think I was supposed to hear that. The battle with the boss continues on for another ten minutes before her health finally reaches the red zone. The Black Widow¡¯s eyes become a blood red shade with a black slit down the centre. She backs off in a similar pattern to when she was charging Web of Restraints. ¡°EVERYONE ATTACK HER!¡± A player in close proximity to the arachne yells ¡°DO NOT LET HER CHARGE HER SPELL!¡± ¡°We cannot let her succeed!¡± This time, rather than a light surrounding the Black Widow, it is almost as if she is devouring all the light and energy around her. A vortex forms, gradually building up momentum, as it swirls around the boss. I throw everything I can at her, exhausting my supply of thrown weapons. It seems everyone is doing the same and not holding back. I fear what will happen if we are not successful. The vortex is now strong enough to throw off my balance, and it only gets worse the closer we get to the boss. The mage¡¯s spells are losing their effectiveness as the mana gets absorbed and the archer¡¯s arrows cannot fly straight against the wind. At this rate we will all be doomed. I make a split second decision to charge in towards her. I use the same tactic I used earlier, where I went beneath her and attacked her underbelly. This is the most effective strategy I can think of at this time. Ilyena tries to stop me, by grabbing onto my hand. ¡°Don¡¯t get any closer! You¡¯ll Die!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what i¡¯m doing.¡± Oh, how many people had those as their last words. I shake off her hand and rush in. The vortex is almost unbearably strong at this point. However, when I get within 5 feet of her, it vanishes almost like being in the eye of a storm. The boss is too busy chanting to pay attention to me, so I slip around behind her and position myself underneath that red hourglass. ¡°Here goes nothing.¡± I stab both my blades with all my strength into her belly. All I hear is a horrendous screeching before I am sent flying out of the already dissipating vortex. My gamble appears to have worked; however, my health is left in the yellow, edging on the borders of red. ¡°It¡¯s attack was canceled! Now is our chance!¡± A bombardment of spells and arrows fly towards the boss and a huge chunk of her health is shaved off. There are too many attacks to keep track of, but everyone is trying to kill her as fast as possible. Even members of the vanguard have joined in the assault causing the Black Widow¡¯s health to decrease at a visible rate. The boss spits out her poison in retaliation at a few nearby players. A few were lucky enough to dodge, but some got covered in the poison. Green damage numbers were everywhere as panic set in amongst those effected. The sound of their screams were terrifying as they slowly died. The melee players, which were the majority, fared better due to their higher base health. However, everyone else suffered unless they were quick enough to bring out their health potions. Only 5% of her health remains at this point. Everyone is showing signs of exhaustion, and I am no different. My movements have become slower, and I have run out of stamina potions with all the attacking and dodging. I shouldn¡¯t have been cheap and skimped on potions before coming, but there is no medicine for regret. The addition of the vanguard players fighting the boss has been godsend. However, their casualties are no joke. The difference between levels makes a big difference when it comes to resisting the boss¡¯s attacks. When the boss gets to 1% of her total health, she begins the process of launching her special attack, as if in a last stand. That vortex once more starts circulating around her, but it is picking up it¡¯s pace faster than it had previously. It only takes a few seconds before it gets to the speed it was at previously, but showing no signs of stopping. "Ilyena, do you trust me?" The same strategy I used last time won''t work in this situation. "Maybe..." The boss is too desperate right now, and besides if she has a decent AI, she won''t fall for the same trick more than twice. "What''s that supposed to mean?" There is not much time left before whatever spell she is casting is released. "Depends on what you want to do." At that point it will be too late. I''ve made up my mind. "I''m planning on getting up close to her." If she only has 1% health left, then she will die in only a few hits. The problem is, no one is willing to risk their life to get close to her. "Suicidal idiot!" Plus, there should be a bonus for last hit. Perhaps even special loot. I smile in response before dashing towards the boss. I can hear insults from the peanut gallery as I do so, "that idiot is looking to get himself killed" "what does he think he''s doing?" "He''s not the main character of some web novel, it seems he''s lost his mind.", but I just ignore them. Ilyena hesitates for a second before following me while mumbling. "At least wait for me before rushing off to your death." The vortex is strong enough to disturb my balance, but somehow I manage to keep my footing before reaching the eye. This time rather than being distracted, the arachne notices my presence immediately. It is the feeling of being watched by a predator while I am the prey. Ilyena soon makes it into the eye and the balance is broken. The arachne releases a high pitch shriek before spitting poison at us. Apparently she cannot move while the special move is activating, so we have an advantage over her. The poison is easily avoided by utilizing our innately high dexterity as assassins. Ilyena takes the left flank while I go right. She arrives first and unleashes a flurry of attacks, distracts the boss long enough for me to reach her other side. Our attacks are non stop, leaving no room for retaliation. If the boss tries to attack one of us, it is nimbly avoided and the other takes advantage of the opening. Occasionally, a few arrows or thrown weapons make it inside, but they all miss their mark. Eventually, the boss collapses and I send one last strike against her flank. This causes that last sliver of health to fade away and her body to turn into pixilated dust. My level reach 18, and I sweep up the drops on the floor without looking at them carefully.
Congratulations
You have defeated the dungeon boss: Black Widow.
Your contribution is at 7%. You are ranked first in contribution.
You will be given the following based on your contribution: 30,000 Tor 1,500 experience.
Your name will be entered in the Hall of Fame. Do you wish your name to be known?
Yes No
I unconsciously select yes, kneel on the ground and start hyperventilating. My level once again increases to 19. ¡°Quinn! What¡¯s wrong? Are you alright?¡± Ilyena asks with concern in her voice. ¡°QUINN!!¡± Her voice snaps me out of my daze. ¡°Yeah, i¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Hmph. We should get moving before the vortex settles¡± She then proceeds to activate her cloaking and rushes out of the centre. I then follow close behind her with cloaking activated. When I get out, I see the surviving players celebrating. They are hugging each other, slapping each other¡¯s backs, smiling, and laughing. ¡°¡°WHOoooOOOAaa!!¡±¡± ¡°I¡¯m still alive!¡± ¡°We did it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s finally dead!!¡±
System Announcement
The first island has been cleared. The First dungeon boss has been defeated by players:
Quinn Ilyena Cinder Silverslinger Scarlet flash Turiel . . . Zhaos Miles Davion Celeritas Ambriel . . . Gem Red . . .
After reading the system announcement, I take a look at the drops. Aside from a pile of coins and 30 high quality spider silk, there is a pitch black silk cloak. ¡°Hmm.. Cloak of Infinite Shadows.¡± When I put it on, I feel as if I were blending into the shadows. It has an active option for concealment, and just by wearing it, I am harder to detect. While I am admiring my new cloak, something crashes into my back, knocks me to the ground, and falls on top of me. ¡°Uuugh¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± A very feminine laugh can be heard, ¡°You should pay attention to your surroundings.¡± I turn my head to see Gem looking down on me. ¡°You¡¯re one to talk.¡± ¡°Alright, get off me.¡± ¡°Mmm... Nope.¡± She says playfully. It was at this moment that another server announcement came up.
Congratulations
You have cleared the first stage. A teleportation portal will be opened shortly, which will lead you to the teleportation hub. From this location you may return to Fairhaven, or go directly to the second island. Not every island will have a settlement and some will require one to be built.
Welcome to the Vlymm Isles.
¡°Shall we go?¡± ¡°Mn¡± ¡°Mhmm¡± Epilogue - An Island In The Clouds ¡°Whoa!¡± ¡°So pretty!¡± ¡°It¡¯s beautiful!¡± We, along with every other player, chose to go through the portal right away. And then, we got our first glimpse of the teleportation hub. We came out on the northern end into a massive circular plaza surrounded by white marble roman style pillars. On the inner circle are 100 portals decorated with various materials. So far, only two portals are lit. The one we came out of with a wooden frame carved with spiders, and the one right next to it made out of carved bone. Some players have opted to head straight into the second portal, and I was going to as well, but I got stopped by Gem before I could move. She starts running as if frolicking through a field of flowers, while Ilyena and I follow at a normal pace. ¡°Should we be concerned?¡± Ilyena asks. ¡°Nah, let her do her thing.¡± We follow her out of the plaza onto a white bridge. The entire floor of this place is reminiscent of white marble, and there is a faint layer white mist almost like dry ice, or wisps of clouds just above the floor. We¡¯re not the first ones to leave the plaza, as apparently a portal has opened within the centre of Fairhaven. Therefore, many curious players came rushing here after confirming it was safe. ¡°Whoa!¡± Gem leans over the side railing of the bridge, ¡°You can see the islands from here!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I look over the edge, and sure enough I can see a bunch of floating islands off in the distance below us. ¡°It¡¯s a reminder of how far we have to go to clear this game.¡± Ilyena comments. ¡°Sigh, we¡¯re going to be stuck here for a while.¡± Gem ends off with a sour expression on her face. ¡°Well, I for one am glad to have come here.¡± ¡°Same.¡± I continue, ¡°There may be no coming back after death, but how¡¯s that any different from real life. Rather than being stuck going to school or work every day, I prefer being here.¡± Gem nods in agreement, but Ilyena ¡®Hmphs¡¯ before continuing down the bridge. On the other side of the bridge is a wide platform that is at least twice as wide as the plaza and many times as long. I notice a large group of players have crowded around a fenced off area 30 feet. ¡°Let¡¯s go see what they¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± We push our way to the front of the crowd and see a group of players arguing. ¡°What¡¯s everyone doing?¡± I ask a nearby player. ¡°Well,¡± He looks around, ¡°Apparently this is a purchasable plot of land, but those guys from the Sacred Order have already tried laying claims to it.¡± ¡°Surely there must be other land for sale, why fight over this plot?¡± ¡°Hur Hur¡± He leans in closely, ¡°This is the largest plot of land available, and it¡¯s in the best location. Plus you have all the traffic coming to and from the teleportation plaza.¡± ¡°Oh? Is that so¡± ¡°Yup. There are a total of eleven plots in this centre portion. Think of it as a 4x4 grid. This large plot consists of 4 squares, and covers 1/4 of the entire land. Eight small plots line the two sides, and two large, but narrow plots are in the back.¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
¡°I see. But why aren¡¯t they purchasing it already?¡± ¡°Hur hur. It¡¯s too expensive! So, they can only argue over claims.¡± ¡°Oh? How much does it cost?¡± ¡°5,000,000,000 Tor¡± ¡°Pfft¡± I spit out the imaginary food in my mouth. I could at most could scrounge together 200,000 Tor, let alone 5 Billion. I guess that¡¯s the difference between the working class and the 1%. Well to be fair, I¡¯m richer than most of the working class, but still. Then it hit me. I received a certain item not even a week ago. ¡®Confers selected plot of land¡¯s ownership to player. Costs are negated. land must be available for purchase¡¯. Oh this is too good, an evil smile forms on my face. I go up to the roped off area with the deed in my hand.
This plot of land is available for purchase. Cost: 5,000,000,000 Tor.
Do you wish to purchase
Yes No
I select [Yes]
Notification
You do not have sufficient funds. Do you wish to use ¡®Deed of Ownership¡¯?
Yes No
Do you even have to ask? [Yes]
Congratulations
You are now the owner of this lot. You have permission to build on this lot. As ¡®Deed of Ownership¡¯ was used, ownership of this lot cannot be transferred. If you die, this land will undergo an appraisal and be auctioned off.
¡°What are you doing?¡± Gem questions me. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later, lets go explore the rest of this place.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Mn¡± We make our way out of the crowd, but as we near the edge, someone calls out from where we just were. ¡°Hey! Someone has purchased this plot!¡± ¡°¡°What?!¡±¡± ¡°Who has 5 billion Tor sitting around?! I only have 10,000 at most!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡± ¡°Who can afford this?!¡± The rants continue on, but I grab Gem¡¯s hand and lead the two of them away. The noise fades into the background. Things will get interesting from here on out. To Be Continued. Prologue 2 - Oracle Cube 15 years prior to EndGame Online¡¯s release. Within a basement research laboratory underneath an ancient manor. ¡°HAHA! I¡¯ve done it!¡± A man with stringy white hair atop a wrinkled head yelled out in excitement. ¡°My research has finally paid off! It has only taken me 16 years, but it was worth it! This technology will shape the future!¡± The man¡¯s eyes shined vibrantly with a youthful fortitude, which sharply contrasted with his mad scientist appearance. Spread through his lab were various tools and instruments; however, the lab¡¯s main feature lied within the monstrosity of a machine in the centre. It¡¯s height reached the ceiling and it was surrounded by countless cords and wires. In it¡¯s centre was a black leather armchair with metal clamps meant to restrain one¡¯s legs and arms in place. Above the chair rested a massive helmet suspended from the machine, and embedded on this helmet were electrodes from which multi-coloured wires escape. If one did not know better, they would mistake this for an execution chair. In the corner of this room, a young man lifted his head. This man had straggly dark black hair, his skin was pasty white, and he looked to be extremely malnourished. ¡°Professor, You¡¯ve had a breakthrough?¡± The young man inquired with a respectful tone; however, the professor he was referring to was only a self-proclaimed professor. ¡°Not just a breakthrough! I have solved the equations that separate our conscious soul from the virtual world!¡± The old man¡¯s voice was full of pride as he made a triumphant pose. ¡°What?!¡± The young man¡¯s jaw reached the floor as he stared in disbelief at the old man. These two did not have a formal relationship with each other. Rather, the young man had broken into the professor¡¯s manor on a coercive dare by the neighbourhood thugs. Various devices and inventions had lain scattered throughout the manor, which caught the interest of the young man. The professor at this point had been observing the young man as he explored the inventions, and before the young man could make off with an invention, the professor blocked his way. Due to his interest in technology, the professor took the young man in under his wing. The young man didn¡¯t hesitate and grabbed the opportunity. Thus, their relationship was formed. ¡°Come here! Quickly! Quickly!¡± The professor motioned with his hands for the young man to come closer. ¡°I have just imprinted the final coding with my equations into this Oracle Cube.¡± He held a black cube the size of his palm in front of him. The hardware was created only one year ago, but now it sat complete. This was another one of the professor¡¯s inventions. The young man had no idea how it worked and the only plans available were within the head of the old professor. He couldn¡¯t replicate it even if he wanted. The device it went into, on the other hand, was much simpler to understand and could easily be detached from the main unit. But, none of it worked without this black cube. ¡°Previously, I had only been able to insert my consciousness temporarily into the virtual network before my brain would be overloaded. But with this, I can transfer it for an indefinite amount of time into the system.¡± An almost fanatical light reached his eyes. ¡°Do you know what this means for society? No longer will we be constrained by our physical bodies.¡± ¡°Mmm. I bet you could make a pretty sweet game out of this technology.¡± ¡°A game? You would use this revolutionary technology for a game?!¡± The professor began to get agitated at the mention of it, but he soon calmed down. ¡°Hmm... Now that¡¯s a thought! Kids these days are growing up with their eyes glued to screens, so maybe a virtual reality game would be possible. What are those fantasy games called? The one¡¯s with all the quests and what not.¡± ¡°You mean MMORPG¡¯s?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the one! An MMORPG, no, that¡¯s not it.¡± He paused, ¡°A VRMMORPG!¡± Little did he know that this conversation irreversibly altered the path of the young man. A flash of greed flickered in the young man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Okay, but, how does it work? I mean, how do you transfer one¡¯s consciousness into a computer?¡± ¡°Are you aware of the composition of our consciousness?¡± ¡°No...¡± ¡°Do you know what your brain is made up of?¡± ¡°Neurons?¡± ¡°It would benefit you to do some undergraduate work in this area. Anyways, So yes, neutrons make up the majority of our brain. They carry the signals for your brain through synapses in a process called synaptic transmission. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Now, these pathways go throughout the entire brain, and form a network that essentially makes up their person. The machine is designed to scan a copy of this, which is then uploaded into the Oracle cube and converted into virtual data. ¡°Now, this is only one way, so to transfer back the data, or the memory, electrical impulses are generated to artificially stimulate the area¡¯s of the brain associated with memory, thought, and emotion, etc. This imprints the memory of the virtual environment into the person¡¯s physical brain.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± The young man interjected, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to just have them externally connect rather than going through this convoluted process?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a bad approach, but if it were that way, it wouldn¡¯t be as if you were physically in the game. The minor differences would become very evident and detract from the experience. Also, imagine if you were to scan the user¡¯s brain and use that data externally. ¡°Once you make any movement or thought, many minute changes have already been made to your neural pathways. This falls under the idea of neural plasticity. So, you would have to be constantly sending signals back and forth and the amount of data that would generate would be utterly astronomical.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He stared with a puzzled expression on his face. ¡°Anyways, The amount of storage in the device would be enough to store maybe 100 people¡¯s consciousness, as you can imagine how much data comes from one person alone. Therefore, a larger storage system is necessary.¡± ¡°So, what would happen if the cube were to be removed while a person was diving in the virtual world?¡± The young man inquires in an innocent tone. ¡°Umm... That... Their body would probably turn into a vegetable.¡± ¡°Oh. Is that so.¡± He paused, as if considering that idea, ¡°How though?¡± ¡°Well, when the body is hooked up to the system, your body is essentially in a state of comatose. This is to prevent conflicts between the data transferring process. The coding for this process is contained within the Oracle cube, so external intervention would be unable to bring the user out of this state. Essentially, they would be trapped.¡± An awkward silence enveloped the two of them. ¡°Well,¡± The professor was the first to break the silence, ¡°Enough of that, let me get the machine set up.¡± ¡°Are you going to test it?¡± The young man questioned. ¡°Hold on. Come help me.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± In truth, there was not a lot he could do to help. The Oracle cube was inserted by the professor into its designated slot with a perfect fit. All the controls were embedded into the armrests of the black leather chair. The professor punched a few buttons and the helmet suspended above his head started to descend. It went until his entire face was shrouded by it¡¯s cover. ¡°Link Start!¡± His body spasmed suddenly as the machine kicked in. While he watched, the young man thought aloud: ¡°Maybe there should be some way to cut off the sensory and motor pathways to the body while in the system.¡± Once his body settled down and the machinery kicks into full gear, the young man was left alone with only the buzzing of the contraption in the background. Thoughts of the possibilities of this technology were spinning through his mind as a spark ignites within his heart. Emotionlessly, he gazed upon the Oracle cube embedded within the machinery. Red lights glowed along its surface, pulsating with the rhythm of a heartbeat. The young man reached out his hand on a moment of impulse and grasped the cube. It felt hard and lifeless within his hands; however, before he could make another move, the machine¡¯s buzzing suddenly became louder. The young man quickly removed his hand from the cube and placed it behind his back. His heart was racing and his posture was as if he had just been caught stealing. In the centre of the machine, the professor¡¯s body gave another spasm. If he was not restrained, he would have injured himself at least twice already. ¡°Hmm...¡± The professor¡¯s voice came out from the helmet. ¡°There are still come hiccups, but it worked! There¡¯s a bit of dizziness, but that¡¯s to be expected. Now, if I...¡± Chapter 31 - One Week Later Within the world of EndGame Online One week has passed since the boss fight on the first island, but the memories are still fresh in my mind. The preparation for the fight was far from adequate and many deaths could have been prevented if it was not rushed by those larger guilds. Hundreds of people died while fighting against the Black Widow, yet already people have forgotten their sacrifices and moved on. The second island has been opened up ever since, and is set with a dark and desolate theme compared to the first island. The whole place is reminiscent of a creepy Halloween forest. From the teleportation hub, it is clear that this island is far smaller than the first one, but once down on the land, this is hard to tell. Gem. Ilyena and I were part of the first few people to arrive here. After doing a quick walk through of the teleportation hub, we returned to the portals and entered the second island. The teleportation between these portals was similar to the teleportation crystals, so there was nothing new with them other than the destinations. We emerged in the centre of a large clearing and the sounds of people fighting was present on all sides. Apparently the first players to traverse on the island triggered an event, which caused a host of skeletal monsters to surround the portal area. Some of those who arrived were unable to fend for themselves in the new environment and soon perished, but the majority quickly learned to stay together. The base level of these skeletons was 15, so they provided a generous amount of experience to those who killed them; however, it was not easy to clear them. There were a few skeleton variants mixed in the fray, and they caused the greatest damage. Some players had grown complacent while fighting the level 15¡¯s, so when faced with the higher level ones, they did not cope well. It took a couple hours, but eventually a perimeter was set up using whatever we could scrounge together. Nearby trees were taken down, and rocks were moved. The first priority was to make a basic barricade. Players were commissioned to bring building materials onto the second island before teleporting, because we soon found out that getting back to the main teleportation hub was not as simple as arriving here. Around 24 hours later, a temporary fort was set up around the portal encompassing an area of 200 square meters. Players kept streaming in constantly, which caused the fort to become more and more crowded. The real estate nearest the portal had become prime land, but there is no way to regulate it. The larger guilds such as the Sacred Order, Shadowguard, and the Wings Of Liberty have each carved out their piece. While the remainders are left to set up stalls and shacks wherever they could. Many players who teleported over had found themselves getting stuck on this side. The use of the portal to get here is free; however, it costed 10,000 Tor or 1 gold to return. It was found through trial and error that travel between already conquered floors was free; however, the second floor had yet to be cleared. Also, the teleportation crystals do not work between islands, so there is no escaping the fee. Those of us who hunt efficiently can gain enough money to return every night, but the majority cannot afford this. Many of the drops, such as bones and rotten armour, are not valuable enough due to the vast quantities being produced by all the players. It has gotten to the point that no one is willing to buy them, and the rarer drops can only be found and not sought. However, despite many people dying each day, it has not been total despair. Progress is constantly being made, and although the dungeon has not yet been found, life still goes on for the rest of us.
"Switch!" A feminine voice rings out. It is coming from a petite assassin dressed in full leather battle gear. Her armour has iron plates fastened for extra protection while not hindering her movements. Her face is obscured by a veil, but that only adds to her mysterious charm. She has just finished dealing a massive strike to her opponent and is backing off to allow me to take her place. The opponent is a skeleton warrior. It is equipped with an iron shield, iron helm and iron battle axe. It''s body is composed of dirty white bones with the remains of flesh hanging off in various places. It''s eye sockets hold a sinister deep red glow, giving life to this vengeful spirit that cannot find peace. A yellow health bar hovers above it''s head, which shows it''s remaining health in this world. A yellow health bar signifies 10-50% health, while the remaining two colours green and red show >50% and <10% respectively. The female assassin''s single attack shaves off 10% of the skeletal knight''s health. This display of skill shows just how powerful she is. An arrow flies by, tickling my ear, as it heads toward the skeleton. It lodges itself with the eye socket of the knight and I take advantage of the opening to crush the opponents head with my iron spiked mace. Weapons that deal crush damage are most effective against skeletal monsters whereas stabbing weapons are the least effective. This is due to the inherent structure of bone being strong against vertical stress, but weak against horizontal stress. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. The skeleton warrior''s skull gets caved in, but he is still holding onto his life. Skeletons are like the cockroaches of the monster world. Never dying until it consumes every last drop of their health, whether it be from a severed hand or leg. "Uwa!" A skeletal hand reaches to grab my ankle, but I give it a quick punt over to Ilyena, the female assassin. She nimbly knocks it out of the air, thus shaving away the last of it''s health. "Nice!" A feminine voice says behind me. I turn around to see a beautiful red haired girl around the age of 18. She is dressed in full leather armour as well, but styled to provide full range of motion for shooting arrows. Her slender hourglass frame is clearly outlined by form fitting armour; however, she does not use this to flaunt before others. This female archer''s deep crimson eyes sparkle with innocence accompanied by a bright, incandescent smile that illuminates her beauty. "Thanks, Gem." I reply with a smile, "Let''s collect the drops and move on." "Un" The female archer, Gem, nods in reply. "How close are you to reaching level 19?" We''ve been fighting every day since coming to this graveyard-like island. "A few more skeletons and I should be able to hit it." "Alright, how about we hunt around 10 more before heading back?" "Okay!" "Alright." The entire island is covered by a dead forest. Gnarled barren trees stand upon a desolate forest scape. There is little to no undergrowth and the only creatures able to exist here are already dead. A clattering comes from 20 feet behind us and Ilyena is the first to react. The opponent is a single regular skeleton. On their own they are no match for us, but if a horde appears all we can do is run. We found this out the hard way a couple days ago. They surrounded us on all sides, but somehow we were able to break through their enclosure. Ilyena flanks it''s right side while Gem attracts aggro by firing an arrow direct at it. After Ilyena''s first strike lands, it is my turn to attack. The iron mace in my hand weighs heavy as I bring it down upon the opponent''s rib cage. Shattered splinters of bone splay out from the site of impact, and the skeleton''s upper body collapses upon itself. Ilyena then finishes it off with a quick slash across it''s spine. "Watch out!" Gem yells from behind, "Another two skeletons are headed your way from the left!" Ilyena and I turn our heads at the same time. Sure enough, two skeletons are inbound. One skeletal archer and one regular skeleton. "I''ll take the archer." "Okay. The plain skeleton is mine then." "Deal." As we are speaking, an arrow lodges itself with the trunk of a gnarled tree only a few feet away. At least these skeletal archers don''t have an aim-bot. Gem fires a couple shots before we could reach them. I watch as one arrow threads the needle between of pair of rib bones and exits out the other side. This catches Ilyena''s attention as well and we both stare at the arrow in disbelief. The skeletal archer, unperturbed by the event, lines up it''s next shot. However, by this time I have reached the skeleton. I swing the mace horizontally in a sweeping motion, but it gets blocked by the skeleton''s bow. Despite that, the skeleton gets knocked stumbling back a few feet. It''s red eyes displaying loathing and distain for the living. An arrow lodges itself in the crevices of it''s spine and I step in for the kill. These skeleton archers are level 18, but they are still no match for us. Ilyena and I are currently level 22, while Gem is 18. However, we''re not normal. The average player is around level 17 right now. The skeleton collapses as the fire in its eyes fades away. "Phew." "Look you long enough." Ilyena''s unimpressed voice sounds out behind me. I turn my head and see her sitting down upon a rotting log in a relaxed posture. "Yeah, yeah." I sarcastically reply, "Next time you can take the archer while I watch." "Pfft..." "Alright you two, I''m only a sliver away from reaching level 19." Gem interjects with a voice of reason, "Let''s kill a few more then we can be done for the day." "Alright." "Mm." And so, we spent another 15 minutes out in the forest, watching as the skies begin to turn dark. During the night an evil fog stretches through the land giving the monsters a 1.75x buff. This was a big change from the 1.5x buff the normal monsters receive on the first island. Thankfully, it is limited to this island. A few kills later... *Clang!* An arrow hits a rusty helmet atop a skeleton¡¯s head. It causes a large dent to form as it pierces into the metal. That last hit brought the skeleton¡¯s health to 0, and it breaks apart into pixilated dust. ¡°Level 19!¡± Gem jumps with enthusiasm. ¡°Congratulations!¡± I give her a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s head back now.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Un.¡± The three of us have activate our teleportation crystals and the blinding white light once more envelopes us as we are send far away. Chapter 32 - Ironskull Fortress ¡°Selling teleportation crystals!¡± ¡°Get your arrows here!¡± ¡°Come! Come! Freshly cooked meat strait off the grill! Let your taste buds enjoy the succulent flavours!¡± ¡°Looking for a party! I am a level 16 Barbarian with bronze equipment!¡± The area our teleportation crystals took us to was just outside the main market.The name of the fort was debated on for a view days, but the name Ironskull Fortress was finally decided upon. The supposed logic behind it was that the skeletons would need a skull made of iron to break into the fortress. Thousands of players lined the streets and crowding was a major issue. A cordoned off area was designated for player teleportation via crystals, otherwise people would be appearing left and right in the middle of the streets. A few players have chosen to ignore this unwritten rule, but they soon learned their place. Those who ran into them would start a fight in the middle of the streets. Occasionally, a player would get within inches of death before being let off; however, there are rumours of some of them disappearing the next day. That¡¯s right. The area of our base is not protected by the system. It is a lawless town where the strong rule. Generally, if the person looks to be in a major guild or is equipped with iron gear, they will be treated with respect, but there are the occasional fights between these players. The market covers the majority of the town and sells everything from monster drops to manufactured goods. It is entirely player run and maintained without any NPC¡¯s present. Some players have stalls with awnings while others have spread out items over blankets on the ground. With this layout, it is possible for item theft, but anyone foolish enough to steal and get caught won¡¯t last long. Gem and I are walking side by side, looking at the various stalls as we pass. Many of the items are trinkets, unworthy of our attention, but occasionally a good item will appear; however, these are unfortunately too over priced. It would be cheaper to buy them back on the first island, but these users are capitalizing on the fact that not everyone can afford the teleportation fees. ¡°Hey you two!¡± Ilyena says with a hint of impatience, ¡°Let¡¯s get to portal before it gets too dark. You can go window shopping some other time.¡± Gem responds with a brief look of annoyance before continuing to browse the stalls. I look behind and see Ilyena looking unimpressed. *Sigh* ¡°How about this. I¡¯ll bring you back window shopping later, but for now let¡¯s head back to the portal.¡± ¡°Fine...¡± Gem reluctantly agrees, ¡°But, it¡¯ll just be us.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± Gem is pleased and gives a smile in response, so we carry on towards the portal. A small plaza, lined with basic wooden buildings, surrounds the portal. The portal itself only works from one side, so a wall was built behind it and decorated with various paintings. Painting is one of those luxury skills, like drawing, that has little to no impact on the overall game itself, but serves as a pastime. My artistic skills would be at level 0; therefore, the best I can draw are stick figures. There¡¯s not even a teleportation via painting cheat, so obviously I¡¯m not going to waste my time on the skill. A large section of the wall has been taken up by a mural of the Sacred Order¡¯s guild symbol: The golden crescent moon swallowing a cross on a background of red. Despite that, around it are less obtrusive paints such as landscapes and monsters. Even as I observe, an artist is painting a new section of the wall with a depiction of a bird. ¡°They¡¯re going to run out of space soon.¡± Ilyena comments. ¡°Hmm?¡± Gem seems confused. She must have still been looking at the shops. ¡°Yup, but they¡¯ll find another spot soon enough.¡± In Fairhaven, it was impossible for street artists to paint like this, but in a town unprotected by the system, they are popping up everywhere. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why people would waste their time on such skill.¡± Ilyena starts off a tangent, ¡°They are useless, and difficult to level. Their time would be much better spent on increasing their combat potential.¡± ¡°You know,¡± I interject, ¡°That¡¯s what they said about a certain sculptor in a novel back in the day, but he ended up being the most powerful player in the game. ¡°Also, you have to remember that not everyone has that same drive to become strong. Some players joined for the experience or to explore their own fantasies. I wouldn¡¯t be expecting children to fight on the frontline. It is the rest of our responsibilities to help save those players.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t excuse them from helping the rest of us.¡± Ilyena says with a pout. ¡°I agree with that, but their help can come in many different forms. Take, for example, those paintings: Just their presence alone assists with motivating the average player into not giving into despair. It shows them that there is something positive in the gloom of this world.¡± I¡¯m partially trying to convince myself with this as well. I can still clearly remember the looks on the player¡¯s faces when I was running from the town on that first day. The look of terror. Horror. Despair. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I am still shivering in fear, but I have compartmentalized those emotions for the sake of my own sanity. I am no longer alone in this game. I have met some wonderful people that I would have never met had this happened. Yes, Phil is somewhere in here, but who knows where he is. Although it may be a month too late, I should start a search for him. ¡°There¡¯s a positive to being trapped in here?¡± Ilyena raises her voice, attracting the attention of nearby placers. They send hostile gazes in my direction. ¡°Shh!¡± After realizing the change in atmosphere, Gem injects herself between our conversation. ¡°This is not the place to be talking about this. Take this conversation elsewhere.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± I drop the subject according to Gem¡¯s request. We swiftly make our way over to the portal, but the tension from the conversation lingers in the air.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Notification
Teleportation from this location will cost user 10,000 Tor. This fee will automatically be deducted.
Do you wish you use this portal?
Yes No
We all select [Yes] and get swept away by the portal. Naturally, we cannot use this method too frequently, but the drops from fighting on the second floor are enough to cover one use per day. The scene that greets us on the other side is a familiar circular plaza of the teleportation hub. It is surrounded by a ring of uniquely designed portals, most of which are inactivated, and beyond that is a ring of roman style white marble pillars. The ground beneath our feet is solid, but a white mist covers the floor, giving it the appearance of walking on clouds. At night, a faint glow radiants from the ground, and also elegant lamp posts illuminate the walkways. *Yawn* ¡°I¡¯m going to head back to the Prancing Mare.¡± Gem says while fatigue is clearly evident on her face. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be back there shortly.¡± I reply, ¡°I want to have a look around first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll head off as well.¡± Ilyena adds. I don¡¯t know where she goes every night, but she usually disappears abruptly and then shows up the next day. ¡°Remember, we aren¡¯t going hunting tomorrow. I think we¡¯re all in need of a small break.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± The two of them proceed to head off for the portal to Fairhaven and disappear into the light. Suddenly, I am left all alone in the plaza. The flow of players in this area has lessened considerably from the day time as many settle into inns or player owned houses for the night. The teleportation hub has become a popular location to congregate and settle down as people become aware of it¡¯s value. The land here is very limited, but there are two residential districts full of land plots. Due to the land¡¯s exorbitant prices, only the richest players and guilds are able to afford them. The eleven plots within the centre of the isle have largely gone unclaimed, except for a 2x1 plot the Sacred Order purchased for 2 billion Tor and a couple of the smaller plots. Of course, some individual, who shall remain nameless, has shamefully acquired the largest plot of land valued at 5 billion Tor. The plot itself is the city of an average city block and streets surround all four sides, separating the plots from each other. The residential districts on the other hand have a lot more residents. The scaling of prices appears to be in favour of guilds, rather than individual players, purchasing the land early on in the game. Each small plot is large enough for a 2,000 square foot house along with some semblance of a yard. They cost at least 1 million Tor for the smallest plot, so it¡¯s not something a single player can afford. However, if you¡¯ve got a guild of 100 members, with each paying 10,000 Tor it is achievable. The players who have raised their construction levels had a field day when it was discovered that they can build on these plots. Already a construction guild has formed and set up shop on one of the plots of land. Of course, there is a building menu for land owners that can add system designs for a monetary fee. I make my way across the bridge between the actual teleportation hub and the centre of the isle and take a look at my plot of land straight ahead. I would love to start building on it, but I just don¡¯t have the capital to support such an expenditure. Maybe I¡¯ll have to start a guild to get that happening. Many players walk past me, but I notice a few also stop and stare at he huge plot of land. They must be heading towards the viewpoint. The courtyard on the opposite side is a popular location for players to hang out. It is a semi circular protrusion like a balcony that hangs off the edge of the platform. At the very edge is a staircase that goes down below the level of island to a small landing that allows a 360 degree view of the islands below. Since the view from there is the best in the game, many gather to watch the sun set, or just to hang out. Since this is a structured area and protected by the system, venders cannot set up along the walkways. This helps preserve the beauty of this floating island. While watching the players flow by, I notice a few shady characters observing my plot of land from afar. Their faces are obscured by hoods, but their green level displays show they are around 15. My appraisal level has since increased to level 2 and ever since, my actual level has become harder to discern. A few days ago, it became widespread knowledge that those with a higher level of appraisal had their levels hidden from players with a lower level in the skill. Even someone with a higher overall level, but no appraisal skill cannot determine the level of someone lower than them with a higher appraisal level. Many players rushed to obtain or level up this skill, so the overall effect hasn¡¯t changed that much. I would estimate one quarter of the players have obtained level 2 appraisal, but it¡¯s hard to tell since I am one of them. Appraisal will only give experience for on a certain item/NPC/monster the first time you appraise them, so it is impossible to be stationary and continuously level it up. Also, appraising other players does not give experience. These hooded figures must be observing anyone who pays attention or gets too close to the land. The larger guilds, the Sacred Order in particular, don¡¯t seem to be willing to let go of this offence; however, this is just my first move against them. Luckily events worked out this way. That Deed of Ownership was pretty much a cheat item. ¡°Quinn?¡± A familiar voice calls out from behind me. One I have not heard for over a month. ¡°Is that really you?¡± Chapter 33 - Prayergod ¡°It really is you!¡± The familiar voice continues. I turn around to see a player standing five feet away from me. He has a slender body type and a height that is only a few inches short than myself. Equipped with full bronze plate mail armour with a shield on his back and a longsword at his waist, he looks like a full on knight. A helmet with a nose guard sits upon his head, obscuring his hair, but I can immediately recognize this guy. His bright heterochromous blue and green eyes are a defining characteristic of his face and they are clearly visible. ¡°Phil!¡± I move over to him and embrace him in a bro hug, slapping his back, ¡°Ahh, where have you been all this time?¡± ¡°Umm,¡± He scratches his face in embarrassment, ¡°I¡¯ve been been busy training a lot of skills, but ever since the first island was cleared I¡¯ve started doing more combat.¡± ¡°So, is that why I never saw you at the boss fight?¡± I look above his head, and sure enough, he¡¯s only level 12. Exactly how much time did he spend on skills? This is far from what I had expected from him, but when I think of our past I can see why he might end up like this. We¡¯ve known each other for many years, and he has a habit of being all talk, but no action. ¡°Yup!¡± He answers shamelessly, ¡°However, It¡¯s not as if I didn¡¯t contribute. I am a level 3 alchemist after all.¡± *Pfft* ¡°Level 3 alchemist!?¡± Alchemy is considered the hardest popular skill to raise. Each potion creation only gives a small amount of experience, but not only that, it is near impossible to gather ingredients in the market at reasonable prices. ¡°Yup, and level 2 fletching, tailoring, trading, and mining.¡± At this point, I feel like vomiting blood. This guy says it like it¡¯s nothing. If I didn¡¯t already have level 3 blacksmithing I would be tempted to slap this guy in the face. Within the last week I managed to get to level 3, which is how I¡¯ve managed to obtain iron armour. On each of my creations, next to my insignia, I have carved a number based on how many I have created of a certain type. Therefore, I know it took me 10 bronze helms, 5 armguards, 5 greaves, 2 plate legs, and 2 plate bodies to get to 7,260 experience. I had spent so much time focused on weapons earlier, hammering out many short swords, that it had gotten monotonous as if it were a production line. When I finally reached level 3, I received a message stating I was the 12th player to reach level 3, so I¡¯ve improved in speed since I was the 16th to reach level 2. Iron armour is the next tier, which takes around the same amount of time to craft compared to bronze, but also gives twice the amount of experience. However, after upgrading the bronze equipment to iron, I took Gem and Ilyena hunting, and had been there ever since. My awkward silence seems to have reached Phil, because he changes the subject: ¡°So, how did you get all of that iron gear?¡± ¡°Oh, this?¡± A smirk comes to my face, ¡°I made it.¡± ¡°Haha!¡± He looks at me in pleasant surprise, ¡°Us brothers each have one of the rare skills. With my fletching and your blacksmithing we could earn a fortune!¡± His eyes shine with greed. ¡°Don¡¯t you make enough money with the alchemy?¡± Last I checked, players with level 2 or higher alchemy were rich. After all, having potions could mean the difference between life and death. ¡°There¡¯s always room for more!¡± He smiles and then looks around, ¡°There are too many people here, follow me!¡± He starts walking in the direction of the residential districts. Wait. He couldn¡¯t possibly own land here all by himself. Could he? I quickly catch up. ¡°Wait! Before we go anywhere, let¡¯s add each other to our friends list. What¡¯s your username?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Prayergod. You?¡± Hmm, Prayergod was Chris¡¯s username in the last game we played. Very original. ¡°Mine is Quinn.¡± ¡°Wait, you made your username based on your real name?¡± He starts laughing, ¡°A couple of my acquaintances had mentioned a Quinn, maybe they were talking about you. Here, let me send the invite¡±
Player: Prayergod wishes to become friends.
Do you accept?
Yes No
I hit yes, and then we continue forward. While walking I ask: ¡°Umm, so how much money do you have?¡± ¡°Oh, right now I¡¯m broke.¡± He states as a matter of fact, his expression one of indifference. ¡°I see. Then why are we going into the residential area?¡± ¡°Well, to become broke I would have had to spend my money on something, now wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Amusement flickers in his eyes. The residential districts are separated from the main island by way of bridges in the same style as the one to the portal plaza; however, these bridges are at least two times as long as the aforementioned bridge and have a slight decline. On the other side, is a mountain of cloud. Pathways snake up it¡¯s side connecting the various plots of land for sale. There is the occasional building, but as the altitude increases, these buildings become more and more sparse. "How the hell could you afford a plot of land here?" I exclaim in disbelief. Then again, I obtained the most expensive plot using a backhanded method. "Well, I didn''t say I was alone." He laughs, "There are four of us who banded together to get a plot. It''s only one of the million Tor plots near the base of the mountain, but it''s large enough for us." "Hmm, but where did you find three others willing to share the land?" It''s not like getting roommates to share in renting an apartment. They are sharing an investment. "I made a few connections when selling my potions. Oh, by the way, two of them are females." A perverted aura radiates out when these words escape his mouth. "I''ll introduce them to you. They should be there right now." "Alright, but just so you know, I¡¯ve already found someone I''m interested in." "What!?" He stops dead in his tracks, "Who is she? What''s she like? Does she have any friends?" I feel like I am in the witness box with this bombardment of questions. "Her name is Gem, and she has radiant bright red hair, deep crimson eyes, and a personality that perfectly compliments my own. As for friends, she knows a lot of people at the Prancing Mare inn." "Wait a second." He pauses, "You said bright red hair and the Prancing Mare?¡± "Yes... Why?" ¡°You aren¡¯t referring to the idol of countless men¡¯s hearts, the Scarlet Angel are you?¡± He says this as if I should know what he¡¯s talking about. I haven¡¯t spent much time out in the common area of the Prancing Mare. ¡°Huh?¡± I stare in bewilderment with one eyebrow raised and my jaw open, ¡°Scarlet Angel?¡± That sounds like some cheesy nickname. "Yup." He nods, "She occasionally helps out at the Prancing Mare inn. Many guys hit on her whenever she is there, but none of them have managed to sway her heart so far." He pauses, and then abruptly holds his finger up in exclamation, "However! There are rumours that this angel has already found a partner!¡± "A partner?" "Yes. Ever since the second week of the game she has been smiling more frequently and this increased exponentially ever since the first floor was cleared." This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. "Umm, do you have nothing better to do? Maybe she was just happy that the first floor was cleared." "That may be so, that may be so.¡± He strokes his non existent beard, ¡°But! Sources have seen her walking with a male, one about your height I guess, and they were holding hands!" This guy is getting too excited over this. "Take my advice, you had best give up on her." "Why do you know so much about this?" "Hehe, have a look at this!" He opens up his user menu and brings up a book from his inventory. Books can be made from the scribe skill and can be used to pass around knowledge such as in a newspaper. The physical copy can also be uploaded to the UI, where it can be read, but this consumes the book. Information brokers use this method to sell their information, and since a physical copy is need, it helps prevent theft; however, there are of course methods around this. One method to combat this is that they make the user consume the book in front of them. "This was put out a few days ago. It is a list of the Top 100 most beautiful women in the game." Of course he would have something like this.¡°She is ranked number 9 on this list.¡± "There was such a thing? Where did you get this?" It seems professionally done, but only number 9? I disagree with that, but obviously someone has a lot of spare time. "Hehe, they can be found everywhere. A new issue comes out each week, and at the back of each issue is a place to vote for your favourites. That way the list can be updated frequently based on the reader''s preferences. It even provides a short bio of each." Seriously, are these guys middle schoolers?I give him back the listing and continue walking forward. He takes a second to gather himself before running up beside me. We soon come to the edge of the bridge where an archway made of white marble stands tall over the pathway. On the left and right sides of this archway are maps of the area. From this, I can see the trail spirals up in a helical shape. The path to the right is a dead end, but it wraps around the mountain to make efficient use of the space. There is also a staircase that continues on straight from the bridge. This is designed for those with properties higher up, as it would be tiring to have to walk the entire length of the main path just to get to your plot. On these maps are the symbols to mark out the plots of land and to indicate which have been sold and which are available for purchase. "Oh yeah, those maps are a nice addition to the area. Us land owners can choose to leave a 20 character message for an extra fee. Basically, the 1 million Tor price tag only covers the land and everything else costs superfluous fees.¡± Despite this area being open for a week, I haven''t wandered from the main island. The land ratio of the main island to one of the residential areas is 1:2. If one were to look down from above, they would look like giant wings attached to a small body. The trail around the bottom of the mountain is laid against the very edge of the island. Only a simple guardrail separates us from it. At least once a day someone will choose to end their lives by jumping off the island. The first island of fairhaven makes it more challenging to do since they would have to travel far to reach the end. But, here, where the edge is only a short leap away, this problem has become more prevalent. The sounds of birds and small animals are missing from the island, and all that can be heard is the sound of players going about their lives. Every once and a while a refreshing breeze blows through the island. The scene below is near indescribable. It is like being in an airplane and looking down at the ground or being on the top of one of the tallest buildings and looking down at the city below. ¡°How much further until we reach your plot?¡± ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡± He replies in a carefree tone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± We pass by many of the Million Tor plots that have already been bought up. Some have buildings already, while others only have a ¡®sold¡¯ sign near the road. Not many players are travelling around this winding path, but those that are have a higher than average level and are equipped with better armour than the majority. After 10 minutes of walking, Phil finally speaks up. ¡°Here we are!¡± He stops outside what appears to be a vacant lot. Three tents surround a campfire in the centre, and voices can be heard from within. The plot of land doesn¡¯t look any larger than a regular sized one in a city suburbs, but to see that they haven¡¯t even started building yet is surprising. ¡°Where¡¯s the house?¡± ¡°Ahh,¡± He scratches his face in embarrassment, ¡°That is... We ran out of money.¡± ¡°How much could it possibly cost to build a simple, temporary log cabin?¡± I haven¡¯t looked into the building costs yet, but if they cannot afford to build something on this land, how will I afford it on that central plot. ¡°Let me put it this way, to lay a basic small foundation would cost 100,000 Tor.¡± So expensive. ¡°And that¡¯s the cheapest option.¡± ¡°What determines the prices?¡± ¡°They are set by the system for the generic building options. You pay the money and a team of NPC workers comes within a day to build it for you. Of course, you could choose to hire players, but then you have to cover the cost of building materials yourself. If you choose this option, there is not a guarantee on the quality of work. Besides, the highest level of construction a player has at this point is level 3.¡± Ugh. This is going to be a pain to construct the building I want. I was thinking of a large scale guild hall equipped with a store, a bar, a restaurant, an auction house, information centre, and living quarters. The works. Why not use the most of the space. ¡°Is that so...¡± ¡°Mhmm. We could scrounge up the money in a day if we need to, but we want something of good quality. We can¡¯t be like those bastards those bought up the shop space on the central island. What lucky bastard can afford to spend 5 Billion Tor on a plot of land.¡± His voice escalates, ¡°I mean, who the hell even has anything remotely close to that amount of money!¡± Umm. That lucky bastard is right in front of you, you know? ¡°Hehe, I heard the Sacred Order is pissed and are secretly observing anyone who pays too much interest in the land.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that not be a secret then? Those guys supposedly secretly observing the land were fairly obvious. Their faces were obscured by hoods sure, but who dresses like that in a safe zone?¡± As I say this I am reminded of a certain assassin who only goes around with her face covered, but that¡¯s beside the point. ¡°Ahh, those are just the decoys. The real observers are inconspicuously dressed in plain clothes and blend into the crowds.¡± Phil opens up the gate to his plot, ¡°Hehe, I saw you staring at that plot earlier. Maybe they¡¯ll come after you.¡± As I enter the plot, my map updates and I can now see two green dots on the map. Strange. There should be only one. Who do I know that would be rich enough to afford buying a plot of land? My friends list is fairly barren, so there are not many choices. At this time, Phil starts to introduce us, ¡°Everyone! I¡¯d like you to meet my good friend Quinn. Quinn, these are the people I told you about.¡± When I get closer to the campfire, I can see not one, but three familiar faces. ¡°¡°It¡¯s you?¡±¡± All four of us simultaneously speak. Chapter 34 - Old Friends and New When I get closer to the campfire, I can see not one, but three familiar faces. ¡°¡°It¡¯s you?¡±¡± All four of us simultaneously speak. I had seen the two of the people before me not even one week ago. They are Elayne and Astrya. Elayne¡¯s dark brown hair hangs loose down her back rather than her usual intricately braided style. Her scholarly aura is slightly disturbed by her surprise, but she quickly regains her composure. Astrya, on the other hand, still has her light brown hair tied in a pony tail. She is not clothed in her priest¡¯s garb, but rather is wearing a loose fitting pale green dress. The third person, however, is someone I haven¡¯t seen since the beginning of the game. I knew he was alive since his name had not been greyed out on my friends list, but I hadn¡¯t contacted him at all since then. His name is Venkon, and he is the only other blacksmith I know. ¡°Fancy meeting you all here.¡± I try to break the awkward atmosphere, ¡°How do you all know this guy?¡± I point towards Phil, who is wearing a shocked expression. ¡°Y-you all know each other?¡± ¡°Yup. Venkon and I met around two hours into the game, whereas I travelled with Elayne and Astrya in the dungeon.¡± ¡°W-wait. So, the Quinn they had mentioned was you!¡± He stares in amazement with a hint of admiration. ¡°Haha, should be.¡± I ignore his expression and take a seat around the fire, ¡°So, how have you all been?¡± ¡°Ahh, I¡¯ve been well.¡± Venkon is the first to respond, ¡°Since we last met, I¡¯ve become the leader of my own guild called the Dishonest Saints. You may have heard of us, we¡¯ve got close to 1,000 members as of now and are still growing.¡± Nope. Never heard of them. ¡°Interesting. The Dishonest Saints, eh? What¡¯s it like trying to manage a guild?¡± I inquire, ¡°I¡¯ve been considering starting my own.¡± ¡°Haha, to be honest, it¡¯s a pain. I have so many responsibilities it¡¯s not funny. My time for improving skills decreased dramatically once the amount of members grew over 100. Thankfully, I am able to push off some of those responsibilities on others and label it as a position.¡± Venkon is still equipped with bronze armour. Apparently, he has not had time raise his blacksmithing to level 3. ¡°Damn, I hadn¡¯t thought it would be that bad.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just exaggerating,¡± Elayne interjects, ¡°You can¡¯t believe everything this guy says.¡± Venkon¡¯s reaction to Elayne is to just shrug it off as if it¡¯s expected. Elayne, on the other hand, has a look of annoyance on her face. There appears to be some history here. Astrya and Phil just have awkward expressions on their faces. ¡°Please,¡± Astrya pleads, ¡°Don¡¯t get started on this again.¡± I lean towards Phil and whisper, ¡°Is there some history between these two?¡± Elayne and Venkon continue their bickering back and forth in the background, so Phil whispers back. ¡°Haha, those two are actually brother and sister.¡± He looks over at them briefly before continuing, ¡°I met Venkon through my trading and we soon hit it off, so when I brought up the topic of buying land and asked if he knew anyone interested he brought up his sister and her friend.¡± ¡°Brother and sister, huh? At least they have each other.¡± It¡¯s not really a surprise that they could afford this either, because of what we went through in the dungeon. ¡°Yea, although it would be nicer if they didn¡¯t constantly clash; however...¡± He takes a look over at them, ¡°It can be amusing at times.¡± It¡¯s interesting to see this side of Elayne. It goes to show that certain people can draw out different personalities from another. My image of the scholarly figure is slowly cracking. ¡°Hey!¡± Venkon raises his voice, ¡°Are you talking about us behind our backs?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Phil quickly denies before adding a smirk to his expression, ¡°We¡¯re talking about you right in front of you.¡± ¡°Ahh,¡± Venkon exclaims in frustration, ¡°Just forget about it. I¡¯m getting hangry.¡± Speaking of which, so am I. I haven¡¯t eaten anything since noon, yet already the sun has gone down. ¡°Let¡¯s start dinner then,¡± Astrya offers, ¡°Quinn, do you know how to cook?¡± In reality, my cooking is limited to a select few dishes along with frozen, pre-prepared meals. While in game, I have been lazy lately and neglected my cooking skill; therefore, it¡¯s still at level 1, and nowhere near level 2. ¡°I know how to cook some things.¡± I hesitantly reply, ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee their quality though.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Venkon sarcastically interjects, ¡°The powerful Quinn, the vanquisher of countless foes, the bane of spiders, is insecure about his cooking? hehe.¡± ¡°Hey! What¡¯s with those titles?¡± The other three start working in the background. They set a grill over the fire and bring out some raw deer meat. ¡°Elayne told me about what happened within the dungeon.¡± He takes on a serious tone, ¡°How you basically saved them all.¡± ¡°Mhmm.¡± Astrya affirms, ¡°We became stuck in a teleportation trap and he took charge to kill the hidden boss.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Phil becomes interested, leaning his head in, ¡°Do I detect a hint of admiration in your voice?¡± The atmosphere around the fire suddenly took an awkward turn. *Cough* ¡°Well, naturally I would be grateful to my saviour.¡± She states it as a matter of fact while her face shows a hint of red. She quickly busies herself by placing a piece of meat seasoned with salt and pepper over the grill. The sound of the meat sizzling draws everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°I have an idea,¡± Elayne breaks the silence, ¡°How about we each cook our own food and then compare to see whose is best.¡± ¡°Alright¡± ¡°Fine¡± ¡°Sure¡± Everyone seems in agreement. We¡¯re all making the same thing on the same fire, so there shouldn¡¯t be too much variety, but I guess it is a way to break up the monotony. ¡°Well, that¡¯s settled then.¡± Elayne then passes out a chunk of meat to everyone. ¡°Astrya already has a head start, so there¡¯s no time to waste.¡± She proceeds to bring out a frying pan and chopping board from her inventory. She places the pan over the fire and proceeds to chop up some onions. She then scores both sides of the meat with grid lines and hammers it with a meat tenderizer. She sprinkles the chopped onion into the score marks and places the meat on the pan. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Immediately a nice scent wafts from her pan and drowns out all other smells. I can tell what she is trying to go for, with the onion tenderizing the meat, but shouldn¡¯t it be marinated for longer with the onion? I have minimal knowledge on cooking, but I at least know that much. However, I cannot deny it smells good. While all this is going on, the rest of us are just grilling the meat over the fire. Venkon and Phil look enviously at Elayne¡¯s dish, but can only look at their own with disappointment; cursing themselves for not thinking ahead. ¡°Shit!¡± It doesn¡¯t take long for the meat to take on a charred appearance and the smell of burning to come from one of the steaks. Venkon, in an attempt to beat his sister, had placed his steak too close to the fire. However this proved to be his undoing. Smoke rises from the meat as he hurries to salvage it from the flames, but it is too late; the meat is already ruined. ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± Elayne comments, ¡°Weren¡¯t you laughing about Quinn¡¯s skill just 10 minutes ago? Look at his,¡± She pauses, ¡°It at least hasn¡¯t caught fire.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Venkon is clearly irritated by his sister¡¯s remark. Within a couple minutes, the rest of our steaks are finished. My mouth is already watering just looking at them. Elayne has a proud, almost smug, look as she gazes down at her steak and onions, while the rest of us carnivores are left with very primitive meals. Obviously, Elayne won the contest, but unfortunately for her, the only prize was bragging rights. As well as a delicious meal. We finish the meal without any further conflict, and the girls decide to go to sleep early. They give the reason of going hunting early tomorrow morning before heading to their tents. I hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the tents before, but they look fairly large. Almost as if a small room could fit within. Phil adds more wood onto the fire, creating a large flame in the process. The surroundings have become dark, with the only light coming from the fire and the sporadic street lamps along the road. To not ruin the atmosphere, I keep my night vision skill unactivated. My night vision has already reached level 2, which enhances vision by 20% in the dark, but I find it very straining on my eyes if I leave it activated for too long. The remaining three of us gather close around the fire; bathing in it¡¯s warmth. This island is not exempt from the cold that accompanies the night and without the protection of trees, the wind sweeps unhindered over the mountain. A calm settles over the campsite as I decide to pose a question from my mind. ¡°So, do you find it worthwhile being in a guild?¡± ¡°Definitely.¡± Venkon pauses, ¡°It¡¯s reassuring knowing that someone has got your back, you know?¡± He continues, ¡°Take hunting for example. Finding a hunting group only takes a few minutes, and you¡¯re less likely to be kicked out of your spot. Also, there is a lesser risk of being pk¡¯ed in the hunting grounds.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I stare into the fire, ¡°I was thinking of creating one, but i¡¯m not too sure of how to go about it.¡± ¡°Well, anyone can start one just by going through their player menu.¡± He continues, ¡°Once you¡¯ve. . .¡± "Hey Quinn,¡± Phil starts talking over Venkon, ¡°If you end up founding a guild, I''ll join on the condition that I get a high position." "I was going to give you one whether you wanted it or not." "Sweet! What should we call ourselves? The Mighty Saints? The Hellfire Slayers? The Enemies of Desire? The Forsaken Wolves? Or how about The Crimson Maggots?¡± "Pfft... You''re even worse at name than I am!" "Hey, come on." He says in a semi serious tone while putting another log on the fire, "I''m not that bad." "Hey!" Venkon attempts to grab our attention, "Speaking of guilds, who do you guys think has bought that property right by the teleportation hub bridge?" Phil is the first to answer, "I don''t know, but whoever it is has pissed off a lot of powerful people." "That''s what I don''t understand." I interject, "Are these people like children, crying when they don''t get what they want?" "Haha!" Phil gives a hearty laugh to the point of tears, "It really seems like that, huh?" "Seriously though, why does everyone seem to care about this?" "Well, there are two reasons. One reason is due to the extravagant cost. Even the best residential property only goes for 1 billion Tor." He continues, "And two, is just based off the Sacred Order''s reaction. Since they had proclaimed the plot as their''s, they are ready to kill whoever owns it." "Would killing the owner really settle it?" "Yup. There are three ways to obtain a property: buying it from the system, buying it from the player, and killing the player. The last option would put the property up for auction, where it could be bought for a possible low price.¡± My heart drops slightly after hearing that. Well, I don''t have any plans on dying or selling the property. "Is that so..." Another wave of silence breaks out amongst us. The only sounds are the crackling of the fire and the minute movements of fidgeting. I look to the sky and see a host of artificial stars shining brightly without interference from light pollution. I haven''t had a good chance to observe them since my time in the Pleylf forest. Already the worth of items and properties has gotten way out of proportion compared to those simpler days. Back then, a copper dagger could fetch 50 Tor, but now an iron dagger will go for upwards of 5,000 Tor. Although, taken in the perspective of copper, silver, and gold, 5,000 Tor is only equal to 50 silver. As hard as it is to believe, I¡¯ve come to enjoy being in this world. The only disturbing thought is that my body on the outside is probably atrophying as a bunch of tubes and lines are inserted into every hole. Right now the media would still be able to push the governments into funding beds for us, but I pale to think of what will happen if this drags on too long. Enough of that depressing train of thought. The three of us continue stay up for another hour before retiring. I choose to stay here over night. It¡¯s too much of a bother to leave and head back to the Prancing Mare. Neither Phil nor Venkon have room in their tents, so they just give me a blanket and let me fend for myself against the night. Slowly, my consciousness fades as sleep overcomes me. Chapter 35 - A Sweet Exchange *Urgh* I must have slept on a rock or something, because my back has a constant aching sensation. The fresh, crisp morning air enters my lungs in great volumes; however, mixed in with it is the smell of soot. We didn¡¯t put out the fire last night and just left it to burn down naturally, but maybe that was not such a good idea. I crack open my eyes and let in the blinding light. The fire and surrounding rocks have become a mess. It¡¯s as if someone had kicked the ashes everywhere and then rolled in it. Within a metre radius of the fire is all black and grey with ashes. The rocks have been shifted and no longer resemble a perfect circle. On the opposite side of the fire is a large woollen blanket splayed out on the ashes with blackened marks sporadically located all over. Strange. Isn¡¯t that the blanket I was given last night? Then why is it over there? My drowsiness fades and the picture starts to become clear in my mind. I look down at my body and see I am covered in ash; however, there are no burn marks on my clothes. I must have rolled over the fire during the night and the blanket smothered it, while protecting my body from harm. I was able to sleep in a tree on a flimsy netting without falling off, yet somehow this happens. ¡°Ugh.¡± I groan in annoyance, ¡°Thankfully, nobody is up to see this.¡± *Rustle*rustle* Movement starts to come from the girl¡¯s tents. Speak of the devil and he shall come. I hurriedly stand up and start brushing off the soot. Clouds of ashes fill the air as I pat down my clothes. *Cough* I accidentally breathed in some of the ashes. The horrid taste fills my mouth and overloads my senses. By now, the movement within the tents has become more frequent. Last night, they had mentioned something about going hunting today, so that explains why they¡¯re up. But, why must it happen at this very moment? ¡°P-pff...¡± A feminine voice sounds from behind me, ¡°Hahaha!¡± Apparently, while I was getting the taste of ash out of my mouth, Elayne came out of her tent. She is standing a few feet away from me, while laughing her head off. She is dressed in a pale red robe trimmed with black that covers from her neck to her ankles and is tied at the waist with a leather belt. Her dark brown hair drapes loosely over her shoulders, while amusement shines in her eyes. ¡°Hahaha,¡± She tries to stop herself from laughing enough to speak, ¡°I-i¡¯m sorry, haha, but you just look so ridiculous!¡± ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Astrya¡¯s voice escapes her tent. ¡°N-nothing.¡± Elayne quickly responds after I glare at her in annoyance. When we were hunting together in the dungeon, she had given off a respectable first impression, but now it¡¯s like it is two different people. Perhaps that was an internal defence mechanism to protect her against strangers, so maybe it¡¯s a sign that she has accepted me; however, the contrast is just too large. Elayne activates her magic and soon a blue orb starts forming in front of her. It seems to be drawing out it¡¯s essence from the atmosphere, but that is just a visual effect of the magic system. I wasn¡¯t the only one to advance, as it seems during this time Elayne was able to get level 2 water magic on top of her fire magic. She must be planning to use the magic to wash away some of the ashes from the ground, so I turn my vision back to my clothes and resume patting myself clean. *Splash!* Her spell hits me instead. *cough*cough* ¡°What was that for?!¡± Being in a safe zone, the spell doesn¡¯t cause damage, but it still hurts. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know any wind magic, and...¡± She looks at me with an innocent expression, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want anyone else seeing you like this, would you?¡± ¡°Yes, but...¡± My voice raises slightly, ¡°Is there no other way, other than hitting me in the face with a level 2 spell?¡± ¡°We could try a level 3 spell?¡± She comments innocently, ¡°However, I only have level 3 fire magic.¡± ¡°Ahh,¡± I let out a dejected sigh, ¡°Nevermind.¡± By this time, Astrya comes out of her tent and looks at me with sympathy. She is dressed in her shrine priest robes and looks ready for combat with her hair tied back. Priests have become a necessity for most hunting groups of the second floor due to their purification magic. Purification magic has two general effects: to remove negative status¡¯s such as poison, and to purify the undead. Therefore, on an island packed full of undead, this type of skill is the most handy. Many priests are catching up in the levelling due to this. Rather than wait around the campsite, I move out onto the path that borders the edge of the island. It is at that point that I receive a notification on my user interface.
Notification
Player: Gem Red has sent you a message.
"You never came back last night." Her message is very short and the disappointment can be heard in her voice. Thinking retrospectively, I should have sent her a message last night. We''ve become a lot closer since the boss fight, but there is still some ambiguity in our relationship. Thankfully, she is not the type of person that cannot go 10 minutes without contact before becoming frantic. I send her a quick reply, "I''m sorry. I ran into a real life friend of mine and wound up camping at his place over night." Message sent. Not even one minute passes before I hear her reply, "I see. Well, I guess that''s alright,¡± Her voice becomes mischievous, ¡°But, what will you do as compensation?" The hologram does not do her justice, but she still looks cute. "Umm, how about I provide you with a free set of armour?" Once again, her reply comes almost instantly. "Not good enough. How about this: I can make one request, which you cannot refuse." Isn''t this a prime example of being given an inch, but taking a mile. I''m a bit hesitant, but since I trust her to not take advantage, I agree. "Okay, what did you have in mind?" "Well, what are your plans for today?" I can guess where this is going, "I''m going to do a job this morning, but I''m free in the afternoon and evening." The job I''m going to do is one Ilyena had recommended. It should give me the Sneak skill. It would make sense, as an assassin class, if the skill could be obtained automatically, but this is not the case for this skill. Unfortunately, only the thieves can gain it without the class. While I am waiting for Gem¡¯s reply, Elayne and Astrya pass me by as they leave to go hunting. "It''s settled then." She states with a smile, "You will accompany me this evening." I send her a reply, "Alright, where should we meet?" "Umm, let''s meet at the central market in Fairhaven at noon." "I''ll see you then." She doesn''t reply after that. This method of communication via the messaging system is unique; however, it is not the most convenient at times. It''s like video email in that you send the messages one at a time, but there is no real time back and forth conversation. That would be something I''d change if I were the developer. I look out to the endless sky and void beyond the trail. Floating islands can be seen through the morning haze against the background of the whirling grey vortex. Tens of islands that must be cleared before we can leave. The scale makes one feel almost insignificant. Players have started making their ways down the pathway in groups of twos and threes. Most are armed for combat, but the occasional one in luxurious robes also passes by. Like Phil, those who don''t participate in lots of combat are also property owners. However, even he who has level 3 Alchemy had to partner up with three others to afford the 1 million Tor price tag. Phil and Venkon haven''t woken yet, so there is no need to wait around here. I join the flow of players heading towards the portal after taking a last look at the islands below. When I pass by my plot of land, there are not many players around, but those not so secret observers are still there. I wonder how much they are being given to watch the site. A couple of the sites have already developed some semblance of a building, but based on the exorbitant price for the small houses I can only imagine the astronomical prices for these ones. I will explore those options once I get a guild going. By that time I might be able to recruit some player architects and construction workers with a higher level. The NPC ones currently available only have the equivalent to level 3, which is a far cry from what this area deserves. Across the bridge, in the teleportation plaza, players start pouring out through the Fairhaven portal. They head either straight into the second island''s portal to Ironskull Fortress or in the main hub''s direction. It''s surprising how many people choose to pay the portal fee, but compared to sleeping in an unsafe environment, it is a fair price. I head my way over to the Fairhaven portal against the flow of players and enter. On the other side is a bustling plaza awoken from it''s slumber. The area directly around the portal is free of obstructions, but just beyond is the main city centre. Off to the right is the city hall''s main building. It is on a grand scale compared to surrounding buildings, but still pales in comparison to the colosseum. The city itself is governed by the NPC''s, but the leaders are rarely seen. The Main Streets run straight through the centre north to south and west to east. The place I''m heading to is on the east side of town. It''s in the older section of the city where the larger houses and manors are. Also, the area has a higher rate of poverty compared to the rest of the city. Ilyena had mentioned the quest could be found in this area near one of the old houses. Unfortunately, every house here is an old house, and she wasn''t specific enough. This job must have been found by accident, because it is not around any place a player would regularly visit. Heading down the eastern street, the age of the buildings becomes more apparent. The street itself has more updated construction, but one look down the alleys and side streets will show the difference. Only a trickle of players is in the area at this time. It must be possible to rent these houses, otherwise why would they be coming from this area. Players can only rent properties in Fairhaven rather than buying them outright. This has been set by the NPC leaders, i.e. the system, and is non negotiable. Ironskull Fortress on the second island is completely player run, but the only guarantee of ownership is based on the owner''s strength. So, essentially only the guild''s can own land there. Yet, it''s more like they''ve just carved out a place for themselves, rather than paying for land. Around ten minutes down the street, a handful of children rush from one side to the other. The disappear down one of the side alleys, and when I look down, I can see them running further away. This might be the group of children Ilyena was referring to. She mentioned what she could remember of their appearances, and it seems to be a match. Anyways, it would be better to follow them than aimless wandering for the better part of the morning, so I take off after them. The path they take twists and turns around the various houses. Closer to the main round, the houses are right next to each other without any green space. But, as I continue to chase them, the amount of greenery increases and the houses become larger. If I had tried to follow them when I had just started out, this task would have been near impossible. Even now, my stamina is down to half from all the running. Those children are still so full of energy, that I feel ashamed of myself. One of them turns their head to look at me and gives a mischievous smile before rejoining the rest. They finally stop outside one of the larger old manors. It has a yard enclosed by a rusty wrought iron fence. The vegetation on the other side is overgrown and the house itself looks in disrepair. The child have stopped on the opposite side of the road to this manor and are whispering amongst themselves. When I get within 10 feet of them, I can feel their gazes upon me. It doesn''t have a feeling of hostility, but there is some weariness. I can''t blame them, because if a strange person were blatantly following me, I would be weary as well. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "Mister," One of the children speaks up, "You''re not very good at following people, you know." "Uh..." "Don''t worry," Another adds in, "We won''t tell on you," He pauses and then smiles, "If you do something for us." "If you do this, we''ll even teach for a skill, so how about it?" "What do I have to do?" "See that house over there?" A little girl points across the street, "The old man over there said he would give us some candy, but is being very stingy and refuses to give us it." "Yea!" "That stingy old man!" "So," The little girl continues, "If you can sneak into his house, get our sweets, and replace them with raisins, then we will forgive you." "Alright. I''ll do it." I easily agree. After all, how hard can it be? "But you cannot get caught." She says after the fact, "Otherwise, you will have to try another day." Wait. Can''t you say that before I agree. "Fine."
Job Request
A Sweet Exchange
Details Sneak into Old Man Snow¡¯s house without altering the old man and replace his sweets jar with raisins.
Bring the sweets jar back to the children. Job will fail if you get caught.
Time limit 30 minutes
Repeatable Yes, if failed
Reward Sneak Skill
A piece of candy
My Cloak of Infinite Shadows along with the cloaking skill should help me finish this quest with ease. So, without wait for another word, I begin making my way over to the old manor. The gate is too rusty to be opened without making a noise, so I have to find another way in. The iron fence is approximately 6 feet tall, but there are no good hand holds and along the top are sharp pikes. The easiest way would be to jump over the fence. Assuming I can jump that high. My high strength and dexterity has allowed me to do some things that would be impossible with my real body. So, I might as well try. The clock is already counting down, and I only have 29 minutes left. Crouching down, I prepare to make a sprint jump for the fence. High jump was never my forte, but there is a first time for everything. 15 feet 10 feet 5 feet I push off the ground with all my strength and soar into the air. The sensation of free falling soon appears and I clear the pikes by a good 12 inches. I wonder if there is an acrobatics skill that would help with jumping and balancing. That would be a useful skill to have. Especially if there is a parkour challenge in one of the later dungeons. I make a soft landing in the overgrown grass on the opposite side before taking off towards the manor. The grass gently parts as I brush past it, and only a light sound escapes with each step. There is only 10 feet between the manor and I, so the distance is quickly covered. The front of the building only has two windows and an old wooden door, but one of the windows has been left slightly ajar. Going through the front door would be foolish at this point, so the window is my best bet. I lightly insert my hands through the opening and rest them on the bottom of the window. When I push up against it, the window rubbing against the window frame produces an awful screeching sound. I cringe my teeth in frustration at this window. Hopefully the old man is too deaf to hear it, because otherwise the job has already failed. I halt my movement for a few seconds to make sure there is no stirring in the manor. The only sounds coming from in the buildings are the gentle creaking of wood as the house shifts. *Phew* Resuming my task, I make shift work of opening the window wide enough to slip through. The clock shows 26 minutes left, but that should be plenty of time. The room I find myself must be for receiving guests, because it is a wide open room with a few chairs in the middle. The floor is hardwood, but there is a dusty square rug in the centre with a floral pattern. The colours have already faded, but I imagine it would have once looked brilliant. Lining the walls are paintings of landscapes and portraits. One painting in particular catches my interest. It is of a young couple in the prime of their lives. The painting looks to be 50 years old, but I don''t have the proper expertise to judge it. So as to avoid making creaks in the floorboards, I crouch down low and start slowly progressing into the next room. What I find is more of the same style of decor. It doesn''t look like anyone has cleaned this manor for a good few years. The central hallway is mainly barren, and there is a staircase off to the left. It is far from grand, but is made of a practical construction without any needless decoration. I sneak past the staircase, but the floorboards in the hall keep making squeaking noises no matter how I approach them. Amidst the squeaking, I hear a shuffling on the second floor. Shit. I stop right where I am, slow down my respiration rate, and concentrate on the noise to the point where I can hear my own hear beating. The shuffling continues for a minute before fading away once more. There are now 21 minutes left on the timer, so I resume my movement towards what looks to be the kitchen. The kitchen is usually located at the back of old houses like these, so that is my destination. What I find doesn''t disappoint me. At the end of the hall is indeed the kitchen, and by the looks of it, it shouldn''t take long to find what I need. There is a pantry close by the door, which is full of food items. However, after a few minutes of searching, I turn up empty. The clock now shows 17 minutes. Damn it! Where could they be? They have to be somewhere, otherwise there is no way to complete this job. They were not in the guest room, nor the rooms I passed on my way to the kitchen. Perhaps the dining room? I quickly check, but come up empty in that location as well. The only place I haven''t check is on the second floor, but the old man is up there somewhere. I can only try my luck. Back out in the hall, I try creeping my way up the stairs, but they creak with every step. Why must this house be so old, this job would be so much easier without all the old floorboards. It''s worthy of granting the sneak skill, that''s for sure. At the top of the landing I am faced with a choice of going left or right. The timer shows 15 minutes left, so I am half way through this fiasco. The sound seems to have come from the left side, so I might as well check the right first. The hall is only a short dead end with two doors on either side. Peaking in those rooms yields no results, but at least I can cross them off the list. All that is left is the area where the old man is sleeping, so I slowly inch my way over to the rooms. If there is one benefit to doing this, it is that the control of my steps has gotten more precise. I am able to make it so that even on these creaky floors, my footsteps are barely making any sound. There are two rooms near the end of the hall, and either one could house the old man. There are 10 minutes left, and this is where my skills will be pushed to their limits. Out of instinct, I choose the left door; however, what is inside is shocking. It is a perfectly preserved room with feminine decor. Not even a speck of dust can be seen, which sharply contrasts with the remained of the manor. From this, I can clearly tell this man has lingering feelings of a woman. The picture downstairs must be them in their youth. These NPCs seem more like real people with every interaction. Only one room remains, so I cross my fingers that the old man is asleep. I peak my head in the room and see him sleeping facing the far wall. On the bedside table closest to me is a small crystal jar of candy. Who places candy right next to their bed? Maybe he gets a craving for sweets in the middle of the night. It can be dangerous for the elderly to be walking around in the dark at night. In the real world, that¡¯s how many end up falling and breaking their hips. It''s even worse if they are alone in the houses. "Mmm... Jean..." A raspy yet drowsy voice breaks the silence. My heart sinks and my body freezes. Step by step, I carefully creep towards the bedside table. Lifting up the lid, I stick my hand within and draw out a handful of confections. As I am placing the raisin into the jar, the old man starts to turn over, so without waiting, I activate my cloaking and rush out of the room. "Mmm..." The old man lets out a groan, but I am already out. The clock still shows 5 minutes, and when I jump back over the house the children are waiting with surprised looks on their faces. Clearly they didn''t expect me to make it. "Is something wrong?" "Don''t worry," One of the children speaks, "Failure is only natural." "Yeah," Another adds, "You can always try again tomorrow." "Mhmm." "Pfft... "I glaze over the crowd of them before opening up my inventory. "If I failed, then what are these?" "Ooo" Their eyes go wide with delight. "Amazing!" Ahh, children are so easily impressed. "How did you do it?" The little girl who had pointed out the manor earlier asks. "You shouldn''t underestimate me." I reply. "But, that old man is super strong!" She continues, "He has beat up everyone that has attempted so far!" "You mean no one has succeeded?" The quest seemed so easy though. "Mhmm," One of the children says with downcast eyes, "He''s scary!" "I see..." I rub my chin, while wondering how that job would be considered hard. Maybe he only sleeps in on certain days until certain times? Anyways, it doesn''t matter. I passed, so now it''s time for my reward. "Here you go." I pass them the candies. "Thanks mister!" As soon as the candy leaves my hands I get a notification of job completion. "Now, as promised, here is our trick for being undetected..."
Notification: Skill Acquired
Sneak level 1
Your footsteps become 10% quieter. Cost: 5 mana per second.
Mmm, it''s an active skill. Well, I guess that''s fair; otherwise, it would be too overpowered if it were active constantly without a penalty. The rest of my morning is spent loitering around town. I wander through the streets while keeping my cartography skill activated. Any experience is good experience, plus I haven''t been keeping it open as much as I had initially planned. After all, having a window open while walking normally down the street is inconvenient. I eventually meander my way to the central market by 11:30, half an hour early for our date, so I go find a spot to sit around the large fountain near the centre. The fountain''s statues are shaped to resemble soldiers at war and is made of a light grey stone mixed with various types of metals. These metals give off an elegant shine when hit by the sun. The fountain itself takes up at least a 50 foot diameter and the water is shallow enough to see coins spread across the bottom. Some players can be seen around the edge dipping their feet in the fountain or even standing in the water near the statues. However, when I look at the opposite side of the fountain, I can see an absolutely breathtaking figure. She is dressed in a pale white summer dress, which accentuates her graceful curves. Her long, slender legs showcase unblemished, silky smooth skin all the way down to her modest shoes. Many male players in the vicinity can be seen sneaking glances at her, some more obvious than others. When I look at her face, our eyes meet, and her bright smile is enough to blind the onlookers. Chapter 36 - Together "You''re early." Gem comments while gliding towards me. "Yeah, well..." I scratch my nose in embarrassment, "So are you." "Mhmm" She simply smiles in response. She then looks me up and down, while raising her eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re still in your armour?¡± ¡°Ahh,¡± Embarrassment floods over me. She is dressed in a beautiful pale while dress, while I have my leather and iron armour on. ¡°That is...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± She replies after seeing me getting flustered, ¡°You¡¯ll be able to protect me from those perverted gazes.¡± ¡°True.¡± Gem draws attention from others constantly, while I usually blend into the background. "So, where do you want to go?" One month has already passed since we first met, yet despite living together, this is our first actual date. An absolute beauty inside and out, she is perfect in my eyes. If this were the real world, I probably wouldn''t be able to find another like her. "You mean to tell me you didn''t plan out the evening? No flowers? No romantic music? No candlelight dinner?" The sarcasm is clearly evident in her voice, and she looks at me with an over exaggerated false disappointment. "No matter. I know the perfect place! I''ve been wanting to go there together for a while now." "Oh?" I raise my eyebrows in interest. For a while is it? "Where might this place be?" "Hehe," She raises her hand to her lips while giggling, "You''ll have to find out with your own eyes. Come," She grabs my hand, "Let''s explore the market while we''re here." Her hand feels soft and tender in mine. I voluntarily allow her to lead me into the central market. The market area is covered by a curved stone roof reaching from one side of the street to the other. It''s located to the south of the plaza we had previously been in, but the market itself spreads out in every direction. The buildings in this area are made of stone rather than wood, and are made on a grand scale. The road is crowded to a near standstill with pedestrian traffic. It is reminiscent of those touristy European towns and cities. Proper shops sit behind rows of stalls, each full of merchandise. Many of the drops from the second island have wound up here, but player crafted items far outnumber them. Bones, which are the most common drop, can be seen everywhere. So far I only know two uses for them: smithing and farming, but they are bound to be used by other skills such as alchemy. The problem however, is the low quality of the bones. They have become one of those junk items nobody wants. I have been saving up highest quality ones I get for use as bonemeal for farming. Gem is immediately drawn to a stall selling fabrics. There are fabrics of every colour of the rainbow and all look to be of a high quality.A male player stands behind the stall with his hands behind his back, while his hawk eyes observe the crowd. "Quinn!" Gem holds up a length of dark black fabric, "What do you think of this?" I honestly cannot much of a difference between fabrics. As a male, the colours I know are limited to the ones everyone knows, and as for quality of fabrics, I am even further lost when dealing with minute details. "Umm," I run my fingers over the cloth, "It feels soft." "Just soft?" She looks disappointed, "This is a premium quality silk made from someone with a level 3 looming skill!" "There''s a looming skill?" I am surprised. Why is there is a looming skill, yet not a leather working skill? Leather working falls under the umbrella of tailoring. "You didn''t know?" She stands there with one eyebrow raised, "Well, I guess it isn''t a very popular skill." "It does feel very nice to touch,¡± I admit, ¡°Almost as if it melts in my hands." She smiles as if satisfied with my response and then turns to the player selling it and says, "How much for this?" The seller, the male player in his mid forties, peels his hawk eyes away from the crowd, looks over at Gem, and smiles. "You have a good eye young lady. This was made of high quality spider silk and crafted by an experienced artisan. Let¡¯s see... The total will be 500 Tor." "I''ll take it then." She pauses, "And some elastic as well." "Ahem." I clear my throat, "So, what are you going to make with it?" I can already envision it. A set of black l- "That''s a secret!" She says with a wink. The purchase is then completed and we move off to the next stall. We spend the next couple hours window shopping throughout the market. Usually I find shopping a pain and only go once I know what I want to get, but accompanying Gem takes away that monotony. She always has a smile on her face and drags me through different shops that both her and I would be interested in. Eventually, we make our way into a shop that sells crystals of all kinds. "Good afternoon." The shopkeeper of this guild run shop welcomes us. "Ahh! It''s good to see you again Gem. I have your order ready, just one second." It seems she really has planned this out thoroughly. I¡¯m impressed, and touched. "Hello!" Gem responds. "Alright, how much will it cost?" While they are talking, I have a look through the shop''s shelves. The shop itself is very small, and everything is placed within glass cabinets. It''s split up between the consumable crystals and teleportation crystals. I wonder what she could have wanted from this shop that required an order. "Quinn!" Gem has finished her business and starts walking over to me. She has a pair of orange crystals in her hands. She passes me a crystal and says with a smile, "This will bring us to a special location. It''s a small, not well known village on the edge of the island, but it was recommended by many of my friends." "Oh?" I receive the crystal from her, "Do you want to go right now? Or shall we wait around for a little longer?" "Mmm," She raises her index finger to her lips and seems to be considering the options, "Lets go now!" "Sounds good." We simultaneously activate the crystals and become enveloped by that familiar blinding light. I wonder how much this shop profits from these crystals, because it seems like it would be a useful business in the future as long as they are proven trustworthy. What I see on the other side is the small village spread out beneath me beyond which is the empty sky. To the left is a large body of water just visible through a ring of trees, while to the right is farmland. The crystal placed me on top of a small hill on the outskirts of the village and the surrounds are silent compared to Fairhaven''s bustling market. The only noise is the rustling of the wind brushing through the trees and the sound of my own breathing. I turn my head and see Gem standing with her eyes wide open not too far behind me. "It''s so beautiful!" She says with a smile. Not as beautiful as you. "Yes it is," I agree, "Shall we head into the village?" "Mhmm." She reaches out her hand, which I take in mine. I feel the smoothness of her hand as our fingers interlock. We proceed down the hill while following a small gravel path into the village. There are a few other players in the vicinity, but most are in groups of two. Each pairing consists of one male and one female, exactly like Gem and I. There must be something special about this place. The village is akin to those picturesque tourist towns. The buildings are in a colourful Tudor style while the streets are a set with paving stones in a swirling pattern. Flower baskets hang off of every building and greenery lines the streets. "I can see why you wanted to come here." "This is just a small part," She looks at me, "Come, let''s walk through the village and find something to eat. Also, I heard there''s an absolutely gorgeous viewpoint on the other side." "Alright." We take a leisurely stroll through the street. There are not as many shops as one might expect from such a visually appealing village, but considering this is a small community on the outer rim, it does make sense. We stop outside a small cafe style shop that has outdoor seating paired with tables and parasols. Another young couple is sitting outside, over enamoured with each other. The female player, who looks to be 20, is conversing endlessly, while her male counterpart is listening intently, only nodding his head as he stares at her. I take a quick peak at Gem and see her gazing enviously at the couple as if lost in thought. One things for sure, I¡¯m glad Gem is not the type to ramble on senselessly. I wish you well, comrade. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Inside the cafe is a small, vacant seating area near the windows, while the room itself is decorated with a floral pattern. Sitting behind the counter in the back is a middle aged woman. Her hair is done up in a bun, and she is wearing an plain white apron. She notices us come in and a warm smile immediately adorns her face. ¡°Welcome!¡± She says with a warm voice. ¡°How many I help you?¡± Gem takes the lead to speak. ¡°Hello, Can we get two sandwiches to go?¡± She asks in a polite tone. ¡°Certainly,¡± The woman stands up and approaches the counter, ¡°What kind of sandwiches can I get for you?¡± Now that I get a better look at her, the woman has the appearance of a mother who has recently let her children off into the world. There is pride mixed with worry in her eyes, as well as a seemingly lost gaze, as if she does not know what to do with herself. ¡°I¡¯ll take a roast chicken sandwich,¡± Gem replies and then looks towards me, ¡°What will you have?¡± ¡°Umm,¡± I look at the chalkboard along the back wall. There¡¯s not much choice, but that¡¯s to be expected of a small cafe. My eyes drift to a certain menu item. ¡°I¡¯ll have the baron of beef.¡± ¡°Alright! One roast chicken, and one baron of beef.¡± The woman starts calculating with her fingers, ¡°That will be 76 Tor all together.¡± An expensive price if this were to be the first couple weeks, but it¡¯s not unreasonable. This village is isolated; therefore, supplies wouldn¡¯t come here very often. This is considering a real world type scenario where players couldn¡¯t teleport in using crystals. The scent of fresh ingredients wafts over from behind the counter, while Gem and I wait in the seating area. The sandwiches are made and wrapped within 10 minutes, so we left the little shop and continued on our way. The lovestruck couple are still seated outside; however, this time I actually noticed the male getting a few words in. Good for you, guy. It only takes us a few minutes to walk the length of the Main Street where a small gravel path awaits. Off in the distance is a large grassy hill beyond a few scattered trees, while beyond the hill is wide open blue sky. Progressing at a leisurely pace, it takes us around 15 minutes to walk hand in hand to walk to the base of the hill. The small gravel trail snakes up the hill and is surrounded by lush green grass. While Gem is leading me up the hill, I purposely position myself off the trail just to feel the grass¡¯s softness. Another couple minutes pass by to the top, but already the view is worth it. Standing at the top, my eyes are wide open, awed by the sight. At a mere twenty feet away from us is a sharp drop off where the island comes to an abrupt end. This section of land appears to be on a small protrusion from the island. It feels like we are standing upon a cliff; however, the only thing that awaits beyond the cliff is emptyness. That being said, it is a magnificent view. "Hehe," Gem softly laughs at my reaction, "I told you it was a gorgeous viewpoint." "I can''t argue with that." I admit. "Come," She pulls me towards one of the larger trees, "Let''s sit under the tree!" The tree she is headed toward has many branches reaching out that forms a thick canopy of leaves. I don''t know enough about trees to place a name on it, but it seems fitting for the location. It is standing alone at the peak of the grassy hill, while facing the cool winds by itself. At the base there is an old wooden bench carved with depictions of rose vines. Gem quickly takes a seat on the bench, while I sit close by on her right. We take out our sandwiches and eat in silence. No words are said, but none are needed to be said. There is only a quiet calm as we look out at the sky. This day has been a nice change from the usual fast paced lifestyle of EndGame Online. It¡¯s almost as if we are not in a game. When she finishes eating, Gem gently rests her head against my shoulder. Her bright red hair flows down my arm, tickling my skin while also bringing warmth. Her hair feels very soft as I lean my head against hers. I sit there listening to the sound of her breathing, while inhaling her sweet aroma. ¡°Quinn?¡± Gem¡¯s harmonious voice breaks the silence. ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll ever make it out of here?¡± ¡°Mm. As long as we never stop fighting, then one day we will be free.¡± If it¡¯s anything like that old story I read, perhaps it will be two or three years. That¡¯s assuming it¡¯s possible to break the game. ¡°I guess so,¡± She says with a sigh, ¡°But, do you ever think of what is happening to our physical bodies?¡± Our real bodies are probably wasting away, while being supported through artificial means. I wonder how long a person can be reasonably artificially sustained in this comatose like state. ¡°I try not to think of it too much.¡± I reply, while my gaze drifts upwards, ¡°We should make the most out of this experience. Just because this is a virtual world does not make it any less real. While our physical bodies may be countless miles apart, our minds have brought us here together.¡± I pause and look down at Gem, ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t trade this moment for anything.¡± With that said, I kiss the top of her head. ¡°Neither would I.¡± Her voice is soft, and fades into the wind. The time flies by like this and soon it the sun begins to set. When I am with her, I feel a happiness that stems from my inner being. Maybe it¡¯s love; however, outside of family, I have never experienced the feeling before in the truest sense of the word. Although, I imagine this must be what it feels like. ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk by the lake before it gets too dark.¡± Gem lifts her head off my shoulder and looks at me. Her hair is in a bit of a mess, but it only adds to her beauty. She gives off a pleading look and I immediately give in. ¡°Alright.¡± As soon as my voice leaves my lips, the corners of her mouth raise. And so, hand in hand, we walk towards the trees surrounding the lake. The grassy hill soon turns into forested terrain as we walk along a gravel trail. I activate my night vision to get a better view of our path ahead. As I do so, I feel an eerie tingling on the back of my neck. There are no other players around, but I cannot help but feel like we are being watched. We are about 10 minutes out of the village, but at this time there should not be many people out. In this world, the NPCs don¡¯t stay up like those in our modern world do with lights everywhere. Even the players largely prefer to stay inside at night, because at night the monsters receive a 1.5x buff. In addition, it is also easier for player killers to get away with their crimes. I squeeze Gem¡¯s hand and slow down my pace, which she quickly matches. Any sudden movements could alert whomever, or whatever, is tracking us, so I lean in towards her and whisper in her ear: ¡°Don¡¯t make any sudden movements. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re alone anymore.¡± She looks in my eyes with a sense of worry and responds: ¡°What are we going to do?¡± ¡°Equip your armour, and ready your bow.¡± I reply while darting my eyes back and forth along the path. There is movement 20 feet to the right, and 15 feet to the left. A pincer attack perhaps? ¡°Okay.¡± She replies with a serious tone. As she equips her armour, I bring out my swords. These iron swords are the best that I have smithed so far. Both are short swords, but the offhand one is 2 inches shorter than the typical sword, while the main hand one is 1.5 inches longer and has a slightly curved blade. My personal symbol is engraved near the hilt on each blade along with the corresponding smithing number. ¡°You can come out!¡± I yell towards the movement, while taking on a defensive stance. Taking two enemies head on is easier than dealing with one hidden; therefore, I tried calling them out. These types of players should be vain enough to show themselves, because they like to toy with their victims. ¡°You¡¯re very perceptive.¡± A voice comes out on my left hand side, ¡°For future reference, how could you tell?¡± Slowly a male player in his mid twenties with short black hair and a sinister grin on his face comes out from the bushes. Chapter 37 - First Kill ¡°You¡¯re very perceptive.¡± A voice comes out to my left hand side, ¡°For future reference, how could you tell?¡± Slowly a male player in his mid twenties with short black hair and a sinister grin on his face comes out from the bushes. "Well," I pause and shift my eyes to the location of one of his companions, "When was the last time you had a shower?¡± Gem softly giggles, while the corner of the man''s eye twitches. Using appraisal on the player, I can tell he is level 19. Similar to Gem; however, he is still far away from me. Level twenty, like level ten, gives 50 free status points. I am level 22, and adding my iron gear on top of that, I don''t understand why they would target us. Isn''t that like kicking a metal board with your bare feet? "It was this morning actually." The man calms himself enough to give a reply, but that doesn''t stop him from moving closer to us. I''m surprised he actually answered. "So, why have you be stalking us?" I''m curious to hear what kind of excuse he has. This player has a red symbol above his head, indicating he has killed players recently, so I don''t let down my guard. "Have you ever gone hunting?" He asks in a nonchalant tone. "And I mean real hunting. Where it is just you and the endless wilderness." "I cannot say I have." My fingers shift slightly in anticipation on the sword''s hilt. "Then you would never understand the thrill of watching the prey struggle under your gaze." As he says this, an overt rustling comes from behind us. I quickly glance and see two more players come out and close off our escape. Their effort was in waste, because I never had the notion of fleeing. Those players are a level 17 archer and a level 18 barbarian. The archer has a yellowed symbol, while the barbarian is the same as the first man with a red symbol. "So, what is your aim?" As I am speaking, I try to make out how many there are. Obviously, they have more than three members. At least one more is ahead and to the right, while I have noticed some movement to either side. So, perhaps there are at least six of them. "Oh?" The player widens his eyes slightly and his arrogant grin grows larger, "We''re here to hunt!" "This doesn''t look like your first time doing this." I continue, "How many were there before us?" The longer I can stall them, the better I can grasp the situation. It wouldn''t be nice to immediately start fighting and get stabbed in the back by a hidden knife. These people must be used to preying on the weak. If they were at all proficient, we would not be having this conversation. ¡°That¡¯s irrelevant, but if you must know,¡± A smug smile comes to his face, ¡°There have been 11 others.¡± He seems very proud of himself. In the real world, a person only needs to kill two to three people in separate events to be labelled a serial killer, yet all he is given here is a red name. I don¡¯t know the particulars about the red name, but it would at least last a while. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about being found out once this is all over?¡± I inquire. This guy doesn¡¯t even bother obscuring his face. He seems to be on the sadistic and narcissistic side of the spectrum. ¡°Being found out?¡± He sneers, ¡°There would have to be witnesses for that now wouldn¡¯t there.¡± At this moment, the archer behind us speaks: ¡°There is no proof that dying in game results in a death in real life. Are you just going to take the word of an obviously insane man?¡± ¡°Yea!¡± The barbarian chips in, ¡°Even the disposable phone only allowed a one-way conversation; therefore, there is no proof!¡± ¡°That is quite some sound logic you have!¡± I scoff at them, ¡°You don¡¯t know whether the cat is dead or alive until you open the box.¡± I continue, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that if there were no detriment to releasing us from this game that the authorities wouldn¡¯t have already tried? What about the fact that nobody that has died in game has respawned?¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± They both eagerly dismiss my comments. They seem to be trapped in their own self denial, because if they truly thought that, then they would have killed themselves long ago. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then you¡¯ll just have to find out for us won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yea! Be sure to send your regards to the rest of those who have escaped!¡± ¡°Enough!¡± The man abruptly raises his voice, which causes Gem and I to flinch in reflex. ¡°I thank you for this enlightening conversation; however, it is time to get down to business.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± I look towards Gem and point my eyes to behind her, indicating the presence of another player. She responds with a small nod and places her hand on the bowstring. I have complete confidence in her, so I Immediately activate my cloaking along with the sneak skill and disappear from the surroundings. My target is the archer. I would rather not let this character fire arrows at us from a distance. Besides, he has worse armour than the other two visible members, so he is the logical target. ¡°Find him!¡± Panic sets in amongst them, since it is near impossible to tell exactly where I am under this combination of skills. Unfortunately, Gem is left vulnerable in this circumstance, so I need to finish off the archer quickly. This time, there will be no mercy. The archer is only 10 feet away from me now, and I quickly close the gap. Usually an archer would place themselves from further away, so I don¡¯t know what was going through this guy¡¯s head. Perhaps he thought the barbarian at his side was enough to protect him. The look on his face is of apprehension as his eyes dart from side to side. The barbarian right next to him is the same. While I am going for the archer, Gem has fired an arrow into the bushes towards the movement. She immediately goes in the bush after the unknown assailant, while drawing an iron short sword. Her dexterity is on a much high level than mine, so she doesn¡¯t have trouble moving into the bushes. Our unspoken plan is to target the weakest links and take them out in a blitz. Splitting up may not be the best course of action in this situation, but the arrow has already left the bow. Soon, I make it around the archer and ready my blade for the back of his neck. My cloaking only has a second left, so I need to make the most of it. I swing down with all my strength. This man is not a human. He is not a person. He is only a virtual body. If he doesn¡¯t die, it would be Gem and I. As my blade sinks into his flesh, I am trying to convince myself. My cloaking runs out halfway through the strike, but it is already to late for this archer. Backstab activates and a critical hit has been achieved. The attack is not enough to finish him off in a single hit, but his health plummets into the yellow. The barbarian is quick to react as he swings his battle-axe so close to my head I can feel the air being disturbed. ¡°Bastard!¡± I avoid his attack, but from the left comes an arrow. My body is right in its trajectory, so in desperation I twist my body and just barely avoid it. The arrow scraps across my chest plate leaving a scratch in its wake. The arrow must have been made from bronze, because if it were iron, I would have been left with more than a simple scratch. I tumble to the ground in a roll, while reaching for the throwing knives on my thigh. I grasp one in my right hand, which previously was holding an iron sword. The sword is now stuck in the ground, allowing me to select the knife. With a quick flip of my wrist, the knife gets send flying at the first archer. *Arrgggghhhh* The archer was too distracted by my previous strike that he was bent over in pain; therefore, the knife sinks into its mark. The blade causes him to wallow in pain, while the hidden archer looses another arrow aimed at my location. *Thud* The arrow lands in the dirt. For someone shooting in the dark, he has really good aim; however, it¡¯s not good enough. In the bushes on the opposite side, I can hear the clashing of blades. Gem seems to be having some difficulties with her target, but that just proves that I need to finish off this archer fast. ¡°Be a man and stop dancing around!¡± The barbarian yells as he charges at me with an overhead swing of his axe. I deftly dodge beneath it and charge at that poor archer. The level 19 warrior who spoke earlier has not yet made a move, but I can see him watching with a smirk on his face out of the corner of my eye. Obviously, he doesn¡¯t seem to be concerned that one of his comrades has been injured. I take advantage of this and launch a quick set of attacks at that archer. Within seconds his health falls to the bottom of the red zone. His body falls limp to the ground and a notification pops up on my screen.
Notification
You have just killed a ¡®yellow¡¯ player. For this offence, your status will turn red. Because of the nature of this offence, this status will remain for 24 hours.
Red status: You cannot enter large towns for 24 hours following your most recent kill. If you enter large towns during this period you will be attacked on sight. Players will not earn an offence from attacking you. You will drop all your items upon death. For every 5 kills you will recieve a permanent 2% increase damage bonus. If you reach 100 kills, a Black status will be awarded.
Kill Count: 1
¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± At this moment, a large explosion occurs from where Gem is. My heart is instantly sent into a panic. I want to go into the bushes to go after her, but the barbarian stands between me and the bushes. The warrior no longer sits on the sidelines and rushes to join the barbarian. Currently, I have the two of them in my sights, but the hidden archer continues to fire arrows at me. Let me analyze the best course of action here. I can still hear the clashing of swords in the bushes, so Gem is still alive, but the opponents must have a mage. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be able to cause all of these small explosions. The hidden archer is definitely the biggest pain. I should use this opportunity to locate him, because he is too much of a threat to be left alive. All the arrows are coming from approximately the same location, so he is either not smart enough to move around, or has confidence in his allies. Either way, this will help me locate him. ¡°I thought you were going to keep watching from safety.¡± I sneer at the warrior. The barbarian and warrior both charge at me. ¡°You obviously have some skill; therefore, I cannot just sit and watch.¡± The warrior is armed with full bronze plate mail armour with a short sword and small shield. For the general populace, he could be considered well off, but compared to me, he is too far. In terms of stats, he probably has a higher defence than I do, but my strength should surpass his greatly. At level 19 his base defence would be 110, not counting any armour or level up bonus points. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. The barbarian comes at my right while the warrior comes from the left. Their timing cannot be said to be flawless, but it is evident they have done this many times before. I once more duck under the barbarian¡¯s axe, but this time I leave a gash across his leg. The warrior comes in to counter my dodge, and he gets off a lucky hit against my iron armguard. The hit takes off a sliver of health, which makes me glad I chose to get 100 defence. An arrow lands at the spot I was just at, but due to the warrior¡¯s hit, I was able to just barely dodge getting hit. In this situation, I put away one of my short swords and ready a throwing knife. I only have a limited amount of these knives, so I have to make this count. In the real world I would have very little chance of hitting my target, but with the assistance of the system it is possible. I dance around the warriors blade and prepare for the next arrow''s fire. I position myself so that the bushes hiding the archer are in my vision and wait for the next shot. The barbarian comes in with a horizontal swing while the warrior waits behind him ready to pounce. A coarse scream comes from behind me and the explosions stop. The mage must have been incapacitated, and I cannot help but feel a bit of pride in Gem at this point. When the barbarians axe is about to hit me, I deflect it away slightly using my sword. Despite that, I could still feel the power behind the stroke. The barbarian, like the assassin, gets a +10 strength bonus per level up; however, I could tell this player had put more bonus points into strength than I had. As this is occurring, an arrow comes out of the bushes aimed at my chest. I cannot avoid it, but now I know where the bastard is hiding. The arrow slams into my chest and takes out a small chunk of my health, but I bear through the pain and send the knife flying into the bushes. I can''t tell what level the archer is, but based on the damage, he cannot be much higher than the archer I''ve already killed. "You think you''re so good, because you can dance around our attacks?" The barbarian sneers, "Seems your not in invincible after all!" "How does the arrow taste?" The warrior adds. "A bit too bland." "Hmph" The warrior comes at me now with an overhead strike, hoping to catch me off guard, but unfortunately for him I am ready for his strike. I quickly take out my other sword and deflect the attack to my side. With my free hand, I slash at his outstretched wrist just below his gloves. The sword sinks into his flesh and red oxygen rich arterial blood spurts out of his radial artery. "Aaarrrgghhh!!" He screams in pain, "you bastard!" "How does that taste?" I sneer back at him, "I bet you''ll want some more!" Using the momentum I knee him in the abdomen and move out of the barbarians range of attack. As I knock the warrior away, an arrow comes out of the bushes on the opposite side from where the enemy archer is. But, there is a major difference between the two. This arrow is not aimed at me. The arrow sinks into the right chest of the barbarian as he raised his weapon to attack. "Arrrggghhh!" He screams in pain. With Gem covering my back, my confidence increases exponentially. The enemy archer has cause me to fight very conservatively, so other than the shot I took to the chest, I have danced around all his arrows. The trade off was knowing where he was hiding, so it was worth it. Now that the playing field is even, it''s time to turn the tables on them. Taking advantage of the barbarian''s lapse in concentration, I lunge forward with my sword straight at his chest. The sword sinks in halfway to the hilt, gliding through his ribcage. A large chuck of his health gets taken out, so I kick the player away from me while pulling my sword out in the process. The blade is now a shade of deep crimson and blood continues to spurt out of his chest. He gives a couple gurgling coughs and blood starts to drain from the corner of his lips. Of course, I cannot forget about the warrior. Two arrows come from the opposite sides of the path. Both the warrior and I get hit, but the difference in our armours clearly shows. The arrow aimed at me scrapes against my iron armour and continues until it hits a tree on the opposite side. On the other hand, the arrow aimed at the warrior sinks deeper in his bronze armour and gets lodged in his flesh. Currently, the barbarian is at around 30% health, the warrior is at 50%, while I am sitting at a comfortable 75%. The barbarian is growing pale, but I''m not going to let him rest. If he gets a chance to down a health potion I would be at a disadvantage. Fortunately, health potions cannot be used while in immediate combat, so as long as I keep him busy I should be good. While the warrior is occupied, the barbarian and I exchange blows. Since my strength is slightly less than his, I need to use more skill and dexterity to overcome him. My stamina bar is at around half full from all this fighting, but it should last with Gem supporting me. On the barbarian''s next attack, I activate my cloaking, dodge to the side, and maneuver around behind him. It''s hard to use the skill in the midst of combat, but fortunately my timing was near flawless, so I pulled it off. He is obviously weary of my movement, but it is too late. My sword slashes across his neck just has he is turning his head. Thanks to that movement, my sword hits his carotid artery, thus dealing a critical hit. This sends him into the red with his healthy swiftly declining. Dodging out of the way of another arrow, I aim for a final blow against the barbarian. I''m not going to risk leaving him to slowly die. Even though a swift death is more than he deserves, it is the only thing I can offer him right now. "Nooo!!" He screams in anguish as my sword once more sinks into his flesh. Soon, his health plummets to zero and the life forever fades from him. He probably never expected this result when he killed and extorted those other players. Now that there are two of them left, this fight got a whole lot easier.
Kill Count: 2
The warrior is incapable of withstanding one on one combat with me while we are both hounded by arrows. Since I have been fighting under even worse conditions from the beginning, I am better off. Very quickly, both of us are riddled with scratches both from each other and the arrows. My gear is clearly displaying it''s superiority in this battle. Being a squishy assassin means I need the best defensive gear I can find without hindering my mobility. On the other hand, the warrior is doing worse for wear. "You must be feeling it by now." I snort at him. "Feeling what?" He replies with ragged breathing. Our swords clash resulting in a large bang. The vibrations travel up my forearm, but the blade stays true. "The weight of those souls you robbed of life." I spit, "Just like how I''m going to take yours!" A month ago I would have never imagined myself saying those words, but now I have already killed two players. "Hmph!" He harrumphs. The warrior tries to chain an attack to my flank; however, using my offhand sword, I counter his attack. The benefit of having dual blades is clear at this point, but the trick with them is using them together rather than individually. Even over a month into the game, I haven''t gotten it down pat, so there is still something missing in my swordsmanship. In line with that principle, I use my main sword to slash across his abdomen. He is not ready for my attack, and it scraps against his bronze armour, leaving a large gash in the metal. An arrow hits my left shoulder in the process, but I send strike after strike against the warrior. Slowly his health gets whittled away until it drops into the red.His health is at a staggering 10%, while mine is sitting comfortably around 40%. At this point, the warrior has completely lost his arrogance. "P-please..." He gasps, "S-stop... I beg of you!" His face is now tear stricken, and his eyes have turned red. "I don''t want to d-die..." He stutters. "What about all your victims? Do you think they wanted to die?" I continue to attack him, "Want happened to the thrill of the hunt? Hmm?" Gem at this point has located the enemy archer and has begun to fire shots towards him. There is no need for her to help me finish off the warrior. I want him to suffer a bit more, so I aim at disabling rather than outright killing. My next strike cuts right through the wrist of his main sword hand. "Aaarrrggh!!!" He screams in agony. In EndGame Online, this kind of wound can be healed, so it''s not like a person would be disabled for the rest of the game; however, it lasts 24 hours in that state before being automatically restored. One could also have a priest treat the wound with the level three spell "Restore Appendage" to have it healed immediately. If only such things would work in the real world, but that is just wishful thinking. The warrior grasps his stump with his left hand and kneels to the ground. His sword is lying on the ground a few feet away with the hand still attached. Surprisingly it hasn''t despawned, but perhaps it is like a body, only disappearing after one minute. The enemy archer has stopped firing arrows into the centre and seems to be seeking Gem''s location; however, there was a notable lull in his firing rate. Perhaps he judged the situation unsalvageable and would want to escape, but then again, maybe he''s loyal. Very soon there are no more arrows coming from the enemy archer, so it appears he values his own life over loyalty. Gem, noticing this, comes out from her side of the path. Her hair is in a bit of a mess, scratches cover her body and a red symbol hangs above her head. "What should we do with him?" She points to the distraught warrior. "What do you think?" I look at him, and he looks very pathetic at this moment. Far from his previous arrogant disposition. "Quick and painless, or slow and drawn out?" "Let''s just end this." She says with annoyance, while gazing upon the man with an extreme loathing. I have never seen her like this before, and I am glad I am not on the receiving end of that glare. "As you wish," I turn to the warrior, who at this point is in tears, "You heard her. But, hey! Look at it this way. If players don''t actually die in real life, you''ll be just fine." With that, I behead the player. His drops fall to the ground and I pick them up without paying attention to them along with the drops of the other two I killed.
Kill Count: 3
He was not a person. They were not human. There were just players. I look up and see Gem standing only a feet feet away staring into my eyes. Gone is expression of loathing, and in its place is that of worry mixed with relief. Without warning, she drops her weapons, runs towards me, and leaps into my embrace. Her arms wrap around my back while she buries her head into my chest. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I hold her tightly and stroke her back, ¡°It¡¯s over now.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t put yourself at risk like that again.¡± Her speech becomes slightly shaky, ¡°I-i don¡¯t want to lose you.¡± With that, I squeeze her tightly. She is visibly shivering, which is a sharp contrast to how she was during the fight. The adrenaline rush is over, and the realities are setting in. Even I am shaken by this result. Yes, this world is crueler than our previous one, but that shouldn¡¯t mean we have to turn to manslaughter. Even though it was in self defence, killing a person is still killing a person. No. They were not people. They were just virtual avatars. I need to keep reminding myself of that. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose you either.¡± I softly whisper into her ear, letting my affection for her known. She looks up into my eyes, and there is just enough ambient light in the darkness that I can see them sparkling with tears. I bring up one of my hands and gently wipe away a strand of hair that had fallen down her cheek, all the while she is staring at me. Tilting her chin up with my free hand, I move in close to her. The heat of her breath reaches my skin with a steady rhythm, warming up my soul. Slowly, we move close enough that our noses are touching... Chapter 38 - Day Off The sun has long since disappeared on the horizon and the stars are shining brightly in the night sky. Neither Gem nor I feel like staying out any longer than we have to on this night. Those player killers ruined our date and left an uncomfortable taste in our mouths. Both our minds are still in a state of shock after the adrenaline rush wore off, but we are at least not alone in this. Having someone to rely on, someone I can trust with my life, makes a world of difference in this hostileterritory. As my thoughts drift, I happen to notice the obnoxious red symbols above our heads. These signify that we ourselves are player killers, that we have taken the life of another. We cannot return to Fairhaven in this state; however, we can still return to the small village nearby. It''s not that red players cannot enter cities, because that would make them unable to use portals in NPC run cities. Players are only restricted from entering for 24 hours after their last kill. The other aspect of the red name, the kill count, is a cumulative number. My kill count is now three, while Gem''s is two. Both of us killed a yellow named player; therefore, we got penalized for it, but killing a red named player does not result in further penalty. We decided to head for the village, and soon made our way out of the woods. The village was illuminated against the backdrop of hills and people could be seen walking amongst the houses and buildings. "We should find a place to stay the night." Gem states as we get within the boundaries of the village. Her voice is slightly hoarse and shaky. "Mhmm," I reply, "Hopefully we''ll be able to find a place with a couple of free beds at this hour.¡± I sweep my gaze over the buildings. In such a small village, we would be lucky to find a single room; however, sleeping outside is not an option due to what happened earlier. With my hand wrapped around hers, we make our way to a nearby building with a "bed ''n'' breakfast" sign. The lights are on in the windows and there is a vacancy sign on the door, so it is looking promising. A quick glance to other buildings shows no other vacancies. The door to the building consists of large wooden panels with a simple coating. It matches with the wooden construction of the building. "After you," As I open the door for Gem and follow her inside, a light bell rings above the doorframe. Directly inside is a small common area with a couple tables. The tables are vacant, but soon a voice comes from the back room. "I''ll be right with you!" It is an elderly voice, and following it is the sound of shuffling on the floor. Looking up, I see an old man with greying hair and a crooked back. He has a cane in his hand, but that doesn''t seem to slow down his movement. "Ahh, a young couple!" The old man smiles to show his few remaining teeth, "How may I help you?" "We saw the vacancy sign on the door, and are looking for a room for the night." I look over at Gem, "Do you have a room with two beds?¡± "Two beds?" The old man looks at us with a questioning expression, "Umm, the best I can offer you is a double bed." He scratches his head in embarrassment, "Sorry, but I don''t think you''ll find anything else in town either." "Uh," I look over at Gem. Although we are used to sharing a room, sharing a bed so soon is on a completely different level. "What do you think?" "We''ll take it!" She says with absolute confidence. I had expected more hesitation, but deep down I am glad she agreed. "Wonderful!" The old man wears a pleased expression on his face, "It will be 100 Tor for the room, and breakfast is included. Now, breakfast will be between 7 and 9 in the morning and will be made by my wife. Follow me, I''ll show you to your room." The old man then starts taking off towards the back without making sure we are following. Gem is the first to go, while I follow behind her. We are led into a narrow hallway and up a staircase to the second floor. The old man doesn''t seem his age as he motors up the steps. At this top is a small landing with four doors leading to bedrooms, which I assume must all be rooms for renting. The price of 100 Tor a night is more expensive than our room at the Prancing Mare, but we only get a special price due to Gem''s relationship with Lady Alenia. "Alright, yours is the one on the right. Here''s the key." The old man passes us a large old fashion iron key, which turns into a digitalized access code in our UI''s. This helps prevent unauthorized access to the room, which greatly improves security. "Enjoy your night, and I will see you in the morning." He gives me a subtle wink before hobbling back down the stairs. Gem opens the door and we both enter the room. Inside there is a small double bed, a bedside table, wardrobe, a table, and a chair. There is very little space, so for two people to fit in here, they need to be very comfortable being in close proximity to each other. "It''s a bit cozy, but it will do." Gem says as if speaking to herself. She turns to face me and then falls backwards onto the bed with her arms spread out. She looks so innocent right now with her sparkling eyes and brilliant, inviting smile. She motions for me to join her on the bed, so I quickly close the door and make my way to her. We simultaneously remove our combat gear in exchange for more comfortable clothes. ¡°Mmm.¡± I stare at Gem who is now wearing a very light see through black negligee over top of silky black undergarments. Her curves are clearly accentuated and are a feast for my eyes. "Well," Gem looks at me with her enchanting eyes, "Are you just going to stand there? Or are you going to join me?" Without even answering, I join her on the bed and sweep her up in my arms. She rests her head against my chest and entangles her legs in mine. "Can we stay like this tonight?" Gem asks in a shy tone. Her body is squirming to get closer to mine. "We can stay like this for as long as you like." I reply while kissing the crown of her head. "Quinn, I''m glad you''re here with me." She tilts her head back to look up at me and a strand of her crimson hair falls down her face. Using my free hand, I guide it behind her ear, while caressing her cheek. "I was so scared earlier, but I knew as long as you were with me, it would be alright. Those fiends who target innocent players are disgusting. Every one of them should burn for their crimes!" I can tell she is getting agitated thinking about this, so I increase my grip and hug her tightly. "I could not agree more. Those animals should be locked up in a cage; however, right now, the only thing we can do is become stronger. But, there''s a limit to what we can do alone." "We don''t have to be alone." "What do you mean?" I say while gently stroking her back. Running my hand against her silly smooth skin. "We could start a guild, which would allow us to combat those types of players." "An anti-pk guild? I''m not too sure how that would work out by itself." Gem lightly pounds my chest with her fist, "Not just an anti-pk guild you oaf. That would be just one part of it. We would have other areas such as a store, a hunting team, craftsman, etc." She rests her head once more against me, "We would need some land or a storefront and benefits to entice people to join." "As for land, we won''t have to worry about that." My mind drifts to that empty plot the size of a city block. I would love to start building on it, I just need the capital. "Oh?" "Mhmm." I affirm, "What I''m about to tell you is a secret I want to keep between us for now." I have absolute faith in Gem at this point, so I don''t have any qualms in telling her. I only haven''t done so yet, because there was no need. "You know that giant plot of land in the teleportation hub?" "Yes..." She doesn''t seem to quite know where I am going with this. "Well, I am the owner of that land." I state. "What?!" ¡°Hehe. I obtained a cheat like item from the hidden boss drop, which allowed me to obtain any plot of land I wanted for free." I continue, "And it just so happens that I was able to buy that plot with it. I was a bit impulsive buying it, but I reasoned that the teleportation hub will be used more than any other island; therefore, it would be the best place to own land. We can''t technically own land in the NPC run cities either." "That will be perfect!" She seems to have accepted it fairly quickly. Gem shifts her position until she is more or less on top of me. Her face is directly above mine and I can feel the heat of her breath upon my face. "What do you think we should name our guild?" "Uhh," I pause to think, but my naming sense is just too horrid. I wrap my arms around the small of her waist and reply: "My naming sense is horrible, do you have any ideas?" "I''ve got the perfect idea!" She exclaims with enthusiasm, "The symbol you''ve been carving on each of your weapons is a raven, right? So, how about we call ourselves the Blood Ravens!" "Blood Ravens, huh?" I repeat it a couple of times in my head, "I like the sound of that. Blood as in blood red, like the colour of your hair, and ravens for myself." "Mhmm!" She gives a bright smile. "We will be the guild masters together." "Can a guild even have two guild masters?" "Yes, I''ve asked around and there are two ways. Option 1 is for two players to sign a binding agreement with each other, which divides the ownership between the two. Option 2 is for the two players to get m-" Gem suddenly gets quiet and her face turns bright red. "Get what?" I could guess what she was about to say, but she just looks too adorable right now. "Get m-married." She finally gets it out. I don''t know much about marriage in EndGame Online, but I imagine it lets one share things amongst themselves. There is probably a separate third inventory, which could be accessed by either party similar to a joint bank account. "And, which method would you like to use, my dear?" I really like Gem. More than I have anyone else, but to jump straight into marriage may not be the best idea. In the real world, so many people jump to marriage during the honeymoon phase of their relationships, which just ends with more divorces. "Umm..." She seems to be contemplating how to respond. The logical choice would be the first option, because married should not be for material benefit. Also, I would never propose to the woman I loved in such a fashion. "Lets do the s-," She pauses for a split second, "First option." "Are you sure about that?" I inquire in a teasing voice. "Mhmm!" She nods. Her hair gets messed up in the process and now it is falls down onto my face. "We should seal the deal then." Without warning I seal her lips with mine. A warm tingling sensation travels through my body as I passionately embraced her lithe body. We spend the night in each other''s arms, but that final step to becoming one with each other isn¡¯t crossed. Regardless, I am comfortable spending the night holding the woman I care for and feeling her warmth, while taking in her sweet scent with every breath. The next morning. I wake to the soothing sound of breathing and a numb left arm. I look down and see Gem curled up against my body. Her face looks so peaceful right now that I don''t want to move for fear of disturbing her. I stay like this for approximately ten minutes before I see her eyes gently open. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Good morning." I smile at her. She gives a few drowsy blinks in response before closing her eyes once more and adjusting her posture. "Hey, it''s already 10 o''clock. We should get up." "Hmph." She delicately snorts before reluctantly leaving the warmth of my embrace. Pins and needles torment my left hand as the sensation slowly returns. Gem has taken to sitting cross legged at the foot of the bed, while looking away from me. I somewhat regret making her move, but we''ve got an entire day to enjoy. I take a glance at my UI to see there is a message waiting for me. I select it and soon a holograph of Ilyena pops up. "I assume we are not going hunting today. I went by the Prancing Mare this morning, but they said you both never returned last night. Today can be a rest day, but tomorrow we are going hunting. I ran into Elayne and Astrya, and they mentioned gathering a large group to go leveling tomorrow. So you had better be there." Yikes. That message had a bit of a bite to it. I don''t recall planning something for today with her, but already I feel like it''s my fault. "What do you think?" I ask Gem who had been watching the message along with me. "I''m up for it tomorrow." She responds, "by then these red symbols will have turned yellow and we can go back into town. As for today... how about we go down to the lake?" "Sounds good! Perhaps we could do some fishing in the lake. Have you ever gone fishing before?" "Mhmm." She nods, "but, I''m not very good. You''re probably better than I am." I scratch the side of my nose in embarrassment. "I don''t know about that..." You have too much faith in me Gem. I''ve caught a few fish in my life, but that was when I was with professionals. By myself, it would be another repeat of what happened during my first outing into the Pleylf Woods. I was at the river for hours without a bite, even though the fish were clearly visible in the water. "Come," She leans over and quickly pecks me on the cheek, "Let''s get dressed." She proceeds to open her inventory and equip her leather armour, while I do the same. We make our way down the stairs and out of the building. For the price, it was a comfortable sleep. Although, it''s too bad we couldn''t have experienced the breakfast. The town has already woken up, the shops are open, and the players are wandering the street. We meander over to a bait shop near the outskirts of the village on the path to the lake. After buying a couple fishing rods, hooks, and a bucket of bait, we set off for the lake. "The path looks so peaceful during the day." Gem comments while keeping vigilant of our surroundings. I don''t imagine we would get ambushed again so soon, but I appreciate her concern. There would likely only be one PK group in the area unless they specifically targeted certain players. If too many were in one area they would likely end up fighting amongst themselves. "I agree. There likely won''t be any more of those scum around here, but I''m afraid we are being mistaken for them." I have noticed the scared looks of other players as they watch us from a distance. Not every player has opted to become strong in combat and at least half have been focusing on skills. Besides, most of those who are a higher level would not frequent this area. They would likely be one the second floor levelling up; therefore, in a bit surprised those PKers were higher than the average player level. While my thought is on that, the lake starts to become visible through the tree line. "Ahh, it''s so beautiful!" Gem comments. At this point she has lost that weariness and has already been enchanted by the view. I must admit that the lake is very pretty. The water is a pale aquamarine and the light of the sun reflected off its surface paints a reverse image of the landscape. Near the shoreline is a brilliant white sand and a sturdy wooden dock reaching out over the lake. "Mhmm, shall we go to the dock?" The dock is currently unoccupied, so it seems like the perfect place. "Alright!" She smiles in response. The path we are on leads us straight to the wooden dock where we settle down and take out our fishing gear. The rods thankfully come idiot proof, so all we have to do is attach the hook and some bait and we''ll be good. Of course, there were other rods at the shop, but with my experience, or lack thereof, we opted for the system assisted ones. These were designed for beginners, while the more traditional rods were for those that take fishing more seriously. We simultaneously cast our lines into the water. "How are you feeling?" I noticed Gem was looking a bit uneasy and I soon remembered her and large bodies of water do not mix. "I''m fine." She responds with false bravado, "Standing water is fine. It''s running water that is the problem." "Oh? How did that come about?" I am curious to know; however, immediately after asking, i regretted it, because I recognize that it''s a sensitive topic. "You don''t have to answer if you don''t want to." "No, I don''t mind it," She says while looking off into the water, "It actually happened 12 years ago on July 31st, 2014. My father was going extreme river rafting with his friends from work. Everything was going well until they hit a rocky outcrop. The raft got ripped apart and my father got tossed into the rapids. The rest of them were safe, but my father..." She pauses and takes a large breath. "They searched for hours, even I took part in the search." Her voice has started to become shaky, so I grasp her hand and gives it a few squeezes. "It''s was at around dinner time that I snuck off and went down to the river by myself, and... in the reeds... facedown..." I really regret asking her now. To have found her own father when she was only a little child is horrific. I can only imagine what went through her head during that moment. I was lucky enough to grow up with my father, but so many aren''t. "I''m sorry." I don''t really know how to respond to her, so I don''t release my hand. "Thank you," She says with a weak voice, "I''ve accepted it, but there are lingering effects. Anyways, ever since then, I have been averse to large moving bodies of water." As she is saying that, she gets a bite on her rod and exclaims: "I''ve got one!" I immediately release her hand as she places them both on her rod for stability. She reels it in slowly, while occasionally giving the line slack.Thank you Mr. Fish for changing the topic. Eventually, she reels in a 12 inch fish with bluish silver scales. "Hehe, I''d like to see you beat this!" She holds it up in front of my face tauntingly. I can tell she doesn''t want to linger on our previous topic, so I congratulate her on her catch. Fishing is one of those skills that doesn''t require performing a quest; however, if one didn''t have the basic knowledge, they could be waiting for hours in a spot without fish. Or they could be like me, and be unable to catch anything even with fish visible. Since I still don''t have the skill, I can only hope to catch something. Gem, on the other hand, has gotten a head start on me. We spend most of the day together like this, talking back and forth about our lives before the game. Apparently, Gem had been abandoned by her extended family after her father had passed away. He father was fairly rich, but she could only inherit his assets once she reached the age of 18. Due to that, she essentially grew up in an orphanage for the majority of her childhood. As for how she could afford the gaming unit, she had saved up money through odd jobs. Since she was going to receive her inheritance once she turned 18, the 17 year old finally spent some of her savings. Some might consider it a waste of money, but she told me she was always an avid fan of fantasy stories. She, like myself, would read as many stories as she could; therefore, the virtual world was too tempting. As she was telling me her story, she would be constantly catching fish, whereas I have yet to get a bite. At first we thought it might be due to the rod, but when she used my rod, not even 10 minutes passed before she caught another. She was a natural, yet I was the complete opposite. At least when it came to fishing. "You''ll get one eventually." Gem consoles, "I believe in you!" "Ahh, I seem to have no luck." I say half heartedly. As I am saying so, a very light tug comes from the rod in my hands. "I think I might have one!" I slowly draw the line taught and am met with a light resistance. The resistance quickly picks up and the line starts jerking. Not wanting the line to snap, I release some slack before reeling it in. The fish doesn''t seem to want to give up and it keeps on fighting the line. "Come on! A little bit more! A little more!" Gem encourages from the sidelines, "Almost got it!" "Phew!" The fish finally breaks the surface, and is flapping about trying to escape capture. It looks to be at least a foot in length, but the power behind it is incredible. My strength stat is the only thing keeping me going, because I don''t even have the fishing skill yet. I finally reel it in and a message pops up on the corner of my UI. [You have caught a Silver Rangeles. 11.8 inches. 3.4 kg.] [Skill acquired: Fishing level 1. Fishing skill allows you to use various fishing rods and baits. Increases chance of catching a fish by 10% in valid locations.] "Haha! Finally caught one!" It took all day, but I finally got one. If Gem wasn''t here beside me, I would have given up hours ago. "Nice!" Gem raises the corner of her lips in a half smile, "I''m proud of you!" "Maybe we can have this for dinner." We had pre-prepared food for lunch, but nothing beats fresh fish cooked over the grill. "Mhmm." Gem nods, "Are you going to cook it for me?" She looks at me with pleading eyes. I can''t say no to those eyes. "Yep, I''m thinking we get a fire going along the shoreline." Ive already got it planned out in my head. A dinner with the view of the lake, laying down together on a blanket afterwards while looking up as the stars come out. When we were at the market in town yesterday, I had purchased a small grill for campfires. Elayne''s influence rubbed off on me from that other night, so I got one. As for the blanket, Gem had been sweet enough to sew me a blanket during the last month in return for the custom sword I made her. Of course, I''ve made her many things since then, but she has also made me many clothes. And so, the rest of the evening goes out exactly how I envisioned it and then some. We spent a few hours curled up next to each other spread out on the blanket stargazing. She seemed happy that I had brought along the blanket she made me, so she gave me an extra ''thanks''. At around midnight, after our names had turned yellow and the 24 hours past the last kill occurred, we teleported back to fairhaven. When we got back to the Prancing Mare, there was one major difference that occurred. Apparently, Gem had asked for the two single beds to be removed and in their place was a queen sized bed. She''s rather forward, but I like that. I don''t know whether this was planned from the beginning, or happened just today, but it left a warm feeling in my heart. Tomorrow we will get back to the grind, but our relationship has already taken a qualitative leap forward.