《The Beginner (Reader-Interactive Project) by Geosiege》 001 Prelude: Creation --Ever since the release of the Virtual Reality Game - Royal Road, it became a huge breakthrough to the history of gaming especially to the life of many players who wants to experience a virtually fabricated environment where all of their dreams and fantasies could come true. A virtual environment where you can do things you can¡¯t do in real life like visiting and relaxing on beautiful places that only exist on the said VR game, experience special effects that you can only see in movies and games like using magic, fighting and killing monsters or even players and most of all become an Emperor in which the game¡¯s itself main goal. Imagine yourself where you can control and rule a whole continent. Not only that, you can also earn real money from it. Not bad eh? --Many people regardless of their age or occupations immersed themselves in Royal Road, even with their busy schedules - they still find time to play and relax. But there are people who are not really interested in games. Not because they feel that they are behind in the advancements on technologies but because they find it a waste of time or a waste of money so they¡¯d rather focus on their livelihoods or on their families. --There are also people who are very interested to experience the game where almost all people are talking about, even though they don¡¯t know a thing about games. But we all know that it doesn¡¯t matter whether you know how to play or not. Everything can be learned as long as you are willing to. And of course, everyone starts as a Beginner. But who knows what kind of future or path can a Beginner take or even create? My name is Mew. I live a simple yet serious kind of life. Every day is a repetition of home-school-home routine which most people will think that I have a pretty boring life for a guy. Even when I was a kid, my parents are very strict when it comes to my studies. Strict when it comes to my friends, and in almost everything. Until now that I am 21 and a university student at that. I know that all of their efforts are all for me and to my future. But there¡¯s this times where all you can say is, ¡°I¡¯m really tired of this crap. When can I get out of this cycle?!¡± Yes, we all have those times I guess. Aside from that, there are also times where I feel that there¡¯s something big I¡¯m missing. Games. Yes, games. Almost all of my schoolmates are talking about this game called Royal Road. I don¡¯t know a thing about computer games especially this Virtual Game they are talking about. I do have my computer but I only use it for researching and stuff and playing games on it never crossed my mind. Maybe because my mind is only trained to study and nothing else? So every time my friends talk about this game, irritation comes to me. They are having fun talking about how great this dungeon thing they entered and what kind of crap they obtained inside it and I don¡¯t know what they are talking about! All I can do is shut up and feel so behind. I wondered to myself why do I felt so behind. I¡¯m good at my studies, I¡¯m one of the top students and I am not that bad-looking. Just so why am I so behind because of a mere game? Before, I was a little irritated but I didn¡¯t let it to get to me. It was before the start of the new semester and I have to enroll my new subjects so I came early. It¡¯ll be a hassle if there¡¯re a lot of people before me. I was in my 3rd year in college and I am taking Economics. To my surprise, the dean included a subject that caught my attention. It was ¡°Introduction to Virtual Reality.¡± What the heck is the relation of Virtual Reality to my field of study? ¡°Excuse me Sir¡­ Can I ask why do I have that subject relating to Virtual Reality?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s in our course curriculum now. All Universities are adopting this system to introduce and educate students about the new advancement in technology which is the Virtual Reality.¡± ¡°You mean teach us how to play?¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of it. But we are talking about the future possibilities in which Virtual Reality can be a complete part of our daily lives. It is possible in the future that most of the jobs can also be done in Virtual Reality where you don¡¯t need to go your office to work rather you can stay at home and work. You¡¯ll know what I¡¯m talking about when the new semester starts.¡± ¡°¡­¡± In my head, the only thing I can conclude on that is, it¡¯ll make us people lazy. ¡°Okay, 6 subjects all in all. Here you go¡­¡± ¡°Uh, Thank you Sir..¡± ¡°No problem. Next!¡± Sigh. I never thought that there will be a time that I will start playing games. I still don¡¯t understand a thing about it. But what can I do? It¡¯s already there. Maybe I¡¯ll try asking my friends about it and maybe for the first time, I¡¯ll buy those things they use to play it. I need to prepare at the least before I go to that subject. It¡¯s better to know a little something about it than knowing nothing at all. For one week I researched about Royal Road, all its rules and some basic stuffs about it, and I learned that I need a capsule to play it. So I went to the pharmacy¡­ No, just kidding. I purchased one in the internet. And they delivered after a day. I can¡¯t explain my feelings. This is the first time I bought something expensive for a mere game. But honestly I¡¯m a little excited. Because I want to know why my friends are so absorbed in this game and somehow, I also want to join in their conversations. So I read the instructions in the manual and now, for the first time, I¡¯ll try playing a game. ¡°This is it¡­ This is really really is it.¡± ¡°Phew! I can¡¯t believe I am so ignorant about this.¡± I entered the capsule and started it. -Link Starting in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1¡­ [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 width=50% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5][col colspan=4 valign=middle width=100% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5]Connect to Royal Road?[/col][/box] Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.[box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 width=50% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5][col colspan=4 valign=middle width=100% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5][Yes / No][/col][/box] ¡°Yes?¡± [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 width=50% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5][col colspan=4 valign=middle width=100% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5]Welcome to Royal Road![/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 width=50% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5][col colspan=4 valign=middle width=100% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5]You have no existing account. Would you like to create a new account?[/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 width=50% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5][col colspan=4 valign=middle width=100% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5][Yes / No][/col][/box] ¡°Yes.¡± [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 width=50% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5][col colspan=4 valign=middle width=100% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5]Please state the name of your character.[/col][/box] Maybe I¡¯ll just use my name. ¡°Mew.¡± [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 width=50% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5][col colspan=4 valign=middle width=100% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5]Your character name is Mew, confirm?[/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 width=50% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5][col colspan=4 valign=middle width=100% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5][Yes / No][/col][/box] ¡°Yes.¡± [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 width=50% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5][col colspan=4 valign=middle width=100% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5]Select your gender.[/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 width=50% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5][col colspan=4 valign=middle width=100% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5][Male / Female / Neutral]?[/col][/box] ¡°Male.¡± [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 width=50% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5][col colspan=4 valign=middle width=100% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5]Gender: Male.[/col][/box] ~Weird party noise¡­ [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 width=50% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5][col colspan=4 valign=middle width=100% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5]Congratulations! The system has unlocked the race restrictions on your account. You may select your character¡¯s race without restrictions and you can customize your character¡¯s avatar the way you want.[/col][/box] Wow! I can select the race that I want! Amazing¡­! ¡­ The heck that means? What¡¯s the difference between these races anyway? If only there¡¯s someone who can help me... Oh there you are! Yes, you¡­! Can you help me choose the best race for me? Please? --Mew is asking you to help him choose the best race for him. If you¡¯re willing to help, you can vote or give your suggestions on the link below. -Dwarves -Elves -Humans -Orcs To be continued¡­ -------------------------------------------------- Thank you for reading the prelude of ¡°The Beginner¡±! You may find this project unusual because it ask the readers suggestions and votes on how the story progresses. In short, the MC¡¯s story will mostly be based on the reader¡¯s decision and participation! I¡¯m still a new writer and it seems that this kind of project is a little too high level for me but I¡¯ll try my best to make it better for your satisfaction. But to do that, I will be needing your help. If you want to help me develop the character or develop the story itself, you are more welcome and your efforts will be much appreciated. We all know that brainstorming scenarios here and there is really brain-wracking so I really appreciate it if you are willing to help. So if you are, please leave me a message below or send me a PM. I¡¯ll try and respond as soon as I can. Thank you so much! ------------------------------------------------- Voting is Open for 2-3 days. You can also add more choices on the Poll because so far there are 49 races available including the normal and hidden or locked races. But I¡¯ll be ignoring those choices that aren¡¯t really possible in the game. The highest votes will be the race the MC will choose. Again Thank you! -geosiege ------------------------------------------------ Voting is OPEN. (2-3 days) VOTING IS CLOSED. Here is the results. 9% - Dwarves 6% - Elves 10% - Humans 6% - Orcs 20% - Catfolk, catboy, cat tribe, etc. 17% - beast tribe, beast man, etc. 3% - Were-human 3% - were-cats 6% - God 3% - Angel 6% - Dragon, Dragonic, etc. 11% - other half races % RESULT: Cat Tribe, Cat People Thank you so much for your participation! :-3-: Next Chapter - 002 The Beginning: Mysteries of the Mist Discussion Thread! Hi guys, I''m new here and I''m not really a writer. You can say I''m a first time writer. This title just really came into my mind and I want to know if there are those who''ll be interested on this kind of category. And again, I''m a newbie so if there''s anyone who wants to help, it will be much appreciated. If you have suggestions or views or anything about the FF, please feel free to comment below or message me if you want. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Thank you and take care! :) ------------------------------------------- EDIT: CHAPTER 002 HAS BEEN UPDATED AND EDITED. Thanks a lot to those who pointed out the holes in the chapter. :-3-: ------------------------------------------ Still in need of Proof Reader T_T PM if you''re interested THANKS in advance! 002 The Beginning: Mysteries of the Mist I''m in need of PR T_T ------------------------------------------
(Readers): We suggest you choose the race related to Cats.
¡°Cats? I see, interesting..¡± Mew remembered his pet cat Tama, an odd-eyed Japanese Bobtail cat with a light blue colored right eye and with a left eye colored with a light shade of gold. Tama is very sweet yet scary sometimes. Scary in a way that mice thinks twice before doing anything shady in her territory. Mew can only felt pity for them. ¡°Is there any available race related to Cats?¡± -There¡¯s only 1 available race related to cats. The Cat People. -Confirm race selection? -Yes / No ¡°Yes.¡± Black furry ears on top of his head and a tail behind him appeared in an instant. -Please feel free to alter the appearance of your avatar. A mirror-like screen appeared in front of Mew. Mew has a black hair and brown eyes, good-looking and with a nice stature. His body is quite athletic due to his weekend activities like basketball and tennis. So all in all his appearance is quite fit. ¡°Whoa, I can¡¯t say it¡¯s cool but the ears and the tail¡­ it¡¯s so¡­ ¡­nevermind. Then change my hair color to light blue, the same with my ears and tail please.¡± His hair, ear and tail turned light blue like it was nothing. ¡®Good. I like this color better than black. Black is too common. Then, what if I copy Tama¡¯s eyes for fun? Anyway, the system said I can pick any race and I can also alter my avatar the way I want¡­¡¯, Mew thought. ¡°Can I pick different eye color for each of my eyes?¡± -Any alteration is possible as long as it is in the bounds of the Cat¡¯s race. ¡°Then change the color of my right eye light blue and light gold on my left eye.¡± Mew, while looking in the mirror, he felt an unexplainable feeling. ¡®So this is what it feels to be like Tama huh? Now I know why being odd-eyed is called unique. I thought Tama is quite normal and cute. I guess it depends on who¡¯s looking at you.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m done changing my appearance. The rest is as it is.¡± -Your account has been activated. Your stats and class shall be determined while you are playing Royal Road. -You can¡¯t choose your starting city due to the race you selected. -Your starting point is set in the hidden City of the Cats ¨C Lune. -Cat People¡¯s traits and stats will be applied accordingly. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cat People Race Description: Cat people are known to be agile in everything they do but they are comparably low in defense because they can''t wear heavy armors that slows their movements, low in vitality boosts, and they are not adept in spell casting compared to other races. Most of them don¡¯t do well in groups but they excel in surprise attacks that¡¯s why they prefer being alone. They are called the best hunters in all of the existing races because of their swift and soundless attacks that made their targets unable to anticipate and defend. They are experts in combat and a force to be reckoned with. But because of the endless war of territories in the past that made their race close to extinction, the Cat people we¡¯re forced to hide themselves from the world. Only few people know of their true existence and capabilities. - (+1) Permanent Agility increase every level. - Starting Agility is set to 15. - Increased Offense by 1 every level. - New Stat Evasion will be added. *Evasion: Grants chances of evading physical attacks. Value depends on the Agility stat. 40% of the Agility will be added to evasion. (15 points in Agility = 0.60% Evasion) Unable to distribute points on this stat. - Equivalent HP per point added to VIT will be reduced by 50% in all levels; thus instead 10 HP increase per point of VIT, it will be reduced to 5 HP per point of VIT. Effects will be applied if points are added into the stat. Default HP is set to 100/100. -Cannot wear heavy armors. -Effectiveness of skills or actions related to magic will decrease by 50% in all levels.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Ugh.. So Cat people are not adept at magic eh? I have to consider this fact before taking any magic related classes then. By the way, is there any system that can guide a beginner like me?¡± -Beginner Assistance System (BAS) is available. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± -BAS is a system devised for all beginners, it provides all basic information about Royal Road and it will serve as a navigation system that will help you get by throughout your adventure. But you are required to complete the tutorial before you proceed to your starting city. ¡°So there¡¯s such a thing! Thank goodness. How long will the tutorial last?¡± -Approximated time: 2 hours. -Proceed with the tutorial? ¡°Okay, then proceed.¡± -BAS will guide you throughout the tutorial. A bright light shone in front of Mew and at the same time a person appeared. It is a copy of himself but without the cat¡¯s characteristics. ¡°Hello, player. I am BAS Prototype 01 and I will be the one guiding you throughout your journey.¡± (BAS) or Beginner Assistance System provides the player basic navigation system and information. The difference between the mental map of a player to the navigation system of BAS is that it provides more detailed geographical view and can also provide information of safe hunting spots. Player mental maps doesn¡¯t provide such things unless explored and marked by the player itself. The system is available to all beginners. Most of the players didn¡¯t encounter this because they don¡¯t bother asking or taking the tutorial. They¡¯d rather experience things inside of the game. After the tutorial, BAS will take form as a flying-type sprite in default and can be changed depending on the user. ¡°Hi¡­ uhm, BAS Prototype 01. Do you have any other name? Your name is too long for me.¡± ¡°My apologies. My codename is Shun. Please call me that.¡± ¡°Shun. That¡¯s better. Then call me Mew.¡± ¡°As you wish. Then shall we proceed with the tutorial, Mr. Mew?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s drop the formalities, okay? Just Mew is fine. Yes, let¡¯s start.¡± ¡°Okay. System, open the tutorial room.¡± Mew followed shun in an open room full of system windows with a lot of videos, pictures, and information on it. Shun then taught him about the rules of Royal Road in a way similar to school with slideshow presentations and stuff, there he explained each of the differences of the existing races, gave a detailed information on the basic stats, its effects and bonuses, taught him the basic combat system, basic weapons, skills, spells, taught him how to get quests, about its difficulties and rewards, some information about each class¡¯s guild, the game¡¯s social system, jobs, monsters, and NPC behaviors. Mostly basic things about world of Royal Road. --Then 2 hours have passed. ¡°And that concludes the basic tutorial.¡±, said Shun. -Congratulations! You have completed the basic tutorial! Now you are ready to take on the world. -Here is your reward for completing the tutorial. Tlink! -------------------------------------------------------------------
-You have acquired Basic Training Dagger (Grade A) x1 -You have acquired Basic Training Leather Armor Set. (Grade A) -Leather Top -Leather Trousers -Leather Gloves -Leather Boots -Bread x10 (No-expiry)
------------------------------------------------------------------- -additionally, BAS will accompany you in a form of a sprite throughout the game. ¡°That was faster than I thought¡­ and sweet! Rewards!¡± -Welcome to Royal Road and Good luck in your adventures! ¡°Thanks!¡± A bright light swallowed and teleported Mew in the center of the town where a golden warrior-like cat statue with a crown on its head is standing. It immediately caught his attention. ¡°W-wow... to be greeted by such a golden statue in my first day like this¡­¡± , Mew said excitedly. ¡®A very nice and detailed statue and it is well maintained at that. It gives off a royal-like feeling with a touch of bravery and heroism to it, is he a King or something? I wonder what kind of person it was carved from.¡¯, Mew thought. Mew was a little too absorbed in looking at the statue and he didn¡¯t notice some people are looking at him. He attracted people¡¯s attention because he just appeared out of nowhere carried by a bright light and suddenly inspected the statue without a care in the world. It was night time and there are lights all around the place so it¡¯s easy to see if there are strange things happening. Then a town guard approached him. A very strong-looking cat guard with a height of 6-feet, if you look at his stature you can say he¡¯s quite experienced and formidable. The appearance is human-like but with the ears on top of his head and a tail of a cat in his back. ¡°Hey you there~nya!¡± the guard said with a loud voice enough for anybody close to the statue can hear. Mew was startled by his voice so he looked at the direction of where the voice came from. ¡°Nya?¡±, Mew let out a word unconsciously. ¡°Yes, you-nya! What are you doing-nya?!¡±, the guard seems angry. But a normal human person can¡¯t tell exactly if he is really angry or not because of the ~nya word coming from his mouth. ¡®That is so not manly¡­¡¯, Mew grinned to himself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir. I just got here and I don¡¯t know anything, did I do something wrong sir?¡± Mew was confused as to why the guard told him off. ¡°What do you mean you just got here-nya? You mean you¡¯re new to this town-nya?¡± ¡®I need to make him ease down a little.¡¯ ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯m new to this town. When I got here I became absorbed by the beauty of this statue that I didn¡¯t notice my surroundings at all. Do you mind if I ask if who it was carved from?¡± ¡°Now that I think about it-nya, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen your face around here, and your eyes are quite odd-nya¡­ I personally know most of the Cat folks here so I¡¯ll know if there¡¯s anyone suspicious lurking around here-nya. Because you¡¯re new here and it seems you don¡¯t mean any harm-nya, I¡¯ll let you off this time. And about this statue here-nya, it is the symbol of our Lord Lune-nya. So everyone here respects his statue and no one touches it recklessly-nya unless you are the one maintaining the statues.¡± ¡°I see. Again, I apologize for my thoughtlessness. By the way sir, I¡¯m Mew and this is my sprite companion Shun. Nice to meet you sir¡­ uhh¡± ¡°Roupert-nya. Nice to meet you-nya and your¡­ friend.¡± A small ball of light is flying behind Mew. Shun took its default form after they finished the tutorial. The town guard felt a little uncomfortable because it¡¯s the first time he saw such a strange flying ball of light.
Familiarity Rate to Guard Roupert increased by 5.
¡®Oh, just by talking to them increases familiarity huh?¡¯ Mew learned from Shun the basics about the different kinds of intimacy status between NPC¡¯s, but it¡¯s the first time he encountered it so he didn¡¯t really understand its purpose. ¡°Sir Roupert.¡± ¡°Just Roupert is enough-nya.¡± ¡°No, sir. I can¡¯t call a very capable guard like you just in name alone.¡± ¡°Capable you say-nya? If only being capable is enough here-nya.¡± Mew noticed the change in mood in his surroundings. No, the atmosphere around him is already not good from the time he arrived. There are a few people around and there are a noticeable number of guards around showing that there¡¯s something going on. So Mew thought that maybe he should continue the conversation so at least he¡¯ll know the gist of what¡¯s really happening. ¡°What do you mean sir Roupert?¡± ¡°If you look around you-nya, there are guards scattered everywhere and there are less people dawdling around-nya.¡± ¡°Why is it sir?¡± ¡°Why? Hm. It¡¯s because you¡¯re new here so I¡¯ll tell you-nya. Lately-nya, monsters around the town became aggressive. Even the low level monsters are acting strange-nya and they started attacking normal bystanders with no reason! We can¡¯t count how many people are injured because of this-nya! Normally these monsters won¡¯t attack unless provoked or attacked first-nya. But now, even the young ones are targeted and can¡¯t even play around now because of it-nya! So we ordered them to stay indoors especially in the evening. Monsters are said to increase their strength at night so we are very alert between these times-nya. You should be careful too-nya, especially right now that it is night time.¡± Mew was surprised by the fact that in his first day in Royal Road, he already encountered such a predicament. ¡®Now, now. I won¡¯t be killing monsters for a month or should I say I still can¡¯t, because of the 1 month restriction for new players. So I shouldn¡¯t be bothered by it for now. But I need to get all the information that I can.¡¯ Mew learned from shun that if you talk to NPC¡¯s and get close to them somehow, you can receive quests and if you¡¯re lucky you can get good rewards from them. ¡°I can¡¯t believe something like this is happening. Do you know what¡¯s the cause of all of this sir?¡± ¡°Rumors say that it is the work of an evil witch-nya.¡± ¡°A witch?¡± ¡°There are stories circulating in the town-nya that a witch spread a mysterious mist some time ago that made the monsters like that. I don¡¯t know the truth myself-nya. Would you mind if I ask you to know the truth behind all this-nya? I want to investigate it myself-nya but I can¡¯t leave my post here.¡± Tlink! A quest has appeared! -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The mystery behind the mist. The City of the Cat People is suffering from the attacks of aggressive monsters. Stories all around the town says that they are being controlled by an evil witch¡¯s power but no one knows who or what is the real cause of the dilemma. Guard Roupert wants to know the truth about this matter but he can¡¯t leave his duties so he needs someone to do the investigations for him. Difficulty: D Quest Limit: There¡¯s no time limit but the longer the quest¡¯s completion, the intimacy rate between you and Guard Roupert will drop. Rewards: Basic Analyze Skill 5 Gold Fame +30 Familiarity with Guard Roupert +50 Additional rewards may be given.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡®My first quest huh? Let¡¯s try our luck then.¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to do right now so I¡¯ll try my best to help you sir.¡±
You have accepted the quest!
¡°Really? I¡¯m pleased-nya. Then you should talk to Mage Lucia, I know she can tell you some things about the rumor-nya. You can find her shop south from here-nya, it¡¯s beside the Mage¡¯s guild so it¡¯s easy to find.¡± ¡®Mage¡¯s guild eh? I thought Cat people aren¡¯t really good with magic. Should we see for ourselves then?¡¯ ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll be on my way then sir.¡± ¡°See you then! And be careful-nya!¡± Mew then walked south. ¡°Shun, do you know where her shop is?¡± ¡°Yes, based on the street road¡¯s structure, it is approximately 1.5 kilometers from here. That would be half an hour if we go there without delay.¡± Since it¡¯s his first day in the city, he decided to take a little look around the place for familiarity¡¯s sake. He saw some guild houses of different classes, warrior¡¯s, archer¡¯s, artist¡¯s, thieves¡¯, and priest¡¯s. After an hour of sights-seeing, Mew saw the sign of the Mage¡¯s guild. ¡®As I expected, the Mage¡¯s guild is quite small compared to the other guilds. Let¡¯s see where¡¯s the shop guard Roupert is talking about¡­¡¯ Mew then saw a small shop beside the Mage¡¯s guild¡­ ¡°Lucia¡¯s A¡­pothecary? Ah, This should be it.¡± Mew entered the shop. and he was amazed by what he saw. Hundreds, no, maybe a thousand of different kinds and colors of potions are in display. Though the shop is small from the outside and anyone will think that it¡¯s cramped inside, but when you¡¯re inside it, it is not crampy at all and it is surprisingly neat for a small shop. Mew looked behind the counter; there a Cat Lady with glasses stood, showing her outwardly cute green furry ears. She¡¯s wearing a simple red robe that suits her well while holding a hard-cover book. She is quite beautiful and the cat ear¡¯s and tail made it more obvious. She¡¯s not young but she¡¯s not that old either. But you can tell that she¡¯s a mage the first time you look at her. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. She looked curiously on the new customer but she still gave away a smile. ¡®Wow, I wonder how can she make this many types of potion. Apothecary sure is interesting.¡¯ Mew then walked slowly in front of the counter to greet the Lady. ¡°Good day ma¡¯am, are you the mage Lucia?¡± ¡°Yes I am Lucia. What brought you here young man?¡±, Lucia spoke with a sweet and gentle voice. ¡®Too bad she doesn¡¯t say the ¨Cnya thing¡­ I was looking forward to it though¡­ Oh well, this isn¡¯t that bad either.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s not that important ma¡¯am. But first, I want to introduce myself and my friend to you. I am Mew and this is my sprite and also my friend Shun. I¡¯m new to this town and I am really hoping if there are people who can help a beginner like me.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you too. As you know I am Lucia, though I am a mage, I dedicated myself in Apothecaries. I don¡¯t know if I can help you with anything but if it comes to potions, I will be happy to help you or even teach you if want.¡± ¡°I know that it¡¯s about making medicine but what exactly is apothecary?¡± ¡°You see, apothecary is a profession and a study itself. We study different types of healing herbs and make some medicines out of it and with proper knowledge, one can also create different types of poison. And while studying we also create basic and advance potions to heal wounds, cure poison, and some potions that can enhance the body¡¯s ability and even enhance the magic of a person itself. Along the way, people who study medicine sometimes discover new and advance types of potions.¡± Mew thought that apothecary might be useful to him in the future if he put some effort to it. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that apothecary can be that useful. Can you teach me how to make potions?¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad that it interests you too. I can teach you, but before that I need you to get me some herbs outside of the town. There¡¯s a forest full of herbs south-west from here so it¡¯s easy find. In return, I¡¯ll give you your own apothecary materials. Here¡¯s the list of the herbs you need to gather.¡± Tlink! -------------------------
List of Herbs 25 Red Herbs 10 White Herbs 25 Yellow Herbs 25 Green Herbs 25 Purple Herbs 25 Blue Herbs 15 Orange Herbs
------------------------ ¡®This many¡­¡¯ ¡°Here¡¯s a basket, you can put everything in here. But you can¡¯t go right now because it¡¯s night time and there are aggressive monsters lurking all around town.¡±
You received a basket!
¡®Good! For her to open the topic herself, it is what I¡¯m aiming for!¡¯ ¡°About that ma¡¯am¡­¡± ¡°About the monsters? I see, so that is why you came here, no? When you came inside, I already sensed from you that you need something else rather than my potions.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am, I¡¯m sorry if I didn¡¯t said it firsthand. Actually I was sent here by the guard called Roupert and told me to ask you the truth about this rumor.¡± ¡°Guard Roupert you say? I-I see, it can¡¯t be helped then.¡± Lucia¡¯s face blushed for a second when he heard the name of guard Roupert. ¡®I see. So that¡¯s why...¡¯ ¡°Is it true that an evil witch is the cause of this problem?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lucia showed an expression of uneasiness on her face. ¡°The truth is I only know a part of it. Actually the witch they are talking about is not a witch but a sorcerer. Witches can¡¯t make monsters aggressive but sorcerers can. What I know is that this sorcerer is one of us, cat people. I don¡¯t know why and how did she attain that power but one thing is for sure, the power itself consumed her.¡± *(Witches/Sorcerers are terms that can be used by both male and female.) Tlink! ---------------------------------------------------------
Obtained a part of information about the quest ¡°The mystery behind the mist.¡± You now know that the witch in the rumor is actually not a witch but a sorcerer! And the said sorcerer also belonged to the cat¡¯s race. Obtained Information: 1/3
-------------------------------------------------------- ¡®1 out of 3? This¡¯ll be longer than I thought¡­Well, it¡¯s a good start.¡¯ ¡°To think that the one causing this trouble is someone who belong to our race. In any way ma¡¯am, do you happen to know someone that knows something else about this matter? I want to know the whole truth about this story.¡± ¡°Are you sure that you want to pursue on this matter? Everyone in this town knows the danger that lies before those who search for the truth. You¡¯re not an exception.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am, I made a promise so I¡¯ll do what I can.¡± ¡°You sure are a brave young man, Mew. Then I¡¯ll tell you the rest after we finish your study in apothecary.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m just doing what I need to do ma¡¯am. By the way ma¡¯am, there¡¯s still one thing I want to ask¡­¡± ¡°What is it Mew?¡± ¡°Do you know someplace where I can stay for the night? The truth is it¡¯s my first day here so I don¡¯t know anything much about this town. I haven¡¯t found a job yet so I¡¯m quite in a tight spot right now.¡± ¡°I see. If you don¡¯t mind working here in my small shop then--¡± ¡°Are you sure ma¡¯am?!¡±, Mew cut in like an excited kid who wants to eat his first candy. ¡°I can¡¯t pay you that much but I can provide you with a place to sleep and food to eat at the least so would that be enough for you?¡± Tlink! A job has been offered! ------------------------------
Lucia¡¯s Helper. Lucia needs help in her shop. Your job is to gather materials and ingredients for her potions and help her sell it. Pay: 10 Silver every week Familiarity increases significantly.
------------------------------ Lucia isn¡¯t just beautiful but generous and kind too, Mew thought. ¡°That is more than enough ma¡¯am! Thank you so much you¡¯re very kind!¡±
You have accepted the job offer!
¡°Not at all, it seems that you don¡¯t have anything to go for now so it¡¯s only normal for us to help each other. And it will be a good change of pace for me too.¡± Mew ate with Lucia and he stayed the night in her shop. The shop itself is Lucia¡¯s home. Behind all the bottles of potions is a normal home of a beautiful lady. Lucia is very fond of books but her collection is mostly composed of magic and apothecaries, there are other books too and one-third of her house is full of this kind of books. And that caught Mew¡¯s attention. ¡°These books are interesting. Can I read these books ma¡¯am?¡± ¡°You can read them if you want. It will also help you increase your understanding in apothecaries.¡± ¡°Thank you ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll borrow some of these books then. So I¡¯ll have to say my good night in advance.¡± ¡°Okay, good night and rest well ¡®cause tomorrow you¡¯ll have to gather herbs for your training.¡± ¡°Thanks! I will.¡± Mew took 5 books and brought it to his room. He first read the book entitled ¡°Basic Apothecary¡±. A big book with almost a thousand pages. ¡®Shun told me that there are chances that I can learn skills by reading books. So I need to read books as much as possible. And I need to learn things as much as I can in this 4-week restriction.¡¯ It took him 5 hours to read that single book. But that¡¯s only applicable to Mew alone. A fast reader can read a book with 500 pages in 5-6 hours and 10-12 hours if 1000 pages and that doesn¡¯t include breaks. But Mew can do it 100% faster than anyone else. Mew spent most of his life studying and reading books. He conquered all of the books in his elementary school library, 5/6 of his middle school and high school library books and now that he¡¯s in 3rd year in college, he already read 3.5/5 of the college library books. For him this kind of thing is only normal because he believes that one should thrive to gain knowledge. Knowledge is power and without knowledge one could not grow.
Wisdom has increased by 1 Intelligence has increased by 1
Skill acquired: Basic Apothecary level 1
¡®Sweet! I don¡¯t need to learn the basics from ma¡¯am Lucia. With this it¡¯ll be easier to learn her methods. I might learn more from her rather than these books.¡¯ "Basic Apothecary stat!" --------------------------------------------------------
Basic Apothecary Skill level 1: 0.0% You can now create basic potions with 1% increase in effectiveness compared to other basic potions. List of potions with basic difficulty: Small healing tonic Small mana tonic Small stamina tonic Variety of potions may be learned as skill level increases.
------------------------------------------------------- ¡®For now, it won¡¯t be much of use to me. I guess I have to practice this more for it to be useful later on.¡¯ Mew continued reading 2 more books but this time it¡¯s only small books compared to the one before and that took him 4 hours of game time to finish.
Passive Skill: Reading Comprehension acquired!
--------------------------------------------------
Reading Comprehension level 1: 0.1% You can now grasp more about what you are reading. Chances of acquiring more knowledge increases as the skill level increases.
------------------------------------------------- Skill acquired due to action! ------------------------------------------------
Active Skill: Quick Reading acquired! Quick Reading level 1: 0.1% When skill is active, you can read books faster without impinging on the understanding of the context but using the skill will consume your satiety 2 times more faster than normal. The rate increases as the skill level increases.
------------------------------------------------ ¡°Whoa, to think I would acquire such a skill! This will make reading more easier for me.¡± ¡°Quick Reading!¡± Mew used the quick reading skill and read the other two books and finished it after 3 hours.
Wisdom has increased by 1. Intelligence has increased by 1.
Reading Comprehension skill leveled up by 1! Quick Reading Skill leveled up by 1!
¡®Progress is good. I¡¯d better read some more books here.¡¯ Satiety level dropped below 20%. If Satiety drops below 10%, movement will be restricted. ¡°Ugh, I forgot quick reading consumes satiety 2x more than normal. I need to eat then.¡± Mew took some of the bread reward from the tutorial before from his backpack and ate it.
Satiety increased! Satiety increased!
Satiety is full!
¡°Then that will do it. I¡¯ll logout for now, I need to eat lunch in real world too. Shun, are you there?¡± Mew was busy reading books so Shun was in a passive state until then. Then a ball of light appeared out of nowhere. ¡°Yes, I was in passive mode.¡± ¡°I see, I have to logout for a bit so I¡¯ll leave my avatar to you then.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be here waiting.¡± ¡°Thanks! Later.¡± Mew logged out and after he got out of the capsule he checked the time. It was 2.30pm. He spent almost 14 hours inside the game but only 3 and half hours in real life. ¡°I should pay more attention to the clock. Its 2 hours past lunch already.¡± He ate the lunch his mother left him and then took a shower. While in the shower, Mew thought of what he needs to do in these 2 weeks before the new semester starts. ¡°I need to plan what I¡¯m going to do inside the game. I should think about what main class I should take. And what subclasses I should focus on.¡± After showering Mew went to his room and list down what he know so far. ¡°What I learned so far is, there are many types of classes in game. Combat and magic classes, support classes, adventurer classes, and even arts and handicraft classes and you can divide them in primary classes, sub-classes and hidden/secret classes. Normally, every race can take 1 class as their main class and have their own specific skills. But along the way, it¡¯s possible to obtain class specific skills from quests like handcrafting, cooking, repairing skill and etc. But Cat People are different. Those who chose the Cat¡¯s Race can choose 1 Main class (Primary Class) and 1 Main Sub-class and have their own specific class-related skills. They can also acquire other skills from other classes thru quests or actions the same as other races. So basically, I can only have 1 primary class, and 1 main subclass but I can also learn other subclasses. The *specific skills of primary class and main subclass can reach up to grand master level, the rest of the skills are up to master level only. Main class is the most important class because my survivability rate in my adventures or in battles depends on it. Though subclasses can also help me survive longer but the game itself is full of dangers, so without fighting capabilities I can only go so far. So I need to have a class that would boost my survivability rate. A class that can help me survive on my own. Uhm, do you have any idea as to what good main class I should take?¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of ¡°002 The Beginning: The Mysteries of the Mist.¡± Please read :sillyp1: Mew is asking for your thoughts about this matter. You can help him by posting your suggestions below. Your ideas will give Mew better ideas and better grasp as to what path he should take. Your ideas and suggestions are very much appreciated! :-3-: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author¡¯s note: Thank you for reading the first chapter of The Beginner! Phew that was too long for me. Sorry for dragging the story so long. I was trying to create a good scenario and I didn¡¯t notice I¡¯ve written so much. I was thinking of writing 2000 words for the first chapter but I ended up doubling it. >_< It¡¯s just that ideas keep popping out in my head that I didn¡¯t notice things at all. By the way, THANK YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH to those people who voted in the Prelude chapter of this FF. COOKIES FOR YOU! *GIVES COOKIES* You guys were really helpful! I¡¯m hoping for more of your participation in the future! If you have any ideas, suggestions or comments feel free to comment below or in my discussion thread. If you find any holes in the plot, please tell me so I can add or note those in the next chapters to come. You can comment in my bad grammar all you want. Hehe Here¡¯s the link for the discussion thread. Constructive criticisms are very much appreciated! :-3-: AGAIN THANK YOU SO MUCH! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 001 Prelude: Creation | 003 The Beginning: No Restrictions TOPIC: All about Stats, some changes and additional Infos Here I''ll tackle the new stats, it''s description, it''s basis, changes, and other stuffs about it. I want the stat figures to be a little bit reasonable so i need to do these formulas myself. Of course, the calculations won''t be visible in the chapters, only the figures. First I will talk about the new stat in the new chapter so far: ----------------------------------------------- EDIT: Evasion: Grants chances of evading physical attacks. 40% of the Agility will be added to the stat. With a percentage basis of 1000% Ex: 15 points of Agility = 0.60% Evasion So 1000 points in Agility in the future will result in 40% Evasion, Evasion will not exceed 80%. ----------------------------------------------- Penalties in choosing the Cat''s Race ----------------------------------------------- HP and MP is 100/100 in level one as default. Vitality: 1 Point = 5 HP instead of the normal 10 HP increase. Quests, Items or Equipments sometimes grants additional HP so HP calculations may vary. Intelligence: 1 point = 5 MP instead of the normal 10 MP increase. Quests, Items or Equipments sometimes grants additional MP so MP calculations may vary. *Stamina: (There''s no specific way to calculate the stamina so I''ll improvise one so we can see more details about how it works.) The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.EDIT: (This is just a theory so feel free to comment about it.) Starting Stamina is set to 100 as default. Stamina can be raised by fighting, and generally actions that would deplete it. Consumption rate: 20/Hour - If walking, doing simple work, or if weight carried is below 40%, that would be 5 hours before depletion. 25/Hour - If walking, doing simple work, or if weight carried is 40% above, that would be 4 hours before depletion. 30/Hour - If running, doing laborious work, or if weight carried exceeds 50%, that would be 3.5 hours before depletion. What do you think guys? (Open for suggestions.) ------------------------------------------------------ I want more details when it comes to Strength And Agility stat. Carrying capacity: 50% based on Strength Ex: 500 Strength = 250 Kg carrying capacity. And about the rules saying that Strength affects your damage when using melee weapons. I can''t draw out much in this explanation. Because in most game I play STR does give extra attack damage the same with AGI. So if anyone can elaborate this in more detailed fashion, it will be a great help. Thank you! (If you have suggestions or reactions about it, please feel free to comment below so we can normalize everything. Thank you.) 003 The Beginning: No Restrictions Proffreader: Pkid15 Author''s note: PR-ing is DONE! Thank you thank you so much Pkid15! I can''t thank you enough! Your suggestions and corrections really helped me a lot and i myself think that the story is better now. I apologize for my bad grammar and repetitive phrases and sentences because I only have a limited vocabulary. I am hoping to work with you again. Again Thank you Pkid! :) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- After eating his lunch, he sat in front of his computer and began browsing the Royal Road forums for information about what classes might be good for him considering the thought that he needs a class that can let him survive on his own. He started in a city full of non-player characters (NPC¡¯s) and not a sign of players like him. In short, he started in a city hidden from the world for many years where all he can do is to rely on himself and all the help he can get from the people of the city itself.. So deciding on a class that makes the most of his race, the Cat people, is the best thing he should focus right now to make the most of his 4-weeks inside the city. Mew posted a topic in the forums asking for suggestions regarding classes. Of course Mew didn¡¯t reveal his race because he knows that if he did, people would make a big deal out of it. Mew is aware that there are races that are yet to be unlocked. Maybe because he was really lucky that he get to choose a race he wanted without any restrictions compared to other players who only have 4 choices. Though in the back of his mind, Mew felt a little guilty because he thought that it¡¯s unfair to the other players. But luck is also a part of the game so he stopped stressing about it. After a little while, suggestions and comments started piling up. Royal Road forum is filled with players like Mew trying to find information, some trying to sell their loots, and there are also players who sell their own characters. Mew was thankful because there are many players who quickly replied to his post. A lot of suggestions were given and he learned many things from them. After an hour of reading and replying in the forum, he decided to return to the game. He still has a quest to finish and an errand at that so Mew turned off his computer and boarded his capsule. ----------------------------------
Connect to Royal Road? Yes / No
---------------------------------- ¡°Yes please.¡± @@@ Mew opened his eyes, lifted his body up from bed and look outside the window. It was already morning. He checked the time and saw that it¡¯s past 10 in the morning. ¡°W-What the-! I¡¯m late already!¡± Mew rushed to the store and saw Lucia. Lucia gave him the room closest to the counter so it only took him a minute or so to get into the counter. ¡°Good morning ma¡¯am! I¡¯m really sorry I overslept!¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be help, right? I know you were up last night reading the books you borrowed. So instead of wasting time there apologizing, why don¡¯t you go gather the herbs I told you about yesterday, no?¡±, Lucia said with a warm smile. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am, I¡¯m on it!¡± Mew then brought out the basket Lucia gave him earlier and scurried out as soon as he took it. He didn¡¯t want to be called a slacker just because he overslept and came late to work so Mew wanted to finish the errand as soon as possible. He refilled his canteen in the nearby well and headed to his destination. While Mew heads to the south gate, he remembered something very important. Aside from the limited things he can do for 4-weeks in the city, he completely forgot about not being able to get outside of town for that same duration. He was too busy accepting quests and errands that it didn¡¯t get to him, that the errand he got required him to get out of town. Mew has this habit of being too immersed in to something that interests him like the statue in the center of town, and in the books he reads. He was too immersed in the fact that he''ll be learning how to create potions that easily that he didn''t payed attention to the details Lucia gave him. ¡°T-This is the worst! How will I finish this errand if I can¡¯t get outside?!¡± Mew was confused and he wanted to go back in the shop and tell Lucia about it. But he was already near to the gates. Mew asked Shun if there are other places he can get herbs inside of town but Shun told him that there are no other places beside from the place Lucia told them. There are guards all over the south gate and there he saw a familiar cat figure. It was the guard Roupert. The quest he got from him is still ongoing so maybe Mew can ask Roupert if he can let him go outside the town. Even if the chance of him going out is zero due to the 4-week restriction for the beginners. Mew called out to the guard Roupert. ¡°Hi there, Sir Roupert!¡± ¡°Oh? Back so soon-nya? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re done investigating-nya?¡± ¡°Not yet sir. Though I found an important piece of information regarding the matter, but I still have a lot to investigate about.¡± ¡°I see-nya. How is it going with mage Lucia?¡± ¡°About that sir, she gave me an errand to do and in return she¡¯ll tell me all she knows about the matter and I really needed your help about this.¡± ¡°My help-nya? Okay, tell me about it and I¡¯ll do what I can-nya.¡± Mew told him about the errand Lucia gave and that he needs to get out of town and get some herbs. But Roupert shown a confused expression. ¡°If you mean help killing monsters, I can¡¯t help you. I can¡¯t leave my post here-nya¡± ¡°No sir, I didn¡¯t mean that. I was talking about you helping me go outside to get the herbs I need to finish the errand.¡± ¡°Haha! Help you go outside? Can¡¯t you just go outside of the gate-nya? No one¡¯s stopping you-nya.¡± Mew was also confused for a moment. He knows that beginners were not allowed to go out of town for atleast 4-weeks of game time. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a 4-week restriction for beginners where they aren¡¯t allowed to go outside of town?¡± ¡°4-week what-nya? I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. If you want to go out-nya, just go. But be careful if you¡¯re out there-nya, we can¡¯t protect you if you are outside of our walls.¡± Mew realized that the guards aren¡¯t aware of the 4-week ban at all. He tried walking past them but no one stopped him. ¡®That confirms it. The fact that I can¡¯t see any players other than me here means that implementing such rule is useless on its own terms! Or is it because that this city is not yet unlocked is that why there¡¯s no need to implement such rules?¡¯ ¡°Shun, do you know why the NPC¡¯s knew nothing about the 4-week restriction for new players?¡± ¡°Negative. My database only contains basic information about the game. Information about the rules set in this city is strictly under the control of the main system, thus I don¡¯t have the proper access to them.¡± ¡°I see. Then it¡¯s useless to worry about it now. Let''s set aside this for now and do what we came here to do. But before that, I should check those rewards I got from the tutorial. I need to wear some armor before going in the woods, who knows what kind of monsters I¡¯ll run into.¡± Mew remembered the rewards, or the starting equipment that he got after completing the tutorial. He knows that going outside of town needs proper preparation as to why he opened his inventory and checked his equipments one by one. To prepare for unexpected battles, he needs some protection or armor to at least boost his chances in survival in case such a thing happen. ¡°Inventory!¡± ---------------------------------
Basic Training Dagger (Grade A) Durability: 15/15 Attack Damage: 9-14 A durable training dagger made for beginners to aid them in combat. Can only be obtained after completing the basic tutorial. Grants reasonable bonuses. Requirements: None. Options: +2 to Agility +1 to all stats +5% bonus damage when dealing to monsters with the same level.
Basic Training Leather Top (Grade A) Durability: 15/15 Defense: 6 A durable training top made for beginners to protect them from monsters attacks. Can only be obtained after completing the basic tutorial. Grants reasonable bonuses. Options: +2% damage reduction from monsters attacks with the same level.
Basic Training Leather Trousers (Grade A) Durability: 12/12 Defense: 4 A durable training top made for beginners to protect them from monsters attacks. Can only be obtained after completing the basic tutorial.
Basic Training Leather Gloves (Grade A) Durability: 10/10 Defense: 3 A durable training top made for beginners to protect them from monsters attacks. Can only be obtained after completing the basic tutorial.
Basic Training Leather Boots (Grade A) Durability: 10/10 Defense: 2 A durable training top made for beginners to protect them from monsters attacks. Can only be obtained after completing the basic tutorial. Set Bonus : 3-set bonus: additional 5% bonus damage when dealing to monsters with the same level. 4-set bonus: additional 5% damage reduction from monsters attacks with the same level. 5-set bonus: +1 to all stats
--------------------------- ¡°This is so cool! There are set effects too!¡± Mew was a little thrilled when he saw such good items because he knew that having these equipment will give him a big boosts in his hunt. He doesn¡¯t have any experiences in battle yet so right now, he can only rely on good weapons and armors to help him survive. Mew immediately wore them and checked his stats for the first time. ¡°Status Window!¡± -------------------------
Status Window
Avatar:MewAlignment:Neutral
Level:1Class:None
Race:Cat PeopleGender:Male
Title:None
Fame:0Infamy:0
-
Health:110/ 110Health Regen:0.24/ Sec
Mana:140 / 140Mana Regen:0.26 / Sec
Stamina:91/ 100Stamina Regen:0.05/ Sec
-
Strength:10 (+2)Agility:15 (+4)
Vitality:10 (+2)
Inteligence:12 (+2)Wisdom:12 (+2)
Leadership:0Luck:0 (+2)
Evasion:0.76%
Offense:12Defense:16
Physical Resistance
Slashing:0%Piercing:0%
Crushing:0%
Magical Resistance
Fire:0%Water:0%
Wind:0%Earth:0%
Light:0%Darkness:0%
------------------------- He saw that he gained some reasonable bonus stats thanks to the set-effects the beginner equipment gave. Mew knows that every point in each stat that he can get counts, be it by wearing good equipment, doing quests, errands, or even training. If he didn¡¯t took the tutorial and learned the basics, who knows where in the streets of the city he¡¯ll end up to. ¡°I hope these stats are enough for now. Yosh! I¡¯m ready.¡± Shun led the way as Mew headed west from the south gate. After almost half an hour of walking, he saw a big forest not that far ahead. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°I have a bad feeling about this¡­¡± Mew was worried that he¡¯ll run into something. He know nothing about combat so he knows that if a monster of any kind will appear in front of him, he will have trouble fending for himself or so he thought. He stopped in front of the forest entrance and took a deep breath¡­ Inhale¡­ Exhale¡­ He repeated the same action five times to ease the tension he¡¯s feeling. A tension normally experienced by new players in a virtual reality environment. After a little while, his tension eased. Mew took out a dagger, his left arm is carrying the basket Lucia gave him while the other arm held a dagger. He¡¯s not that tensed as before but he¡¯s really cautious of his surroundings. ¡°Let¡¯s go Shun!¡± He followed where Shun is leading him. While looking around, Mew saw that the trees in this forest are unusually big compared to the normal trees you can see in reality. They have wide trunks with its branches covered by thick leaves that roughly blocked the sun¡¯s rays creating a beautiful gleaming effect. It gives a calm feeling that soothes the body. And on top of their roots are flowers and herbs of different kinds and color. Mew thought that this forest isn¡¯t that bad after all. Rather it¡¯s beautiful and peaceful, it didn¡¯t seem that scary as he thought it would be. He only needs to get the herbs he was task to in the center of the forest. But something came in contact in Shun¡¯s radar. ¡°Mew. I have spotted hostile objects 90-meters ahead and another one at 150-meters ahead. Should we continue or not?¡± Mew expected it to happen but not this soon. ¡°Are there any other routes we can take?¡± ¡°Negative.¡± ¡°Okay then we can''t do anything about it, I''ll try fending of myself for now...¡± Mew tried to look cynical before facing his first battle to at least intimidate his opponent a little. 50 meters, 40, 30¡­ 20 meters till contact. Mew saw a figure of an animal colored in gray. ¡°Shun can you give me information about that thing?¡± ¡°Wild Boar; Status: Hostile; Estimated level is 3.¡± ¡°Can I defeat that thing?¡± ¡°Positive. Considering the equipments you have, 60% chance of success.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Mew approached the boar slowly. The boar noticed him and showed an angry expression, heavy breath blowing out from its nose, it charged at Mew like a bull. Mew, didn¡¯t know how to use a dagger, attacked the same time as the boar did its charge. The boar¡¯s attack is very straightforward. Mew easily read this and tried to dodge its first attack but his timing was off and the boar grazed him a little.
You received 8 damage!
The boar attacked again and Mew dodged it better than before.
You received 5 damage!
You received 4 damage!
He took less damage but Mew realized that he''s the only one taking damage and the boar haven''t taken a single point of damage yet. ''Tsk! If this drags on, I''ll be in big trouble...'', Mew thought that dying here won''t benefit him, worse he''ll lose stats and have to miss 24 hours of playing. He definitely can''t afford to lose opportunities of getting more quests and stats because of death penalties. The boar was more pissed than ever and one more time, charged straight to Mew. Mew dodged roughly and took considerable damage but he landed a hit! He stabbed the boar¡¯s back while dodging its attack.
You inflicted 10 damage!
¡°HA! Take that stupid pig!¡± Mew can¡¯t control his feelings and let out an insult. It¡¯s the first time he used a weapon to attack something and though he thought that it didn¡¯t felt really good but still treated it as one of his best moments in playing Royal Road and as a beginner in VRMMORPGs. -Skill acquired due to action! ----------------------------------
Skill: Stab -Stabbing can inflict considerable damage to enemies. -Skill can be used with all types of piercing weapons. 5% additional damage to attacks. Inflicts bleeding status. Percentage increases as skill levels. Number of strikes increases as skill levels. Uses 5 points of mana per use.
---------------------------------- He used the skill he just learned and attacking became more easier for him. He became used to the attack pattern of the boar, and took few hits from it, but landed 3 more hits in return.
You inflicted 10 damage! Bleeding status applied.
You received 9 damage!
You inflicted 11 damage! You inflicted 10 damage!
After almost 15 minutes of dodging and attacking, he cut a big wound in its stomach that led to its death.
Stab proficiency increased.
Skill acquired due to action! ----------------------------------
Skill: Gash -a basic skill for cutting and wounding enemies. -Skill can be used with all types of sharp weapons. 5% additional damage to attacks. Ignores 1% percent of the enemy¡¯s armor. Percentage increases as the skill levels. Uses 5 points of mana per use.
---------------------------------- ¡°Lucky! New skills keep popping out!¡± The boar dropped some meat and copper. Mew picked it up, and went to the next enemy. It¡¯s another boar but this time he¡¯s the one who charged first. ¡°Gash!¡± He rushed forward adding more power to his skill.
You inflicted 13 damage!
Mew moved faster than before and dodged most of the attacks of the boar. He used both his stab and gash skills sparingly because it consumes MP fast. "Stab!"
[You received 6 damage!] You inflicted 11 damage. Bleeding status applied.
"Gash!"
[You dealt a Fatal blow!]
The battle became shorter than the previous one and lasted for less than 10 minutes because of his new found skills that helped him a lot.
You have level up by 1!
[Stab proficiency level up by 1!] [Gash proficiency increased!]
VIT increased by 1 point. STR increased by 1 point. AGI increased by 1 point. Stamina increased by 1.
¡°Phew! Finally, a level!¡±, happy of the slight progress that he made, Mew decided to do the errand first and distribute his stats later.
[Stamina dropped below 50%.] [Satiety dropped below 40%.]
Mew rested for awhile to recover his stamina and to catch his breath. He ate a bit of his bread and drank water from his canteen to fill his hunger. Having a battle for the first time took a lot of his energy. He didn¡¯t thought that killing such monsters is a lot harder and a lot complicated. Mew realized that without any fighting skills in real life makes your life in virtual environment much harder. It is advisable that before entering such a game, you need to at least learn some self-defense skills to give you a higher chance of survivability in-game. But it is up to the player as to what kind of gameplay he/she wants to experience and it also depends as to what kind of play style that player is good at. After resting for half an hour, he saw that his stamina is almost in its full recovery so he started to walk again. The same as before, Shun led the way. He didn¡¯t encounter any more enemies and finally reached his destination. A spell bounded Mew walked into the center of the forest. Flowers and herbs of all colors shined in perfect harmony under the gentle sunlight. The sounds of nature mingled in his ears, the sweet smell of flowers and herbs carried by fresh air lured him, and the sound of all animals, dwelling in this perfection. A cooling breeze swept into the clearing, swaying the flowers in such a way, that they were dancing. Its beauty was breathtaking to all those who saw, such a peaceful scenery, such that it made Mew¡¯s heart tingle in excitement. This was the heart and the glory of the forest, the forest of Ardeni. Mew savored the spectacle for a while. He thought that maybe it would be good if he can bring someone special the next time he comes back to this place. ----------------------------
You have witnessed and appreciated a beautiful scenery created by nature herself. It refreshes the art the soul possesses.
----------------------------
[Art Stat Generated.] [Art increased permanently by 5.]
¡°Art Stat?¡±, he was a little startled by the notification window that appeared in front of him. ¡°Show Art Stat details!¡± ----------------------------
Stat: Art Art is everywhere. It is a creation that is meant to touch one¡¯s feelings and senses. Art may appear in many form, be it in a form of a drawing, painting, statue or any representation that portray reality. Art also may not portray reality but the artist¡¯s imagination. Affects products elegance in an aesthetic and practical sense. Can be raised by seeing, feeling, smelling, tasting, and touching beautiful things, or by creating works of art.
---------------------------- ¡°Oh, so such stats exists. But I don¡¯t know how to actually use this stat so I¡¯ll leave it for now.¡± After savoring the scenery in front of him, he started gathering the herbs that he needs for his training. He checked the list and gathered the amount needed and put it in the basket. He grabbed some for himself and put it in his inventory. He wants to practice more on creating potions, so he needed some for himself. He only read a vague amount of information about the types of herbs in Lucia¡¯s books, and he doesn¡¯t have any way of examining the herbs yet. Finally, the basket is now filled with herbs. Mew checked his list again. ----------------------------
List of Herbs 25 Red Herbs 10 White Herbs 25 Yellow Herbs 25 Green Herbs 25 Purple Herbs 25 Blue Herbs 15 Orange Herbs
---------------------------- ¡°That¡¯s all we need. Let¡¯s head back, Shun.¡± Mew gathered at least 50 of each herb for himself. Herbs are light so it didn¡¯t affect his mobility. It took him almost 3 hours to gather that many, and his stamina dropped below 40%, so he drank the water from his canteen which he refilled back in Lucia¡¯s store to replenish his thirst. He didn¡¯t know gathering herbs would be so tiring so he decided to head back for now and come back later if he needed more. They traced their way back, and after an hour and a half of walking they reached the south gate without encountering any monsters. Mew entered the gate but he didn¡¯t saw Guard Roupert this time. ¡®Maybe he was assigned somewhere else.¡¯ ¡°Tsk! I need to get back to the shop. I spent so much time in the forest and it¡¯s already late in here.¡± He spent more or less, 6 hours including the short travel, the time he spent gathering those herbs, the battle, and the short breaks he took. He arrived in the south gate around 5:00 PM and rushed back to Lucia¡¯s shop. He entered the shop and saw a familiar figure standing in front of the counter, the same figure he met earlier¡­ ----------------------------------------------------- [box border=1 cellpadding=1 cellspacing=3 width=20% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5][col colspan=4 valign=middle width=100% bordercolor=#202020 bgcolor=#f5f5f5]Previous Chapter[/col][/box] ----------------------------------------------------- Thank you for reading! 004: The Beginning: Ancient Apothecary Author¡¯s note: It¡¯s been so long¡­ I hope I can still continue this fic. I really miss Royal Road. :( Here¡¯s a new chapter for you guys. It¡¯s still raw so please bear with me ¡®cause there¡¯s no one to proofread my work. Ugh so pitiful peasant penguin. Just point out grammar mistakes and comment if you like. I will gladly read it all. Thank you and hope you enjoy! Mew saw Guard Roupert talking to Lucia. The atmosphere around them gave off a feeling of sweetness and closeness which clearly shows that there''s really something between them. But that atmosphere vanished when they saw Mew enter the shop. Like a couple caught in the act, they immediately fixed themselves. Lucia slightly brushed her hair while Roupert cleared his throat twice. Really¡­ Great timing there Mew, he said resenting to himself for barging in so suddenly. "..." A sudden air of gaucheness fell inside the shop for a moment. "Ah, M-Mew! What took you so long?" Lucia said stuttering a bit. "U-Uh, I''m sorry I didn''t mean to interrupt." "I-Interrupt? No, no, we''re not really discussing anything that important? Aha ha ha!", Guard Roupert tried to look cool and act like it''s nothing. "Yes! W-We are just chatting a little.", Lucia added, even though it''s clearly written in her flushed face. "..." There''s something missing¡­ Yes!, Mew noticed something different about the way Guard Roupert spoke. He''s not talking the way he usually does. HA! He''s trying to look cool and macho in front of Ma''am Lucia, isn''t he?, Mew thought, amused. Maybe I can take advantage of this later on. Mew doesn¡¯t really care in whatever their business with each other would be. He was only amused by Roupert¡¯s sudden change in demeanor which clearly shows the guard¡¯s pretentious display in front of the lady. "By the way sir, I thought you were in guard duty?" "Ah, yes. I just dropped by to check if you''re doing well in helping Mage Lucia here-ny- *Cough*.", Guard Roupert cleared his throat as if trying to cover something. "Ny--?", Mew wanted to tease him a little but Guard Roupert cut his words. "I HAVE to get going now milady and adventurer Mew! I''m sure they''re waiting for me in the east gate now.", Roupert said with panic trying to evade Mew¡¯s teasing words. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll see the both of you around!¡± Roupert said his goodbyes to the both of them. Mew let out a teasing smile as he saw Guard Roupert walked hastily to the door. ¡­ After Guard Roupert left, Mew greeted Mage Lucia. He noticed Lucia¡¯s fretful action and decided to not pursue such a trivial event. Besides, he was just too excited to give the herbs to Lucia. "Here''s all the herbs you needed ma''am.", Mew said with a innocent smile in his face, as he handed the basket full of herbs to Lucia which broke the silent atmosphere earlier. "I''m sorry for taking so long." "N-No, don''t worry. It''s not like I''m in a hurry or something and I know it¡¯s wasn¡¯t easy gathering these herbs.", Lucia said ignoring the embarrassing occasion earlier. She took the herbs out from the basket and at the same time putting them in their separate containers.
Familiarity with Mage Lucia increased.
Mew noticed the notification and let out a soft smile. He knew from all the articles and forums he read that each familiarity points is a big asset to his future here in this game. "Ah, about the materials that I promised, I''ll give it to you tomorrow," Lucia said. She noticed that even though the young man is smiling, he is obviously exhausted. Lucia knew that on his way to the forest, battle is inevitable and anyone will be worn-out after a fight or two. So she told Mew to rest for the day and continue with his job and training tomorrow. "You should rest for today Mew. After I put these containers away, I''ll make you some dinner." "Eh? I''m a little tired but I can still help you with the shop, ma''am", Mew said, he doesn''t really want to trouble Lucia so he insisted on helping. "No, just rest for now. Besides it''s already late, so there won''t be that much customers anyway," she said. "Okay, thank you ma''am. But if you need something, I¡¯ll be at my room so please don''t hesitate to call me." Mew went inside after Lucia shooed him away for him to rest. She really is thoughtful, Mew thought, while grabbing some of Lucia''s books as he went to his room. While Lucia hadn''t prepared the dinner yet, he decided to read a little and brought six books with him. Two of them are about Ancient and Advance Apothecary; the other ones are about plants, herbs, medicine and one with no title on its cover. Mew wanted to learn more about apothecary so he started reading the book, Ancient Apothecary. It was a thick hard bounded book which composed of more or less 500 pages. He used his skill Quick Reading to speed up his pace. As he read through the pages, there are words that he can''t understand, weird texts and illustrations of people fighting, dancing, eating, and drinking. But he only gave it a glance and diverted his attention to the texts he can vaguely understand. ¡­a special drink of the Gods prepared by extracting juices from divine plants and herbs, Soma, the spirit of immortality.¡¯ That specific passage sparked Mew''s curiosity. Above that text was an image of an unexplainable creature pouring something from a large chalice. Mew fixed his eyes onto that image for a couple of seconds. I''m still amazed by all the details in these books. Even though these may be all made up, but to provide such detailed information makes me want to completely adore the people behind this game, Mew was lost in his thoughts for a moment. "What if¡­", he mused. Mew continued reading. He thought about the possibilities of finding it or even creating such a drink, and as to what exactly its effects to those who can actually acquire it. We imbibed ourselves in Soma. Gift of abundance and perpetual life, we have attained the light, the Gods discovered--'' Mew was halfway thru finishing the book when Lucia called him for dinner. His focus broke and realized that Mage Lucia was staring at him with amusement. He hastily put away the book and went to the kitchen together with Lucia. ¡°Did the book interest you?¡±, Lucia uttered with curious eyes. She knew what Mew was reading and wanted to ask whether something about the book caught his attention. ¡°You didn¡¯t budge a bit when I called you a few times.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I was too absorbed in your book that I haven¡¯t noticed you were calling for me.¡±, he reasoned. ¡°I see. Then, you should it first before you continue with your reading. I know you¡¯re already hungry from your short trip earlier." Lucia said. ¡°Yes, please.¡±, Mew smiled. Mew sat down, grabbed the spoon and fork, and took a bite. "D-Delicious!", Mew said, screaming with delight. "How did you make this so delicious ma''am?" "Eh? It''s simple," Lucia said, while smiling. "I''ll teach you some time if you want to." "Wreery? Ayd wob cho!", Mew replied with a mouthful of food. But he quickly swallowed it. "Please teach me!" "Now, now, don''t eat too fast or you''ll choke yourself." They both shared their meal with joy, while Mew talked about his little trek in the forest earlier about how he defeated his first monster and how he scavenged the herbs he brought earlier. After eating, he washed the dishes before returning to his room. He continued reading to where he left off. And after an hour, he reached the last paragraph of the book. ------- This is only the beginning¡­ You must seek for what''s been forgotten, for the forgotten to draw close, and seek for you. ------ Is this some kind of message?, Mew pondered for awhile. "I should take note of this¡­"
You have finished reading Ancient Apothecary.
Intelligence increased by 1.
Wisdom increased by 1.
Mew also read through Advance Apothecary and gain some intelligence and experience on Apothecary. Additionally, his Quick reading and Reading Comprehension both leveled by 1 on the process. "By the way Shun, thanks earlier. I''ll log out for now so go get some rest too.", Mew said to the sprite sitting in his shoulders at the same time wondering if the sprite really do rest. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. He left the other books for tomorrow reading. He slept which triggered the logged out function. Just in time for dinner, Mew sat down and ate. Though he just ate inside the game, it only made him think that he ate and was full. To forget that fact is crucial and will harm your body. Mew was of course aware of that. In front of him were his parents Mrs. Merline and Mr. Andrew Cross and beside him was his 5 year old little brother, Aaron. "We saw that you bought a strange machine last week and it looks quite expensive. Don¡¯t tell me you spent all your savings to buy that?", his father pose an inquiring yet calm look. ¡°What is it for anyway?¡± "I did use my savings for that machine, dad. But it was because our school required us to explore this new technology called Virtual Reality. And to do that, I have to buy a capsule machine.", Mew reasoned. "Virtual Reality?", Mr. Andrew asked. "I don''t follow." "Yes, dad. Simply speaking, it takes you inside a virtual space which is inside the game itself where you can actually do anything you want. So as I researched.", Mew explained briefly. His parents doesn¡¯t know anything about online games especially VR gaming so he needed to at least give them the gist of it. "Game? They want you to play a game?, his father uttered in confusion. ¡°How can this help your studies? Ugh, Just make sure this Virtual Game whatsoever doesn''t affect your studies, no?" Her mother, Mrs. Merline, was watching the father and son exchanging words. She just chuckled silently in her husband¡¯s fussy attitude. ¡°It¡¯s okay, hon. Our son is responsible enough to know his priorities already.¡±, she said, interrupting their conversation. ¡°Yes, mom and dad.¡±, Mew said, agreeing to her mother¡¯s words. He let out a soft chuckle realizing his parent¡¯s still over protectiveness despite him being a college student already. They talked about other things and after a while finished their meals. Mew washed the dishes quickly and went to his room afterwards. He browsed for news about Royal Road, some tips and guides, and some forum topics. After an hour and a half, he felt tired and went to bed. Mew was obviously hooked in Royal Road and can''t wait to login again so he set his alarm at 4:00 A.M so he can have more time to explore before his mom calls him for breakfast. I should sleep now, so I can wake up early tomorrow and continue my quest!, Mew exclaimed in his thoughts before he fell into a deep slumber. --- [4:00 A.M.] Bzzt¡­ Bzzt¡­! Mew woke up straight away like he hasn¡¯t gone to sleep at all; as he got up from bed, he tapped the clock and quickly went to the bathroom, switched the lights on and took his hot shower. It didn¡¯t took him long to clean himself up and excitedly dressed himself in a long cotton pants and a dirty white shirt. "All set!", he said with excitement then screamed in his head. Yeeah! He went to his capsule like a child thrilled to play his favorite toy. Mew doesn''t realize that, unconsciously, he is starting to get a little bit addicted to this game. Mew woke up for the second time. But this time, he is inside Royal Road. His eyes slowly opened and a familiar object hovered before him. ¡°Good Morning Shun!¡± ¡°Good Morning.¡±, Shun responded. "9:28¡­", Mew checked the time. "Perfect day to learn Apothecary!" He fixed his clothes and his bed head and went to the counter. He saw Lucia tidying the shop. "Good Morning ma''am!", he exclaimed. "Oh Mew, Good Morning as well!", the lady replied with a smile. "Hungry?" "If it''s your cooking, who won''t be?", Mew replied with a short chuckle. Lucia smiled. "Can you help me with this first so we can go grab a bite?" Mew helped with cleaning. Dusted every cabinet and arranged the items with Lucia. Afterwards, they ate their fill and decided to start their first lesson about apothecary. Lucia brought out all the herbs Mew gathered yesterday, some flasks and bottles in different sizes, mortar and pestle, and some other materials essential for their training. "Okay, everything''s prepared! Now, let''s start with making a basic healing potion.", Lucia said enthusiastically. "Are you ready?" "Yes!", Mew exclaimed. Lucia can''t keep smiling as she saw the young man''s interested expression. She felt for the first time the very feeling of being a teacher, teaching her student for the first time. Never in her life had she dreamt of sharing her knowledge to her very own student. "First, we need five leaves of red herbs and two of that of the white herbs. Put them together in the mortar and grind them with the pestle..." Lucia taught Mew how to make it step by step. Mew followed her instructions in order. He crushed and grinded the herbs smoothly, mixed them carefully, until the herbs became a red paste. He added a cup of water and let it boil for twenty minutes or so. And after a short while, he put the mixture into a bowl to let it cool down. Mew then poured it inside a small bottle and voila his first potion was made.
Basic Healing Potion acquired.
It is proven to mend small wounds and bruises. Heals 40-80 HP for 5 seconds.
Basic Apothecary experience increased.
Lucia tasted the potion and gave her remarks. "You heated this a little longer than I told you, no?", her question startled Mew. "Sorry, I don''t know if I timed it right ma''am.", he replied. "Was it bad?" "Heating it for too long will reduced its effectiveness and the taste will differ.", Lucia adviced. "You need to time it right and check its taste from time to time." "But it¡¯s not that bad, you just need to improve you timing", she motivated the young man a little bit. "Now, do this nine more times and make sure you finished it before I come back.¡± "Roger that ma''am.", Mew accepted the task without batting an eye. He repeated what Lucia instructed him to do. Mew crushed the herbs, mixed them properly and boiled them at a specific time, let them cool and transferred it to a proper bottle. Mew realized that making potions is harder than he thought it would be and it consumes more time than he expected. I can''t imagine how much time she spent from creating those high grade potions in her shelves. He thought, praising the mage¡¯s dedication to this kind of job. Three hours have passed and Mew is down to his last potion. He poured the contents out of the bowl unto his tenth bottle.
Basic Healing Potion acquired.
It is proven to mend small wounds and bruises. Heals 60-100 HP for 5 seconds.
Phew! That''s the best potion out of the ten, he muttered to himself. Mew understand that if he can perfect creating potions and increase the healing rate of them, it will be of great use to him later or maybe save a life or two.
Basic Apothecary level increased by 1.
Wisdom increased by 1. Art increased by 1.
--- Lucia came back and saw Mew already finished his task. She checked every potion that he made and found just small mistakes on it. "A fine job for a first time", she praised him with expectations. "I''m sure you''ll make better potions in the future." "I will do my best ma''am", Mew replied. "Now, why don''t you take a break? I prepared us lunch" Mew left his area for a while and joined Lucia for midbreak. They talked about potions mostly, how they can make it more effective, some tricks to add more value to it, and also about his next task. "You will keep on making the same healing potions. But your goal this time is to create a potion that instantly heals." "Is that possible?", Mew asked with curious eyes. "Why not?", Lucia said, bemused. "You''ll be surprised as to what potions can do." ¡°But before that, would you like to become my official apprentice? I could use your assistance in the future. That, if you¡¯re interested in the art.¡±, Lucia inquired with expectant look on her face.
Mage Lucia offered you to become her apprentice and learn the ways of the Alchemists.
Subclass: Greenhorn Alchemist Type: Rare Subclasses can only be changed by the same type or above.
Would you like to accept?
YesNo
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