《Moon Valley's Legendary Farmer》


 001~Beginnings

    "This was supposed to be delivered weeks ago!" Aya''s boss bellows as she presents the envelope to him. She could only apologize weakly as she didn''t know what else to do. It wasn''t her fault the post office sent the package late but he would hear none of it.


    "I''m sorry sir, but I''m not in charge of when the packages get here," she whispered, trying not to irritate the old, grumpy man any further.


    He glares, flinging the parcel unto the table and cursing at her. Aya squeaks taking the trolley of mail and pushing it out of the manager''s office so she could continue her job.


    Another day another drama.


    ''Why are they never grateful for their mail, I''m the tenth person they hired for this post, can''t they see the problem is them?'' Aya thinks as she continues to leave letters and packages at the desks of the office workers.


    Many of them at Nue Corp pay her no mind as they continue their office business, Aya shakes her head waiting to be done with this floor.


    She pushes her trolley all the way to the elevator, pressing the button that would make it open up. The ding comes and she maneuvers the metal carriage unto the platform. Despite her audible struggles no one offers to help her.


    Aya groans, finally getting the trolley into the elevator. She takes her uniform cap off, wiping the sweat off her brow.


    When would she get a cushy office job? Or better yet when would she not have to work such grueling days for little pay?


    Pressing her back against the elevator she pulls out her phone to do some browsing as she waits for the elevator to hit the fifth floor. It would only get ruder from there.


    Clicking around she sees an ad for a new game.


    ''Hmm, this looks interesting.'' she thinks. The elevator doors open suddenly and Aya is forced to shove her phone back into her pocket.


    A man steps onto the elevator, taking one look at her he scoffs, as if having to share the space with her was somehow demeaning to him.


    "Good afternoon sir." Aya still greets cheerfully, if people wanted to be rude that was a reflection of them not her, just as if she wanted to be polite, that was a reflection on her. The man of course pays her no mind but she simply goes about her business.


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    Reaching the fifth floor, she pushes the trolley out once again, the tires squeak causing the occupants on the floor to glare at her.


    "Excuse me." she says, politely. Pushing the cart again, she begins the process of delivering the mail to the residents of the floor. Few thank her but a majority pay her no attention. After the work on the fifth floor, Aya checks the rest of the mail stash to see where they needed to go.


    "Aww man, I was hoping I wouldn''t have to see her today." Aya says to herself. The final few letters were all addressed to the top floor of the Nue Corp building, the office of the company''s president and his ruthless assistant.


    Aya sighs, steeling her resolve for the inevitable tongue lashing she would receive just for being below the woman in the work force.


    Aya persists looking forward to the day she would give the woman a piece of her mind. She would let her know a person''s worth wasn''t decided by the situation they were in.


    The elevator door''s open, revealing the opulence of the top floor. Bright, dazzling light shone from the chandelier above Aya''s head making her gaze in awe every time she saw it.


    The trolley lands on the pristine Italian tiled floor with a squeak just in time for a blonde woman to look up and smirk.


    The president''s secretary was one of the most beautiful women on the floor, shiny blonde hair adorned the top of her hair while flawless skin covered every inch of her. Piercing blue eyes twist into a glare the moment they land on Aya.


    "Ugh, mail girl." red lined plump lips scoff in annoyance. "I thought I wouldn''t have to see your mousy form here today." the woman says.


    ''Likewise Viviana.'' Aya thinks but she dares not say it out loud, one word from the blonde and the president would have her fired in an instant.


    "I just have the regular mail for the president and vice president." Aya says containing her anger. There wasn''t any reason for Viviana to treat her so badly, she was just a college aged kid trying to make it in this world.


    Yet here this older woman was, making her work life so unpleasant.


    Viviana makes an exaggerated sigh and holds her silk covered hand out to Aya for the letter. Aya packs them up hurrying over to the luxury wood table. At the last minute, Viviana pulls away letting the letters scatter all over the floor.


    Raising a hand to her lips she hides a devious grin.


    "My, My what a clumsy girl you are. I wonder what you''re doing working for such a company like Nue corp."


    Aya balls her fist, calming down she gathers the letters once more. Taking note of the elegant gold trimmed packaging. She can''t help but wonder where she''d seen that particular insignia from though.


    ''Fancy.'' she thinks.


    "Have a good day, Viviana." Aya says, though there''s some bite in her tone as she places the letters down on the wooden desk.


    Viviana rolls her eyes at the parting words, flipping her silky blonde hair and waving Aya away like she was nothing.


    Aya moves, pushing the now empty trolley into the elevator once more. Now that all the mail had been sent out she would surely get some reprieve.


    ----------


    "But I just came from the fifth floor." Aya whines. The head of the mail room shrugs, uncaring of the young girl he was working to the bone. The older man takes the cigarette out of his mouth and blows the puff of smoke in Aya''s face.


    "You wanna keep working here or not?" the simple question is enough to make Aya pack up the mail. With Unemployment reaching 40% in Glenwood County, she simply could not afford to lose the only job she was able to get.


    ----------


    Once the delivery was done, Aya, exhausted from all the work pushes the trolley into it''s resting place so she could have a seat.


    Collapsing into the metal bench, she pants hard, barely able to breathe from the manual labor she''d been put through.


    Pulling out her phone she''s finally able to study the ad she''d previously been looking at.


    "An mmorpg, I''ve never played that before." she says clicking about. A promotional video plays, introducing her to the world of Moon Valley.

 002~Broke

    Aya watches the promotional video, starting off with a cute blonde fairy mascot flying over what she assumes to be the land of Moon Valley.


    "Welcome to Moon Valley an ancient land of secrets and mysteries to uncover, endless fun and adventure await." the fairy says gliding over the lush green hills of the area.


    "Wow, this looks so good!" Aya says in a hushed tone, so no one would catch her staring at her phone during work hours.


    After the video was done, she scrolls down the page to read more.


    [PC and VR capable


    Freemium model


    Mobile Mini games when you''re on the go!


    Player to Player trade system


    Content that will keep you playing for hours


    Broke! Earn money with our in-game currency exchange system, competitions, and more.


    Sign up today!]


    A bubble of excitement grows in Aya''s chest as she continues to read through the advertisement. If anything she could play to keep herself busy.


    Plus the little fairy was so cute! Aya releases a girlish squeal, quiet enough so her boss wouldn''t hear her. When she got home, she would check if she could run the on her laptop.


    Nue Corp''s office day soon closes like clockwork at 5:00 pm leaving Aya to pack her stuff for the day and start on the long way home.


    The evening sky pinks as Aya leaves through the back doors of the office building, placing her earphones in her ear she begins walking, looking up at the beautiful sky.


    After another long day, she would soon be heading home into some more stew.


    As much as she disliked the rude office workers there was someone she disliked even more, her landlady.


    Slinging the backpack over her shoulder, she shakes her head and begins her long walk to the bus stop, she couldn''t afford to miss her only way home.


    Sitting on the socially provided government bench she pulls out her phone once more to change the song. Bopping her head to the music it isn''t long before the bus pulls up to the only person waiting to be its passenger.


    The city bus was a large rectangular vehicle with the words Seelim printed on it in bright blue, this particular bus had been running for ages and Aya could already see some parts of it suffered rust, decay, and other little chips in the paint and structure.


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    The doors push open, begging her to board, Aya gets up from the bench and approaches.


    Aya fishes out her bus card, scanning it into the electronic reader as she does. The young lady climbs into her seat and prepares for the drive, looking out her window at the passing buildings.


    Lucky her, this was the only bus that would go from her place to Nue Corp and she never missed it. To do so would leave her either absolutely stranded or walking for miles. The dark haired girl relaxes into her seat, letting out a sigh of relief after surviving yet another day.


    The bus soon reaches the next stop. Aya feels the doors open, mildly shaking the bus as the doors push open for the next few people to board the Seelim bus.


    A group of men board, all weary looking with deep wrinkles and worry lines etched unto their faces. Aya could only wonder what kind of jobs they had.


    The passengers all say nothing to each other but Aya offers a kind smile to one of the old men who takes off his hat and nods in acknowledgment to her.


    It seemed the poor and the weary all recognized each other.


    Aya leans back into her seat, continuing the bus ride home.


    ----------


    Aya dismounts the bus with a huff, continuing the walk from the stop to the lousy apartment she was renting.


    Soon the large but dilapidated building comes into view.


    "Home sweet home," Aya says, walking up the steps with missing tiles, nothing like the ones at Nue Corp. She shakes her head, making a turn and heading up the steps to the fourth floor where lived alone.


    A sudden clang is heard as the railing she''d barely touched shifts from its mount, dusty rust falls from the side making Aya cough from inhaling some.


    ''God this place is a dump.'' she thinks, still continuing up the steps. Finally, the door of her apartment comes into sight, a discolored green wooden door meets her, labeled 443. The girl reaches into her pocket about to place her key in the lock when a voice coughs beside her.


    "Ahem!" the voice belonging to her landlady resounds. Aya groans internally wondering what the woman wanted from her at this hour, all she wanted to do was have a shower and crawl into bed.


    "Yes, Aunty?" Aya says facing the woman and trying to put a smile on her face. The older woman rolls her eyes, folding her arms, she begins to speak.


    "Rent''s due."


    "But I just paid!" Aya protests.


    "Cut the crap girl, I''m only renting this place out to you as a favor to your mother, my sister. If not for me you would be out on the streets."


    "You don''t need to remind me every time and it''s clearly not from the goodness of your heart if I''m paying rent like everyone else." Aya retorts with a glare.


    The woman glares, fury in her eyes as Aya talks back to her. She raises her hand to smack Aya as though the young lady was still a child but withdraws it. Instead, the woman dons a sickly sweet tone.


    "Well you only paid me 200 Lue, your rent is now 350 Lue." the woman says. Aya pales, almost regretting how she''d spoken back to the woman.


    "Aunty you can''t be serious, how can you raise the rent after all the tenants just paid?!'' Aya asks with strong desperation.


    "It''s my building, maybe if your god forsaken mother didn''t dump you here on my doorstep I wouldn''t be demanding rent that''s rightfully mine!" the woman sneers.


    "Don''t talk about my mother?!"


    "Then pay me my cash if you don''t want to be out on the streets."


    Aya balls her fists, taking out her phone to transfer the remaining 150 Lue to her greedy Aunt.


    After confirming the transaction, the woman storms off into her own building, slamming the door shut with such force dust falls from the rafters.


    "Greedy hag!" Aya curses her, entering the apartment to unwind for the day.


    ----------


    "Now I''m almost completely broke," Aya says, crawling into her bed. She hides under the blankets, pulling out her phone once more to listen to music. Opening to check something on her web browser she opens her app and realizes she hadn''t clicked off the Moon Valley Promotional page.


    The words earn money stand out to her, she chews her lip.


    There was no guarantee she would earn much but a few extra Lue would be nice. And even then she could simply have fun playing the game.


    Getting out of bed she heads over to her little plastic desk where the laptop sits waiting to be used. She opens it up watching it boot slowly.


    She pats the top.


    "Old reliable eh." she laughs.


    Connecting the PacBook to her terrible quality wifi, she quickly types in the address for the game and waits for the page to load.


    A warning box pops up with a message.


    [Your device is not compatible with this game.]


    The message read.


    The girl groans clicking around the site she finds that her laptop was too old to run the game. She would need at least a 7th Gen PacBook, her laptop was 5th, at least two generations behind!


    Aya sighs, hanging her head low in disappointment. Oh well, at least she tried. Turning the computer off she heads to bed.


    Hopefully, the next day would be better.

 003~A Stroke of Luck

    Aya wakes, remembering her failed attempt to get into Moon Valley the night before, she sighs paying it no mind.


    Taking a hot shower and preparing for work, she dons her uniform and hat while looking in the mirror with a forlorn smile.


    "Cheer up Aya Brown, it''s all gonna be worth it someday," she says to her reflection in the used mirror she got at a flea market.


    Grabbing her backpack and heading out to catch the Seelim bus once more, she starts her day.


    ----------


    "Have this delivered immediately, bosses say it''s urgent." the mail room boss says, Aya nods, dutifully pushing her trolley into the elevator to begin her work day.


    ''What could be so important that I''d need to head up to the bosses floor so urgently?'' she thinks. Then again it wasn''t her business so the girl lets it slip from her mind. Her only concern now would be facing Viviana and her terrible attitude.


    ''I really hate that woman.'' Aya thinks, shaking her head. If she could find a better job she would.


    Reaching the top floor of Nue Corp, she heads to the assistant''s desk to encounter Viviana. The woman is on the phone so Aya takes the chance to quickly drop the letters off before the blonde could say anything.


    Viviana glares while Aya shoots her a smirk. Tipping her hat she heads back to the elevator to deliver the rest of the letters meant for the other floors.


    Just as she''s on her way down, she pushes her trolley unto the elevator with a little too much force accidentally bumping into someone.


    "Oh my goodness! I''m so sorry sir." Aya exclaims in panic. Looking the man up and down she could tell by his expensive suit that he was someone of great importance, an executive in the company perhaps and she had just given herself an opportunity to get fired.


    The man laughs, and only then does Aya notice he''s a bit young, not her age but slightly older at least. His face is handsome, with defined jaw lines and piercing green eyes he uses to stare at her.


    "It''s no problem accidents happen," he says brushing her off. Viviana on the other hand isn''t as forgiving.


    "You stupid girl!" she growls, incensed at the display she had just witnessed. She stops in front of Aya, practically barking at her.


    "I should have you fired!" she spits with so much venom. Aya winces, fearing for her job when the man in the elevator reacts with a hiss and glare not aimed at her but at Viviana.


    "Is this how you treat the rest of the workers when I''m not around, I clearly said it wasn''t a problem." The man says. Viviana pauses stammering to reply to the man who was obviously in much higher authority than her.


    "B-But Mr. President, she can''t be allowed to get away with such a thing."


    "Get away with what Viviana? Making a mistake." He deadpans. Viviana''s once raging anger burns out in an instant replaced with simpering over the man. He rolls his eyes, heading to his office and leaving Aya to roll her trolley on.


    ''Hope that never happens again.'' she thinks to herself.


    ----------


    Aya finishes up her day with no more problems, and soon it''s time for her to once again leave the four walls of Nue Corp. Hopping on the Seelim bus, she gets off her stop and proceeds on her way.


    ''Hope that old hag doesn''t thrust any unnecessary expenses on me again, I don''t get paid until next week!'' she thinks.


    ----------


    Slipping into her pajamas, Aya decides to turn in for the night, it was only 10:00 pm and while others her age would be up studying or hanging with friends she was otherwise confined to this existence.


    ''Mom, Dad where did you go?'' she asks no one, drifting off to sleep.


    Aya wakes to the sound of something heavy tumbling down the stairs with a clang. She jolts flying off her bed as though the sky was falling, it very well might have been with how thin the walls were.


    She sighs, running her hand through her dark brown hair as she looks up to see the dust had in fact been shifted out of place.


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    Getting out of bed in her pajamas she heads to the front door of her one room apartment to see what the commotion was.


    "Oh, Mrs. Lutz! Are you alright?" Aya asks on seeing one of her neighbors with various items scattered around the floor. It appeared the old woman had dropped whatever it was she was carrying.


    Mrs. Lutz was a widowed, old woman who lived one floor above her. Previously the old woman had lived with her grandson but after Daichi moved out, she had no one. Aya had a habit of checking on her from time to time.


    Times like now.


    The old woman adjusts her glass, looking over the huge box of items that had just spilled over.


    "Oh dear, did I wake you? I was just carrying a box of Dai''s old things down the stairs to leave at the goodwill."


    Aya rubs the back of her head, heading over to help the woman gather her things.


    "This is quite a lot of stuff, are you sure you want to get rid of Daichi''s old things? What if he gets upset?"


    "I don''t think so dear and as it stands they just take up space, maybe you can look through it and see if anything is to your liking. I know you and Dai were around the same age so there might be some old tech you could sell for a little extra." Mrs. Lutz says beaming at Aya. "Besides now that Dai''s got us a place in the next city I won''t need it."


    "You''re moving out?" Aya asks a little disheartened, of all the neighbors she loved Mrs. Lutz the most. The old lady was just so kind and sweet, a grandmother she never had.


    "I''m really happy for you." Aya says, even though she would miss the old woman who would want their grandmother living in a dump like this?!


    Daichi was really a good guy to move her out of here.


    "Gosh, I''m really grateful ma''am. I''ll be sure to take good care of anything I choose." Aya says, picking up the box. It was actually quite heavy and she wonders how the old woman was able to get it down this far.


    Oh well, if there really was some tech in here, Aya hoped she could troubleshoot them into working. There might even be some PacBook Scraps in there!


    The young lady hefts the box up, bidding Mrs. Lutz good night, just in time for her aunt the landlady to storm through the doors with a furious expression. The old hag had no doubt heard the ruckus all the way from her apartment and was storming down to see the cause.


    Aya doesn''t wait a moment, slipping back into the apartment to view the items now in her care.


    Closing the door with her foot, Aya deposits the collection on her desk right next to her old PacBook. She starts by taking the lid off the heavy box and blowing away some of the dust that arose. Placing it aside the girl begins rummaging through the items.


    She pulls out an ancient looking PacBook that was still in better condition than hers.


    Aya grins, quickly turning the device around to read the model. Roving her eyes over the model number she squeals, barely able to contain her excitement.


    A 10th gen PacBook had just fallen into her grasp, the latest model would be the 13th or 14th gen but it was still nothing to sneeze at if this worked, she would be able to upgrade to a new computer and if it didn''t she would harvest its parts for scraps that would fit into her laptop.


    A dark look crosses Aya''s cute face as she imagines the process of prying apart the old laptop for its valuable parts.


    "Thank goodness I caught Mrs. Lutz in time, I can''t believe I would have missed such a find if she didn''t drop the box." Aya says, continuing to look through what she now considers a treasure box.


    The next thing she pulls out makes her squeal even louder. There in her hands was an Icarus Gear VR headset. In all her years working she never thought she''d ever have the ability to own something as expensive as this.


    Sure this one was outmoded now by the newer gears but in its heyday it would have cost a whopping 2000 Lue!


    The girl couldn''t have imagined spending that amount of money on something that wasn''t home before.


    "The rich sure are lucky." Though she knew Daichi must have worked incredibly hard to afford this set, Aya couldn''t help but think about all the people who could afford to spend money as they pleased.


    "One day that''s going to be me." she says to herself.


    Fishing out the rest of the set she could see it came with the headset, cords, and cables to connect to a PacBook and the charger for the headset.


    "Thank you divine one for this incredible stroke of luck," she says, running into her tiny kitchen station to grab a rag so she could clean the set.


    Now the moment of truth would be to see if any of her new pieces of tech came on.


    Aya tries the laptop first, plugging it into an electrical socket to charge. She pushes the power button and is surprised to hear the beep and loading chime of the used PacBook.


    The system was already formatted as it seemed Daichi intended to sell it but changed his mind. Despite the bare desktop Aya sees on video left on the screen.


    Out of curiosity, she clicks on it.


    The video starts with Daichi sitting on a chair, cheerfully. He''s in the small room of the apartment he shared with his grandmother when he wasn''t at school.


    The redhead flashes a grin at the camera, making Aya giggle.


    "Hello future owner of my PacBook, I''m sure by now granny tried to get rid of it cause I didn''t have the heart to sell it. I hope my old PacBook serves you well, I just wanted to let you know who the previous owner was. This is Daichi Lutz."


    Aya pauses the video knowing she had a bit left to watch., She nods at the short and simple introduction.


    "That was really nice of him to leave this to someone. Let''s see what else he has to say."


    "Unfortunately my Icarus gear, if you have it, might not be in very good condition. You might need about 500 Lue to fix it."


    "500 Lue!" Aya exclaims. As if hearing her shout Daichi rubs his head sheepishly on the screen.


    "I know it sounds like a lot, but trust me, keeping it and fixing it up is so worth it and much cheaper than buying a brand new Icarus gear right?"


    "True."


    "So I''m trusting you to take care of my old equipment, I know it can lead you to places beyond your wildest dreams."


    The video ends there.


    Aya takes a moment to think about his words. Moon Valley''s advert once again comes to her mind. If she could earn a little more cash with it.


    Connecting to her wifi again she loads the Moon Valley home page.


    [PacBook 10 recognized, initiating download.]


    "Yes! Yes!" she squeals jumping for joy. Now she would be able to play. Picking up the Icarus gear, she examines it again. Plugging it into the wall, she sets it aside to let it charge. Maybe tomorrow she could figure out what was wrong with it.


    Checking the time, she could see it was midnight and about to hit 1:00 am


    "I''ve got work tomorrow." Aya says feeling her eyelids grow heavy. She rubs her eyes, crawling into her bed she lets the game download unto her new computer.


    The day was great after all.

 004~Game Start!

    A happy chiming tune wakes Aya from her slumber, rubbing her eyes she turns her head toward the sound.


    "Oh the game." she says, pushing the covers off and slowly getting out of bed with a yawn. Aya makes her way over to the only desk in her small one room apartment. Once she''s comfortable she checks the time on her phone that''s charging nearby.


    "3:45 am? It''s pretty late." she says yawning again. The music from her screen continues to play, making her turn her attention back to it.


    Even if she didn''t want to play right now the music was getting in the way of her restful night, plus she needed to let the PacBook charge fully for the night.


    Aya sits ready to turn off the laptop monitor when she decides to take a look at the game instead.


    Displayed on her screen is a vast landscape that makes her eyes go wide with excitement, Aya clicks on watching animations for a beautiful land structured to look like something straight out of a fantasy novel.


    The mascot character from before flies over her screen once more, waving at Aya as though to invite her into the game. The girl could only squeal in joy, digging out her old mouse to plug it in and click around.


    "Let''s see first of all I have to make an account huh?" she says. After filling in the necessary details she comes to the part where she has to select her name and class.


    [Please enter a name]


    "Hmm, I want to choose something clever but at the same time it''s just a game so no pressure." she says to herself. Aya holds her hand to her chin seriously mulling over what the name of her avatar would be.


    "I''ll just keep it simple." Aya says, typing into the computer.


    [You have selected Yvlena]


    [Yvlena will be your name?]


    [Yes/No]


    Aya smiles to herself remembering an old story about that particular name. Her mom used to tell her stories once upon a time, she could barely remember any of them now but that name stuck out to her.


    Yvlena.


    ''And it''s pretty too.'' she thinks.


    Next comes the race.


    "Well I don''t really know much about all these basic stats but it might be a little boring to play as a human I think." Aya says with a giggle. "Though from what I know, humans are generally more balanced but certain classes have more strength or dexterity hmm."


    She looks through the classes, coming upon, elves, dwarves, humans, and a multitude of other races each with their own unique stats, and power-ups.


    Aya finds herself getting overwhelmed by all the choices she''s presented with.


    "Bah!" she exclaims, throwing her hands in the air "I''m just going with elf, I''ve always wanted to play as that race anyway." she says clicking on the button.


    [You have selected elf as your race]


    [Elf will be your race]


    [Yes/No]


    Aya clicks yes


    Another prompt comes up.


    [Please choose a starting area]


    A couple options show up and Aya picks the one that makes the most sense to her.


    [You have selected Bloom Haven.]


    [Yes/No]


    Aya clicks the confirmation button once more and soon all the info she''s entered disappears, allowing the game to load.


    "Welcome Yvlena to Moon Valley a land of secrets, mysteries, and more. Do enjoy your stay and remember magic is real."


    A kindly and motherly voice says from the computer speakers. After a shortcut scene introducing her character Aya is finally greeted by the elf she made.


    "Wow I look so cute." the character on screen is a little elf girl. Yvlena had dark hair like her''s, with warm eyes, her hair was cut short in a bob and her skin a lovely tan. Aya made sure the character looked somewhat like her.


    ''It''s like I''m really in the game. I wonder how it feels with VR?'' she thinks. Moving her character around she could see she was in a small town. The cobblestone floors and little shops around gave the fantasy novel type medieval vibe.


    Aya wasn''t alone either, all around her, she could see different players and NPCs running around. The girl feels herself getting overwhelmed again, after all this was all quite new to her.


    "Is there a guide or something, maybe I should just check on my character." she opens the status to view her basic stats


    NAME: YVLENA


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    RACE: ELF


    HP:100


    MP:60


    CLASS:????


    [LVL: 1]


    [EXP:0/30]


    her eyes fall on the stats she currently had.


    [STR]:10


    [DEF]:5


    [DEX]:12


    [AGI]:12


    [INT]:12


    [WIS]:10


    [CHA]:5


    [LUK]:5


    Aya nods, wondering if she could do more research into the game so she could understand what all the numbers meant, though she was pretty sure she wasn''t the strongest character. There was more info


    "Never been much of a fighter so I''ll take it," she says nodding to herself. Checking the time again Aya nearly jumps out of her seat


    It was now 5:27 am nearly time for her to get up for work. Now she would feel sleepy as she pushed her trolley all over the office.


    Aya groans but, doesn''t regret creating her character and going through the set up of the game. She had a lot of fun even though she hadn''t played yet.


    "I can''t wait to explore this some more." she says, logging out for the day and closing her computer.


    "There''s a mobile app too!" she says, checking her now fully charged phone. Opening the app stores she quickly searches for the Moon Valley companion app and installs it while she runs to the shower to kick start her day.


    More than anything at least the day had started well.


    "Thank you Daichi!" she beams, slipping into her work clothes and grabbing hr backpack for the day. When she came home she''d have something to look forward to.


    ----------


    All through the day, the only thing Aya could think of was Moon Valley, she pushes her mail ignoring the rude remarks as usual.


    Even Viviana''s usual quips didn''t bother her. All she wanted to was go home and play. The workday seems to go on forever.


    "What''s with you today?" The mail room boss asks. He takes a deep puff of smoke, blowing it around the room and saturating the air.


    "What do you mean sir?" Aya asks, looking up from her phone. This was one of the rare chances he addresses her without a sharp tone or snarky attitude.


    "How do I say this, the lights are on but nobody''s home." He says with a chuckle. Aya laughs a bit too, although a bit nervously. Honestly, the grumpy man looked like he could fire her for breathing wrongly at the mail station.


    "I''m just a bit distracted but I delivered all my mail on time same as usual." Aya replies.


    "You better be, I know you can''t afford to mess up with this job." he says with a smirk. He swivels around in his chair, facing the lone television screen in the mail room.


    Aya frowns at his words, and her good mood evaporates instantly at the reminder of her situation. He was the one slacking off and yet here she was getting the short end of the stick.


    She shakes her head, brushing the comment off so she doesn''t fume over his words. If she could find a better job she''d take it.


    Axen City was going through an economic drought, with unemployment rising by the minute, of course, she couldn''t lose the only job she currently had. The city was dying, the place she''d grown up in all this time was dying.


    ''No wonder Daichi got him and his grandma a place out of here.'' Aya thinks.


    It was a depressing situation and that jerk just had to bring it up. Aya sighs, tapping her foot anxious to shake off the stress. It was a miracle her hair didn''t fall out at this point.


    "Whatever, I''m going to save enough, and then I''m going to leave too." she mutters to herself. Holding that promise, she nods. It would be painful to turn her back on the city her mother and father loved but it was getting too much.


    ----------


    Aya repeats her evening routine once more, getting on the bus and heading home for the day, she''d been so busy she couldn''t even examine the companion app.


    Taking out her phone she decides to do it on the bus ride home, while it was quiet and had very few passengers.


    [Please input login details]


    the app says.


    Aya quickly does as instructed.


    The interface opens, revealing a pixelated version of BloomHaven the starting area Aya had chosen. The girl smiles, letting the game bring a little smile to her face after the long day.


    The app shows her the character stats, current items (of which she had none), and a few other little details.


    The next tab on the app was much more surprising.


    "Earnings" she reads, on this page were her current Moon Points and gold, the in-game currency.


    Scanning the app, she learns that Moon Valley has quite a few ways to make money, Aya swipes out, fully intending to look through that page late.


    The next tab on the app was the mini-game tab, where the player could play simple games to win in-game items and Moon Points.


    The fourth tab was a simple items collections window, that was currently locked. Aya assumes it''s for the items one could collect and trade.


    The final tab is locked, making Aya unable to access it for now. She shrugs and heads back to look at the character screen.


    Her little elf avatar stares back at her with warm brown eyes, Aya feels as though she''s looking at a reflection.


    ----------


    The bus stops at its usual destination, leaving Aya to dismount and wave the driver good evening.


    On her way to the apartment, she could make out a moving vehicle parked outside.


    ''Oh, no way! Mrs. Lutz is leaving already?'' she thinks, increasing her pace so she would be able to catch up to her neighbor before she left.


    "Mrs. Lutz!" Aya calls, meeting the old woman who watches the moving men load her items unto the back of the truck.


    "Aya my dear, I''m so glad I got to see you before I leave." the old woman says with a kind smile. She hugs Aya tenderly before a voice calls for her.


    "Grandma we don''t have all day." Daichi''s voice calls from the modest four-wheel vehicle. Aya on seeing the redhead waves enthusiastically.


    "So good to see you Daichi!" Aya calls.


    The man pokes his head out of the window.


    "Aya is that you!" he asks, the car door slams open as he runs off to see the young lady currently hugging his grandma.


    "It''s been forever! How have you been? Heard you work at Nue Corp now." he says. Aya sighs deeply.


    "Ugh don''t remind me, it''s nothing special I just work in the mail room." she says, oddly enough Daichi seems impressed by her words.


    "You know I used to be a janitor there." Daichi says with a kind smile.


    "For real?"


    The man replies with a nod and a smile.


    "Now look at me, moving outta this dump of a city, you should come too if you can Aya, plenty of opportunities in Mericross city."


    Aya''s head drops.


    "I would love to but I don''t have the money to move to a city like that." she says.


    Daichi nods.


    "There are other ways to make money." he says. "You''ve heard of Moon Valley?"


    Aya nods vigorously.


    "Yeah, I just got it working yesterday thanks to your old PacBook." Aya says laughing.


    "Grandma told me she gave it to you, I''m glad it''s in good hands. Play your cards right with that game and you''ll make more than you think." he says.


    Aya nods, taking his words to heart.


    The moving men soon call for Daichi and his grandmother. The old lady hurries along while Daichi takes a moment to bid Aya farewell.


    "Hope to see you in Mericross soon, Aya." he says one last time before he''s off. Aya stays at the apartment entrance to watch the cars drive away as she waves to them.


    "Play my cards right huh, well you got it Daichi."


    ----------


    Heading up to her apartment Aya only has one thing on her mind, Moon Valley, she would try her best to make the most out of it.


    If the game could really guarantee a source of income she was willing to try.


    And then maybe one day she''d build her own company, something that could save Axen.


    Just like her mom would have.


    Walking into her apartment Aya hangs her backpack up and walks over to her desk to start the laptop. She sits, opening the game to hear a familiar and melodious chime.


    "Welcome to Moon Valley."


    [Login?]


    [Yes/No]


    She moves her mouse, hovering over the answer.


    Game Start.

 005~First Quest

    Aya''s character Yvlena loads to greet her in the world of Moon Valley. The elf runs around, moving past other players and NPCs as she does. The AI was so impressive she could barely distinguish the two, her only means of telling apart the other players were the name tags that circled above their heads like an indicator.


    The NPCs had no such thing even as they converse with other players, it all felt so lifelike. To think technology had progressed so far.


    "This game is incredible." Aya says smiling as she gets cozy to play some more. Her little elf runs all around the idyllic town before she realizes she doesn''t know where she''s going.


    "I wonder where I should go, Bloom Haven is only a starting town after all. Maybe I should get some Items?" Aya says to no one in particular. Pretty soon a message pops up on screen getting her attention.


    [Newbie starter kit]


    [Open?]


    [Yes/No]


    "Let''s see what we have here." Aya says clicking on the box that appeared to be a wooden chest. The wooden chest opens with a chime and a pop revealing the items Aya had acquired for logging in for the day.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Cotton Tunic x1


    Magic ring x1


    leather boots x1


    Starter Sword x1


    ***


    Health Potion x5


    Mana Potion x5


    ***


    Moon Points x1000


    Moon Gems x50


    Gold x10]


    [Login tomorrow for another bonus!]


    Aya grins. After some trouble quipping all her items she checks her stats again to see if the equipment improved them even a bit so she could start searching for quests.


    [STR]:15


    [DEF]:9


    [DEX]:14


    [AGI]:12


    [INT]:13


    [WIS]:10


    [CHA]:5


    [LUK]:5


    Continuing to move through the town she finds herself in the small trading area of the small town.


    All around her, the sounds of merchants invite her to come take a look at their various wares, from weapons to armor and the like. Aya approaches the first shop she sees. Observing its brick and wooden structure, she could tell this was one of the equipment shops you would see in most rpg games.


    She walks in, pushing the door open and causing the bell above to jingle softly.


    The NPC standing at the flat, dark wooden counter greets her enthusiastically, throwing his hands up in the air at his new customer.


    "Hello." Yvlena says to the tall, plump, dark haired shop keeper. The man greets her back quite happily.


    "Hello there Yvlena." he says using her character''s name. "It''s so nice to have someone in the shop, what can I do for you today."


    From the indicator, she reads his name and status.


    [NAME: Bernard


    RACE: Human


    OCC: Merchant]


    A menu pops up with a chime.


    [Buy/Sell]


    Aya had no Equipment to sell to the man so she clicks the buy menu to see what she would be able to purchase from him.


    ''Maybe better defense for one.'' she thinks.


    The basic items menu comes up but unfortunately, it seems there was nothing for her currently. Aya looks through the staves, swords, wands, and daggers she realizes she would need a class to buy any of these.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Currently, she had none.


    "Is there an in-game player guide or something?" she asks pulling up the status screen, and scrolling through her stats until she reaches the bottom just beneath the log-out option.


    [Help]


    she clicks on it, scrolling through again until finds the information she wanted to know. An animation window pops up.


    "Hello player, so you want to know about classes." the little fairy mascot says fluttering about on her screen.


    "Classes or Occupations are unlocked when your player avatar reaches the prerequisite level. Within Moon Valley that level is 5. You can begin leveling up with your starter weapon just outside your beginner town." the fairy says.


    "Good luck adventurer!" the fairy mascot says, closing out the animation window. Aya nods, thanking Bernard, she leaves the store to find the nearest forest.


    "Come again soon!" Bernard says as she leaves the store.


    Selecting [Map] from the menu, Aya soon pulls up a heads up display showing all the areas available to her within the game, two new areas spring up, Bloom Meadow and Bloom Forest. The girl grins.


    "Leveling up will be easy peasy." she says running through the town again, passing shops and their merchants all the while taking note of which area they were located.


    If she needed more weapons in the future or even merchants to sell more loot to, she knew where they would be.


    Finally reaching the entrance of the town, she''s met with a large 10 foot wooden gate protected by two guard NPCs who stand overlooking the coming and going of the other players and even fellow NPCs.


    The moment she steps towards the gate they turn to face her.


    "Halt, who goes there." The first NPC guard says holding a hand out in front of her.


    "An adventurer?" Yvlena replies, hoping she had given the right answer. The guard looks her up and down then after noticing her starter sword lets her through the great wooden gates


    "Good luck out there." the second NPC guard says to her. Aya from then on wonders how hard it could really be to kill some in-game enemies.


    Walking forward, her system tells her that she was now standing within the Bloom Meadow. Suddenly a window pops up to give her some info.


    [Congratulations on reaching the starter Meadows within in your area, you are about to encounter some common enemies.]


    [Would you like some assistance?]


    [Yes/No]


    Aya clicks the yes button allowing the AI to guide her on the first steps of the battle. A horned rabbit appears before her character ready to attack.


    [Press X to attack] Aya does so jumping at the creature and dealing damage to it. The rabbit leaps at her dealing -2 damage to Yvlena, the elf blocks the attack while the rabbit leaps back into starting position.


    [PC battles are carried out with a turn-based system, VR battles are real time]


    Aya takes note of that, wondering when she would be able to fix the Icarus gear. It would be so fun to play in this world and feel like she was really in it. But for now, her computer would suffice.


    Aya persists, defeating the rabbit with ease.


    [Congratulations, you have completed the tutorial]


    Aya releases a sigh of relief, raising her arms above her head to stretch and crack her back from sitting so long.


    "That wasn''t so bad." she says, moving her mouse to continue on in the field. A screen pops up on her computer.


    [Basic Quest


    Defeat


    Horned Rabbit x5


    ***


    Rewards


    Moon Points x500


    EXP x50


    Bronze chest]


    Aya gasps, reading the information on screen, her first quest and it seemed pretty easy too! All she needed to do was find some more Horned rabbits and she had no doubt they would be in the meadow.


    Yvlena walks through the grass plains of the meadow until she finally encounters another horned rabbit. On seeing her the creature moves to attack swiftly, headbutting Yvlena and causing -3 damage.


    "Grrr, oh no you don''t!" Aya says, pressing the attack button and taking down the enemy with ease.


    [Horned Rabbit 1/5] the screen says. Aya nods, impressed with herself, this was her first time with an MMORPG and she didn''t think she was doing too badly.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP:5/30


    ***


    Rabbit Fur x1


    Rabbit Meat x3


    ***


    Moon Points:10]


    ''I''ll be a top player in no time.'' she thinks, scouring the meadow for more horned rabbits. She spots two and quickly runs up to them before they could attack her first. Within moments both Horned rabbits go down to her sword.


    [Horned Rabbit 3/5]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP:15/30


    ***


    Rabbit Fur x2


    Rabbit Meat x7


    ***


    Moon Points:20]


    "I''m almost done with the quest." Aya mutters, wondering what would be in the bronze chest after she had completed it.


    The newbie starter kit had helped a lot, so a bronze chest would definitely have something out of value. Aya continues her rabbit hunting, spotting two more rabbits in the meadow and attacking first.


    Her starter sword wipes them out with ease granting her more loot.


    [Horned Rabbit 5/5]


    [Basic Quest


    Defeat


    Horned Rabbit x5


    ***


    Rewards


    Moon Points x500


    EXP x50


    Bronze chest


    ***


    Quest Complete]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP:30/30


    ***


    Rabbit Fur x2


    Rabbit Meat x7


    ***


    Moon Points:20]


    [Yvlena is now Level 2]


    NAME: YVLENA


    RACE: ELF


    HP:120


    MP:70


    CLASS:????


    [LVL: 2]


    [EXP:50/70]


    [Base Stats]


    [STR]:12


    [DEF]:7


    [DEX]:14


    [AGI]:14


    [INT]:11


    [WIS]:11


    [CHA]:6


    [LUK]:6


    Resting her back against the chair, Aya checks her phone, Her eyes widen at the sight of the time 1:22 am. She sits for a moment in shock, and without bothering to check her inventory or items she quickly logs out cursing as she let the time escape her while playing.


    "I have to be careful while playing, the game sucked the time away from me. How did four hours just disappear?" she asks herself as she goes around switching off the light in her tiny apartment. She jumps into bed, pulling the covers over her head and closing her eyes.


    Though she tries to fall asleep, a smile grows across her face at the victory of her first quest, albeit a basic one.


    She couldn''t wait to check her inventory tomorrow, the bronze box would surely have something good for her.


    Right now all Aya wanted to do was focus on sleeping, but her eyes continued to drift toward the PacBook, tempting her to play. She bites her lip, turns over in her bed, and forces herself to face the other side of her apartment wall.


    "I''ll play tomorrow, I have work in the morning," she tells herself, despite that her mind persists but Aya is determined to call it a night. Eventually, the girl falls asleep, dreaming of the lush plains of Bloom Meadow.


    ----------


    Else where a mysterious occurrence had begun. Within the dusty halls of Lumos Incorporated''s archive, a single computer comes on. The screen lights up much to the interest of the only archive keeper within the room


    "Odd." the attendant on duty says. Dragging his creaky office chair towards the dusty desk and leaning forward to inspect the device. A system prompt launches allowing a series of programs to run before the man''s eyes.


    He let it play, knowing it was futile to stop it, this device had not come on for 13 years and only now did it begin loading data.


    Soon the text disappears, leaving only one message on screen.


    [Yvlena Protocol Engaged]

 006~Memories of the Past (1)

    Aya wakes to the disruptive blaring of her alarm clock going off at its usual time, she hurries out of bed nearly tripping over the covers as she scrambles to hop into the shower and prepare for her day.


    "It''s a miracle I didn''t oversleep." she says yawning tiredly, today was about to be another long day and she had no doubt she would be tired from how late she''d slept the night before.


    "Oddly enough I don''t regret it, the game felt so real. I can only wonder what it''ll be like when I finally fix up the Icarus gear." she says, pulling the sleeves of her uniform on. She meets the eyes of her reflection, taking in her tired eyes and slouching figure.


    ''I really need more sleep.'' she thinks, placing on her hat and retrieving her backpack from the entrance hook.


    Running out the door, she locks her apartment just in time to bump into the landlady her aunt. The woman sneers, walking up the old stairs to her own floor.


    Aya shakes her head, exhaling through her nostrils at the woman''s behavior. Aya''s family life had always been complicated, from her missing parents to her ailing grandmother.


    The only person she truly had left was her aunty who''d given her a place to stay in this crumbling apartment, but from the start, it was clear the woman hated her guts.


    She remembers her arrival like it was yesterday.


    ----------


    An 18 year old Aya watches helplessly as the large apartment building she was now to call home, grows closer and closer with every second that passes. She looks beside her to Mr. Fido, a friend of her grandmother''s that had taken time out of his day to drive her to the place that was hours away from the old woman''s cottage.


    "Mr. Fido, will my grandma be alright?" Aya asks softly. She notices the man''s grip on the steering wheel become tighter, he frowns at first before quickly turning it to a smile.


    "I''m sure she''ll be fine Aya, but for now you''ll be staying here. Your grandmother and I have taken the liberty of paying for a 6 month''s lease for you."


    "6 months! Will I really be gone that long?" she asks, tearing up at the thought of leaving her grandma alone in her house while she was sick.


    The man sighs, trying to keep his patience with her.


    "Aya, you''re an adult. You have to look after yourself now. Your grandmother can only do so much and her constant worrying about you will only put her in a bad condition." he says patiently.


    Aya thinks over his words, an anxious weight settles in her chest and a thought grows that somehow she was responsible for her grandmother''s condition.


    "Was looking after me really that stressful for her?" she asks Mr. Fido. He shrugs, making a turn that brings them closer to the apartment complex.


    "Ah who knows, but you have to look after yourself now, the only reason the lease is so cheap is because it belongs to your aunt Lydia. She didn''t charge much as a favor to her mother but that doesn''t mean you can live there for free." the man tells her.


    "So I''ll have to get a job and live here all alone?" Aya says nearly sobbing. How could this have happened? First, her parents and now her grandmother would be lost to her. She wipes her tears with the back of her hand, continuing to cry all the way to the driveway of the apartment complex.


    "Now stop that!" Mr. Fido snaps at her, Aya flinches wondering where the change in attitude had come from. She nods hesitantly, opening the car door to find a tall, thin woman staring coldly at her.


    "It''s nice to meet you, ma''am." Aya says reaching out to hug the woman. Lydia, her aunt, raises a single bony finger to stop her.


    "There will be none of that, I may be your blood but you are not my niece, simply another tenant in the building. I may have charged you lower as a favor to my mother but rest assured that will change very soon." the gaunt woman says. Aya''s hands fall limply to her side. All thoughts of bonding with the woman, destroyed.


    "I see." she manages to say, turning back to the car Mr. Fido''s plump body was already moving her meager luggage from his vehicle. He lifts the two suitcases, coming to lay them down at Aya''s feet with a nod of satisfaction.


    "Good luck Aya." He says to her, ignoring the young girl''s heartbroken face. "And don''t worry, I''ll take good care of your grandmother."


    He hugs her one last time, returning to his car. His engine rumbles to life, driving away without another word.


    Now it was just Aya and Lydia.


    "Follow me." the woman says, already making her way into the apartment complex. Aya has no choice but to lift the two suitcases by herself and rush into the building with the older woman.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    The stairs squeak as Aya lays her foot down, on the aged structure. Soon they reach the fourth floor. Still following her aunt, Aya finds herself in front of a nearly rotted wooden door with a faded plaque reading ''443.''


    She wonders how the door was still standing considering its age and its obvious terrible condition


    Lydia digs out a key ring from her pocket. She takes one key and slots it into the keyhole, she twists until the door unlocks with a shrill creak. Lydia shoves Aya inside, making the girl lose her footing and nearly hit the ground.


    "This is your apartment." Lydia says, she plucks the key off the ring and tosses it at Aya. "There''s your key, guard it with your life there are no spares." without another word the cold woman is gone, leaving Aya alone in the room.


    Aya follows the woman into the hallway.


    "Please Aunt Lydia, this is all happening too fast, what''s going on? And why do I have to live here?" Aya asks desperately trying to understand her new situation. The woman turns around, pinning Aya with a cold look. She huffs.


    "Life comes at you fast kid, grow up and get used to it." she says spitting the words as though they were poison.


    Aya cries, unable to hide the hurt feelings swelling within her.


    "Please you''re the only one I have now, I can''t do this alone." Aya begs, in a fit of desperation she grabs unto the woman''s arm, continuing to plead. Aunt Lydia stares down at the young woman, smirking at the girl''s distress.


    "As I said, grow up and get used to it." she wrenches her arm away from the girl''s needy grip, ignoring Aya''s crushed expression.


    With a loud cackle, Lydia walks up the stairs to her own apartment complex above Aya''s.


    Aya stands in the hallway, dazed at the situation she''d found herself in. Without her consent, she had been packed up and moved to a city Mr. Fido told her, her mother used to live in. But now she was here, in a poorly kept, cheap apartment in what she assumed was the worst side of the city.


    "Grow up and get used to it." Lydia had said. But this couldn''t be what growing up meant. This couldn''t be the world her mother and father loved so much.


    Aya gathers the strength to walk back to her apartment.


    "Wow, what a dump!" Aya says balling her fists at the condition the building was left in. Upon laying her eyes on the cracked walls and rotten floorboards, Aya is overcome with the urge to scream. Bugs scuttle around her feet, making her jump back in fear from the size of the creatures.


    "I''m going to be living here?" she says to no one in particular. Dejectedly, she clears a spot on the floor and sits on her suitcase.


    "Hey at least I''m not living in a box under a bridge." she says with a smile. "I just have to hang in there, isn''t that what grandma always said."


    ----------


    Aya shakes her head out of the flashback, hard to believe that was only two years ago and just as Aunt Lydia had said, her rent got higher and higher. The only places hiring back then were fast-food restaurants and low-level corporate positions.


    Working at Nue Corp''s mail room wasn''t a dream but it paid the bills.


    Aya dismounts the bus, taking her usual route towards the back entrance of the office where she would enter directly into the mail room.


    "You look awful." Her boss says the moment she walks through the door. Aya winces.


    "Geez, good morning to you too, sir." she replies dryly, ready to collect her batch of mail and start the usual delivery process. While retrieving her trolley she happens to glance at the newspaper her boss peruses while he annoys the hell out of her. Smoking while reading the paper?


    ''Talk about a fire hazard.'' Aya thinks, though the newspaper catches her interest.


    ''New MMORPG confirmed a huge success by CEO.'' The headline reads.


    ''They must be talking about Moon Valley.'' Aya thinks as she loads her trolley into the elevator, making her rounds from the ground floor to the top floor.


    ----------


    On her way to the top a figure approaches her, getting into the elevator with her, Aya recognizes him as the man from before who had defended her from Viviana.


    The President of Nue Corp.


    "Good morning!" she greets cheerfully, the tall, handsome figure looks up from his phone toward the voice addressing him.


    "Well you''re certainly chipper this morning," He grins at her. "Good morning."


    "Thank you for defending me back there, Viviana''s always on my case." Aya says with a laugh. The man narrows his eyes.


    "Is that so?" he asks with an edge to his voice. "So she''s usually that rude to other staff?"


    Aya takes a moment to think of all the times Viviana had snapped at other less important staff. Whether it was delivering messages or speaking to the other managers the woman was always rude.


    "Very rude." Aya says. The man lifts his brow already thinking up a way to reprimand his secretary.


    "Thank you for telling me this Ms. ?"


    "Aya, Aya Brown." Aya replies, shaking the hand he holds for her to take.


    "Atlas, Atlas Nue." he replies with a dashing smile, Aya''s face reddens, blushing from the sight of the man''s handsome smile and piercing gaze.


    "You''ve got a strong grip, must be from moving this trolley around." he says, grabbing the trolley handle and only barely managing to move it an inch. "A pencil pusher like me would probably keel over if I had your job for a day."


    "I''m sure that''s not true sir." Aya says laughing.


    "Please, call me Atlas, sir makes me feel old!" he whines.


    The top floor elevator opens to the sight of the company president and the mail room girl laughing. Viviana can not believe her eyes.


    Her beloved president and that commoner scum. She immediately approaches them, the sound of designer heels clacking on the tiled floor alerts them to Viviana''s approach.


    "Mr. President," she begins in a sweet tone, recalling her outward display toward Aya had earned her a stern talking to. "You have an 11:00 am meeting scheduled with the CEO of Lumos Incorporated." she shows him his schedule to which he nods.


    "It was a pleasure meeting you again, Aya Brown. Glad it was during a less stressful...situation." Atlas says walking towards his office. Aya packs up the mail meant for his floor and hands it to Vivian who snatches it out of her hand with fury.


    "You!" she growls, jabbing a manicured finger into Aya''s shoulder. "You think you can just cozy up to the president? No amount of mingling will ever help you crawl out of the bottom where you belong."


    Aya folds her arms glaring. It could have been the exhaustion from staying up late to play games but Aya was short on patience but full of snark.


    "And you think you''re someone that belongs at the top? You wear nice clothes and pretty shoes but that can''t hide an attitude that comes from the dump." Aya spits back. Viviana pauses, processing Aya''s words. She stammers, trying to find a comeback with as much acid as Aya''s but she can''t.


    "Have a nice day." Aya says, pulling her trolley back unto the elevator and pushing the button for the ground floor. Viviana watches her, speechless and for a brief moment, Aya could swear the older woman was almost apologetic.


    Almost.


    "Geez I slay a couple monsters in a game and suddenly I''ve got Yvlena''s charisma." Aya giggles to herself. She leaves the elevator with her head held high, putting the trolley back in its appropriate place.


    Taking a seat she notices her boss was not in the mail room with her, moving over to his desk she picks the newspaper up to read the article she''d seen earlier. Her eyes scan the pages, reading through the article as fast as she can.


    The newspaper details the current revenue Moon Valley had attained within a few weeks of its launch hitting more than a hundred thousand players within its first month and surpassing all initial predictions. The game had not been slow to catch on at all.


    Aya nods, impressed by the numbers as well, but that also meant that there were tons of people ahead of her.


    "I''m only playing for fun and maybe a little profit." she says to herself.


    She continues reading, finding a minor headline about a man who had already made up to 10,000 Lue playing the game.


    "Ten thousand!!! I could buy a one bedroom in this city with that amount of cash! How did he do it?" she continues to read but unfortunately, the article provides no details. After all who would let the secret slip?


    "It must be online somewhere, maybe if I investigate I could at least find a start."


    "What are you doing at my desk?" the gruff voice of her boss asks.


    "Nothing!" Aya squeaks, frantically stuffing the newspaper back unto the desk and then whipping around to face her boss. The man''s accusatory expression does nothing to quell her anxieties.


    The man sighs returning to his table and lighting another cigarette. He takes a long puff, blowing smoke up in the air. He stares at her, saying nothing.


    Nervous beads of sweat form on Aya''s forehead, on sensing her unease he waves her off. Aya exhales a breath of relief, she excuses herself, returning to her corner to check her phone and plan her next course of action, within the game and outside of it.


    All in All, she needed a plan.

 007~Class Quest (1)

    Aya bites her lip thinking she would be able to do more research into the world of Moon Valley, all she knew so far was there was money to be made here and it was an MMORPG.


    "I remember the app had an earnings tab." Aya says, getting an idea, she opens up the Moon Valley companion app to check the earnings tab.


    Quickly pulling open the Moon Valley companion app, she first checks her current items


    Tapping a bit she scans the list.


    [Current Items]


    [Equipment]


    [Food]


    [Crafting]


    [Items]


    [See all]


    Hitting the see all button she sees her loot organized into categories for easy viewing.


    [Cotton Tunic x1


    Magic ring x1


    Leather boot x1


    Starter Sword x1


    ***


    Rabbit fur x5


    Rabbit meat x17


    ***


    Health Potion x5


    Mana Potion x5]


    Moving on to the earnings tab she takes note of the in-game currency she had so far.


    [Moon Points: 1550


    Moon Gems: 50


    Gold: 10]


    On noticing the Gold button was highlighted, she clicks it to see what would happen.


    [Convert Gold?]


    (Minimum 5 Gold)


    [Yes/No]


    It asks her, Aya''s eyes widen, she searches for the help screen and clicks on the button, inciting an animation screen to pop up.


    "Low on cash? We''ve got you covered! Exchange in-game currency for real money. This allows you, dear player, to make money while giving Lumos inc a cut." the fairy on screen says.


    "Please note that only Gold may be exchanged, terms and conditions apply."


    Aya''s face falls a bit a bit at the news, she thought she would be able to convert her Moon Points since she had acquired so many of them.


    "So that''s why they gave me more Moon Points than Gold." she mutters. Moving on she clicks the next animation with the topic: Auction house.


    "Hello again." The tutorial fairy greets her. "Did you know Moon Valley has an in-game auction house?" the fairy giggles.


    "No, I did not." Aya says, she''d heard the term auction house before but only among the very upper echelons of society. It was apparently some fancy place where they sold expensive things or whatever.


    "Sell crafted and rare items from adventuring and or production to other players for Gold!"


    A demonstration appears on screen, Aya watches a legendary piece of equipment be sold off, she then watches a crafted food item be auctioned off as well.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Hang on, you can even cook in this game?" Once the animation stops, Aya puts her hand to her chin deep in thought. Deciding to try out the conversion feature she clicks the Gold on the app tab


    [Convert Gold?]


    (Minimum 5 Gold)


    [Yes/No]


    Aya gulps, testing out this feature would lead her to sacrifice half the gold the game gifted her. Closing her eyes she clicks the yes button and the app asks her for a digital wallet and password, she enters it.


    [You will incur a 25% Transaction fee]


    Aya groaned, hitting yes. It doesn''t take a moment for 31.08 Lu to hit her account. Aya gasps, so loudly her boss growls at her.


    Giving a nervous laugh she smiles sheepishly and points to a bare wall.


    "Sorry I thought I saw a spider." she says. The man shakes his head, going back to reading the newspaper.


    31.08 Lue was enough to get her a dinner at some of the higher end restaurants in the city! And she just made that for Free!


    "This is more than I make in an hour!" Aya whispers, resisting the urge to convert the rest of her Gold, Aya''s mind begins whirling.


    This would mean she could craft items in-game and auction them off one by one, her stats didn''t make her feel super confident about being an adventurer anyway.


    "Let me see if there are any forums that can help me." she says, she opens her web browser and searches for a Moon Valley forum. It doesn''t take long for dozens of forums to show up on her phone screen.


    Reading through each, she clicks on the one hosted by the Moon Valley website.


    Within the pages of the forums, she could see dozens of topics about the best equipable items and potions take. Moving on she scrolls and scrolls until she finds something about food.


    "Ugh food is so hard to make, no wonder they sell for crazy on the auction portal." an annoyed user of the forum types


    "What? But I made bread and only got a few measly Moon Points for it."


    "Of course you did, the food that sells for crazy amounts have stat buffs and make you resistant to certain types of damage. You can''t just peddle any old bread lol." another user replies.


    Aya pauses, taking note of this information, she clicks off and continues to read the rest of the forum, she finds another title


    ''Why are crafting items so difficult to find in this game?" a user asks.


    "Buy my guidebook, I was a beta tester."


    "Ew no thanks." another user replies, causing Aya to laugh a tiny bit. Gotta respect the hustle though.


    "Geez."


    "It''s because no one wants to share their secret foraging spots, and merchant classes, both NPC and players charge for it." another user replies.


    "Damn production classes! Some of us just want to play the game!"


    "Suck it up."


    After her foray into the forums, Aya finds there are two ways to play the game. Adventurer and Production or Crafter.


    The adventurers had guilds to which the production classes crafted and sold items to. It was much harder to become a production based player as those subclasses were gotten through quests. Aya kept that in mind too, suddenly growing nervous.


    "I hope my luck will see me through." she says to herself. Aya figures if she got a class in the game that would allow her to craft often she would be fine.


    "Is this what Daichi meant?" she wonders, closing off the forums and heading back to the app. The final tab that had previously been locked was open now. It was the auction house tab, with a simple interface that would allow her to select an item from her inventory to put on auction.


    ''I guess it opened when I watched the animations.'' she thinks.


    As a test, she places two of her rabbit meat on sale at the auction and closes the app. She exhales, at this point, she was just waiting for the office to close so she would be able to game.


    Moon Valley could actually be her way out of Axen City. There was nothing for her here and she had no one except her hag aunt.


    Unfortunately shortly after she moved to Axen, her grandmother had passed so Aya had to look after herself. There was no word from Mr. Fido after that.


    ''I don''t even know what happened to grandma''s stuff.'' Aya thinks.


    "You''ve been on your phone all day, is there a special someone I should know about?" the boss asks. Aya squeaks, face heating up at the thought of chatting with a significant other.


    "N-No!" she stammers. The older man laughs. Aya frowns, suddenly becoming grumpy from his prank on her.


    ''Can the clock hit five already!'' she whines.


    ----------


    Work closes again with little commotion and all Aya could think about was heading back to her small apartment to play the game and apply all she''d learned from the forum.


    Hearing her phone beep on the bus, she''s surprised to see her rabbit meat had sold for 100 Moon Points. Aya remembers she didn''t even set a price for it since it was just an item she''d gotten the other day.


    ''Well, I hope whoever got it enjoys their purchase.'' Aya thinks. The auction tab was interesting, now she just needed to get home and play.


    ----------


    Walking into her apartment she locks her door and showers before slipping into her pajamas to begin playing.


    The theme music plays and soon Aya is back in the realm of the game with her character Yvlena. After checking her items, she notices the box from the quest she did yesterday.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Rabbit fur cloak


    Quartz Ring


    Iron Sword


    ***


    Health Potion x5


    Mana Potion x5


    ***


    Potion Recipe]


    Quickly equipping her new items Aya is surprised to see her Strength stats go up but her agility and dexterity go down. She concludes the sword is too heavy for her character she unequips it and re-equips the starter sword she started with.


    Much better!


    NAME: YVLENA


    RACE: ELF


    HP:120


    MP:70


    CLASS:????


    [LVL: 2]


    [EXP:50/70]


    [STR]:18


    [DEF]:15


    [DEX]:16


    [AGI]:14


    [INT]:11


    [WIS]:10


    [CHA]:6


    [LUK]:8


    Satisfaction is written across her face at her new stats.


    ''Items sure boost you a lot.'' she thinks, Aya notices she appeared outside of the Bloom Meadow once again, the area she had been when she was first starting.


    Excitedly she decides to check Bloom Haven to see if anyone had a quest for her. Once again running towards the gate, the guards greet her as she passes, welcoming her back from adventuring.


    Aya runs around talking to various NPCs, some were nice others were rude, to say the least. One man straight up yells in her face.


    "I hate adventurers!" he proclaims and walks away after glaring harshly at her. Aya''s character slumps in-game, disappointed.


    "What the heck is his problem?" Aya growls. Yvlena stomps her foot on screen and Aya finds it quite interesting how the elf is able to emote her emotions.


    ''Technology is truly wonderful.'' she thinks. Even without the VR headset while playing, Aya felt as though she was within the game. She shrugs it off and chalks it off to good game design but something at the back of her mind tells her there''s something more.


    Just then an old woman approaches her laughing good naturedly.


    "Don''t mind him dear." she says, the screen lets Aya know that the woman''s name is Beatrice. Aya observes the sweet old woman who smiles at her, showing gentle laugh lines and wrinkles that came with age.


    The old woman has a kind face and Aya is hard pressed not to suddenly remember her grandmother.


    Aya interacts with her.


    "What''s his problem?" Aya asks, the old woman waves a hand dismissively, telling Aya not to worry about it.


    "He believes adventurers are simply profiteers, they make no room for the simple life." the old woman explains.


    "I understand." she says.


    "Members of the production classes too." the old woman says. "He just has a lot of feelings about them."


    "To be fair I''m not much of an adventurer myself, I would really like to be a crafter of some sort or grow things." Aya says to NPC, she doesn''t know why but it feels natural conversing with her. Beatrice suddenly gets an inquisitive look on her face, putting a hand to her chin it looks like the woman is considering something.


    "I have a quest for you." She says.

 008~Class Quest (2)

    "A quest?" Aya says listening to the old woman. A quest window pops up, alerting Aya just as the basic quest did the previous day.


    [Beatrice has a quest for you, do you accept?]


    [Yes/No]


    Aya selects the yes button watching as the quest details pop up with more information.


    [Quest


    Beatrice wants you to forage some herbs in bloom forest for her.


    ***


    Rewards


    Health Potion Recipe (Common)


    Roast Rabbit Recipe (Common)


    ????


    ***


    Moon Points x500


    Gold x2


    EXP ????


    ***


    Status: Limited Quest


    Rank: D]


    Aya wonders what the missing space could be but quickly forgets about it when she notices the two gold. Knowing how valuable it was, it surprises her to see it included in a quest that seems so beginner like. Another thing that caught her attention was the fact that this was a limited quest. A beginner area like Bloom Haven should have been cleared out by now.


    Deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth, she hits the final confirmation button making Beatrice clap her hands in glee.


    "Wonderful!" The old woman says. "Ever since my daughter left, no one has come by to help me pick herbs." Beatrice explains. Aya nods in understanding, she can''t help but remember her frail old grandmother she loved so much.


    "Of course, I''ll help." Aya says. She opens the current quest tab again to read the instructs and finds that the description has changed to give more information about the NPC.


    [Beatrice the herbalist is in need of some common herbs from the Bloom Forest, you will need to venture deeper into the forest to get these herbs]


    Aya closes the tab.


    "I think I can handle it no problem. Where is Bloom Forest though?" She asks, as far as she knew Bloom Meadow mostly had horned rabbits so she figures she would be fine if the area was similar.


    "It''s just past the Bloom Meadow dear." Beatrice replies. Aya nods.


    "I''ll be back with your herbs soon Beatrice."


    The old woman claps her hands again, glad to finally have some help around the area.


    "I really appreciate it, my girl. Be safe out there." She says. Aya''s character nods. After bidding the woman farewell she runs towards the large entrance gates, greeting the guards as she does. Once again Aya finds herself in the Bloom Meadow.


    On checking the quest one more time she begins her walk trying to find the new area.


    "It''s probably going to have new enemies." She says, walking through the lush green grass of the meadow. While walking Aya decides to take a moment to observe the beauty of the game.


    Just like in real life, a gentle breeze flows through the area, ruffling the tall green grass and shaking butterflies into the air, around her little creatures scampered about while a bright blue spring sky soared above her. It was easy to see how much love and effort was put into the game, it all felt so life like even through a screen.


    Her peace is interrupted when she''s suddenly attacked by two horned rabbits she dispatches with ease.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Hm, this is getting easier." She says, watching Yvlena sheath her sword. She carries on, encountering a few more rabbit pairs on her way to Bloom Forest.


    [Yvlena is now level 3]


    The game tells her, Aya takes note of her increased strength and health points before closing the status window and moving on. After walking through a darker path Aya suddenly finds herself in a new area surrounded by tall trees which blocked out the sun with a thick canopy of emerald leaves, small streams of sunshine flow in through some patches in the leaves.


    The title lets Aya know she''s in Bloom Forest.


    "Wow, it''s so beautiful here." Aya says running deeper into the forest. Two rabbits assail her and Aya prepares to fight, she notices something different about these particular horned rabbits which causes her to pause and deeply examine them. Rather than white fur and a single horn atop their head like in the Bloom Meadow, these rabbits had grey fur and two horns putting them at a higher level than the previous ones she''d encountered.


    The rabbits attack together, causing 12 damage to Aya''s HP.


    "What! Come on, just from those small rabbits?!" Aya growls, she grows nervous, biting her lip as she weighs her option. All of a sudden the enemy seemed so strong.


    "Should I go back to the meadow and level up?" She says to herself. Unfortunately, she didn''t have the skills of higher level adventurers who were able to discern a creature''s level by looking at it, Aya could only guess they were about her level or a little higher.


    Deciding to continue on she attacks, doing 11 damage to the rabbit to the enemy, unfortunately, she doesn''t manage to kill it. The two rabbits attack again this time causing 13 damage to Aya''s character.


    Aya who''s determined not to lose here, attacks again, hitting the same rabbit she previously dealt damage to. It dissolves into particles. The last rabbit casts a spell


    [Horned Rabbit cast Carrot Shot]


    The spell hits, doing 5 damage. Aya slashes again, landing a critical hit and one shotting the horned rabbit. It dissolves into particles and Aya can finally collect her reward.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 50/110


    ***


    Rabbit Fur x2


    Rabbit Hyde x2


    Rabbit Meat x7


    Carrot x1


    ***


    Moon Point x50]


    "Carrot? Well I guess that makes sense, they''re rabbits after all. I guess combined with meat I could make some sort of stew." Aya says. Checking her stats she finds that her HP had fallen. The rabbits had done a total of -30 to her and she would have to find a way to heal before she would be able to continue on with this tough quest.


    "I guess the damage was worth it for the experience points, I could probably hit level 5 by the end of this quest." She says


    [Use Potion?]


    (20 HP will be restored)


    [Yes/No]


    Aya selects yes watching her health rise back up, the potion didn''t fill it up completely but it was enough for now.


    Pressing on with the quest, she continues her journey when suddenly she''s attacked again by a new enemy. Recognizing the canine-like appearance and orange fur.


    "A fox!"


    The creature doesn''t give her any time to think and attacks with force causing Aya to yelp and nearly jump out of her seat in fright at the sudden movement. The fox was fast, way faster than she expected from a beginner area. It deals 8 damage causing Aya to panic.


    "This is so much harder than the meadow!" She laments. Steeling her resolve she attacks it head on, wanting to clear the enemy and get the EXP so she would be able to progress.


    To her surprise she lands another critical hit, slaying the fox in one go.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 68/110


    ***


    Fox Pelt x1


    Fire Stone (Low grade) x2


    Fox Tail (Herb) x2


    Fox Glove (Herb) x2


    ***


    Moon Points x100]


    "Look at this loot!" Aya says reading through it.


    Another window pops up.


    [Herbs Gathered


    Fox Tail: 2/5


    Bloom Lilies: 0/5


    Star Root: 0/5


    Luna Orchid: 0/5]


    "The quest window? If only there was a way to know where to get each herb." She says. While walking through the forest once more she suddenly notices a glowing thicket of brightly colored flowers, Aya approach cautiously in case any enemies stood nearby.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Common Spice (Herb) x2


    Fox Glove (Herb) x2


    Fox Tail (Herb) x2]


    "Fox tail is the easiest out of the bunch I guess." Aya says. The Herb quest window pops up again to tell her she had almost finished collecting all the Fox Tail required for the quest. "Now if only I can find the others." She grumbles.


    Opening up the help menu, Aya looks for a guide to assist her with the task at hand. She clicks on the crafting section prompting an animation to play.


    "Hello and welcome to the crafting guide, crafted items are a huge part of the Moon Valley experience. Items, recipes, and ingredients for crafting can be gotten from Chests, Foraging, and Monster drops! With these, you can fulfill quests and even create items for later use or sell them in our auction house. The possibilities are endless." The animation ends, leaving Aya with more questions.


    She clicks on the Foraging guide.


    "Foraging: gather resources and crafting materials from the wild. This is a general skill but only certain classes can truly make the most of it. Crafting/Production sub classes are able to unlock a Foraging skill tree that allows them to take their observation and appraisal to the next level." The guide says.


    "Are you kidding me, that didn''t answer any of my questions." Aya says growing annoyed with how vague the instructions were.


    "Although difficult on PC, you can walk your character up to plants and try to pick them, one can also get special items to assist."


    "They are shilling this VR to no end." Aya says quirking her lips in amusement. With the animation done Aya decides to try out the instructions given.


    "So I just walk up to a plant?" She says, doing as the guide instructed. She notices a bush of flowers and immediately walks up to it. Her character Forages through and returns with a bunch of herbs for her.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Fox Tail (Herb) x2


    Luna Orchid (Herb) x2


    Bloom Lily (Herb) x2]


    The quest window pops up again and Aya is pleased to see that she''s gotten at least two of the four spots filled.


    "Reminds me of when I used to pick flowers with Mom." She says. The elf girl goes around inspecting all the bushes she can find until she completed the Luna Orchids. Wondering where the rest of the flowers on the list were she then recalls she had to actually fight some monsters before she would be able to get some more things.


    "Ugh, I wish someone could do the fighting for me while I picked the herbs." She says. "I''ll look up some classes tomorrow maybe there''s a class like that." With her stats, Aya didn''t consider herself the strongest fighter but somehow she was managing.


    "Just like in real life, I suppose. I should at least try to become powerful in a game if I can''t do it out here." She laughs a bit, moving her character to search out some monsters for her to battle. It doesn''t take long for her to encounter the same rabbits as before.


    After beating them and two foxes, Aya receives another level up screen.


    [Yvlena is now Level 4]


    "I knew I would level up again." She checks her stats as usual and finds herself stronger both within the game and as she sits at her table playing. Leveling up reinvigorates her too.


    "It''s a bit strange, I feel so connected to Yvlena." Aya says. Checking the time she notices it''s 11:30 pm, late enough that she feels the aches from work begin to affect her.


    "I''ll finish the quest tomorrow." She decides.


    Aya yawns, lifting her hands above for a deep stretch. Her shoulders pop, relieving some of the aches she had picked up from work and slouching in front of her computer.


    Logging off, she shuts down the PacBook, closes the lid, and rises from the table to climb into her bed.


    Hopefully, she would get a good night''s rest

 009~Memories of the Past (2)

    The next morning Aya pulls the blanket off herself more rested than she was the previous day when she stayed up late.


    "At least I''m not going to be as sleepy as I was last time." she says eating a bowl of cereal as her only breakfast. She shakes the box a bit noticing she was almost out of it. "Hm I''ll have to buy more, Lucky I converted that Gold."


    As usual, she takes her backpack off the hook and hangs it on her shoulders.


    "Ready to go!" she says, flashing herself a smile in the mirror and running out the door.


    The girl flies down the stairs, hurrying to get down and catch the bus before it would leave her behind. She doesn''t notice the figure approaching her when suddenly she crashes into another young woman.


    Aya falls back, the dusty hallway floor hard enough to kick up a cloud of dust. The other girl falls too, her items go with her, scattering all over the ground with a crash.


    "Oh my God, I''m so, so sorry." Aya says rushing over to help the girl gather her things.


    "Why don''t you watch where you''re going next time!" the girl snaps, snatching the box out of Aya''s hands and muttering as she goes.


    Aya''s eyes dart between the stairs and the girl''s retreating back. She hesitates, stuck between heading down the steps and wanting to follow the young lady to apologize, but the clock is ticking and she can''t be late for work.


    "I''ll make it up to you." She calls after the young woman. The girl is surprised but only gives a huff as she heads back to her own apartment.


    Aya had never seen her before and concluded she must have been a new resident.


    Aya doesn''t have time to think about it before she runs again, her feet pound on the pavement, her heart races as she runs to catch up with the bus just as it''s about to drive away.


    Approaching the bus stop as fast as she can, Aya nearly screams as her only means of transportation starts its engine, about to pull away from the bus stop.


    "Wait, Wait!" she screams, frantically waving her arms to get the bus driver''s attention. The bus pauses and the driver opens the door so she can get on.


    Aya falls into the bus, panting hard at all the work it took to run from the apartment to the bus stop.


    "You made it." the old bus driver says.


    Aya laughs.


    "As if you would want to leave behind your favorite passenger."


    "My only passenger from here." the bus driver retorts good naturedly, the two share a laugh and Aya walks to her usual seat to enjoy the bus ride.


    ----------


    "You''re looking frazzled this morning." Aya''s boss says the moment she walks through the door. He looks her up and down. "You sure you don''t have a boyfriend?"


    "Sir! I nearly missed the bus that''s all!" Aya says growing red at hr boss'' embarrassing words.


    "You''re right, you''re right, not in this economy." he says. Aya shakes her head, picking up the mail and putting it on her trolley to begin delivering it to the usual floors.


    "I had a really bad start to the morning if you need to know." she says with a shrug, with a little force she moves the squeaky trolley into the elevator. "Might need some oil for this." Aya says. Her boss laughs.


    "Who''s gonna pay for that?" he asks. Aya rolls her eyes. Why did these people like to act broke?


    ----------


    The office day is the same as ever, Aya delivers the mail only greeted with silence and the occasional snapping. Like the woman, she''s speaking to right now.


    The woman flares her nostrils, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration at the late arrival of her mail.


    "And why wasn''t delivered yesterday?"


    ''And how do you expect me to know that? lady I don''t curate the mail, only deliver it.'' Aya thinks, barely holding back an annoyed expression of her own.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "You''d have to call the mail room floor for urgent delivers ma''am, else they come after Mr. Fitzgerald curates them." she says. The woman huffs, glaring at Aya before waving her off the way one would to a mosquito.


    ''Rude.'' Aya thinks, pushing the trolley on, another worker asks her the same question to which Aya gives a similar response. But unlike the other woman, this woman simply nods, offering Aya a cookie which she accepts


    "Thank you." Aya says, continuing on.


    ''She must be new.'' Aya thinks, there was no way a veteran of Nue Corp would be so hospitable.


    Getting to the top floor a weight settles in her stomach at the thought of encountering Viviana.


    "Why did I say that to her?" Aya mutters, pressing her back against the elevator wall. Beads of sweat roll down her forehead and she suddenly remembers the first time Viviana met.


    ----------


    A young Aya starts her first day at Nue Corp''s mail room, pushing her trolley along she greets an older man.


    "Good morning sir, how''s your day going?" she asks, picking up a sheaf of papers. On noticing a family photo on the man''s desk she smiles. "That''s a lovely family." she comments as she hands him the sheaf of papers.


    "Do you always talk this much?" he asks coldly before returning to his work. "Your job is to deliver the mail not make conversation."


    Aya gasps softly under her breath at the way his icy tone cuts right through her. She could only nod and continue pushing her trolley.


    "Maybe he''s just having a bad day." she says trying to comfort herself. Unfortunately, that was not the case the denizens of Nue Corp''s work force all seem irritated, unfriendly, and cold even when Aya tries her very best to remain polite.


    Some yell at her, some laugh in her face but without fail they all continue to be unnecessarily cruel.


    Getting back on the elevator Aya''s lip wobbles, tears sting at her eyes but she wills herself not to cry.


    "Maybe the people on the top floor will be better." she says to herself.


    On getting to the top floor the young lady finds herself blown away by the dazzling opulence of the floor''s design. Freshly waxed tile floors so clear she could see her own reflection as she pushes the trolly unto it, a dazzling chandelier hangs from the ceiling casting a golden glow that reflects on the floor.


    At the only desk in the vicinity sat one of the most beautiful women Aya had ever seen, long golden hair so luscious it sparkled underneath the light of the chandelier, flawless skin, and a bright pair of eyes.


    The woman''s clothes are nothing to sneeze at either, Aya recognizes her blouse from one of the luxury catalogs she would see while at the bus stop.


    Aya approaches the desk with her trolley, ready to make a good first impression.


    "Good morning miss." Aya says keeping her tone quiet and polite so she wouldn''t offend. Viviana scoffs glancing at Aya and scowling deeply.


    "Did you just address me mail rat?" she asks in the most offended tone. Aya stands, frozen in shock at the woman''s response. What was she supposed to say?


    "Y-Yes? I mean No?" she says trying not to anger Viviana further.


    "Oops." the blonde laughs, knocking the letters out of Aya''s hands. The girl squeaks wondering what warranted such force. All the while Viviana stands smirking.


    "But why?" Aya asks, heart broken.


    "One word from me and you''re gone."


    "I haven''t done anything to you." Aya says in a small voice. Viviana laughs, cackling like a witch straight out of a fairy tale.


    "I don''t need a reason sweetie, I just can, so I will." she says patting Aya''s head condescendingly. Vivian flips her hair over her shoulder and returns to her desk.


    "Now be a dear and pick up those letters you dropped."


    "But I didn''t, I''m not the one who-"


    "Pick up the mail you dropped." Viviana says again narrowing her eyes. "Or I have you kicked out for harassment." at her words Aya has no choice but to scramble and pick up the letters as Viviana laughs.


    "You''re such a push over!" the woman snickers. "I guess that''s what happens when you have to worry about money." a cruel smile lines the woman''s lips.


    "Now get out, before I actually decide to call security." Viviana says dismissing the girl in front of her. "Thanks for the laugh though."


    Aya could only ball her fist and hold back her hurt, humiliated tears. Once back in the privacy of the mail room she sobs, bawling her heart out at the needless cruelty.


    ----------


    Ever since that day, Aya hated everything to do with Viviana. Working at Nue Corp was the bane of her existence but a girl''s gotta eat somehow and Nue Corp was paying more than any fast food place or entry level job Aya would have taken.


    Pulling the trolley through the elevator she picks out the mail and approaches the table. Viviana doesn''t even look at her.


    ''Better that way." Aya thinks as she places the mail down on the table and heads back to the elevator. Just as she''s about to step in Viviana speaks.


    "You''re nothing to me, easily replaceable." she spits.


    "I don''t want to be anything to you." Aya replies with the same nonchalance the other workers would give her. "But I''m not nothing." Aya says, the elevator doors close before she can hear Viviana''s response. Aya wonders if the woman is thinking of another thing to say when they see each other again.


    Her boss is not there when she returns to the mail room. Aya takes the opportunity to rest and check her phone and see what she could find about the play style she was interested in.


    "Hm, long ranged sounds good, or short ranged if I don''t have to be the one throwing the punches." she says.


    ''Players in Moon Valley that don''t fight.'' she types into the search bar. A myriad of results come up with three interesting classes being the focus.


    Summoner


    Beast Master


    Necromancer


    "Necromancer looks so badass!" Aya says but doesn''t know if she would really want to play that. The girl continues to read about them on the forums, looking for tips and tricks as well as the best equipment and accessories for them.


    "I can''t decide! But well they all have their pros and cons but summoner seems to be more my thing."


    Just then her boss walks in with an annoyed expression.


    "Did you say something to the higher ups?" he asks. Aya puts her phone away, sitting in rapt attention.


    "No sir." She says. "Viviana was rude as usual but I didn''t really say anything back." the man nods. Aya''s heart pounds, a heavy weight settles in her chest. The man nods.


    "Forget about it then." he tells her but Aya is only left wondering if Viviana would make good on the threat to get her fired.

 010~Class Quest? (3)

    After the conversation with her boss, Aya spends the rest of the day waiting for someone else to call her about her attitude towards the president''s secretary, even if she explained her history with Viviana it was unlikely the higher-ups would take her side.


    Aya could imagine the woman''s cruel smirking face as she''s forced to quit the job she''s worked for a year, all on the words of someone who didn''t treat others with basic respect.


    Aya''s foot taps and taps on the floor. The girl was unable to sit still, counting down the minutes until the clock hits 5:00 pm so she could leave the office for the day and cool down.


    Nothing happens and Aya is left heaving a sigh of relief once closing time comes around. She picks her bag up and rushes out the door before anyone could say anything to her.


    She walks briskly toward the bus stop, almost running to the Seelim bus once it pulls up to the stop. Getting in, she greets the driver and heads to her seat with an exhale.


    Aya wipes the building sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand and allows herself to sink into the worn cushions of the bus.


    Comfortable as always.


    Aya pulls out her phone, taking her mind off work with some research about the game, opening a web page to read about the pros and cons of each class she had taken interest in.


    "Can I be both an adventurer and a production class?" She asks herself. Her evening routine goes on as usual, greeting the tired men that come on the bus and listening to music until her final stop for the night.


    The bus stops at its usual resting spot and drops Aya off so she could begin the walk to her house all the while the girl stares at her phone, mumbling about the game.


    ----------


    Aya enters the building still staring at the forum page she was reading, unbeknownst to her a figure approaches from the other side of the hallway, sipping on a drink from a nearby fast food place.


    The two collide once more and Aya is shocked to see it''s the same girl from earlier. Brown eyes narrow, glaring hard at Aya whose phone had clattered to the ground from the collision.


    "You know you''re really starting to piss me off." The girl growls. Aya sighs, placing her hands on her hips, the worry and exhaustion from her work day bleed into her voice as she speaks.


    "Look I''m sorry about this morning, I was trying to catch the bus and I wasn''t looking where I was going. You look new around here, maybe I can help you unpack or something as an apology."


    The girl standing opposite her, sips loudly from her plastic cup, taking a long moment before she replies.


    "Work eh? Come to think of it, you do look like shit, no offense." The girl says.


    "Hey! I had a hard day alright." Aya protests.


    "It shows." The girl replies with a smirk.


    "I''m Mars." The girl says introducing herself.


    "Aya." She says giving a polite smile in turn.


    "Be a bit more careful when you''re walking, not everyone''s so nice." Mars mumbles, the girl squats down to pick Aya''s phone up, scanning the page and noticing the Moon Valley tabs.


    "You play?" She asks curiously. Aya nods.


    "I just got into it not too long ago."


    "What''s your class?"


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    "Haven''t picked yet, can''t seem to make up my mind." Aya whines. Mars grunts, making an expression Aya can''t read.


    "What''s your play style?"


    "I want something to do the fighting for me." Aya says without much thought. "I''ve been thinking about it since my first quest. But I also want to do Production."


    "Silly girl, production classes are job classes. You get ''em with quests." Mars says.


    Aya gasps, holding her hands to her cheeks in embarrassment, she thought you could only do one or the other.


    Mars smirks.


    "Noob!"


    "Hey!" Aya whines, folding her arms and sticking out her tongue, she finally gets a chuckle out of Mars who thinks she''s cute.


    "You''re lucky you''re cute." Mars says finishing up her drink


    Aya could only laugh, taking a moment to observe the other woman. The girl is a full head taller than her, with dark hair cut asymmetrically in a wolf cut style.


    From head to toe, she wears black starting with a black bomber jacket over a midriff tank top and black sweatpants.


    A simple combination but stylish as well.


    "Let me see your stats." Mars says holding out her hand for Aya''s phone, the girl opens the Moon Valley app and hands it over. Soon Mars is scanning Yvlena''s gear and gauging her abilities.


    "Level 4 already, not bad." Mars says, thinking deeply. "Your stats aren''t the best,"


    "Hey!"


    "Go for summoner." The girl finishes, handing Aya back her phone.


    "But summon stones."


    "You can find them if you grind hard enough, some NPCs also sell em, and of course the auction house."


    Aya grimaces at the thought of having to shell out some of her gold to get a summon.


    "With the right gear, I think you could be very powerful though, go for summoner, easier to get a production subclass with that." Mars says.


    "Really? Why?"


    "Trust me, Beast Master will have you looking over your new pets constantly, necromancer won''t fit your play style as it''s super offensive but summoner is well rounded. You aren''t going to PvP are you?"


    "PvP?" Aya asks, Mars raises an eyebrow, bursting into laughter.


    "You really are new at this." Mars says ruffling Aya''s hair.


    "You have a fire stone too."


    "Oh, yeah I noticed that. What does it do?"


    "Allows non-mage classes to cast spells, it''s pretty rare you should put it on the auction house for 10, 15 Gold."


    "That''s a lot of Gold." Aya says nervously.


    "Trust me on this, if you get a high grade stone it sells for 50 and up." Mars explains. "Where''d you find this anyway."


    "From a fox in Bloom Forest." Aya replies without hesitation, Mars flicks her nose, wagging a finger at her.


    "Don''t just share info like that." The taller girl says. Aya rubs her stinging nose.


    "And yet here you are, giving it to me for free." Aya says with a smirk of her own. Mars throws her head back to laugh heartily.


    "Yeah, I like you a lot, Aya." She says patting the girl on the head one last time before walking away, the sound of her boots on the creaky lobby floor fades as Aya heads up to her own apartment to think over what the girl had said to her.


    Getting back up to her apartment after the run in with Mars, Aya checks the time to see that it''s almost nine.


    A bit later than she usually arrives, but it was worth it to make a new friend and learn some vital information she might not have come across herself.


    As she opens the door, she spends her time putting the fire stone on auction for 15 Gold thinking nothing of it as she hangs her bag on the usual hook.


    While brushing her teeth and changing, Aya takes the time to think about Mars. The girl had obviously been in a bad mood when they met earlier today but now she seemed surprisingly friendly.


    "I wonder what she''s doing in a place like this. She doesn''t look like she belongs here." Aya says to herself. "Maybe she''s just down on her luck."


    Aya cleans up and changes into her PJs so she can begin another round of Moon Valley for the day.


    After logging in she receives another round of Moon Points and potions so she proceeds with her Herb Gathering quest.


    [Herbs Gathered


    Fox Tail: 5/5


    Bloom Lilies: 2/5


    Star Root: 0/5


    Luna Orchid: 5/5]


    "Okay, so I made a ton of progress yesterday." Aya says.


    After some fruitless searching which nets her a few more common spices, 3 Spring Yams, and Fox Tails, Aya gears up to challenge a new enemy.


    "Guess I have no choice but to start attacking." She says moving her character to encounter some creatures.


    She comes across a new enemy type, a pair of creatures shaped like mice but Aya knows they''re dangerous from the look in their eyes. The mice lunge at her, Aya dodges letting them miss.


    A battle begins.


    The two mice barely do any damage against her, missing and missing until Aya deals the final blow.


    "Wow, those guys were weak!" Aya says.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 51/200


    ***


    Star Root (Herb) x2


    Mushroom x2


    ***


    Moon Points x5]


    "The field mice have the Star Root but not much else though, they don''t even give good EXP." Aya says.


    Continuing to search them out, Aya finds two more, one shotting them out of existence before they could even blink.


    With that her Star Root hunt is complete.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 64/200


    ***


    Star Root (Herb) x2


    Mushroom x2


    ***


    Moon Points x10]


    "Let''s see how many herbs I have left, should be just the Bloom Lilies left."


    [Herb Gathered


    Fox Tail: 5/5


    Bloom Lilies: 2/5


    Star Root: 5/5


    Luna Orchid: 5/5]


    "Almost done." Aya says wandering through the beautiful forest, Looking for the rabbits or foxes that would have her final herb. Soon Aya''s character finds herself in a darker area of the forest.


    Bloom Forest L2, The label reads.


    "L2, like level 2!" Aya gulps, the previous area was already pretty challenging before she leveled up to 4, this area seemed like it would be way more difficult.


    The once emerald leaves were now a shade darker and thicker, less light filters through the area and the places once teeming with wildlife go quiet.


    The second level of the Bloom Forest makes her nervous but Aya wanted to finish the quest today. She pressed on looking for any enemies she could fight to give her the herbs.


    "I can''t get stronger if I don''t do this." She tells herself.


    Strangely there are no enemies within the area she walks through, but rather than relieve her it only makes Aya more apprehensive.


    Usually, a fox or two would have strolled by ready for her to attack it but not even a hint of an enemy drew near.


    Soon the forest path stops in front of a dark hole surrounded by woven leaves.


    Aya goes over to interact with it, bending over the leafy, gaping mouth of the opening.


    A pair of glowing, green eyes open in the darkness. Aya backs away but out of the hole, something leaps into the air and lands before her.


    The ground shakes, rattling at the force of the enormous creature.


    It''s a giant, fluffy horned rabbit. The biggest she had encountered so far. The massive beast towers over Yvlena, easily over the size of the tallest trees within the forest.


    [You have encountered Hidden Boss: Horned Rabbit Queen]

 011~Class Quest? (4)

    "Eh, horned rabbit queen?!" Aya says panicking, was she really equipped to face such a boss at this time? It''s not like the game gives her a choice.


    The rabbit lets out a loud roar, leaping into the air and landing in front of Yvlena who barely comes up to the creature''s leg.


    "I hope I don''t die!" Aya says.


    The beast attacks unleashing a shockwave with its large foot, the wave spreads across the forest floor, hitting Yvlena and causing 10 damage to her health.


    "I thought it would be more but I guess I''m stronger now." Aya says unleashing an attack of her own, she hits only doing 10 damage to the horned rabbit queen.


    The creature jumps and soon Aya notices it''s her turn.


    "What but I can''t attack when it''s up in the air. That''s unfair." she checks her inventory to see if any of the herbs can help her. She scans the inventory until she comes across the Fox Tail herb.


    "Fox Tail a common herb in Bloom Forest, Boosts attack by 10% when consumed raw. Used in Cooking, Alchemy, and Crafting. Aya uses it, getting the system message:


    [10% Attack Boost Next 3 Turns]


    The rabbit lands, Yvlena, thanks to her Agility is able to dodge what would have been a devastating attack. The attack misses, giving Aya a chance to attack and cause 15 damage again.


    "That''s better I guess, not by much though." she says.


    [Horned Rabbit Queen Used Carrot Shot]


    "The other Horned Rabbits have used that move before, it wasn''t that strong if I recall." Aya says. The carrot hits causing -20 damage to Aya.


    "-20!" Aya yells. She wonders if she should use a potion or continue to attack. "I''ll be able to withstand a few more hits." Aya attacks again, combined with the attack boost she makes a critical hit of 30 damage.


    The rabbit leaps up into the air and Aya takes the time to down a potion


    [+20 HP]


    The rabbit lands but this time Aya isn''t so lucky. The shockwave hits, doing damage to the girl''s character. Aya throws her hands up in the air, frustrated.


    "I just healed too!"


    she attacks, using the last of her boost to do some damage as well. The rabbit screeches, loud and shrill to the point Aya has to turn down the volume on her computer.


    [Horned Rabbit Queen used Screech, 20% Attack Boost]


    "This is some extinction burst behavior." Aya says with a chuckle, her turn comes again but she''s only able to do a meager amount of damage.


    "I''ll use the boost when the rabbit jumps again." she says, thinking up a plan. She could only hold out for so long but so far she nods her head at her own resilience.


    For someone who didn''t know much about the game, it wasn''t bad.


    The rabbit leaps into the air and Aya takes the time to use the Fox Tail.


    [10% Attack Boost Next 3 Turns]


    The rabbit lands doing another wave of damage to Aya. With one final attack, she slashes, dealing the final blow to the Horned Rabbit Queen. The creature bellows, wailing in defeat as it dissolves into light.


    [Hidden Boss: Horned Rabbit Queen Defeated]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Title: Rabbit Slayer


    +50% damage to Rabbit type enemies


    ***


    Carrot Sword x1


    Carrot Cake(Food) x1 (6 slices)


    Rabbit Queen Crown x1


    Lucky Rabbit''s Foot x1


    ***


    Bloom Lilies x5


    ***


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Moon Stone (High Grade) x1


    Water stone (High Grade) x1


    Rabbit Knight Summon Stone (Rare) x1


    ***


    Moon Points x 5000


    Moon Gems x100]


    "Man look at all this loot!" Aya says going over her computer screen


    [Yvlena is now level 5]


    [Class selection is now open


    Choose Class now?]


    [Yes/No]


    (Can be done later)


    Aya clicks no then pulls up the quest window to double check she had everything she needed.


    [Herbs Gathered


    Fox Tail: 5/5


    Bloom Lilies: 5/5


    Star Root: 5/5


    Luna Orchid: 5/5


    ***


    Return to Beatrice]


    Aya wastes no time running out of the forest back the way she came. Past the tall trees, glowing plants, and into the Meadow.


    She breezes past the horned rabbits and jumps through the gates, greeting the guards as she runs through Bloom Haven to search for Beatrice.


    All the while the Moon Valley forums were blowing up with the news of an announcement just posted on the site by the official admins.


    New Forum Title:


    [Bloom Forest Hidden Boss]


    Eklan: Someone just killed the Bloom Forest Hidden Boss?


    Killxkill: Who cares about some weak af boss?


    Eklan: Are you dumb? Think about the drops from the boss, someone got that all to themselves and if they sell it on the auction house they''ll make bank!


    Sleeze4eva: Bet it was some high level player just cruising through, they always do stuff like that.


    All around the forums, people wondered who had dealt the final blow to the Horned Rabbit Queen.


    Weak or not a Hidden Boss was nothing to sneeze at, they were usually the legendary creatures of the game.


    It would take at least a week for it to respawn meaning no one could go back to the forest to challenge it again for the time being.


    ----------


    Meanwhile in Bloom Haven


    Aya runs around town looking for the NPC that had given her the quest.


    On her way through town, she once again encounters the grumpy old man that had yelled about being an adventurer when she first logged on.


    This time however he''s chatting away with another NPC.


    Aya hesitates but approaches him to ask if he would know where Beatrice was.


    "Excuse me, do you know where I can find Beatrice, the herbalist?" Aya asks. The man looks away from the other NPC, facing Aya''s character.


    After a bit of staring, he asks


    "And what business do you have with Beatrice?"


    "I just completed her quest, I gathered the herbs she asked for." Aya says.


    The man''s eyes widen, he places his hands on his hips, confounded.


    "Huh."


    [Affinity with Tom increased +1]


    "It''s lovely that you would do such a thing for her, ever since her daughter left Beatrice has been all alone and can''t get on with work like she used to because of how dangerous the forest is." Tom says. "It would be nice if you could help her out from time to time."


    "Where did her daughter go?" Aya asks.


    "Last I heard she was in Rosenheim." Tom says.


    "What''s her name?"


    "Twyla."


    [Beatrice''s Daughter 2% completion]


    "What''s this? Some sort of passive quest?" Aya asks. It didn''t look like a regular quest or even have any prompts.


    "Maybe it''s some world lore." Aya says. After speaking to Tom about Beatrice''s location Aya zooms off.


    Running towards another area of town she knows to be the Floral District.


    Heading East of Bloom Haven, she finds herself farther and farther away from the bustling streets of the city center.


    She walks into the quiet area of the Floral District surrounded by old wooden houses and dried up, dead flower beds.


    Making her way through the cobble stone path Aya could make out a few towns folk going about their business.


    Creaky wooden doors shut as she walks by and Aya wonders what Beatrice would be doing in such a place. Judging from the run down exterior of the surrounding houses and gardens this used to be a thriving part of the city.


    "What happened here?" She murmurs. Aya continues on the path eventually stopping at a large wood and stone building.


    It was a manor of some kind but it had long lost its luster. Aya stands before the rusty metal gates looking at the faded green paint of the manor.


    The house was covered in vines and ivy. Some bits of moss stick to the side of the building while the statues of what Aya assumes to be the twin gods sit in an overgrown lawn.


    Overall, the place was in a state of disrepair.


    "This used to be called the Rose Manor." Beatrice''s voice says. Aya didn''t even notice the woman standing beside her all this time.


    "What happened to it?" Aya asks, curious about the ruined but beautiful building.


    "It''s not just here, Yvlena. It''s the whole Floral District of Bloom Haven and beyond. Ever since the war of gods." Beatrice says.


    Aya pauses.


    "Oh, this must be some in game lore. I should probably read up on it if I want this stuff to make any sense."


    "I see." Aya replies, unknowing of the events the NPC is speaking about.


    The old woman nods sadly, staring up at the building as Aya was doing before her.


    "If only there was someone who could restore the district to its former glory." Beatrice says.


    "I''m sure someone will come along Beatrice. But in the meantime, I''ve gotten the herbs you asked for."


    "Thank you so much, my girl." Beatrice says smiling.


    [Quest Complete


    Beatrice wants you to forage some herbs on Bloom Forest


    ***


    Rewards


    Health Potion Recipe (Common)


    Roast Rabbit Recipe (Common)


    ***


    Sub class change offer


    ***


    Moon Points x500


    Gold x2


    EXP x500]


    [Affinity with Beatrice increased+1]


    Beatrice suddenly faces Yvlena, giving her a stern look up and down.


    "My dear, you might be just what we need."


    [Sub class change initiated do you accept?]


    [Yes/No]


    Aya gasps, jumping up in her seat, this was it what she had been waiting for this whole time.


    Aya hits the yes button without hesitation, squealing.


    [Class: Herbalist (Harvest Guardian)]


    Class info: Ever since the war of the gods a dark miasma has spread through the lands of Moon Valley, devastating plants and wildlife.


    The followers of the twin gods Vaelindor the Moon weaver, god of nature and harvest and


    Selendriel, forest guardian, goddess of herbs, alchemy, and cooking, has been severely impacted.


    They need the Harvest Guardian to restore the temples and revive the fading forests and economies of their ruined followers.


    Will you accept the role of Harvest Guardian?]


    [Yes/No]


    (Cannot be undone)


    Aya hits the yes button.


    [Sub class Harvest Guardian assigned]


    [You are now the Harvest Guardian of Moon Valley]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Rose Manor Key x1]


    Leaning back into her chair Aya internally congratulates herself on a job well done. Now she had her subclass and would be able to participate in the story.


    But something about this feels familiar, she faintly recalls a similar plotline from so long again when she still lived with her mother.


    Aya twists her face in thought, trying hard to remember the story of Yvlena the elf girl, and the adventures her mother had written about all those years ago.


    But Moon Valley couldn''t be the same right? after all, there were tons of fantasy games where a battle between the gods had taken place, devastating the land.


    Aya shakes it off.


    Looking at the time she decides it''s a good time to go to bed, tomorrow she would finally spend her Moon Points on something and check on the auction house.

 012~A Whole New World (1)

    Aya wakes to the sound of her alarm clock blaring loudly. She groans, rolling over to hit the silence button and force herself out of bed for another day of work.


    Tumbling out of bed, she runs to take a shower, then prepares her breakfast and uniform.


    Thank goodness it was a Friday.


    While brushing her teeth, Aya checks the Moon Valley auction house to see if there were any updates on her fire stone.


    ''I''ll just lower the price if I didn''t make a sale.'' she thinks, spitting foamy liquid into the sink.


    Scrolling to the auction tab, she opens it and nearly drops her phone in shock.


    <Fire Stone (Low grade) x1 bought for 20 Gold>


    "Eh?! Someone actually bought it for that much." Aya yells, rinsing her mouth. She didn''t think anyone would spend that much on a game. But there had to be some high spenders in any community she supposed.


    After putting on her work clothes and eating the last of her cereal she runs out the door and down the steps.


    "Slow down. Where''s the fire?" Mars says, coming around the corner. She was on her way up the steps when Aya came barreling towards her, the same as when they''d first met.


    "The fire stone!" Aya says, barely catching her breath. Mars grins.


    "Didn''t I tell you? Make sure you get yourself something nice." Mars says. She waves Aya away, ascending the stairs as Aya continues her run out of the apartment complex and towards the bus stop.


    ----------


    All through the morning, Aya spends her time contemplating how much Gold she wanted to exchange.


    Her thoughts are interrupted by the sound of her boss calling for an urgent delivery to the top floor along with her usual deliveries.


    On her way Into the elevator, a familiar figure calls for her to hold the doors.


    "Oh, Mr. Nue, what a surprise," she says. "I was just on my way to give you some urgent letters."


    Atlas, the president of the company smiles at her.


    "Didn''t I say Mr. Nue makes me feel old?" He laughs. "It''s Atlas to you, young lady."


    Aya nods, holding back a snicker at his ''serious'' voice.


    "About the letters let me see them, I bet I know who they''re from." He says running a hand through his hair.


    Aya reaches into her trolley, retrieving the letters with the elegant gold trimmings and the strange insignia from before.


    She deposits them in Atlas'' hand, their fingers brush against each other as she hands the letter off, and while Aya thinks nothing of it Atlas can''t help but blush.


    "Say, what does this symbol mean?" Aya asks.


    "It''s the Lumos inc logo." Atlas explains. Aya narrows her eyes, wracking her brain to remember where she''d heard that name before.


    "They have a game, Moon Valley I believe."


    "Oh!" Aya gasps. "Do you play?" After all, why else would Lumos inc be sending him letters if he wasn''t a big fan?


    Atlas chuckles a bit but before he can answer, the elevator doors open with a ding.


    "I''ll see you around Atlas." Aya says cheerfully. The man smiles at her again


    "You too Aya! We should get food sometime." He waves to her as he leaves the elevator and walks to his office, barely saying a word to his secretary in the process.


    Neither of them notices Viviana glaring daggers in Aya''s direction.


    The elevator doors close and Aya is free to return to the mail room.


    ----------


    Out of the 20 Gold, Aya converts 15 for a hefty sum of 93.15 Lue, her eyes bulge out of her head at the sight.


    She''d made almost a third of her rent now, just playing a game that came out a month ago for a few hours.


    "I guess I should stop being surprised, this is my reality now." Aya says to herself.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    She falls into a daydream, fantasizing about making enough money from the game to quit her job at Nue Corp and move to Mericross City.


    "You look a bit too blissful there young lady." Her boss says, interrupting her day dream.


    Aya sits up frowning at him.


    "Was just thinking about stuff, like my bills." She says.


    "They pile up fast don''t they?" The man says sinking into his seat with a tired sigh.


    ----------


    Aya spends the rest of her time looking up areas to get good items but as usual, no one shares anything on the forums.


    There was also barely any information about Bloom Haven, all it said was it was a starting area for a lot of elven players and was close to some of the larger elf NPC settlements despite being populated with mostly humans.


    "Come to think of it, after that first day I didn''t see any more players or at least not that many." Aya thinks back to that first day she logged on, the players hadn''t even spoken to her only the NPCs did.


    They were all heading somewhere else.


    "I wonder where they were going." Aya says to herself.


    After some searching, she discovers not all players start in the same area. Most players chose to leave their starting points to go to more popular areas in the game.


    Moon Valley was a very large game after all.


    "If I recall the ad said the game had lots of secrets to uncover but not many people are talking about the game lore." Aya says. "They''re leaving behind a lot of starting quests."


    "PvP? Oh player vs player, I''m definitely not interested in that." Aya says. She makes a mental note to disable PvP on her account once she makes it back home.


    "Beating the hidden boss was such a feat, I can''t wait to equip the sword and finally change my main class."


    "Harvest Guardian, can''t wait to see how that works."


    ----------


    "Thank goodness it''s the weekend." Aya says strapping on her bag to go home.


    "I''ll have Saturday and Sunday to play Moon Valley." She says humming to herself.


    Boarding the bus, Aya prepares for her trip home unbeknownst to her the tides were shifting, whether or not it would be in her favor was a mystery.


    ----------


    Aya meets Mars on the entrance steps of the apartment complex.


    "What are you doing out here in the cold?" Aya says taking off her work jacket and laying it on Mars'' shoulder.


    "Thanks." The older girl says, accepting the jacket with a smile. "You''re such a softie."


    "Don''t worry about it." Aya says taking a seat beside her on the steps of the apartment complex.


    For a moment they sit in silence, staring up at the lights of the city, Mars breaks the silence a moment later.


    "Guilds are forming in Moon Valley, will you join one?" Mars asks. Aya shakes her head.


    "I would rather play solo. Guilds do the PvP thing don''t they?" Aya asks.


    Mars nods.


    "I don''t want to PvP." Aya says with a laugh.


    "Wise choice. Sometimes joining a guild might not be the best idea." Mars says. Aya detects a hint of sadness in her voice.


    She hesitates but asks.


    "Did you used to have a guild?" Aya asks. Mars rises from the ground, dusting herself off. She offers her hand to Aya, lifting the girl off the ground.


    "Don''t worry about it." Mars says, repeating Aya''s words and patting the shorter girl''s head.


    "What''s your setup like?" Mars asks.


    "My setup?"


    "How do you play?"


    "Oh, I play on a PacBook currently." Aya says. Mars raises an eyebrow at the answer.


    "Geez, not even a headset?" She asks.


    "I''ve only got a broken one. But what''s the big deal? Does it change the game that much?" Aya asks.


    Asides from some in-game features, she didn''t know why everyone went on and on about the VR Headset.


    Mars folds her arms, a deep expression on her face like she''s mulling something over.


    "I''ll show you." Mars says, making her way into the apartment. Aya follows, allowing  Mars to lead her up the creaky stairs to her apartment.


    Mars slots her key, pushing open the door and leading Aya into her dreamy apartment.


    Aya steps into the half-painted messy apartment decked in purple.


    She moves through a door, marveling at what Mars had done with place.


    Gone were the cream and brown walls, replaced with a pretty lavender paint job and star stickers plastered on the walls.


    "Impressed?" Mars asks with a smirk. Aya nods, looking back at the girl with stars in her eyes.


    "Much better than my place that''s for sure." Aya says.


    The apartment was a standard two-bedroom Daichi and his grandmother had shared whilst living here, Mars had converted the second bedroom into her gaming room, filled with posters and memorabilia in the same lavender colour scheme.


    Mars takes Aya leading her into the second room.


    Placed neatly in a glass case was Mars'' VR headset.


    "This is the Zephyr gear." Mars says, Aya recognizes the name instantly, knowing it to be the latest in the line of best selling VR Headsets.


    It easily cost about 5000 Lue.


    How could Mars afford such a thing?


    "So would you like to try it out?"


    ----------


    Meanwhile at Lumos inc


    The CEO and his inner circle wait for the attendant at the archives of the company.


    The CEO, a grizzled bearded man with salt and pepper hair, dressed in an elegant dark suit stands waiting with a deep frown marring his features.


    The dusty lower floor of the archives irritate him,  but it was the only place he could store the bulky old computer without hassle.


    An attendant walks into the room calmly, upon seeing the CEO and his inner circle she nearly drops her clipboard.


    "Sir, we weren''t expecting you so soon."  She says running to look for the main archivist on duty.


    "I came as soon as I got Fred''s message." The CEO says, folding his arms.


    He gestures to the aged computer that hadn''t stopped transmitting for the three days it''s been on.


    "What''s happening Fred?"


    The young blond man in glasses appears beside him wearing a white lab coat and plain clothes underneath.


    Fred Barkley, head archivist and the only one present when the machine had come on.


    He yawns, sipping a giant mug of coffee and rubbing his sleep deprived eyes. If the darkened bags under his eyes were any indication, the young man hadn''t slept in days.


    "Sir the computer is linked to a player in Moon Valley. That is what triggered the Yvlena protocol." Fred says.


    The inner circle begins to murmur in unison until the CEO calls for their silence.


    "And do you know which player?"


    Fred shakes his head.


    "Sir I don''t even know what Yvlena is." He admits tiredly.


    "It''s a character, an elf to be specific." The CEO replies. "You see, Moon Valley was originally my brother''s vision-" Before the CEO could continue, a pair of feet rush into the archive room.


    "Sir the investors have called a meeting, you''re needed in the boardroom." The woman says.


    "Continue with the machine Fred, I''ll be back for future updates." The CEO says. He and his posse head toward the elevator


    "Sir, is everything alright?" One of the members of his inner circle asks.


    "Yes, my niece might be alive."

 013~A Whole New World (2)

    "What?" Aya asks, disbelieving of the question. Her eyes fall on the sleek sliver headset now resting between Mars'' fingers after she had taken it out of its protective case.


    "Would you like to try it out?" Mars says again repeating the question.


    "Uh..." Aya stammers.


    Mars sighs noticing the girl''s obvious hesitation. Moving over to a large device Aya hadn''t noticed when she stepped into the room, Mars pats a closet sized mechanical device.


    The thing unravels in a set of clinks and whirls, coming apart to reveal its velvet insides.


    Aya realizes she looking at a gaming pod fit for one person. The girl discreetly pinches herself, making sure she wasn''t dreaming.


    Gaming pods were notoriously expensive, only the extremely wealthy could afford such technology yet here one was, right before her eyes.


    Just who was Mars?


    "This is my gaming pod, ever since I got it, I rarely ever use my Zephyr, so I''m going to let you test it out. To show you the difference between a computer and absolute immersion." Mars says approaching Aya.


    "Wow." Aya gasps. Mars smirks, watching the girl unable to form a sentence as she refuses the kind offer.


    "You won''t break it because you''ll be lying down and I''m only letting you test it out not lending it to you." Mars says flicking the girl''s nose.


    "Ow!" Aya says holding her nose. She nods.


    "Let me get my computer!" Aya says running out the living room door.


    "You have five minutes!" Mars calls as she leaves. The older girl shakes her head, balancing the headset on her waist as she listens to the sound of Aya''s footsteps.


    ----------


    "Okay, so I just connect this." Aya murmurs, plugging in the headset to her PacBook under Mars'' supervision.


    The older girl helps her put on the headset and get comfortable on the floor using one of the cushions from the bedroom.


    "It''s going to feel weird at first but you''ll get the hang of it." Mars says. Aya nods, touching the large start button to the side and waiting for the game to begin.


    ----------


    Aya finds herself floating in a dark space, she closes her eyes in fear, feeling herself fall through the void.


    She screams, wondering where she was falling through when all of a sudden it stops.


    The menu screen song catches her attention. Deciding to take a peek she finds the Moon Valley menu screen staring at her.


    It had all its usual options and Aya uses her finger to select start and enter the game.


    A force thrusts her forward and she''s once again screaming into the void.


    "Yvlena what''s the matter?" A kind voice asks, Aya forces herself to open her again. Beatrice stands before her. The NPC''s stares in concern over Aya or rather Yvlena.


    The girl jumps, all around her are sounds, birds chirping, water flowing, and of course the sounds of the background NPCs going about their business.


    A gentle breeze blows, ruffling Yvlena''s hair it''s as though she''s been transported into another world all by the headset.


    "I''m in the game." She says making a move to turn around, the fabric of her tunic follows and even the weight of her sword presses against her leg.


    Underneath, her starter boots clack against the cobblestone streets of the Floral District.


    "This feels so real." Yvlena says, lifting her hands to look at them.


    Long slender elven fingers meet her eyes, she reaches for her ears, feeling the pointy tips with the pads of her fingers.


    "Amazing." She whispers.


    Beatrice places a hand on Yvlena''s shoulder and the girl is suddenly aware of the weight upon her frame.


    She hugs Beatrice suddenly, pressing her cheek against the older woman''s face. The solid form of the embrace is as real as ever.


    Yvlena can smell the herb stained arms that wrap around her, the gentle heartbeat of the older woman resounds in her ears.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Beatrice laughs, patting Yvlena''s head gently as one would do for a well loved grandchild.


    [Affinity with Beatrice increased+3]


    The system says hovering above Yvlena''s sight.


    ''Yes, I''m Yvlena now.'' The girl thinks.


    "Sorry about that Beatrice, I just needed a hug." She explains. The woman waves it off.


    "Don''t worry my dear, I haven''t had a hug like that since my dear Twyla."


    Yvlena nods in understanding, never having a hug since her dear grandmother.


    "I know what it''s like to lose someone too." Yvlena says, resting a comforting hand on Beatrice''s shoulder. The two exchange smiles.


    [Affinity with Beatrice increased +2]


    [Beatrice considers you an acquaintance]


    Yvlena nods, happy to see that. Soon the woman has to leave again and Yvlena is left to investigate the Rose manor.


    The weight of the golden key rest in her palm after fishing it out of her pocket.


    She inserts the key into the lock, opening the gates.


    [New Title: Owner of Rose Manor]


    Yvlena walks through the mess of a manor, taking a moment to observe the surrounding area.


    The long grass and swampy damp floors slow her down before she can even reach the statues of Vaelindor and Selendriel.


    [Quest


    Rose Manor


    ***


    Rose Manor is in utter decay. Once the gem of the Bloom Haven Floral District, it has long since fallen into disrepair due to neglect.


    As Harvest Guardian, it is your duty to restore it to its original glory


    Do you accept?]


    [Yes/No]


    Yvlena notices, there is no reward listed, she shrugs hitting the yes button without hesitation.


    ''Must be a special type of quest.'' she thinks.


    If this was the outside of the Manor, the inside would be just as bad if not worse.


    "I have my work cut out for me." Yvlena says brimming with excitement.


    "How do I even begin cleaning this mess?" Yvlena says taking another cursory look at the area. "For one, I need to clear the land."


    Looking around she could already tell her tasks would involve chopping down trees and clearing the weeds and swamps.


    She would even need to till the land so it would be fit for new plants.


    "I need an axe, a scythe, and a hoe." She says. Glancing around, she spots a decrepit wooden shed to the far right of the manor compound.


    Dashing towards it as fast as she can, she opens it only to be surprised by a horned rabbit.


    Yvlena quickly dispatches it but finds she cannot gain EXP.


    [EXP gain locked until Level up]


    [Level up locked until class selection]


    The system tells her. Yvlena face palms, realizing she still hadn''t chosen a class yet.


    "I completely forgot about that, I''m level five now." She says.


    "Menu." Yvlena yells, and instantly the screen pops up allowing her to click the class selection screen.


    After scrolling through the classes available she finds her choice, summoner.


    [Class change initiated]


    [Choose Summoner as Main Class?]


    [Yes/No]


    (Cannot be undone)


    Yvlena hits the yes button.


    [Class confirmation: Summoner]


    [Yvlena is now level 6]


    [New skills unlocked]


    [New changes to stats]


    The girl is bombarded by messages from the system and after reading them all, decides to inspect her new stats.


    [NAME: YVLENA


    RACE: ELF


    HP: 300


    MP: 250


    CLASS: Summoner


    CLASS SKILLS: [Summon LV. 1]


    SUBCLASS: Herbalist (Harvest Guardian) 1/10


    SKILLS: [Herblore LV. 1]


    [Alchemy LV. 1]


    [Cooking LV.1]


    Base Stats


    [STR]:20


    [DEF]:15


    [DEX]:22


    [AGI]:20


    [INT]:16


    [WIS]:16


    [CHA]:10


    [LUK]:10]


    After checking the rest of her stats Yvlena nods in satisfaction.


    "These are pretty good but how do I level up my skills and class though?" She asks. Putting it aside she faces the wooden shed.


    A plume of dust rises from the old building making Yvlena cough, the dust was so bad it made her eyes water.


    ''I think they made this a bit too realistic.'' she says stepping away from the shed to let it air out.


    Coming back, she finds a set of tools waiting for her.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Rusty Axe x1


    Rusty Scythe x1


    Rusty Hoe x1]


    Retrieving the scythe she begins clearing out the weeds and grass from the front gate, swiping and swiping at the weeds until she gets a notification.


    [Yvlena Acquired Fibre x5]


    "A new item?" She asks, surmising it must be used for crafting, she carries on.


    After what feels like an hour, Yvlena wipes the sweat from her forehead.


    There was still so much to do but the Rusty Scythe took five hits before it cleared even the most basic bush.


    "Maybe there''s a store I can get better tools." Yvlena says, easily unequipping the scythe.


    Looking over the manor, she notices she hasn''t made a dent in the dense bushes surrounding the front yard.


    "I may have to continue this later."


    All of a sudden Aya finds herself back in the real world with Mars'' face above hers.


    "So how was it?" The girl asks. Aya sits up speechless, she stares at her hand. Regular human palms face her, then she looks back at Mars, dazed.


    "It all felt so real." Aya says quietly. "How long was I in there?"


    "Just under an hour." Mars replies.


    "I see." Aya says, staring at nothing in particular.


    "You''re freaking me out with the way you''re staring into space." Mars laughs. "Let''s get you some water."


    Mars helps Aya to her feet one hand at a time, pulling the girl up from the cushions with practiced ease.


    She leads Aya to a cute circular, wooden table and lets Aya take a seat at the chair.


    "Sit while I get the water." Mars says walking over to the fridge.


    "Mars I was in the game! Like inside it." Aya says, "I could touch the NPCs, it was amazing."


    "The Zephyr gear is currently one of the best headsets in the world." Mars says filling a glass of water from the pitcher in her fridge.


    "I recall you told me your headset was broken what model do you have."


    "The Icarus gear, it''ll cost a lot to fix." Aya says resting her head on the table in defeat, completely disheartened.


    "How much?"


    "500 Lue."


    "Doable." Mars says with a shrug.


    "What do you mean doable? If I had 500 Lue lying about, I wouldn''t be living in this dump." Aya grumbles.


    "Well, you know how to make money from the game. How much did the fire stone sell for?"


    "20 Gold."


    Mars nods.


    "Now all you gotta do is grind." She says. Aya whines.


    "I''ll even make you a wager." Mars says.


    "I''m listening." Aya says lifting her head from the table.


    "Beat me in a PvP match and I''ll sell you the Zephyr with a discount."


    "How much of a discount are we talking?"


    "I''ll sell it to you for 2000 Lue." Mars says. Aya sits up suddenly, almost falling out of her seat.


    "That''s more than 50% off!"


    Mars nods again.


    "But if you don''t win, I''ll give it to you for double that."


    Aya does some math and figures out it would be about 4000 Lue still 1000 Lue off the original price for something that was in near perfect condition.


    "That''s still better than I''d get at most second hand stores." Aya says. She faces the girl with a serious expression.


    "Why are you doing this for me?" She asks.


    Mars places the glass on the table, right in front of her, Aya accepts the water, downing the whole glass in a matter of seconds.


    "Silly girl, I told you I like you."

 014~A New Friendship

    Aya smiles at Mars'' words, a warmth blooms in her chest.


    Since coming to Axen City all she had focused on was her survival. There had been no time for friends or social outings, only the steady grind of work.


    Moon Valley was the first thing to change that.


    "But we just met." Aya points out, Mars shrugs.


    "Can''t put a time limit on friendship Aya." Mars smirks. The girl frowns suddenly pouting.


    "Or don''t you want to be my friend?" Mars asks in a pitiful tone. Aya laughs.


    "It''s not that." Aya says. "I''ve just never had anyone do this stuff for me, I''ve been alone for so long you know?"


    Mars nods in understanding.


    "Lucky you, I''m in the unique position to understand you Aya dear."


    "Friends do this kind of stuff for each other I guess." Aya says under her breath. Mars nods.


    "That''s right." The other girl says with a wink. Mars takes a seat, leaning back on the wooden chair.


    "Honestly it''s been a while since I''ve been able to call someone a friend." Mars says bitterly. Aya notices the sour tone, focusing on the girl''s frowning face she asks.


    "What happened?"


    Mars shakes her head, leaning forward to rest her chin on her hand.


    "It''s nothing to worry about, and who knows maybe someday I''ll tell you. You just gotta focus on winning that PvP match we agreed on." The dark haired girl says.


    "Gotten your first summon yet?"


    "Yeah, it''s a rare grade." Aya says. Mars laughs.


    "Letting your opponent know your skill set? Not the best move Aya." Mars teases.


    "But how often is your opponent your friend?" Aya retorts with a laugh of her own.


    "Smart girl." Mars says. "I''ll trade you a piece of info, Rare grade summons can be evolved, they have levels just like players, only hidden."


    "Oh, I see." Aya says taking note.


    "I don''t know much about summons, not many people play em. The rest you''re gonna have to figure out for yourself." Mars says.


    Aya''s face falls.


    "Then why did I pick summoner?!"


    "Because I know you''re going to be a great one." Mars says unwaveringly. The resolve in her icy blue eyes is enough for Aya to believe her.


    Mars suddenly sits up, smacking herself lightly on her head she whips out her phone.


    "Let me add you as a friend on Moon Valley, we can even trade items. I''ll let you buy some summon stones off me before I take ''em to the auction too." Mars says grinning.


    "You''re really trying to make money off me huh?"


    Mars'' grin grows wider.


    "A girl''s gotta eat and besides I''ll always give you a discount." Mars says.


    Aya shakes her head fondly, taking out her own phone and adding Mars to her friends list within the companion app.


    "Now go fix up your headset." Mars says.


    "You bet!"


    ----------


    Aya leaves Mars'' apartment with the thrill of excitement running through her veins. The rush from playing with in the headset was unlike anything she had ever felt before.


    ''I see now why everyone plays with them, it''s a total escape.''


    Within the headset, she was no longer just Aya the mail room girl, or the mail rat as Viviana put it. No, in Moon Valley she was Yvlena the elf, Harvest Guardian.


    The game already felt real when she played on her laptop but now it was even more phenomenal.


    "I have to fix the headset." She says walking down the old dusty steps.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    On her way back to her apart she spots her aunt walking up to her own apartment whilst on a phone call.


    The woman speaks in hushed tones as she runs up the stairs. Her disgruntled expression gives away the unpleasantness of the call.


    "Of course, she''s still here!" The woman says. Aya could not hear the rest as the woman walks into her own home, slamming the door and rattling the building.


    Aya sticks out her tongue, knowing the woman couldn''t see her.


    "Nasty hag! If my rent goes up to 450, that''s for sure when I''m leaving." Aya says.


    It was only the second week of the month, two more weeks before she would get paid.


    ''Thank goodness for Moon Valley.'' Aya thinks.


    "Tomorrow would probably be a good day to get groceries and see what was left over from the cash." she mutters.


    ''I''ll put some money towards the headset, I can actually afford that now. I wonder what Mars does for money.''


    Opening the door and heading inside, Aya places the PacBook on the table and wonders if she would still be able to game tonight.


    Checking her phone she sees it''s only 10:30 pm, usually, she''d be logged in by now.


    "I guess it wouldn''t hurt to play some more, not like I have work tomorrow." Aya says.


    However, before she does that, Aya decides it''s wise to go and check on the old VR Headset Daichi had gifted her.


    Heading over to her closet she squats down to pull out the cardboard box Mrs. Lutz had given her before she moved.


    Taking out the Icarus gear, she examines it to get a feel for what could possibly be wrong.


    "Would I even know what to look for?" Aya asks herself.


    The device is a bit bulky, looking more like a set of rectangle goggles than a headset like Mars''


    While the Zephyr was sleek in shape, design and could be strapped to her head for ease and comfort.


    The Icarus could only go over her eyes but had two wired pods that would go into her ears for sound and mic.


    Currently, the audio pods were missing, along with the piece that would go on over Aya''s head.


    The girl pouts, placing the ''headset'' and wires back into the box.


    "You''ll be fixed in no time." Aya says, more to assure herself than anything else.


    Heading back to the computer she takes her usual set and boots up Moon Valley.


    Spawning in the town of Bloom Haven once more, this time within the compound of Rose Manor.


    "I miss the headset already." Aya whines. "But at least I don''t have to worry about my stamina." She mutters.


    Rose Manor was still a bushy mess, but the area beside the gate seemed to be better than the rest of the overgrown area.


    "I might be able to plant something there soon." Aya says.


    "Might have to check out the shops but first of all."


    Aya pulls up the menu and scrolls through the items in her inventory until she comes across the  Carrot Sword from her battle with the Horned Rabbit Queen.


    [Carrot Sword


    ***


    Type: Weapon


    Imbued with the Strength of the ancient Rabbit Lords


    +15 STR]


    "Ancient Rabbit Lords?" Aya says "I wonder." She muses as theories begin to form in her head.


    She examines the crown wanting to know more about the Rabbit Lords or even Rabbit Society.


    [Rabbit Queen Crown


    ***


    Type: Rare Item


    Artifact from the bygone era of the Rabbit Kingdom.


    Once a symbol of power, it is little more than a relic now.]


    Aya is suddenly saddened by what she reads. The fallen kingdom of rabbit society piques her curiosity but looking up more information was futile, the forums wouldn''t really have much to say about it and a lot of players didn''t really care about the lore.


    [There Once was a Kingdom 1.5% completion]


    "I see, some stories can only be unlocked through weapons and items." Aya says. The crown wasn''t equippable but the sword certainly was.


    "What''s next?"


    [Rabbits Foot


    ***


    Type: Accessory


    A symbol of Luck throughout the various regions of Moon Valley.


    Made from silken fur and woven by the Bunny Maidens of the Kingdom, it has become quite rare since their disappearance.


    +20 LUK]


    This item was equippable too.


    Aya ends up replacing her Starter Sword with the Carrot Sword and equipping the Rabbits Foot too.


    [STR]: 35


    [LUK]: 32


    Aya didn''t know much about luck, only that it helped with critical hits and enemy misses. The rabbit''s foot would come in handy and it was nice to have two items that boosted her stats.


    "Fighting foxes is about to get a whole lot easier." Aya says.


    "I only have to try the summon stone now." Aya says going back to her inventory.


    "I wonder if it has any lore, it''s a Rabbit Knight after all." She clicks to read the description and finds she''s right about the lore.


    [Rabbit Knight Summon Stone


    ***


    Type: Summon


    Once a member of the Rabbit Kingdom''s forces, now preserved in essence through the magic of Moon Valley]


    "Preserved through magic? Does that mean a summon is only a copy? A copy created through magic?"


    [There Once Was a Kingdom 1.7% Completion]


    "It went up, just by a little though." She says.


    "I''ll check the Cake later, I bet it used to be a delicacy over there or something. That''s enough info."


    Her character runs out the gate towards the main area of Bloom Haven.


    Aya finds herself in Bernard''s shop again. The man smiles at her, waving enthusiastically as she steps through the door.


    [Affinity with Bernard Increased+1]


    Aya remembered him from the first time she logged into the game to buy a weapon.


    "Hello." Aya says approaching the shop counter to get a look at his wares.


    "Hello Yvlena, a pleasure to see you again." He says with a bright smile.


    "Likewise Bernard."


    A menu pops up


    [Buy/Sell]


    Aya hits ''buy'' allowing a row of weapons to come up. After looking through some of the weapons, she finds nothing she''s interested in.


    After a bit of looking her eyes fall on something that catches her attention. A summon stone.


    Bernard only had one of them, she clicks on it to find out more.


    Forest Sprite (Common) x1: 2500 Moon Points


    "My level one summon skill allows two slots right? It''s probably best to fill them up." Aya says purchasing the summon stone.


    "I''ll head to the meadow to try it out. My forest Sprite won''t be able to evolve though since it''s just a common grade. Pretty expensive for a common though."


    As if hearing her Bernard says.


    "Summon stones are quite difficult to find, I was only able to acquire this one through the help of a mysterious traveler." He says.


    "Wow." Aya gasps. More world lore?


    Just as she''s about to leave the shop, something else catches her eye.


    Forest Elemental Soul Shard X1: 1000 Moon Points


    Taking a gamble, she buys it too to study later. After a few more examinations in case she missed something Aya exits the buy menu.


    [Affinity with Bernard Increased+1]


    Much like the other NPCs it appears the merchants could be won over too. Aya wondered if she would get future discounts once she and Bernard became friends.


    "Thank you, Bernard, I''ll see you again soon." She says as she exits the shop. The man waves her goodbye as she leaves.


    "He didn''t have any tools for the Manor so I guess I just have to keep exploring the town."

 015~The Artisan District

    Bloom Haven was bigger than Aya had initially expected.


    "This must be even bigger in VR." She says walking through the market.


    "How am I going to find anything in this mess?" She asks. Pulling up the map she studies it to discover the town was divided into different segments.


    Of the different sections, Aya had only been to two of them. The market District she stands in and the Floral District that was slowly withering away.


    "I wonder what this area is." She says looking at one of the sections just beside the Floral District.


    Aya''s character soon stands in front of the large exquisitely carved arch that marks the entrance to the Artisan District.


    The large structure looks to have been shaped from precious metals intertwined in three strands to create the illusion of braids.


    "Wow." Aya gasps, Bloom Haven was supposed to be a small starter town, but how many players stuck around to explore its secrets before leaving for other areas?


    "The merchants here might have the tools I need!" She says


    The differences between the Artisan, Market, and Floral Districts aren''t immediately apparent to Aya, the core building structures remain the same until Aya takes a moment to really observe the new area.


    She notices the finery and small details of the buildings. Some are white marble inlaid with precious metals, others are carved out of light and dark wood giving an air of splendor.


    Walking through the district, the merchant''s wares are different as well, gone were the rowdy stalls and kiosks of the Market District, replaced with big clothing shops and restaurants selling delicious food.


    Only now could Aya see the difference between the three districts she had been to so far.


    The Artisan District is full of people, teeming with life and businesses, unlike the Floral District. Happy people walk the streets, chattering with each other.


    Aya only has one thing on her mind, farming tools.


    "Time to talk to some NPCs."


    The NPCs are different within the area too, fewer and fewer of them wear plain clothes and prefer to dress mostly in finery.


    Aya could make out gold thread embroidery, or higher grade armor and tunics, unlike her newbie garbs.


    "I still think my rabbit fur cloak is nice." Aya mutters.


    Trying to approach the people within the area is a different problem entirely. A lot of them pay her no mind and the others only blow up in her face.


    "How do I get someone to talk to me?" Aya asks, pausing to stand beside a building. More guards patrol the area too, Aya didn''t see many of them in the Market District and there weren''t any at all in the Floral District.


    She walks toward one of the more modest stores, deciding to take a chance with one of the merchants.


    "Hello and welcome to Risel''s Apothecary." A young blonde girl greets with a cheerful smile, her bright green eyes.


    She welcomes Aya and the player can''t help but think they were similar in appearance.


    "Oh, you''re an elf too!"


    [NAME: Risel


    RACE: ELF


    OCC: Alchemist, Merchant]


    Risel smiles, her green and white robes moving with the breeze as she waves Aya over.


    "Bloom Haven is close to one of the major elven towns where my brother and I are from." Risel says.


    Aya nods, taking note of the information for later. She wonders if simply chatting with the merchants is an option.


    It would be useful to be able to get more lore of them.


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    Up until now, Aya did not see another elf in any of the other districts.


    Risel beckons Aya closer to take a look at her wares. But Aya has other plans.


    She rushes forward asking questions.


    "How far is the nearest elven town?" Risel is taken aback by the incessant questions, her face falls.


    "Sound like you''re interrogating me!" The elf girl says folding her arms and glaring. "I hate when adventurers do this."


    [Affinity with Risel decreased -1]


    [Risel is wary but not hostile]


    The system Informs Aya.


    Aya notices the way Risel narrows her eyes, folds her arms, and pouts her lips. The NPC is genuinely upset with her.


    This game is way too life like.


    Aya winces.


    "I guess in real life I wouldn''t barge into someone''s store and start interrogating them, so why would I do it here?" Aya says to herself.


    "I''m sorry Risel! I just haven''t seen another elf in Bloom Haven so far and I got way too excited." Aya says trying to make her character as apologetic as she could.


    It was as though the game could sense her intentions and Yvlena begins to rub her hands together placatingly.


    Risel unfolds her arms, brightening up at Yvlena''s words.


    "I guess I could understand that. I forgive you, Yvlena." She says.


    [Affinity with Risel increased +1]


    [Risel is neutral]


    Aya exhales in relief.


    "The AI in this game is too realistic."


    "Would you like to buy something? Or perhaps sell?" Risel asks.


    The menu pops up


    [Buy/Sell]


    Aya clicks ''sell'' first, curious about what she could sell to the alchemist.


    "Oh, I can sell my herbs." She says. Risel nods.


    "That''s right, the forests are really dangerous now, a lot of the beasts there have gotten a lot stronger than most can handle."


    ''Come to think of it didn''t Beatrice say something similar?'' Aya thinks. ''But the creatures in Bloom Forest aren''t that strong right?''


    "Do you mean Bloom Forest?" Aya asks, Risel shakes her head laughing.


    "Come on, do I look that helpless? I''m talking about the Verdant woods, the forest that leads to the next village."


    "Oh, new area." Aya says listening attentively to the elf maiden.


    "Rare herbs grow in the Verdant woods but since you can find a few of them in the Bloom Forest, I haven''t bothered going." Risel says.


    Risel is a lot more talkative than Bernard as a merchant and Aya much appreciates it.


    "I''ll certainly bring my herbs to you from now on, Risel." Aya says. The elf nods.


    [Affinity with Risel increased+1]


    Exiting the sell menu Aya clicks the buy option.


    A lot of the herbs on display are quite expensive but even stranger are the different creature parts Aya sees.


    "Wow, this must be for alchemical recipes. Come to think of it, don''t I have that skill?" Aya says to herself.


    Asides from the parts and herbs on display, Risel''s Apothecary also had various food, elixir, and potion recipes.


    "I''ll definitely have to come back for some of this stuff."


    The next thing Aya finds is a cauldron.


    They come in different shapes and sizes along with different rarities and grades.


    "What are these cauldrons for?" Aya asks.


    "They''re for making potions and elixirs and in some cases for cooking basic meals." Risel explains. The elf puts a hand to her chin on thought.


    "Might I suggest you get the black beginner cauldron, it''s great for the basics of potion and elixir making as well as extracting plant essences." The elf tells her.


    Aya nods buying the basic cauldron for 1500 Moon Points.


    "Thank you for your help." Aya says.


    [Affinity with Risel increased+1]


    "Oh I see, different interactions affect the NPCs, I wonder what would happen if I hugged her?"


    Aya tests her luck with idle chatter.


    "Have you been able to go home recently?" Aya asks. Risel''s face falls again, she sighs dejectedly and Aya worries she might have offended her again.


    "Unfortunately no, the way to the town from Verdant Woods is blocked by a thick miasma." Risel explains.


    "Miasma?" Aya asks.


    Another customer walks in and Risel rushes over to attend to them, leaving Aya to think.


    "This became a lot more complicated." Aya says. "How did the other players get out of Bloom Haven then? Ah well, it''s not like I care about them."


    Waving the elf goodbye for now, Aya returns to the roads of the Artisan District.


    "Ugh, I should have asked if she had any idea where I can get some farming tools." The girl says.


    "Maybe I can find Beatrice and ask. I did see her at the Rose Manor after all." Aya says.


    Running back to the Market District, Aya begins her search for the old woman or anyone who can tell her where the lady is.


    She encounters Tom again.


    "Searching for Beatrice are you? She lives in the house near the Rose Manor." He tells her.


    "You''re a lifesaver Tom!" Aya says. The man laughs.


    "Glad to hear."


    [Affinity with Tom increased+1]


    Aya heads towards the Rose Manor area looking for the row of wooden houses Tom told her about.


    She looks for a cottage fitting the description he had given of a modest run down place once covered by flowers.


    Finally after a bit of searching she finds it, a small wooden house not too far from the Rose Manor.


    She heads up the stairs and knocks on the door prompting the old woman to reply.


    "Oh Yvlena, come in, come in." The old woman says, shuffling Aya into her home. The small cottage reminds Aya of the home she used to share with her grandmother.


    Beatrice comes to stand beside Aya, taking the girl''s hand she leads her to an old wooden chair and invites Aya to take a seat with her.


    "Would you like some Orchid tea? I brewed it from the herbs you got me." Beatrice says. Aya accepts and soon the NPC brings her character a cup of piping hot tea.


    [Affinity with Beatrice increased+1]


    "Now what do you need my dear?" The old woman asks, sipping her tea.


    "I was wondering where I might get some farming tools." Aya says.


    "Have you already started in the Rose Manor?" The old woman asks in surprise, as though she wasn''t expecting Aya to get to it so soon.


    "That''s right, I''ve already started with the front of the manor but it''s proving difficult." She explains. "I found some tools in the old shed but they''re not much help."


    Beatrice gives a gentle laugh.


    "Well of course they aren''t doing much, they''ve been in there for years." She says. "Covered in rust from a bygone era."


    "So where do I get new tools?" Aya asks.


    "They used to be sold right here in the Floral District, but so many of our merchants and shops closed down."


    "How come the town has fallen on such hard times?" Aya asks.


    "Well, it''s been this way ever since the war of the gods." Beatrice says.


    Aya recognizes some potential lore info and prepares herself to listen.


    [War of the Gods 0.7% completion]


    "What was the war of the gods?" Aya asks. Beatrice is once again surprised by Aya''s statement, she places her cup on a nearby table and begins the story.


    "I suppose you wouldn''t really know. You''re quite young after all, only as old as my Twyla."


    "It all began hundreds of years ago." Beatrice starts.

 016~The Power of a Summon (1)

    "Decades ago, the gods of Moon Valley went to war against each other. It was an awful war, one that made the very heaven shake."


    "Why did they go to war?" Aya asks. She sits listening to the old woman speak. "Did they have a disagreement?"


    Beatrice shakes her head, with a shrug of her shoulders she faces the young elf on her chair.


    "No one knows my dear." Beatrice says.


    "You said the gods of Moon Valley? All the gods?"


    "Yes, my dear, including the patron gods of Bloom Haven, Vaelindor, and Selendriel were called into battle despite not being gods of fight themselves." Beatrice says, shaking her head. "The ensuing battle seemed to last forever. That was when our Harvest guardian disappeared as well."


    "What happened to them?" Aya asks, "The previous Harvest guardian."


    Beatrice drops her head low with a heavy sigh.


    "I was hoping you could find out actually." Beatrice says sheepishly. Aya smiles fondly at the old woman.


    "Don''t worry, you just leave it to me. I''ll investigate the mystery." Aya says.


    [Story of the Harvest Guardian 3%]


    Aya nods, already expecting the passive story notification. The more she invests in the world of Moon Valley, the more the quests pop up.


    "Plenty of mysteries to solve." Aya says, she listens to the old woman go on before asking.


    "When was the Harvest Guardian last seen?" Aya asks. The woman rubs her head, avoiding eye contact with the girl sitting in front of her. She turns back to Aya grinning mischievously.


    "Well, you can''t expect an old woman to know everything, Yvlena." Beatrice says. Aya frowns, but at the same time can''t contain the excitement bubbling within her. This world only continues to grow bigger with every little thing she uncovers.


    "Well this has certainly kept me playing for hours." she says, picking up her phone to check the time. 2:30 AM flashes across her screen, but it doesn''t send Aya into a panic, after all, it''s not a work night, and asides from personal obligation, Aya did not have anywhere else to be.


    Aya shuts down the PacBook with a yawn. She gets out of her chair to turn off the lights and crawls into her comfy bed for the night.


    "Thank God it''s the weekend." the girl says to herself. "I have to try out the summons soon." Aya lets herself drift off to sleep, she dreams of Moon Valley and the numerous quests that wait for her.


    ----------


    Aya wakes to the sound of silence, the alarm clock beside her bed quiet in the face of the weekend. She swings her legs over the bed, letting them hit the floor as she stands.


    She raises her hands above her head for a deep stretch and walks to the kitchen for a quick breakfast. Aya takes the cereal box out of the shelf, only after shaking the box does she realize it''s empty.


    "That''s right I was supposed to replace that." She says in annoyance. Tossing the cereal box in the trash Aya decides instead to take a shower before she heads to the grocery store.


    ----------


    The girl sighs, walking down the cold streets on the only day she doesn''t have to catch the bus. She takes her time walking to the grocery store just around the corner. Lost in thought, she wonders how far she can take Moon Valley.


    Becoming a professional player fills her thoughts, but it doesn''t interest her enough to pursue it.


    "I''ll just stick to farming, I am Harvest Guardian after all." she says, the girl finds herself already in front of the convince store.


    Pushing the door open, she finds a woman at the counter who greets her enthusiastically. Aya waves and walks past her, browsing the sections on cereal. It''s not long before she finds the particular off brand cereal she likes.


    Grabbing a few toiletries and more things for her fridge she heads back to the counter to pay.


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    "That''ll be 24.10 Lue." the cashier says. Aya scans her phone into the holder, paying for her groceries while the lady bags up her purchases.


    Aya picks the bags up and walks out, heading towards the apartment, on her way there a familiar figure stands in her path talking to someone.


    Aya watches a man speak to Mars, hands moving animatedly like a character out of a show. Mars is not impressed. Her dark eyes watch him with a frown on her lips. The man, sensing her mood stops talking and moves to grab her.


    Before Aya could lift a stone from the road Mars strikes, delivering two swift blows to the man''s neck and stomach. The Perpetuator falls to the ground and Aya runs up to her friend.


    "Mars, are you alright?" Aya asks, Mars smiles at her then turns her eyes back to the man groaning in pain on the concrete. He moves to get up but Aya lands a kick of her own, sending the man back down to the ground. The girl grabs Mars by her hand and runs, dragging her along.


    "Were you about to be mugged or something?" Aya asks, breathing hard. She can''t remember ever having to run that hard in a while. Not even her job as mail delivery required such vigorous movement.


    Mars laughs.


    "Boy, you really showed him huh?" she says, patting Aya on her back. "Thanks for the help back there, he simply wouldn''t leave." Mars says tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.


    Aya stands, straightening her back.


    "You''re welcome, I guess you''re also new to Axen. There''s a lot of crime here. So just try to be careful."


    "Of course, whatever would I do without my Aya!" Mars says trapping the girl in a sudden hug.


    "You''re going to break my eggs!" Aya shouts, but there''s no edge to her voice only laughter.


    "I owe you one." Mars says once they''re back in the apartment lobby. She disappears back into her apartment leaving Aya to go back to her own.


    After setting the groceries aside and finally having a bit of breakfast, Aya sets her mind towards the goal of saying. With a few taps, she sets aside 100 Lue from her Moon Valley auction sale.


    "There now I only need 400 more." she says, walking over to her computer to take a seat. Booting the game up she once again begins her adventures within the world of Moon Valley.


    ----------


    Aya spawns in front of Beatrice''s house, having already asked the NPC all she wanted to know. Aya runs through the town, back to the Rose Manor to try out the Cauldron.


    "Let''s see I have the basic potions recipe from Beatrice so lets try that out." Aya opens the menu, examining the contents of the recipe for herself.


    [Simple Health Potion


    ***


    Type: Recipe


    A common health potion.


    Restores a sliver of health to the player


    (20HP)


    ***


    Star Root: x2


    Bloom Lily:x1]


    Aya reads off the ingredients and selects the cauldron from her inventory, she places it on the grassy ground of the Rose Manor and selects the herbs within the recipe.


    After a short animation of a bubbling cauldron, she''s greeted by a notification.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Health Potion (common) x1]


    "Well I''m all out of herbs, I wonder what other recipes I can brew with this cauldron. Risel would know." Aya says. She dismisses the cauldron and runs through the gates of the Rose Manor.


    ----------


    "You''re back!" Risel greets from the counter she stands at. Aya waves to the elven girl and rushes over to the counter. Pulling up the menu she hits sell and lists her new health potion.


    "Huh that''s weird, it''s listed in a different section than the one I got from the game." Aya says, she shifts her focus as Risel speaks.


    "Well the grade isn''t very high, I can only give you 50 Moon Points for it." Risel says.


    "What do you mean?" Aya asks. As if to answer her question a window pops up with a helpful animation ready to teach Aya something else about Moon Valley.


    "Hello Player so you want to know about Item rarity and grades?" the fairy says.


    "Item rarity and grades play an important role when trading with in-game merchants or even other players. Items of higher quality tend to be more valuable simply because they have more of an effect, last longer, or are quite hard to craft or find.


    As a crafter or production class, you can increase the value, rarity, or grade of your item by leveling up your subclass or occupational skills."


    The animation window closes once more and Aya nods in understanding, realizing an item she had just made will likely fall under low grade. It doesn''t impress Risel at all. The elven girl still smiles at Aya, accepting the low grade potion and depositing the Moon Points within Aya''s inventory.


    "Just keep trying and soon you''ll be making high grade potions in no time." Risel says.


    [Affinity with Risel increased +2]


    The notification pleases Aya, now two of the NPCs within Bloom Haven consider her on a friendlier level than a stranger.


    "Say Risel, how do I get to the Verdant woods?" Aya asks. The elven girl''s ears twitch, she holds her hands to her cheeks in shock at the question.


    "But Yvlena it''s much too dangerous to head to the Verdant Woods." she says.


    "Don''t worry about it Risel, I''m very strong even though I''m not that great of an alchemist." Aya jokes. The elf laughs too.


    [Affinity with Risel Increased +1]


    "It''s past the Bloom Meadow, just keep heading South, past the entrance of the Bloom Forest. But Yvlena you have to be careful, not only are the creatures stronger but they''ve been tainted by the miasma." Risel says.


    "I promise to be careful Risel, and bring you some herbs." Aya says. Risel places a hand on her chest touched by Aya''s words.


    [Affinity with Risel Increased +2]


    "Aww, thank you Yvlena. Just be careful alright." the elven girl says. Aya runs out of the apothecary and towards the city gates.


    "I wonder if I''m actually prepared to face the Verdant woods." she says. "I guess I could test out my summons in the Bloom Meadow first."


    The gate guards greet her again as she flies through the wooden gates and into the Bloom Meadow, ready to face any enemies she comes across.


    "I''m sure with two summons and my new sword I''ll be able to take on whatever in the Verdant woods." Aya muses.


    Aya stops in the middle of the Meadow just behind two horned rabbits going about their day.


    "Alright, time to see what these summons are made of." Aya says.

 017~The Power of a Summon (2)

    Aya spots the two horned rabbits going about their business and takes a moment to figure out how to equip her two summon stones.


    She fits the two stones into their respective slots and wastes no moment leaping into battle with the weaker enemies. Assuming her summon skill would be much the same as her attack skills.


    The horned rabbits charge at her, doing a single damage point each. Aya acts, using her summon skill.


    [Call Forth Rabbit Knight? (150 MP)]


    [Call Forth Forest Sprite? (60 MP)]


    Aya winces at the heavy cost it would take to summon her two allies into battle.


    "It''s totally worth it and besides I still have a couple of Mana potions I haven''t used." she says.


    Aya hits yes on both prompts and immediately a flash of light bathes her character as a Rabbit with red and silver armor adorning its tiny body leaps out of the fountain of light. It wastes no time attacking the Horned Rabbits.


    An even smaller Forest Sprite follows, attacking with blasts of tiny flickering lights, Aya only stands back to watch as the Rabbit Knight swiftly dispatches the Horned rabbits within the vicinity, giving Aya the rewards and exp.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 294/600


    ***


    Rabbit Fur x2


    Rabbit Meat x7


    ***


    Moon Points: 20]


    "Nice, I didn''t even have to do anything there." Aya says, cheering.


    [Dismiss Summons?]


    [Yes/No]


    Aya ponders a bit and decides not to dismiss them, the Summons seem smart enough and she didn''t want to be caught unawares. Besides it would cost more Mana than she currently had to summon them again.


    The Spirte suddenly flies up to her speaking.


    "Pleased to meet your acquaintance." it says. The Rabbit Knight as well approaches, bowing its head towards her.


    Aya takes the opportunity to take a look at her summons. A winged humanoid flutters in front of her vision although Aya could barely make out her figure due to the light emanating from the small being.


    The Rabbit knight is next, the slightly anthropomorphized being sits cleaning its whiskers as she stares at him, his fur is a light wheat color that stands out against his red and silver armor.


    Aya notes he''s pretty strong despite her menu telling her he was currently only level one. He has a little sword strapped to his waist that mirrors the design of her carrot sword only longer and more rapier-like.


    "It''s nice to meet you two as well." Aya says to them. The sprite flies off and Aya is given the prompt to name her new companions.


    She dismisses it, unable to think of cute names for now. Sprite and Rabbit Knight were enough currently.


    [There Once Was a Kingdom 1.8% completion]


    "Interesting, just summoning the knight was enough to give me more lore bits. I wonder what else will." Aya says, her attention switches from her new summons to conquering the Verdant woods. Risel


    "With both of them, I can surely make it to the Verdant Woods." Aya says to herself. "Am I being too cocky here? Maybe I''m really not ready and there''s a bunch more stuff to do within the town."


    Brushing off the thought, she walks on, sighting the entrance to Bloom forest an area she''d struggled against previously on her journey. Aya shakes off any hesitation on her mind, proceeding farther and farther away from the area until she finds a different colored patch of grass.


    Closely examining it, Aya can tell the grass is yellowed and dead from whatever was beyond the area at this point.


    Her summons say nothing only waiting to follow her lead into the path. Aya continues forward finally reaching the entrance of the new area.


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    A title card for the area flashes briefly across her vision letting her know this was the Verdant wood''s path.


    The area is thick with unease, even just sitting at her computer Aya feels the oppressive force of the dark, corrupted area. The trees framing the path are gnarled, and blackened by something Aya knows to be the miasma from the war of the gods.


    No birds sing, instead a screaming breeze whistles past her ears, ruffling her hair and the rabbit knight''s fur. The summon shivers and Sprite makes a perch of Yvlena''s head.


    Below her character, charred, dead grass sprouts from the ground in a sickly hue, it almost makes Aya hesitate.


    The path to the woods is a dark winding road of dead grass Yvlena follows. Looking around, she feels eyes stare out from open tree holes, and behind her, ominous sounds resonate from among the trees.


    No enemies lunge at her yet and the girl is almost relieved. Sprite and Rabbit Knight are quiet as they pass through, nearly jumping at every little sway of a branch or hoot of an owl. The path continues to darken, shutting out the light the further Aya goes.


    One step more puts her face to face with a wolf.


    "There''s something strange about this wolf." Aya says to herself, gazing upon it she notices its fur is dark as night, ivory white claws glint in the pale sunlight of the shadowy forest and its teeth reveal themselves to be as sharp as tiny daggers.


    There''s a madness in its eyes as it snarls and prepares to attack, but most of all a strange black vapor seems to be emanating from the wolf''s fur.


    "That must be the miasma corruption Risel was talking about." Aya says to herself. The wolf takes a step forward first, sizing them up intelligently before leaping forward.


    "Here it comes." Aya says bracing herself and her summons.


    The wolf lunges, teeth and all ignoring the summon and heading straight for the summoner. It attacks, clamping down viciously on Aya. She yelps taking 12 damage as the wolf pulls back.


    "Not as bad as the horned Rabbit Queen." Aya says. The Rabbit Knight attacks first attacking the wolf and hitting it with 7 damage. Sprite leaps forward.


    [Sprite cast Sting (01 MP)]


    Hitting the wolf with 3 damage. Aya joins the battle attacking with the carrot sword and landing 22 damage.


    "Awesome, with the rabbit''s foot I should land a critical hit if I just keep attacking." the wolf staggers a bit, retreating slightly as though making a move to run away. It shakes itself off unleashing a mighty howl.


    [10 damage to all Party members]


    "That nasty wolf!" Aya hears Sprite scream from beside her. The Rabbit Knight nods, lunging again.


    [Rabbit Knight Cast Slash]


    Rabbit Knight dives forward, avoiding every swipe of the corrupted wolf''s claws and delivering an elegant strike with his carrot Rapier. The wolf whines as a status appears on its head.


    [Corrupted Wolf is afflicted with bleed -1 HP Per turn]


    "Way to go Rabbit Knight!" Aya cheers. She and Sprite attack hitting the Wolf with a stunning combo.


    [Battle Skill Unlocked: Stunner Combo]


    Together they do a combined damage of 35, making the wolf growl dangerously. The wolf leaps forward, clamping its teeth down on Rabbit Knight.


    "Rabbit knight!" Aya calls, the rabbit only shakes its wounds off, facing Aya with a stoic expression as if to tell her it was okay. She sighs in relief, after only one battle the girl finds herself attached to the Rabbit standing proudly beside her.


    What a weird turn of events.


    It takes one more hit from Aya for the wolf to finally dissolve in a flash of light signifying its defeat.


    "We did it." Aya says in relief, she didn''t know the wolf''s level but she could tell it was a higher-level enemy than anything she had encountered so far. If not for her summons the battle may have very well been lost.


    She falls back to rest on her chair sighing in relief at the outcome of the battle, her eyes open at the sound of the screen beeping.


    [Rabbit Knight gained a level +1]


    [Sprite gained a level +1]


    [Sprite learned skill: Cure Lv. 1]


    She reads through nodding, it would seem the game had a leveling criteria of it''s own for the summons.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 376/600


    ***


    Wolf Fang x1


    Shadow Essence x1


    ***


    Moon Points: 200]


    "That wolf had a ton of exp, still hope I don''t encounter another one though." Aya says continuing on her way down the dark winding path down to the Verdant wood.


    From the corner of her vision, she notices a dark cloud over the area she and her summons walk towards. Soon a cloudy haze begins to form over her screen, the closer she gets the more she notices a thick heavy film over her vision.


    It was a thin fog, growing thicker the farther Yvlena moves towards it until a solid barrier blocks her path to the Verdant Wood.


    "The Miasma has spread?" Aya says. She recalls her conversation with Risel, where she learned of the Miasma blocking the path from the Verdant Woods to the next village.


    On getting here the Miasma seems to have spread farther, meaning it could move to cover the town of Bloom Haven.


    [-1 damage]


    Her menu says, she pulls back from the fog immediately not wanting to put her character in any danger.


    "It even hurts you." she says looking up at the thick wall, just beyond, Aya can make out thick branching trees and a path leading into the forest.


    "I''ve got to tell Risel and Beatrice." Aya says. "I don''t even know what will happen if it covers the town."


    "Let''s head back." Aya says to her summons who are only too happy to oblige. The group turns from the path, walking back down the way they came only to encounter a pair of horned rabbits.


    Much like the wolf, the rabbits glow with the power of the dark haze. Aya wonders how much stronger it makes them.


    The rabbits don''t give her a chance to continue her musings and attack, charging straight for Aya and her summons.


    With the Rabbit Slayer boost it''s easy to despatch them, Aya wastes no time at all.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 436/600


    ***


    Shadow essence x2


    Dark Rabbit fur x2


    ***


    Moon Points: 150]


    [Class Skill: Summon Leveled Up]


    The menu informs her once they''re closer to town. Aya shrugs, unable to understand how the skill leveled up by itself while she passively walks through the gates. She pulls up the menu and reads what the skill does now. She didn''t gain an extra slot but her mana consumption when summoning was reduced by 10%


    "Sweet now it won''t cost as much to bring Sprite and Rabbit Knight into battle." she says.


    With a heavy heart, Aya dismisses her summons who wave goodbye and bow to her as they dissolve into light.


    "I chose the right class, I feel like I have a couple of party members with me." she says rushing towards the Artisan District to inform Risel of her findings.

 018~Secrets of The Harvest Guardian

    "Risel!" Aya calls bursting into the elf''s apothecary, the girl jumps almost spilling the potion the was handing a customer.


    The customer, a nobleman takes one look at Yvlena''s cloak and scoffs, waltzing out of the store with an upturned nose.


    "It must be important if you barged in like this." The elf says.


    "It is, the miasma spread." Aya tells her, the girl recounts all she saw within the forest including how the miasma now stood between them and the Verdant woods.


    "This is bad, if it keeps spreading, it''ll cover Bloom Haven." Risel says. "If only the Harvest Guardian was here, they''d know what to do."


    Aya pauses. As the current Harvest Guardian, she didn''t even know what she would be able to do with the current situation.


    "Just what would they do Risel?" Aya asks.


    "Within the Rose Manor is a book detailing the secrets of the Harvest Guardian, a plant lies there. The Ever Bloom, the flower on all of Bloom Haven''s crests. It''s not only beautiful but serves as a Siphon for the dark energy of the miasma. But I wonder if it''ll even be enough now."


    Aya gasps, if that book was still around, it had to be within the manor somewhere. But she didn''t have time to go looking, with the miasma spreading it was as though she was on a timer.


    "Can you tell me more about the Ever Bloom? where can I get the seeds?"


    "Oh Yvlena, I don''t know too much about it but maybe you can find something in the library, it''s not too far from here. I''m sorry but Herb Lore isn''t my specialty." Risel says, bowing her head apologetically.


    "That''s alright Risel, you''ve helped more than enough, with all this information I''m sure something will come of it."


    [Affinity with Risel increased +3]


    [Risel considers you an acquaintance]


    The menu tells Aya.


    "You''re so kind to take the miasma on your shoulders." Risel says. Aya can only nod at her.


    "Don''t worry I won''t let anything happen to Bloom Haven." Aya says. Risel puts a hand to her chin as she looks Aya up and down.


    "You know Yvlena, you quite remind me of the Harvest Guardian yourself." She says.


    "That''s because I am." Aya says, Yvlena winks at Risel, running out of the store before she can hear the girl scream in disbelief.


    Before heading to the library Aya decides she would tell Beatrice as well, just in case the woman had anything important to add to her current search for an answer.


    She runs through the town, greeting Tom again and increasing her affinity with him.


    Finding the cottage that belonged to the old woman, Aya knocks on the door.


    The kindly old woman pulls open the door and before she can utter a greeting, Aya unleashes the torrent of Information on her.


    ----------


    "The miasma?" Beatrice says rubbing her chin in thought.


    "Do you know anything about it?" Aya asks pleading with the old woman to tell her something.


    "I only know it started during the war of the gods and has been that way ever since. The previous Harvest Guardian was able to combat it but I''m unable to tell you how."


    [War of the Gods 1% Completion]


    [Story of the Harvest Guardian 3.5% Completion]


    The game tells Aya.


    "I know about the Ever Bloom, the previous Guardian used to siphon the miasma." Aya says. Beatrice nods in approval and it''s enough to warm Aya''s heart.


    "I''m seriously getting attached to these characters way too deeply." Aya says, but she finds she doesn''t mind in the slightest.


    "Good job, all I know is the town library may have something. The Rose Manor had archives as well but I do not know what became of them, my dear." Beatrice says.


    After drinking some tea, which to Aya''s surprise restores her HP and some of her MP, Aya makes a run for the Bloom Haven library.


    ----------


    The library is a large three-story structure within the Artisan District, gleaming white walls shine in the sun, while two pillars hold up the elaborately carved cream coloured eaves that envelope Aya in its shade.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    On the pillars are two carvings of what she now knows to be the patron gods of the town, Vaelindor, and Selendriel.


    "So these are the figures the statues at the Rose Manor are supposed to look like." Aya says to herself. Walking into the library she''s surprised to find it populated by a myriad of noble NPCs.


    Each person she passed wears a combination of high class silk or high grade customized armor. The nobles chat amongst themselves making Aya feel out of place.


    "It''s just like the top floor at work." Aya says. Rows and rows of shelves meet her on the lower level, looking up Aya could the library shelves span all three layers of the building.


    "Wow, this could take forever if I don''t find someone I can ask for help."


    Walking up to the welcome counter Aya finds a pale, white haired, bespectacled young man reading a heavy tome. He looks to be a noble himself. She gets his attention with a simple greeting.


    He slams his book closed, glaring hard at Aya, the man rises to his feet straightening out his blue jacket and dusting off his white pants.


    "May I help you?" He asks, with the way his voice sounds you would think Aya had slapped him.


    [NAME: Laurent


    RACE: Human


    OCC: Librarian]


    "So sorry to interrupt you, Mr. Laurent." Aya apologizes. "I''m looking for a book on a notable figure, the Harvest Guardian and it seemed like-"


    Laurent cuts her off before she has a chance to finish.


    "Second level, 13th shelf, row 6, H for Harvest Guardian. Second level, 25th shelf, row 15 R for Rael." He says. Aya frowns.


    [Laurent is hostile]


    "But I only just met him!" Aya says rolling her eyes. It seemed nobles were the same everywhere, in the game and outside of it.


    Heading towards the steps she climbs to the second level to begin searching the rows. It doesn''t take her long to find the first book.


    Aya pulls out a thin, green, leather backed book, buried under a layer of dust.


    She watches Yvlena blow the dust off the book, coughing as she does.


    Text appears on the screen.


    [The Harvest Guardian


    ***


    An illustrious post blessed by the patron gods of Moon Valley.


    The Harvest Guardian is the liaison between the gods and the people, a steward of nature, knowledgeable in a myriad of skills.


    The role of the Harvest Guardian is a bridge between two realms, a connection that serves to see the desires of the gods through.


    They are an instrument of nature themselves.


    Without the Harvest Guardian, the presence of the nature gods will fade.]


    "Sounds like a lot of responsibility." Aya says with excitement.


    She continues to read.


    [There are many stages to the growth and development of a Harvest Guardian, one does not start as a Harvest Guardian even though they are awarded the post.


    They must grow, uncovering the lore of the world and performing the restorative services and wills of the nature gods.


    No Harvest Guardian is like the previous one and each must forge their own path through the winding roads of fate.


    Where ever there is an imbalance in nature, the Harvest Guardian must answer the call.]


    [Story of the Harvest Guardian 5% Completion]


    The entry ends there, flipping the book, Aya notices a page of the already thin book was missing.


    "Laurent''s not gonna like that." Aya says with a grimace.


    Heading to the next shelf Laurent''s directions sends her to, Aya finds the book almost as scanty as the first one.


    Text once again pops up on her screen.


    [Rael


    ***


    Bloom Haven''s final Harvest Guardian. A native of Bloom Haven and a gentle soul and caretaker to the Rose Manor.


    A scholar at heart but a knight of the nature gods. In his endeavours to keep nature in balance he picked up many skills.


    One that every Harvest Guardian should know. Cultivation, Herblore, and farming to name a few.


    Rael was one of the most powerful Harvest Guardians-]


    The book once again cuts off, causing Aya to grow frustrated. Like the previous book, Aya expects to see a ripped page, but the next couple of pages are simply blank.


    Just as she''s about to place the book back on the shelf, words start appearing on the page, writing themselves out in the same tale Beatrice had told Aya.


    [Unfortunately during the war of the gods, the beloved Harvest Guardian of Bloom Haven disappeared.


    It is unknown what happened to him.]


    [Discovered: Tome of the Harvest Guardian]


    [Tome will fill as you uncover what happened to Rael]


    [Story of the Harvest Guardian 6.5% Completion]


    "I have to fill it out." Aya says. "I didn''t even get any information on the Ever Bloom. I don''t want to bother Laurent again."


    Aya places the book back on the shelf, satisfied she was able to learn the name of the previous Harvest Guardian.


    Heading down to the reception she encounters Laurent, walking around the area, his tone with the nobles sounding just as harsh as it was with her.


    Aya walks up to him once more.


    "Excuse me again Laurent," she says sheepishly. "Do you have any books on the plants Rael might have used?"


    [Affinity with Laurent increased+1]


    Though the man scowls down at her, Aya notices the menu again.


    The man''s gaze does not soften at all as he speaks, but his tone is less harsh than their initial meeting.


    "All the Harvest Guardian''s recipes and creations rest within the Rose Manor." Laurent says.


    "What about the Ever Bloom?" Aya asks.


    "Within the Rose Manor." Laurent repeats himself.


    "I see, thank you for your help I''ll be back to look at some more books." Aya says.


    [Affinity with Laurent increased+1]


    "Very well." He says storming off to bark at some more nobles. Aya shakes her head wondering why the developers programmed such a mean NPC.


    "Looks like I have to do my job and clean up the Rose Manor, if I don''t then I can''t access Rael''s work with the Siphon flower." Aya says.


    She exits the library, making her way through the Artisan District and towards the Rose Manor.


    --------


    "Did the weeds grow back?!" Aya asks on seeing the Rose Manor''s front lawn. Giant weeds sprout from the area she had previously cleared and, the older weeds within the manor appear thicker and stronger than before.


    "They definitely grew back!" Aya growls, equipping the scythe she takes to the weeds, cutting and cutting.


    "Where would the Ever Bloom grow even if I got it with all these weeds?"


    [Yvlena Acquired Fibre x10]


    "I wonder what I can do with all this fiber I''m getting, maybe I can make a basket or a net or something."


    She strikes a bush with more force than usual, the bush moves, leaping at Yvlena with impressive force.


    A battle ensues.


    "Bush mimic?" Aya murmurs, a mimic was a creature that disguised itself using common items, usually to trick players and attack them.


    Aya wastes no time attacking it, dispatching the weak creature with little force.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP:446/600


    ***


    Fibre x5


    Wild seed x3


    ***


    Moon Points: 20]


    "That was easy." Aya says. "I guess it wouldn''t be an RPG without all this trouble."

 019~Giving Gifts

    Aya leans back in her chair and glances out the window close to her.


    The sun had risen high in the sky letting her know it had just hit noon, she checks her phone confirming the time to be just about 12:13 pm.


    She gets out of her chair to stretch and drink some water.


    Even though all she did was sit at her computer, her body aches, demanding she take a break and maybe a little nap before continuing.


    Her stomach rumbles, growling hungrily for sustenance. Aya pats it, laughing.


    "Sounding like a boss battle over here geez."


    Just as she''s about to make lunch, a harsh rapping comes from her door. Aya narrows her eyes, not expecting any company.


    It wasn''t too long ago she saw Mars and the other girl wouldn''t be at her door at this time, though who could really say?


    Aya pulls the door open to find the sour face of her aunt staring at her.


    "Aunt Lydia?" Aya asks, folding her arms. "How can I help you?"


    The bitter older woman simply looks Aya up and down before scoffing.


    "Keep the noise down!" The woman snaps. Aya glares.


    "I haven''t been making any noise." Aya says nearly stamping her feet in protest. The older woman rolls her eyes.


    "I got some complaints." She spits, pointing a finger at Aya.


    "You''re lucky I let you live here."


    "I pay rent though, I''m not exactly coasting off your limited goodwill." Aya snaps back. The woman retracts her bony finger, red in the face from fuming.


    She storms off, allowing Aya to shut her door and lock it.


    "Geez, what a hag." The girl says returning to her kitchen to make lunch.


    After a generous bowl of curry rice and eggs, Aya heads to her bed for a nap. By the time she wakes, she could play another round of Moon Valley.


    The girl yawns, flopping unto her bed without a care.


    She buried her face in the pillow and soon the world is out of sight.


    ----------


    Waking up to find it was just late afternoon, Aya yawns and gets out of her bed to head straight back to her computer.


    "That was some of the best sleep I''ve had in a while, It almost felt like I was using my own hands to weed the Manor." Aya says logging on to play the game some more.


    She couldn''t wait until she fixed up the Icarus gear.


    The feeling of being present within the world of Moon Valley again sends shivers of excitement up her spine.


    "I still have the water stone I got from the Horned Rabbit Queen."


    Aya takes her time listing the water stone on the auction house and setting her phone aside to continue playing.


    "I hope someone buys it, the asking price is pretty high but Mars said that''s just how it is."


    ----------


    Elsewhere a man sits at his desk typing.


    A notification pops up informing him of a new listing within the Moon Valley auction house.


    He pauses, facing away from one screen containing his work documents, to the other displaying the auction house tab.


    Looking through the page he finds many, many, useless things. Common bread, old rabbit fur cloaks, worn armor, and swords of lower grades.


    He''s just about to click off when he notices a new item, has just been put up.


    <Water Stone (High Grade) x1>


    A fresh listing? He browses the item page skeptically but Moon Valley didn''t allow for inauthentic listings. Asides from the highly secure data protocols he himself didn''t understand, the items came straight from one''s inventory.


    Anyone who tried to circumvent this was subsequently banned, though there had been a few.


    One group in particular, the Flowers of the Red Dawn, would often try.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    The man''s mind goes back to the listing, curious why someone would sell such a thing.


    "The wheel of capitalism is ever turning, who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth." He says.


    For the person''s trouble, he decides to outbid any other price for the water stone, purchasing it for 60 Gold over the 40 Gold the seller had listed it.


    "Adorable, they gave it the price of a Medium Grade."


    Money wasn''t a problem for him, this would only make his build stronger while he had it. He sends a comment to the user, thanking them and including a note to price higher next time.


    An item this high could only come from a boss, just who was this seller?


    He scans the details of the listing to find the gamer''s name.


    Yvlena.


    "Odd choice for a name, but who am I to say anything." He says returning back to his office work.


    He takes note of her though, in the future he was sure she would be useful to him.


    ----------


    Aya finds herself back in the Rose Manor, scythe in hand.


    "Time to get to work." She says brandishing the scythe.


    [Yvlena Acquired Fibre x5]


    [Subclass: Leveled Up


    Herbalist(Harvest Guardian) 2/10]


    "Huh? Do these things just level up whenever they want?" Aya asks as she continues to weed.


    Stepping back to look at her progress, she realizes she''s back to where she was before the Manor overgrew.


    "Progress is better than no progress I guess."


    Aya slashes again but notices, it takes one less strike to clear the bush.


    "Huh?" She gasps. She examines the rusty Scythe in her character''s hand.


    "Did it get less rusty?" She asks herself, the blade seems to change shape as well but for now, it wasn''t enough to take note of.


    She swings it again cutting down a few more bushes in less time than it would normally take her.


    [Yvlena Acquired Fibre x10]


    She encounters another bush mimic, and Aya wastes no time leaping into battle with her foe.


    She slays it instantly, the thing was no match for her carrot sword and level.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 456/600


    ***


    Fibre x5


    Wild seed x3


    ***


    Moon Points: 20]


    "There better not be a bush mimic boss." Aya grumbles. The Rose Manor itself, from falling into decay is just like another dungeon.


    Similar to Bloom Meadow or even Bloom Forest. Aya''s mind wanders back to the Verdant Woods'' path and the Miasma wolf.


    Could it infect an NPC and turn them into some sort of miasma zombie?


    The thought chills her.


    "Necromancers would probably have a field day with that." Aya says.


    Her scythe hits something, making a loud thunk as it strikes the object. There among the thick bushes, Aya spots a watering can.


    "How did it end up here?" She asks, picking it up. "It''s like it was dropped here years ago...as though someone left in a hurry." Aya reasons.


    [Yvlena Acquired Rusty Watering can x1]


    [Story of the Harvest Guardian 6.7% Completion]


    Aya gasps.


    "So Rael was in a hurry to go somewhere before he disappeared? But where did he go? It must have been during the war of the gods before the miasma became such a problem."


    Aya leans back into her chair to ponder some more, resting her hand on her chin she thinks out loud.


    "Now that I think about it Beatrice''s Daughter also left Bloom Haven, but how did she even leave?" Aya asks. "Tom said she was in Rosenheim, I''d have to see if there''s a map or something."


    Now having enough space for a few squares of farming space, Aya retrieves the hoe to till the soil.


    Easily setting up a three by three grid, Aya plants the wild seeds from the Bush mimics, she encountered.


    She waters the crops with some of the water still inside the can.


    "I''d say that''s a job well done." She says. To her surprise, the rusty tools once again are given some shine.


    "Hmm? Maybe they''re enchanted?" She says, equipping the scythe and swinging again. This time it takes even fewer cuts than last time to remove a bush of weeds.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Common Spice (Herb) x2


    Fibre x10]


    "Maybe I can try something." Aya says. She takes out the Cauldron and sets it down like before. Aya tosses a piece of Rabbit Meat in along with the Common Spice Herb.


    The cauldron bubbles and soon the menu informs her of her creation.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Rabbit Meat Soup x1]


    [Discovered: Rabbit Meat Soup recipe (Common)]


    "If only there was a way I could see the grade of the meal I just prepared. I know it''s going to be low though." Aya sighs in frustration.


    From her previous interactions with the Moon Valley forums, she knew food was a hot item on the auction house.


    The cooking skill was pretty rare as not many subclasses even had the option to unlock it.


    "I guess I could try it out on myself."


    Aya directs her character to consume the Rabbit Soup.


    Her character eats up, shaking her head as she does.


    "Didn''t taste too good huh."


    [+ 5HP


    +3 min speed boost]


    Aya blinks first, reading the menu notification again to process it. She was already expecting to receive a bit of HP from the food but the additional speed boost surprises her.


    Even for a meal so common.


    Aya moves her character, indeed noticing the elf moves faster as she cuts through the weeds.


    "I''ve got to look into cooking more, what will happen if I add the Fox Tail? If I recall the menu said it was useful for cooking and alchemy."


    Staring the Cauldron up again Aya cooks the recipe again.


    [Yvlena Acquired Rabbit Meat Soup x1]


    "What will happen if I give this to an NPC?"


    Without wasting a moment the girl runs out of the Rose Manor, just in time for her speed boost to wear off.


    She doesn''t stop until she meets Beatrice''s house. Aya knocks but there''s no answer.


    "Isn''t she around?" Aya asks. She knocks again, waiting for a few moments until she decides to head towards the Market District.


    ----------


    It doesn''t take long for Aya to find Beatrice conversing with another NPC over some fruit at the stall.


    "Oh Yvlena my dear, always a joy to see you."


    [Affinity with Beatrice increased +1]


    "Hi, Beatrice. I have something for you." Aya says,


    "Oh for me? What is it?" Beatrice asks.


    "Um." Aya grimaces, realizing she didn''t know how to give the food to the NPC.


    The girl quickly pulls up the help menu for some guidance.


    "Hello player, so you want to give gifts to others no problem!" The mascot fairy says with a giggle.


    "Sometimes you come across an in-game friend or even an NPC who deserves a token of your appreciation.


    What better way to show them you care than a gift? Simply head to the item in question and select it. The option to ''give as a gift'' will appear and you''ll have to select from a list of NPCs or friends you have.


    Simply select the individual and the gift shall be received.


    Item grades also matter when gift giving to NPCs but, what matters more, is the individual likes and dislikes of the NPC."


    The tutorial closes and Aya scrambles to her inventory to select the food and select Beatrice as the recipient.


    [Affinity with Beatrice increased +5]


    [Beatrice considers you a friend]


    "Oh, dear girl you shouldn''t have." The old woman says beaming at Aya.


    "It''s the least I could do." Aya says, running off once again.

 20~Song of an Elf

    Taking the chance, Aya heads to the Artisan District to ask Risel if there was something that would allow her to see the grades of items she made.


    Walking through the apothecary, Aya finds the elven girl in the middle of organizing some shelves.


    "Oh, Yvlena! You came in at a lucky time I was just sorting through these potions and...I wouldn''t mind some help." Risel says. She clasps her hands together, pleading with puppy eyes for Aya to help. "As the Harvest Guardian I officially request your aid."


    [Quest


    Risel the Alchemist Merchant wants you to help dust the apothecary.


    ***


    Rewards


    Explosive Potion recipe (Common)


    ***


    Moon Point x500


    EXP x200]


    [Do you accept?]


    [Yes/No]


    Aya hits yes making the elven girl jump and clap in excitement.


    "I really didn''t want to do this on my own." She says.


    "I understand Risel, let''s get to work." Aya says.


    [Yvlena Acquired Dust Mop x1]


    The two waste no time dusting the shelves of the apothecary, Aya cleans and cleans until the numerous vials, beakers, and bottles shine in the sun.


    Beside her Risel does much the same, humming a soothing tune. Aya takes a moment to listen to it, curious about the Alchemist. She pauses, letting the tune float through the speakers. It isn''t long before her eyes widen.


    Aya gasp, sucking in air so loudly she nearly chokes.


    "What''s that tune you''re humming?" Aya says immediately struck by a memory. Her mother used to hum that song.


    That exact same melody.


    "Do you like it? My mother taught it to me, I used to hum this song while my brother and I cleaned my mother''s apothecary together." Risel says smiling sadly. She pauses her cleaning with sad eyes.


    "I''ve forgotten the lyrics though, if only Wren were here." Risel says with a longing sigh.


    Aya chews her lips nervously contemplating. It couldn''t be the same song, could it? But the melody was unmistakable.


    "I know the song Risel." Aya says. Risel turns to her with a playful glare.


    "Don''t play around Yvlena, how could you know that song? It''s a very old one, from the time before the war of the gods?"


    "Let me sing to you." Aya says.


    "Okay, but I''m gonna be a little upset if you trick me Yvlena."


    Aya sits up in her seat ready to sing the song her mother and grandmother used to sing. She clears her throat, letting the words wash over her.


    An old lullaby.


    "Come little bird it''s cold outside


    The raindrops fall and the winds doth rise


    Come little bird it''s cold outside


    Take shelter under these branches."


    "Come little bird it''s cold outside,


    the snow falls through and you''ll go blue


    Come little bird it''s cold outside


    Take shelter under these branches."


    "Spring, Summer, Autumn, and winter too


    I see you through and through,


    for a there''s no place quite like home baby mine.


    A bird you are and a tree I''ll be."


    Aya looks to the screen to see Risel wiping tiny tears out of the corner of her eyes. Aya laughs sadly, wiping her own teary eyes.


    How long had it been since she had sung that song? Even to herself.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Oh, Yvlena you do know it. It was just like being in the room with My brother all over again." The elven girl says bawling. Risel leaps into Yvlena''s arms crying.


    "I miss him so much." She says sniffling. "How did you know that lullaby?"


    "Well, my mother taught it to me too Risel." Aya replies.


    "She must be a wonderful person." Risel says. Aya smiles, overcome with the painful memories of her mother.


    "Yeah."


    [Quest Complete


    Risel the Alchemist Merchant wants you to help dust the apothecary.


    ***


    Rewards


    Explosive Potion recipe (Common)


    ***


    Moon Point x500


    EXP x200]


    [Yvlena is now level 7]


    [Risel considers you a friend]


    It''s too much for Aya, she logs off allowing the first of her tears to fall as she tries to wipe them off with the sleeve of her shirt.


    The tears don''t stop, soaking through the sleeves of her shirt as she continues to weed silently in her apartment.


    Soon Aya bawls much like Risel did, the pain in her heart swallowing her whole.


    "I miss you so much, mom!" She cries, Aya didn''t want to be here right now, holding her chest doesn''t help with the pangs in her heart, and every breath she takes aches.


    Aya collapses on her bed, curling into a ball and sobbing so hard her chest rattles.


    Why did her parents have to be taken from her? Why her grandmother?


    Only to be left with a cruel hag.


    "It''s not fair!" Aya cries, pounding her fist against her pillow! "It''s not fair." She says again, defeated.


    Through her window the evening sky rises and she sings to herself once more.


    "Spring, Summer, Autumn, and winter too


    I see you through and through,


    for a there''s no place quite like home, baby mine.


    A bird you are and a tree I''ll be."


    "I hope I have the strength to be a tree too, mom." Aya says.


    ----------


    Deep within the bowels of the Lumos inc archives, Fred Barkley works through the weekend.


    The business with the Yvlena protocol proved to be so important the CEO made it his main priority.


    Even though he was free to go home, Fred stays, typing away on his computer and trying to decrypt the mysteries of the ancient PC.


    The machine spurs to life again, blinking and transmitting.


    "It''s sending something to Moon Valley, isn''t it? The player must have activated something again. Just who are you Yvlena? What is your story?"


    The computer screen flashes, printing words across the screen.


    [The bird and the tree]


    Fred reads the message, knowing it to be an old nursery rhyme albeit an obscure one. Not many parents still sang it to their kids.


    The practice of lullabies dying out in favor of shutting kids up with screens.


    "The song might mean something to the CEO, I''d report this but he never picks up on the weekends." Fred says throwing his head back and kicking his feet up unto the table.


    "So I''m looking for a girl obviously, around my age. That would put her in her 20''s early 30''s Max. Among the older demographic playing Moon Valley, not much to go off of but it''s a start." Fred says sipping a mug of coffee.


    "Whoever you are Yvlena, I''ll find you." He says.


    ----------


    Aya wakes with a terrible headache and puffy eyes. She yawns, swallowing dryly and rubbing the dust from her eyes.


    She rolls over, walking to the kitchen to get a glass of water and some aspirin.


    After gulping down a few glasses, Aya runs her hand through her dark hair, so much like her mother''s own, and stops to think.


    Something was weird about Moon Valley. It couldn''t just be a coincidence, right?


    The setting, the Rose Manor, even the Harvest Guardian, and now the song.


    Her mother had ties to the game somehow and the only way to find out was to keep playing.


    There was no one else she could ask now, all she had was the game.


    "What''s that saying again, when a door closes, a window opens?" Aya chuckles, "It feels a lot like that right now."


    Her voice is still shaky as she speaks, sniffling at the memories of her mother.


    "I''ll find out what happened to you and Dad, even if I have to turn every rock in Moon Valley to do it."


    ----------


    Aya logs back into the game to be greeted by Risel, before she can speak however a message pops up.


    [Secret Conditions Met


    ***


    Reward


    Rose Manor Secret Room Key x1]


    "A hidden room within the Rose Manor? Could it be for me?" Aya wonders.


    The girl decides to play as she usually would, after all, there was no compass when it came to finding out her mother''s connection to the game.


    "Risel is there something that can let me see the grades of items?" Aya asks.


    The elven girl nods, pulling out a pair of intricate gold framed spectacles.


    "This accessory comes with the added bonus of being able to see item grades, it also boosts [WIS] and [INT] these are the Adiri specs." Risel says.


    Aya looks the price up and realizes they cost about 4000 Moon Points.


    "Can I come back for those?" Aya asks.


    "Sure, I can only really sell them to others with any crafting skills." Risel says, "And you''re one of the only few to walk through."


    Aya laughs.


    "Thank you Risel."


    [Affinity with Risel increased +2]


    Aya walks out of the Apothecary and into the streets of the Artisan District still thinking about her mother.


    "I''ll head back to the Manor, maybe I can cut a few more of those weeds down." She says running towards the Floral District.


    ----------


    "The seeds!" Aya says in surprise. On the land she had tilled, little green plants sprout from the soil. She didn''t expect progress to come that quickly but it was a welcome surprise.


    [Your crops are thirsty]


    The menu tells her, she retrieves the watering can but it''s all out of water.


    Aya curses, wondering where she would get water now.


    Just out of the corner of her eye, she spots something.


    On one of the almost clear paths, Aya notices a well with a stone roof, hurriedly clearing the weeds, she ignores the notification about fiber and stops to marvel at it.


    An old stone well sits before her. Celestial carvings adorn the roof, but the crank is rusty just like all the tools in her possession.


    Aya winds the crank, lifting a bucket of fresh water to fill her watering can, and hurry back to the crops.


    She waters each of the 6 patches with care, putting away the watering can when she''s done.


    [Subclass: Leveled Up


    Herbalist(Harvest Guardian) 3/10]


    [New Skill Unlocked: Crafting LV. 1]


    "Nice! But I thought all production classes were crafters."


    Aya reads the skill description.


    [Crafting


    ***


    Create useful items using recipes and raw materials]


    "Not too helpful but I recall something about a foraging skill tree too, maybe I''ll unlock that later." Aya says.


    With a swipe of her scythe, Aya finds once again that the effort taken to weed the area decreases again.


    "At this rate, I could be done with the front lawn of the manor in a bit." She says. "The sooner I''m done, the sooner I can find out what''s within the Manor''s secret Room.


    As Aya works she doesn''t notice a pile of weeds begin to rustle.


    An enormous pile of weeds slithers along the ground, gathering a substantial amount of plants and vines from the ground.


    "Eh? What going-" Before Aya could complete her sentence the enormous pile of dead and rotten plants and weeds roars.


    Towering over Yvlena much like the Horned Rabbit Queen, she faces it.


    [You have encountered Lawn Boss: Giant Weed Mimic]

 021~The Giant Weed Mimic

    "A giant weed mimic. I hope it gives me something good then!" Aya says. She wastes no time summoning her companions into battle, knowing the battle would be smoother with them beside her.


    "I''m counting on you guys!" she says. Rabbit Knight nods, while Spirte buzzes excitedly around.


    The Mimic attacks first, heading straight for Aya who had disturbed its rest with her weeding efforts. The attack misses, making Aya cackle with glee as her party''s turn came.


    Aya lashes at the creature with her sword, dealing 25 damage to her target. Rabbit Knight activates his skill leaping at the mimic, he slashes at the vines with his rapier.


    [Rabbit Knight Cast Slash (03 MP)]


    Slashing the boss for a total of 12 Damage. The Weed Mimic howls in agony, digging its roots deep into the ground, causing the weeds to spread all over the lawn.


    "So that''s why the lawn was overgrown even when I cut it." Aya says.


    [Sprite cast Sting (01 MP)]


    The fairy flits around doing 3 damage to the mimic. Soon it''s the creature''s turn.


    [Giant Weed Mimic cast Thorn Bullet ]


    [15 damage to all Party Members]


    "I hate when they do that!" Aya growls launching another attack. She does another 25 damage, causing the monster to stagger.


    Rabbit Knight and Sprite stare at each other, nodding, they launch their very first combo, the Weed Mimic doesn''t know what hit it as it''s blasted with stings and slashes by the duo for a total of 15 Damage.


    "Nice job you two." Aya says cheering them on. Sprite puffs out her chest, in pride while Rabbit Knight proceeds to clean his whiskers.


    [Battle Skill Unlocked: Rabbit Sting Combo]


    The Giant weed Mimic isn''t done yet, vines shoot out of the ground trapping Rabbit Knight within a thorny prison


    [Giant Weed Mimic cast Bind ]


    the menu says, Aya knows what the move is. She wonders how long Rabbit Knight would be trapped there unable to move.


    Sprite attacks the vine instantly.


    [Sprite cast Sting (01 MP)]


    watching as the thorny tendril shifts, Aya attacks it too, obliterating the vine but because of this she''s used up her turn.


    Rabbit Knight attacks the weed mimic dealing 12 damage in retaliation. The boss attacks again


    [Giant Weed Mimic cast Thorn Bullet ]


    [15 damage to all Party Members]


    Aya notices Sprite fall to the grassy ground, checking her summon''s HP she notices it''s extremely low. Aya is just about to use a potion when the Menu alerts her


    [Sprite cast Cure (05 MP)]


    [Sprite Recovered 10 HP]


    Aya breathes a sigh of relief not wanting to know what would happen should the little Spirte''s HP reach zero.


    Aya attacks again dealing the same about of damage as before.


    [Rabbit Knight Cast Slash (03 MP)]


    And with that, the small furry create deals the final blow to the Giant Weed Mimic. The creature releases one final shriek of anguish before it scatters into piles of leaves and roots


    [Lawn Boss: Giant Weed Mimic Defeated]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 156/730


    ***


    Wild Seeds x20


    Fiber x100


    Rare Seed x5


    ***


    Grass Stone (High Grade) x1


    Grass Stone (Low Grade) x2


    ***


    Simple Basket Recipe(Common)


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Simple Torch Recipe (Common)


    ***


    Moon Points x5000


    Moon Gems x100]


    "Thank goodness." Aya says with a sigh of relief, she falls back into her chair reading the items she got off the Giant Mimic.


    "I wonder what the rare seed is, could it possibly be the Everbloom?" she asks in excitement. Looking around the lawn, it seemed defeating the Lawn boss had cleared up a large portion of the Rose Manor''s front area.


    "Not bad."


    [Rabbit Knight gained a level +1]


    [Skill: Slash leveled up]


    [Sprite gained a level +1]


    "They''re getting so strong, soon we''ll be able to take on all these bosses with ease." Aya says.


    [Your crops are thirsty]


    The notification tells her, she retrieves the watering can from her inventory and proceeds to water the wild seed. the little growths sprout further nearing the point of harvest.


    Aya wondered what plants would sprout from the mysterious wild seeds, she had a whole bunch of them to plant now.


    "I''ll till the ground later, for now, I guess I''ll just keep weeding. The Manor''s front is almost visible, I just have to reach the statues." Aya says.


    With a swipe of his rapier Rabbit Knight clears a bunch of thick weeds.


    "Rabbit knight?" Aya gasps watching him clear the thick, sprouts.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Common Spice (Herb) x2


    Fibre x10]


    "Good job!" she says cheering the Rabbit on, with his help there was no doubt they would reach the statues in a bit.


    "I have enough for the Adiri specs, I guess fighting that mimic boss wasn''t so bad after all." Aya says. "I''ll visit Risel later."


    Aya dismisses her summons, logging out of the game for the evening. Her eyes rove over the tiny kitchen, room, and bathroom.


    She stands, stretching her arms until her shoulders pop satisfyingly. Her stomach rumbles, growling loudly for Aya to feed it.


    "Well dang, I better eat something before I starve to death." She chuckles.


    Heading to the kitchen she boils some rice from her freshly bought groceries, topping it off with some vegetables, meat, and soy sauce, the girl begins to devour her food.


    In a moment she''s staring at an empty rice bowl with nary a grain left.


    "I must have been hungrier than I thought." she laughs, setting the dish in the sink."


    She picks her phone up to once again check the time, 8:39 PM flashes across her home screen.


    "Hm, I could take a little break from the game and play later. Maybe I''ll watch a movie or something."


    Jumping into bed she remembers she put the water stone up for auction.


    "I wonder if anyone bought it." she says, opening the app to check.


    Clicking the auction house tab, she finds the item had indeed been bought


    <Water Stone (High grade) x1 bought for 60 Gold>


    "Who?!" scanning the layout further she finds a note from the buyer telling her to value her products more.


    "What a nice guy!" Aya says. She pauses running the calculations in her head. "If I convert it all I''d have enough to fix the Icarus gear!" her phone slips from her hand, landing on the bed with a plop.


    Aya grabs her head trying to process what she''s seeing. From a sale alone, she made back her rent and utilities.


    ''I could quit my job.'' she thinks hopefully. Tears well up in her eyes. ''I could quit my job.''


    In an instant Aya makes the decision, for her mother and for her future.


    [Convert All Gold?]


    (Transaction cannot be reversed)


    [Yes/No]


    she hits the yes button watching all the gold in her inventory disappear.


    a sum of 447.12 hits her account, giving her the total sum she would need to repair the Icarus gear.


    Aya collapses on her bed, exhausted. Never once did she think she would ever have to make such a decision. There was no going back now. Moon Valley had earned her commitment.


    It isn''t long before she''s once again asleep.


    ----------


    Aya awakes with a bitter taste in her mouth and stiffness in her neck from the awkward position she''d slept in. She sits up, cracking her back in the process. Swinging her legs over the bed, she stands, only to wobble and stumble forward.


    "That was some night." she mutters groggily. Reasonably with all the excitement from yesterday, it was only plausible she would feel this way. she heads over to the shower to begin her day.


    ----------


    Walking through the streets of her neighborhood Aya heads into the local junk shop with the heavy box containing the Icarus gear, excitement fills her to the brim, a wide smile stretches across her face so much so that one might think she was insane.


    She steps in, dodging some children and teenagers on their way out while an older man calls after them to pay what they owe.


    "What can I do you for missy?" the old man says, wiping down the wooden workbench he currently leans on. He has a gruff but deeply accented voice as he speaks to Aya.


    Aya carefully places the box on the table for the man to sift through. She uses this time to get a better look at him. The junk shop owner is a large, pink faced man seemingly almost out of breath.


    His tall, heavy set figure would make anyone think twice about messing with his shop but his bushy white mustache and glowing bald head make for an interesting appearance in Aya''s opinion.


    He lifts an eyebrow peaking inside, a deep chuckle escapes him.


    "Well, well if it isn''t Daichi''s old gear." the old man says. Aya gasps.


    "You recognize it?"


    "Can''t forget this beat up old thing, which brings me to question how you got it." the old man says. He pins her with a look before grabbing a large wrench and pointing it at her.


    "Did you steal it?!"


    Aya yelps, startled by the accusation.


    "I-I didn''t, he gave that to me before he left!" she shouts back making the old man pause.


    "Is your name Aya by any chance?" he asks, pinching the bridge of his nose in what she assumes to be embarrassment.


    Aya nods vigorously, taking a hesitant step back. The man coughs, trying to hide his blush.


    "Look, er¡­I apologize for my initial outburst, you see there''s a lot of crime around these parts." he says, putting the heavy wrench away.


    "I understand," Aya says quietly. "Honestly I had to fight off two muggers on my way here." she says with a laugh. The old man gives a chuckle too.


    ----------


    "So Daichi said it''ll take about 500 Lue to fix?" Aya says. The old man scratches his head.


    "Well, the problem is that was back then, the parts needed to fix this are way off the market now. They''ve been out of stock for a while." he says.


    "What?" Aya says, hanging her head in defeat, something in her had known it was too good to be true. A VR headset as popular as the Icarus for only 500 Lue? fat chance.


    "What am I going to do now?" Aya says.


    Another hurdle on her path to finding out what happened to her parents.


    "Don''t fret missy." The old man says, resting on his workbench. "For the money you''ve got, I can find you something better." his friendly voice raise her hopes.


    He gives her a gesture, telling her to wait only a moment while he ventures to the area behind the shop.


    Aya can''t help but remember the time she cleaned with Risel, maybe she could help him around the shop sometime. The overflowing shelves and gadgets look like they could topple over any moment and Aya knows she''s strong enough to put things in order.


    The old man returns placing a box down on the workbench.


    "Ah, here were are."

 022~A New Gear

    The old man pushes the box toward Aya with a smirk.


    "I think you''ll like this, granted it''s ain''t brand new but it''s pretty damn good." he says.


    Aya swallows nervously, knowing anything could be inside the box, she inspects the packaging, finding it a bit worn but still kept well.


    Perhaps, out of sentiment?


    The brand is the same as the ones that made the Icarus but, the name of the device is still too worn to be read. She opens it, picking up the headgear with the sleekness of the Zephyr and the old style design of the Icarus.


    The VR gear was in excellent condition, not a scratch on the pristine surface, whoever had it must have loved it dearly.


    ''It''s just a cycle of inheritance with me isn''t it?'' Aya thinks, just like the game probably came from her parents and the mantle of Harvest Guardian from Rael before her.


    "Allow me to introduce you to the Revista." the old man says. Aya''s eyes widen in surprise.


    The Revista was just two generations above the Icarus but still miles behind the Zephyr or even a Gaming pod.


    The name ''Revista'' emblazoned in chrome glints in the light of the junk shop. Aya turns it around in her hands, inspecting the device with care.


    How the mighty fall.


    She could still remember when this first came out, similar to all the other VR Headsets she knew but could never afford the Revista was one of the greats¡ªpraised for its immersion and beginner friendly nature.


    And like the Zephyr, all the player needed to do was lay on their bed. A grin splits her face, she jumps, leaping into the air with such mirth the shop owner could only laugh.


    It wasn''t the Zephyr but it was as close as she would get right now and Aya was thankful for it.


    "You know what since you''re a friend of a friend. I''ll let you off with a discount. Since you returned Daichi''s old Icarus I''ll let you have the Revista 300 Lue." the old man says.


    "300!" Aya shouts. The man throws his head back in laughter.


    "Trust me missy, no one''s putting the old Icarus back together at the rate. As much as I''d love to scam ya, it just won''t sit right with me."


    "Thank you so much." Aya says, hugging the Revista to her chest.


    She pays for her new VR gear and hefts the box back to her apartment, but not before finding out the junk shop owner''s name is Renard.


    ----------


    Aya rushes into her apartment, avoiding Lydia as she does. She places the box on the table before pulling out her phone to check the compatibility with her PacBook.


    "Okay, it''ll be fine." she says, opening the box and taking everything out. The VR gear along with its manual sit in good condition within the box. Everything looked to be the original packaging, right down to the plastic bag and charger wrap.


    The girl wastes no time plugging the gear in. The laptop beeps, recognizing the headset and soon a configurations screen pops up.


    Using the manual and the internet Aya sets the Revista up to Mooon Valley''s specifications.


    A sound plays and the VR Gear lights up establishing a connection between the device and the game.


    It''s a bit of a challenge carrying the connected PacBook and VR Gear to her bed, but soon Aya locks the door to her apartment and turns down the light ready to enter the world of Moon Valley.


    ----------


    Similar to her experience with the Zephyr Aya feels herself falling through a void until she hits a grassy meadow. The lush greens and animated animals make her recall the Bloom meadow.


    Excitement builds within her.


    "This is different." Aya says. "Menu!"


    The menu pops up allowing her to select her profile. Aya closes her eyes and soon she''s back in the world of Moon Valley as Yvlena.


    ----------


    Yvlena opens her eyes to find herself in the Rose Manor. She jumps with excitement feeling the weight of her physical body once again within the world of the game.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "I''m back!" Yvlena says, pulling tools from her inventory she slashes the weeds gaining some fibre in the process. After a bit of weeding, Yvlena wipes her sweat and decides it''s a good time to see Risel for the Adiri specs.


    As Yvlena runs through the Floral districts, she notices the main differences between the Revista and the Zephyr.


    As she runs through the artisan district, the smell of fresh bread and pastries fill her nostrils as she moves closer to Risel''s shop.


    She could still smell and feel within the Gear but it was faint, like the memory of a smell.


    "I wonder If eating will make me taste the food?!"


    Yvlena ignores it for now, walking into the apothecary to see her favorite merchant.


    "Yvlena! Happy to see you." Risel says, turning away from a customer who just paid.


    [Affinity with Risel increased +2]


    "Hi Risel, I came for the Adiri specs."


    [Class Specific Quest unlocked]


    A menu bubble says to Yvlena.


    "That''s interesting." she says walking to the elven girl.


    "I kept them for you." Risel says happily. Yvlena smiles at her, noting Risel looked happier than usual.


    "Some good news Risel?" Yvlena asks. The elf shakes her head, ruffling her blond locks as she does.


    "I''m just always happy to see you Yvlena, you''re the only friend I''ve had since my brother and he''s on the other side of that miasma." Risel says, her ears droop, betraying her sadness.


    Yvlena can''t help but feel for the elven girl, if she knew someone she loved was on the other end of a despicable fog, saving them would be the only thing on her mind.


    "Don''t worry Risel, I''ll find a way to tear that miasma down, you can count on me." Yvlena says.


    [Quest Accepted


    Risel the Alchemist Merchant wants you to help destroy the miasma for the good of Bloom Haven. She also wants to reunite with her brother on the other side of the Verdant Wood


    ***


    Rewards


    Elixir recipe (Rare)


    ***


    Moon Point x2000


    EXP x1000


    Gold x15]


    ''Huh? It automatically accepted, is that because I said she could count on me?'' Yvlena wonders.


    ''Or maybe Quests from friends are automatically accepted?'' Yvlen shrugs.


    Yvelna leaves the apothecary, contemplating tackling the Verdant Woods. She strolls out of the Artisan District, toward the entrance of the town.


    ----------


    Finding herself in the Bloom Meadow Yvlena tries exploring the new mechanics she would have to deal with.


    Being present within the virtual world meant relearning all the things she could do easily in her PacBook and while walking and interacting were easy enough, combat was another story.


    Yvlena unsheathes her sword, swinging it through the air in a basic attack motion.


    "It''s...heavy." she says, narrowing her eyes. Would that mean her strikes would be slower now? She holds the sword up to her face and examines it, feeling the weight in her hand as it moves.


    It wasn''t as heavy as her mail cart but it certainly would need some strength to swing.


    Yvelan doesn''t have a moment to consider her strategy before a horned rabbit leaps at her.


    She swings her sword missing the rabbit entirely.


    "What?!"


    Yvlena goes on guard, blocking with the sword just in time for the rabbit to attack. She swings again, slashing the rabbit right down the middle. It disappears in a beam of light.


    "That was surprisingly hard." Yvlena says, rubbing the back of her head. She looks at her sword, taking her time to observe the details, from the orange carrot hilt to the gleam of the sword in the sunlight.


    Yvlena walks through the meadow fighting any horned rabbit that dares cross her path.


    "I''m no help to my summons if I can''t even take down the weakest mob!" Yvlena says slashing through her fifth practice horned rabbit.


    [Sword Proficiency +1]


    The pop-up says before disappearing.


    "Sword Proficiency? That''s never come up before." Yvlena says. "Same game, different way to play I guess."


    She heads deeper towards the Bloom Forest where the slightly tougher enemies lay, right off the bat a Fox slinks by, trying to be stealthy in its attack.


    Yvelna strikes first, tussling with the fox. Getting some distance between them Yvlena slashes her sword, releasing a carrot-patterned orange blast that annihilates the fox.


    [Yvlena cast Carrot Strike (10MP)]


    "Wow." Yvlena gasps in awe. "This is awesome!"


    The elf girl takes a deep breath, smiling at the serenity of the forest, sure there were still enemies running around but the feel of the Bloom Forest was so different from the city life she was used to.


    Her feet fall on soft grass as she moves, careful to avoid any stealthy enemies, she pushes a large branch out of her face, wood brushing against her fingertips as it does.


    "It''s all so real." she says rubbing her fingertips together at the sensation of touch, she carries on heading deeper into the forest.


    "If the Horned Rabbit Queen was the hidden boss, does that mean Bloom Forest has a main boss itself?" Yvlena says to herself.


    Stumbling across a path in the woods, something bright and colorful catches her eye. A bushel of red tri-petaled flowers draws Yvelan towards them. She leads down to pick one, noting the blacktips almost like a fox''s tail.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Fox Tail (Herb) x1]


    She holds it to her nose, breathing in the faint earthy and warm spice scent.


    "Fox Tail." Yvlena says. She plucks the rest of the flowers, watching each disappear into her inventory.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Fox Tail (Herb) x3]


    [Subclass Skill: Herblore Leveled Up]


    "Nice."


    ----------


    The girl wanders deeper into the forest until she reaches the second level once more.


    Now more foxes prowl the area, looking for a player to attack. Yvlena moves carefully, pushing aside thick branches as she walks through. She hears a squeak, turning around and coming face to face with a. pair of field mice.


    She scoffs, making short work of them with her sword.


    [Sword Proficiency +1]


    "That''s strange." Yvlena says tossing her sword from one hand to the other. "It feels lighter maybe?" she says thrusting the sword into nothing.


    Leaves rustle behind her, and before she can react a large fox leaps out of the forest covered in the dark ooze of the miasma.


    Yvlena gasps.


    "Oh no! What''s this doing in Bloom Forest?" she asks, going on guard. The fox growls, a harsh sound the cry of a battered engine.


    "I don''t think I''ll be able to take this guy on by myself." Yvlena says.


    In the Blink of an eye Rabbit Knight and Sprite are beside her.


    "Wow, you''re small!" Yvlena says, Sprite flits about, landing on Yvlena''s shoulder.


    "What do you mean small?" she says.


    "I...mean adorable?" Yvlena says quickly, trying not to hurt the creature''s feelings. Rabbit Knight leaps to attack, reminding them they had bigger things to worry about.


    All three gear up, ready to attack.


    [author]I''m sorry I haven''t Updated in a while a lot of personal issues came up recently and I had to stop writing [/author]

 023~Bloom Forest鈥檚 Forgotten Depths

    The fox wastes no time leaping at Yvelna, sensing her to be the leader of the party. She dodges, swinging her sword upright to slash the beast from the belly up.


    A pain filled howl erupts from the fox much like the corrupted wolf when she fought it.


    "The Miasma isn''t supposed to have reached Bloom Forest." Yvelna says. She and Sprite attack not giving the creature any room to breathe. With a swing of her sword, she unleashes her carrot strike.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Strike (10MP)]


    The blast flies across the area hitting the corrupted fox and knocking it a few feet away. The creature shakes it off, setting its eyes on another member of the party.


    The fox lunges, barring its teeth and biting down on one of Rabbit Knight''s ears, the knight kicks hard, eventually spearing the fox through the nose with his rapier.


    The fox lets go, yelping loudly at the sting of the blade. Rabbit Knight lands, skidding across the forest floor. He releases an attack of his own in retaliation.


    [Rabbit Knight Cast Slash (03MP)]


    The fox takes the hit, smacking its body across a tree and dealing additional damage to itself. It gets up, stumbling as it tries to regain balance.


    Yvlena and her party watch it growl, bowing its head and moving stealthily towards them.


    She and Rabbit Knight go on guard, with Sprite having nothing to worry about since she''s too small and fast for the fox.


    As they suspect the fox runs towards them but Yvlena is ready with a well-aimed Carrot Strike.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Strike (10MP)]


    The fox dissolves upon impact leaving the team to catch their breaths.


    "Good job." Yvlena says, taking a moment to rest herself against a tree. "Much harder than I thought."


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 280/730


    ***


    Shadow essence x2


    Dark Fox Pelt x1


    Fire Stone (Low Grade) x1


    ***


    Moon Points: 250]


    "What''s corrupted Fox doing so close to Bloom Haven though?" Yvlena asks.


    [Sub Class Quest Unlocked]


    [Quest: Investigate the Corrupted Fox


    The tainted Miasma from the Verdant Woods seems to be leaking into other areas of Bloom Haven. As the Harvest Guardian, discover the origins of the creature came from and what to do about it.


    ***


    Rewards


    ????


    ***


    Moon Points x500


    Moon Gems x100


    EXP x300]


    [Do You Accept]


    [Yes/No]


    Yvelana accepts instantly, looking forward to the prospect of another mysterious reward. That was, after all, how she got her title of Harvest guardian.


    "Looks like we''re heading deeper into Bloom Forest." she says to her summon, The two nod following behind her as she walks through a thicket of trees and into the second level of the Bloom Forest.


    ----------


    The second Level is just as she remembers, with darker trees and lower light but it doesn''t deter her from moving forward.


    But something is different her second time around, within the shadows of the trees, yellow eyes stare, watching her from beyond the darkness. A shiver runs up her spine. Sprite flies closer to the elf, staying out of the whispering shadows.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Who knew what could be lurking around at any moment?


    "I didn''t think Bloom Forest would get creepier, is this because of the Miasma?" Yvlena asks.


    "It could be." Sprite replies, Yvlena pauses, realizing she wasn''t just talking to herself anymore like she usually did. Sprite or Rabbit Knight would give some indication they acknowledged what she was saying.


    "R-Right!" Yvlena stutters carrying on through the forest with her companions beside her.


    ----------


    The party arrives at another Meadow beside a gently flowing river. Yvlena looks over the lush greenery and the beautiful spread of wild flowers and herbs in every direction.


    The spicy scent of the herbs wafts through the air, accompanying the sweet, soft scents of the flowers.


    ''This would be a good place to forage.'' she thinks, after the quest is done she would come back and forage more herbs for recipes.


    Turning her head to the side, she notices the river.


    The large body of water flows with a light current through the meadow and beyond the horizon. She walks towards it, expecting to find some clue about the miasma within the clear waters.


    Rabbit Knight stops to drink from it before she can stop him. She watches her companion lift the water to his mouth with little white paws and lap at it. Sprite does the same, scooping up a bead of river water to drink from.


    Yvlena sits on her knees beside the river, hesitantly cupping her hands and drinking in the cool, clear water. In real life, this would probably be a bad idea but this was all fiction, right?


    She couldn''t catch anything from drinking river water in the game right?


    After the first sip calmness washes over her much like the gently flowing water from the river. She sighs, as the refreshing liquid slides down her throat. She didn''t even know one could get thirsty within this game.


    [The Lake Rejuvenates You, Full Health To Party]


    Yvlena notices her HP go up after the drink and wonders if she could store some of the lake water in something, if only she had glass vials from the apothecary, Maybe Risel would be able to part with some for a price.


    "Maybe I could even sell it on the auction house." she says getting up and dusting her knees.


    ----------


    Heading back into the woods, the party continued their journey toward the edge of the forest, keeping an eye out for anything that seemed like the origin of the dark miasma.


    They encounter two more regular horned rabbits and dispatch them quickly, walking forward Yvlena and the party is once again met with a Corrupted wolf.


    Rabbit Knight stops the party from attacking blindly, drawing attention to the wolf''s odd coloring.


    "You''re right, I think it''s at a higher level." Yvlena says to him, Rabbit knight sets his eyes forward in a determined glare.


    The creature howls signaling it is ready for a battle.


    "I have a feeling the fights going to be a lot tougher this time around." Yvlena says brandishing the carrot sword.


    "If we beat it before, we can beat it again."


    The wolf leaps forward, and without wasting any time she delivers her recently learned move, carrot strike.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Strike (10MP)]


    The wolf barely seems to feel it, shrugging off the hit like it was nothing, it attacks, swiping at Yvlena with its tainted claws.


    The wolf misses allowing Sprite to string the creature, Yvlena watches the ball of light fly from the sprite''s fingertips, striking the wolf.


    [Sprite cast Sting (01 MP)]


    [Skill: Sting leveled up]


    "Wow, it''s even better in person!"


    "Yvlena watch out!" Sprite''s tiny voice cries out, warning the human. The elf girl couldn''t doge in time for the wolf to rake its claws across her arm. She yells, swinging her sword and bringing it down hard on the wolf''s head.


    The creature gives a startled cry, pulling back to circle the party.


    Yvlena clutches her hurt arm, clenching her teeth in pain. She didn''t expect the hit to land quite as painfully as it did.


    [Yvlena is afflicted with bleed -1 HP Per turn]


    "That''s not good!" Aya says reading the notification, she pales. The small fairy summon flies over to her arm quickly casting the only other spell she knows


    [Sprite cast Cure (05 MP)]


    A cool feeling covers the area, and Yvlena is overcome with relief as the digital wound begins to heal.


    "Thank you Sprite."


    While Sprite is busy healing Yvlena, Rabbit Knight is ruthlessly defending against the corrupted wolf. The rabbit leaps about effortlessly slashing the confused wolf who can barely keep up.


    [Battle Skill Unlocked: Rabbit Barrage Combo]


    The wolf howls, weakly trying to catch the small but agile creature.


    Yvlena jumps in launching a fierce attack on the unsuspecting wolf.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Strike (10MP)]


    Sprite and Rabbit Knight attack, using a combo of their own, the wolf is promptly blasted with a furry of stings and slashes.


    [Battle Skill: Rabbit Sting Combo]


    With a final howl of defeat, the wolf falls limply to the ground, dissolving in a beam of bright light.


    "That was a tough battle." Yvlena says leaning against a tree. Rabbit Knight sheathes his sword, cleaning his whiskers as Sprite lands on Yvlena''s head.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 319/730


    ***


    Shadow essence x1


    Wolf Fang x1


    ***


    Moon Points: 300]


    "That''s the second corrupted create we''ve come across in Bloom Forest, whatever the source of the miasma here, it must be small." Yvlena deduces. She puts a hand to her mouth in thought. "I do think we''re heading in the right direction."


    ''The only thing I''m worried about is encountering the forest boss or perhaps another hidden boss.'' she thinks, she recalls her difficulty fighting the Horned Rabbit Queen, even if she came out victorious in the end it was a lot to tackle by herself.


    ''Well I''m not alone anymore so if she shows up again, I think I''ll be fine.''


    ----------


    After a short break, the journey continues deeper into Bloom Forest, the thick trees part, and soon the party is staring at a narrow grassy path. An ill wind blows through, ruffling Yvlena''s short hair and Rabbit Knight''s well kept fur.


    Yvlena sees the dark patch of land first before her summons do. The grass surrounding the area is dead much like the land in the Verdant Woods a clear sign that something is amiss.


    "The miasma." she gasps, now that she stands within the game she notices the thin dark wisps floating off the ground.


    "It''s changing the land." Sprite says, Yvlena hears the hint of sadness in her voice.


    "I''m sure we''ll figure this out." Yvlena says to comfort her, Rabbit Knight inches closer toward them, staring out into the dark horizon.


    Yvlena gulps, taking a tentative step forward down into the path. The breeze blows past them again, carrying with it a foul scent.


    "Ugh, smells like something died here." Yvlena says. Like the scent of a dead mouse she''d found in her home days after it had died, this was the stench of rot.


    "There''s something rotting in these woods." Sprite murmurs. The small summons stays close to Yvlena as she walks down the path into the rotten road.

 024~Bloom Forests Forgotten Depths (2)

    The smell doesn''t wane as Yvlena walks forward, the path leads them to another level Yvlena reads only as ''Bloom Forest: Forgotten.''


    "Forgotten? What does that mean?" the girl asks, continuing to walk through the area. Dead grass crunches under her feet, some squelch, releasing a goo that sticks to Yvlena''s boots as she walks.


    The elven girl grimaces, wrinkling her nose at the stench.


    "The forest is dying," Sprite says.


    "That''s what''s causing the spread." Yvlena says. "The miasma in Bloom Forest is starting from here."


    The quest menu pops up startling Yvlena, who jumps almost a foot in the air.


    [Quest: Complete


    Investigate the Corrupted Fox


    The tainted Miasma from the Verdant Woods seems to be leaking into other areas of Bloom Haven. As the Harvest Guardian, discover the origins of the creature came from and what to do about it.


    ***


    Rewards


    Ancient Seed


    ***


    Moon Points x500


    Moon Gems x100


    EXP x300]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 619/730


    ***


    Ancient Seed


    ***


    Moon Points: x500


    Moon Gems x100]


    "Ancient seed? I guess I''ll have to plant it back at the Rose Manor to see what comes of it, I hope it''s something that can help with the miasma."


    Looking around Yvlena can see the remains of what used to be a grand structure. Marble columns and giant statues lay broken all around Yvlena and her party reminiscent of something grander.


    It was too dark to see anything clearly.


    "We''d need a lantern or a light spell if we want to explore this place."


    [Quest: Investigate the Forgotten Ruins of Bloom Forest


    Bloom Forest used to be a rich forest teeming with life, unfortunately, much of the forest has been left only to the memories of the citizens of Bloom Haven.


    As the Harvest Guardian, Investigate the ruins and see why it is the cause of the miasma,


    ***


    Rewards


    ????


    ***


    Moon Points x700


    Moon Gems x150


    EXP x400]


    [War of the Gods 1.3% completion]


    [Story of the Harvest Guardian 7%]


    Yvlena reads the notifications under her breath, softly exhaling as she does. This place...


    "I have to come back, I''ve already finished the fox quest but we need a lantern and I need to plant the ancient seed. Maybe Laurent will have something on this place." she says committing the name of the area to memory.


    "It must be getting late and I played a lot today." Yvlena says, she pauses, having no idea how to log out from the game with the Revista.


    "Menu." she says, scrolling down until she finds the button.


    ----------


    Aya takes the headset off her head and falls back onto her bed breathing deeply.


    "That was amazing!" she says breathlessly. Finding some energy, she rolls over to the side to pick up her phone and check the time, it''s 6:00 PM. Her eyes widen and with immediate effect, hunger and bathroom cues hit harder than any corrupted wolf can.


    She rushes out of bed, running to the bathroom to use it before something bad happens.


    At the sound of the toilet flushing Aya embarrassedly heads to the kitchen to make a simple meal.


    "Gosh, that was embarrassing. I have to remember to take breaks in between playing." she says to herself.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    A moment of silence passes before she squeals in excitement.


    "The game is so much better in VR! I fought a wolf and I won! I''m a summoner! This is so amazing."


    After wolfing down a peanut butter sandwich she settles back on her bed to think some more.


    "I''ve got work tomorrow so I''ll have to restrict myself to playing in the evenings again." she sighs sadly.


    "If only I could quit and just play the game I could just sell things on the auction house to get by." Aya chews her lip in thought.


    "Is that too unstable of an income? It''s just better if it''s a side thing. I mean everyone says job security is important and all that."


    While mulling over the choices facing her, Aya opens up the BooTube app to entertain herself.


    With the game on her mind, she types in ''Moon Valley'' to see what other players are saying. She comes across a sea of videos, different grinding methods, the best places to level up, and how to make more money off the game.


    She doesn''t find much for her class, summoner, meaning it wasn''t popular to play.


    "But it''s literally the best class though!" she says in disbelief. A few more videos cross her screen


    "Boring." she sighs, until she comes across a highlight reel.


    "Changelo kill compilation?" Aya clicks the video, watching as a rouge, assassin-like swordsman decimates what appears to be other players and even some NPCs in the game.


    "This is brutal." Aya says in fascination and disgust as she watches Changelo rip a player in half with his giant zweihander.


    "I thought people who had the knight class were supposed to be noble?!" Aya says. The PVP matches with this guy were especially bad.


    Changelo had no problems using underhanded tactics to win his matches, using his environment, or riling his opponents up enough to make them drop guard where he would go in for the killing blow.


    "I hope I never encounter this guy." Aya says, "Good thing I don''t play PVP."


    ''But Mars does.'' she remembers.


    "I hope she doesn''t encounter this chump either, this is seriously too cruel. 5 million views?!" Aya cringes, people could be so weird but curiosity would always be a big draw for these things.


    ----------


    After putting the gear away Aya flops back onto her bed to do some thinking.


    "I wonder what the ruins in Bloom Forest have to do with the Harvest Guardian, could be it an old temple of some sort? I''ll ask when I log in again." Aya says.


    She yawns, rolling over to the other side of the bed to rest her head gently on her pillow.


    "I should get some sleep, I''ve got work tomorrow." She says turning off her phone. "The weekend went by so fast, probably because I did nothing but game all day."


    ----------


    Aya yawns as she pushes the mail cart all the way to the third floor, she doesn''t bother greeting any of the office workers and simply hands them their mail.


    Not like any of them would be thankful for it, and Aya didn''t want to be on anyone''s list this morning when it felt like she could drop to the ground at any moment.


    Heading to the top floor, Aya is once again in the presence of the president''s secretary, the woman types away on her computer barely acknowledging Aya who has nothing to say either.


    The brunette offers no greetings only placing a few envelopes on the woman''s desk before turning around and heading back to the lift. The rustle of papers catches her attention and she turns around to see Viviana sweep the envelopes off the desk with a smirk.


    "You''re so clumsy mail rat." Viviana sneers.


    Aya raises an eyebrow, seeing as she''s already at the elevator door she presses the button and enters with her mail cart.


    Viviana watches her, gaping like a fish that Aya didn''t come scurrying back to the table apologizing profusely.


    "Hey, aren''t you going to pick these up?!"


    "I didn''t knock ''em over." Aya says, the elevator doors close with a ding, descending toward the mail room.


    ----------


    Aya takes a moment to open up the Moon Valley app and check her stats, she notices a new window.


    "Oh? For my summons." she says reading through it. Aya skims the page, taking general note of Rabbit Knight and Sprite''s statuses.


    "I should really think about exploring those ruins. Maybe Risel could sell me a lantern."


    "Who are you talking to?" Her mail room boss asks, Aya jumps.


    "Don''t scare me like that, I was deep in thought!" she whines. The older chuckles.


    "Something''s different about you." the man says.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I don''t know how to put it, but I like it." the man says. Aya gives a hesitant smile allowing the man to return to his office.


    "Weird." she says.


    ----------


    Aya exits the bus and waves to the driver as she continues her walk toward the crumbling apartment building she calls home.


    "Yo!" a voice calls from behind her, the brunette turns around to see Mars, shake in hand walking towards her.


    "Hope you had a better day than mine." Aya says with a smile. Mars moves the straw from her mouth with a grimace.


    "Oh I definitely had a better day than you." she teases, the girls laugh and continue walking side by side


    "Any progress on your Gear yet?" Mars asks. Aya stops in her tracks realizing she hadn''t told Mars about the Revista.


    "What''s wrong?" Mars asks. Aya smiles sheepishly, scratching her head.


    "I got...a VR Gear."


    Mars stares, boring holes into Aya''s forehead with how intense she''s staring at the poor girl.


    "You mean you finally got a headset and you didn''t tell me?!'' Mars grabs her by the shoulders shaking furiously.


    "You better start running." she says. Aya laughs, taking off as Mars chases her to the apartment complex.


    ----------


    "I''m sorry I forgot." Aya whines. She pouts at Mars, giving the other girl puppy dog eyes. Mars pats her head, turning her lips up in a half smile.


    "Oh, you. I''m happy you got it though, the Revista is pretty decent. It was my first gear actually." Mars sighs fondly, Aya notices the far-off look in her eyes. A sad expression falls across Mars''s face.


    "Are you alright?" Aya asks in concern, watching the girl''s expression shift from a pained one to something more wistful.


    "Hm? Oh, yeah Aya." Mars says, but the look in her eyes does not go away. The girl pauses, starting to say something.


    "Do you ever¡ª" she stops herself, turning around to face the apartment stairs.


    "Mars, what''s wrong?" Aya asks again, holding onto the girl''s arm.


    "It''s nothing." Mars says dismissively. "Now you can come fight me as soon as you make it out of Bloom Haven and into a better map."


    Aya sighs.


    "So long as you''re not secretly that Changelo guy I think I''ll be up for it." Aya laughs. Mars narrows her eyes.


    "What did you say?"


    Aya jumps, growing nervous at the girl''s sour tone, she doesn''t know what set the girl off but she repeats herself.


    "Well there was this streamer called Changelo, I watched some of his PVP matches and it was pretty brutal." Aya explains folding her arms.


    Mars curses.


    "And he was playing Moon Valley?"


    "Yeah, at least that''s what I think he was playing. The area looked completely different."


    Mars pulls out her own phone, typing something in and showing it to Aya. The brunette scans the page, pointing out the video she had watched earlier.


    "That''s the one."


    They watch the video together, Mars stares unflinchingly at the brutal scenes while Aya winces at every turn.


    "I don''t think I ever want to play PVP, Mars." Aya says.


    "I know and I hope you don''t meet this asshole."


    "Do you know him?"


    "It''s complicated." Mars replies. "But you don''t have to worry about it."


    ----------


    Walking into her apartment Aya hangs her bag on the rack and sits at her desk ready to play.


    "Oh that''s right I have to play lying down, I almost forgot." she laughs.


    After setting up her stuff she gets into her bed and loads the game, soon, she''s standing back in Bloom Forest''s Forgotten Depths.

 025~The Gods of Moon Valley

    Yvlena looks around the ruins once again alone until she calls forth her summons once more.


    "It''s going to be a treacherous journey back to town if I don''t call my summons." Yvlena says.


    She walks back toward the path ready to exit the forest''s depths.


    "I could have sworn I had some kind of torch at least, I''ll have to check my inventory when I get back to town." Yvlena says summoning her party members.


    [Class Skill: Summon Leveled Up]


    "Good to see you guys." she says, the three of them swiftly head out of the forgotten depths and unto the main path of the Bloom Forest, backtracking until they find themselves back at the Meadow.


    Yvlena wastes no time, drinking from the stream and letting the refreshing feeling wash over her.


    [The Lake Rejuvenates You, Full Health To Party]


    They encounter a few minor enemies but it''s no trouble for them and soon the party is back in town.


    ----------


    "First things first." she says, getting the rusty hoe and tilling a patch of land next to her other crops. She plants the ancient seed and waters it, watching a tiny bud sprout from the ground.


    "Good thing it doesn''t take long for these crops to grow." Yvlena says, watering the other little plants, some seem ready to be harvested.


    A few crops stick out from beneath the dirt, while others grow into stalks as tall as the weeds she had cut down before.


    [Subclass: Leveled Up


    Herbalist(Harvest Guardian) 4/10]


    "Nice!"


    "Now let''s scan that inventory." Yvlena says to herself, she scrolls down taking note of the remaining wild seed.


    "A Grass stone? And one more Fire stone?" she mutters. "That''s right I''ve never actually tried casting spells with the stones have I?"


    Finally, she finds the simple torch recipe stashed beneath all the other stuff in her inventory she hadn''t bothered to organize.


    "I really should try putting these somewhere." Yvlena says sheepishly.


    [Simple Torch


    ***


    Type: Recipe


    A common Torch


    Used to light the player''s way in certain circumstances


    ***


    Fiber: x1


    Wood:x1]


    "Easy enough." Yvlena says. She picks up a wooden branch, (acquiring her wood) and takes some fiber from her inventory.


    The game guides her hand, assembling the torch as though she has the experience of a seasoned outdoorsman.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Simple Torch x1]


    The elven girl examines the simple object in her hands, her torch is a piece of wood wrapped with the common plant fibers from the Rose Manor garden.


    ''How am I going to light this though? Do I use the fire stone?'' she wonders.


    At that moment she gets an idea.


    "Alright Sprite do you think you could cast Sting on this?" Yvlena asks, holding up the newly made torch.


    The fairy creature flies up to her and aims.


    [Sprite cast Sting (01 MP)]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Fairy Lit Torch x1


    Fairy Lit Torch recipe (Rare)]


    "Wow." Yvlena gasps, staring at the white and blue flames dancing on the surface of her torch.


    "Sprite this is wonderful." the little fairy puffs her chest out in pride. Flitting around the glowing light. "With this, we''ll definitely be able to explore those old ruins, but for now¡ª" Yvlena uses her hand to turn out the beautiful light.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Now I''m heading off to the library to ask Laurent about the ruins. Take care of the manor alright?"


    "You can count on me!" Sprite says flitting around. Rabbit Knight nods.


    Yvlena laughs, running out the Rose Manor''s gate and into the streets of the floral district.


    ----------


    "Good Day Laurent." Yvlena says with a nervous smile. She rests her palms gently on the welcome counter, recalling the man''s harsh countenance, she doesn''t want to upset him further.


    [Affinity with Laurent increased +1]


    The man''s bespeckled eyes glance over her with an annoyed expression, it''s less than before but still deeply unwelcoming.


    At his silence, Yvlena speaks. Beginning the conversation about the ruins she had found.


    "Hi, so I stumbled upon the ruins in Bloom Forest''s Depth." Yvlena starts.


    Laurent lifts his head, an expression of surprise flits across his face, he sits up in attention.


    ''Did they use motion capture for this, it''s so real!'' Yvlena thinks.


    [You''ve Piqued Laurent''s Interest, Affinity with Laurent increased +5]


    "Go on." He says smoothly.


    "I would like to know if you know anything about it maybe, have there been any lost buildings in Bloom Haven''s history?"


    Laurent adjusts his glasses.


    "There are too many books to count on the subject of Bloom Haven''s history, mayhaps you''d like to narrow it down." Laurent says in a surprisingly gentle tone.


    "Old temples?" Yvlena says.


    "There used to be a temple far out into the forest for travelers going to and from Bloom Haven, back when the trade ways were still open. That was before my time."


    "Wow so during the war of the gods?"


    [Affinity with Laurent increased +1]


    [Laurent considers you an acquaintance]


    "I''m impressed by your perceptiveness, but yes Bloom Haven used to be a thriving trade town. The miasma all but decimated the Floral District and almost the Artisan one too." he says. "With it, no one can go in or out, we''re essentially trapped here."


    "That''s so sad." Yvlena says. Laurent sighs.


    [Affinity with Laurent increased+1]


    "Truly, my family was known for being book collectors. We''d venture far and wide collecting all sorts of rare tomes, but as I said, that''s in the past now."


    Yvlena inhales, asking another question.


    "Do you have any books on the War of the Gods?"


    "There isn''t much but Second level, 22nd shelf, row 18 G for Gods." Laurent says.


    "Thanks, you''re the best!" Yvlena says with a bright smile. She doesn''t even hear him chuckle at her excitement.


    [Affinity with Laurent increased+1]


    "Now I can basically kill two birds with one stone! If the temple was connected to one of the gods that caused the war it would explain why it''s been long forgotten." she says.


    Quickly finding the right row she pulls out a worn brown book with pages nearly falling out. The tome is heavy in her hands, even with her strength stats.


    "Just like a real book."


    [The Gods Of Moon Valley


    ***


    Moon Valley is home to several gods, not just the gods of Bloom Haven, Vaelindor and Selendriel.


    Amongst the elves, there are several gods, as well as amongst the beastkin, goblins, dwarves, humans, and many other races of Moon Valley.


    Often times it is a harmonious coexistence and other times it is not.]


    "That can''t be all, right?" Yvlena flips the page.


    [The Gods Of Moon Valley pt.2


    ***


    Like all things, there are two sides to them. Just as there are gods of the people, there are those that seek to thwart them.


    The gods of Moon Valley have enemies even amongst themselves. For some gods, pride far outweighs sense in any regard.]


    "The gods didn''t like each other, that must have been what started the war! But who came out victorious?"


    [War of the Gods 1.5% completion]


    "Ah, I was right."


    [The Gods Of Moon Valley pt.3


    ***


    Most gods will choose a champion from their followers, someone to carry out the will of their gods.


    Some champions represent order, and others just the opposite.


    Do not be fooled, chaos isn''t always evil, just as order isn''t always good. Nature in itself is chaotic and so are the patron gods of Bloom Haven.


    One must always be discerning.]


    "Vaelindor and Selendriel are gods of chaos? Usually gods of chaos are the bad guys. That doesn''t seem to be the case here." Yvlena says.


    [The Gods Of Moon Valley pt.4


    ***


    Champions are not the only servants of the gods, there are other creatures, helpers if you will.


    Creatures that serve faithfully and with devotion to their chosen deity.


    The gods of Moon Valley have several of these but most notable are the titans.]


    The game notifies her the book has nothing more to offer her, she sets it aside.


    Yvlena pauses, resting her hands on her hips as she squeezes her face in thought.


    "I was wondering if the gods had any servants other than the champions. Guess that answers that question. But what''s a Titan? and what does any of this have to do with the miasma or even the ruins I found?"


    "The ruins might be a temple just like Laurent said but I have to go check it out myself."


    ----------


    "Thanks again for your help, I''ll be back if I have more questions." Yvlena says.


    "My pleasure." Laurent says.


    [Affinity with Laurent increased +1]


    Yvlena returns to the Floral district wondering if Beatrice would be able to tell her something.


    Suddenly a shrill noise rings through her head, forcing her to log out.


    ----------


    Aya pops the Revista off her head, frantically searching for the source of the shrill ringing. Beside her, her phone screams.


    Aya dives, grabbing the phone and checking for any calls or messages only to find an alarm.


    "Oh, I forgot I set that." She says, she swipes her home screen, quieting the loud ringing.


    "11:27 PM, just in time for me to get to bed." She says yawning.


    While she didn''t like getting pulled from the game so abruptly, it was better than spending a whole night in the game, after all, she had work tomorrow.


    "I wonder, did Vaelindor and Selendriel fight too? To protect Bloom Haven?" She says to the darkness.


    "No more Moon Valley, I need to go to sleep."


    ----------


    Within the bowels of the Lumos Inc. archives, Fred Barkley is once again speaking to the CEO.


    The older man approaches the desk, inspecting the old computer still transmitting its mysterious data. There was no doubt in the CEO''s mind that his brother set this up somehow.


    He turns to Fred, asking.


    "Have you found any more clues to the whereabouts of the player activating the computer''s transmission?"


    "Yvlena you mean." Fred says sipping from a giant mug of coffee, the man rubs his tired eyes prompting the CEO to sigh in worry.


    "Did you take the weekend off at all?" The CEO of Lumos Inc asks.


    "Nope and I don''t plan to, this is the single most interesting thing you''ve given me since you allowed me to play the grumpy librarian in one section of the game."


    The CEO chuckles fondly at the brilliant but reclusive man.


    Fred frowns.


    "Sir you mentioned before that Yvlena might have some connections to your missing niece. Care to tell me about that?"


    The CEO''s face grows weary and Fred senses he might have said something wrong.


    "Sir if it''s too personal¡ª"


    The CEO holds up a hand, silencing Fred.


    "She is the only remnant of my brother. I need to find her, I need to know she''s safe."


    Fred takes a swig of his cup, gulping down the rest of the coffee instantly.


    "Well sir, I do love a cryptic puzzle."

 026~Running

    Aya wakes to the sound of her alarm clock going off the next morning, she groans, rolling over to smack the device until it quiets.


    Groggily she falls out of bed, rubbing her eyes and wishing it was the weekend already.


    Aya showers, noting her heater was broken again, not that she could afford to fix it with how little her job paid.


    She sighs, relaxing into the cold water, letting it wake her up. The end of the month, so close at hand, yet so far.


    "I just have to make it through another month." she says in the quietness of her shower.


    The girl goes about her daily routine and after a helping of breakfast cereal, grabs her backpack to head out into the world.


    On her way down she passes her bitter aunt, the woman sneers at her, turning her nose up as Aya passes her on the stairway.


    The brunette pays her no mind, racing past her aunt and nearly flying down the staircase to make her bus.


    "Made it." she says in relief


    ----------


    She sits on the bus still thinking about the book''s words on the Gods of Moon Valley.


    "When you think about it, Fate, luck all those things are all left up to chance and that''s pretty chaotic isn''t it?" she says to herself.


    Aya puts a hand to her mouth in thought.


    "One must always be discerning. Did you write that mom?" she asks. "What are you trying to tell me?"


    The girl sighs, resting her head against the bus''s worn headrest. One mystery after another. Oh well, everyone loves a good treasure hunt.


    Aya arrives at the Nue Corp building just in time for her boss to drop a stack of letters into her arms.


    "I literally just got here!"


    "Urgent deliveries." he says curtly, the sternness in his voice let her know something


    "All of them! Did something happen?"


    "Above my pay grade, and yours I might add. Now skedaddle, The president wants those on his desk pronto!"


    Aya squeaks, rushing to load the letters into her mail cart and take them up the elevator to the top floor, whatever this was it had to be super important if it had her rushing around.


    ----------


    Aya arrives at the top floor to a flurry of whispers, a group of men surround the President, talking in unison much to the man''s ire.


    Atlas grimaces at the voices surrounding him, all his father''s yes-men trying to tell him how his old man would have run the company.


    He would fire them all if they didn''t have majority shares at Nue Corp and now his latest idea to sponsor the rising giant Lumos inc would have to wait.


    "Gentlemen, Gentlemen let us calm ourselves." he says plastering a fake smile. He looks over their old, wrinkled faces, pushing down his seething contempt for them all.


    ''Nothing but cowards and users.''


    "I know you have concerns but if you would follow me to the boardroom I can illustrate my three-step plan to enlighten you on how we can-" something or rather someone catches his attention.


    Aya pushes the mail cart in hoping to go in and out of the top floor''s lobby without drawing any attention to herself.


    The men, she notes, by their well-tailored suits and brand name shoes are all very important people, so important Atlas himself seems pressured by their presence.


    Their eyes meet, and Aya smiles encouragingly at him. Atlas returns it, going back to his discussion with the majority stakeholders and leading them into the boardroom.


    She leaves the stack of letters on Viviana''s table once more, the woman sits quietly, observing the two of them interact. The blonde snatches the mail out of Aya''s hands.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "I''ll be taking those." she hisses, much like a cat splashed with water.


    Aya huffs, walking back to her cart away from all the fancy people and Atlas.


    She had better things to do anyway.


    ----------


    "That was fast." her boss says as she returns to the company''s basement. Aya sighs, propping the mail cart into place before going to rest on her seat.


    "Nue Corp is a fancy development company, why don''t we have hovercarts like some of the other corporations do?"


    "Because the CEO is a cheap ass." her boss hisses, she watches him flip the page of the newspaper he''s reading. "Besides have you noticed what city we''re in?"


    ''He''s right.'' Aya thinks.


    For all the love her mother had for Axen, it was and still is one of the worst places to be in. Behind in all aspects, from tech to news, and with the crime rate skyrocketing far beyond what anyone predicted.


    The only reason the wealthy stayed was for the cheap labor they knew they could get away with hiring. Aya balls her fist, breathing out slowly.


    "Hey boss," Aya starts.


    The man grunts in acknowledgment.


    "How come you''ve never told me your name?" Aya asks.


    "It''s been a year since you started working here and you''re asking this now?" Aya hears the amusement in his voice. She stammers, trying to come up with some sort of excuse.


    "Relax, I don''t think you need to know my name." He says cooly with unusual seriousness. He flips his paper again, turning to read the next page. "Sometimes a name is a burden, Miss Brown."


    "You got a shady past or something?" she asks jokingly. "You can''t have always been mail room boss."


    Her boss chuckles deeply, hinting at something sinister. Aya narrows her eyes in suspicion, he can''t have been someone dangerous right?


    "Call this my clean slate." he says. "Everyone''s running from something," he says the last part softly under his breath, almost remorsefully.


    What could he have done? What was he running from? Aya thinks.


    Then again, what was Mars running from?


    ''I have to leave this city.''


    ----------


    Aya is on her way to the Seelim bus stop when she notices a figure standing under it.


    Atlas Nue stands under the awnings of the bus station taking long slow drags from his cigarette. Aya approaches slowly, trying not to startle the man.


    "Hi."


    Atlas jumps, turning around to find the girl standing beside him.


    "Oh, Aya." he quickly douses his cigarette, stepping on it faster than she can say anything.


    "I don''t really mind." she says. There were many smokers around her apartment, generally, all friendly people just dealing with life anyhow they could.


    "It''s a bad habit I''m trying to kick." He chuckles.


    A moment of silence passes between them.


    "So what was that meeting about, you looked rather frazzled." Aya says.


    "Frazzled!" Atlas burst out laughing, being caught off guard by her humorous words. "I wasn''t frazzled."


    "I beg to differ!" Aya retorts. "They were a gaggle of old men and you didn''t look comfortable at all!" she says poking him and joining the laughter. It takes a moment for their laughter to subside


    "Ah it''s just company business, I have some ideas but they''re not really taken seriously." Atlas says sadly.


    "I know what that''s like." Aya sighs."When you are young they assume you know nothing."


    "Ain''t that the truth." Atlas sighs.


    He takes a moment to observe her. He stares at her, taking in the way the setting sun reflects on her skin, how her dark hair falls over the curve of her cheek.


    The president''s face grows hot the more he stares.


    Aya feels his eyes bore a hole into her and looks up to see Atlas staring at her, his face is set in a grim expression, but as their eyes meet again it softens.


    "Is there something on my face?" Aya laughs. "You were staring a lot."


    "So about that that food-"


    The bus pulls up before he can finish his sentence.


    "I''ve got to go, if you play Moon Valley you can friend me on there!" Aya says giving him her player ID.


    The bus drives off and Atlas is left to stand in silence. He lights another cigarette taking a drag and blowing out smoke.


    "Great."


    ----------


    Aya arrives at her apartment building to see a darkly clad man circling the building. She pauses, shifting to a more stealthy pace as she walks towards the building.


    She stops at a wall, hiding with her back pressed against the dusty brick surface. After a moment she peers from behind her hiding spot.


    ''Isn''t that the guy I saw bothering Mars?'' she thinks, her eyes scan the man''s face taking note of his ashen face and sunken eyes. The hood hides his face but not well enough that she couldn''t recognize him.


    Aya, retreats behind the wall again, not wanting the man to see her.


    ''What should I do?''


    Aya waits for man the to leave the premises, she watches him speed off in a nondescript black car lacking a license plate.


    "I hope they aren''t scoping out the place for a robbery." Aya says finally finding the courage to walk up the steps of the house.


    She runs up to Mars''s apartment, knocking frantically at the door. The older girl pulls it open.


    Mars stands staring at her unexpected guest.


    "What? Aya?"


    "The man from Saturday came back!" Aya blurts as fast as she can, the girl crumples, panting hard from her run to Mars''s floor.


    Mars''s eyes widen at the news.


    Earlier today, something told her she was being followed but only now after hearing Aya''s words does fear slowly creep up her spine.


    Mars glares, forcing down her fear and rushing down to the ground floor of the apartment. Aya tails after her.


    "They''re gone, he hopped in a car and left!" Aya says. She grabs the girl''s arm.


    "Mars, who are they?"


    "I don''t know." Mars says slowly, but Aya knows it''s a lie.


    "It''s alright if you don''t want to tell me, but I worry about you." she says hugging the taller girl. Mars hesitantly puts an arm back around her.


    "I know you''re running from something, but I don''t care. Everyone''s running from something you know." Aya says.


    "It''s complicated." Mars says. Aya hugs her tighter.


    "It always is."


    ----------


    Aya walks Mars back to her apartment before returning to her own. She gets into bed, thinking about the day''s events while setting up her gaming gear.


    "One must always be discerning." she says to herself.


    She puts on the Revista and finds herself in the world of Moon Valley.

 027~The Ever Bloom

    After a moment, Yvlena recalled she was in the Floral District when she was forcefully logged out of the game. She sighed in relief, finding herself exactly where she intended to be when the alarm in the real world went off.


    "Now what was I doing?" she asked, quickly running through a list of things she was doing before the abrupt halt. She slammed her fist into her palm upon remembering her objective.


    "That''s right! I was on my way to ask Beatrice about the ruins in the forest." she said, the girl took off, eager to find the elderly woman she had come to love. She arrived at the woman''s house to find a surprising amount of little changes sprinkled throughout.


    The cottage was less dilapidated.


    Some of the old wood had been replaced with new planks, the bricks shined with polish, unlike the crumbling structure she''d seen.


    "Wow, things are looking up for everyone I suppose." she said, walking up to the door. Yvlena knocked hard on the wood, waiting for the old woman.


    Beatrice opened the door with the same kindly expression she always greeted Yvlena with, the girl admitted it had been a while since she had seen her and hoped Beatrice would not be too upset.


    "Yvlena, it''s been a while. I hope you didn''t forget about old Beatrice." The old woman said, stepping aside to let the elven girl in.


    "Of course not." Yvlena replied, taking her time she gazed around the cottage finding it different than the last time she had been there.


    The chairs were filled with more stuffing now, a gentle fire burned within the new brick hearth keeping the place nice and warm. Yvlena felt a cozy warmth as she moved toward the old woman who already seated herself.


    "The cottage got some upgrades." Yvlena smiled.


    "Oh yes. Someone''s been spending a hefty amount at Tom''s shop recently." the old woman said. Yvlena blushed, wondering if she had been the one to jumpstart some things within the town.


    "I wonder who that could be." the girl said with a shrug.


    "Now I know you came here to ask me something, but would you stay for tea, my dear?"


    "I will, thank you as always Beatrice." Yvlena said sitting down on the stuffed armchair, she leaned back sighing into the comfort of the big brown seat.


    If only there was something like that in her apartment but anything other than simple plastic chairs were far too expensive for her to even consider purchasing.


    "My, you look quite comfortable." Beatrice said pouring a cup of piping tea into a mug for Yvlena.


    "I haven''t felt the comforts of home in a long time." Yvlena replied honestly. The old woman nodded, handing Yvlena a warm green cup of steaming tea.


    Yvlena accepted it, breathing in the warm, spicy scent that flowed into her nose. She raised the cup to her lips and took a small sip of the liquid. A burst of flavor spread over her tongue.


    It was heavenly.


    "This is amazing." Yvlena sighed in bliss.


    "I''m glad you like my spice herb tea. I could give you the recipe if you like?" Beatrice said.


    "I would love that!"


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Spice Herb Tea Recipe (Uncommon)]


    The information flashed across her eyes in an instant and then appeared within her inventory.


    "Now what did you want to know of?"


    "There''s a temple deep within Bloom Forest, it seemed to be in ruins. Do you know anything about it?" Yvlena asked. She continued to nurse the cup of tea slowly, savoring every taste she took.


    Beatrice put a hand to her chin and fell deep into thought at the sound of Yvlena''s words.


    "There used to be the traveler''s temple deep within the forest when the Rael the Harvest guardian was still around." Beatrice said.


    Yvlena noticed she said his name now, she doesn''t recall ever hearing Beatrice speak the name of the previous Harvest guardian.


    "Did he build it?"


    Beatrice shook her head in a negative. Yvlena couldn''t help but notice how life-like her movements were.


    The old woman felt like someone she would know in real life, like Mrs. Lutz or even her own grandmother, the resemblance was uncanny, but showed her how much love was put into the game she had also come to love.


    Yvlena leaned in to listen, as Beatrice prepared to tell her some more about the ruins.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "The temple is as old as Bloom Haven itself, it was looked after by the titan, Viseli."


    "Titan?" Yvlena said, she recalled the words of the book from the library, the titans were the loyal servants of the gods of Moon Valley, but it didn''t say much about what they did.


    "What did Viseli do?" Yvlena asked. Beatrice brought a cup to her lip, her eyes saddened by the question.


    "She and Rael protected the town but after the war of the gods Viseli became someone else entirely and soon well...the titan of Bloom Haven was no more."


    [War of the Gods 2% completion]


    ''So Viseli had something to do with the war of the gods.'' Yvlena thought, ''I wonder what, could I find something about them in the library?''


    "The temple fell into disrepair soon after and eventually faded from memory, after all, if you could not leave the town, why bother praying for safety on your journey." Beatrice''s voice was bitter as she spoke.


    Yvlena realizes the old temple was something she probably grew up with, to know now of its ruin must have hurt.


    "Was there another Titan, maybe one at the path of the Verdant Woods?" Yvlena asked. Beatrice nodded.


    "There was, a young man." The old woman tried to remember but unfortunately, the memory escaped her. "I knew him when I was younger but I never left the town much to see him often."


    ''So the Titans protected the paths in and out of the towns? What an interesting occupation.'' Yvlens thought.


    "Thank you for helping as always Beatrice. I''d honestly be lost without you." Yvlena said sheepishly. The old woman smiled at her and waved a hand dismissively.


    "Ever since my Twyla went missing I haven''t had anyone to talk to. I should be thanking you for keeping me company." she winked.


    [Affinity with Beatrice Increased +3]


    "Where do you think Twyla went?" Yvlena asked hesitantly. Beatrice heaved a tired sigh, her frailed shoulder sagged at the memory of her missing daughter. The old woman threw her hands up in defeat.


    "I don''t know, some say she broke through the miasma somehow and found herself in Rosenheim but I just don''t know my dear." Beatrice''s mournful voice said. the old woman ran a hand through her long gray hair. Her glassy eyes let Yvlena know she held back her tears.


    "I''m sorry Beatrice, if I come across anything about her I will let you know." Yvlena said, now determined to follow this storyline through.


    Even though this wasn''t real she felt she owed it to Beatrice to reunite her with Twyla once more.


    "Thank you Yvlena, that''s all a mother could ask for."


    [Beatrice''s Daughter 2.5% completion]


    "The quest." Yvlena whispered.


    ''But how could she have broken through the miasma?'' Yvlena wondered, keeping that to herself for now she stayed to chat with Beatrice a bit about the Floral district.


    "You should try to visit the Orchid tea house sometime, you could find some interesting things there." the old woman said.


    Yvlena nodded and took note of yet another potential merchant house, maybe she would find somewhere to buy more food recipes, only time would tell for now.


    She left the cottage with two objectives, the intention to find the Orchid tea house, and then return to Bloom Forest''s depths.


    "Gosh, I wish this game had fast travel or something." Yvlena said walking toward the Rose Manor.


    "If Rosenheim is the next town over, possibly where Risel''s brother is then how did Twyla break through the miasma?" Yvlena said pushing open the gates to the Manor.


    "Huh?"


    "Welcome back Yvlena." Sprite said with excitement as she flitted past Yvlena with a handful of water.


    The system told her of her crop''s cries for water which her summons were already taking care of. As her eyes roved over the makeshift garden she noticed some of the herbs were ready to be harvested.


    "Alright let''s do this." Yvlena said taking out her scythe.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Common Spice (Herb) x5


    Fox Tail (Herb) x10]


    [Subclass: Leveled Up


    Herbalist(Harvest Guardian) 5/10]


    She wiped the sweat she felt trickle down her face and lifted the scythe to confirm her suspicions, the scythe was indeed getting sharper the more she used it.


    Yvlena stopped her harvesting to inspect the ancient seed she had planted when she returned from the depths of Bloom Forest, the plant cried out for something but Yvlena didn''t know what.


    [This plant requires special care]


    "Well, it doesn''t need to be watered." Yvlena said to herself. Sprite flew over to observe. the little being''s face twisted into something vaguely resembling awe.


    "What''s wrong?" Yvlena asked the fairy creature.


    "Something''s special about that plant." Sprite said before she flitted away to join Rabbit Knight in hacking away at some weeds.


    [Sub Class Quest Unlocked]


    [Quest: The Plant Requires Special Care


    You have acquired an ancient seed, a plant from the bygone era of the previous Harvest Guardian. Feed it the Shadow Essence acquired from the miasma beings and see what happens.


    ***


    Rewards


    ????


    ????


    ***


    Moon Points x500


    Moon Gems x50


    EXP x200]


    "The Shadow essence? Could that be what Sprite was sensing?" Yvlena leaned down to inspect the plant. It was a simple yellow flower, with five petals folded over each other to give the appearance of a small cup.


    "It''s cute." Yvlena said already digging through her inventory to retrieve the swirling orb of shadow. She held it out to the flower, placing the marble-sized orb of darkness within the petals. In a second it was absorbed.


    "Eh?!"


    The flower''s roots deepened within the Manor''s soil becoming visible veins beneath the ground, the cupped petal opened slightly as if waiting to receive more of the Shadow essence.


    [Quest: Complete


    The Plant Requires Special Care


    You have acquired an ancient seed, a plant from the bygone era of the previous Harvest Guardian. Feed it the Shadow Essence acquired from the miasma beings and see what happens.


    ***


    Rewards


    Ancient Ever Bloom


    Ancient Ever Bloom seeds x5


    ***


    Moon Points x500


    Moon Gems x50


    EXP x200]


    [Yvlena is now level 8]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 89/810


    ***


    Ancient Ever Bloom


    Ancient Ever Bloom seeds x5


    ***


    Moon Points: x500


    Moon Gems x100]


    "It''s the Ever Bloom! The plant I need to stop the Miasma from spreading." Yvlena gasped. She observed the flower again, noticing its petals had darkened a shade or two from its previous bright yellow, the stem was thicker too almost as though it was too mature for the small garden.


    "I need to transplant it, maybe it''ll suck up the miasma in the forgotten depths before it spreads."


    [Quest: Siphon The Miasma


    You have acquired the Ever Bloom, a plant from the bygone era of the previous Harvest Guardian. Feed it the Shadow Essence acquired from the miasma beings and see what happens.


    ***


    Rewards


    ????


    ***


    Moon Points x500


    Moon Gems x50


    EXP x200]


    "I was right." Yvlena said, "But where am I going to put it? I''d need a vase or something right?"


    "Over here!" Sprite called from the shed, Yvlena raced over staring at the new discovery. Within the old Rose Manor shed, was a collection of old and broken plant pots withered away from years of disuse.


    "It''s not much but there should be something." The fairy said.


    The elfin girl scratched her head hesitantly, she stepped in, moving aside some of the broken pots until she got to something manageable.


    "This should do."


    With the use of the hoe, Yvlena carefully dug out the small plant, she potted it easily with the help of Sprite and it swiftly disappeared into her inventory.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Ancient Ever Bloom (Potted)]


    "Let''s go!" She said ecstatically.

 028~The Temple Ruins

    The party ran through the streets of Bloom Haven and back into the forest eager to test the powers of the Ever Bloom. The Orchid Tea House could wait until they were back in town.


    They made it out of the gates and onto the path toward the forest when Yvlena paused.


    "The Verdant woods are much closer than the Depths, maybe we should give that a try?" She said stopping to think deeply. "But the miasma within the depths doesn''t have as much of a reach. And I do need to investigate the ruins."


    The summons watched her ponder, unable to offer their own thoughts on the matter, whatever Yvlena worked out would be fine with them. Sprite tapped her tiny feet from atop Rabbit Knights''s head. Eventually growing impatient she flew up to Yvlena''s nose.


    "Time''s wasting, just pick one thing and follow through!" the little fairy said.


    "Alright, I''ll plant more seeds once I see how venturing into the depths goes." she said making up her mind before the Sprite could get even more impatient.


    ----------


    It was not long into their journey when the party stumbled on another corrupted fox blocking their path, they could see the way the miasma took hold of the Fox, coloring its eyes an unnatural shade of red and turning it from a simple mob to a deadly beast.


    The beast growled lowly, setting itself to attack if they moved even a single step.


    The sight of the creature would have cowed Yvlena at a previous level, but now she brandished her carrot sword with ease and leaped at the beast.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 160/810


    ***


    Shadow essence x2


    Dark Fox Pelt x1


    ***


    Moon Points: 250]


    They watched the creature give a final howl as it faded into nonexistence.


    "A good job well done!" Yvlena said. They continued on, stopping at the Lake to get some water before they would once again encounter the ruins.


    "If only I had a bottle or something!" Yvlena whined as they continued on. Soon they reached the path, finding the forest had grown more rotten since the last time they saw it.


    The trees withered, leaving patches of space where thick leaves used to be, but that didn''t mean there was any sunlight falling through. The sky above was merely a shadow of what was outside the forest, falling under the miasma''s corruptive influence.


    With each step they took, clouds of dark energy rose to follow their footsteps, the strength of the dark energy grew with every passing moment. Suddenly Yvlena felt a sharp tug from her side, followed by a system''s notification.


    [The Ever Bloom wants to guide]


    "The plant wants to guide?" Yvlena asked incredulously, she retrieved the potted plant from her inventory, the weight heavy in her hands. The plant jerked forward, drawn by a force deep within the path.


    "Ah!" Yvlena yelped but had no choice but to follow along. The girl ran, pulled by the force of the Ever Bloom until she once again reached the darkness of the temple.


    The pitch darkness doesn''t allow Yvlena a glimpse of the temple or its surroundings, if they wanted to go deeper they would need a source of light. The elven girl took out her torch and asked Sprite to light it.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Fairy Lit Torch x1]


    The brilliant light illuminated the path before her, finally able to see, Yvlena''s eyes widened in awe at the sheer size of the Bloom Forest''s hidden temple. Despite its ruined outer compound, the temple retained most of its regal beauty.


    "It''s just like the Rose Manor I suppose." Yvlena said stepping forward. She and her summons walked past the chunks of battered marble spread out before her and toward the temple''s entrance.


    A dark wall blocked the path that would have led deeper into the Forest and possibly to another town, just like the Verdant woods. Yvlena had no choice but to face the temple.


    Two statues posed in battle stood overlooking the doors to the temple. Yvlena had seen them enough by now to know who they were.


    "Vaelindor and Selendriel." she said as she passed, the statues were at least 8 feet tall, towering over Yvlena and her summons as she stood beside them. She ran her finger across the white stone, finding it cracked with age and soft with moss.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Vines and flowers grew into the feet and amongst the cracks but that only served to make them feel like gods of nature to Yvlena.


    She lifted her torch higher, beholding the faces of the patron gods of Bloom Haven.


    [Quest: Complete


    Investigate the Forgotten Ruins of Bloom Forest


    Bloom Forest used to be a rich forest teeming with life, unfortunately, much of the forest has been left only to the memories of the citizens of Bloom Haven.


    As the Harvest Guardian, Investigate the ruins and see why it is the cause of the miasma,


    ***


    Rewards


    Ancient Ever Bloom seeds x5


    ***


    Moon Points x700


    Moon Gems x150


    ***


    EXP x400]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 560/810


    ***


    Rewards


    Ancient Ever Bloom seeds x5


    ***


    Moon Points x700


    Moon Gems x150]


    The Ever Bloom guided her into the temple where they were met with the broken high walls and ceilings of the interior. The insides of the temple were made of a once shining white stone, all around, Yvlena saw the overgrown plants and bushes populating the once prestigious place of worship.


    Broken glass cracked under the Party''s feet as they walked in the direction the Ever Bloom guided, eventually coming to stop at the statue of the Goddess Selendriel without her male counterpart.


    Yvlena cast a glance across the hall, finding a single statue of Vaelindor triumphantly holding his sword up to the sky. She turned her attention back to Selendriel.


    The statue''s arms were spread out in a welcoming gesture with what must have been a serene expression looking down on whoever would sit at her feet.


    Yvlena could only guess the goddess''s face was obscured by dark patches of moss.


    The garden beneath the statue was dead, with rotted leaves teeming with corruptive miasma growing to cover the statue and temple floor.


    Yvlena scavenged, moving aside some dead weeds to pick up some seeds. The old soil is dry and waxy under her fingertips. Sprite flew over, helping her dig through the dirt for something valuable.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Wild Seeds x3


    Old Locket x1]


    "A locket? It must have belonged to someone who prayed here a long time ago." Yvlena said. She deposited her findings in the inventory until the system prompted her once more.


    [Place the Ever Bloom in the Soil]


    The game told her.


    Yvlena nodded, unpotting the plant and nesting it deep within the soil of the temple''s old garden. The Ever Bloom quivered, a moment passed before the roots sprung, digging themselves deep into the tainted earth.


    Yvlena and Rabbit Knight jump back and watched as the cupped petals opened to begin sucking in the miasma. Slowly light begins to return to the temple.


    "The miasma is clearing up! We did it!" Yvlena cheered. She''s thrown off her feet by the ground beneath her rattling and shaking. The temple moved, and a strange groaning wail could be heard coming from the Ever Bloom.


    A swirling, dark wormhole opened in front of them, Yvlena and party jumped back about to run away until the game told her.


    [Miasma Dungeon Unlocked, 6 Hours Until Closing]


    "Miasma dungeon? Closing? What''s going on here?" Yvlena asked.


    [Quest: Confront the Miasma Dungeon


    The Ever Bloom opened a portal to the dark energy of the miasma, you only have a limited time before the dungeon closes and the miasma continues infecting the land.


    Only by defeating the miasma dungeon can the miasma be banished permanently.


    As the Harvest Guardian, defeat Bloom Forest''s Miasma once and for all so the land can heal.


    ***


    Rewards


    ????


    ????


    ***


    Moon Points x1500


    Moon Gems x300


    ***


    EXP x700]


    From reading the quest Yvlena could tell this would be a tough one. The rewards were simply too high for just any minor quest. The miasma had something to do with the war of the gods after all. It was because of their war that all this started.


    She wondered if Rael went into a miasma portal, if that was the reason he went missing all those long years ago.


    "Rael, could you be in there?" she asked no one in particular, a foul breeze from the portal ruffled her hair. A hand flew over her nose, eager to block out the smell.


    Was the gift of five senses within this game truly a blessing or a curse?


    She turned to her summons who stood far away from the gaping portal mouth in fright.


    "Are you guys ready to face the miasma?" Yvelna asked. Rabbit Knight shot her a look. Sprite exhaled deeply.


    "Where you go, we go." the fairy said. Rabbit Knight nodded in agreement. Yvlena felt as a fondness for the summons grew within her heart at the words of the Sprite.


    "Alright, let''s do this." Yvlena said, inching closer and closer to the portal. The summons stood beside her ready to follow.


    A force pulled Yvlena in, grabbing her and the two creatures beside her and dragging them into the dark space.


    Yvlena screamed, it was unlike anything she had ever felt within the game. The transportation to the miasmic world pulled her into it, stretching her like a rubber band. And though she didn''t feel pain it was quite uncomfortable.


    The three landed on a cold stone floor with a hard thud. Sprite whined about the state of her wings while Rabbit Knight tried his best to arrange his frazzled fur sticking up at every end.


    Yvlena got up first, looking around to find a replica of the Forgotten Depth''s temple.


    The game only had one objective.


    [Defeat the Miasmic Guardian]


    "Miasmic guardian, so it''s like a boss?" Yvlena said looking around. The once cracked and punctured high ceilings are replaced with a shy white stone gleaming from the sunlight. Old murals covered the walls, depicting the harmonious existence of the gods of Moon Valley. Sadly Yvlena didn''t know much about the others.


    Yvlena found herself once more in front of the statue of Selendriel.


    The statue of the goddess in all of its beauty looked down on her, Selendriel''s face, now clear of moss and rot looked even kinder, almost motherly. The figure''s eyes bore a familiar shape and it took only a moment for Yvlena to recognize who it belonged to.


    "M-Mom?" Yvlena gasped, it was only a vague resemblance but she saw it. It was strange, the statue at the library didn''t have her mother''s eyes. Yvlena turned away from the eerie figure to look down.


    The lone Ever Bloom sat with its roots buried deeply in the soil, she touched it.


    [Go back?]


    (You are free to return anytime)


    [Yes/No]


    The elven girl selected the ''no'' option, opting to explore the now rebuilt temple with her summons.


    "Let''s find the guardian." Yvlena said. She put her fallen torch in her inventory, now that light streamed in from the stained glass windows there was no need to carry that around.


    The temple didn''t have a lot of room so Yvlena decided to head towards the exterior of the building.


    The party found themselves outside the temple, coming face to face with a tall pale woman.


    "Who goes there?!"


    [You have encountered Miasmic Guardian: Viseli, the fallen]


    [Defeat the Miasmic Guardian]

 029~Viseli, The Fallen

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 030~The Aftermath

    <div>


    <div>


    "It was just a game, it was just a game," she muttered to herself nearly sobbing the words. She touched her neck where a cluster of miasma had wrapped around her neck choking the life out of her.


    <div>


    Aya didn''t want to know what it would be like to die in the game. She placed the Revista down beside her and flopped back onto her bed with force. Resting a hand over her face, she hadn''t realized how sweaty she had gotten under the headset.


    <div>


    "Oh my God, that was intense," she said still breathing hard. Aya sniffled, bringing up her phone to check the time and realizing she had forgotten to set the alarm.


    <div>


    2:39 AM


    <div>


    "Crap!" She sprung out of bed, quickly putting the gaming gear aside and turning out the lights. Aya flew back underneath the covers and tried willing herself to sleep.


    <div>


    "I''m going to fall asleep at work for this!" she whined, squeezing her eyes shut.


    <div>


    ----------


    <div>


    All over the Moon Valley forums, chat rooms were lighting up.


    <div>


    New Forum Title:


    <div>


    [Dark Area On the Map Cleared]


    <div>


    Laruga: Guys! One of the locked Regions just cleared up.


    <div>


    Polly4n41: I just saw, it''s close to that Bloom Haven area, no one even plays there so what gives?


    <div>


    Laruga: Someone''s got to be playing there, who else could have killed that hidden boss?!


    <div>


    KillxKill: It has to be a fluke, those areas of the game literally have people remaking their accounts when they spawn there. What idiot would play in Bloom Haven?


    <div>


    Sleeze4eva: Agreed, maybe the devs are just doing something with that area finally.


    <div>


    New Forum Title:


    <div>


    [Bloom Haven Solo Player]


    <div>


    Runicsl4y: There''s gotta be someone solo grinding in Bloom Haven, we all know that right?


    <div>


    Peanutcups: We can''t rule it out but I always assumed Bloom Haven was just Dev''s testing ground, that''s why it couldn''t be accessed.


    <div>


    Runicsl4y: Agreed, probably some spoiled brat or Beta tester who''s never had any real challenge.


    <div>


    New Forum Title:


    <div>


    [Moon Valley''s Urband Legend]


    <div>


    Vanderl00t: So we agree there''s something to be said about the ghost players right?


    <div>


    Soph1ta: Does it really matter? This better not be one of your theories about getting that championship title again, the gods of Moon Valley are dead.


    <div>


    CakeKnight: That''s the storyline, what if the Devs are trying to resurrect them?


    <div>


    Soph1ta: Then why kill ''em in the first place? So dumb! I''m logging out now. Night you idiots.


    <div>


    DarknessArises: Finally, can''t stand her, so what are we thinking about this ghost player?


    <div>


    Vanderl00t: Could be a puppet of the devs?


    <div>


    CakeKnight: Has anyone tried data mining this thing yet?


    <div>


    The forums continued to light up with speculation about what could have happened to cause the dark zone to disappear. Elsewhere a certain group had similar ideas on progressing things in their favour.


    <div>


    ----------


    <div>


    Aya woke up to the sound of her alarm clock blaring, At that instant she considered throwing it out the window but instead rose from her bed to get ready for the work day.


    <div>


    She won the battle against Viseli but at what cost? She hadn''t logged back in to check her rewards and the work day would be a long one with her lack of sleep.


    <div>


    The sleepy girl rubbed her eyes and yawned over her breakfast of soggy cereal and off-brand orange juice.


    <div>


    Aya exited the apartment still yawning from how tired she was. On her way down the stairs, she met Mars staring at her phone with utmost focus. The girl''s eyes were set in a firm glare, as she read whatever was on screen.


    <div>


    "Mars?"


    <div>


    "Did you do this?" Mars asked, holding her phone up to Aya''s face the moment the girl was close enough to her. The Moon Valley forums were all over the screen of Mars'' high-end smartphone.


    <div>


    Aya scanned through the webpage, her eyes widened at the sight of the topic discussion.


    <div>


    It was her.


    <div>


    It seemed a post discussing the sudden disappearance of the Miasma in Bloom Haven went viral all amongst the players, people who thought those areas were blocked off were now searching for her to tell them how she did it.


    <div>


    "Mars, what is this?" Aya asked, looking up at the taller girl.


    <div>


    "What do you mean? You''re famous." Mars said shoving her phone back into her pocket. She leaned against the apartment wall with folded arms. To Aya her friend seemed deep in thought, possibly also wondering how she did it.


    <div>


    "How did you do it?" she asked. Aya launched into a rant about dark wolves and magical flowers but her explanation is stopped by the sound of the Seelim bus pulling up to the bus stop.


    <div>


    "I promise to explain in person when I get back." she said running off to catch the bus before it would leave her behind. Mars said nothing, watching as Aya ran off into the distance.


    <div>


    Something that could clear the dark spots would be very valuable at the auction house. Mars chewed her thumb once again falling deep into thought as Aya''s petite silhouette disappeared from view.


    <div>


    "I might have to change course." Mars said, she stuffed both her hands in her pocket and entered the apartment building to play some more.


    <div>


    Maybe she would pay Bloom Haven a visit of her own.


    <div>


    ----------


    <div>


    Aya arrived at Nue Corp just in time to have another stack of letters dumped on her hands.


    <div>


    "Geez haven''t these guys ever heard of email!" she said.


    <div>


    Her boss smirked, lowering his glasses to shoot her a look.


    <div>


    "That''s all confidential you know?"


    <div>


    "But what''s so confidential it can''t be sent through the net?" Aya asked loading up her cart, her boss gave a small laugh.


    <div>


    "There''s still so much you don''t know about this company," he said.


    <div>


    "I''m not paid enough to know, let me guess top floor?"


    <div>


    "The highest."


    <div>


    Aya sighed and loaded the cart into the elevator with some trouble. The old thing''s rusty wheels were just about to give out, not that it mattered to those in charge.


    <div>


    She pushed the button that would take her straight to the President''s level, eager at least, that seeing Atlas would be a possibility.


    <div>


    The only one there is Vivian, Aya deflated at the sight of the blonde woman just waiting to give her hell for her very existence.


    <div>


    Aya observed the silent fury upon the bespeckled woman''s face and decided there and then that she wanted none of that.


    <div>


    Aya gathered the stack of urgent letters into a neat pile and rested them on the table with as much care as she could muster. She turned her back and made to leave, thankful the blonde woman hadn''t said a word to her.


    <div>


    "You''re not even that pretty." Vivian scoffed, Aya pretended not to hear her and jumped into the elevator with the rest of the urgent mail for all departments. What did it matter if she was pretty or not?


    <div>


    "I just want to go home already. Argh! Why do I have to work a 9-5 why can''t I be like Mars?"


    <div>


    "Who''s Mars?" Her boss asked, Aya''s hands fell from her head with a start.


    <div>


    "Don''t scare me like that! And Mars is none of your business!" Aya said to him, he watched her pull the cart out of the elevator with great exasperation all the while chuckling at her distress.


    <div>


    "Can''t you at least help me out?"


    <div>


    "I don''t really have to." the man said waving as she walked away to sit in his comfortable office chair.


    <div>


    "Ass!" Aya grunted, the stuck tire came free with a squeak, letting Aya know it was due for an oiling.


    <div>


    ----------


    <div>


    "We need a new mail cart." Aya said.


    <div>


    "When have we ever been approved for funding?" her boss asked sarcastically.


    <div>


    "I''ll go on strike." Aya deadpanned.


    <div>


    "Good, saves me the trouble of getting rid of you myself," he said flipping the television to another channel. The news came on and the business segment went on about the rapid growth of Lumos Inc.''s new game Moon Valley, her boss was about to change the channel when she stopped him.


    <div>


    "Wait," she said. the man stopped, raising an eyebrow at her demand but acquiesced to her request.


    <div>


    "So you''re telling me that this company was able to triple its revenue just by having a player-focused game economy with barely any advertising?" the male anchor said.


    <div>


    "That''s right, my daughter is a player too and I have to say Moon Valley is taking the world by storm." the female anchor opposite him said. the male anchor chuckled, facing the camera with a grin.


    <div>


    "You heard it here first folks, if you need to earn some quick cash, consider playing Moon Valley and finding yourself some rare items, that way you can sell to other players." The male anchor said with a pleasant smile, he arranged some more news reports on his desk as he continued, resting his laced hands on the table.


    <div>


    "But I warn you, the time taken to find said item will have you addicted to the game before you even know it."


    <div>


    "Speaking from experience Sam?" his Co-anchor joked, they shared a laugh before the woman continued.


    <div>


    "You can also join many of the player vs player tournaments popping up all over town lately though that''s of course for the safe areas, we don''t recommend going somewhere like Axen."


    <div>


    "No, No certainly not, in fact-" the business report ended with the anchors going on to report the crime and financial distress plaguing Axen City.


    <div>


    The two anchors laughed, Aya frowned, it was true but it wasn''t a great feeling to have your city be a mockery.


    <div>


    "What do those Evangelis chumps know about Axen anyhow." Aya''s boss said as if noticing her mood. "You play that game they were talking about? Moon something."


    <div>


    "Moon Valley, yeah."


    <div>


    "Is that why you always seem so occupied now?"


    <div>


    A flush of embarrassment grew on Aya''s face. She sputtered, trying to come up with an explanation for her recent behavior that would justify it. Her boss only laughed.


    <div>


    "Just keep it up! I like this new you." he said. He picked up a newspaper, flipping through the morning pages to read some odd news around town.


    <div>


    Aya went to her usual seat to see what the forums said about Bloom Haven. They were still talking about her recent exploits in Bloom Haven.


    <div>


    "Hmm, I wonder if they''d freak out if they knew it was some girl working a dead-end job and not some pro player like they''re starting to think it is," she said.


    <div>


    The broadcast was still on her mind, Aya considered herself pretty strong, and she wondered if she could use her character in a PvP match against someone and win some money, then she would really stand a chance of quitting this job.


    <div>


    "Even if I could just farm spell stones the probability of them dropping is still too low, I''ve killed hundreds of enemies and I''ve only gotten a handful of ''em." Aya whines, resting her back against the mail room wall.


    <div>


    "Maybe I should go Pro."

 031~Aftermath (2)

    <div>


    <div>


    "If only they could get the hover carts." Aya sighed as she began her short walk back to the apartment complex. As she approached, the sound of voices roused her from her thoughts about Moon Valley, fearing it was the intruder again she ducked behind a wall and peered out from the side to see two figures.


    <div>


    Her eyes widened from the shock of what she was seeing, Aya slapped a hand over her mouth to hide the gasp that threatened to escape her.


    <div>


    Two figures huddled together in the darkness of the building''s entrance. A tall portly man with a balding head and poorly shaven beard and Aya''s thin cruel aunt. The man she had not seen in years. Mr. Fido.


    <div>


    Aya still remembered his face after he had abandoned her to the clutches of Lydia and her greed, the only thing she wondered was what he was doing here and why now.


    <div>


    Why after all these years had he shown up now? It had been two years since she last saw him. When he abandoned her and during her grandmother''s funeral the latter which was prepaid for by Aya''s mother.


    <div>


    Aya moved closer, inclining her head at an angle to listen.


    <div>


    "I''ve told you once and I''ll tell you again Lydia, we cannot sell the house without the deed to the property, why haven''t you asked Aya about it?"


    <div>


    "Listen to yourself Fido, if she had the deed to the house she wouldn''t be here anymore and then I wouldn''t be able to extort that man for more money you fool!" Lydia hissed.


    <div>


    "Extort?" Aya gasped, her heart thrummed against her chest, just who were they extorting? Her parents? Did she have family somewhere? Aya''s chest tightened making it difficult for her to breathe.


    <div>


    "You have access to your tenant''s rooms, why not search the property when she leaves."


    <div>


    "Because the stupid brat had her locks changed after a break-in." Lydia barked. Aya let out a sigh of relief, changing the locks had cost her most of her paycheck but knowing that it saved her from a terrible fate seemed to have been worth it.


    <div>


    "Besides," Lydia continued, "If the stupid girl had the deed she wouldn''t be in this house I say that''s proof enough she doesn''t have it."


    <div>


    Fido seemed to fold his arms and shuffle around in the evening cold. The two talked for a moment and soon he got into his beat-up car straight out of memory lane.


    <div>


    Aya would never forget the vehicle that dropped her into this life.


    <div>


    Lydia returned to the apartment.


    <div>


    Aya pressed her back against the worn walls, doing her best not to make a sound. After a few moments, when she was sure the coast was clear, she was calm enough to go up the stairs and find her friend.


    <div>


    ----------


    <div>


    Mars pulled open the door to find Aya, hand up posed in the middle of rapping at her doorway.


    <div>


    "I think my aunt did something to my grandmother!" Aya said in a harsh whisper. Mars''s eyes softened as she stared at the shaking girl at her doorstep.


    <div>


    Aya''s face was stained with tears, the girl gritted her teeth as she tried to process what she had just told Mars.


    <div>


    Mars took her by the shoulder and led her into the apartment, she sat the girl on the living room couch. The dark haired girl folded her arms, frowning. A stern expression crossed her face as she considered the implications of Aya''s words.


    <div>


    She leaned against the counter waiting for Aya to speak.


    <div>


    "Start from the beginning."


    <div>


    "My grandma got sick when I was a teenager and she made a deal with my aunt to house me at a cheaper rate than the other tenants. Of course, Aunt Lydia has been raising my rent every month." Aya said.


    <div>


    Mars nearly growled at the revelation, she knew Aya''s aunt was a bitch but this was more than she had thought.


    <div>


    Aya recounts the conversation she overheard about the deed to the house and the possibility that her aunt was extorting a possible serving family member.


    <div>


    Mars stepped closer to Aya with only one thing in mind.


    <div>


    "You know what you have to do right? You have to find them, this person you think is related to you."


    <div>


    "How?"


    <div>


    "Do you have any clues who they could be, a strange letter? Easter eggs of some kind?" Mars asked running fingers through her hair. Aya paused, thinking deeply until she stumbled upon an answer she knew sounded strange.


    <div>


    "I think they work at Lumos Inc."


    <div>


    Mars narrowed her eyes, Aya could see in her eyes that she didn''t believe her. Aya held her hand up, silently telling Mars to pause before she would say anything.


    <div>


    Mars snaps her mouth shut, noticing the serious expression on her friend''s face.


    <div>


    A lump formed in Aya''s throat, the prospect of telling Mars that her mother''s legacy could possibly be in this game was daunting. So many things could go wrong but she had to try.


    <div>


    "There''s something in the game that lets me know my mother may have worked on it or someone who knew my mother." Aya started. "I tried to brush it off as coincidence but there''s just been too many examples now."


    <div>


    "Is that why you refuse to leave Bloom Haven?" Mars asked, "I admit it was strange, people can''t even get into it, those who do delete their account because the area is so buggy and unfinished but you thrive there."


    <div>


    Aya clasped her hands together, pressing her lips together, she liked Mars but she didn''t want to give too much away.


    <div>


    Mars sighed, unwrapping her arms and coming to sit beside Aya.


    <div>


    "I have my secrets too so I won''t pry, but if the deed to your grandmother''s house is really amongst the things you moved into this apartment with, look for it."


    <div>


    "I don''t even know where to start if she left something with me I''ve never seen it Mars," Aya said.


    <div>


    Mars smirked, bopping Aya''s nose.


    <div>


    "Silly girl, if I wanted to keep something from someone would I keep it in an obvious place?" Mars asked. Aya''s eyes widened, and the realization hit her. What if the deed was in the game as well?


    <div>


    "I have to find those papers," Aya said in sudden determination. She stared down at her hand, saddened. Tears welled up in her eyes. She grabbed her face, feeling pressure build up in her chest.


    <div>


    The first sob escaped her, a sad and quiet sound that caught Mars off guard. Aya was doing a good job keeping it all in until now.


    <div>


    Mars watched the tears roll down Aya''s cheeks as she allowed herself to cry from the revelation.


    <div>


    "I always thought she was sick, now I''m thinking, well something must have happened. Aunt Lydia already has this building, why would she want my grandmother''s house?"


    <div>


    Mars put a stiffly awkward arm around the crying girl, trying to comfort her as best as she could. Aya hugged the girl, practically attaching herself to the other like a koala around a tree.


    <div>


    Mars let her, exhaling as she watched Aya with a soft gaze.


    <div>


    "Will you be alright Aya? You know, by yourself?" Mars asked. Aya shook her head.


    <div>


    "I won''t but I have to know what happened to my mom and dad, what happened to my grandmother," Aya said with deep conviction. Mars sighed, she pulled the girl closer to her in worry.


    <div>


    "Alright, just keep me updated I guess. But Aya I understand your situation somewhat." Mars said slowly. Aya could see she was thinking her next words over.


    <div>


    Mars was a mysterious girl, Aya reasoned. A girl who showed up out of nowhere with gaming equipment reserved only for the elite. She refused to talk about her past but Aya understood.


    <div>


    "I will, I have to sleep now. I''ve got work tomorrow."


    <div>


    "Can''t you call in sick or something?" Mars said growing angry. "There''s no way you''ll be able to keep this shit off your mind for God''s sake."


    <div>


    "There''s nothing I can do about it, company clause says I will have to put in a notice for sick leave in advance," Aya said laying her palms open. "And since no one knows when they''re going to be sick, it''s a lose-lose."


    <div>


    Mars snarled.


    <div>


    She bared her teeth like something wild and held on to Aya.


    <div>


    "Quit your job," she said.


    <div>


    "What?"


    <div>


    The dark haired girl shook Aya hard in desperation.


    <div>


    "Aya listen to me, you''ve made more from nearly two weeks of gaming than you¡¯ve made in a month, there''s no reason to stay at such a shitty job! Please." Mars said. She softened her voice towards the end.


    <div>


    "If you want to be a pro player I can train you, just quit. You need time to get to the bottom of this mystery."


    <div>


    "But my rent Mars."


    <div>


    "You have the month to make that money back, there must be something you can sell within your inventory right now isn''t there?" Mars asked letting go of Aya.


    <div>


    "I mean yeah I have a fire stone and a grass stone," Aya said, she rubbed her face and soon a wave of exhaustion hit her. It was all getting too much and soon her tears began anew.


    <div>


    Aya cried and Mars was there to comfort her friend. She cradled the girl close to her, allowing Aya to rest her head on her shoulder. It seemed like an eternity had passed and soon the two sat in silence until the quiet sniffles died down.


    <div>


    "I need to quit, to play and get to the bottom of this."


    <div>


    "And don''t forget you need to contact Lumos inc. See if someone has your surname or your mother''s maiden name."


    <div>


    "I took my mother''s name, I never knew my dad''s. He took her name too!"


    <div>


    Mars paused at that, Aya knew she wanted to say something but she let it go. She felt she had overstayed her welcome and stood abruptly from Mars'' couch.


    <div>


    "I need to get back to my apartment."


    <div>


    Mars sighed.


    <div>


    "You don''t need to run away Aya, I would rather you spend the night here. You don''t know if you''re in danger at your place. And with what you''ve told me, you probably are." Mars reasoned. Mars dropped her head with a sigh, rubbing her head.


    <div>


    "Look just stay here tonight, it''ll be safer," Mars said disappearing into a room and returning with a fluffy pillow and blanket in each hand. "I''ll get you something to eat."


    <div>


    ----------


    <div>


    Dinner was a double serving of ramen bowls Aya fell asleep over.


    <div>


    Mars watched the girl gently snoring over a half finished ramen bowl, she huffed, blowing a strand of hair out of her face and pulling back the chair so she could help Aya to the couch where she would be sleeping.


    <div>


    "Silly girl," Mars said under her breath as she lifted Aya to the couch. She laid the girl down and propped the pillow under her head, then draped the blanket over Aya''s shoulder.


    <div>


    "I need to think," Mars said heading to her room to sit on the bed.

 032~Revelations (1)

    <div>


    <div>


    Fred was in chaos mode the moment he saw the old computer''s reaction. His eyes read the screen reading the words ''Bloom Haven''


    <div>


    He paused, wasn''t it recently that someone finally cleared the Miasma within that part of the game? Until then players hadn''t been able to access it, or so he thought.


    <div>


    A memory came to mind, something so long ago he had almost forgotten it. The reason he sought to solve the puzzle of the CEO''s family.


    <div>


    [Flashback]


    <div>


    Fred Berkley stood in front of the CEO''s desk staring at the luxury carpeted floor of the large office. Before him, the CEO sat at a dark oak wood desk decorated with intricately carved figures of fairies and old gods.


    <div>


    Fred recognized some of them from Lumos inc''s current project Moon Valley. The VRMMORPG was set to come out that year and Fred himself had even played and voiced some characters of his own. The grumpy librarian was one of them and a few others who didn''t have as much of a memorable role.


    <div>


    "Fred." The CEO''s soft but firm voice called. Fred lifted his gaze from the floor and met warm brown eyes staring at him in worry.


    <div>


    "Yes sir?" Fred replied.


    <div>


    "Have you been sleeping much Fred?" Mr. Sinclair, founder and CEO of Lumos Inc. asked. The man laced his hands together, resting his elbows on the table as he studied the brilliant man standing in front of his desk.


    <div>


    "Sleep continues to elude me," Fred said sheepishly.


    <div>


    "And with all the caffeine you drink, it will continue to run." Mr. Sinclair said with a chuckle. The older man sobered up and sat straight-backed in his chair.


    <div>


    "Fred I''ve called you into this office today because of your past. you''re the only one I trust with this."


    <div>


    Fred stumbled back at the sudden reminder, he glared at the CEO, angry the man would bring up something he wanted to forget.


    <div>


    Sensing the hostility, Mr. Sinclair leaned forward, intending to press the issue.


    <div>


    "Yes Fred, this is a task I have chosen specifically because of your connection to the flowers of the red dawn."


    <div>


    Fred gasped.


    <div>


    "You said you would never bring up my connection to that group."


    <div>


    "I need you to help me find someone. I''ve exhausted all other avenues, you are my last hope,"


    <div>


    "Who?" Fred asked still glaring. He didn''t expect the CEO would ask him to do something illegal, it almost disappointed him that the man would bring up his past in an attempt to use him. Fred clenched his fist.


    <div>


    "Fred, I''m not asking you to do something illegal. I merely require your trained expertise. But this must remain between us." Mr. Sinclair said sternly.


    <div>


    He stood up from his desk and beckoned Fred to follow him.


    <div>


    The two of them stood within the dusty Archives of the Lumos Inc. building which the CEO had fashioned to mimic one of the very first offices he had ever worked in.


    <div>


    The CEO didn''t seem concerned by the dust now gathering on his expensive suit and walked forward until he came to an analog device covered with a formerly white sheet.


    <div>


    From its silhouette, Fred could already tell it was a computer of some sort, some old model that couldn''t keep up with innovations of the current year.


    <div>


    Fred stared as Mr. Sinclair pulled the sheet off, presenting him with an old computer monitor from times long past. The rectangular, dark face of the monitor reflected him, the machine beeped, a soft distorted sound from the aged speakers.


    <div>


    Fred watched as it sputtered and coughed up dust from its CPU before whirling to life. Heavy internal fans spat dust and grime but finally, the dark screen glowed.


    <div>


    A white cursor blinked onto the screen, it was alive.


    <div>


    Fred moved his attention from the dusty tech and back to his boss who was now looking pleased with himself.


    <div>


    "This belonged to my late brother. And I believe it is the only thing that can help me find my niece." Mr. Sinclair said.


    <div>


    "Y-Your niece?" Fred stuttered. He watched for a reaction from the CEO but the man kept his face a stoic calm. Mr. Sinclair nodded.


    <div>


    "For years now, I''ve been trying my hardest to find her, hired the best PIs searched and searched. But alas. I know her parents changed her name to protect her from my past as well. My brother and I-" the CEO cut himself off, not wanting to reveal too much.


    <div>


    Mr. Sinclair exhaled.


    <div>


    Fred paused, rubbing the back of his head and wondering how to ask the question he wanted to pose.


    <div>


    "Sir, how do you know she''s...alive?" Fred said thoughtfully.


    <div>


    "Trust me I know, how I know will be revealed in time." Mr. Sinclair said. The CEO turned his back, preparing to leave the archive rooms. "Use everything available to you, to get that machine working. It alone holds the key to finding her. And I know she will be looking too."


    <div>


    [End Flashback]


    <div>


    He leaves the archival room and walks down the silent hallways to the other person who would still be here so late in the night.


    <div>


    "Yvlena," he said under his breath running towards the server room. If it was one place he could be sure to find player information, it would be there.


    <div>


    His feet echoed through the corridors as he ran through the corridors of the Lumos Inc. building. Finally, he stopped at a plain white sliding door with simple bronze lettering labeled ''Server room.''


    <div>


    Fred bursts through the door, startling the only person who stood amidst the large shelves of servers lining the room from wall to wall in a nearly maze-like structure.


    <div>


    The server room was one of the biggest rooms in the building, shiny casings reflected Fred''s image at him as he stepped forward.


    <div>


    "Fred Barkley"


    <div>


    The icy tone of the sole server engineer said. She released a suffering sigh, lowering her tablet before turning to Fred to glance up and down at him in obvious annoyance.


    <div>


    "I need you to help me check something within the servers."


    <div>


    The woman scoffed, bothered by his presence in the server room. Fred paid it no mind, knowing that much like himself, his colleague had a disdain for people entering her space.


    <div>


    "And why should I? it''s not as if I benefit from helping the archival rat." She said, tapping her tablet.


    <div>


    "It''s important to the CEO," Fred said.


    <div>


    The woman raised an eyebrow, her tapping ceased. She considered it before rolling her eyes and beckoning him as if he were a dog.


    <div>


    Fred walked forward, paying her attitude no mind.


    <div>


    Romina Walsh, chief server engineer and one of the most brilliant women Fred had ever met. He would know, he recommended her for the position.


    <div>


    Romina stared at him with icy blue eyes, her short hair cut in a bob swished in the air-conditioned room as she faced him. The glitter of her diamond studs gleamed in the fluorescent lights, matching her equally pale skin tone.


    <div>


    She adjusted her glasses before speaking.


    <div>


    "Lucky you, I was about to go through the player database to get some information for our sponsors. Now what do you want Fred?"


    <div>


    "A player, she would be an elf under the name Yvlena, specifically in Bloom Haven."


    <div>


    Romina''s mouth pressed into a thin line, she faced her table, tapping until a holographic projection popped up from the screen on her tablet. She scanned through some files, eventually narrowing it down to the area Fred wanted to know about.


    <div>


    "Glad you made it easy for me Fred," she said with a smirk, Fred moved to the front, peering at the holograph closely. "To my knowledge Bloom Haven isn''t open to players, it''s the CEO''s pet project isn''t it?"


    <div>


    Romina''s eyebrow shot up in surprise.


    <div>


    "Well, well I guess you were right." She said. She enlarged the holographic board allowing Fred to see the detailed information about the person who owned the account.


    <div>


    "Aya Brown?" Fred gasped, reading the owner of the email account, unfortunately, there was no listed identification. No phone number, address, or the like linked to either the email account or the gaming account.


    <div>


    "What about where the money goes? I see she''s made large withdrawals here and here over the past two weeks." Fred said curiously.


    <div>


    "She uses a Gpal account, you don''t need to tie anything to the account to get your cash Fred. Most likely this person resides in a low-income area."


    <div>


    "How do you figure Romina? This is incredibly valuable information." Fred said intensely, His tired eyes ignited with passion. Could he finally have solved the mystery?


    <div>


    Romina was taken aback by the fire in his eyes but nodded and went on about the finance service.


    <div>


    "Gpal is one of those fintech apps developed by Nue Corp. It''s a finance service you can use for instant transactions and our partnership with Nue Corp allows us to use it as one of our payout options. But as you probably have already guessed it''s in the minority of our payment options."


    <div>


    "Where would you say its largest user base is?"


    <div>


    "Axen and Mericross most likely. Axen is going through one of the worst economic crises it has ever seen, while Mericross has an almost even class distribution." Romina said adjusting her glasses.


    <div>


    "And here in Evangels, what would you say is the likelihood Gpal has some kind of user base?"


    <div>


    "Not likely at all, it would be something very underground, not something you would tie to a gaming account unless you''re trying to hide something."


    <div>


    Fred breathed in the sterile air of the server room, and fell into thought, he considered her words.


    <div>


    "Thank you Romina," he said to her. The woman nodded coldly. Fred spun on his heels, about to leave when Romina called his name.


    <div>


    "Yes?"


    <div>


    "Whoever this girl you''re trying to find is, I hope for the best outcome." She said looking down at her tablet. The light reflected off her rounded spectacle making her seem ominous but to Fred, it brought a small smile to his face.


    <div>


    "I hope I can find her in time Romina," He said leaving the server room.

 033~Revelations (2)

    Aya woke to the softest blanket she''d ever felt, draped across her body. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, letting the fabric pool around her waist.


    After a moment of groggy yawning, she looked around to find she was in Mars''s apartment still.


    "Oh that''s right I''m supposed to quit today," Aya said tiredly. She couldn''t remember the last time she had slept in.


    ''Not since I was 17,'' Aya thought.


    Mars was already cooking something when Aya found the strength to get up. The scent of eggs and toast wafted through the living room.


    Aya followed her nose and stomach to find her friend frying a breakfast of eggs and bacon. The sizzling pan made the apartment hot, so Aya opened a window before making her way to where the other girl was.


    "Good morning," Aya said. Mars grunted. The only acknowledgment Aya would get from the other girl at the moment. Mars was deep in concentration as she cooked.


    Aya sat at the table deep in thought, would she really quit her job today? She didn''t know if she had enough to live off just yet and quitting would seem dumb when she had worked at Nue Corp for over a year plus now.


    The thoughts swirled in her head until Mars spoke.


    "Coffee''s in a pot over there if you want some." Mars said. "Shower''s on too. I''ll fix you a plate when you''re out."


    "Thanks," Aya said. "I''ll probably grab some clothes from my apartment before I head off to work."


    "To quit right?" Mars prodded, finally facing away from the pan to speak to the girl.


    "I''m not so sure I should, I barely have anything in my account. This is a huge financial decision and someone like me won''t get severance." Aya said.


    Mars sighed.


    "Then I''ll lend you the money, I have enough," Mars said. "You can pay me back, I''ll open up a tab. No interest fees."


    "Mars!" Aya said gasping. The brown haired girl sputtered, trying to form a coherent sentence.


    "You need time to get to the bottom of this Aya," Mars said. "Besides there will be other jobs, better jobs than one that treats you like you''re nothing,"


    Aya ducked her head, knowing Mars was right. Being the mail room girl netted her barely any respect, she may as well have been the cart she was pushing.


    "I have to do it," Aya said.


    "You do. If your parent''s or grandmother''s words are really within the game then you have to do everything you can to play it and find out." Mars said. She pointed the hot, oily spatula at Aya, then at the hall.


    "Go shower."


    Aya nodded, walking slowly towards Mars'' bathroom.


    Like all bathrooms within Lydia''s apartment complex, the shower was a tall glass cubicle with a simple shower head in a fixed position above it. Mars'' bath products were arranged in a neat little row on a rack she installed within the shower.


    On closer inspection, Aya could see that the shelf hung on suction cups. She smiled, finding it amusing that Mars would rely on such a thing as unpredictable as suction cups.


    After a long shower, the girl stepped out to be greeted with a plate of bacon, eggs, toast, and juice.


    Her mouth watered, when was the last time she had anything other than cereal as she was rushing out the door to work?


    "Thanks!" Aya said, digging into her food with great zeal. The bacon in particular didn''t stand a chance as she ruthlessly attacked with her fork.


    Mars laughed, she set down her plate and tried to calm Aya down.


    "If you eat that fast you''re going to choke and I won''t have you haunting the apartment!"


    "Mean!"


    Mars stuck her tongue out in response but Aya slowed down her biting and chewing considerably. The girls had their breakfast in comfortable silence with only the clinking of forks and glasses around the kitchen.


    ----------


    Aya stood at the usual bus stop and waited for the afternoon bus to take her into the city. She wondered what the old man who drove the morning bus would think after she didn''t show up.


    The afternoon was warm as Aya waited in clothes other than her uniform, she packed it up in a separate bag she kept beside her on the ground.


    "So this is it huh?" she said to herself.


    The noon bus pulled into the bus stop allowing Aya to board it. The driver, a rosy cheeked man with strange facial hair and watery blue eyes appeared startled by her presence on the bus.


    "Wow, I don''t usually pick anyone up from around here," He said, playfully tapping his hands on the steering wheel as Aya boarded the bus.


    Aya smiled in greeting.


    "I don''t usually board the bus at this time either," she said, finding her way to her seat. The bus started up again, its engine hummed as Aya began the usual drive to her office.


    She placed her head against the seat rest and thought about how she was walking into her office to quit.


    "Maybe my boss will get up and do something for once in his life." she thought, a wave of guilt hit her.


    ''Why do I even feel bad, it''s not like this job was doing me any favors,'' she thought, her internal turmoil continuing as she reviewed the reasons why she was quitting.


    "I can always find another shitty job, those come in spades," she said with a shrug, but it doesn''t shake off the sentimentality of it all. This was the company she had worked at the longest. Even though the pay was shit.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    It was one way from her house too, making the commute insanely easy.


    "I wonder if the old guy at the junk shop is hiring?" she said folding her arms and thinking. Soon more passengers board the bus, mostly younger people and housewives.


    Aya listened to the chatter with great interest considering she was usually on either early or super late buses. One thing that seemed to be on everyone''s lips was the game Moon Valley.


    "Oh I just love playing as an elf mage, it reminds me of my final fantasy days." An older woman just behind Aya said to her friend. The woman beside her nodded and casually mentioned how she would borrow her son''s VR headset to play on her own account.


    Beside her, a pair of teens compared stats on the Moon Valley app on their phones.


    Aya was surrounded by Moon Valley''s popularity, it amazed her. She knew the game had taken off but hadn''t considered to what extent. Hearing about the game from the standpoint of the average person''s lips was shocking.


    The vehicle reached her stop, the bus stop just outside Nue Corp. Aya disembarked. She walked from the bus stop until she stood facing the company building once more with her uniform in a bag.


    She walked in, past security who recognized her. They snickered whilst looking at the time of her arrival. Joking about how she was about to get canned.


    On her way in an entourage burst through the front door. A flurry of men in black suits rush through, the exit of the building.


    The men at the security checkpoint jumped from where they had been slacking off. They stood rigid, saluting the entourage detail clearing guarding some important.


    Of course, the men pay them no mind, too busy clearing the path for the super important men they were guarding. To Aya they looked ridiculous, it was the middle of the afternoon and no one stood in their way.


    Aya stood still letting them pass, it was only then that she noticed Atlas following along with an older man, deep in thought.


    "Atlas," she said.


    Over the chatter, Altas heard a voice call his name softly. He saw her, out of uniform with what was presumable her company gear in the bag beside her.


    Fearing she had been fired, he tried to break away from the men in black only for a vice-like grip to seize his arm.


    "Mr. Nue, where are you going? The limo''s that way." One of the black suited men said to him.


    "I''ll only be a minute I have to speak to a member of the staff." The girl on his arm released, Atlas straightened his suit and walked towards Aya.


    "Busy day?" The girl asked with a smile.


    "Busier still." He said grinning. "What''s all this." He asked.


    "I''m officially quitting," Aya said proudly, Atlas looked taken aback by her words.


    His only potential friend in the company was quitting.


    A deep frown overcame his face, Aya didn''t like to see anyone so sad but she had made up her mind and this was final.


    "Why?"


    "Well, I don''t make enough for one," Aya said instantly. She felt like she could say that now. It surprised her how bold she was in front of the company president. "I don''t even make minimum wage."


    "I could give you a promotion," Atlas said in an instant.


    "There''s a word for that, I swear I''ve heard it before." Aya laughed. "You can keep in touch you know," Aya said. She plucked his phone out of his office pocket and presented it to him so he could unlock it.


    The sound of his keypad beeping let him know she was typing out a phone number.


    "I told you to add me on Moon Valley but I guess you forgot," Aya said. "Call me?"


    Atlas took his phone from her hands, stunned by her boldness. He nodded. Aya flashed him another smile and noticed the entourage impatiently waiting for Atlas to return to them.


    A sleek limousine had pulled into the front of the company''s front lane.


    "I think they''re waiting on you. You should go." Aya said. Atlas nodded.


    "I''ll...call," he said softly.


    "I''ll be expecting it," Aya said. The man backstepped, heading towards the entourage. Aya watched him enter the limo and drive away. She continued her way into the company.


    ----------


    "Aya where have you been the mail room''s been backed the hell up!" her boss yelled the moment she walked into the office. Aya glared, nothing against him but he was complacent in the whole thing.


    "I''m quitting," Aya said plainly.  The man sat up in his chair.


    "Bullshit," He said, lowering his sun glasses. Aya placed the bag containing her uniform on the table with a slam.


    "Damn straight." She said smirking, it felt so good to be able to do that and now that she didn''t want to work here, no one could say anything about that.


    "Not if HR has anything to say about that." the man said. Aya rolled her eyes already planning out her resignation letter.


    "What do you mean?"


    "A clause was added to your contract the moment the company noticed people kept quitting this post." her boss said. Aya glared, she should have known Nue Corp wouldn''t have let her off that easy.


    "But I could be fired on the spot right?"


    "Look Aya, go to HR, review your options." Her boss said. He kicked his feet off the table and stood. Aya folded her arms.


    "Fine."


    ----------


    The HR department treated Aya''s grievances with the same callousness one would expect from corporate. She sat in front of two women, who stared into their paper thin,  high tech monitors.


    Behind her, the mail room boss sat flipping through one of the complimentary magazines. He muttered to himself as he did, creeping everyone out as he did.


    "Aya brown is it?" the first woman started, Aya looked away from her boss and at the woman who sat in front of her.


    "Yes?"


    "We''ve reviewed your clause and termination from your post can only occur in the event of certain lapses in performances, or if you are deemed a danger to the company."


    "A danger to the company? But I''ve never even spoken back to the people who made working here a nightmare!"


    "Not so," the other woman attending to Aya''s case said. " According to our records, you''ve been written up a few times by Ms. Vanderwood,"


    "Who''s that?"


    "The president''s secretary," the woman replied.


    A devious idea formed in Aya''s mind.


    "Why don''t we see what she has to say about this," Aya said leaning back into her seat. The HR women exchanged glances with each other, wondering what Aya was up to.


    One picked up a strange device and tapped around the glass surface. Viviana''s face appeared on a projection.


    The blonde woman looked up from the screen and stared at the woman calling her.


    "Yes?" Viviana''s impatient tone hissed.


    "We are requesting you come down here due to a staff dispute." One of the HR women said.


    "I don''t have time for this," she said with a fake yawn. She was about the end the projection when the HR staff spoke.


    "Need I remind you it is in your clause, that HR staff resolutions are mandatory."


    Viviana paused, a snarl of anger left her mouth, she pressed her plump lips together firmly trying to contain her anger.


    "I''ll be there shortly." She said.


    ----------


    The telltale signs of Viviana''s heels clacking against the office tiles caught the attention of everyone in the room.


    Vivana entered through the doors and allowed her eyes to fall on Aya. A wide smirk grew on Viviana''s face. A triumphant sound escaped her mouth, a finger pointed in Aya''s direction.


    "What did the mail room rat do this time?" Viviana asked. "Are we finally about to act on all those reports?"


    "I would only need to be recognized as a danger to the company once by HR''s standards to be let go of right?" Aya asked.


    "That is correct." The woman said not even looking up from her desk. Aya nodded and stood up from her chair.


    "I knew it was only a matter of time before you were finally put in your place. Stupid girl, you think because you befriended the president you could just-Ah!"


    In the moment Viviana had been ranting, Aya reared her hand back and slapped the woman hard across her face.


    The blonde went silent, her expensive glasses flew, bouncing off into the distance somewhere.


    A deafening silence fell over the room. Aya looked back at the women in their seats, who stared with their mouths open.


    "Contract terminated,"

 034~Return to Bloom Haven

    Aya''s walk out of the building was quiet as she was met with looks and stolen glances whilst being escorted out by security.


    She had no personal effects left within the building so off she went towards the exit.


    It was meant to be humiliating for her but even the security men manhandled her less after finding out what she had done.


    The weight off Aya''s shoulders was lifted, the men escorted her to the bus stop. Then turned back to the office without a word leaving Aya alone to wait for the bus.


    The girl opened her bank account, gauging how much she had to live off before the next rent payment was due.


    Her Gpal notification popped up


    [Acc. Bal: 228 Lue]


    Aya sighed, running the expenses in her head, this would be enough for the bills and food next month but not enough to cover the rent of 350 Lue her aunt had hiked it up to.


    She smacked her cheeks to snap herself out of further spiraling.


    "Alright Aya, you know what you have to do," she said. She pulled out her phone and stared at the Moon Valley app. She looked through the different tabs, frowning at the lack of gold in her inventory.


    "I''m broke in the game too." She said in great amusement, but the potential of her path filled her with determination. There was so much to do and see, Bloom Haven had so many secrets.


    Her parent¡¯s secrets.


    The late afternoon bus pulled up to the bus stop with loud squeaky tires, allowing Aya to enter, she got in and made herself comfortable knowing the last stop would be her destination.


    With the end of her job, a lot of time had suddenly freed up, and all she needed to do was play.


    Aya opened her phone, noticing the forums were still blowing up with comments about Bloom Haven. Even with the Miasma gone, it was still inaccessible to other players.


    "Was this area made just for me?" Aya said. Her eyes stung with tears at the thought that her mother or father created the area just for her. But how did they know she would play?


    ¡°And if others can¡¯t get in, does that mean I can¡¯t get out?¡±


    Aya, during her childhood never had time to play video games of any sort, she would lay on the carpeted floor of her grandmother''s house watching the adverts of the latest VR releases and gear.


    She would stare at the screen wishing and wishing she could play alongside the other kids who probably had them.


    Her mother''s coughs resounded through the background when she would stay at her grandmother''s. Her father was either working or at her mother''s side.


    It wasn''t always like this.


    The memories of her mother and grandmother''s trips persisted in her mind until one day her mother could no longer make it from Axen to the small cottage in the sticks where Aya then lived with her grandmother.


    The memory stung, causing Aya to grimace from the unpleasantness of it. Her mother had gotten so sick, the illness eventually taking her life. Her father stayed with her through it all and even stopped coming to see her.


    "Mom, did you spend your final writing the story? I can''t remember most of it but I remember the elves. I remember the Rose Manor." she said to herself, she probed her memory, trying to figure out if there was something else deep within the recesses of her mind.


    "There''s only one way to find out," Aya said, she puffed her cheeks full of air and blew it out in frustration.


    The memory of slapping Viviana popped up in her head. She laughed.


    "God I''ve wanted to do that since I started working at Nue," she said.


    Her mind wandered back to her mother and father.


    "For all I know he could have died on his way back and Grandma never got word," Aya said in regards to her father.


    In her teen years just before her mother died, the crime rate in Axen had increased drastically after the closure of several major companies. Most of the investors moved to Mericross and Evangels.


    The economic situation only got worse in a detrimental feedback loop, the few companies that stayed gained unprecedented amounts of power over the populace.


    "What could have happened? I just want some answers." She said.


    Soon more people boarded the bus allowing Aya to listen to their idle chatter as the vehicle moved through the city. Buildings she had never seen before let her know the bus took a different route than the one in the evening.


    Being shackled to her office didn''t allow her to see the nicer parts of Axen, dominated by corporations though they were. Aya passed large digital screens that hung off skyscrapers almost as big as her former office building.


    ¡®This must be the city square,¡¯ Aya thought.


    The bus drove through, bakeries and flower shops all stamped with the logos of one of the large five companies that owned the city. She recognized the Nue Corp delivery vehicle picking something up from the bakery and concluded this must be where all standard company lunches came from.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ''Not that I ever had any of those privileges to begin with.'' she thought.


    Like clockwork, the people slowly departed the bus, each stopping closer to the city than she did. It was lonely on the way back to the apartment complex, with only her phone to keep her company.


    The Seelim bus stopped and Aya disembarked once more, walking towards the apartment.


    She walked past two of the secretive tenants who stood huddled by the entrance. They passed a baggie of something between them and Aya knew enough about living here not to say anything.


    She muttered a greeting which was returned enthusiastically by one of the two then walked up toward Mars'' apartment.


    ----------


    "That was fast," Mars said inviting Aya in.


    "I just wanted to come by and say thank you for taking me in last night," Aya said with a smile.


    "I was just trying to make sure you didn''t end up like Rob and Tim over there on the corner." Mars joked.


    "Hey, they''re nice guys!" Aya protested.


    "Never buy any treats from those nice guys," Mars said, making quotes with her fingers around the words nice guys.


    She led Aya to the couch so the two could talk some more about Aya''s day.


    "How did it go?"


    "About as well as you''d expect, I was escorted out of the building after I hit the president''s secretary."


    "You what?!"


    "The only way they would let me go is if I was fired and I could only be fired if I was a danger to the company," Aya said throwing her hands up in the air.


    "Won''t lie I''ve wanted to do that for a very long time," Aya confessed after a moment.


    Mars chuckled. Aya laughed along, knowing If it was her, Mars would have probably done much worse.


    "Lucky she didn''t meet me," Mars said grinning.


    ----------


    Aya returned to her apartment after a few minutes of conversation, it was still the middle of the day, and Aya. She felt aimless, flopping onto her bed and looking up at the ceiling.


    Usually by now, she would be delivering something to the president''s office but that wouldn''t be her ever again.


    "My time is suddenly freed up but it doesn''t feel right," she said, she pulled out her phone and searched up a few things related to the game.


    "So now the things that go the highest are plants, food, and magic stones, I know that already but what about the really, really rare stuff," she said. She continued to read through forums looking through the discussions on quest items.


    "Quest items? Some plants can be quest items, the Everbloom was one, and those herbs too. It says here equipment can also be auctioned off," she continued to read until she was struck with the motivation to pay.


    "So we''re really going down this path?" she said to herself as she pulled out the VR Gear and laptop to continue where she left off.


    ----------


    Yvlena is once again the Bloom Forest''s hidden depths. She spun around looking up at the sunlight shining through the leaves, around her plants flourished.


    The area, one barren and corrupted, now teemed with forest life. Yvlena heard the call of birds in the distance, the scurrying of small forest creatures surrounded her. She looked up at the sky again.


    It was almost like she could feel the sun''s rays shining down on her, truly the effects of her hard battle against Viseli were worth it. The notifications pop up.


    [Quest: Complete


    Confront the Miasma Dungeon


    The Ever Bloom opened a portal to the dark energy of the miasma, you only have a limited time before the dungeon closes and the miasma continues infecting the land.


    Only by defeating the miasma dungeon can the miasma be banished permanently.


    As the Harvest Guardian, defeat Bloom Forest''s Miasma once and for all so the land can heal.


    ***


    Rewards


    Point Travel Unlocked


    New Book added to the Rose Manor Library


    ***


    Moon Points x1500


    Moon Gems x300


    ***


    EXP x700]


    [Yvlena is now Level 9]


    [Bonus Quest: Complete


    Defeat Miasmic Guardian: Viseli, the fallen


    Exp: 1250/950


    ***


    Rewards


    Ancient Ring x1


    Strom Stone (High Grade) x1


    Viseli''s Bracelet


    ***


    Moon Points x2500


    Moon Gems x500]


    [Yvlena is now Level 10]


    [Class Skill: Summon Leveled Up]


    "It was worth it after all," Yvlena said with a shudder. She remembered the blind terror that choked her as she tried to flee from the Miasmic forces of the dungeon.


    Wherever Viseli was now, be it in the game''s code or the story''s version of heaven she wished her well.


    "Point Travel?" Yvlena muttered.


    After looking through her rewards Yvlena turned her attention back to the temple, in the brightness of the sun she could see the stonework overgrown with rich plant life, The statues of Vaelindor and Selendriel once shrouded in darkness were now revealed to her.


    Yvlena stepped closer, inspecting the face of Seledriel sure enough, it was the face of her mother. A face she could never forget.


    "But if that''s mom, who''s Vaelindor based on?" Aya asked. She narrowed her eyebrows trying to decipher any clues.


    "I wonder if Dad''s face is on any of the statues," Yvlena said. Beside the statues was a worn brazier but the design let her know the item wasn''t meant to hold flames.


    She looked into the iron center and found a tiny glowing purple ember embedded in the surface. She touched it and watched as bright purple flames burst to life with the question.


    [Return to Rose Manor]


    [Yes/No]


    "Oh, so it''s a fast travel thing," Yvlena said. She selected the ''No'' option and continued exploring the brightened area.


    Yvlena stepped into the temple once again. Past the decay and viny growth to the garden beneath the statue of Selendriel.


    "Maybe I can come back and plant something. I still have the old locket to ask Beatrice about, and the tea house to visit," she said.


    She studied the temple''s decrepit form and wondered if she would be able to restore it.


    "After I''m done with the Manor," she said to herself.


    ----------


    Touching the brazier again, the same options as before present themselves to her.


    [Return to Rose Manor]


    [Yes/No]


    This time she hits yes and like being transported into the Miasmic Dungeon, she''s pulled in by a mysterious force.

 035~The Rose Manor (1)

    The portal spat Yvlena outside the gates of the Rose Manor, beside the gate a similar brazier had spawned near the entrance where Yvlena appeared.


    The girl picked herself up and tried to gather her bearings when a figure ran towards her at light speed.


    "Yvlena the Depths!" Risel said. The elven girl said, It took Yvlena a moment to realize she was talking about the Bloom Forest depths.


    "What about it Risel?" Yvlena asked.


    "What do you mean! I studied the growing Miasma there in hopes I could find a way to beat the one in the Verdant woods but all of a sudden it''s gone!"


    "Well it''s not all of a sudden Risel, I cleared it up," Yvlena said sheepishly. Risel paused before a loud sound escaped her.


    "What?!"


    "I''m the Harvest Guardian after all¡ª" Before she could finish her sentence, Yvlena and Risel noticed Beatrice walking towards them. The old woman strode forward and fixed Yvlena with a sharp gaze.


    "Is it true? Is the path from the old ruins once again functional?" Beatrice asked.


    In the face of the questions, Yvlena backed away from the two NPCs, she nodded.


    "I found the Ever Bloom, met Viseli, and cleared the Miasma. What''s going to happen now?" Yvlena asked fearfully. Beatrice strolled forward and clutched Yvlena''s hand.


    [Affinity with Beatrice Increased +3]


    "Yvlena did you find anything else at the temple ruins?" Beatrice asked in desperation. "Anything at all?"


    Yvlena retrieved a locket from her inventory, the old locket she had intended to show Beatrice when she got back to town. Studying it now, she noticed it was a gold locket in the shape of a leaf, with a faded gold chain.


    Carved on the surface were the initials T.F.


    Beatrice gasped. She held a trembling hand up towards Yvlena who deposited the locket in her hands.


    "What is it?" Risel asked upon seeing the old woman''s face.


    "Do you recognize it, Beatrice?" Yvlena asked in concern, Beatrice didn''t say anything for a moment before she turned her eyes to Yvlena.


    The two elven girls saw the tears of gratitude fill the old woman''s eyes, Beatrice clutched the locket to her chest and wept softly.


    "That''s Twyla''s locket isn''t it?" Yvelan said slowly. Beatrice nodded as the tear rolled down her cheeks.


    [Beatrice''s Daughter 5% completion]


    Risel placed a hand on the woman''s shoulder in a comforting gesture. She pulled Beatrice close allowing the old woman to sob.


    "I''ve been there," Risel said sympathetically. Yvlena could only hope she could beat the Miasma in the Verdant woods as well. Only then would Risel be able to see her brother.


    "I''m glad I was able to help you find it, Beatrice. This is a sign that she''s out there. She must have passed through the Miasma somehow." Yvlena said.


    "Maybe before it created a barrier," Risel suggested.


    Yvlena stopped to consider her friend''s words. Beatrice wiped her tears.


    "Thank you Yvlena, for your work as Harvest Guardian and for helping me find a piece of my daughter," Beatrice said.


    "You''re welcome Beatrice, I''ll do my best to find her," Yvlena said.


    [Beatrice and Risel Admire your Noble Character]


    [Both Consider You A Dear Friend]


    On reading the notification, Yvlena smiled. In her short time playing the game she had come to care for the two NPC and their surprisingly life-like qualities.


    Knowing how deeply connected they were to her mother and possibly father made her all the more fond of them.


    "If you need anything to help with the Miasma in the Verdant woods too. Yvlena I would do anything." Risel said, her green eyes pierced Yvlena deeply and the girl knew at that moment she would finish these questlines no matter what.


    "Of course Risel, you can count on me," She said.


    The elven Alchemist smiled brightly at her. Beatrice nodded too.


    "Be careful Yvlena, the Verdant Woods are incredibly dangerous now," Beatrice said.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    "I will."


    ----------


    After the two NPCs bid her farewell, Yvlena is left alone with her thoughts. She pushed the gates of the Rose Manor inwards and once again found herself in the overgrown grounds.


    More progress had been made since the last time she left it, her plants had grown and now cried for water.


    She rushed to get the flower pot, then began watering all the plants in the little patch she had grown.


    "I really need to do something about these weeds," Yvlena said retrieving the scythe from her inventory.


    She thought about the Secret key in her inventory and how it could unlock a room in the Rose Manor that would reveal something to her about her family.


    "Could mom have put the deed in the game? A digital document can be stored in code right?" Yvlena said.


    ----------


    After a few more minutes of swinging the scythe around Yvlena is struck with an idea.


    "Why don''t I just cut a path straight to the front door of the Manor." Yvlena told herself.


    Realistically she wasn''t getting any work done trying to get the whole area cleared at once. And it would give her a change of pace to do it rather than if she did the whole area at once.


    "I feel kinda dumb for not thinking about it earlier, but this way I can try to get to the room and then restore the manor a bit before I have to confront the Verdant woods." Yvlena drooped under Bloom Haven Sun.


    "I don''t want to face a Miasmic Guardian any time soon. I need to get a bit more stuff." Yvlena said.


    She looked towards the entrance of the Rose Manor and raised her hand to measure a distance within the tall grass.


    Here we go.


    She struck the first plot of dense grassy land and moved forward, grass struck her in the face and tickled her nose as she walked, swinging the scythe. The more she swung the sharper her scythe grew until the rust stained blade now gleamed duly.


    It wasn''t as shiny as a brand new blade but on the handle, Yvlena could make out a small gem embedded in the scythe''s handle. The stained gem seemed to have some sort of enchantment on it.


    Yvlena caught her reflection in the gem as she studied the tool in her hand.


    "Do all the tools have this?" She asked.


    Putting the thought aside she continued her endeavors to clear the grass when she was assailed by a weed Mimic.


    Without thinking she swiped her Scythe at the offending creature, forgetting her sword completely, to her surprise the Scythe made short work of the weak creature.


    Yvlena paused, as she examined the blade. The rust is even less visible now.


    "Was the Rael''s weapon his Scythe?"


    [Story of the Harvest Guardian 8%]


    "Guess, that answers that," she said pressing on. She swung again until she was stopped by the hard wooden surface of one of the Manor''s trees. She cursed.


    Yvlena traded her scythe for the rusted axe, it tool looked like it had seen better years but that might as well have been true with how long ago Rael disappeared.


    Yvlena wondered what he was like, the book said he was beloved by the town, one in a long line of Harvest Guardians but no one seemed to be mentioning the others, just her predecessor.


    She hit the tree hard, the axe made a dent in the wood not big enough to tilt the tree. She struck again and again, sweat poured down her brows as she hefted the axe.


    Then finally, she heard the creak of the wood give out.


    The tree tumbled, landing in a heap and collapsing into bundles of wood.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Wood x20]


    Yvlena huffed and puffed, dropping the axe and falling to her knees panting.


    "That was so much work!" Yvlena groaned.


    [Subclass Skill: Herblore Leveled Up]


    [Subclass: Leveled Up


    Herbalist(Harvest Guardian) 6/10]


    "At least I''m becoming a better Harvest Guardian." She said getting up again, the grass before her was still as dense as ever, she looked behind her to see the path she had cleared.


    "That''s some good progress and I''m at least almost at the entrance," Yvlena said. She took out the scythe and began hacking and hacking at the grass and any weed Mimic that dared to cross her path.


    "So glad this game doesn''t have a stamina bar or I''d be in deep trouble," she said.


    She thought about it. Was it that she didn''t have any stamina or was she just more proficient with her tool?


    "Kinda like the sword. I wonder if I should get a weapon upgrade, Nah that''s too much to think about."


    Finally, she broke through to the other side of the Manor grounds, far from the gates. She looked at the Manor''s porch finding the place crumbling and in ruins.


    "I''m going to have to restore this aren''t I?"


    Yvlena stepped through the grass and gazed at the Rose Manor. What was once an elegant building was now a crumbling mess. The front of the home sloped forward as if it would fall if there was a bit too much wind.


    The Rose Manor was aptly named, with a faded and now dirty pink exterior. Yvlena imagined what it must have looked like at the height of its beauty.


    Now the rain gutters, eaves, and even window trimmings brimmed with mold and other unsavory disturbances.


    The turret, topped with a glass dome that presumably housed the rare plants the Harvest Guardian had once collected, was stained with an algae like sludge Yvlena could see from the outside of the Manor.


    The glass was cracked or just outright broken along the window''s edge. No doubt there would be enemies waiting for her within the Rose Manor once she opened it.


    "This place is a Wreck!"


    She stepped forward again, her feet pushed down on the broken wood that used to be the porch of the beautiful place.


    Retrieving the Rose Manor Key from her inventory, she brushed some moss and dirt out of the golden key hold and inserted it into the slot.


    As the new owner of the Rose Manor, it was only right that she would be the one to take care of it.


    The door opened, swinging back slowly into a dark abyss. A foul smell hit her but Yvlena would recognize the odour anywhere by now.


    "A miasma? Within the Rose Manor!"


    Something flew out at her, a dark figure cloaked in pale, rusty, flowery armor, holding a long sickle that reminded her of the one she wielded when cutting the tall grass.


    This couldn''t be Rael''s last whereabouts, could it?


    [You have encountered Corrupted Mimicry: Visage of the Harvest Guardian]

 036~The Rose Manor (2)

    "Visage of the Harvest Guardian?" Yvlena said to herself, the amor shook and shuddered before facing her again. Through the helmet''s visor, nothing but darkness gazed back at her.


    There was no sign anyone was within the armor, beads of light where eyes would be stood vacant.


    Yvlena stared at the enemy she just encountered, analyzing it to see what it would do. If this was the guardian of the Rose Manor then it would certainly have some tricks up its sleeve, especially if it was now corrupted.


    The suit of flowery armor leaped at her sickle in hand, she didn''t know how it could move so quickly. She dove aside, landing in a heap on overgrown bushes.


    Yvlena summoned her party and prepared to do battle with the Corrupted Visage.


    "It''s not a Miasmic guardian, but it has the same feel to it." She warned them, Sprite nodded and launched a volley of stings, as she flew above the enemy.


    Yvlena wondered how strong the visage was. If it was a copy of a former Harvest Guardians then there was no doubt it would be strong. But would it be as strong as Viseli or even stronger?


    She pulled back, nearly tripping into the grass as she did. The Visage said nothing only diving forward with a swing of its great sickle. The Visage swung, narrowly missing Rabbit Knight who ducked underneath the massive blade.


    "Close one," Sprite said in relief from where she hovered beside Yvlena. The girl swung her blade, attacking with her new skill.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Beam (20MP)]


    The wave swept over the area, hitting the Visage dead center in its chest plate, but it didn''t stop the armor. The enemy turned its attention back on her, abandoning Rabbit Knight to chase Yvlena.


    She ducked, watching a few strands of her hair meet the edge of the Visage''s sickle. Yvlena yelped, rolling out of the way and grabbing her sword.


    A clang resounded as she parried the blade just inches away from her face. Sensing her peril, the summons came to her aid in an instant.


    [Rabbit Knight Cast Slash (03MP)]


    The attack brought the Visage''s attention back to Rabbit Knight who stabbed at it aggressively, the suit of armor spun around creaking towards the small creature with a burst of speed. Rabbit Knight was faster.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Strike (10MP)]


    Yvlena shot and ran before its attention could focus on her. The Visage paused, allowing the party to get a few more shots in.


    [Sprite learned skill: Bind]


    [Sprite cast Bind (03 MP)]


    A vine burst from the ground, wrapping around the legs of the Visage, the armor creaked and groaned as it struggled against the force holding it back from attacking.


    Yvlena recalled that the vines only had a limited amount of HP and went in for an attack before the Mimicry could set itself free.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Beam (20MP)]


    The beam pierced the armor again, hitting dead center in its chest. The armor vaulted forward seemingly paralyzed.


    Yvlena knew it wasn''t over because it hadn''t dissolved into light. The armor began to quiver and shake.


    Yvlena heard the sound of rattling metal and pulled her two summons behind her. The chest plate of the suit of armor burst open. With a shrill cry, a suffocating darkness was spat into the sky through the armor''s visor.


    Yvlena screamed, holding on to Rabbit Knight and Sprite as the winds whipped, dirt, leaves, and sticks in a whirlwind around them until suddenly everything went quiet.


    Yvlena opened her eyes to find the armor still standing rigid, it had sheathed its sickle. The armor, jumped backward, covering a great distance as it leaped back to the entrance of the Rose Manor.


    "Is it safe to approach now?" Yvlena asked, if she had known what would be waiting for her at the entrance she might have taken more time with the manor''s grounds.


    Yvlena and her summons inch closer, walking towards it with all the caution they knew to have when dealing with the enemy. The moment she''s a hair''s breadth away the armor''s arm shoots up.


    Yvlena and party jump back in fright but only after a moment do they notice the armor''s outstretched palm. A small purple gem rested on the armor''s iron gauntlet.


    Yvlena picked it up, immediately getting a notification from the game that would tell her what she had just gotten. She narrowed her eyes, wondering why the gem looked so familiar.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Exp: 450/1046


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ***


    Rewards


    Tool upgrade gem (1/5)]


    "That''s right! It matches the gem that was on the scythe''s handle." She said retrieving the scythe from the inventory. Yvlena looked at the pale gem embedded within the scythe and then at the luminous purple gem she had gotten from her fight against the armor.


    Holding the gem close to the armor, the little object snaps into place within her scythe. The handle glowed a bright purple before transforming the scythe into a sharper less rusty version of itself.


    [Harvest Skill: Wide Sweep LV.1 Unlocked


    ***


    You can charge your scythe to deliver a wide sweep to the area, this will clear up large areas of grass and can damage enemies who come in range of it''s AOE.]


    Yvlena squealed in excitement she was becoming a better Harvest Guardian already. Turning around to face some tall grass, she decided now was the perfect time to test her newfound skill.


    Sprite and Rabbit Knight stepped back the moment they saw the gleam in their Summoner''s eyes.


    Yvlena took a stance to test out her ability.


    Rearing her hand back she focused on charging the scythe with mana, she swung forward, unleashing a slicing gust of wind that leveled the grass five meters in front of her in a half moon shape.


    "Amazing," she said, looking at the scythe in her hand. It would be much easier to clear up the grounds this way.


    In return, she received a bunch of fiber and wild seeds for her efforts.


    "Are there any more tool upgrades in the house? Or are they scattered around Bloom Haven and perhaps even, Moon Valley itself." Yvlena said.


    Having done its work, the armor, marched back into the Rose Manor presumably to take its usual place in the home. The door slammed behind it, meaning Yvlena would have to unlock it again.


    "I hope there''s nothing else waiting for us in there," Sprite said from her perch in Yvlena''s hair.


    "Who are we kidding, with how old the manor is, there''s gotta be some kinda boss within It."


    ----------


    Aya is pulled out of the game by some intense knocking at her front door. She stopped her game and yanked the Revista off her head.


    "I''m coming!" She yelled, crossing her living room to unlock and open the door.


    Lydia''s thin, cruel face.


    "What are you doing here, you useless lout?" Lydia spat, but Aya could see the surprise in the woman''s beady eyes.


    "You nearly tackle my door down at a time you expect me not to be home? Now what do you want?" Aya asked.


    "Watch your tone girl. I can make you homeless in a moment."


    Aya scoffed, uncharacteristically.


    "Doubt, what do you want?" She asked again, punctuating every word with growing impatience. Lydia paled, suddenly having nothing to say.


    The sudden pushback was unexpected, she was struck mute by the girl''s words.


    Aya knew the woman needed her around to blackmail whichever relative she was connected to. Aya just needed to bide her time and find out who it was from the game.


    And hope they were looking for her too.


    "If that''s all, I''m going to get back to cleaning now," Aya shut the door without waiting for a response from the older woman.


    She imagined Lydia fuming outside the door at the disrespect but Aya couldn''t care less. This woman was a true villain and a danger to her and any surviving relative she had.


    "The deed''s not here so mom must have put it in the game, I''m sure of it. I''m so sure," Aya ran back to the game and put the Revista back on.


    ----------


    Yvlena rested her foot on the first step of the porch, listening to it creak faintly under her weight. She moved towards the heavy arched door and pushed the key into it.


    The door fell open once more, Yvelan hesitated, wondering if something would come out to attack her and her party once more. Nothing but stale air greeted her at the front.


    She walked into the Manor, stepping into the foyer of the grand manor. Her eyes sparkled with delight as she looked around.


    A stunning chandelier caught her gaze first, it hung from the center of the ceiling, bright with crystals and candles on a golden three layered frame. The candles had long since melted into oblivion but the beauty of the piece delighted her still.


    Her boots clicked against the rose-tiled floors as she walked forward to pull open a moth eaten curtain to let some light in. A gust of dust bathed the room as she pulled the rich fabric.


    Yvlena coughed, but now she could see the intricately lined stone walls. She ran her finger over it, tracing the interlocked patterns.


    And this was just the foyer.


    She pulled away from the wall and walked through a set of double doors leading to a grand hall with a large staircase in the middle separating the manor into two wings, the east and the west.


    The once gleaming and polished wood had long since rotted away and the staircase was now filled with missing holes in its rug and on the stone.


    Yvlena stepped forward with her summons looking up to see a huge glass dome streaming light Into the grand hall.


    Her mouth hung open in awe.


    This must have taken a lot to build, several years in fact. And she would have to be the one to restore it.


    She decided not to go up the stairs just yet and walked towards her left.


    ----------


    Yvlena and her party entered an old, dust filled kitchen. It was almost amazing how the game was able to replicate the grain and texture of dust.


    "Achoo!" Sprite sneezed. Yvlena giggled. Walking around the large kitchen and taking note of the stove, then the large brick oven.


    "I''ll be able to cook, instead of just using the cauldron," she said. The girl blew the stove top, launching a cloud of dust into the air that blew back in her face.


    She coughed, even through the muted senses dust, filled her nostrils causing a sneezing fit so bad she rushed out of the kitchen.


    "That was a bad idea." She said.


    To her right was a large living room and hearth, it could easily host a whole family in one sitting. The chairs were old, moldy, or broken.


    "I would need a carpenter to fix all this wouldn''t I," she said. Sprite and Rabbit Knight were busying themselves inspecting the curtains and shelves.


    One thing was certain. Yvlena would have to put that axe to work.


    The same excitement from before filled her, the anticipation of restoring the Rose Manor and uncovering its secrets thrilled her. She would get to know more about the town and her parents in the process.


    "I just hope I find some type of clue about what happened to Dad, I know he didn''t just leave me, something must have happened to him."


    She steeled her resolve and faced the room underneath the staircase.

 037~The Aruergo Merchant

    Yvlena, Sprite, and Rabbit Knight step into a massive but bare hall that was once either a ballroom or the training room for the previous Harvest Knights. The suit of armor stood meekly in the corner, Its sickle was held to its chest like a trophy.


    Yvlena stepped closer to it, observing the intricate climbing vines etched into the surface of the armor plates. Whoever designed this in-game must have been a very loving craftsman.


    She ran her fingertips along the armor''s breastplate, feeling the bumps and grooves.


    [Initiate Practice Battle?]


    [Yes/No]


    Yvlena hit no and stepped away from the armor to observe the room''s broken bay windows.


    "So not just a carpenter, some sort of stone worker and glass worker would need to be found. This is going to cost a ton of Moon Points." Yvlena said to herself.


    ----------


    Yvlena and her summons stand in front of the staircase, she places one foot on top of the first stair and is immediately greeted with a message.


    [Unstable Infrastructure, Your Character Risks Possible Injury]


    [Repair Staircase To Proceed To The Upper Level?


    Wood x200]


    [Yes/No]


    The information forced her off the stairway to the upper level.


    "Looks like I''ll have to start with the lower levels and good thing too, I really want to start using the kitchen," Yvlena said.


    She and her summons turn to head back outside. The secret room must have been on the next level of the house from Yvlena''s understanding there should be at least three.


    "Which means the higher levels will have even more damage." she walked out of the house, nearly tripping over a piece of wood sticking out of the ground.


    She looked back at the steps with a sigh, then leaned down to inspect them.


    [Repair porch Steps?


    Wood x20]


    [Yes/No]


    "Well that''s doable, isn''t it? But I don''t have any carpentry skills, or does this count as a Harvest Guardian thing?"


    Yvlena hit yes and immediately a hammer appeared in her hands, the game guided her moving her hands with magical nails and skills until she was finished.


    She stepped back and took a look at her handy work in surprise. The once patchwork porch steps were replaced with a basic but sturdy piece of woodwork making up the new steps.


    "Ah!" Yvlena gasped, recalling the Adiri specs she had gotten from Risel. Now would be an excellent time to see how far she had gotten skill-wise.


    She equipped it, which only meant sliding them onto her nose. Despite the gold frames they were so light she could barely feel them.


    [Stats [INT] and [WIS] Temporarily Boosted]


    "Smart game," Yvlena said. It probably knew she didn''t want to wear the specs all the time, but just when she needed to identify something. The Temporary stat boost was what gave the Adiri specs their ability to identify.


    [Basic Steps


    ***


    Type: Crafted Item


    Grade: F


    A basic set of wooden steps that can be crafted by just about anyone, useful in a pinch but will wear away over time.]


    "An F!" Yvlena whined, "I haven''t gotten one of those since...well high school I guess,"


    "You just need to craft more to improve your skills," Sprite said to her.


    "Risel said pretty much the same." Yvlena agreed.


    She rested her foot on the newly crafted steps and to her delight, no more creaking.


    She was about to go back into the house to see if there was something else she could do when her attention was caught by a huge commotion coming from the gates of the manor.


    "What''s that about?" she asked, walking through the bare, grassy path she had craved out with her scythe.


    Outside the gates of the Manor, a crowd of people chattered amongst themselves about something excitedly, Yvlena stopped to listen and caught the words, ¡®Miasma¡¯ and ¡®merchant¡¯.


    Did a merchant from another area of the map make it into Bloom Haven? Was the town''s economy going to be jump started?


    The elven girl retired her summons then exited the gates and walked with the crowd of people from the floral district to the market square. Yvlena stopped once she was out of the Floral district and within the main Market area.


    The once sparse area was now a bustling square of trade and business for the people of Bloom Haven, she sighted Bernard and soon after Tom whom she had first met when she came to Bloom Haven.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    But the person that drew the biggest crowd was a colorful and large caravan, Yvlena came closer, having to move some NPCs aside to get a closer look at the new merchant.


    The caravan was massive and could be described as a house on wheels, it was drawn by two magnificent sandy brown camels who busied themselves feeding from a basket of greens.


    The house on wheels was a deep burgundy with two floors and an emerald colored roof, Yvlena guessed one must have been the shop while the other was the sleeping quarters when the merchant went on the road.


    Her attention turned to the man, who had let go of the reigns on the camel to stand on the flat surface of the caravan and make his presentation. He bowed to his adoring crowd, making the inhabitants of Bloom Haven cheer all the more.


    She heard his voice, loud and jovial before she even got to the front. The murmuring crowd silenced as the man began to speak.


    The merchant was a tall rotund man, with a bald head and a long black beard. His olive skin complemented his green attire which was unlike anything Yvlena had seen in Bloom Haven so far.


    His gut jiggled as he moved dramatically, waving to the crowd who was eager to buy his new and exotic wares.


    "Wow." she gasped.


    "Hello and Hello my friends, It''s so nice to be in Bloom Haven for the first time in years, I can''t remember the last time a member of the Aruergo Merchant family has been here!"


    The merchant suddenly leaped behind his caravan and opened a little shop window.


    "The Aruergo Caravan is Open for Business!"


    [Special Event: The Aruergo Merchant


    ***


    With the removal of the Miasma on the Eastern Path, one of many Foreign Merchants can have a chance to appear in Bloom Haven.


    Be sure to catch these special merchants for a chance to get information, rare quests, or even new Items to add to your inventory.]


    Once things had settled down and some of the initial excitement died down, Yvlena went to the front of the caravan to bargain.


    [NAME: Ricardo


    RACE: Human


    OCC: Merchant]


    "Hello!" Yvlena greeted shlyly. The merchant gave a wide grin, welcoming her with great enthusiasm. He leaned forward.


    "Ricardo Aruergo at your service!" the man squinted as he looked Yvlena up and down, noticing her gear.


    He gave a loud raucous laughter, betraying his excitement at his customer.


    "Oh my dear, you simply must have a look at my wares!" He said, in a flash the folding table opened up to Yvlena showcasing a myriad of items both big and small.


    The girl jumped in excitement. She nodded and began inspecting


    A menu pops up with a chime.


    [Buy/Sell]


    She clicked buy and began browsing. The first thing she noticed was the Merchant had selections in Moon Points and Moon Gems. Neither Bernard nor Risel had offered her selections in Moon Gems.


    "Could it be because it was out of the region, he does seem like he offers exotic wares," Yvlena said to herself.


    After a glance, Yvlena found something of interest, a summon stone. Much like the ones she''d gotten Sprite and Rabbit Knight from.


    Upon closer inspection, she noticed the stone''s chipped form.


    "Wait this seems like a summon stone shard, that''s mostly complete." She said. She recalled the Forest Elemental Shard she had gotten from Bernard and wondered if the Aruergo Merchant would have more of them.


    "Could you tell me about this?" Yvlena said pointing to the summon stone shard. Learning she could do that from the forums, took a weight off her shoulders.


    "This is a relic from a mysterious fallen kingdom, the war of the gods left many a country in ruins especially here in our beloved realm Moon Valley," Ricardo said.


    "To utilize the shard you will need four shards and a matching summon stone. Lucky you this right here is four already and I will happily part with it for 500 Moon Gems."


    Yvlena''s eyes widened, she''d gathered all her Moon Gems from exceedingly tough quests and now she would have to give them away.


    "But it''s for Rabbit Knight, he can get stronger with this." She said to herself. Yvlena nodded.


    "I''ll take it!" she said, her voice cracking slightly as she did.


    The merchant''s grin grew wider. "As my first customer in Bloom Haven, I''ll throw in a little something for you."


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Gliresea Kingdom Shard (4/5)


    Health Potion x5]


    [There Once was a Kingdom 5% completion]


    Yvlena gasped. Finally, the name of Rabbit Knight''s fallen kingdom was revealed to her.


    "Gliresea. I wonder if the library has any books on it, but I kinda don''t want to bother Laurent." Yvlena muttered.


    "Is there anything else you would like to buy?"


    ''With these cutthroat prices?'' Yvlena thought, she gazed at the rack and inspected some of the items that cost regular Moon Points hoping for some weapon upgrades for herself.


    "I''ve accumulated quite a bunch of Moon Points so let''s see if I can get a better cloak or sword."


    "Are you looking for something in particular my fair lady?"


    Yvlena took her sword from its sheath and showed it to the merchant.


    "I''m looking for something similar."


    "I see, I see," the merchant brings the blade up to his nose to study it carefully. "It''s from the same Kingdom as the Summon Stone Shards, only one as skilled as you could hope to wield it,"


    Yvlena blushed at the flattery.


    "This sword is a relic from a once powerful Kingdom, you have two choices here, Miss. Either upgrade this sword with special ores from the kingdom. Luckily, I happen to have one or two in stock," Ricardo winked making Yvlena giggle a bit.


    If nothing else he was charismatic.


    "What''s my other option?" Yvlena asked curiously.


    Ricardo shrugged.


    "You would have to track down another relic of its kind. The pieces are scattered all over Moon Valley,"


    He returned the sword to Yvlena who smiled up at him.


    "Thank you so much for the information! I''d like to buy the ores I would need to upgrade the sword."


    [Affinity with Ricardo Increased +2]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Plain Ores of Gliresea x2]


    "Now, all you need is a blacksmith to upgrade that sword of yours," He said.


    "Much appreciated." Yvlena said, "how long are you in town?"


    "One week." Ricardo grinned.


    Yvlena nodded, wondering how she would be able to make the most of his stay here in Bloom Haven and if he would give her a quest. For now, she was just happy she was able to get some upgrades to make herself and her summons stronger.


    "I''m so happy you stopped by Bloom Haven, if there''s something you need let me know," she said. she turned around to leave when Ricardo called her.


    "Miss if you wouldn''t mind I have a tale to spin," He said.

 038~The Merchants Quest (1)

    The Merchant invited Yvlena into the caravan so she could listen to what she assumed would be a tale of woe.


    Ricardo let down the back steps with in the caravan so she could climb up into the living room while the shop downstairs was temporarily closed.


    Yvlena placed a tentative hand on the railing and ascended the staircase to be met with a charming little living room.


    The tubal design didn''t allow for the same amount of room as the Rose Manor but the entire caravan was bathed in a cozy afternoon light.


    It was all dark wood, with two seats held to the wall and delicate cushions and pillows arranged for beauty and comfort.


    A little kitchen sat at the back of the room and Ricardo had already put on some tea in his elaborately designed porcelain kettle with an ornamental brass handle.


    "Please make yourself at home." He said to her, busying himself with preparing the tea for them.


    Yvlena nodded and took her time looking around the space and most especially his shelves.


    She was amazed by what she saw. The caravan''s wall shelves and hangings were full of baubles and trinkets. Some were there for decoration and others brimming with magic.


    Yvlena lowered her head to see a snow globe that seemed to replicate a legendary battle between a hero and a long serpentine dragon. The dragon''s body moved and twisted within the globe, roaring as the hero jabbed at it with a miniature sword.


    There were herbs too, small ornamental boxes, and much more. If Yvlena were to ask about everything she saw, she would no doubt be there for an entire week


    The kettle began whistling, letting them know the tea was ready.


    Ricardo carried the tray of tea in a hand-carved wooden tray towards the seating area. He placed the tea on a small table that seemed to appear as soon as he needed it, then set out a saucer with a small pile of biscuits.


    Yvlena''s gut told her the merchant''s tale would be one involving a quest and she could not wait to hear it.


    It probably had something to do with the Miasma and how he had come to Bloom Haven.


    Yvlena took a nibble out of the biscuit and noticed it was spicy, but her taste buds were still numb within the game. The Revista had it''s limits after all. She wondered how defined the taste would be within the Zephyr or even within a gaming Pod like Mars''


    "What did you want to tell me about?"


    Ricardo began with a long and suffering sigh, his shoulders sagged and his head drooped.


    "It''s a long story but it all began in my city far away from Bloom Haven."


    Slowly the merchant''s tale began to unfold within Yvlena''s mind, as if she was staring at a screen watching a cutscene like any other game.


    [Game CutScene Plays]


    Ricardo was outside tending to a new shipment of goods being pulled in by a carriage, he laughed jovially as he always did with the driver and whilst they exchanged stories, the atmosphere changed.


    "Look!" the delivery man said, they watched a beam of pure darkness shoot into the sky and dissolve in the winds.


    Ricardo and the carriage driver stared at each other in astonishment.


    "Y-You don''t think..." the delivery driver began, but Ricardo already knew what he was going to say.


    The Miasma west of their city had been cleared but that didn''t mean the path was any less treacherous. It just meant one of the towns previously unavailable to the Aruergo Merchant family was now open.


    His younger brother who was tending to the Aruergo family shop burst out of the double doors in a panic.


    "Brother the sky!" he said. Ricardo nodded. Already the skies around them were a lighter shade of blue, more blue than they had seen in close to a century.


    "Pedro wait by the house, there''s something I have to do," Ricardo said placing a hand on his brother''s shoulder. The young teen saluted and ran back into the family shop.


    He went to check it out with one of his camels and found other merchants there, two others from the three great Merchant Families of Moon Valley.


    Aruergo, Fortuna and Allegri.


    They had all ridden to the entrance of what used to be a barrier and found the darkness of the miasma gone.


    Michaelis Fortuna greeted him with a smirk. The tall blonde man''s eyes saw right through Ricardo''s intentions. The two men knew their families in particular were rivals and so it would be a competition of who would get through the darkness first.


    Alyssa Allegri stayed silently observing. The heiress soon spun around without another word.


    "It''s clear that as merchants we all haven''t been able to complete the mercantile trials the same as our older brothers and sisters. The way is clear, we will cross paths with each other soon enough," she said.


    Alyssa got on her horse, a white spirit stallion. It neighed powerfully and galloped back into the city.


    ----------


    "It vanished!" Ricardo exclaimed, He ran through his family''s shop and went straight into the hall where his mother and father would be entertaining the other merchants in the family.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    The others immediately erupted, running about to get back to their shops.


    "Let the mercantile trial of Ricardo Aruergo begin!"


    ----------


    With the blessings of his friends and family, Ricardo set off to make his fortune, but all was not well.


    The roads were filled with peril, Ricardo did not expect. He''d encountered many things in the wilds, bandits, wild goblins, and creatures of all sorts but his biggest challenge awaited on the outskirts of Bloom Haven.


    On the outskirts of Bloom Haven, Ricardo heaved a sigh of relief once he laid his gaze on the abandoned outpost entrance of Bloom Haven. He was attacked.


    [Game Cutscene Ends]


    "I don''t know who or what attacked me, but my caravan lost a huge shipment," Ricardo said sadly.


    "What as in it? The shipment I mean?" Yvlena asked.


    "A lot of things, equipment, weapons, and even some rare items. I know some items would probably be damaged but I would like to salvage them if possible," Ricardo said.


    Yvlena thought it over, knowing that whatever had attacked Ricardo was most likely a boss. She stared at his downcast face as he drank his tea and ate the spicy biscuits.


    Ricardo was a man who absolutely did not know how to hide his emotions. Yvlena gave him a warm smile.


    "What do you need me to do?"


    As soon as she asked a quest popped up.


    [Special Quest: A Merchant''s Plight


    Ricardo Aruergo from the great house of the Aruergo merchant family encountered some difficulties on his road to Bloom Haven.


    Investigate the creature that attacked him and try to recover the misplaced shipment.


    ***


    Rewards


    ????


    ????


    ***


    Moon Points x1000


    Moon Gems x100


    ***


    EXP x500]


    Yvlena accepted in an instant, knowing by now where the rewards were unclear it was usually something rare. She knew by now she might have had an unfair advantage.


    Bloom Haven was an area made from the works of her mother. She smiled sadly.


    "I''ll find your shipment and bring it back to you, so don''t worry about it," Yvlena said. Ricardo gasped dramatically. Holding his hands to his face.


    He nodded eagerly.


    "You will be handsomely rewarded!" He said, lifting his hands in glee. Yvlena nodded.


    "Before you go take this," he said.


    [Yvlena Acquire


    ***


    Aruergo Afternoon Special Tea (Recipe)


    Aruergo Afternoon Special Biscuits (Recipe)]


    The elven girl grinned wide, happy that she got some new recipes too, something told her they would require herbs foreign to Bloom Haven.


    ----------


    Yvlena walked into Risel''s shop to find the other elven girl sulking. Yvlena tilted her head and walked up to the counter.


    "What''s the matter Risel? Are your shelves dirty again?" she giggled. Risel sighed, nearly falling forward from the way she hung her head in despair.


    "It''s that foreign merchant taking all my customers Yvlena!"


    "Aww well he''s only here for a week Risel, so chin up," Yvlena said flashing the elven alchemist a wink.


    "Oh, you," Risel said with a blush. "What do you need?"


    "I need a blacksmith to upgrade my sword, do you happen to know of any within the Artisan District?" Yvlena asked. She figured Risel would be her best bet if she wanted to find someone within the Artisan district.


    The Elven girl''s head perked up.


    "Well, there is one around here, not too far from the shop," Risel said. She placed her hands on her hips and tapped her foot as she tried to recall the directions.


    "Exit the Apothecary and go West all the way down. The clanging of iron should let you know when you''ve made it. Look for Soren, he''s one of the best!" Risel said.


    Yvlena nodded and rushed out the door.


    ----------


    Aya logged out of the game for the day, she held the Revista breathing hard. She rested the headset on her chest and took deep breaths as she tried to calm her racing heart.


    "Playing the game is so physically intensive even when I''m just lying down," Aya said. Her stomach rumbled and seemingly all at once her bodily functions erupted in a series of discomfort.


    She rose from her bed in a panic and rushed to the bathroom.


    Aya returned once more to her tiny kitchen to make something quick and easy. The game made her think the tea and biscuits were a substantial snack but being out in her real world, her body reminded her it needed something a bit more...tangible.


    "Omurice sounds right and I have the ingredients too!" Aya said, she picked up her phone and opened a simple recipe on the BooTube app.


    She took the ingredients out of her dingy little fridge and got to cooking. Soon the smell of fresh omelets came wafting through her house.


    A knock echoed on her door, followed by a voice.


    "Aya it''s me," Mars said through the thin wood. The girl lowered her stove and crossed the room speedily to open the door for her friend.


    "Hi," Aya said with a warm smile. Mars greeted her by resting a hand on her head and ruffling it around.


    "Something smells good." The taller girl said as she stepped in. She spent her time looking around the small one bedroom apartment if it could even be called that.


    Mars wrinkled her nose and thought Aya did a good job of keeping the apartment clean. But it couldn''t be fun to live like this. Things were held together by shoddy carpentry or tape and it was clear the only things that worked were things Aya might have fixed herself.


    The place was falling apart.


    "You''re lucky I accidentally made more than I could eat," Aya said serving the food.


    Mars raised an eyebrow at her brazenness.


    "You don''t even know if I''ve had dinner?"


    "Have you?" Aya asked with a cheeky smirk, she pushed the plate forward again sliding in a cute animal themed fork resembling a wolf. Mars leaned forward, closing her fingers around the plate''s edge.


    "No Aya I have not," She said slowly and purposefully. Aya blushed to the tips of her ears. Her friend could be so weird.


    "W-Well that''s good then, uh enjoy the food," Aya said, turning away abruptly to get some water and soda from her fridge.


    Mars chuckled at the girl''s red face and obvious attempt to hide it. She made herself comfortable in the kitchen chair.


    "Cute," She said in regards to the fork


    Soon Aya sat down for dinner and the two girls, in pleasant company, began to eat and talk about their day.

 039~Pleasant Conversations

    "So how are you liking the Revista? Better than keyboard and mouse right?" Mars said with a smirk.


    "Definitely. I feel so fully immersed, it doesn''t compare to the Zephyr but I love it, Mars. this entire little world. It feels like I''m in some kind of fantasy novel every time I play." Aya said over her plate of half eaten Omurice.


    "Still haven''t come across any players huh?" Mars asked, lacing her fingers together in thought.


    "I don''t think I really need to, I''m not ready to leave Bloom Haven until I figure out the messages Mom left for me," Aya said honestly. Mars leaned back into her chair, ignoring the squealing creak that came from pressing her weight fully against its weak back.


    "I guess I understand, can''t say I relate. Parents can be very...brutal too sometimes," Mars said.


    Aya wanted to ask if that was why Mars left home and was now staying in the decrepit old apartment complex. Not that she minded, Aya loved her company.


    But she resigned herself not to pry into business that wasn''t hers.


    "What''s that look?" Mars asked, noticing Aya''s contemplative expression. Aya tilted her head slightly in confusion.


    "What look?"


    "Sometimes when I''m talking you get this look on your face like you''re looking at a really difficult puzzle,"


    Aya rested her chin on her head and looked back at Mars with a mildly sheepish expression.


    "You caught me, I guess I am trying to figure you out. I''m wondering what someone who can afford a gaming pod would be doing in a place like this, you''re a mystery but you''re also my friend so I''m not going to go poking around unless you want to talk about it,"


    Mars snickered, finishing off the rest of her food and allowing Aya to carry the plates into the sink for a soak.


    "You know one thing I like about you? You aren''t nosy,"


    "Comes with the territory, when you''ve lived here as long as I have you learn to keep your eyes open and your mouth shut," Aya made a zipping motion over her mouth.


    Mars shrugged.


    "I''ll tell you what I''m doing here later, maybe after we fight? You haven''t forgotten about my wager have you?"


    Aya shook her head.


    "I''ve been leveling up but I can''t help but wonder what level you are, you''ve got to have more experience than me especially if you''ve been to other areas." Mars hummed.


    "That''s true but I still believe in you. You have potential and I like that about you too."


    "Are the other areas in Moon Valley dangerous?" Aya asked as she scrubbed the dishes with a dish sponge.


    "Bloom Haven is so calm but when I go towards the edge I get the feeling something''s waiting for me,"


    "Well there are newbie towns and then, there are the proving grounds," Mars said.


    "Proving grounds?"


    "It''s where the toughest creatures are, it''s also where you get the rarest drops. But you''ll have to leave Bloom Haven to find out Aya," Mars teased. She studied her friend''s face.


    "There''s no hurry Aya, it''ll be there when you''re ready," Mars said.


    Aya blew a stray strand of hair out of her face and rinsed the plates off and kept them to dry in the rack. The brunette untensed her shoulders at Mars'' words. There would be time and besides she still had some stones to sell.


    "You''re right, I guess money''s been a little bit on my mind. Thanks,"


    "No problem, I already offered y''know,"


    "I just feel like it''s something I have to do on my own," Aya mumbled. Mars chuckled.


    "I understand,"


    ----------


    On the way out Mars and Aya met an unexpected person with their hand poised to knock on the door.


    Lydia stood outside Aya''s apartment with an unimpressed expression as she stared her niece down with utmost scorn. Her lips pulled back in a frown the moment she laid her sights on Mars, who was halfway out the door.


    "No wonder it was so damn noisy," the woman muttered, Mars and Aya exchanged looks, feeling something off about the comment. They had kept their voices low, whispering due to Aya''s thin walls.


    The next door neighbor was more of a concern than they were.


    "Look lady we weren''t making any noise, whatever you heard must have come from somewhere else," Mars said with a pointed glare.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Lydia said nothing, only folding her arms and slinking away like something that belonged in the abyss.


    "I just don''t understand her, she did the same thing earlier today," Aya said resting her hands on her hips in wonderment. Lydia must have really had it out for her recently it seemed.


    Mars whipped around at Aya''s words, asking her to repeat herself so she wasn¡¯t mistaken.


    "I mean while I was playing she uh seemed surprised I wasn''t at work,"


    Mars grabbed Aya and dragged her back into the house, keeping her voice low she said.


    "Aya does she do this often, come to your apartment and accuse you of things randomly?" Mars asked.


    "Yes how did you-"


    "She''s keeping tabs on you!" Mars whispered harshly. "You aren''t making noise, she wants to know if you''re still within reach."


    Aya''s eyes widened.


    "So she can report back to the person she''s blackmailing," Aya said.


    "Exactly."


    Something clicked in Aya''s mind, all the times Lydia was just seemingly at her door for no reason, lurking in the shadows of the apartment complex. Times when Lydia would show up outside her door while Aya was simply napping or studying.


    "I never noticed before but it makes sense now," Aya said in a whisper.


    "Try to be careful from now on, especially now that she could feel you''re on to her," Mars warned. "You''re always free to hide out at my place,"


    ----------


    Aya closed the door the moment Mars left and locked it swiftly behind her, her heart pounded against her chest as she rested her back against the door.


    "I forgot to ask her if she''d seen the merchant!" Aya said, smacking her forehead with an open palm.


    "Well, maybe another time,"


    ----------


    At Lumos Inc. Fred Berkley stormed through the halls of the upper levels of the company intending to reach the CEO''s office.


    Now that Mr. Sincalir was back from his trip to Mericross, Fred could disclose this private information. The office coffee addict burst into the CEO''s main office, ignoring the yells of the secretary stationed right outside the door.


    The CEO was surrounded by a group of men, all members of Lumos Inc.''s board of directors.


    Mr. Sinclair lifted his head to lock eyes with Fred, who had a determined expression on his face.


    "Sir I tried to stop him!" The secretary said desperately,


    "Fred, what is it?" Mr. Sinclair asked, the old men and women of the board turned around to face the archivist tech who they usually saw with their CEO. Some scoffed at his ragged, sleep deprived appearance but not Mr. Sinclair.


    He could tell the man had something important to say.


    "I found her name," Fred said, Mr. Sinclair''s eyes widened. A breathless sound escaped his lips. He gripped his chest to slow his pounding chest.


    "Get out." Mr. Sinclair whispered.


    "Sir?" A member of the board asked incredulously.


    "I said the meeting is postponed get out, get out!" Mr. Sinclair said in a frenzy. the board scattered, unable to understand what had the CEO in such a state. The secretary ushered them out as kindly as she could. Soon only Fred and the CEO were left in.


    "What''s her name Fred? Please I need to remember," Mr. Sinclair said, holding his hands in a prayer pose, he bowed his head as he waited for the answer.


    "Aya Brown,"


    And just like that, a flood of tears rolled down Mr. Sinclair''s cheeks, he remembered that name. Remembered the small bubbly girl who lived with her grandmother.


    He''d only met Aya a few times. She didn''t seem to know who he was. He was there at the time of her birth.


    The first time he''d met her was as a little pink bundle in her mother''s arms. Anastasia Brown held the little baby close, years before sickness would take her from her precious family.


    His brother, David, lay with her in the hospital bed poking the rosy pink cheeks of his new daughter.


    "I''m a father! Vic say hello to your niece Aya,"


    The words echoed through Mr. Sinclair''s mind. How excited his brother was, how genuine his and Anastasia''s smiles had been when they brought her home.


    A shockwave of memories hit him. He saw Aya so much when she was younger before Lumos Inc. required his full attention. The game had to launch and the technology was going to be unlike anything anyone had ever seen before.


    At Anastasia''s funeral, he saw her again, she was much older a young teenager at that point. Aya sat in a church pew, wearing a black dress with a white doll collar, and had her brown hair in an Alice Band.


    The girl was quiet, watching her grandmother receive tons of condolences from the few guests who attended the funeral service.


    He walked up to her but she was already leaving with her grandmother before he could even reach her. He was a coward then but he refused to be any longer.


    He had to be there for all of it.


    "I''m so sorry I forgot you. I''m so sorry Aya!" He whispered through tears and sniffles.


    He registered a hand rubbing his back gently and soothingly. Fred stood beside him, with an awkward smile as he patted the CEO''s back in support.


    "I''ve never seen you so emotional sir," Fred said. He looked away, not used to dealing with anyone''s emotions. Least of all his boss¡¯.


    "Sir I''ll do my best to find out where she is, I have a strong suspicion she''s in Axen City," Fred said.


    "Ah yes, Anastasia''s home city, the city we all met. Of course, of course!" An unhinged laugh left the man''s lips. "It''s almost poetic don''t you think?"


    "I''m sure it must be," Fred said, already knowing the man could be a bit eccentric when he was alone.


    "Fred please do your best to find her, I have reason to believe she''s in danger," Mr. Sinclair said.


    "Right away sir, I''ll use any method I have to," Fred said as he made his way out of the room, the blond man stopped abruptly and turned back to the CEO.


    "And sir, please give Romina a raise, her help was instrumental to the cause,"


    Mr. Sinclair chuckled.


    "I''ll keep that in mind, Fred,"


    The archivist exited the office, leaving the CEO alone with his thoughts. He wondered if Aya would be angry at him for abandoning her, no doubt angrier at her father.


    He sighed deeply and fell back into his chair.


    If only she knew the truth.

 040~The Artisan Districts Smithy

    Aya''s alarm rang through her room jolting her from, sleep. She jumped out of bed in a panic, fearing she would miss the Seelim bus. She showered and had breakfast but when she got to the rack her uniform usually hung Aya found it empty.


    Events flashed through her mind until she remembered she forcefully quit her job at Nue Corp and even said goodbye to the president, Aya scoffed.


    "He hasn''t even bothered to call me, well he probably has other stuff to do. Other more important stuff," she said solemnly. It stung a bit that the person she was just learning to call a friend hadn''t even bothered to reach out.


    "Whatever, I get to sleep in some more and that''s better than a dumb phone call right?" she said to herself. In the silence of the apartment, no one answered.


    Aya changed back into her pajamas and flopped back unto her bed for a much needed rest. The rest of the building would no doubt be heading to their various jobs or errands.


    "I''m not going to answer the door until I know for sure it''s Mars, I can''t let Lydia know what I''m really doing," Aya said. She rested her head on the pillow and thought some more about her mother.


    Anything she thought about her now, was always connected to the game. Moon Valley was the last connection she had to her mother. Aya wondered if her mother voiced a character.


    If she had motion captured for someone? Motion capturing was something she''d recently learned about the more she looked into the game the more foreign it seemed.


    If the Goddess Selendriel who had her mother''s face were to appear in the game did that mean she could meet her mother again? Even if it was a fictional counterpart who didn''t know her?


    And what about her father? Was his face in the game somewhere too?


    Aya drifted off to sleep, when she woke up again she would do the merchant''s quest and try her best to restore the Rose Manor.


    ----------


    Aya was roused from sleep by a harsh knocking she knew to be Lydia''s. She placed a hand over her mouth before she could announce her presence, then rolled silently off the bed and crept towards the door to listen.


    "The brats not around," she heard Lydia tell someone, presumably over the phone. Aya wondered who the other person was but had no time to process it as the door knob started jiggling as Lydia tried to pry it open with force.


    "It''s locked, I told you she had the locks changed!" Lydia yelled in a louder voice than any of the tenants she frequently accused. Aya snickered, changing the locks had been a lightbulb moment during one of the first months she moved in.


    She saved up her first few paychecks and had gotten some expensive ones, locks sure not to break any time soon. It was a risk she couldn''t afford to take and now, it had paid off.


    Slowly, her aunt''s footsteps receded and she could no longer hear the woman over the phone. Aya breathed a sigh of relief.


    "She makes so much money from the tenants though, why does she want my grandma''s house?"


    Aya felt there was something more to this, a piece of the puzzle she hadn''t figured out yet.


    "It won''t do me any good right now to ponder this," Aya said. She chewed her lip, anxiety grew like a bramble in her chest as she stepped away from the door as quietly as she could.


    "I''ll give her the illusion my work shift changed, that way she''ll know I''m home more but not when," Aya whispered.


    ----------


    Yvlena found herself safe and sound within the Rose Manor grounds, she didn''t like spawning in the street where anything could happen even if Bloom Haven was safe.


    "I''ve got two objectives, meet Soren the Blacksmith and work on the merchant''s quest,"


    With this in mind, she examined the ores for more information about the old kingdom of Gliresea


    [Plain Ores of Gliresea


    ***


    Type: Rare Ore


    An ore from the bygone era of the old Rabbit Kingdom, Gliresea.


    Once mined in Quarries of the Old Kingdom, the ore grows increasingly hard to find and is even harder to obtain.


    Instilled with special properties, it can be used to upgrade weapons from the region.]


    After reading, Yvlena pushed the old gates of the Rose Manor open and ran towards the Artisan district to complete her task of finding the Blacksmith, she ran past the apothecary and into the crowd of elegantly dressed people.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The cobblestone road seemed to go on forever, flanked by rows of shops Yvlena hadn''t even bothered checking.


    She knew there were some clothing shops, maybe some furniture for the Rose Manor as well but she needed to get her sword sorted before any of that would interest her.


    "I should probably see if the Floral district is doing better, maybe I can get some more seeds for the Manor,"


    In her haste she passed a man dressed in a rich blue suit who called out her name, Yvlena skidded to a halt nearly tripping over a stall of fresh fruit.


    "Oh Laurent it''s you," Yvlena said, spinning around to face the man. The blonde man quirked his lips up in amusement.


    [Affinity with Laurent increased+1]


    "Where are you off to this fine morning?" Yvlena asked.


    "There''s a new merchant in town and I wanted to see if he had any books I could purchase for the library," Laurent said. Yvlena gasped.


    "He definitely would, he''s an Aruergo Merchant and I hear they''re a big deal in Moon Valley!"


    "Really, now?"


    [Laurent appreciates the information you''ve shared with him]


    [Affinity with Laurent increased+5]


    Yvlena nodded.


    "He''s doing the mercantile trials right now and Bloom Haven must have been on his list of towns to visit,"


    "Ah yes, those are very important to anyone classed a merchant, especially to a member of one of the great merchant families of Moon Valley. It''s an honor to be graced by his presence,"


    "Yeah!"


    Laurent threw his head back with a laugh, the first Yvlena had ever seen, he looked quite handsome when he wasn''t so grumpy.


    "Your manner of speech is quite refreshing, where are you off to?"


    "I''m looking for the blacksmith,"


    "Soren I take it. Well, you''re certainly on the right path, it''s just further down from here shorter if you take a carriage,"


    "Thanks! I wanted to ask how you knew but you''re probably the smartest person in Bloom Haven I''ll bet," Yvlena said with a laugh. A fierce blush quickly spread across Laurent''s face.


    "Oh...I," He stammered. Yvlena giggled and waved at him before rushing off again.


    [Affinity with Laurent increased+5]


    ----------


    Following the instructions of Risel and Laurent, Yvlena eventually finds herself deep within the Artisant district''s smithing quarters.


    Soon apothecaries and other food shops were replaced with merchants selling ores and smithing materials. As Yvlena walked further down, the merchant shops began fading from view, replaced with rows of smiths working on their metal craft.


    The clanging bangs of metal on metal reached her ears while the location only she could see read, Artisan District Smithy.


    Yvlena approached a man who seemed free to speak with her. She walked towards a tall blond man with close cropped hair and a thick blond mustache above his lip that complimented his face.


    He sat on a bench with a towel around his neck, wiping off the sweat from a hard day''s work.


    The man was large, with a hulking muscled frame that could only have come from years of heavy lifting at the forge. The elven girl felt a wave of intimidation wash over her.


    What if he was as mean as Laurent was when they first met? In her hesitation, the man spoke first.


    "Oh my dear, we don''t get many elves at the forge what can I do you for?" he said in a cheery voice. Yvlena breathed a sigh of relief.


    "I''m looking for a blacksmith by the name of Soren, my friend Risel referred me to him," Yvlena said. The man laughed jovially


    "I am he, how may I help you, elf girl?"


    [NAME: Soren


    RACE: Human


    OCC: Blacksmith]


    "I''m Yvlena, I came to upgrade my sword and was wondering if you could help me?" she said. Yvlena retrieved her carrot sword and presented it to the man who inspected it.


    "I see, I see," he said, Soren inspected the blade, squinting his eyes as he did. He focused intensely on the blade of the carrot sword itself.


    "The ores one would need for this are quite rare, the make of this sword has not been seen since the war of the gods. How did you come by this anyway?"


    "I fought a giant rabbit for it," Yvlena replied. Soren laughed again, loud and raucous like Ricardo''s.


    She wondered if the two of them would get along.


    "You''re funny, I like you a lot!" He put his hand under his chin in thought. "There''s still the matter of the ores, you could see if the new merchant in town has some that would fit the blade,"


    "He did," Yvlena said taking the ores from her pocket and showing them to Soren.


    The blacksmith looked at the two lumps of mineral in Yvlena''s palms in awe. He picked one up, the big rock looking comically small in his large plans.


    The Gliresea ore was a pale orange lump of rock as big as Yvlena''s balled fist, it glistened even in the pale sun of the smithy obscured mostly by the smoke from various forges.


    "It''s beautiful," Soren said. He looked at the ore with such affection a single tear rolled down his cheek.


    "Soren, are you alright?" Yvlena asked in deep concern. She hoped she hadn''t broken the game''s character.


    Soren leaped up from his bench, the towel previously on his neck flew off in an instant. The excited man landed in a crouch on the hard stone floor, yelling as he punched the air.


    "Oh dear, what''s gotten into Soren all of a sudden?" A voice asked from one of the forges behind them.


    [You''ve presented Soren with artistic inspiration]


    [Affinity with Soren Increased +5]


    [Soren considers you an acquaintance]


    "Already?" Yvlena said in amusement.


    "I''ll upgrade your beautiful sword, Yvlena just give me a couple of hours and check back later," Soren said running into the forge behind him.


    "Yeah!" But as he began work on the blade Yvlena was hit with a realization.


    How was she supposed to fight?

 041~The Orchid Tea House

    After a moment of watching Soren prep his forge to work on the blade, Yvlena decided now would be a good time to follow up on the Orchid tea house Beatrice had told her to visit not too long ago.


    "Bloom Haven is pretty big after all but I was so busy with the temple ruins I completely forgot about it," She said making her way out of the Artisan District Smithy. It was easier to make her way out of it now that she knew the path to take.


    "I have a feeling the Merchant''s quest is going to be a tough one," Yvlena sighed, already wondering about the kinds of bosses she would need to fight.


    "I''m two levels higher than when I fought Viseli so I know I can handle it,"


    Now that the temple area was clear, the outskirts of Bloom Haven were open to her, but who knew what creatures lurked in the fold of the tall grass? From the flashback, she also knew a cave was nearby.


    The same cave Ricardo had exited from.


    ¡°If it¡¯s one thing I know about caves it¡¯s that they always have something weird inside. I can only use spells stones and my summons until I get my sword back,¡± She said.


    She exited the entrance of the Artisan district and passed by the market Square as she headed toward the Floral District,


    On her way there Yvlena glanced at the merchant caravan, then waved to Ricardo who was attending to a customer, the man saw her and waved back with as much enthusiasm as she had come to expect from him.


    ¡°He¡¯s such a friendly guy! Axen would chew him up and spit him out,¡± Yvlena said as she walked toward the Floral district.


    ¡°If I were a Tea Shop where would I be?¡± she asked as she walked the worn stone floors of the district. Luckily for her, the citizens of the Floral district were becoming less wary ever since the disappearance of the miasma.


    ¡°Excuse me sir, do you happen to know where the Orchid Tea House is?¡± Yvlena asked a passing man. The man scratched his head.


    ¡°Oh, that old place? If you keep heading that way you should see the sign.¡± the man said pointing Yvlena down a narrow winding street in the opposite direction of where she would usually walk to find the manor.


    "Okay thank you!" She said.


    ----------


    The Floral District, while not as big as the Artisan one was certainly a lot to walk through, Yvlena walked down a dim street, made better by the sunshine now penetrating the skies.


    She shuddered to think how dark this street could have been if she hadn''t first dealt with the miasma.


    "Looks like I made the right choice after all."


    She walked until she stopped In front of the arch of a modest, cylindrical two storey house, constructed entirely out of dark wood.


    The arch''s sign ''Orchid Tea House'' the wind blew lightly causing it to swing back and forth in the gentle breeze.


    A red circular roof with brick tiles topped off what was once an elegant Tea house, now much like Beatrice''s cottage used to be it was almost completely in shambles.


    To Yvlena the orchid tea house had a simple charm about it and she could tell that back in its prime it would have been quite the social hub in Bloom Haven.


    She walked under the arch and headed to the front doors which was a worn set of pale blue double doors.


    Yvlena walked through, pushing the doors lightly and causing them to squeak loudly, reminding her of the apartment doors back home.


    The tea house had two layers all constructed with the same dark wood used on the outside. Straight ahead was a counter where an old woman sat reading.


    She had an antique wooden pipe in her hands and blew smoke out in all manner of shapes and sizes. Yvlena caught the faint herbal scent of the smoke, it didn''t smell anything like the cigarettes in the city.


    Moon Valley must have special tobacco if the scent was anything to go by.


    Above was the second layer with a staircase to the left just beside the counter where customers would be able to reach the second floor.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Yvlena approached the old woman.


    "Hello, Miss?" Yvlena called softly, the old woman looked up from the thick tome she was reading then jumped back in surprise upon meeting the eyes of the stranger in her home.


    "Ack! Who are you?" the woman asked in alarm.


    [NAME: Iris


    RACE: Human


    OCC: Merchant]


    "I''m Yvlena, pleased to meet you." the girl said. Iris huffed putting the end of her pipe back into her mouth.


    Iris was an old woman with a severe face and deep wrinkles, her hair was put up in a bun pinned by a pair of gold ornamental hairpins, She wore a short floral print robe over a dark undershirt.


    Her thin lips were dabbed with a touch of purple Yvlena could see over the smoke blowing from her lips


    "Well, Yvlena what do you want? What are you doing here?" Iris asked. Yvlena paused for a bit unsure of how to answer the question. What was she doing at the tea house?


    "I came to find out what happened to the Floral District?" Yvlena said but it came out less impressive than she had imagined, speaking to the residents of Bloom Haven was just like meddling in the affairs of real life people.


    She always had to remember not to pry too much. She recalled from her first interaction with Risel that it rarely went well.


    "Trade stopped, money stopped, tea house closed down," Iris said going back to her book. "I couldn''t pay anyone to gather herbs for me since the forest became so dangerous, even the most basic of Bloom Haven teas couldn''t be sold anymore."


    "So I ask again, why are you here?" the woman glared harshly, looking Yvlena up and down then scoffing. The girl flinched wondering why the NPC was so mean.


    She understood that she had lost everything but there was no reason to actively be so hostile.


    [Iris is hostile]


    Yvlena went through a few answers in her mind before she came up with one that she thought was reasonable.


    "I came to help with the herbs," The elven girl said. "I''ve collected a lot of them from going into the forest both Bloom Forest and some parts of the Verdant Woods,"


    At her words, Iris'' eyes bulged with surprise that someone had ventured into the Bloom Forest with how hostile it was.


    "How?"


    "You leave that up to me, but you can''t be rude when you''re asking someone for help that''s not fair to them,"


    "I didn''t ask for your help," Iris scoffed going back to her book. Yvlena couldn''t help but think of Viviana in this scenario. She hated people with useless pride.


    "Have it your way, I only came here because Beatrice asked me to," Yvlena said turning around and heading straight for the exit. She was almost at the door when the woman called to her.


    "Wait! Alright kid you''ve got guts," she said reluctantly.


    [Affinity with Iris Increased +1]


    "Sell me what herbs you have currently, let''s see if we can get this old place running again, though I can''t pay you much I can teach you how to make some special tea depending on the herbs you bring me," Iris said.


    Yvlena breathed a sigh of relief, she wondered if she would have had to forfeit the Tea House because she didn''t want to deal with any rude NPCs. She could see the grudging respect Iris had in her eyes as she came back to the counter.


    [Buy/Sell]


    Yvlena clicked Buy first, curious to see if the woman had anything to sell her but alas, the offerings were as empty as the Tea House''s coffers.


    Next, she clicked Sell and her own menu came up filled with inventory stock available to sell to the old woman, who stared at her with a deep frown.


    Yvlena was only able to sell five Fox Tail Herbs and Five Common Spice Herbs before the menu closed by force.


    [Yvlena Acquire


    ***


    Moon Points x300]


    "That''s all I need for now," Iris said. She went to an old stove that clearly hadn''t been used in ages with all the rust and chips covering the stove''s edge.


    Yvlena watched as she lit it, the flames rose to heat a kettle full of water scooped from a barrel of fresh water with a ladle.


    Iris, with expert hands, dried the herbs, pressing them first and then grinding them down into bits until they were fine and powdery then tucking the powder into little tea bags.


    She took an old mug from the rack, Yvlena could tell it was recently used from how clean it was. The old woman took a fancy porcelain kettle and stuffed a sealed tea bag into it before filling it with hot water.


    The fragrance of tea filled the air, pushing away the scent of stagnancy within the main room of the Tea House.


    "You have to let the spice tea steep for a while, when it''s this fresh the flavor comes out better," Iris said, from the patient tone her voice had taken, the elven girl could tell the woman missed making tea for someone.


    The Tea House was large but without any frequent visitors, it must have gotten lonely after visitors stopped coming. Did Iris ever leave? Was she even able to?


    The woman slid the cup in front of her with a smirk.


    "Bloom Spice Tea," Iris said leaning back and folding her arms. Iris seemed pleased with herself and for that reason, Yvlena was happy to try the tea served to her.


    It would have to beat Beatrice''s though. And the old woman had a special place in Aya¡¯s heart.


    She picked up the elegant clamshell tea cup and put the liquid to her lips for a sip.


    "Well?" Iris asked impatiently.


    "It''s..."

 042~Thank You Soren!

    "Well?" Iris prompted again, this time in excitement. Yvlena gulped down the warm tea that burned pleasantly on the way down. She exhaled, feeling herself intense at the taste of the spicy herbal mix of Spice Herb and Fox Tail.


    "Wow, Iris, this is amazing!" Yvlena said eagering sipping the hot liquid again. "I feel so refreshed!"


    [The tea soothes your soul, and reminds you of a warm home]


    The game told her,


    [+Temporary HP Boost


    +Temporary Increased resistance to Fire]


    [Affinity with Iris Increased +1]


    Iris held back a smile that threatened to split her face in a wide grin, she didn''t want Yvlena to think her words had any effect on her but the elven girl could see right through the charade. Iris, she knew now, was someone who took great pride in her work.


    ''Those are some nice benefits!'' she stopped to recall if she had experienced any other benefits from the different foods she had tried. ''I guess I wasn''t paying much attention,''


    As she drank, she heard someone come through the door sniffing the air. He was a young NPC dressed like one of the usual members of the town. He sniffed the air and then sat down next to Yvlena on a chair near the counter.


    "I''ll have a cup of whatever smells so good please," the young man said.


    "Coming right up," Iris said, serving him tea in another clean cup. She used a special technique and poured the tea in a gentle circular motion. The tea''s liquid seemed to dance in the cup impressing both Yvlena and the stranger.


    The man drank from his cup while Yvlena and Iris waited with bated breath for his review. Would he be as impressed as Yvlena was or would he storm out?


    "Amazing! I think I faintly recall being her once, with my parents maybe," the man said smiling brightly. Iris nodded.


    "You probably were here with them once, I''ve seen so many youngsters come through those doors with their families,"


    He paid for his drink and Iris almost couldn''t believe the money in her hands, she placed it in her pocket delicately as if moving her hand too fast would cause the money to fade like a dream.


    "T-Thank you," Iris said softly.


    "No, thank you! I''ve got to tell my wife about this place. Although you might want to spruce it up a little," The man said with a hearty laugh.


    "Don''t worry the next time you come in, this place will be different," Iris promised. The man bid them farewell and walked out of the Tea House leaving Yvlena and the woman together again.


    "What?" she hissed. Yvlena continued to smirk.


    "Nothing just...I''m happy for you. Trying again, starting again is a tough decision after you''ve lost something. I would know," the elven girl said. Iris'' eyes softened, she looked away and began drying more herbs.


    [Affinity with Iris Increased +2]


    "Why do the young age so fast now? You know you remind me of Twyla."


    "Beatrice''s daughter?"


    Iris nodded.


    "Always wanting to go off on her own, all on her own. Now she did, leaped through the miasma before it could close up and now we don''t know where she is,"


    [Beatrice''s Daughter 5.5% completion]


    "She used to gather herbs for you right?" Yvlena asked.


    [Affinity with Iris Increased +1]


    "You''re surprisingly perceptive," Iris said. "Yes, she did,"


    "Well, maybe I can help you out for a bit, so long as you''ll have me. Let''s get this place up and running again,"


    Yvlena said nothing as Iris'' lip trembled and the old woman began to cry, she only gave her the silence she needed at that moment. The tears of someone having to be strong by themselves for too long.


    "Thank you Yvlena," Iris said through her sniffles.


    ----------


    Yvlena left the Tea House just in time to see the notification pop up that Soren was done with her blade.


    [Soren the blacksmith has upgraded your sword return to the Artisan District''s Smithy]


    "Right!" Yvlena said running through the Floral district, one her way there, she passed a few friends all talking about the secluded Tea House, a smile crossed Yvlena''s face.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    She hoped the best for Iris, she really did.


    "I''ve gotta hand it to the developers, I''m crying over NPC tea," she said, shaking her head. "But I would rather do that than cry over a shitty job,"


    ----------


    Yvlena was once again at the Smithy, the clanging of iron rang through her head but it was worth it to see her sword upgraded, she wondered if the Adrir specs would work on it too.


    She already knew Soren was a master blacksmith by the way he was recommended by both Laurent and Risel, now she just needed to know if her sword was raised from rare to something else.


    She stopped by the space she knew to be Soren''s forge and moved the thick black tarp shielding the entrance aside.


    Soren''s workshop was a hub of metal and wood, on the various shelves were ores of different shapes and sizes no doubt something Yvlena could have used to upgrade her starter sword if she had known about him the first time.


    The roaring fire made the forge''s temperature incredibly warm, so much so that Yvlena almost took off her cloak.


    Whilst fanning herself from the heat, something caught her eye. In the light of the forge, a pink ore stood out amongst the shelves. It was shaped almost like a rose where the petals would have been were rough cuts of crystal taking the loose shape of flower petals.


    Before Yvlena could stop to examine it, Soren''s booming voice called for her.


    "Yvlena!" He greeted. "I have finished the blade!" He thrust the weapon at her, causing Yvlena to instinctively dodge as if she were in battle. The girl landed in a crouch, glaring up at Soren.


    "Soren! That was dangerous," Yvlena said.


    The man sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and gave a nervous laugh.


    "Perhaps I was a bit too excited."


    "Just be a little careful from now on okay?" Yvlena said patiently, she held out her hands for the weapon. The blade was thinner now, possessing an elegance much like Rabbit Knight''s rapier.


    She faced away from Soren and thrust the blade forward, slashing upward and then downwards. The sword was light and elegant in her hands, cutting through the air with a speed it didn''t previously possess.


    "The shape of the blade was not its true form for you. I made sure to temper the steel the way it was intended,"


    "But how did you know?"


    "Oh Yv," he said, calling her a nickname she hadn''t been given by anyone in the game so far. "Every blade tells a story, especially one from a fallen kingdom,"


    "Do you know what happened to Gliresea?" Yvlena asked. Soren shrugged.


    "I know a little, a small collection of kingdoms of rabbits and mice, swept away by something too big for them, it is the tragedy of the war of the gods," Soren said sadly.


    Yvlena equipped her Adiri specs and looked at the description of the blade. As she suspected something had changed.


    [Carrot Sword II


    ***


    Type: Weapon


    Rarity: Rare+


    Imbued with the Strength of the ancient Rabbit Lords, this blade was once bestowed upon the best fighters of Gliresea.


    Made from a special type of steel, the blade is meant to grow with the wielder, as such it never stays one shape for long.


    Can be upgraded with Gliresea ores of any kind to suit the skillset of the wielder.


    +20 STR]


    "Wow," Yvlena gasped, her strength had gotten a whole five point increase just from the upgrade.


    "Thank you, Soren," Yvlena said genuinely.


    "You''re welcome," The gentle giant said. He stretched out his hand and Yvlena already knew he was asking for payment. She nodded and paid the smithing fees.


    "Pleasure doing business with you, if you need any more upgrades, you know where to find me,"


    "I do!" Yvlena said, running out of the smithy.


    ----------


    Aya stopped playing just in time for her alarm to go off, she silenced the timer before it could attract the attention of anyone who would possibly be watching her apartment.


    After using the bathroom, her stomach rumbled loudly forcing her to decide on having lunch. She opened the fridge, peering into the space to see what ingredients she had and if she would need to go grocery shopping.


    For the most part, all she had were a few odd things around her fridge, but she had enough to make a nice sandwich.


    "I didn''t even know I had this sandwich spread," Aya mumbled, after checking the expiry date and making sure no other ingredient was a biohazard, she had a chicken sandwich sitting in her hands ready to eat.


    Aya bit into it with relish.


    "Might not give any stat boosts but hey I''ll take it," she said. Checking her phone she could see it was already past three in the afternoon. Her whole day was spent gaming!


    "That''s right, I have the second low grade grass stone to put on the auction house,"


    She took out her phone and opened the Moon Valley companion app to set the grass stone quickly for auction, using her common sense she surmised a grass stone would be much rarer than a fire stone and set the price to 25 gold.


    "There, I should really root through my inventory some more. I think I still have some things I haven''t paid attention to from the Rabbit Queen Boss,"


    She sipped some water from the few bottles she had in the fridge and began the task of cleaning the apartment. Being home a lot more now just meant her space was getting more messy.


    "I''m not a slob, so I don''t even know how this happens!" she said, wiping her former gaming table with a rag.


    She took a spray bottle and a rag and then quickly began wiping down the glass when she noticed a black spot. Aya squinted, looking closer to find it was a car parked outside the apartment complex.


    The car was a reflective black vehicle with tinted windows rolled all the way up, Aya could see little flashes coming from the black glass which meant someone inside it was probably taking pictures.


    Aya gasped, dropping the rag and diving to the side so the person in the car wouldn''t see her. She looked again, the car remained stationary for a few moments with no one exiting or entering the vehicle.


    Then after what seemed like fifteen minutes, the car drove back the way it supposedly came.


    Aya tried to calm her beating heart, at this point, the car could have come for anyone within the complex.


    "Shady," she said, picking up her rag and continuing to clean. "This is all too shady,"

 043~The Gamer From Mars

    The moment the vehicle had passed, a frantic knocking came from Aya''s door, she ran to it, listening to know whether or not Lydia or her goon Fido stood outside.


    She intended to stay like that, with her back pressed against the door until they left like last time, then she heard a voice come from the other side of the door.


    "Aya it''s me!" Mars said in a panicked whisper, Aya opened the door, pulling her dark haired friend in and shutting the door behind her quickly.


    "I just need to lay low for a little bit," Mars said. Aya nodded already deeply suspecting the black car was there for Mars.


    But why?


    What could the other girl have done? Could she have offended someone, some gang lord in Axen, and now they were sending goons to find her?


    "You can stay here until you feel safe enough to leave," Aya said. Mars nodded, her eyes moved toward the window. She stayed with her back against the door


    "They left but it''s safer to be here for a bit," Mars said quietly.


    "What''s going on?" Aya said in worry. She rested a hand on Mars'' trembling knee. The dark haired girl looked at her in surprise at the tenderness she was receiving.


    "I''m not in any place to judge, I''m being blackmailed by literal family," Aya said trying to make light of the situation, it worked and Mars cracked a smile back at her.


    "You never know who can help until you ask for it."


    "I ran away from some people and they''ve been trying to find me. I think they finally narrowed it down," Mars said.


    Aya''s eyes widened.


    "That day...with the man that wouldn''t leave you alone?" Aya said recalling the incident that made her drag Mars to the apartment building.


    She assumed the girl was getting mugged but now that she thought about it, the scenario didn''t make any sense. The guy didn''t even have a weapon on him.


    Mars nodded, her lips were set in a grim line, she looked toward the window again warily.


    "I might have to move again," Mars said. Aya''s heart leaped to her throat at the thought of Mars leaving her.


    "If that''s what you feel you need to do I support you," Aya said swallowing painfully. She didn''t want to lose her only friend but if it was for Mars'' safety she wouldn''t mind it at all.


    "You''d come with me right?" Mars asked, their eyes met. A heavy silence hung over them before Aya finally spoke.


    "You want me to come, with you? Where would we go?" Aya asked.


    ¡°To Mericross, it¡¯s the biggest city, there''s so much going on they wouldn¡¯t even find us there, and most of all, gaming competitions,¡± Mars said. She clenched her fist.


    "Before I have to face them in Evangels,"


    ¡°I get the feeling you¡¯re not telling me the full story Mars, I don¡¯t understand who or what you¡¯re running from,¡± Aya said softly. "I can''t tell you if you don''t let me know,"


    Mars exhaled, long and deep. She grasped Aya¡¯s hands and squeezed as if psyching herself off to begin a long story.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what really happened,¡± She said "It''s a long story," her eyes glistened with unshed tears, she began the tale of her move to Axen.


    "Before Moon Valley, I used to play another game. A battle MMORPG called The Scarlet Frontier,"


    Aya recognized that game, it used to be one of the most popular long running MMOs in the world. Players from far and wide would compete in absolutely crazy matches.


    Like most games until Moon Valley Online, Aya could only watch from the side, not being able to afford any equipment to play.


    "I''ve heard of it, I used to watch the highlight reels, there were so many ways to play the game if I recall,"


    Aya had watched it a bunch back when she still had free time at her grandmother''s house. No one was talking about it anymore, it seemed Moon Valley had taken its spot at the top.


    Mars nodded.


    "I rose to the top under the username, Merciless Hunter as one of the SS ranked players in the game," A hint of pride escaped Mars'' tone as she said that, a smile crossed her lips.


    "So I was recruited under the team Eos Conquerors," Mars quickly lost her smile and looked down at her knees.


    "I thought, my family would finally be supportive, I thought I had a team I could count on," her browns knitted together in anger "I was mistaken," she spat bitterly.


    Mars paused, drawing in a deep breth to calm her anger.


    "My parents had never been supportive of career gaming. No matter how lucrative it was, they humored me though. Got me the Zephyr I offered you, so when I got on this team I thought I had it made Aya!"


    "You sound like you finally had it figured out, what went wrong?"


    "My team betrayed me, and there was nothing I could do about it,"


    [FlashBack]


    The staff gave Mars a wide breadth as she stormed through the building on the way to the meeting room her team currently occupied.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Mars burst into the round room of the Eos Conquerors where the squad had their team meetings, her short hair bouncing as she walked in with quiet fury.


    "Look who finally showed," the team leader said condescendingly, he swiveled around in his chair, smirking at the other members of the 7 squad team.


    "You locked me out of my account!" Mars said holding back her anger, he must have had a reason for it right? A bug? A hacking incident? They''ve had so many of those lately.


    "So you noticed, we''ve decided your account is a very valuable sell under the Eos Conquerors LLC and the buyer only wants the account, not the player," the man said lacing his long fingers together.


    "And you didn''t think to ask me about that? Do you know how long I''ve had that account, what it took to get me to the top?" Mars bit her lip, holding back the fury that threatened to escape her.


    The leader scoffed, rolling his eyes at her as he exhaled through his lips. Another member laughed.


    "What it took? You mean Daddy''s money right?"


    Mars slammed her palms down, rattling the half moon table stamped with the Eos Logo. Pain surged in the back of her throat, but she yelled anyway.


    "Shut your mouth you traitorous shit! My parents never supported my career in gaming. They only lent me the money for the Zephyr and you know it!" The girl was breathing fire at that point.


    How dare they disrespect her like that? Parents? Don''t make her laugh.


    "I hunted those rare items, those power ups, upgrades! You on the other hand wouldn''t know a hard day''s work if it called you for a hookup!" Mars roared. The member cowered, while the others began to mumble to themselves.


    Mars turned her eyes to the team leader again, who refused to meet her eyes. He pretended he was looking at something else.


    "When''s the sale?"


    "Tonight," the man mumbled. "It''s not like you''re not getting a cut you know, you built the account, you can do it again."


    A cruel, bitter laugh escaped Mars.


    "Typical Evangels pricks, this may just be another venture for you but this was my life," she said beating her chest in passion. Despite her best efforts Mars'' voice broke.


    She turned around to compose herself. The hot rage flowed through her veins, simmering down into a cold fury.


    Mars turned around to meet the leader''s eyes.


    "Let it be on the record that I quit," she said.


    "I figured you would, your account was locked because it is now a property of the Eos Conquerors," the other member from before said wanting to get a reaction out of her.


    "You anticipated this?" Mars asked. She couldn''t believe this, they were scum. No, lower than that.


    Mars looked on coldly, keeping her face stoic. She marked each and every face of her former team.


    Kylo, Brielle, Mina, Silas, Arlo, and their leader Mateo.


    "Do I at least get severance?"


    The members mumbled again. Brielle and Mina snickered as they scrolled through their phones, probably making a farewell Hoot they would post on their various SNSs.


    "Uh, sure..." The leader, Mateo, replied in confusion. If they had expected her to beg, think again.


    "Wire it to my account,"


    In a flash, she had gotten her money. Mars lifted her phone to find a seven figure sum wired straight to her mobile account.


    "It also includes the sum from the sale," the leader said as if it would make things any better. Mars seethed but accepted the money, one way or another she was going to make them regret this.


    Mars spun around on her heels and began walking out the door.


    "Mars wait, at least reconsider! You''re a valuable member of the team." Mateo said. She was the lead fighter, a trump card when things got tough for them.


    Mars said nothing, not even turning around to face them, her only response? A single middle finger, backward.


    [Flash Back End]


    "Those pieces of trash! They sold your account with all your stuff," Aya''s eyes brimmed with more fury than Mars had ever seen in the girl''s eyes. "What happened after, did you just run after that?"


    Mars shook her head.


    [FlashBack]


    Mars stuffed her clothes and sentimental belongings into a bag as she packed up her things from the team dorms, an enormous apartment in Evangels'' lap of luxury. It was an enormous home, a gamer''s dream.


    She had even gotten a large gaming pod installed after one of their biggest matches, now she would have to disassemble it and take with her to a new life.


    From the door frame her former teammate Arlo watched her pack, the silver haired man adjusted his glasses and after a while spoke.


    "Don''t you think you''re being too stubborn about this?" He asked.


    "Then shut up and delete your account," Mars hissed. His brows shot up into his hairline at her words.


    "W-What?"


    "You heard me," Mars stopped packing to fix him with a pointed expression of hatred. Her eyes burned, Arlo took a step back at the menacing aura emanating from her.


    "If my gaming account should mean so little to me, then join me and delete yours. Let''s both build our ranks back up. I''ll stay with E.C. if you do," Mars said.


    Arlo''s mouth twisted into a snarl. He clenched his fist and glared at his former teammate.


    "Do you hear yourself? Why would I do that? Jeopardize my chances when I''ve only just made it,"


    "And who put your name in for that recommendation Arlo?"


    Arlo''s mouth snapped shut.


    Mars scoffed and snapped her fingers giving two men the signal to enter the room and begin disassembling the gaming pod.


    She walked out of the building.


    "Tell Mateo that I hope he gets exactly what he deserves,"


    ----------


    Mars was on the train to Axen when she got a call from an unknown number, she read the screen, taking the lollipop out of her mouth to answer.


    "Mars what did you do?!" Mateo''s voice came screaming through the phone.


    She smirked as she listened to his stressed rantings, it seemed the client did not appreciate an account without its SS Ranked items.


    "I told you I''ve had that account all my life Matty, did you think I wouldn''t have backdoor access to my stuff?"


    "You sold everything that made the account special, it''s worthless now,"


    "You see that''s where you''re wrong, I can never get that username back, I can never get that history back Matty! Our history! I thought you were my friend,"


    "The next time I see you again, I''ll crush you like a bug under my heel! You''re nothing Mars! Noth-"


    Mars ended the call, a weight lifted off her chest. Being a former Pro Player had its perks after all. All she needed to do was speak to her contact at the company running Scarlet Frontier and they were happy to log her back in.


    She had a mass auction of her collector''s items, limited edition items, and special run items.


    Mars had enough money to live comfortably for years before she would need to work again, but Mars had a certain hunger, she needed to build herself back up and rise again like the phoenix.


    Mateo was right about one thing, if she did it before, she could do it again.


    [Flash Back End]

 044~Back To The Depths

    Mars ended her tale and Aya could only stare in awe at Mars'' guts and bravado.


    "You are so cool!" Aya said. Mars laughed in amusement at the girl''s expression she ruffled Aya''s hair and rested her head against the door.


    "I''m glad you think so because it was the scariest thing I''ve ever done, as you know they want me back. By hook or by crook they intend to drag me back to Evangels to join their team,"


    "But why send people after you? I know when there''s money involved people act insane but this is a bit much isn''t it,"


    "Evangels might seem like the pinnacle of luxury, but it has a very, very seedy underbelly," Mars said tapping Aya''s nose. There are those who would claw their way to the top with hands stained by blood."


    Aya shuddered.


    "Scary huh? I thought so too, I thought Eos was a gaming league but it''s something else entirely, but I will rise to the top again. Of that, you can be sure,"


    Aya smiled at Mars. The resolute fire burning in her eyes stirred something in Aya. She wanted to help Mars, her friend needed to climb back into the spotlight she was cast out of.


    "I like your confidence, you''ll make it," Aya said with a nod. "And I intend to help you,"


    "With your help, I know I will," Mars said. "You have a good eye for stuff and I know by now you''re pretty strong by now. Everyone''s still going on about how you cleared up that miasma even though they don''t know it''s you yet,"


    "It was a tough battle, I promised to explain but now''s as good a time as any," Aya said. By now both girls were on Aya''s weak floor, the brown haired girl took a place right next to Mars and lay her head on the girl''s shoulder.


    "I grew a plant called the Ever Bloom for my class, only the Harvest Guardian can grow it, that''s what got me to the point where I could combat the miasma directly,"


    Aya explained in great detail what happened. She told Mars about the EverBloom, the temple, how she had to go inside a portal to fight the Miasmic Guardian


    "I see, so you fought the Titan Viseli, I wonder what would happen if you put it on the auction it''s a pretty rare plant and, if only the Harvest Guardian can grow it then you pretty much have the monopoly,"


    "I hadn''t thought about that, maybe you could test it out first, see if someone other than my class is going to be able to use it," Aya suggested.


    "Sure," Mars said with a shrug. She put an arm around Aya. "Thanks for listening to me, I know it was a lot,"


    Aya chuckled.


    "I''m honestly just pissed at their audacity," Aya said. "I can''t imagine if my account was sold, I would never be able to see what my mom left for me, I''m sorry that happened to you,"


    "You''re the first person to apologize to me about it," Mars said. "Honestly,"


    The two sat in comfortable silence for a while before Mars decided the coast was clear.


    "Gift me the plant, I''ll send you some gold for it, make next month''s rent and all that," she smirked.


    Aya nodded and took her phone out to use the Moon Valley companion app. She opened it and found the hidden tab to be the friends tab where she could chat with other players who had friended her.


    Mars was there but Aya didn''t recognize her race, she knew her to be a fighter class though. Mars'' pixelated icon was a cute girl with wolf ears atop her head and ain''t steel gauntlets.


    It showed her current Area too.


    "Where''s Beast Hollow?" Aya asked.


    "It''s an area very, very far from you. Then again you''re tucked in a secluded area all the way on the other side of the map, Beast Hollow is a proving ground for fighters, there aren''t a lot of towns there either,"


    "Oh wow!" Aya gasped, Moon Valley''s large world had once again opened itself up to her.


    "I''ll be leaving soon, there are deeper areas than that and special limited quests,"


    Aya listened and searched her inventory until she found the EverBloom seed in her inventory but no plant.


    "I forgot I hadn''t grown another one, I''ll plant it in the garden and gift it to you," Aya said putting her phone away.


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    Mars took out her phone and sent 150 Gold.


    "Mars that''s a lot!"


    Her friend only winked, putting her phone back into her leather jacket.


    "Consider it an advanced payment, if it doesn''t work then you''ll just have to venture out of Bloom Haven to find me now won''t you Green thumb?"


    A streak of red flashed over Aya''s face, she looked away but Mars already saw the blush spreading across her face.


    "Green thumb! Do I look like a gnome to you?!" Aya sputtered.


    Mars pretended to think about it a bit, she placed her hand in Aya''s hair with a laugh.


    "You''re right, more of a fairy," She smirked.


    After Mars left her apartment Aya prepared for another gaming session, she listened for Lydia''s footsteps.


    Once there was no sign of the woman Aya locked her door and jumped into her bed to place the Revista on her head.


    ----------


    Yvlena opened her eyes to find herself in the Rose Manor, and just like she said she was going to do.


    Equipping the Rusty Hoe, she made a few more squares on the Manor grounds she had already cleared up.


    She took all five Ever Bloom Seeds from her inventory and planted them all, then watered them until the game told her to stop.


    "They need the Sadow Essence from the corrupted creatures, I think I still have a bunch of them," Yvlena said,


    Pulling up the menu she noticed she only had 6 of them left. There hadn''t been many corrupted creatures in the Bloom Forest and she cleared the Miasma up before it could cause any more trouble.


    "I guess I better pay a visit to the Verdant woods after the merchant''s quest, Maybe I''ll be able to confront the next Miasmic Guardian,"


    As she expected all five plants cried for water and the Shadow Essence. Yvlena tended to each, feeding the shadow essence to each plant.


    Now all she had to do was give it some time.


    "Right, now to get to the temple, Ricardo definitely passed it on his way here so I think I just need to use the fast travel thing,"


    She walked toward the gate and found the brazier waiting with glowing purple embers that roared to life the moment she interacted with it.


    [Bloom Forest''s Hidden Depths]


    [Yes/No]


    She hit ''yes'' and just like before, she felt the mysterious force of the game pull her across space and time, into the Hidden Depths.


    The swirling portal landed Yvlena in front of the statue of Selendriel, Yvlena looked up at the face, seeing only her mother.


    A pang of longing squeezed her heart, this would be all she had left of her.


    Picking herself up, Yvlena walked the path that had once been blocked by the Miasma. Now there was a straight road between the trees leading down into an area Yvlena knew to be the outskirts.


    "Alright it''s time to summon my lovely companions," She said.


    In a flash Rabbit Knight and Sprite were summoned to her side again, ready to take on whichever enemy crossed their path.


    Rabbit Knight noticed her new sword and stepped closer to inspect it.


    "What''s the matter, Rabbit Knight?" Yvlena asked. The bunny''s nose twitched as he pawed at Yvlena''s sheath. She stooped down to his level and took out her new sword to present it to him.


    The rabbit seemed to nod and showed her his own sword, Yvlena compared the blades, they were almost Identical.


    "Wow, you must have been a really highly ranked fighter in Gliresea huh?" Yvlena said. The rabbit nodded, sadness filled Rabbit Knight''s eyes. His kingdom was no more.


    "I''m sure we''ll find more like you," Yvlena said encouragingly. She snapped her finger, recalling the Gliresea Kingdom Shard she had gotten for him.


    Yvlena got up and pulled the Kingdom Shard out of her pocket. The warm orange orb was about the size of a marble just like the summon stone.


    [Gliresea Kingdom Shard


    ***


    Type: Rare Item


    Gliresea Kingdom Shard (4/5)


    A shard preserved by magic, containing the essence of the former Kingdom, Gliresea. Lost in the war of gods, the Kingdom shards are just one of many remaining relics left behind.


    Instilled with special properties,  it can be used to upgrade the strength of Summons from the region]


    She dismissed Rabbit Knight and held his summon stone in her hand. She placed the two stones beside each other waiting for a prompt to appear.


    [You have a piece of Gliresea Kingdom Shard, Complete it?]


    [Yes/No]


    Yvlena hit yes and watched with Sprite as the Summon Stone and Kingdom Shards fused together in a bright light. Yvlena shielded her eyes, holding her hand away from herself as the process continued.


    After a minute, the light died down and a message popped up.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Rabbit Knight Summon Stone (Rare+) x1]


    Yvlena gasped, Her Rabbit Knight definitely got stronger after that. The Kingdom Shard had been a good purchase after all.


    [Call Forth Rabbit Knight? (109MP)]


    She summoned her Rabbit Knight again, he arrived admiring his upgraded armor and sword. He wore silver arm guards now, the increased defense would help him against tougher foes.


    Like whatever waited for them in the outskirts.


    His Rapier was sharper too, the blade looked more polished in the light of the sun. The thin point made for faster jabs and thrusts.


    "How do you feel?" Sprite asked her fellow summon. The rabbit nodded, saying nothing but, even with his calm demeanor they knew he was excited.


    "Good to have you, Rabbit Knight," Yvlena said.

 045~The Merchants Quest (2)

    Yvlena and party stepped onto the path and began walking to the Bloom Haven outskirts. The road was much like the path in the Verdant Woods, a straight wide road that would be big enough to accommodate two carts passing side by side comfortably.


    The wide forest roads did not wind or twist, it was just simply a path made for trade and it showed. A few trees grew beside it and on their branches, Yvlena could see the makings of nests and small animal homes. Squirrels ran up and down the sides, and birds pecked away the wood.


    "Wow, the forest is healing with the miasma gone. It still amazes me that a servant of the gods did all that when they were corrupted, was Rael corrupted as well?"


    The party stopped at the entrance to the Out Skirts and took a moment to observe the new area. Unlike the forest, the outskirts were clear and open.


    There were almost no trees, just grass for miles and a few animals that scampered by, Yvlena didn''t see any horned rabbits but who knew what was waiting for her in this new area?


    "Well if anything, it looks just like the meadow so any enemies here we''ll see them coming," Yvlena said assuaging her fears. She knew she was strong enough to take on this starter area but that didn''t mean there weren''t any surprises.


    They walked for a bit, keeping their eye out for anything thing that looked like a shipment crate, something like what she had seen within Ricardo''s Caravan. It wouldn''t be too big just a sealed wooden box.


    "Keep your eye out for anything that looks wooden," Yvlena said.


    "Like that?" Sprite asked pointing her finger out at something in the distance. Yvlena squinted in the direction her summon pointed. From what she could make out, it looked like a simple treasure chest.


    She ran toward it, and soon stopped in front of a medium sized treasure chest, it was brown with gold accents and was wrapped with a heavy chain.


    [Sprite cast Sting (01 MP)]


    Sprite''s sting broke the lock on the chest, they watched the chains unwrap, falling into a heap on the floor and vanishing.


    "I hope there''s something good inside.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Star Root (Herb) x2


    Bloom Lilies (Herb) x2


    Moon Points x1000]


    "Oh, herbs!" Yvlena said, though she was a little disappointed, at least she could give some to Iris and if she recalled Bloom Lilies and Star Root were two herbs that were quite hard to find.


    "Or I could try to use create the explosive potion recipe Risel gave me, Alchemy is a skill I''ve been ignoring," Yvlena said to herself as she dusted off her hands.


    A spring breeze blew through the area, carrying the faint scent of freedom and flowers. Yvlena wondered if she would find anything of Twyla''s the further she walked.


    Through her deductions, she knew Twyla had come this way and from her estimations and Ricardo''s words, the general areas where she was likely to find other players were this way as well.


    "Well, we''ll cross that bridge when we get there, right now I just need to find the shipment," she rested her hands on her waist and scanned her surroundings.


    A small blip in the distance appeared in her vision as she looked towards the horizon. The structure looked like a building long left to decay in the wilds.


    It made sense that if the miasma was spreading rapidly through the area the place would have had to be decommissioned for the safety of the people.


    "That must be the outpost from Ricardo''s flashback," Yvlena said. She ran towards it, Sprite and Rabbit Knight followed loyally behind her.


    They''re stopped abruptly by an encounter, a hairy wild boar squealed and charged forward at Yvlena.


    "A boar? Are you kidding me!"


    A large brown boar with white stripes running down its back faced them. The animal grunted, stomping its foot into the ground then kicked up dirt as it sized them up.


    The animal released a deafening squeal, charging forward without any sense for its own safety.


    Yvlena braced herself for battle, firing off a Carrot Strike.


    The boar squealed, deep and guttural, unlike the high pitched squeal of a domestic pig. Its tusks gleamed with a razor like edge and Yvlena instinctively knew that being hit head on would spell disaster for her.


    "I''m not about to lose to a pig when I beat Viseli!" Yvlena said. The boar was already running toward her, Yvlena dodged what would have been a brutal hit and brought her sword down upon the Boar¡¯s back.


    Rabbit Knight flipped forward rapidly jabbing the boar with his rapier.


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    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Strike (10MP)]


    [Sprite cast Bind (03 MP)]


    Vines grew around the boar, allowing them to get a better chance at rapidly attacking. The boar squealed again and with its tusks, tore and ripped the vines binding it to the ground.


    It stuck Rabbit Knight hard, causing the little Rabbit to roll away from the party and land with a skid.


    Yvlena saw through the status bar that his health had gone down to almost half!


    "Rabbit Knight!" Yvlena and Sprite called in worry. The fairy flew over to him leaving Yvlena to face the boar who seemed to have grown three sizes.


    "Uh..." She locked eyes with the creature''s fierce gaze, the strange boar radiated a menacing aura that almost sent Yvlena into a panic.


    [Wild Boar is Aggressive]


    Yvlena glanced at the notification with a deadpan expression. The boar charged, grunting with each step it took and as it got closer and closer Yvlena attacked.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Beam (20MP)]


    It only stopped the boar only for a moment before the angry creature charged again. Yvlena braced herself for a hit, preparing to cast her ultimate when in a flash Sprite and Rabbit Knight hit the boar with a combo.


    [Battle Skill: Rabbit Sting Combo]


    The boar stopped, changing direction and chasing after the two summons. Yvlena leaped into the fray unlocking a new skill in the process.


    [Battle Skill Unlocked: Orange Combo]


    Yvlena and Rabbit Knight linked up. As Yvlena cast her Carrot Beam, Rabbit Knight released a volley of slashes. The Boar swayed, grunting weakly and collapsing onto the floor.


    With one final attack, the creature fell giving Yvlena her reward.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 550/1046


    ***


    Pork x3


    Boar Tusk x2


    ***


    Moon Point x200]


    "Wow that was harder than I thought," Yvlena said panting. She didn''t expect the boar to be as tough as it was. It wasn''t the level of Viseli but it was surprisingly difficult for a basic Mob.


    [Rabbit Knight gained a level +1]


    [Sprite gained a level +1]


    [Class Skill: Summon Leveled Up]


    [New Slot Unlocked]


    "Eh? I got a new summon slot, wow! Soon I won''t even need to lift a finger," Yvlena said. She placed her hands on her hips and wondered where she would find her next summon stone.


    "Gosh, it''s probably going to be another visit to the merchant so I better finish this quest!"


    They begin their journey to the abandoned building again, keeping their eye out for any enemies that may have been lurking nearby.


    "I can''t imagine how hard it would have been to fight that pig if it was corrupted by the Miasma, it might have even given Viseli a run for money," Yvlena joked.


    ----------


    After beating a wolf that seemed to spawn out of nowhere, Yvlena, Sprite, and Rabbit Knight finally laid their eyes on the back of the abandoned outpost.


    A large wooden fence surrounded the area, within the outpost itself were two large houses and a guard tower with a straw roof.


    From the looks of it, the outpost was a small one meant to house Bloom Haven guards. Bloom Haven didn''t have many enemies, but there had to be a check point beyond the town for trade and to ensure the safety of the travelers.


    Yvlena went in first, walking through the broken, termite eaten wooden gate, she began looking around until her foot stepped over something that gave a nasty crunch.


    "Huh? She lifted her foot, and looking downward, her eyes fell on the broken skull of a human. Empty eye sockets and a displaced jaw gazed back at her in silence.


    She screamed, jumping back in fright at the sight of the skull.


    There must have been casualties, not everyone would have made it back when the Miasma was building up, and certainly not when it had blocked off the area.


    Some of the guards must have stayed behind to make a noble sacrifice. Yvlena picked up the skull sadly, she stared into the dark space where eyes used to be, unflinchingly.


    "I think we need to find some shovels," Yvlena said placing the skull on a lone wooden table left outside.


    She picked the building on the right and began walking towards it to explore. Her feet moved through the overgrown grass and she wondered if she would be able to cut it with her scythe.


    Equipping her scythe she charged up and released her magic, with a sweep of her scythe''s blade the grass blocking the entrance to the building was cleared.


    [Yvlena cast Wide Sweep]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Wild Fiber x5


    Wild Seeds x5]


    "It worked?" she said in awe, putting her scythe away she walked through the now clear path, up to the door of the first guard house.


    It was a large building, similar to a barrack of some kind, it must have been able to house at least a dozen or so men and women of the town guard.


    One of the first things she noticed were the multiple holes in the walls, the guard houses were made of wood and due to the abandonment, the place was falling apart, much like the Rose Manor.


    The door creaked loudly as she pushed it open, Yvlena stepped into the building, feeling the wood wobble under her weight. She and her summons found themselves in a large corridor once again with two wings, East and West.


    Yvlena went left, walking cautiously through the L-shaped building. Anything could attack her at this moment and it wouldn''t be good to be caught off guard.


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    A strange sound resounded through the building as she walked, Yvlena began checking rooms on either side of the corridor. Maybe there was a survivor, she could feed him or her the Rabbit Meat Soup recipe she knew.


    The sound grew closer and closer until Yvlena and her party came to a closed door. Three Faded Gold stars underneath a name plate let her know the room had once belonged to someone important.


    A commander perhaps, it didn''t matter now. The name was too faded to read, she could only make out part of it. ''Will''


    Yvlena pushed open the creaky door, and stepped in, locating the source of the sound in the process.


    She gasped at the sight.

 046~The Merchants Quest (3)

    When Yvlena opened the door, she was startled by the presence in the room.


    There stood a man, or what used to be a man whacking a rusty sword against the wall in a rhythmic motion. Yvlena gasped, from his translucent figure she already knew he was a ghost.


    As she suspected, he had been one of the Bloom Haven guards, who had probably stayed behind. She noted his uniform though see through, it had the unmistakable town crest, the Ever Bloom.


    Yvlena frowned, facing the ghost unable to move on from the events of the Miasma or even the war of the gods made her feel for the characters. Did he have someone back home who was still waiting for him?


    This had to have happened so long ago.


    "Should I say something?" she wondered. The spirit seemed hostile, and the rusty sword possessed a rough jagged edge that would be a pain to deal with if she had to fight.


    "I knew this wasn''t going to be easy one way or another,"


    She stepped into what used to be a large stateroom, a large desk sat by the entrance. Someone''s body lay in a collapsed heap, slumped forward with a pen in their now bony hand.


    They were writing something, a letter perhaps?


    Yvlena approached the ghost, hoping for benevolence but preparing for a fight.


    "Will?" She called, only remembering the first few letters of the name on the door.


    The sound stopped as the ghost paused, then lifted his head and turned around to face Yvlena.


    The man''s face had long since rotted away, leaving only half a face covered by spectral flesh, his cheeks were gone, exposing his teeth and skeleton. The rest of his body was much the same.


    The uniform mostly survived albeit ripped to shreds by the elements, but the flesh underneath had long since decayed.


    "Olivia?" The ghost called longingly, "My dear Olivia is that you? Why have you come to this terrible place?" A skeletal hand reached out to Yvlena in hope.


    Yvlena felt terrible about breaking his heart, she shook her head.


    "I''m sorry sir, but I don''t know who that is," She grimaced, knowing from the tiny amount of horror movies she had seen in her lifetime, that this ghost was about to go ballistic.


    As if on cue, the calm, forlorn ghost was replaced by a shrieking phantom who came at her swinging with a sword.


    "Do physical attacks even work on ghosts?!" Yvlena asked, swinging her blade. As she suspected the sword went right through, moving as if she struck air.


    "Magical attacks only, got it!"


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Strike (10MP)]


    The orange flash flew at the ghost, striking hard and fast causing the being to stop only momentarily before it lunged again. It brought its sword down faster than Yvlena could stop it.


    She blocked.


    The Carrot Sword and the Phantom Sword scraped against each other, both parties gave it their all in a battle of who¡¯s strength would give out first. Yvlena¡¯s summons attacked.


    [Sprite Cast Sting (01MP)]


    In a surprising turn, the fairy magic ended up being very effective against the spirit. The ghost wailed, pulling back to look for the creature that had caused him such pain. He sighted Sprite hovering in the aim and drew his bony hand back to strike.


    [Sprite Cast Sting (01MP)]


    The Phantom attacked, intending to deliver its fierce blow to Sprite, Yvlena dove forward, taking the hit for her fairy.


    "Argh!" she screamed as the rough edge of the blade cut across her back, her rabbit fur cloak took most of the hit, but the force of the blow knocked her to the ground.


    "Yvlena!" Sprite called.


    Rabbit Knight attacked, but his rapier only fazed through the Ghost commander''s uniform.


    The phantom laughed menacingly, and with a sweep of its hand brushed the Rabbit off to the side.


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    From her place on the ground, Yvlena grabbed her sword and forced herself up to cast a skill.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Strike (10MP)]


    Yvlena delivered a critical hit,  knocking the ghost back with a powerful carrot strike, the creature wailed dissolving in a burst of light.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 650/1046


    ***


    Shadow Essence x2


    Memento x1


    ***


    Moon Point x200]


    "A memento?" Yvlena asked, reaching into her inventory and picking up the item she discovered it to be a letter.


    [The Last Testament Of William A. Brackett


    ***


    My dearest Oliva, it is with a heavy heart that I write to you now. The miasma is spreading and there are not enough horses to go around. Even now from my desk, I watch the dark clouds swarm over us blocking out the sun.


    I''ve sent the last of the young ones back to the town, I can already feel my strength fading.


    I feel the weight of the darkness in my chest and fear this may be the end.


    There are only three of us myself, Lieutenant O''Leary, and Commander Addison, who have agreed to stay behind and make the most noble sacrifice.


    As I watch the last moments of the outpost I can''t help but think of you, my Olivia. I imagine the Floral District in full bloom this spring. The large apple tree by the house finally ready to bear fruit.


    The Tea House would be just about packed now, wouldn''t it?


    Olivia I wish I could see you one last time, and I pray by some miracle of the gods that this letter finds its way into your hands.


    I''m sorry I could not find my way back to you love, but it appears fate has other plans for me.


    Forever yours,


    William A. Brackett]


    "Yvlena''s eyes teared up as she read the letter. These developers and writers were too good at their jobs.


    "Olivia, I hope I can find you and give this letter to you," Yvlena said.


    A quest menu popped up but the elven girl was already expecting it to. Even if it didn''t just out of principle.


    [Quest: The Cry Of The Dead


    You have stumbled upon the Bloom Haven Outpost and the remnants of the town guard, once stationed there.


    Lay them to rest and see to it that their final wishes are fulfilled. But it is not so easy a task.


    Each man left behind has become a phantom tainted by the miasma, even with its disappearance their souls are not so easily put to rest.


    ***


    Rewards


    ????


    ????


    ***


    Moon Points x3500


    Moon Gems x300


    ***


    EXP x100]


    [Do You Accept?]


    [Yes/No]


    "I''ve found, William right here on his desk. That means the skull outside must either belong to Commander Addison or Lieutenant O''Leary." Yvlena said.


    She scavenged the stateroom, putting what she could find in her inventory.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Sugar x2


    Corn Seeds X2


    Empty bottle (Small) x1]


    "Huh? An empty bottle, does that mean I''ll be able to get water from the lake now?" She thought.


    Her mind flashed back to the Bloom Forest Lake she passed on her way to the depths, no longer the forgotten depths as now even Ricardo the merchant had passed through it.


    "I wonder if he got attacked by a ghost, maybe that''s how he lost his shipment," Yvlena said.


    Yvlena looked back at the body still slumped over in the chair and made the decision to lay it to rest. She picked the body up in a bridal carry and began exiting the room the same way she came.


    Getting Outside she lay the skeleton near the table where she had placed the skull.


    "Where''s the rest of you?" She asked.


    "On the Outpost grounds maybe," Spirte said, Rabbit Knight''s nose twitched as he rubbed it, Yvlena could tell, the summon wasn''t looking forward to fighting another ghost, especially since he couldn''t do much.


    Yvlena''s eyes scanned the Outpost grounds but found no trace of the body that would have belonged to the skeleton. There were no clues in the dirt either, all she saw was land covered in grass that would take a while to clear.


    If she found his remains, maybe she could identify who this was, Just like William. Yvlena walked forward, tracing her steps to where she had picked up the skull near the entrance to the outpost.


    "He was probably trying to get away from the Miasma as well!" she deduced. Yvlena remembered how she almost had to claw her way out of the thick smog, but she had the Ever Bloom to save her.


    The town guard wasn''t so lucky.


    Kneeling into the dirt, she rubbed it with her bare hands feeling for something, he could have dropped his memento as he was running for his life.


    "I will have to dig, won''t I? The body is probably under a ton of dirt. The Outpost''s been abandoned for like what? 50 plus years?" Yvlena sighed, already poking the dirt to figure out where she would start digging.


    "Yvlena over here!" Sprite called a few feet away from her. Yvlena rushed over and with her scythe, cut the grass to an even lower level. She began digging with her hands until she snapped out of it.


    "I have tools!"


    Taking her hoe out of the inventory she began digging up the soil. Slowly a withered skeletal hand was unearthed.


    "We found it?" Yvlena gasped in surprise, as she continued to scrape more dirt off the bones, the hand suddenly jerked to life, rattling its bones as it did. It clawed at the dirt, kicking up more and more until its body was revealed.


    Yvelan and her summon, pulled back already knowing this would be the second encounter.

 047~The Merchants Quest (4)

    The hand stretched towards the sky, and fell into the ground, grabbing a fist full of dirt and dragging itself out from the hole it was buried into.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Strike (10)]


    She acted preemptively, trying to slay the creature before it could fully emerge out of its hole in the ground. If she could damage it now, the upper hand would be hers.


    The headless zombie crawled out of its shallow grave, dragging itself out of the hole with persistent fervor. The ground shifted around it, forming a small mound of dirt and soil as the zombie continued to emerge.


    "Ah! It''s coming for us," Yvlena screamed trying to cut off one of the bony hands with her sword, she succeeded. One hand fell limply to the floor before scurrying away and grabbing her foot!


    "Eek!" She squealed, trying to shake the skeletal hand off her leg, the zombie hand held onto her plain dress as she jumped around trying to dislodge it.


    Sprite and Rabbit Knight attacked the Zombie corpse that had just about pulled itself out of the ground and lurched forward with a start.


    It shook the dirt off its emaciated frame and stood tall, then stumbled forward, hoping to grab a hold of something. The zombie''s hand came to its neck stump, touching and feeling for its missing head, it turned away from them, already with a destination in mind.


    The zombie ignored them only occasionally swatting in the general direction it felt Sprite to be and, moving towards the wooden table where Yvlena had placed the skull she had found as well as the remains of William Brackett.


    The zombie, with his only hand, reached for the broken skull on the table. using its hand and stump to affix the skull back unto its neck joint.


    It groaned, sad and dying just as William''s had been. The zombie turned to face the party, a battle club suddenly in hand.


    "For Bloom Haven," the creature rasped in a final death cry. It lifted an old spiked wooden club and charged at them.


    [Sprite Cast Sting (01MP)]


    "It burns!" The zombie cried, lifting its hand and stump to shield itself from the fairy''s magic.


    Yvlena with one final kick, shook the bug like hand off her leg and stomped on it until the hand disappeared into flakes of light.


    The zombie flinched, the feeling of losing its hand made it pause momentarily.


    "Nasty!"


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Strike (10)]


    She joined her summons in battle, swinging her sword to match the ferocity of the club.


    The creature roared, almost managing to scare Yvlena with an up close view of its missing teeth and worm infested gums.


    "You don''t scare me!" Yvlena yelled back with a roar of her own. Her eyes descended towards the details of his uniform where she was able to make out the name on the tattered uniform.


    ''O''Leary''


    Yvlena gasped, the second person who had stayed behind by choice. Lieutenant O''Leary, stood before her a zombie rotting away with the old Outpost.


    She imagined he must have been a brave and noble man before he was reduced to this. Now he was only a ghoulish mimicry of the Town Guard he had been before.


    His flesh had long been eaten away by the elements, exposing a network of fried tissue and sinew that pulsed with each step he took. He struggled to lift his own club, allowing Yvlena to parry it.


    A single eye stared at her from what was once a pair of empty sockets. It seemed the Miasma had given life to the body now attacking her.


    "The War of the gods creates undeath?" Yvlena said, trying to prompt the details of the world story quest.


    [War of the Gods 2.5% completion]


    Yvlena sighed, grunting with effort she knocked the club away but the zombie came back a heavy hitter. O''Leary swung the weapon like a bat, catching Yvlena in the arm and dealing damage to her HP.


    Stolen story; please report.


    "Ack! He''s so strong, as expected of the Town Guard," Yvlena said clutching her arm.


    [Sprite cast Cure (05 MP)]


    The fairy flew over her shoulder, healing her instantly, it wasn''t necessary though. Yvlena was quite the sponge, even with the heavy amounts of damage she took from fights.


    She did wonder what would happen to her summons if they reached 0 HP though.


    Yvlena leaped into the fray again, raising her sword and bringing it down for a magically charged attack.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Beam (20MP)]


    "I''m not going to let you win," Yvlena said forcing the club backwards. The zombie tripped, allowing Yvlena to swing her sword and cast again.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Beam (20MP)]


    The orange ray shot off the zombie''s other hand before it could think to pick up and reattach, Sprite Blasted it with fairy magic.


    [Sprite Cast Sting (01MP)]


    Yvlena leaped, bringing her sword down to lob the head off the zombie for an instant kill.


    The prone body fell to it''s knees,


    "Who knew movie logic would apply," She said with a shrug.


    "Thank...you," the fallen head said. The zombie''s body dissolved in flakes of light, the battle was over, Yvlena had won.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 800/1046


    ***


    Shadow Essence x2


    Memento x1


    ***


    Moon Point x250]


    O''Leary''s memento wasn''t a letter to someone he knew but, a small, rusty pocket watch. Yvlena held it in her hand, it was as big as her palm, Yvlena ran her thumb over it curiously. She clicked the lock, but rust jammed the mechanism shut.


    "I guess I''ll have to find some sort of tinkerer or a craftsman. I guess I could try to fix it myself, I have the alchemy and crafting skill,"


    She examined the watch''s exterior, it was made of some kind of metal and had a faded insignia on the back, probably initials. The rust would have to come off before she would be able to read it.


    She stored it into her inventory, now she only had to worry about finding Commander Addison.


    Yvlena sighed, relieved to be done with the battle, it was a hard one but she was better at fighting now.


    "When my summons get stronger I won''t need to fight so hard, sometimes those hits really hurt," she said rubbing her arm where the club had impacted it. The area didn''t hurt thanks to Sprite''s Cure, but that didn''t mean the sensation was pleasant.


    ----------


    Aya took the Revista off her head and exhaled. Looking out the window, she peeked through the window and noticed It was night when she decided to stop playing.


    "I spend so long in game, but it''s so fun!" she said. Aya rested her head back on her pillow before deciding it was time to eat dinner. She really hoped Mars stopped by again.


    A harsh knocking came from her door, already knowing who it was, Aya groaned and dragged her feet to open it. She had to keep confusing Lydia with her schedule so the older woman wouldn''t know when she finally found her missing relative.


    "Yeah?" Aya asked opening the door. Lydia¡¯s crone face nearly poked through the door but Aya kept it just wide enough to see the woman clearly.


    "Rent is due on the first!" Lydia barked.


    "Do you think after living here for close to three years I don''t know how to pay rent?" Aya deadpanned. "Go bother the smokers on the roof,"


    Aya pushed the door, intending to shut it when Lydia''s arm stopped it.


    "You''ve gotten too big for your britches girl," Lydia growled. Aya looked down at her through her nose. Lydia continued. "You''ve forgotten whose generosity allowed you to stay here,"


    "You mean my grandmother? Your mom?" Aya asked incredulously. Lydia''s nostrils flared, by now the woman was openly fuming. Aya only glared back and pushed the door closed without another word from Lydia.


    "If she wants to evict me she still has to give me a notice. I can come up with 500 Lue by then to get a new place," Aya said resting her back against the door. Her shoulders felt lighter, she exhaled in relief.


    She had wanted to say those words to Lydia for a long time, to remind her that it was her grandmother''s sacrifice, not Lydia''s. The woman had barely given her a place to stay and even then Aya knew she was paying through the nost for terrible accomodation.


    "When I get out of here, she won''t know what to report to whoever she''s talking to," Aya said. "I just need to be patient first,"


    She made dinner for herself, the only thing available being more bread and sandwich meat.


    "I need to go out and get some groceries tomorrow, I must have used up more for the Omurice than I thought," Aya sighed. She picked up her phone and checked the Moon Valley companion app to see if anyone had bought her Low Grade Grass Stone.


    "It usually doesn''t take long," she said, opening the app and clicking the transactions tab.


    She exhaled again, the stone had sold for 27 gold.


    "Phew, with what Mars gave me for the Ever Bloom I''ll be out of here in no time," she said stretching her hands over her head. Aya yawned as drowsiness overtook her.


    After the day she had, she was positively wiped.


    Aya cleaned up her kitchen and tucked the box with the Revista away before she began settling into bed to get some rest. She flopped unto her bed, burying her face in her pillow and relaxing deeply into her bed


    "I''m so glad I don''t have to go to work tomorrow,"

 048~The Merchants Quest (5)

    Aya woke to the silence of her apartment, not having to go to work meant her disabled alarm clock had now found a home under her bed with the rest of the random junk there.


    She yawned, checking the time to notice it was just about 10:30 am.


    "I wouldn''t even have thought about doing this on my weekends, it''s nice to not have to maximize time constantly anymore," she said, getting out of her bed.


    Stepping into her kitchen she filled a cup with water from the tap and gulped it down in one go.


    "Refreshing," she said leaning on her counter, she perched herself on her elbows and began to think.


    ''The Gold from Mars and this recent sale will be enough for a while but if I really want to leave this place I''ve got to get serious about crafting and cooking,'' Aya thought.


    ''Who knows, maybe I''ll be able to move to one of the better parts of Axen before I uproot and head to Mericross,"


    Footsteps caught her attention again, it was almost like a routine now that she noticed it. On a Thursday too, Lydia pounded on the door no doubt with a closed fist.


    Aya crouched and tiptoed towards the door not making a sound. She held her breath and listened to see if the woman was on a call with someone.


    "Must you insist on making me do these checks Fido? I told you she''s been employed for the past year, she''s not at home during working hours!" Lydia said into the phone receiver.


    Aya''s eyes rounded in surprise, she knew Fido was part of the operation but she didn''t think he was the one masterminding all this.


    "That scumbag!" Aya hissed under her breath from her place on the floor. Her grandmother had trusted him with her life and this is how he repaid her? By blackmailing the only person she might have left?


    She heard Lydia''s footsteps recede into the apartment hallway, probably on their way to harass another tenant.


    "That hag!" Aya said still whispering. She pulled herself away from her door, making sure the bolts were secure.


    "I''m upgrading them if need be, can''t afford to take any chances," She puffed her cheeks full of air and released it.


    "You gotta buckle up Aya," she said slapping her cheeks with both hands, "Play the game,"


    She went back to her bed to dig out the Revista. She turned it on, placing the PacBook beside her, and starting up the game where she left off.


    ----------


    "You''re back!" Sprite said, Yvlena opened her eyes to find herself in the center of the Outpost next to the table she set up to hold the remains of the fallen town guards.


    "Good to see you guys," Yvlena said, allowing the fairy to perch in her hair. Rabbit Knight sheathed the sword he had been cleaning and joined Yvlena by her side.


    "Only one left I remember," She said. William was in the first building, O''Leary on the grounds, that only left the second building and the guard tower left.


    "Let''s get something out of the way first," She said. Equipping her hoe, she dug the grass until it was deep enough to bury the first skeleton. Yvlena hoisted up the bones of William Brackett and placed them gently within his newly dug grave.


    Yvlena dug another grave for the Lieutenant as well, picking up the broken bones and laying them to rest.


    She placed two regular wooden torches as grave markers then bowed her head in respect to the pair of graves.


    ¡°I think we can look for Commander Addison now,¡±


    ----------


    "The guard tower will be the quickest to check," Yvlena said already moving in the direction of the guard tower. She cut through some of the taller grass as she moved through the Outpost.


    She stopped at the old Outpost Guard tower. It was a structure made entirely out of wood and seven meters tall in length topped with a triangular room made of straw and leaves.


    A wooden ladder stuck out from the side inviting Yvlena to climb it. The girl frowned and went closer, placing her hands on the ladder and putting one foot to climb.


    "I hope there''s nothing waiting for me up there," she said to herself, she hoisted her weight unto the structure and began climbing up the ladder. The ladder squeaked as the worn wood nearly gave out at being forced to hold someone''s weight after such a long period of time.


    Yvlena climbed as Sprite flew by side, racing up the ladder to either find nothing or confront the undead Commander Addison.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Let''s hope it''s nothing," Yvlena muttered.


    Reaching the top, she leaped in over from the side with an exhausted sigh.


    "Whew what a climb," she said. Yvlena stood in a wooden box filled with junk and straw. At the top, she could see a few holes in the roof where the straw used to patch it had fallen out.


    "Caw!" the sound blared close to her ears, Yvlena swatted an annoying bird that brushed past her. The bird circled overhead and eventually landed in a nest.


    Yvlena looked around, the old guard tower looked to have been completely overrun by birds.


    Only a specific type of bird, it was a small raven like bird covered in blush pink feathers and a black stripe wrapped around its neck, but what stood out to Yvlena was the black heart mark right at the corner of its wing joint.


    "That''s a pretty bird," Yvlena said.


    The feathered creatures flew away as soon as Yvlena''s boots took a step forward.


    "There''s gotta be something in here," she said already heading towards one of the piles of junk and nests. She searched the nests.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Heartish Raven eggs x3]


    "I can probably cook this," She said, continuing to search the nests until she ended up with nine eggs.


    "There''s nothing else up hear not even a trinket or something, well I guess it''s just a tower after, not much is going to be up here," Yvlena said. She hoisted herself over the edge of the tower and slid down the steps the way she had done sometimes when she still worked in Nue Corp''s mailroom.


    "To the other building then," she said.


    ----------


    With a swipe of her hand, she sheared the grass blocking the path to the second building within the Outpost.


    She pushed the squeaky door open and began walking through the overgrown insides, this place was a lot worse for wear than the other two.


    "Something''s strange about this one," Sprite said. Indeed, the room seemed to go on forever in one long stretch of hallway.


    The door shut behind them, plunging the girl and her summons into the darkness.


    "Hey!" Yvlena yelled, grabbing the knob and trying to force it open. The knob refused to move, locking the entire party within the building. Yvlena let go, backing away from the door to look around.


    She retrieved her fairy lit torch and asked Sprite to light it.


    [Sprite cast Sting (01 MP)]


    Light bloomed within the room, she looked around finding only grass and vines growing within the building''s interior.


    It reminded her of the hidden temple within the Bloom Haven Hidden Depths. The way the vines wound around the structure.


    Yvlena gulped, the foreboding sight before her sent chills up her spine. The building was a single long hallway that seemed to go on forever.


    "Alright, let''s go," she said holding her fairy lit torch and illuminating a path into the darkness.


    ''At least I''m not alone.'' Yvlena thought.


    There were no doors to rooms, no indication anyone had ever used the building to house people. After a bit of walking, Yvlena noticed the end did not come closer at all.


    "I could have sworn we were getting closer but we aren''t even the least bit closer to the end!" Yvlena said. She turned around to face the which was now miles away from her at this point.


    Rabbit Knight''s nose twitched as he drew his sword. In the blink of an eye something fell from the ceiling, Rabbit Knight acted fast, slashing the object before it could hit the ground.


    "What was that?" Yvlena asked shining her torch on the ground, she picked up the seed now split down the middle from Rabbit Knight''s attack.


    "What the-" Yvlena was about to say, when something fell on her as well. Yvlena looked up, gasping as she was overcome by horror.


    Merged with the ceiling was a giant ghostly face, breathing in and out as if in slumber. The rest of his body was not visible only the face coalescing with the building.


    After a moment, Yvlena noticed the plants and interconnected vines and flowers that grew out of the man''s orifices. They spread around the building, coopting it as their own.


    It seemed Commander Addison''s mutation had taken a different turn than the other two, a much darker mutation than even Viseli''s.


    The grassy vines reminded her of the Giant Weed Mimic she had cleared previously and hoped his skillset would be much the same.


    Every vine within the former Guard house came from Captain Addison''s mutated form.


    "I might be able to get a grass stone if I beat this, but just how tough is this guy? He has to be the boss of this quest,"


    "Are we going to wake him up?" Sprite asked apprehensively. The large being deeply frightened her, something was off about him. To her, this creature was a perversion of nature and all it stood for.


    "We have to if we want to set his soul free," Yvlena explained to the fairy. "But I wonder how we''re going to wake him up,"


    In a flash of a brilliant idea, Yvlena looked at the torch in her hand and then up at the ceiling.


    "Hmm?"


    She reared her hand back and flung the torch towards the face above them. The fairy lit torch bumped hard against the creature''s nose before falling towards the ground.


    Yvlena quickly lit another torch, unable to stand being in the dark with such a foul thing.


    The burst of fairy magic within the small torch roused the being from its deep sleep.


    A bellow of wrath resounded through the building, so loud Yvlena covered her ears and grimaced.


    The face groaned, struggling against its place within the ceiling, it was clear to Yvlena and her party that Commander Addison was trapped there, twisted by the darkness of the Miasma.


    The creature opened its mouth, releasing a tormented shriek. The building shook at the howl of pain and only then did it notice Yvlena.


    Bloodshot eyes stared down at her, the creature roared, the vines around him began to shift forming a mass only the creature in the ceiling could control.


    Torch in hand, Yvlena faced it.


    "Now we fight!"

 049~The Merchants Quest (6)

    The mouth within the ceiling roared as it came to life, the eyes darted up and down trying to find what minuscule creature dared raise a hand against him. The giant face soon laid its gaze on the brightly shining Fairy lit torch and the hand connected to it.


    "Who dares!" the face in the ceiling roared as the vine tendrils began to shift and move forming dense masses of greenery.


    [You have encountered Jonathan Addison, The Heart of the Outpost]


    "Watch out!" Sprite yelled, the enemy swung the mass like a mace, intending to flatten Yvlena like a bug. She jumped out of the way, rolling and nearly dropping the torch.


    The mass landed with a solid thump, rattling the building as it did.


    "I never thought I''d be fighting in the dark!" Yvlena said, trying to back away. She couldn''t see behind her and tripped over a branch sticking out from the floor, now gazing up she could see Commander Addison''s anguished face.


    From its place affixed to the ceiling, the head wriggled and thrashed as if trying to wrest its way out of its prison. Yvlena stared up at teary eyes, the eyes of a man who wanted to be free but could not.


    Addison stopped thrashing long enough to notice her staring from the ground. He growled, snarling at her as drawing in a huge gasp of breath. He spat in her direction, The drop shaped projectile flew rapidly in Yvlena''s direction.


    [Jonathan Addison, The Heart of the Outpost Cast Acid Drop]


    Already knowing she didn''t want to get hit by the acidic spittle she moved fast, rolling unto the floor and watching the liquid hit the ground. The liquid splattered dissolving the branch she had fallen on only moments ago.


    The girl scrambled up, gripping her sword in one hand and the Fairy lit torch in the other.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Strike (10MP)]


    [Skill Upgrade: Carrot Strike Leveled up to Carrot Shot]


    "Carrot shot?'' she blasted her new skill, allowing a bullet of carroty energy to impact the creature''s face. Addison snarled as he absorbed the hit.


    "Alright!" Yvlena cheered, her victory was short lived as the face in the ceiling retaliated, sending a vine shaped hand to grab Yvlena.


    The girl left the area swiftly diving under the hand that tried to grab her, in a bit to locate her summons.


    Sprite and Rabbit Knight had stayed busy fighting the tangled mass of leaves the enemy had dropped. The mass split open to reveal a still beating heart wrapped by vines.


    "His weakness!" Yvlena said. Deciding to leave the battle to her summons, She crafted another Fairy lit torch, using the light of her previous one she lit it and flung both at the face to distract it.


    The commander bellowed again and turned its attention to Yvlena. The mass of tangled leaves was pulled up into the abyss leaving Sprite and Rabbit Knight to focus on protecting their summoner.


    "We need to distract it so it lets down its weakness again!" Yvlena said, she crafted another pair of fairy lit torches and threw them again.


    They collided with the face in the ceiling but fell soon after. With the four torches scattered all around the area, the room slowly became more lit allowing Yvlena to see the true extent of the room.


    Yvlena and her summons were surrounded by living vines creeping around waiting for a chance to do some passive damage. She gasped, quickly crafting two more torches to throw.


    Fairy magic did damage to the undead, it would be wise to try to level Sprite up somehow but a common couldn''t evolve the way rare and higher ranked summon stones could.


    With better lighting, she swung her sword and fired her new skill.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Shot (10MP)]


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Shot (10MP)]


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Shot (10MP)]


    She blasted and blasted, surprised that her new skill could allow her to fire in rapid succession. Yvlena persisted until a wave of dizziness hit her.


    "My mana!" she said as the game gave her a warning notification. "It must be from all the magic, this skill is totally a mana drain I''ll have to be careful from now on."


    Commander Addison''s head roared and once again the mass of leaves was dropped, barely knocking Yvlena away in the process.


    Sprite and Rabbit Knight leap into action, stinging and stabbing until the plant heart was revealed once more.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Beam (20MP)]


    Directly impaling the heart with the orange beam of light, Commander Addison cried out in anguish as his heart was attacked by might and magic. With a huff he retracted it.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    [Jonathan Addison, The Heart of the Outpost Cast Acid Drop]


    The party scattered, avoiding the heavy acidic spittle flung at them.


    "We just need to keep going and soon we''ll have him," Yvlena said. She continued to craft a few more Fairy lit torches to pelt them at the enemy when suddenly she had an idea.


    "Keep him busy I have an idea!" Yvlena said. Rabbit Knight nodded in acknowledgment while Sprite saluted to her and flew off to continue blasting the creature.


    Pulling her inventory up Yvlena scrolled through her recipes until she came across a reward from one of Risel''s tasks she had done prior.


    [Explosive Potion recipe (Common)


    ***


    Type: Recipe


    A fiery potion made for battle, bottle it and throw it at your opponent for a chance to cause burn status


    Time: 30s


    ***


    Fox Tail (Herb) x2


    Common Spice Herb (Herb) x2


    ***


    Vial or bottle


    Cauldron]


    Yvlena went to the furthest corner of the room just out of sight of the monster and set out her cauldron.


    She ignored the crawling vines trying to attack her and got the herbs to place them in the now bubbling pot.


    She slashed a vine that got a bit too close and retrieved the bottle she had gotten from William''s stateroom. In an instant she had the mixture bottled up.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Explosive Potion x1]


    Yvlena in a panic, ran towards her summons who were just about holding their own in battle.


    She skidded to a halt then, drew her hand back to launch her newest creation. But as she was about to throw the potion, it was smacked out of her hand by a rogue vine. The bottle landed on the ground, luckily it didn''t explode and another vine kicked it, making it roll further and further away.


    "Ah! The potion!"


    She ran towards, it using her sword to tear and slash away at the obstacles keeping her away from the potion rolling away.


    Yvlena dove into the leaves, grabbing the potion before it could be dragged into a deep crevice.


    "Oh no you don''t!"


    Yvlena ripped her bottle from the vines, breaking it off in the process. She took steady aim and launched the bottle at Commander Addison''s face.


    The fiery concoction burst to life, with flames rapidly eating at the leaves and wood that made up the area as well as the creature''s face, but just as the recipe described the flames withered away after 30 seconds but not before causing an untold amount of damage to the boss.


    [Jonathan Addison, The Heart of the Outpost Cast Bind]


    The face within the ceiling made a sound that caused the floor beneath them to rumble, from below vines burst out and aimed to grab members of the party.


    Yvlena jumped over it and began running so she could find a place to check her inventory and get some of her mana potions, the dizziness was starting to affect her, it wouldn''t be long before she had to drink a mana potion by force.


    Rabbit Knight swiftly cut through the vines as Sprite dodged the vines that tried to grab her mid air.


    Yvlena downed the potion feeling an icy sensation run down her throat.


    "Wow, that is not what I expected this to taste like,"


    Energy returned to her in a second, she gripped her sword, now that her mana was restored she was able to use magical attacks again.


    Commander Addison released the mass holding its heart once more giving Yvlena and her party ample time to attack it.


    The girl fired off a Carrot beam, watching as it went straight through the heart of the former man.


    "My heart!" Commander Addison cried out, his eyes rolled into the back of his head, Yvlena could only see the color of his sclera as she looked up.


    "What''s he doing now," she asked. If only she had another bottle, the explosive potion would be able to help her right now.


    Commander Addison watched them move with hesitation, the face in the ceiling began to chuckle.


    "You who dares enter my domain, prepare to meet your end," he said.


    [Jonathan Addison, The Heart of the Outpost Cast Poisonous Bind]


    Once again the vines burst out from underneath them but these vines didn''t intend to trap them, no, these vines were different.


    Yvlena could see from the exterior they were thorny vines dripping and oozing venom meant to strangle them and put an end to the battle


    With the carrot sword, she cut and slashed at the vines coming for her.


    The objective was clear, it was to keep her and her party away from the heart. Yvlena ran and jumped over any thorny vines that tried to encircle her leg.


    She picked up one of the Fairy lit torches and began using it to thwack the vines coming for her. At the touch of the light, the vines shrunk away from her.


    "Sprite''s magic," she said, if she could get high enough to use it directly on the monster''s face they would no doubt win.


    Yvlena sheathed her sword and began searching around for the tangled mass of plants protecting Commander Addison''s heart. She found it amidst a swirling mass of vines posed to attack anything that came close.


    Yvlena ran towards it, using her Fairy lit torch to make her way toward the object of her goal.


    With a yelp, she grabbed unto the plantful mass as it was pulled into the sky by Commander Addison, Sprite followed.


    "Yvlena!" she called, Rabbit Knight leaped into the air just managing to catch the bottom of the plant heart vessel.


    "Good job," she said, they ascended toward the monster''s face and it was time for Yvlena to enact her plan.


    She clenched the torch in her hand and with a frightened shout, jammed it into the monster''s face. Commander Addison screamed, vines around them began to swarm as Yvlena continued to stab the monster with the torch and Sprite continued to cast sting.


    The ceiling began to shake, as the face continued to scream and thrash.


    "It burns! It burns!"


    Slowly, the giant face began breaking apart in flecks of light. Just like that Yvlena knew the battle was over.

 050~The Merchant Quest Ends

    Yvlena, Sprite, and Rabbit Knight bolted towards the exit as Commander Addison yelled and screamed his existence away. All around them, the face in the ceiling withered breaking into particles of light and dissolving.


    They watched the climbing, crawling vines shrivel, drying up and turning to dust as the being holding their life force together was no longer able to.


    Yvlena pulled open the now free door, holding it open for her and her summons to rush out.


    They found themselves on the Outpost grounds again, watching the wooden building rattle intensely until a beam of darkness was cast Into the sky.


    It dissipated, breaking up into the clouds until it was no more.


    [You Defeated A Minor Miasmic Entity]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 1200/1046


    ***


    Shadow Essence x2


    Memento x1


    ***


    Moon Points x1550


    Moon Gems x100]


    [Yvlena is now level 11]


    [Subclass Skill: Crafting Leveled Up]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Aruergo Shipment x2]


    The game told her.


    The elven girl exhaled in relief as she saw the quest had come to an end, now all she needed to do was return the shipment to Ricardo and she would get her reward.


    All before he would leave Bloom Haven too. It was a tough quest, longer than she had expected and Yvlena was glad it was over. She sighed in relief, glad there were no longer any ghosts to fight.


    Yvlena stared back at the wooden structure the battle had taken place in, already knowing the former Commander''s form was a result of the Miasma''s corruptive influence.


    She went to her inventory, picking out the memento from her most recent battle.


    Commander Addison''s memento was a recipe and a note. As Yvlena read it, she found it was a reminder for the commander to do something for someone.


    The note read


    [Spice Bread Recipe


    Send to Iris, the Tea House has been having a tough time recently.]


    Yvlena put it in her inventory, finally the last memento had been collected.


    She went back into the wooden structure to explore and possibly find the body of the former Commander.


    ¡°Look!¡± Sprite said. Yvlena stared straight ahead in the direction her summon pointed, where the tangled mass had been dropped was now the skeleton of the man she knew to be Jonathan Addison.


    He sat in what used to be a chair, a shrunken skeleton surrounded by dry leaves and withered vines. Yvlena''s heart sank, wishing she could have helped him somehow, helped all of them.


    "I''ll finish the quest," she said to herself.


    Yvlena approached the body, dusting off the dust and leaves that had settled upon the dead town guard. She picked the body up and went outside to begin digging his grave.


    With her hoe, a new space was made in the ground right next to the man''s comrades, she used a Fairy lit torch as a grave marker, Planting the beacon into the ground and stepping back to observe her handiwork.


    "There, I hope you three can rest in peace, thank you for your sacrifice," Yvlena said sadly.


    The ground rumbled, the dirt of the fresh graves shook and began sinking into the ground, as grave stones began rising from the ground. Yvlena went on guard anticipating another battle, maybe an amalgamation of all three men combined.


    The graves stayed still, when she came closer, she could read each man''s name.


    Willian A. Brackett


    Thomas O''Leary


    Jonathan Addison


    "I''ll be sure to finish all your quests don''t worry," Yvlena said kindly.


    With the shipment in her inventory, it was about time for the girl and her party to return to Bloom Haven.


    "How do I construct the fast travel thing? I''ll figure that out in a bit," she said with a sigh.


    ----------


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 254/1300


    ***


    Pork x3


    Boar Tusk x2


    ***


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Moon Point x200]


    The boar was swiftly ended with just as much trouble as before, Yvlena sighed tired from fighting the ghosts within the Outposts, she wondered what she would find if she went even further.


    Would she be able to find Twyla? Was Rosenheim that way?


    "I should ask Ricardo when I come back," Yvlena said.


    They walked all the way back to the Bloom Forest''s depths once again meeting the temple. Yvlena looked up at the statue of Selendriel with fondness for the face that resembled her mother.


    [The Departed Request a Prayer]


    The game told her.


    "Huh? I can...pray?" Yvlena thought for a second, so far all the people she could pray for were Bloom Haven citizens, Vaelindor and Selendriel were the patron gods of Bloom Haven and of her post as Harvest Guardian.


    It would make sense to pray to the game''s god as a mechanic.


    Yvlena walked into the temple with her summons trailing cautiously beside her. She walked over fallen leaves, and crumbling rocks until she reached the altar past the statues.


    It didn''t look like an altar to her at first, but upon closer inspection, Yvlena could see the carving of the Ever Bloom on the raised platform.


    She clasped her hands together and thought deeply about the enemies she had encountered.


    [You Prayed for Viseli]


    [You Prayed for Willian A. Brackett]


    [You Prayed for Thomas O''Leary]


    [You Prayed for Jonathan Addison[


    The notifications came in rapid succession making Yvlena sway in dizziness.


    "That was...a lot," She said holding her head in her hands. She looked up at the altar to find it shimmering in the sparse sunlight that came for the window.


    [Your prayers have been heard by the temple]


    [Your prayers bring you peace of mind, Full Health to party]


    A celestial shimmer rained down upon Yvlena and her party filling her with warmth, this was different from the Rejuvenating Lake. The warmth felt like an embrace from...her parents.


    "Mom, Dad," She smiled sadly, blinking away tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. "I will find out what happened to you,"


    [Healing Prayers 3%]


    "Oh, another hidden quest?" Yvlena asked, by now she already had a few she needed to keep track of, but this was nice. All she needed to do was come here to pray.


    She ventured a guess.


    "Did Rael come here to pray often?"


    [Story of the Harvest Guardian 8.3%]


    She nodded figuring that was the case. He would have been devout to Vaelindor and Selendriel, he was their Harvest Guardian. She bowed once more to the altar and turned on her heel to reach the Fast Travel device just outside.


    ----------


    The portal spat the party out with a belch of smoke, forcing them outside the entrance of the Rose Manor.


    "It''s good to be back," Yvlena said finding herself once again in the Floral District. The sound of friendly chatter reached her ears, she turned around to find more and more people going about their business.


    The homes opposite the Rose Manor were no longer shut and desolate. Little by little Yvlena made out personal effects and little flowers being placed around the streets and porches giving it life.


    "Well would you look at that," she said with a laugh. The District had only begun budding, soon with her help it would Bloom.


    "First thing''s first, getting the shipment to Ricardo," Yvlena dismissed her summon and ran straight to the Market District where Ricardo was performing bombastically for the crowd he had drawn.


    On seeing Yvlena he waved enthusiastically, his arms made big swings as he did. She waved back and approached the caravan as the crowds began to disperse with their purchases.


    "Do you have some good news for me?" He asked.


    Yvlena nodded.


    "That''s right I do," with strength bestowed by the game, Yvlena deposited the two shipment crates in front of the merchant who clapped giddily.


    "You ventured to the outpost, miss you are by far the bravest person I''ve met within Bloom Haven!"


    [Your actions have caused Ricardo to favor Bloom Haven, he will recommend the town to more merchants]


    Yvlena gasped, did this mean more merchants would show up to her town? How exciting.


    [Special Quest Complete:


    A Merchant''s Plight


    Ricardo Aruergo from the great house of the Aruergo merchant family encountered some difficulties on his road to Bloom Haven.


    Investigate the creature that attacked him and try to recover the misplaced shipment.


    ***


    Rewards


    Willow Dress x1


    Giant Teddy Summon Bell (Epic) x1


    ***


    Moon Points x1000


    Moon Gems x100


    ***


    EXP x500]


    "Willow dress? Summon Bell?" Yvlena asked, she would use the Adiri specs to look into it later, she smiled at Ricardo. Thanking the man for the quest.


    [Affinity with Ricardo Increased +5]


    [Ricardo considers you a Friend]


    "Thank you miss and should you need anything from me or any member of the Aruergo Marchant Family, you get a special discount," Ricardo said with a hearty laugh.


    [Title: Aruergo Merchant''s Favor


    +30% Discount on any Aruergo Merchant''s wares]


    Yvlena grinned, reading the words that flashed across her face with great excitement. She jumped up and down squealing from the completion of what she knew to be a limited quest.


    "Thank you, Ricardo,"


    "It''s no problem Yvlena, you''re a friend of the Aruergo''s now, wear that title proudly,"


    ----------


    Yvlena walked back into the Floral District intending to find Iris and give her the Spice Bread Recipe.


    "I wonder if he was her husband or her brother?" Yvlena said as she made her way to the arch with the Tea House sign, the closer she walked the more she noticed smoke from the building''s chimney.


    She rushed forward pushing the door to the tea house open to find a few people sitting around the previously unoccupied tables.


    Yvlena gazed about, amazed by the simple beauty of the Tea House, word must have spread quickly about the place. Now there were only about five customers but she was confident it would soon grow.


    Iris stood behind the counter making tea with the herbs Yvlena had gotten her. The girl smiled softly, happy to see the woman at work running her shop.


    "Iris," Yvlena called once she reached the counter, the woman turned around, her eyes rounded in surprise then softened at the sight of the elven girl. She grasped the girl''s hand from over the counter, happy to see the person who got her back up and running.


    [Affinity with Iris Increased +3]


    "Yvlena how good to see you,"


    "You''ve turned this place around, customers already!" Yvlena said cheerfully. A couple came in from behind her, making their way to their seats a chattering excitedly.


    "I couldn''t have done it without you," Iris said. "Good timing too, I was just about to run out of the herbs I got from you,"


    "All in due time, I have something you should see," Yvlena said. She opened her inventory and took out the note and recipe from Commander Addison. She handed it to Iris, much easier now than when she played on her PacBook.


    Iris furrowed her brows, reading the note. Her hand flew to her mouth to hold back the gasp that nearly left her mouth.


    "This is¡­"

 051~The Cry Of The Dead (1)

    Yvlena met the woman''s surprised eyes with an expression of sadness. She nodded.


    "Yes, it''s a note from Commander Addison," the elven girl said. Iris let her hand fall to her side in acceptance of the news. The old woman shook her head, reading the note again and tearing up.


    All this time, she thought she''d never hear from him again, but to find that he had been thinking of her even in his final moments...


    "How did you even get this?" She sniffled, Iris looked up from re-reading the note with a curious expression. "He never came back after the Outpost closed down,"


    "I met him, unfortunately, it was too late," Yvlena said, she debated telling Iris that her loved one had transformed into a monster but no one would want to hear that.


    "Thank you for bringing this to me," Iris said, Yvlena heard the woman''s sorrow filled voice tinged with relief, at least she had something of Commander Addison''s to remember him by.


    [Affinity with Iris Increased +5]


    "W-Who was he to you?" Yvlena stuttered as she asked. Iris gave a fond smile.


    "My brother," Iris said softly. "Have a seat, I''ll whip you up some Bloom Spice Tea,"


    Yvlena took a seat, once again thankful the game had no stamina bar, no doubt she would be dragging herself across the floor from exhaustion if that were the case.


    "I told him not to join the Town Guard you know, but he was always a stubborn piece of work," Iris said as she crushed the leaves in her tea grinder. "He insisted, kept insisting and then I just let it go. Even now, I can''t believe he''s gone,"


    "He''ll always be with you," Yvlena said, repeating the words her grandmother told her after her mother had passed. "As long as you remember him,"


    [Affinity with Iris Increased +3]


    "You''ve lost someone too, I gather? You''re awfully mature for a young girl or maybe you aren''t. One can never tell with elves," Iris said, Yvlena nodded.


    "Both my parents," she said sadly. Iris gasped softly, she faced the girl who by now was sitting at the counter, with both her elbows on the surface. Yvlena had a contemplative expression on her face.


    "That''s awful, Yvlena. I''m so sorry,"


    "It was a long time ago, I''ve mostly grown up without them. Things really hit once I lost my grandmother,"


    "So much loss for such a lifetime," Iris said, sliding the cup over. Yvlena smiled.


    "Thank you, Iris,"


    [The tea soothes your soul, and reminds you of a warm home]


    [+Temporary HP Boost


    +Temporary Increased resistance to Fire]


    [Affinity with Iris Increased +1]


    "I would like to give you this, to show my gratitude,"


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Tea Making Set x1


    Bloom Spice Tea Recipe (Uncommon)


    Sweet Bloom Tea Recipe (Rare)


    Spice Bread Recipe (Uncommon)]


    Yvlena gasped, looking up at Iris with gratitude. She laughed, delighted at the gift Iris had presented her with. Now she could make her own tea and experiment with creating her own recipes.


    "Thank you for bringing this to me," Iris said, she went back to making tea for the customers. Jonathan Addison''s quest within a quest had come to an end.


    [Jonathan Addison''s Spirit is at ease, a balance is restored]


    [Subclass: Leveled Up


    Herbalist(Harvest Guardian) 7/10]


    Yvlena read the notifications with a smile, soon she would level up her Harvest Guardian Class as well.


    "I guess I haven''t really been focused on that, too busy with fighting and quests," Yvlena mumbles.


    "Iris, do you know where I can find Olivia?"


    "Which Olivia?"


    "Olivia Brackett?" Yvlena replied in an unsure tone, all she had to go off was a letter, for all she knew, the woman could have left the town by now or married someone else.


    Iris made a thoughtful face, she nodded.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "The house with an apple tree beside it," Iris said. "All you need to do is go outside and take you left until you see a huge tree, it''s lost all its leaves now but it''s still an apple tree," the woman said.


    "Thank you, Iris,"


    ----------


    Yvlena walked down the cobblestone path, following Iris'' instructions until she came to an old house beside a large tree. It looked to be a family sized bungalow constructed out of wood, with wide circular windows and a cute curving roof.


    The building was a soft brown, a soothing color for a home, and right beside it stood a leafless apple tree. Yvlena noticed the tree after a moment, the large apple tree was enormous, easily dwarfing the home.


    As Iris said, the tree had lost every single leaf, its naked branches swayed slightly in the afternoon breeze with nary a fruit to be seen.


    "That was easier than I thought," Yvlena said. She came up to the small milk-white fence surrounding the property, not unlike the other houses she had passed and pushed open the gate to the short fence. She didn''t get far before a young man came through the door asking questions.


    "Who are you?" he asked in a cautious tone, Yvlena put her hands up in a non threatening manner, signaling she didn''t mean any trouble.


    A tanned young man stood before her, he had chestnut hair cut to his shoulders in a way that framed his face roughly. Green eyes watched her, checking if she intended to cause him any problems with a serious expression to match.


    Yvlena realized he drew a striking resemblance to the ghost of William Brackett.


    "I''m looking for Olivia, Olivia Brackett," Yvlena said quickly. "I have a letter for her,"


    The man frowned, his lips twisted in suspicion and skepticism. He looked Yvlena up and down before nodding and accepting the explanation for now.


    "I''m Dylan Brackett, her son, I''ll take you to her but the moment I catch wind of trouble, you''re out you hear me?" he said sternly. Yvlena nodded, smiling.


    "I understand, I just came from the tea house, Iris led you to me," Dylan''s eyes widened in surprise.


    "Well I''ll be, the old tea house is running again, Aunty Iris didn''t know if she was going to close down or not but I''m glad she didn''t," Dylan said.


    Yvlena didn''t know the NPCs had relationships with each other as well aside from stories.


    ''This game is so realistic,'' she thought.


    "Yes it would have been a shame to close it down, it''s such a treasure to the Floral District," Yvlena said as she followed him to the door of the family home.


    Dylan perked up.


    "I wanted to go into the forest to help her gather the herbs, but mom said it was too dangerous, only adventurers could," he seemed to pout. Yvlena giggled.


    "I have to agree with your mother, Bloom Forest is pretty dangerous, there are some seriously hostile creatures in there,"


    Dylan scoffed.


    "There''s no way you''ve been to Bloom Forest, not with all that''s going on? It''s too dangerous for a small girl like you,"


    Yvlena huffed, putting her hands on her waist.


    Dylan led her to the kitchen where a woman just about Iris'' age was making lunch, the woman wore a green dress with a white apron over it.


    She turned around, greeting her guest with a smile. Yvlena saw a beautiful woman with reddish brown hair and the same piercing green eyes she saw in Dylan.


    Even in her old age, Olivia was still a beauty.


    "And who might we have here?" She asked. Yvlena stepped forward introducing herself. She reached into her inventory and retrieved William''s memento.


    "I have this letter for you," she said, passing the paper into Olivia''s hands.


    The woman said nothing, glancing over the paper. She began reading and soon tears filled her eyes, much like Iris.


    "Where did you get this?" Olivia asked.


    "The Outpost, I went there on a task and met William, he wanted me to give this to you," Yvlena said, leaving out the miasmic corruption. The elven girl pointedly ignored the gaping stare Dylan was giving her.


    Served him right for not believing her.


    "I-I-" Olivia stammered, she held onto a chair trying to regain her balance from the shocking news. "You met William? How?"


    "I met his ghost, he called for you. He thought I was you at first, after all that time his spirit longed for you, you were loved Olivia," Yvlena said with a smile.


    Fresh tears rolled down Olivia''s cheeks as she listened to Yvlena speak.


    "Thank you for bringing this to me, I never thought I''d hear from him again," Olivia said. Yvlena nodded.


    "Take these as a symbol of my gratitude,"


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Eggs x5


    Flour x5


    Sugar x5


    Jar (Small) x5


    Bottle (Small) x5]


    "Don''t hesitate to stop by again, Yvlena," Olivia said with a smile.


    [You have become a friend of the family]


    [William A. Brackett''s Spirit is at ease, a balance is restored]


    "Thank you too, Olivia," Yvlena said.


    ----------


    Dylan walked her out the door keeping silent the whole time he led her back to the porch. Yvlena was about to make her way to the fence when he spoke again.


    "I''m sorry I underestimated you," he said. Yvlena nodded.


    "All is forgiven. Be careful how you talk to people, it may not seem like it but different exteriors hide deep secrets," Yvlena advised.


    Dylan rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. He couldn''t meet her gaze and Yvlena decided he was sufficiently embarrassed.


    "You should help out Iris at the Tea House, she''ll soon have more guests than she can handle in her old age," Yvlena said with a laugh.


    "Will you take me adventuring with you sometime?" Dylan asked nervously.


    Yvlena made a show of thinking about it. She swayed her head from side to side, humming as she thought.


    "Maybe, but you have to help Iris from now on."


    "I promise!" Dylan said, his eyes burned with excitement. He punched the air in joy, cheering at the opportunity he had been given.


    An idea occurred to Yvlena, she took the starter sword out of her inventory and gifted it to him.


    "You can practice with this," she said.


    Dylan accepted with wide eyes and a stunned expression. He stuttered out his thanks and accepted the sword from her grasp. She hoped he could grow strong enough to help his mother and Iris as well.


    "I won''t let you down elf girl, I mean...Yvlena,"


    "I''m counting on it, you better make me proud,"

 052~An Outing With Mars (1)

    The sky was dark by the time Aya logged out of the game.


    The girl pulled the Revista off and was met with the shrill ringing of her phone. She reached for it, grabbing the phone and swiftly shutting off the alarm.


    The alarm had been going off but she hadn''t heard a thing amidst the fighting and emotional scenes with the NPCs.


    Darkness peaked out from her threadbare curtains. She looked beyond them, watching a dark sky illuminated only by the few street lamps within her sullen neighborhood.


    Aya wiped the sweat off her brow and placed the Revista in the box she kept beside her. She hopped off the bed, putting the device in its safe place like she always did before going to use the bathroom and deciding to make herself a dinner of whatever she had in the fridge.


    It turned out to be more sandwich ingredients.


    "I definitely have to go shopping tomorrow," she said with a tired sigh.


    As she heated a pan for grilled cheese, she considered converting the gold she had accumulated into funds she would need to move out of the apartment run by her insane aunt.


    "I think I have enough, 177 gold is a lot of money, I''m so glad this currency is backed by a bank!" she said as she flipped the toasty bread to the other side for a nice cheese melt.


    ----------


    After dinner, Aya jumped into the bed noticing it was already almost midnight, leaving her job meant she no longer needed to wake up early. The late bedtime no longer bothered her, she wasn''t going to wake up to push a mail cart off an elevator.


    "And that''s just the way I like it," She muttered as she snuggled into her pillows. As she lay in bed, thoughts of the game began filling her mind.


    Aya started out wanting to be a member of the production class for financial gain, but all she had done so far was fight and barely leveled up her cooking, crafting, and Alchemy.


    Moon Valley was exciting and she just had so much to do. But Aya needed to narrow it down.


    "You''ve got to focus and get your head in the game," Aya told herself. "There''s got to be a balance somewhere,"


    Thoughts of the NPCs she had met so far swirled within her mind. It occurred to her that some could be befriended while others did not. To Aya, it seemed like a curious design choice.


    As though she was meant to meet them somehow.


    Mars came to her mind next, the mysterious girl from Evangels. After listening to the other girl''s past Aya felt a surge of anger rise within her at Mars'' former teammates.


    ''Some friends,'' Aya thought unhappily. The thought of sabotaging anyone made her heart race anxiously, and the thought of doing that to a friend made her feel even worse.


    ''Just awful,''


    "I can''t believe someone would do that," she said with a huff.


    "I should stop thinking so hard it won''t do me any favors right now," Aya closed her eyes, letting go and drifting off into a peaceful slumber. Tomorrow would be another day.


    ----------


    To her surprise, Aya woke at the first rays of the sun, a time not even her previous alarm was set. She cursed in annoyance wondering why her body would wake her up so early.


    "My internal clock must be broken," she said flopping back onto her bed, after a few minutes of trying unsuccessfully to get back to sleep she cursed in annoyance.


    It seemed her body still expected work days after she had quit the job and even with how late she slept, it wouldn''t keep her down for long.


    "Well, I need to go to the store anyway, so let''s get up,"


    She showered, then put on some clothes then grabbed her phone to leave the apartment.


    Aya unlocked the door and began peering into the hallway for any sign of her aunt. The coast was clear, with no sign of the hag''s presence to be felt.


    Aya tiptoed down the steps, keeping her eyes peeled for the woman she was trying to bypass. On reaching the door Aya ran out the apartment complex door, smack dab into Mars.


    "Oh Aya, didn''t see you there shorty," the girl teased.


    "Mars?"


    Mars lifted a hand to wave as she sipped on a sugary drink in a branded cup from one of the fast food places nearby.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Aya recognized the place but hadn''t had a chance to go to a fast food joint in forever with the time she spent always working at Nue Corp and coming home late.


    "Mars, oh it''s just you!" a sigh of relief escaped her. "Sorry, I was trying not to let my aunt see me," Aya confessed.


    "I''ll bet," Mars said with a smirk. "Where are you off to? It''s a bit early."


    "You''re one to talk, it''s like 7:00 AM why are you out anyway?" Aya asked folding her arms. A cold air blew through the morning, ruffling Aya''s hair. She pulled her jacket around herself to keep from freezing.


    "Just up and about," Mars said.


    "I''m heading to the grocery store I''m out of food, got nothing in my fridge," Aya said after a moment''s pause. Mars placed a hand on her hip glaring down at Aya who could only grin sheepishly.


    "It''s not like I did it on purpose!" Aya whined.


    "Seriously, you need to take better care of yourself, you''re a pro gamer now and pro gamers are always in top shape Aya!" Mars said. Aya blushed, passing the redness of her cheeks off as a reaction to the cold autumn air.


    "That''s why I''m heading to the store now," she whined. Mars finished her drink and grabbed her by the hand.


    "Well then let''s go," Mars said dragging her friend by the hand, Aya was taken aback by the sudden pull and stumbled forward as she struggled to keep pace with Mars'' quick steps. Mars wanted to go with her?


    "You want to come along?"


    "We''ll you''re hiding from your Aunt aren''t you and besides I''m bored what harm could it do?" Mars asked with a smirk. Aya nodded nervously. allowing the taller girl to pull her along.


    Always having to get her groceries alone, the suggestion surprised her but, she reasoned this was what friends did together, right? They took each other out and went grocery shopping and they had fun in each other''s company.


    "Sure," Aya shrugged trying to play it cool, "it''s just around the corner even,"


    "Oh I know the one," Mars said nodding, she disposed of her empty drink cup and continued to pull Aya along with her.


    ----------


    "And that''s when I slapped her," Aya said recounting the incident that led to the termination of her position at Nue Corp. Mars listened with rapt attention holding back her laughter at the thought of Aya smacking someone across that face.


    "Good she got what she deserved, if you''re going to treat people like shit expect it to come back to bite you," Mars said with a satisfied nod. The friends looked through the grocery isles as they spoke.


    The convenience store was a small one near the apartment complex, much like the building itself, the shop was a bit run down, having only a few shelves and a row of fridges at the back to store some cold drinks.


    It was almost always entirely deserted with people preferring to shop closer to the city for its wide variety of products.


    Aya looked at some cereal, searching for her favorite off-brand products. She shook the cardboard packaging and with a satisfied nod, placed it into her basket.


    "You haven''t converted your gold yet have you?" Mars said suddenly, the girl froze wondering how Mars knew that.


    "Relax," Mars said waving a hand dismissively. "I''m not saying to be nosy, it was just a guess," Mars said. Aya shrugged.


    "I don''t need it right now, I have enough to cover my groceries for this week," Aya said. "I''m saving it for something important,"


    "A nest egg I see, don''t worry I did the same thing. Trying not to spend my fortune all in one place," Mars smirked.


    She walked over to the row of refrigerators, peering at the limited selection of sodas, alcohol, and energy drinks. Aya watched her select the most artificially sweetened energy drink in the fridge with a shake of her head.


    Mars practically lived off sugar. No way that was healthy.


    After picking up more eggs, milk, and different mixes for meals. They walked up to the cashier casually talking about the differences between Axen and Evangels.


    The bored cashier watched Aya walk up with a basket full of things, a loud sigh left the woman''s lips.


    She scanned them lazily, chewing gum as she served them a soulless stare, boring right through them as she did her job. Aya, Mars, and the woman stood in an uncomfortable silence watching her scan.


    Was this girl new or something? The usual cashier was a bit dead in the eyes but not like this.


    The cashier was a young looking woman around her age, she had short brown hair in a pixie cut and empty brown eyes with a sharp angular face and a mole under her right eye. Her clear skin was a healthy brown under the fluorescent lights.


    The cashier wore the grey T-shirt branded with the convenience store logo and some ratty jeans showing she wasn''t too well off either. On her name tag was the woman''s name, but Aya couldn''t make it out under the dim light.


    After a few minutes of passing her products under her painted nails, the cashier looked at her computer to prepare the receipt.


    "Will that be all?" The cashier drawled, she blew a large bubble, popping it with a splat and sucking it back into her mouth.


    "Uh...yeah," Aya said, cringing.


    The cashier pushed a few buttons on the number pad, then showed Aya her total.


    In the end, Aya''s total was 46.8 Lue.


    "Man things are getting pricey," Aya said as she scanned her phone into the receiver to pay.


    Mars shook her head with a sigh. Knowing the fault stemmed from Evangels and their heavy tolls on transporting goods to Axen city. Price hikes were normal but under these circumstances they were insane.


    "Nothing we can do about the economy kiddo," Mars said as Aya bagged her goods, she helped her friend carry some of it, at least to Mars this looked like a good haul of groceries, she was happy her friend wouldn''t starve.


    Looking at Aya, she could tell the girl didn''t eat much, more so now that she was gaming a lot. Mars shook her head resolving to take care of her new friend, she just hoped the girl wouldn''t betray her like her last group did.


    ''Aya wouldn''t do that would she?'' Mars questioned internally she glanced again at the girl standing beside her with a thoughtful expression on her face and smiled.


    No, Aya wasn''t like her other team. The girl had the makings of greatness but not the arrogance that came with it.


    ----------


    "Maybe after you put your groceries away we can go out?" Mars suggested as they walked back to the apartment complex. Aya''s head whipped toward Mars, staring at her in complete and total surprise at the offer.


    "I would love to where do you want to go?"


    "There''s this bakery in town and an arcade I want to show you," Mars said tapping on her phone to check something. "So what do you say?


    she asked.


    Aya nodded vigorously, "I''m in,"

 053~An Outing With Mars (2)

    The two girls snuck back into the apartment complex in hopes Lydia would be too occupied disturbing the other tenants to see them


    It was hard enough to make a living in Axen, and Lydia''s efforts to make Aya''s life a living hell only succeeded under such stringent conditions. For a long time, the girl didn''t have anywhere to go and even worse could barely afford the rent.


    Now Moon Valley Online had given her a chance.


    Lydia''s choice to ruin Aya''s chances at meeting her family and choosing to blackmail the girl''s only living relative made Aya''s stomach twist in disgust. Why would she choose to do such a thing when she was already so well off?


    Aya and Mars stepped into the apartment as quietly as they could to place the groceries in the fridge.


    "Okay I''m ready to go-" Just then she heard the sound of footsteps coming down the staircase just outside the door, she and Mars exchanged looks, rushing to take off their shoes so their feet would land softly on the creaking.


    Aya scurried over to the door and pressed her ear to the wooden surface. Mars crept up beside her intending to say something but Aya placed a hand to her lips, shushing Mars who nodded in understanding. She made a zipping motion over her mouth.


    Lydia''s fist pounded on the door half heartedly already guessing Aya would be at work like most people who had regular employment. As far as the haggish woman knew, Aya still worked at Nue Corp only having time to interact with her in the evenings.


    The pair of friends heard Lydia as she walked away after the first few knocks leaving Mars and Aya to breathe a collective sigh of relief.


    "How often does she do that now that you''ve noticed?" Mars asked. Aya thought about it for a second and reasoned she would previously see Lydia one or two times a week, but now she would hear the woman come to her door a certain time every day.


    It was like she had been doing it daily without Aya''s knowledge.


    "I think she does this every day but Mars I had no idea she was this...crazy, you were right she is keeping tabs on me, and for the longest time I didn''t have a damn clue," Aya said.


    "Well she''s not going to have any idea where you''re going today," Mars grinned.


    ----------


    They caught the Seelim bus just as it was about to pull away from the bus stop, the driver stopped the vehicle, surprised anyone was even getting on the bus from this particular stop.


    Aya understood the lack of maintenance on Lydia''s part made it seem like the place was uninhabited. She had previously only taken the morning bus as well, she could only imagine what would be going through the driver''s mind.


    He must have thought, "What do you mean people live here?"


    He offered a hasty greeting and whilst Mars and Aya took their seats he started the trip.


    "The Bakery''s name is Rolfe''s," Mars said, she tapped on her phone a bit and turned to face Aya with a smile.


    "I can''t wait for you to try these pastries Aya, they''re to die for," Mars said with a devilish grin.


    They disembark at the bust stop right where the city square brightly plastered screens filled with adverts all over the buildings within the area.


    They step into a bakery on the square that Aya recognized as one of the services branded by her company. She stopped to stare at the Nue Corp logo stamped just beside the bakery''s name.


    "Something wrong?" Mars asked, Aya noticed her friend''s worried expression and shook her head.


    "No nothing¡¯s wrong, I just never thought I''d see my old company''s logo so soon," Aya said stepping forward to join Mars by the entrance to the small and homey styled building.


    An adorable bell rung as Mars pushed open the door, the smell of heat and freshly baked goods wafted through the space. Aya breathed in deeply already pulled in by the smell of cakes and sweets.


    "Wow,"


    The aroma from the pastries was heavenly and reminded her of the same scents while walking through the streets of the Artisan District.


    "You look like someone who would like a donut, I''ll get us some," Mars said. Aya nodded and continued to glance around the building. The bakery was a lot bigger than the convenience store she''d been in earlier


    A grin grew on Aya''s face as she breathed in the comforting smell of food deeply, she walked around checking jars of treats covered by bell jars.


    A man with jet black hair on the phone stood across the room. Aya recognized the suit but couldn''t tell who he was from the back. He could have been one of Nue Corp¡¯s executives or admin people out for a lunch break.


    She was about to move on when the figure turned around. Aya let out a gasp at the sight of her former employer.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Atlas?" Aya said in surprise, she didn''t think she would ever see him again especially since he didn''t call. Atlas looked up from his phone at the sound of his name, meeting Aya''s cheerful eyes.


    A smile pulled out at his lips before recalling he hadn''t bothered to call her after she had given him both her number and Moon Valley Online Player ID. He was mortified.


    "Aya," He said in equal amounts of surprise and embarrassment


    Aya walked forward, approaching the president of her former company with fondness. Upon standing beside him, she drew her hand back and smacked his arm.


    "You didn''t call me!" she said in a small whisper. Atlas laughed, completely caught off guard by the way she smacked him. His father would have never let something like this fly even playfully.


    "I intended to I just forgot," Atlas said lowly. Aya pouted, smacking his arm again.


    "Hey, I used to be your boss you know,"


    "Key word being used to!" Aya said.


    From the counter Mars stood glaring at the man Aya approached, she watched them interact, frowning.


    ''What the hell is he doing here?'' She wondered.


    Mars had enough of watching the two and walked toward them steadily with caution, she kept her eyes on Atlas watching him like a hawk. She sauntered forward, slinking an arm around Aya''s shoulder.


    Atlas noticed the dark haired girl from out of the corner of his eye and pressed his lips into a line, above Aya''s head Mars smirked and put a finger to her lips telling him to be quiet about her identity.


    Atlas glared.


    "Huh? Do you too know each other?" Aya asked tilting her head curiously. Mars shrugged.


    Atlas shook his head albeit unconvincingly.


    "Who''s she? A friend of yours," He asked staring pointedly at Mars. Aya nodded beaming.


    "Well yes, we''re having a day out," Aya said already starting to have her own suspicions that they were not telling her the truth. The air was too thick with distrust for them to just be strangers.


    "I''m going to check on our donuts, you two stay and...chat," Mars said narrowing her eyes into slits as she walked past them and back up to the counter.


    Atlas guided Aya towards one of the seats in the bakery and pulled up a chair for her.


    "Thank you,"


    Atlas took a seat of his own.


    "How have you been Aya, I heard you caused quite a stir at the company the day you decided to quit," he said with a chuckle. "I wish I could have been there to see it, Viviana''s had quite the attitude change since you left,"


    "Really?" Aya asked lifting her brow. An attitude change from Viviana was honestly the thing she had expected least.


    Atlas leaned back into his chair with a sigh. Looking at the only friendly face at the company made his heart sour. Aya had been the only person who''d spoken to him normally. She had none of the sycophantic simperings he''d come to tolerate from Viviana or the other executives trying to get to his father through him.


    He watched her stare out the window at the busy street in awe, her brown eyes lit up with every new branded ad for a gadget or PacBook that flashed across the giant screens of the city square.


    Atlas propped his chin on his hand staying silent.


    "Ah sorry I was lost in the view," Aya said with a giggle. He matched her smile and wondered if she would be interested in a position as his assistant.


    "How are you Aya?"


    "I''ve been fine, it hasn''t been that long since I quit. Quite a lot of my time has been freed up now that I don''t have to commute so much or push a trolley up into the elevator," Aya confessed.


    Atlas cringed but Aya didn''t seem bitter about her past job, the fact that she was talking to him let him know she still thought of him cordially at least.


    "Do you still play Moon Valley? The game you were telling me about?" Atlas asked. Aya nodded eagerly, he noticed a light in her eyes as if he''d touched on a topic she was deeply interested in.


    "I love it!"


    "I''ve heard so much about it, it''s changed people''s lives seemingly overnight, I never knew virtual items and food would be such a hot commodity in the digital market," Atlas said with a laugh.


    "Do you play? I don''t think you answered the last time I asked," Aya asked hopefully.


    "Only a little, I don''t really have a lot of time to. I''m so busy with my father''s company," Atlas explained.


    "What do you think about it so far?"


    "I think it''s a very interesting investment opportunity," Atlas said. Now if only his father would open his eyes and see that Nue Corp could be more than just another financial tech company.


    "I''ve made quite a large sum playing too, it''s been so helpful trying to cover rent this month. It''s honestly one of the best things that¡¯s ever happened to me!" Aya said.


    "Rent?" Atlas'' face softened, before she left he had offered her a raise, while looking at the account records he looked through hers and noticed she had been collecting a paltry sum for such hard work.


    Not even up to what he used to receive as pocket change when he was younger. His weekly transactions were more than what she would make in three months.


    "Yes, I''ve gotta pay rent and bills Atlas, I have to look after myself,"


    As he was about to say something Mars returned with a bag filled with amazing smelling pastries.


    "Wow Mars these smell incredible," Aya said, she opened her paper bag to find a golden glazed donut dripping with warm syrup. The mild scent of honey wafted through the air.


    "Just wait until you taste them," she replied. The dark haired girl noticed Atlas staring at her, she handed him a bag too. He accepted it, glancing inside with great suspicion.


    He gasped.


    "You remembered," He said, lowering his voice so only Mars could hear, she refused to meet his gaze and instead pulled up a chair to sit beside Aya who already had a mouthful of donuts, staining her cheeks with syrup as she nibbled.


    "If you choke I''ll leave you," Mars warned. Aya whined, presumably trying to say she would indeed not choke. Mars gave her another warning, tapping her nose the way she had come to do often.


    Atlas watched them unable to say anything as he bit into his own donut. Mars was ignoring him, after disappearing for months and making headlines in Gaming news circles she suddenly showed up again.


    With Aya of all people.

 054~The Pinhole Arcade

    Mars refused to acknowledge Atlas as he stared, she knew he had questions but now wouldn''t be the time to answer them. There would be no point, she wasn''t the same girl he knew in Evangels.


    The old Mars was long gone, dead, and buried with Scarlet Frontier. She nibbled on the sweet jelly donut she had ordered for herself and occupied herself with chatting and checking her phone.


    "You''ve been on your phone a lot today Mars, is everything okay?" Aya asked. Mars chuckled.


    "It''s fine Aya, I''m just keeping my eye out for something,"


    Atlas'' phone rang, startling them all at the small bakery table. The man snatched the device out of his pocket and with an annoyed tone spoke into the phone''s receiver.


    A panicked voice came out the other end, it seemed there was an emergency at Nue Corp and Atlas had to go. The president sighed, disconnecting the call with a huff.


    "Seems I''ve been called to deal with some things," he said. Before he could stand up a sleek black limousine drove and parked by the window in a spot reserved only for the higher ups at Nue.


    "You have to go already?" Aya whined.


    "We''ll see each other around," Atlas said.


    "We will if you call," Aya retorted. Atlas laughed, flashing her a row of perfect white teeth. He put his phone in his breast pocket and offered the two girls a hand and a gentlemanly bow.


    "Will you two lovely ladies see me out?" he asked.


    ----------


    The three of them leave the bakery with leftover donuts in hand, A man stepped out of the black vehicle, presumably the chauffeur sent to retrieve Atlas and take him back to the company.


    "So where will you two go now?" Atlas asked as he saw the two girls about to leave the bakery themselves.


    "I''m taking Aya to the Pinhole Arcade," Mars replied for the both of them.


    Atlas read she was protective over Aya but why? Had they known each other for a long time? Why wouldn''t Mars speak to him? He had so many questions.


    "Have you ever been there?" Aya asked. Atlas shook his head.


    "I don''t have time to go places often,"


    "Wow, you must be some big shot," Mars said with a pointed expression, she folded her arms, staring daggers into Atlas.


    The president of Nue Corp moved his eyes from Mars back to Aya.


    "I''ve got a lot of work to catch up on, but I promise to call this time," He said. "Aya what''s your Gpal ID?"


    Aya told him. In a moment she received a notification on her phone.


    [Acc Credited: 3500 Lue]


    "Eh? I can''t accept this!" She said in a whisper. "This is more than I''ve made in three months,"


    "Think of it as your severance pay, you need to afford rent and utilities, especially now you''re relying on gaming for income. It''s like a cushion," Atlas explained. "Friends look out for each other right?"


    Aya nodded mutely.


    "Thank you," she said still awe by the amount of money he had freely deposited. Atlas nodded, he stepped into the black limo, waving to Aya as he did.


    "Take care of her, will you Mars," he said.


    Mars nodded, folding her arms as the car drove away.


    She mumbled something under her breath Aya didn''t hear.


    "Hm?"


    "Nothing, that guy just pisses me off," Mars said, she took Aya''s hand, leading her down the busy street. "The Pinhole arcade should be close by,"


    Aya only nodded, trusting Mars and yet growing suspicious of her friend. There was still a lot the other girl wasn''t telling her about her situation.


    She knew by now Mars¡¯ former team was hunting her down, it would only be a matter of time before they caught up.


    For now, Aya would enjoy her time with Mars, they were friends after all.


    ----------


    The pinhole arcade was a colorful neon feast for the eyes, the moment Aya stepped in she could not contain the gasp of excitement that left her mouth. All around her were people engaged in some of the most interesting games and VR worlds she had ever seen.


    She looked to Mars, who nodded and led her toward an unoccupied set of virtual headsets with seats just behind them.


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    "Just about every game you can think of is on trial here, you can make a dummy account and test it out for a few minutes," Mars explained as they walked up to the headsets.


    The game seemed to be a Beat ''em Up set in a virtual city. Muscled men flexing their biceps played across the wide screen attached to the headsets.


    Aya picked up the VR Gear, tentatively turning it in her hands she noticed it was a model similar to hers.


    Revista-ii stood out in the backdrop of the neon lights emblazoned in chrome.


    Mars was already calibrating her headset to play, the girl looked at Aya who jumped from falling under her gaze so suddenly.


    Mars exhaled, motioning for Aya to come closer.


    "Uh, so what are we doing?" Aya asked. She allowed Mars to place the headset on her head and begin calibrating it for her. The helmet let out a small hiss before shrinking to fit the size of Aya''s head until it rested comfortably.


    "You''re not supposed to feel too much with the Revista. it''ll keep you focused,"


    "Are we going to fight? Because Mars I don''t think I''m ready!" Aya said in panic. Mars laughed.


    "Silly girl, do you really think I''ll just spring that up on you?" Mars said raising her eyebrow. Aya looked away.


    "No..." Aya mumbled. Mars rested her hands on Aya''s shoulder.


    "Right, you''ve never been to an arcade?"


    "It''s always been more than I could afford," Aya said hanging her head. Mars patted her gently.


    "Hey, you don''t need to be ashamed of that you know, not everyone can afford nice stuff," Mars said.


    "It''s just that, I feel like I should have had certain experiences by now. Everyone my age-"


    Mars smacked her lip with a gentle tap and frowned.


    "No Aya," Mars said sternly. "Most people haven''t lost both their parents and had to work to keep themselves alive. I''m not going to tolerate you comparing your life to others, you hear me?" Mars said.


    Aya hadn''t expected her to say it so passionately. She nodded quietly feeling her admiration for Mars grow.


    "Most people weren''t kicked out of their homes by our age either," Mars said softly. "But that''s the great thing about being alive, you get to do whatever the hell you want," She clasped her hands on Aya''s shoulders, smiling.


    "I''ll pay, I just want to show you the battle mechanics of a PVP, this one''s pretty basic, still a classic though,"


    "What''s it called?"


    "City Warrior,"


    Aya put on her VR Headset, waiting for the game to initialize. It booted up and suddenly she was launched into a virtual world.


    ----------


    Aya held her hands away from her face and looked around to observe the walls. The room was a void covered with glowing neon lines.


    "Is this for training?" Aya whispered.


    "It is," Mars said.


    Both of them were dressed in black body suits with their hands covered by thick gloves.


    "Don''t mind the default clothes Aya, it''s just a dummy system used to read movements. Why don''t you show me some of your physical moves," the girl said getting into a stance.


    Mars held her fists in position, guarding her face, she stood with her knees bent, rocking forward as she faced Aya.


    Noticing the hesitation on her friend''s face Mars said.


    "You won''t hurt me Aya, this is just a game,"


    Aya nodded and ran towards Mars, her feet landed weightlessly on the surface of the digital space. Aya threw a weak punch but missed as Mars dodged.


    She grabbed Aya by the arm, using the girl''s weight against her and throwing her to the ground.


    Aya grunted as she hit the floor but like Mars said, there was no pain. Aya accepted the hand Mars offered her and stood up.


    "Let''s set City Warrior to beginner, uh... Extreme beginner," Mars said with a chuckle.


    A virtual console flashed to life before them. The screen hovered in front of the two girls. Aya allowed Mars to choose, carefully studying what the tech-savvy girl was doing.


    "Please choose a game mode," the automated female voice said after a moment.


    "Extreme beginner," Mars said.


    "Extreme beginner mode accepted," the game said.


    Aya felt herself drop, much like the first time she entered Moon Valley online. She yelped as the ground gave way underneath her and brightness flashed underneath her toes.


    When Aya opened her eyes she was suddenly on the streets of a city, all around her were buildings mirroring the ones just outside the arcade. While she was expecting a busy city this one was desolate. Not an NPC to be found.


    "Wow!" Aya gasped, looking around. Her basic battle suit had been replaced with a simple outfit, she looked at the nice long sleeved blouse and checked the long pants that came with it.


    "Impressive right?" Mars said from beside her. Aya nodded, facing Mars who was wearing a purple body suit that hugged her figure while still being comfortable to move in.


    "Please select a weapon," The computer''s voice said once more.


    Mars, swiped through the console mid air, before settling on some steel brass knuckles. The virtual weapon appeared on Mars'' fists in a flash.


    She threw a few punches, before locking her fingers together for a heavy blow to the concrete, the ground burst open in a crater.


    Aya jumped back, trying not to get swallowed by the hole in the ground, in a few seconds it returned to normal.


    "Woah!"


    "Your turn," Mars said.


    Aya lifted her hands and motioned for the console to appear before her.


    "Please select a weapon,"


    "Uh..." she swiped through some weapons moving through them indecisively. Mars came up patiently beside her.


    "Go with this," Mars said pointing to a long ranged weapon pair. It was a ranged rifle, perfect for beginners within the world of City Warrior. Aya selected it and in a moment, the weight of the long gun rested in her hands.


    The beginner''s rifle was a long gun, just right for Aya''s size whether or not the game shrunk it down for her was a mystery. It was plain but had a nice shine to it. Aya weighted it in her hands, finding the length easy to manage.


    "Test it out you can always change to something else if you don''t like it,"


    Aya focused the rifle and squeezed the trigger for a swift shot, a bang resounded through empty streets hitting a target just out of sight.


    Aya lowered the rifle in awe. It was almost weightless, having no recoil to push her back in the heat of the moment.


    "I''m okay with this," the brunette said. Mars nodded.


    "Game Start!¡±

 055~City Warrior

    As soon as Mars uttered those words, the once bare city was slowly seeded with people going about their day, all sorts of NPCs walked about, chattering or mumbling to themselves.


    "Don''t lose guard, it''s just a cutscene," Mars said. Aya looked into the crowd and sure enough, some muscle bound thugs strolled forward as they chased a lady who was screaming.


    "Help me!" The woman yelled running from person to person on the crowded streets, she was ignored and pushed off by the NPCs until she hit Mars and Aya, falling into Aya''s arms and looking up at her.


    "Please you''ve got to help me they''re-"


    One of the men jumped forward, snatching the girl up and throwing her over his shoulder like a sack of goods.


    Another came up to them, towering over Mars and Aya, he wore the strangest white and blue horizontal tank top Aya had ever seen, with a hairstyle that appeared to be modeled after a skyscraper¡¯s landing pad.


    The thug took off his sunglasses, grinning menacingly at the girls.


    "Are we going to have a problem?" He asked. Mars didn''t even wait before she was yelling.


    "Aya cover me!" She slammed her brass knuckles into the thug''s face, watching him stagger backward clutching his face. He fell into the support of the other thugs, nearly landing on the ground as they struggled to catch his muscular form.


    Due to the PG nature of the game, there was no blood, only a swollen cheek, and one or two missing teeth. The man got up, pushing off against one of the men offering support. He jabbed a thumb in their direction.


    "You''ll pay for this!" He said before grabbing the girl and then running off sobbing.


    The rest of the thugs stood in front of them. Pounding their fists in an attempt to intimidate Mars and Aya, they intended to start a fight.


    All around them NPC citizens gasped and ran, not wanting to get caught up between the criminal thugs and the two girls that were about to fight them.


    Adrenaline surged through Aya''s veins as she lifted her gun to shoot one of the thugs in his face. The bullet bounced off, leaving the enemy gone in a spray of pixelated dust.


    "Good job, Aya!" Mars said locking her hands together and cracking one of the female thugs on the head.


    Aya nodded, lifting her rifle and taking aim.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Three things vanished in a burst of pixels.


    "Wow 3X Combo!" The automated computer voice said in excitement.


    A round of ammunition appeared in front of Aya prompting her to pick it up and keep firing. One of the men lunged, grabbing Mars and trapping her in a bear hug.


    She struggled a bit before throwing her head back and dealing damage to the enemy. He let go immediately, allowing Aya to finish him off.


    Bang!


    And with one final hit, the last of the men disappeared.


    "Stage One Clear! Congratulations!"


    "Not bad Aya," Mars said. "That gun is pretty good in your hands,"


    "Thanks," Aya said as the two of them began strolling through the city looking for the girl who had been kidnapped. Suddenly the head thug who had previously run away, zoomed past them with the girl still on his shoulders kicking and screaming.


    "We have to follow the leader right?" Aya said.


    Mars nodded. Both of them took off, running after the criminal and the damsel in distress.


    ----------


    They end up in another area of the city, a run down residential neighborhood filled with apartments and fire escapes that dropped down from above.


    "Careful Aya, they fall from above with this stage,"


    "Stage Two Begin!"


    Right on cue, the whiny leader ran past, pointing at Mars and Aya.


    "You''ll never catch me," he laughed, almost comically. He ran again leaving Mars and Aya to face off against another round of muscular men and women.


    This group was harder than the last one, the men had firearms of their own and took steady aim at the girls.


    "Mars duck!" Aya said grabbing her friend around the waist and pulling her down to avoid a bullet. Aya propped her gun up on her shoulder, taking the shot and offing the enemy.


    He disappeared in a burst of pixels yelping as he did. Mars grinned.


    "You''re getting the hang of that, you make great support!" The girl said jumping up and delivering a precise uppercut to one of the enemies.


    Aya felt a presence behind her but before she could react, a fist slammed into her stomach and sent her flying across the shoddy residential district.


    She grunted, but like before it didn''t hurt, looking up she saw a hulking figure much bigger than the other thugs in the area. She gasped, watching him stomp towards her with the intent to grab her and end her game.


    Aya scrambled for her gun, raising it and taking a shot.


    Bang!


    The bullet seemed to vanish into the brute''s body. The more Aya shot the closer the thug.


    "Go for a headshot!" Mars yelled from the side as she grabbed another thug and summarily ended them. Aya jumped back, grabbing one of the rounds of ammo just lying around her and reloading the rifle.


    With careful aim but a shaky grip, she fired her first shot.


    Clang!


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    The bullet bounced off against the wall, hitting a random enemy approaching Mars. Aya tried to calm her racing nerves as the hulking figure approached her.


    Steadying her grip she positioned the rifle again. Firing a shot she knew was sure to impact.


    She struck gold, sending the giant muscled figure into a crying frenzy as he exploded into pixels.


    "Great job!" Mars said cheering her friend on.


    "Stage Two Clear! Congratulations!"


    "Quickly Aya after him!" Mars said with a laugh, Aya tailed the criminal still holding the girl over his shoulder, she swung wildly behind him, with every move he made.


    Aya and Mars gave chase finally cornering the man in an area that seemed like a park. All around them, trees and park benches dotted the landscape of the open area.


    "Think you had the last laugh? Think again," He said tossing the girl aside. Mars caught her and the girl thanked them before running away.


    "Here comes the boss," Mars said pounding her fists together ready to begin the fight.


    The main boss of the game reached into his invisible tank top pocket and retrieved a serum, he took a swig, gulping down the liquid before they could move a finger to stop him.


    "Oh no!" Aya gasped as she watched the man grow ten times in size, veins popped from his neck and his skin took on an angry red hue. The boss roared, facing them with bulging, rippling muscles.


    Aya yelped as he suddenly picked up a park bench and flung it at them, Mars stood in front of her, punching the flying bench in the air, it shattered, crumbling into dust


    "Wow," Aya gasped, she jumped out from behind Mars, firing a round of ammo at the enemy.


    The gang leader only laughed demonically, striding towards them sinisterly. Mars picked up a large park bench, uprooting it from where it had been screwed to the ground.


    With a heave, she flung it at the man as well. It broke upon impact with his face, making him see stars and allowing Aya to fire a series of headshots.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The boss wailed, clutching his head where Aya had shot out his eyes. He flailed around grabbing trees and hurling them in the general direction of the two.


    Aya and Mars ducked, narrowly avoiding being hit by virtual trees as they ran forward to continue attacking.


    "Take this!" Aya yelled, blasting away. She received combo after combo only serving to fill her rounds of ammo.


    The gang leader fell to his knees, weeping as he did.


    "You''re done," Mars said to the boss now shrunken to the size of a regular human. It appeared the effects of the serum were wearing off.


    Mars and Aya watched him continue to shrink and shrivel into a sickly little man, now he was no longer the muscular man he was when they first met in stage one.


    The sounds of police sirens caught their attention and drew them away from the defeated boss, out of nowhere a series of squad cars surrounded them. Officers jumped out, aiming their guns at the players.


    Aya put her hands up in fright already planning what to tell the cops on scene.


    The girl from before jumped out of one of them pointing at the culprit.


    "That''s him, daddy! That''s the guy who kidnapped me!" She ran to Mars and Aya''s side. "These girls saved me!"


    An aged man stepped out of the police car wearing a pair of aviator glasses and a police uniform. He had a serious expression on his face as he surveyed the area, the rubble from the fight, and his daughter.


    He held out his hand to Mars and Aya.


    "Thank you so much for saving my daughter Molly," he said. The rest of the police officers walked up to the shriveled boss and took him away in handcuffs.


    "You''re a hero of this city, for too long we''ve been terrorized by these gangs but thanks to your efforts we''ve been able to teach at least one of them a lesson.


    "Stage Three Clear! Congratulations!"


    "You have cleared the beginner level! Game over please select a new difficulty!"


    ----------


    Aya and Mars exited the game with matching smiles on their face, Aya giggled, still feeling the rush and excitement from having to fight for her life within a city of thugs.


    Mars nodded in pride.


    "No bad for someone who''s never been to a VR Arcade," she said nudging Aya gently.


    "I''m so happy you let me see this, this is...honestly the best I''ve felt in a while Mars. Thank you," Aya said.


    Mars paused, observing the genuine expression on Aya''s face. She watched the girl place the VR Gear back in its resting position and stand up from her seat.


    "Aya, it''s been a while since I''ve had this much fun with someone too," Mars said.


    The girls heard a ding and from the side of the machine, a clear plastic token was spat out from a little slot on the side.


    "Please collect your prize token!" The game announced enthusiastically.


    "Oh we got a prize," Aya said clapping her hands in excitement, Mars picked up the slim plastic token and took a look at it before presenting it to Aya.


    "You can have the prize, come on let''s get to the counter," Mars said.


    Aya gasped.


    "Really Mars? You don''t want to share the prize?" Aya asked. Mars raised her hand shaking her head.


    "You can have it, it''s your day out,"


    In the end, Aya walked out with her own copy of the game City Warrior.

 056~Back To The Apartment

    Aya left the arcade with a copy of City Warrior and a coupon for a tech store within Axen City and Mars in tow. The streets were less busy now that it was past noon.


    "I know that tech store," Mars said, chewing on some soft candy she had picked up on the way out of the Pinhole Arcade.


    A high sun greeted them on their way out, nearly blinding Aya from the light as her eyes adjusted to being out in natural light.


    "All that sugar''s not good for you," Aya said after a while of walking. Mars hmm''ed shrugging as she continued to chew.


    "Here for a good time, not a long time," the girl said, winking at her friend. Aya laughed.


    On their way to the bus stop, Mars took notice of something peculiar, someone was following them.


    Aya stopped, catching Mars'' eyes, the girl had noticed it too. It wouldn''t be the first time she was tailed by someone strange. All her years living in Axen had subjected her to just as much.


    If the man wanted to mug them he was going to have to try a lot harder than simply following them with his hands in his pockets.


    "Follow my lead," Aya whispered, already knowing a surefire way to lose their stalker. Mars nodded, allowing Aya to lead her into a random bus slowly boarding its passengers.


    The man had no choice but to follow, getting on the bus and sitting away from Mars and Aya under the impression they hadn''t noticed him.


    "What now?" Mars whispered to Aya. The brunette motioned for her to follow, quietly following the bus''s back exit, dismounting, and walking off. By the time the man noticed his targets were gone the bus was already moving.


    Mars and Aya watched him run to the window, pounding on it as the bus drove away, it wouldn''t stop until it got to one of its stops no matter how much he protested.


    "Once again I''m impressed," Mars said.


    "This isn''t the first time someone''s tried to follow me home," Aya revealed, the two began walking toward the Seelim bus also boarding passengers. Aya regaled Mars with tales of how she¡¯d almost been kidnapped multiple times within the city.


    "For real?" Mars said with a frown, every time she heard something about Aya''s life within Axen her chest tightened with anxiety. It was so different for the safety of Evangels.


    She had to convince this girl to move to Mericross or something, or just move in with her.


    ----------


    The ride back to the apartment complex was silent, Aya hummed happily to herself while Mars checked her phone.


    "I''ve gotta ask, just what have you been looking at all day?" Aya asked with a giggle. Mars smirked.


    "I noticed for someone so adamant about being in production you don''t do a lot of producing."


    Aya pouted but nodded. Mars went back to staring at her phone.


    "I''m compiling a list for you, of the rare plants, recipes, and items that go crazy on the auction house. It''s not a lot because they''re rare but this should help," Mars explained. She lifted a finger to tap Aya''s nose.


    "When you get home, do some producing!" Mars said with a laugh.


    "Hey, I produce stuff!" Aya rebutted. Mars flicked her forehead playfully. Aya whined, rubbing the sore spot on her forehead.


    "And you still owe me one Ever Bloom," Mars reminded as she continued to tap her phone¡¯s screen.


    "They''re growing!" Aya whined. Mars laughed.


    "This is me being nice and helping," Mars said with a shrug. "Silly girl,"


    "Can I see?" Aya asked leaning over her seat to peak at Mars'' phone, the dark haired girl presented it to her.


    Aya scanned the page critically, reading through it.


    "Heartish Robin Eggs?"


    "Yep, they''re notoriously hard to find, just one of them goes for a ton of gold, Alchemists need them, and chef classes need them for good food with stat buffs," Mars explained.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Good thing I have some then, I''ll auction them off tonight!" Aya said. Mars sputtered.


    "You what?!" She whispered.


    "I completed a special quest and found them in an abandoned Outpost," Aya said. "I was just going to  cook them but now, I guess I could auction some,"


    "Could you sell me 3?" Mars asked, holding up three fingers. "I''ll give them to you at 75 Gold each, that''s the highest you could possibly get for them,"


    "Mars! I would literally give them to you for free! You''re my friend,"


    "That''s why I''m giving you the highest price, I know never to take a friend''s earnings for granted," Mars said.


    Aya opened the app and swiftly traded 3 of the 9 Heartish Robin Eggs in her inventory. She receives 225 Gold in total, 75 per Egg as Mars promised.


    "Phew that''s a weight off my mind," Mars said relaxing into the headrest of her bus seat.


    "What do you need it for?" Aya asked.


    "An elixir in Beast Hollow, I need to bring it to an NPC Shaman to complete a quest, some items can only be found in other regions and I knew to find some Heartish Robin Eggs I would need to go all the way back to Alquisia," as the answer tumbled out of Mars'' mouth, Aya nodded and smiled.


    It was always nice to hear about Mars'' side of the game. Moon Valley Online was a really big game after all. And it only continued to grow.


    Like a branching tree of sorts, more things would always be added, more mysteries, more quests, and more secrets.


    "I''m glad I could help with your quest, I just finished one for the Aruergo merchant and it was the toughest I''ve done I think," Aya said.


    "You mean Aruergo, as in one of the three great merchant families?" Mars gasped. She smacked Aya on her arm playfully.


    "Why didn''t you tell me, it''s very rare for them to give out quests!"


    "I didn''t know that!" Aya said laughing. "He lost his stuff on the way to Bloom Haven. I had to fight a ghost, a zombie, and some kind of weird plant man!"


    "Must have been one hell of a quest, so that''s why you aren''t producing," Mars teased. The two girls laugh.


    "I''ll get to it, I just need to fulfill these ghosts'' wishes and I will," Aya said. Mars nodded.


    "I believe you, need I remind you, you need to find out what connections your parents have to the game and you can only do that by completing the quests tied to your special class Aya," Mars said.


    "You''re right," Aya said, nodding. "I''ve got to unlock the secret room within the Rose Manor,"


    ----------


    They disembark from the Seelim bus, watching it drive away with no other passengers. The apartment complex always ended up being the last stop. As long as Aya lived here, there would always be someone to take the bus to the top.


    "Let''s go back in, I need to catch some z''s," Mars said.


    "Did you just say catch some z''s?" Aya laughed, Mars glared, raising her hand to playfully smack the other girl. Aya ran off before Mars could land a hit on her.


    The staircase was bare with no sign of Lydia on the prowl for Aya and her whereabouts.


    "She''s not here thank God," Aya said heading up the stairs with Mars. The dark haired girl escorted her to her apartment. As they reached the door Aya''s hand hovered over the door knob before she noticed something.


    The brunette pulled her hand back, then leaned forward to inspect the strange markings she had noticed on her door. Her customs locks, the keyhole, in particular, had been scratched up. The culprit was obviously trying very hard to break into her apartment but failing.


    "Someone tried to break in," Aya whispered. Mars gasped, coming to the level of the door and observing.


    "Do you think Lydia tried to test the locks again?" Mars asked. Aya nodded, immediately fishing out her key from her pocket and slotting it into the lock.


    ----------


    The apartment was still in pristine condition when they stepped in, everything was left exactly where Mars and Aya had placed them from the previous shopping trip. Aya searched the small apartment space looking for just about anything that would give away a successful break-in.


    Nothing out of place.


    She exhaled in relief, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders, those locks were the best things she ever purchased, time and time again they continued to protect her from the machinations of her aunt.


    "Do you think it could have been that guy, the one that tried to follow us on the bus?"


    "How would he know where I live?" Aya asked.


    "He was tailing us, chances are he wasn''t just some mugger Aya," Mars said. Aya took a step back shaking her head.


    She had her reasons to dismiss the man as a mugger, but she had even more reasons to consider this might be something more. Her Aunt or Fido trying a new tactic to get her to release her grandmother''s property.


    "Stay safe Aya, and you know you can always sleep at my place if you so choose," Mars said scanning the home for any signs of danger. "I know your grandmother''s deed isn''t here, but I don''t think Fido and Lydia know that,"


    Aya sat at the counter with her head reeling, the next time she came into this apartment would someone have successfully broken in?


    "Mars, what am I going to do?" Aya asked, looking up at the girl from where her head was bowed. "I don''t know if I can live with this, I''ve done it for as long as I can,"


    "Don''t worry Aya, I''m here," Mars said, her eyes softened as she stared at Aya''s cute oval face. Mars sighed and grasped the girl''s hand in her own.


    "You aren''t safe here," Mars said. "We''ve got to find a new apartment, both of us," Mars said.


    "But you haven''t even been here a month," Aya said.


    "That doesn''t matter, I''ve been found and you''ve been found. The best thing for us to do now would be to disappear," Mars explained. "So I have just one thing to ask you?"


    "Yeah?"


    "Come to Mericross with me,"

 057~The Question Of Moving

    "Come to Mericross?!" Aya said suddenly. She stood from her chair looking back at Mars unsurely.


    "You mean leave Axen?"


    "There''s nothing for you here, you''re constantly in danger and your Aunt is a psycho!" Mars reminded, she folded her arms gesturing to Aya how serious she was, was obvious from her body language.


    Aya paused, swallowing. Mars was right, there wasn''t even any reason to stay in this hell hole. She had quit her job and the only thing keeping her here was her cheap apartment but now with the money she had made from Moon Valley plus the fee from Atlas...


    And wasn''t this always the goal? To make enough to live comfortably. To leave Axen to the dogs? Aya looked into Mars'' determined eyes. Dark brown eyes burned with passion as Mars waited for Aya to give an answer.


    Aya had made up her mind.


    "You''re right, the further away from Axen I am, the better!" Aya said. She would have more freedom out from under her Aunt''s watchful eyes.


    The thought of not having to deal with the daily checks on her apartment made her heart soar freely.


    The tenseness between the two dissipated, Mars grinned.


    "That''s what I like to hear," Mars stuck out her hand. "So you''ll come with me to Mericross,"


    "But I haven''t even beaten you yet. Are you sure I could be helpful right now?" Aya said hesitantly.


    "I''m sure when the time comes, we''ll fight. Right now we need to get out of here and give you a safe place to figure out what your mom left you in the game and you can''t leave Bloom Haven to find me right now," Mars said.


    Aya took Mars'' hand and held it.


    "I''ll go to Mericross with you," she paused. "But Mars I don''t know can afford the rent there, The rent is like 2000 Lue at the least you know,"


    "Did you miss the part where I basically have a fortune? Rent''s on me Aya. Consider it a favor, you can pay me back in game,"


    Aya''s eyes sparkled. She would be leaving Axen after all, finally, she would be away from her Aunt and the dangers of getting mugged.


    With a clear mind, she was sure she would get to the bottom of the game, Mericross would be closer to her Grandmother too. The only reason she came to Axen was to be with that miserable hag she called an Aunt.


    Moving to a better City would give her swift access to the countryside, on the city''s bus system.


    "When do we find an apartment?" Aya asked. "And how do we move both our stuff, I have a lot of things,"


    Mars scanned the room of Aya''s small apartment, shaking her head.


    "You really don''t..." Mars said after considering her words, she didn''t want to offend her new roommate. "A moving truck can come by and pick up both our things,"


    "How much would that cost exactly?" Aya asked, her head was spinning. If it''s one thing she knew, it was relocation was expensive, even if she converted all her gold it might not be enough to afford the moving costs.


    "Aya, you''ve got to calm down. I will take care of it," Mars said slowly. "If you keep looking a gift horse in the mouth, sooner or later it starts to bite,"


    Aya sighed.


    "I''m sorry, I¡¯m just used to worrying about money,"


    "I''ve been there, it won''t always be like this you know," Mars said brushing Aya''s hair behind her ear. "You have to trust that you can change things," Mars said grinning.


    ----------


    Aya locked the apartment door behind Mars as she left, she put her ear to the door listening for Mars'' footsteps. Eventually, they retreated up the stairs and disappeared.


    "What a day," Aya said to herself. With her new groceries, she made herself some canned soup and paired it with a side of fresh bread.


    "Delicious,"


    The sun was setting and painting the sky in shades of pink and orange by the time she had done her dishes and put the rest of her groceries away. Aya took a step back to look at her fridge now.


    The small rectangle was fully stocked, bursting with the freshest groceries she could find at the nearby convenience store.


    The shelves and cupboards were full too, stacked with snacks and dry foods.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    When had she ever thought she''d reach this point? Gazing at the snacks she saw a touch of Mars in the random junk food she had decided to get.


    In a way, this was her parent''s blessing from the afterlife, taking care of her after all this while. Moon Valley seemed to be their creation after all.


    Something straight out of her mother''s mind, and she was meant to find it.


    "I should have an evening gaming session. I still need to finish The Cry Of The Dead quest," Aya said.


    ----------


    Yvlena was once again on the grounds of the Rose Manor, she smiled, lifting her head as a refreshing breeze whistled past her, ruffling her hair as it did.


    "Firstly we''ve got to equip that Willow Dress," She said snapping her fingers, after retrieving it from her inventory, she donned the pale green, knee length dress, twirling around in it.


    "Wow, I feel nice wearing this, could it be because of the material? I''ll have to use the specs to examine it later," Yvlena said. She took off towards the Artisan District eager to swing by Risel''s shop, the only other alchemist she knew.


    She wanted to know if there would be some type of tincture or potion that would remove the rust from Thomas O''Leary''s watch. Once it was open maybe a family member or friend would be able to recognize it.


    If anyone knew anything about potions it would certainly be Risel.


    "Where are you off to this fine morning," A gentle voice said to her. Yvlena turned around to see Tom, the carpenter she''d first met at the beginning of the game.


    He was no longer the grumpy old carpenter, Yvlena could tell from his tone that laughter came a lot more freely to him now that the town was healing.


    "Just running some errands Tom," Yvlena replied.


    [Affinity with Tom increased +1]


    "I know how that can be, let me not keep you, if you ever need any blueprints on that manor, you just let me know," Tom said as he walked away.


    "Could he have been the one to design it?" Yvlena wondered as she continued to sprint towards the Artisan District. She put the thought aside for now, no doubt it would come in handy when she wanted to rebuild the Foyer and the furniture.


    She found the Apothecary not too long after and stepped inside to find Risel attending to a customer. Yvlena waited her turn but noticed the customer''s unfamiliar attire.


    In her mind, they looked similar to Ricardo, the merchant who had stopped in Bloom Haven for the week. Yvlena listened to the customer speak and noticed the gallant lilt in the woman''s tone.


    Risel smiled brightly as she packaged the potion for the customer and waved her out the door.


    "Wow Risel, it looks like the shop''s picking up," Yvlena said to her friend. The blonde elf maiden turned to face Yvlena with a wide smile across her face, She nodded ecstatically brimming with joy.


    "Can you believe it, Yvlena? A traveler! This is the first one we''ve had in ages," Risel said.


    "Really?"


    "The town is healing and it''s all thanks to you!" Risel said, nearly leaping off over her counter to trap Yvlena in a hug. She almost fell from the weight of Risel¡¯s body falling unto her all at once.


    Yvlena patted her friend on the back.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad then,¡±


    "The Miasma and whatever it was blocking the Outpost is all cleared up!" Risel said. ¡°I never thought this day would come,¡±


    "I''m just doing my best as the Harvest Guardian Risel," Yvlena said modestly, It was amazing how much the town had begun to flourish. With travelers begging to appear would players start showing up as well?


    "I came to ask you about something," Yvlena said. She took O''Leary''s memento out of her inventory and showed it to Risel. "It''s rusted shut. Do you have anything that can remove it?"


    "As a matter of fact, I do, but Yvlena...your alchemy skill is a bit too low to brew such a potion, you''ve got to take it to at least LV. 3 and have a bronze cauldron at least," Risel said apologetically.


    ''I knew not focusing on crafting was going to come back to bite me one way or the other,'' Yvlena thought. She hung her head making Risel giggle.


    "Don''t worry Yvlena, the more potions you brew and use in battle, the higher your alchemy level grows," Risel explained. The blonde elf folded her hands.


    "Have you even brewed a potion recently Yvlena?"


    "Yes! At the abandoned Outpost I brewed the Explosive Potion," Yvlena whined, she didn''t know why but Risel''s face right now was reminding her of Mars.


    "Well, you have to brew more and use them in battle Yvlena!" Risel said, holding her hand up to Yvlena''s face in an admonishing manner.


    "I promise! Do you have any more potions I can brew?" Yvlena asked with puppy dog eyes. She stuck her lip out and wobbled it for extra effect.


    "Aww," Risel cooed, caving to the other elven girl''s cuteness. She went back under the counter to bring up her shop.


    "Of course, I have a bunch of potion recipes you can try, battle potions as well as restorative potions, enhancement potions are pretty popular too! And of course, I sell them ready made!" Risel said proudly.


    Yvlena walked up to the counter allowing a familiar window to pop up.


    [Buy/Sell]


    She clicked Buy and browsed through the potions, she noticed a column of recipes and materials blacked out of her. She tried touching them to examine but like a ghost, they slipped through her fingers.


    ¡®Has that always been there?¡¯ she wondered, pulling back her hand.


    ¡°Risel, what''s wrong with this selection?¡± Yvlena asked. Risel blinked and noticed what Yvlena was pointing at.


    ¡°Well those are the things I can¡¯t sell you until you advance in level,¡± Risel said bluntly.


    "Geez it''s going to be like that huh?" Yvlena said with a laugh. Her attention left those not available to her and focused on the potions she could brew at her current skill.


    "Speed Potion, Freeze Potion, Entanglia Potion," Yvlena said. She placed her hands on her hips. Each potion recipe cost a thousand Moon Points each, it wasn''t like she didn''t have the points for the purchase.


    "Alright Risel, I''ll take those three," Yvlena said. She glanced at the rest of the stock, seeing bottles and Vials both big and small. ¡°And ten of each bottle and Vial please,¡±


    "Pleasure doing business with you!¡±

 058~Whats The Deal With Potions?

    Yvlena left the apothecary with the potion recipes to review when she got back to the Rose Manor. She hadn''t expected Thomas O''Leary''s quest to be the hardest but, raising her Alchemy and Crafting would only benefit her as the Harvest Guardian.


    She grumbled. Mars, being right about her production capabilities and the fact that she wasn''t doing as much crafting as her occupation suggested, bothered her.


    Aside from her sword proficiency, all her other skills involved making things and growing things but she hadn''t been able to, so far.


    "Well I''m going to put my mind to it now," she whined to no one in particular. There was still plenty of time to catch up with the player economy, she would review the list Mars had made for her when she was done with it.


    ----------


    She once again found herself in the market district passing by Ricardo''s caravan, in a flash Yvlena recalled she was supposed to ask him directions to Rosenheim, the very city Twyla had last been seen in.


    From what she understood, Rosenhiem''s path was open to her now that the miasma blocking the east pathway was clear. Ricardo had followed that path and she had a feeling he would know how to find it.


    She made her way to the well travelled merchant and stood in front of his caravan.


    "Well if it isn''t my favorite adventurer," Ricardo said spreading his arms wide in an enthusiastic welcome. Yvlena smiled back at him. "What can I help you with?"


    "I was wondering if you knew the way to Rosenheim," Yvlena asked him, Ricardo laughed, loud and boisterous.


    "But of course, I passed it on the way here after all," He said. "Once you head far down the roads of the Outpost you will stop at a cave, I''m sure it''ll be no match for a girl like you!" He said.


    Yvlena gulped, she had heard from online forums that any cave section would be hell to pass through, not only was it dark but it was full of monsters and enemies at every turn.


    Some were probably above her level, but there were a lot of valuable things in caves and even more treasure chests.


    "And there''s no other way but through the cave?" Yvlena asked. Ricardo sighed.


    "I¡¯m afraid not young miss. Unless someone clears out all the creatures within the cave and defeats the boss I''m afraid more will just keep spawning," the merchant said.


    ''A quest,'' Yvlena thought, her eyes gleamed with possibilities before she snapped herself out of it. ''I''ll put it on the back burner for now,''


    The thought of going through any caves was forced to the back of her mind. She needed to raise her alchemy level and craft more before she went looking for Beatrice''s daughter.


    ¡°And then where do I go once I exit the cave?¡± Yvlena asked. Ricardo thought for a bit before answering her.


    ¡°Once you leave the cave, you will pass many small towns, Rosenheim is toward the North East,¡±


    "Thank you, Ricardo," she said. The man give a wide smile in response, pleased by her politeness.


    [Affinity with Ricardo Increased +1]


    "You''re welcome anytime my dear!" He said.


    ----------


    She returned to the Manor ready to water and Harvest the Ever Bloom she owed Mars. Yvlena hummed a tune to herself as she stood watering the plants and waiting patiently for the notification to tell her the Ever Bloom was ready to be picked.


    "Ah, there we go," She said picking up one of the five Ever Blooms. The petals faced her, opening to receive the sunlight.


    Yvlena opened her game menu and swiftly shipped the plant off to Mars'' player account with a note on how to use it. Hopefully, the other girl would be able to make it work for her as well.


    "But what if she does use it, does that mean I truly have a monopoly on the rarest Item in the game?" Yvlena asked herself.


    After watering some plants and harvesting even more of the herbs from the wild seeds she had planted previously. Yvlena took a step back wiping her brow in the digital heat.


    "Okay, now let''s get a look at these potions," She said pulling up the menu to read each recipe one by one.


    [Entanglia Potion recipe (Common)


    ***


    Type: Recipe


    An earthy potion made for battle, bottle it and throw at your opponent to bind them with vines. The higher the grade, the stronger the Vines.


    Time: 30s


    ***


    Star Root (Herb) x2


    Fox Glove (Herb) x2


    ***


    Vial or bottle


    Cauldron]


    She brought up the next one, a freeze potion


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    [Freeze Potion recipe (Common)


    ***


    Type: Recipe


    An Icy potion made for battle, bottle it and throw at your opponent to freeze them in a block of ice, rendering them immobile. The higher the Grade the stronger the block


    Time: 30s


    ***


    Luna Orchid (Herb) x2


    Star Root (Herb) x2


    ***


    Vial or bottle


    Cauldron]


    "That would be awesome, maybe I could use these on those wild Boars for an instant KO," Yvlena wondered.


    [Speed Potion recipe (Common)


    ***


    Type: Recipe


    Temporarily boosts speed, allowing the user to dash past enemies by working with the AGI stat to boost speed and agility.


    Time: 1m


    ***


    Bloom Lily (Herb) x1


    Luna Orchid (Herb) x3


    ***


    Vial or bottle


    Cauldron]


    "This one lasts a lot longer than the other two, I guess it''s more of an enhancement type, I''ve got to brew these and try them out at the Outpost with the tougher enemies," Yvlena said, she sighed.


    "Seems I don''t need a special type of cauldron to brew these potions," Yvlena said setting out her plain black cauldron and getting ready to brew.


    She looked through her inventory and noticed she was running low on Bloom Lilies, Luna Orchids, and Star Roots, having about only 15 each.


    "That''s true I haven''t really been foraging either, which I need for my Herblore skills, ugh I''ve really been lagging behind in playing for my class Mars was right!" she said clutching her head.


    "Okay, okay so I have about 35 of each common herb, let''s brew,"


    The cauldron bubbled to life, allowing Yvlena to toss in the ingredients for the Freeze Potion. The black pot bubbled and bubbled until the liquid cooled allowing her to bottle it up.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Freeze Potion (Common) x1]


    The game told her. She nodded and bottled a few more, reasoning she could always get more small bottles from Risel.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Freeze Potion (Common) x5]


    Equipping the Adiri specs, she examined the potion she had just crafted to see how much better it was than the stairs, now that her Alchemy skill was at level 2 it should have been much better right?


    [Basic Freeze Potion (Common)


    ***


    Type: Crafted Potion


    Grade: F+


    An Icy potion made for battle, bottle it and throw at your opponent to freeze them in a block of ice, rendering them immobile.


    Time: 30s]


    "F+ Well that''s an achievement at least, it''s no longer just an F," Yvlena said to comfort herself, crafting needed to come first from now on.


    The player made Items on the auction house that sold for 100 Gold and up were those of A Grade or Higher. B and C were great too, while D was passable.


    F Grade and E Grade were just lame.


    "It''ll be a while before I can hit A Grade but I know I can finish a few skill quests in that time and work on the manor," Yvlena said to herself.


    "What about my dress?"


    [Willow Dress


    ***


    Type: Equipment (Rare)


    A strong and flexible but stylish battle dress favored by daring heroines who prefer swift movement in battle.


    Worn by ladies of nobility it remains a treasured Item among many, making it quite hard to obtain.


    Boosts [DEX] [DEF] [AGI] [CHA]]


    "Wow I didn''t know this was a rare item and it does make me feel faster in it, I guess I''ll have to be if I''m throwing all these potions around now," Yvlena said.


    "I do have a lot of Items to examine, I haven''t even looked over the rewards from beating Viseli yet," she said.


    She read through the description of the Storm Stone, noting she had never bothered to read the entries for the magical stones before.


    "They could have had lore all this time and I wouldn''t even have known," Yvlena said shaking her head.


    [Storm Stone (High Grade)


    ***


    Type: Spell Stone


    Harness the frightful and magnificent power of the storms with this stone, contained and preserved through magic, the storm element''s fearsome attack power calls to anyone daring enough.]


    "Stones do well on the auction house but something tells me I might want to start holding onto these, the Grass Stone really helped me when I was in a bind fighting Viseli," Yvelna said placing it back into her inventory to continue looking through her numerous rewards.


    [Ancient Ring


    ***


    Type: Equipment (Epic)


    Worn by many a knight, this item carries the mark of a warrior. Forged by one of the great blacksmiths of Alquisia, unlock your strength in battle and release your might.


    Boosts [STR] [DEF] ]


    Lowers [DEX] [AGI] [WIS]]


    "Alquisia? That''s where Mars said she didn''t want to return to right, and if it''s so far away what''s it doing all the way here?" Yvlena said. She put the ring back in her inventory deciding to sell it later.


    The equipment wasn''t right for her class and it wasn''t right for Mars'' either. Being an epic item meant it would have a higher bid on the auction house, giving her more gold in return.


    [Viseli''s Bracelet


    ***


    Type: Equipment (Epic)


    A beaded bracelet blessed by the gods, worn by the titan Viseli into numerous battles. Gifted to her by the Harvest Guardian Rael, she kept it close to her even in her dying moments.


    This Item has some plot significance.


    Boosts [INT] [WIS] [CHA]]


    Yvlena read through the description a few times, nearly tearing up at the final part of the description. Even as she was losing her mind, Viseli kept fighting on.


    If only she knew what corrupted the titan, did Rael know?


    "If they were friends, was Rael trying to find a cure for her once the corruption started,"


    [Story of the Harvest Guardian 13%]


    [Congratulations!


    You''ve reached 10% of a world quest]

 059~Rabbit Meat Soup

    "A world quest?" Yvlena asked, reading the notification again. "I''ve heard about that, a world quest affects the in game story and the rewards for finishing the are usually massive,"


    She continued, reading the rest of it.


    [Your efforts have altered the course of the world


    Please collect your rewards]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Rael''s Moon Scythe Piece


    Heaven''s Feather x1


    Butterfly Cloak (Epic)


    ***


    Moon Points x15000


    Moon Gems x 2000


    Gold x200]


    Yvlena''s eyes brightened as she read through the rewards from the world quest and this was only from filling out 10%


    "Doesn''t this just mean it''s going to be harder and harder to find out what happened to Rael?" Yvlena said folding her arms. "I know I''ll find more clues in the mansion so I better get to restoring it,"


    The notification window disappeared, leaving Yvlena to tend to the manor grounds once more.


    She carefully reviewed her goals again deciding not to go on any more quests until she had sufficiently raised her crafting level. Only after restoring the Rose Manor would she be able to find out more about what happened to Rael.


    Yvlena knew by now he''d left Bloom Haven to find a way to help the corrupted titan Viseli who faithfully served Vaelindor and Selendriel before the war of the gods.


    A guess occurred to her but she would keep it to herself for now.


    The world quest had revealed a lot to her about Rael, clearly, he had a good heart and served friends and allies alike well, he created the Ever Bloom and possibly found a way to end the miasma once and for all.


    "Now if only I knew where he went," Yvlena huffed, placing her hands on her waist. "I could ask him, but something tells me...No I''ll save that guess," she said entering the manor.


    ----------


    Yvlena found herself within the manor again, looking through the kitchen, despite the piles of dust she seemed unable to clean it, only the stove remained a bit less dusty than the other parts of the kitchen.


    "Maybe if I find a pot I can use it, the more I cook the more the kitchen brightens up?" Yvlena said. That appeared to be how things worked within this game, when she prayed the altar gleamed a bit, and when she cut weeds with the scythe and dug with the hoe, the blades got sharper.


    "I could level up my cooking while I''m at it," Yvlena said already pulling apart cupboards to find pots and pans she could use.


    "Ah, bingo!" she said grabbing a single pot only for it to grow a pair of eyes. Yvlena screamed dropping it only for the creature to attack her.


    "A pot mimic are you kidding me?" Impulsively she grabbed one of her newly made freeze potions and hurled it, breaking the bottle upon the creature''s and watching icicles break out along the dark surface of the pot mimic. The creature shrieked as it was enveloped completely in ice rendering it unable to move.


    "Only 30 seconds," Yvlena reminded herself, leaping into action with her sword.  She lifted the carrot sword above her head and brought it down hard on the pot mimic ending its brief existence.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 774/1300


    ***


    Charcoal x3


    ***


    Moon Points: 30]


    "Charcoal? Oh like for kindling and stuff. I guess I could add it to make a more explosive potion or something," Yvlena said sheathing her sword.


    "Even if it was just an F Grade Freeze Potion, the bond was surprisingly really strong. Or maybe the mimic was just really weak," Yvlena laughed, looking through the cupboards again for a real pot.


    She found a small pot just underneath a pile of broken debris, poking it first and observing for a few moments before concluding it was a real item and not just another mimic.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Basic Pot x1]


    She placed it on the stove and was met with a prompt for kindling. She took the charcoal from her inventory and watched the pot bubble.


    "What to cook? Oh, I know!"


    After tossing in the Rabbit Meat, two Carrots, and some Common Spice Herb she''s once again met with a familiar recipe.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Rabbit Meat Soup x1]


    With the Adiri specs, she read the description, hoping something had changed from the last time she cooked it.


    [Rabbit Meat Soup (Common)


    ***


    Type: Food


    Grade: F+


    A common soup enjoyed by the denizens of Bloom Haven. Made from hunting the common Horned Rabbits around the area.


    The Grade determines how flavorful it is as well as the status effects, unfortunately, this is quite poor.]


    "Hmm, well it''s got to be better than last time," Yvlena said. She took the bowl of soup with a wooden spoon provided by the game and downed it, chewing on the chunks of rabbit meat and carrots.


    She stuck her tongue out, shaking her head at how salty it was.


    [+5 HP


    +Temporary [AGI] Boost]


    "Blegh!" She gagged, the consistency of the soup was too thick, paired with the saltiness plus rawness of the meat it was quite awful but, still she got her desired status effects. Her HP was full but Yvlena felt the agility boost run through her.


    "I''ll be sure to cook this a few more times before I take it into battle," Yvlena said. "A simple stat boost can sometimes be the difference between life and death,"


    [Subclass Skill: Cooking Leveled Up]


    "Thank goodness at least that leveled up," Yvlena said, "Alchemy is just like cooking in a sense," She stored the pot back in her inventory and began looking around.


    As she suspected, the stove had brightened up just a bit. The surface remained dusty but even less so than before. Hopefully, she would keep cooking and fix up the kitchen, the most functional room within the manor so far.


    ----------


    "I remember these steps," she said


    [Unstable Infrastructure, Your Character Risks Possible Injury]


    [Repair Staircase To Proceed To The Upper Level?


    Wood x200]


    [Yes/No]


    The game prompted, she dismissed it not having enough wood to fulfill that right now.


    "Cutting down some trees. I will add that to the list as well," Yvlena sighed.


    ----------


    Aya logged out of the game noting the moon high in the sky. She flopped down on her bed, wiping her brow from the exertion of playing.


    "Okay it''s pretty late," Aya said, getting up to put the Revista back in its box and slide it back under her bed. She got up and crossed her small apartment to check her door and windows before changing into pajamas to sleep.


    "Moving to Mericross huh?" she said yawning as she snuggled into her pillow. "I hope I see Daichi and Mrs. Lutz again, I miss those two," she said falling deep into slumber.


    ----------


    At Lumos Inc., Victor Sinclair the CEO of the company stood in his office looking through the tall windows of his high rise building, Evangel City shined brightly under the light of the moon but the CEO only had one thing on his mind.


    Aya Brown.


    His niece, the daughter of his brother David. She had taken her mother''s maiden surname instead of Sinclair and that was why he couldn''t find her after all these years.


    He still couldn''t understand how he had forgotten her all these years, granted they were not too close, only having seen her as a baby and later a little girl before the company took over his life.


    He had to fulfill his brother''s wishes. David and Anastasia were all he had left of his family, now it was all down to Aya. Victor had tried to marry but could never find the love in his heart due to his obsession with finishing Moon Valley.


    Victor rubbed his eyes, feeling the dark circles grow as he thought about her. He needed to find her and find her soon.


    He wondered if Aya had figured it out yet, the secret underneath Moon Valley.


    "I hope she finds what her mother and father left for her," he said.


    There was also the matter of the people extorting him, if he could find them he would swiftly put an end to it once Aya was safe with him.


    "Sir there''s someone here to see you," The voice of his secretary said. Victor turned around to face the young woman who surprised him with her presence.


    "Ah, I thought you would have gone home by now Betty," he said, walking away from the window.


    "I was just leaving sir, another long night?" she asked in concern. Mr. Sinclair could be just as bad as Fred when he wanted to be and lately, he had been spending night after night in his office surrounded by silence and papers.


    Victor waved her off, dismissing her concern and sitting at his desk.


    "Please send them in Betty and please get yourself home as well. You need your rest as well," he said.


    The woman nodded, buzzing a stranger in and picking up her jacket and purse.


    A tall man dressed in black walked into the office. He said nothing only standing in front of the office desk and waiting for Victor to address him first.


    "I''ve given you the name and the location, have you discovered anything?" Victor asked lacing his fingers together as he spoke.


    The man before him said nothing, only retrieving a set of pictures and slapping them on Victor''s desk.


    The CEO picked up the sheets, a bit analogue considering how far advanced they were in technology but this was the most discreet and untraceable method he could think of.


    The girl in the photo had her father''s coloring. Victor saw the resemblance to his brother in her skin, her nose, her jaw, and the way she looked back at the person tailing her.


    He saw Anastasia in her too, Aya possessed her mother''s striking brown eyes, hair, and the shape of her mouth.


    "It''s her," Victor gasped. "Oh my God, it''s Aya Sinclair,¡±

 060~Lock and Key

    Aya woke up rubbing her eyes and sitting up on her bed, she groaned in exhaustion, pushing down the brown strands sticking up at every angle from her head.


    Aya yawned, grimacing at her morning breath and picking up her phone to find out she had woken up late, it was nearing noon by now and the sun was alright peaking in the sky.


    "At least I feel well rested," she said, stretching her hands over her head and stepping down from the bed to take a shower.


    Breakfast was a round of toast and eggs Aya finished in a gulp. She went to the window, gazing out of it and checking if any strange black cars were watching her or worse watching Mars.


    "No one for now," she said. She took out her phone, then put the Ancient Ring on the auction house, leaving the price at 5 Gold.


    ¡°That¡¯s the highest price I can think of, I¡¯ll just leave the bid open as usual,¡±


    "This is the first time I''ve sold equipment so maybe it won''t go as high as the spell stones," Aya said.


    ----------


    Yvlena was once again in the manor''s kitchen, walking out she decided the first thing she needed to do was cut down enough trees to accumulate the amount of wood needed to fix the stairs to the upper levels.


    Yvlena stepped out of the manor, equipping her scythe. The lawn was slowly starting to become overgrown, with the areas she had previously trimmed sprouting tall grass.


    Deciding to read the description of the items from the world quest she pulled open her inventory and picked out the Scythe Piece. Before she could read it the game prompted her with an option.


    [Scythe Piece Upgrade Available]


    [Merge Piece?]


    [Yes/No]


    "Rael''s Moon Scythe," Yvlena gasped. She hit ''yes'' immediately watching as a bright purple light flashed, she held it away from her. Allowing the light to die down before looking at her brand new tool.


    [Yvlena Acquire


    ***


    Moon Sickle x1]


    [Moon Sickle can be wielded in battle]


    "Wow," she gasped. The long scythe was gone, replaced by a sickle with a curved crescent blade that shined in the game¡¯s afternoon sun. The handle of the sickle was made of a glossy purple material with a moon shaped gem in the middle.


    She gripped it hard, finding it was easier to wield than its initial shape as a scythe. Yvlena swung the sickle, listening to it glide through the air as swiftly as her carrot sword.


    "Moon Sickle huh?" She walked to one of the open areas still overgrown with tall green grass.


    [Yvlena cast Harvest Skill: Wide Sweep]


    The sickle gleamed as Yvlena swung, instantly shearing the grass in a flash. In just a moment, half the grass on the open space was gone, netting Yvlena a ton of wild seeds, and fiber while killing the pesky grass mimics hiding within the bushes.


    "Wow a little more and it would have reached the manor," Yvlena gasped. "That must have been how Rael and the others cleared this place single handedly.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Wild Seed x30


    Fiber x20]


    [Subclass: Leveled Up


    Herbalist(Harvest Guardian) 8/10]


    "My subclass leveled up, I wonder what will happen when it hits level ten," Yvlena said. "Most likely a subclass evolution, ah I can''t wait!"


    Donning the Adiri Specs she read through the description of the Butterfly Cloak.


    [Butterfly Cloak


    ***


    Type: Equipment (Epic)


    A beautiful cloak, woven and embroidered by the women of the Gardenia clan, known for their graceful and elegant swords women.


    The cloak was reserved for only the highest ranked warriors and was often bestowed with great honor.


    Now a relic of the ages left by the ancient clan lost to war and time.


    Stolen story; please report.


    Boosts [DEF] [CHA]]


    Yvlena read the description over, another kingdom lost to the miasma or perhaps even the war of the gods. She wondered where they lived. If it was from the world quest then it must have been from a kingdom far away.


    Would she be able to unlock the secrets of the Gardenia clan like she did for the Kingdom of Gliresea?


    The next item was the most curious to Yvlena, the Heaven''s Feather wasn''t equipment, nor was it an accessory she could wear in her hair.


    [Heaven''s Feather


    ***


    Type: Special Dungeon Key


    Level: Beginner to Intermediate


    Be transported to a past kingdom preserved by magic and aid their story with this special key.


    Get a chance to win bonus items, equipment, and lore pieces that cannot be accessed through regular play.]


    "Special Dungeon Key?" Yvlena said, she knew areas with monsters were called dungeons on the forums, but a special dungeon was something she didn''t think she''d see too soon.


    "I wonder if the miasma corrupted this world as well?" She gasped. "Could Gliresea be a special dungeon as well?"


    Then Rabbit Knight would get to see his people once more preserved in time by magic.


    Yvlena read the description again, taking note of the level requirement to enter.


    "Well, what counts as an intermediate player? They should have put levels instead," she huffed, dismissing the windows. There were other things that required her attention like fixing the manor stairs.


    Who knew how many more enemies there were within the Rose Manor, trapped in rooms not opened for years?


    For now, she walked up to one of the several overgrown trees and equipped her axe to begin cutting down the wood, all she needed to do was get two hundred pieces and she would be able to reach the upper floor.


    Seems simple enough right?


    Thump!


    Thump!


    Thump!


    "This is harder than I remember!" Yvlena said as she pulled her axe back and continued to cut down the tree. A creak was heard before the tree began swaying and falling over.


    "Definitely harder than just cutting the grass,"


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Wood x20


    Sap x1]


    "Sap? Maybe it''s for alchemy?" Yvlena said moving on to the next tree. She would read the description later.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Wood x20]


    She continued to chop until she had reached her first hundred pieces of wood. The girl swayed, despite not having a stamina bar chopping down trees took a lot out of her.


    Yvlena glanced at the manor grounds, frowning. She still hadn''t made a dent in the forest of overgrown trees. The elven girl had already pictured in her mind what she wanted the Rose Manor to look like, right now, it was far from her vision.


    ----------


    Aya was roused from her game by the regular knocking she had come to expect, she got out of bed and tiptoed towards the door to listen. She could hear someone outside the apartment door.


    Assuming it was Lydia, she brushed it off, deciding to return to her game.


    "And you''re sure she''s not around?" A second voice said. Aya froze. The second voice was none other than Fido¡ªher grandmother''s so called friend. Aya resisted the urge to pull open the door and start screaming at the both of them.


    She sat with her back pressed against the door listening to them talk, until she heard a thwack!


    Aya jumped, covering her mouth before she could let out a scream of surprise. Then she heard it again.


    Thwack!


    The sound of something hard and heavy repeatedly hitting the lock on her door and trying to break through rang through the silent apartment, she waited.


    She couldn''t believe it, these maniacs were trying to break through her locks to search her apartment. Aya had faith her custom locks wouldn''t budge, the mechanism was more than just a metal component fixed to the door.


    It had a special mount almost near impossible to smack off, unlike regular locks and door knobs held in place by drilled-in screws. Her locks worked mechanically, only recognizing the special key given to her by the locksmith company, only she could disable the mechanism.


    She had gotten them on recommendations from Daichi and his grandmother. Both of them wanted to see her safe and had even called the locksmith company themselves.


    Aya recalled the lengthy and anxiety fueled installation process, prompting the handyman to assure her that nothing would get through them. And now, fate had come to test her.


    "The damn thing won''t open!" Fido yelled in frustration, Aya heard him drop whatever he had held through the door and land a solid kick with the full force of his strength.


    Aya''s door rattled but did not budge, leaving the girl to sit on the floor trying to calm her panic. Aya''s stomach tightened as she sat nervously listening to what the intruders would do next.


    "I thought you said this kid was broke how the hell can she afford Evangels level locks, the little shit is definitely hiding something," Fido said cursing her name.


    ¡°It''s incredible that he was my grandmother''s friend, best friend in fact. It was really all just an act," Aya said tearing up. All this time Fido had just been plotting to take her grandmother''s house.


    "Well, how the hell was I supposed to know that!" Lydia yelled back at Fido through the door. Aya remained quiet until a burst of sound radiated from her phone.


    Aya gasped, rushing to the bed to grab the phone and check the caller ID. It was Atlas.


    "Talk about shit timing!" Aya whispered, quickly declining the call and hoping the intruders hadn''t heard.


    "What the hell was that? Is it coming from inside the house?" Fido asked. "Shit, someone''s been in there the whole time!"


    "Calm down, it was one of the neighbors. I check this place out daily and she''s always out by seven, she works," Aya heard Lydia say, confirming the suspicions she and Mars had held. Knowing was better than guessing in Aya''s book.


    "You have to get her to let you in somehow I don''t care how you do it!" Fido said. The two began walking away from her door, mumbling words Aya couldn''t quite catch. She knew they would be back with a game plan but for now, nothing could get through those locks.


    "I have to find that deed faster than they find a way to get in here," Aya said knowing she would never let them in. But her aunt was a conniving hag, the depth of which Aya knew nothing about.


    "I have to tell Mars,¡±

 061~Attempted Break In

    Aya crept out of the apartment the moment it was clear. She opened her door, making sure to lock it behind her as she exited. The mechanism clicked, signifying the locks had slid into place.


    Aya climbed the steps, making sure to take her time to prevent creaking as she walked to her friend''s front door.


    Aya knocked gently, trying to avoid alerting the neighbors and Lydia to her whereabouts. Lydia and Fido couldn''t know she had been in the apartment listening to them.


    "Mars it''s me," Aya whispered as she waited nervously for her friend to answer the door. She glanced left and right keeping her eye out for Lydia''s zealous and regular checks.


    With the slightest sound, she would look over the banister, anxiously checking for Lydia''s return. Aya''s knocking increased, taking on a frantic pace until she heard footsteps from the other side of the door.


    The door opened and a sleepy Mars greeted Aya with a yawn and a stretch. Aya took one look at her disheveled appearance and concluded she must have woken the other girl up.


    "Aya, what?" Mars asked, rubbing her eyes, Aya didn''t give her a chance to continue before pulling her into the apartment and locking the door. She led Mars to a couch and began speaking.


    "Lydia and Fido tried to break into my house,"


    "Just now?!" Mars asked sitting up, Aya''s words jolted her awake, clearing her head in an instant. Worry filled her eyes, there was no way those maniacs could get into Aya''s apartment right?


    From the get go Mars had a sneaking suspicion the two of them had tried something similar when she and Aya had gone to the arcade. They just hadn''t been around to prove it.


    Now Aya had been inside the house when they had come around, it seemed to Mars that they were intent on entering, hence the more frequent checks.


    "They''re still looking for the deed to my grandmother''s house, they''re convinced I have it," Aya said. "Fido more than Lydia,"


    Mars clenched her fist with a frown, while she was happy they couldn''t get in. How often would they keep trying until they did?


    "Are you alright Aya?" Mars asked, putting an arm around the scared girl.


    "I''m still very shaken up," Aya said, staring into space. "I just want to know that truth, Fido was with my grandmother in her final moments you know,"


    "He was?" Mars asked, her brows knitted as she thought, slowly realizing where Aya was going with her words.


    "Aya, you don''t really think they conspired to kill your grandmother," Mars said.


    "That''s exactly what I think, Mars," Aya said, turning to face the girl. "I think Fido did something to her,"


    "That''s a serious accusation,"


    "I know," Aya said bowing her head, pain blossomed from the back of her throat as she struggled to hold back tears.


    A sniffle escaped Aya, followed by a whimper as she tried to keep her sobs to herself. Mars scooted closer, wrapping an arm around the girl and resting her head on Aya''s


    "It''s okay to cry," Mars said, listening as a series of mournful cries came from her distraught friend.


    ----------


    Aya woke up on Mars'' couch, unaware that she had passed out at her friend''s apartment. She sat up, yawing then rubbing her eyes.


    "Mars?" She called, standing up and pulling down the blanket the other girl must have draped over her as she slept.


    Aya stretched her hand over her head and began looking for the girl within the rather spacious apartment. She found the girl watching something in her room.


    Aya had almost forgotten what it looked like, now that Mars had fully moved in her bedroom was a sprinkle of neon lights with a giant bed in the corner. A desk was close by housing computer equipment and a stack of books.


    Aya couldn''t remember the last time she''d seen a physical copy of a novel or even nonfiction, with most preferring the holographic displays on their phones or reading devices.


    Aya looked over at Mars who sat hunched over an expensive holo-monitor, the kind Aya used to see when she passed through the higher levels at Nue Corp.


    The dark haired girl was staring at something, a stream of game footage played on her monitor as her obsidian eyes analyzed every movement of the battle.


    "Mars?" Aya called.


    Mars sat up, turning the monitor off, and swiveling her chair around to face Aya who was standing in the doorway to her room.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Aya you''re awake, how are you feeling?" Mars asked in concern. She could see the girl''s sunken eyes with bags growing under them from late nights gaming and the recent events concerning Lydia and Fido.


    Aya leaned against the door, nervously thinking about her next words. Mars leaned forward, showing Aya she had her utmost attention.


    "Is it alright if I move in with you for a bit, I don''t need a lot of space and-"


    "Yes," Mars said, cutting her off. Aya''s mouth opened and closed like a small fish. A sound of surprise escaped her.


    Mars smirked at the sight of Aya''s surprise and excitement. The brunette was already rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet as she considered moving in with Mars.


    Mars understood her initial hesitation, until a while ago they were just strangers, and while she considered Aya a friend it might not be so comfortable to move in with just anyone.


    But Mars knew more than anyone the tough spot Aya was in, family could get complicated.


    Atlas briefly flashed through her mind, but she shook the thought off. Now was not the time to think of him.


    Mars wanted to do all she could to help, Aya needed that more than anything else.


    "I already offered to remember," she said.


    "You didn''t even let me finish," Aya laughed, the initial nervousness she felt left her body, evaporating at the sight of her friend smiling, and she felt a weight leave her shoulders. "Yeah,"


    "I''ll move the gaming equipment to my room so you can have the second bedroom until we find a way to relocate to Mericross, I''m still looking for apartments," Mars said.


    "Oh I can just sleep on the couch, you don''t have to move your stuff for me," Aya said, trying to brush off the gesture. The last thing she wanted to do was inconvenience someone who had given her such a generous offer.


    Mars got up from her chair and walked towards Aya, she sighed and placed her hands on Aya''s shoulder, trying to impress upon the girl her willingness to house her.


    "Aya I insist," Mars said staring deeply into Aya''s brown eyes. The girl could only nod dumbly at the intensity of Mars'' gaze.


    "Now go back to your apartment and I''ll have the second bedroom fixed up by the time it''s evening," Mars said, already heading towards it.


    Aya nodded again, deciding it would be best if she went to her apartment and sorted out the things she wanted to bring to Mars''


    It was noon now, and she had a few hours to kill before the second bedroom would be ready.


    "Are you sure you don''t need a hand Mars?" Aya asked. Mars only chuckled and bopped Aya''s nose.


    "Just leave it to me,"


    ----------


    Aya unlocked her door and stepped inside the apartment to begin packing up the possessions she wanted to carry. After a moment she decided she would need some boxes to move some of the larger or more fragile items. But right now, she would only pack up the most important things.


    Pulling a suitcase out from under her bed Aya recognized it as the cute but worn down little suitcase she had first come to Axen with from her grandmother''s house.


    It used to be a vibrant shade of purple dotted with little white flowers and had formerly belonged to her mother. Aya gazed at it fondly, recalling the times her mother would come over rolling suitcase across the floor but now the color had long since washed out and even the flowers had dulled to an unpleasant beige.


    She shook it out, patting out the dust and coughing as she inhaled some, Aya was instantly reminded of the kitchen at the Rose Manor.


    "Might need a wash," she said, dragging the suitcase to her bathroom.


    After washing the suitcase in her tub and getting it out, Aya placed it on a drying rack outside hoping it would be dry by the time she needed to start moving all her clothes into it.


    She didn''t have a lot and earning so little didn''t allow for much spending but things would be different now.


    Aya pulled the Revista out from under the bed and set up her PacBook to play some more Moon Valley before the evening rolled around.


    She had more renovations to do and more wood to collect, she wondered what she would find on the upper levels of the Rose Manor.

 062~The First Floor

    Yvlena opened her eyes and was once again standing within the Rose Manor''s grounds with her axe in hand, ready to gather the next hundred pieces of wood she needed to craft the staircase.


    "At this rate, I''ll probably be able to get the rest of it today," Yvlena said, already chopping down another tree to get her twenty wood. She was getting better at it but still wasn''t at the speed the previous Harvest Guardians probably were.


    Yvlena panted, wiping the sweat off her brow and checking her inventory to see a hundred and sixty pieces of wood sitting there.


    "Just forty more," she said, nearly dropping the axe in exhaustion. She perked up suddenly getting an idea. "Why didn''t I think of this before,"


    The girl rushed into the house and headed straight into the kitchen to prepare the Rabbit Meat Soup.


    Yvlena lit the stove and tossed the ingredients into the bubbling pot, after a moment she had whipped up another bowl of Rabbit meat soup. She eyed her creation warily remembering it hadn''t tasted too good the first time.


    [Rabbit Meat Soup improved slightly]


    She read the notification, cheering up as she did. In one go Yvlena downed the soup, noticing some major improvements to the dish, it was less salty and the meat was a bit more tender.


    "It really did get better!" She said, The soup was a lot more edible than it previously was, it could still use less salt though.


    [+5 HP


    +Temporary [AGI] Boost]


    A rush of energy flowed through her just as she had predicted, Yvlena once again ran out of the kitchen and picked up her axe ready to collect the rest of the wood.


    ----------


    "I''m done!" she yelled, looking through her inventory at her two hundred pieces of wood. Sitting down under one of the trees and panting heavily, even with the temporary Agility boost, it had still taken a lot out of her.


    "And my strength is pretty decent so why did that take so long?" Yvlena whined.


    The elven girl looked at her axe and sure enough, the once dull blade had a keener edge. The handle had straightened out a bit as well, revealing the space for an upgrade gem.


    "No matter, let''s go fix that staircase,"


    ----------


    [Unstable Infrastructure, Your Character Risks Possible Injury]


    [Repair Staircase To Proceed To The Upper Level?


    Wood x200]


    [Yes/No]


    Yvlena clicked ''Yes'' waiting for the hammer to materialize in her hands once more. She got busy, smacking and fitting wood into place to repair the dead, termite-eaten wood and many patches still on the Rose Manor''s staircase.


    It wasn''t long before the staircase to the first floor was done. Yvlena observed the quality of the wood, finding it the same as the porch steps she had fixed.


    No doubt they would be ranked F as well but it was a start.


    She stood on the first floor observing the rooms around her. The first floor was decorated with pale pink tiles with many chipped, missing, or broken. Wooden panels covered the walls along with a rose colored wallpaper.


    [Special Subclass Quest


    ***


    Restoration of the Rose Manor 2% Completion]


    "Looks like I''ve started another quest but this doesn''t look like a world quest," Yvlena said, squinting her eyes as she read it again more carefully. "A subclass quest? This isn''t like the healing prayers quest I suppose,"


    Yvlena dismissed the windows and began walking around, careful to avoid the holes in the floor and other broken parts of the structure.


    "Wow, this place is a...dump," she whispered to herself, it wouldn''t do to trigger a challenge from the game due to her comment. She looked up at the walls with the peeling wallpaper and portraits that hung from rusty nails.


    Yvlena looked through the portraits that lined the walls of the first floor but most of them were torn or slashed through by some sort of creature with sharp claws.


    Yvlena gulped, hoping whatever caused the damage was far away from the manor.


    Others had just barely survived, with the fabric of the portraits hanging off the frames or just plain missing. Name plaques shone underneath the portraits, allowing Yvlena to read the names of Harvest Guardians long past.


    She read through them looking for Rael''s only to find his portrait missing.


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    "At this rate, I''ll never know what he looked like," Yvlena said resting her hands on her waist in frustration.


    "It seems to me that something dire would need to happen to the previous Harvest Guardian before another can be chosen," Yvlena said, folding her arms in thought.


    [Story of the Harvest Guardian 15%]


    Yvlena gasped, she reasoned now that Rael must either be gravely injured or dead!


    "Well, well, the mystery continues," she said as she walked away from the portraits and began looking around the rooms on the first floor. There weren''t many things around, save for a rotting carpet and debris lying around the hallway.


    She looked through guest bedrooms for the most part, but Yvlena hoped to find a library, a study, or even the secret room to which the key she had gotten belonged.


    The girl had just closed another guest room door when a beastly growl echoed from behind her followed by a creak of one of the doors. The deep growl made her think of a wolf of some kind and caused her to hasten her steps.


    The animalistic growl followed prompting Yvlena to be on her guard, she didn''t want to turn around, fearing an encounter in the hallway, if only she could lead the creature somewhere it wouldn''t do much damage.


    Like the Manor Grounds.


    She knew deep within the manor was a corruption of some kind, the miasma must have seeped into the foundation at some point allowing foul creatures to nest within it.


    The growl resounded again, forcing Yvlena to finally turn around, the creature at the other end of the hallway was a large wild cat with fur as black as night and mad yellow eyes. Miasmic vapors seeped out from each step the beast took as it approached her.


    [You have encountered: Lower Miasmic Beast]


    The black cat roared, no longer content to growl and intimidate, it ran forward forcing Yvlena to take the second freeze potion and hurl at the beast, it narrowly missed.


    The bottle broke open, hitting the beast''s foot and freezing the cat''s paw to the rotten carpet of the Rose Manor.


    "Sprite, Rabbit Knight!" Yvlena called in fright. Her summons appeared, standing before her and leaping into battle.


    Having the battle within the hallway put Yvlena at a disadvantage, she couldn''t use her Carrot Sword skills without causing further damage to the Rose Manor and its already weakened structure.


    "It''s up to my summons now, but that doesn''t mean I can''t help," Yvlena said. She summoned her cauldron from the inventory and began brewing and bottling her next potions while Sprite and Rabbit Knight handled the beasts.


    Yvlena threw in the ingredients for the Entanglia potion and hurriedly bottled The brew while her summons fought.


    "Watch out!" Yvlena said, throwing the potion and watching as the potion exploded in a burst of life, squirming vines sprung up from the floorboard, wrapping the creature up. The Miasmic Beast Roared, trying to break free from the vines fighting back as hard as it was.


    "Wow," Yvlena gasped, expecting the potion to work more like bind and keep the vines stationary until the Prisoner broke free.


    "We only have thirty seconds," Yvlena said to herself.


    [Subclass Skill: Alchemy Leveled Up]


    She read the notification before brushing it aside and bottling a freshly made Entanglia potion. The Miasmic Beast roared and swiped its claws at Rabbit Knight


    [Rabbit Knight Cast Slash (03MP)]


    [Skill: Slash leveled up]


    The Rabbit unleashed its attack, reading Yvlena''s mind and keeping its thrusts small to minimize damage to the first floor of the Rose Manor. The walls were already scratched up from the beast''s claws, as Rabbit Knight dodged its attempts to attack.


    "Rabbit Knight watch out!" Yvlena yelled, the miasmic beast lowered itself and opened its mouth to release a beam in the same way Viseli did during her fight.


    "Oh no! The Manor!" Yvlena yelled watching the beam miss and scrape against the wooden panels and ply them off the walls.


    [Sprite cast Sting (01 MP)]


    "Yes!" Yvlena cheered, she had her hesitations about letting her summons handle the battle without her, but this freed her up to work on her Alchemy.


    It reminded her of how she wanted to play in the first place, letting her summons do the fighting while she looked for resources.


    Yvlena wondered if any other Harvest Guardian had been a summoner and if she could access their past summons. She shook her head, concentrating on taking out her last Freeze potion and throwing it at the Miasmic Beast''s head.


    The glass cracked open upon the creature''s head, freezing it instantly before it could launch another Miasmic beam. The beam froze within the block of ice, allowing Sprite and Rabbit Knight to attack the Miasmic being until it collapsed to the floor.


    The ice melted away, freeing the creature to spring up and launch a vicious attack at its nearest opponent. It lunged, trapping Rabbit Knight underneath its large paws.


    The Miasmic Beast roared, lowering its face towards the stranded rabbit. It opened its large maw about to take a bite when another bottle smashed against its head.


    Large vines, wriggled to life, wrapping the Miasmic Beast''s paws and body in a series of coiling vines. Rabbit Knight wriggled out, narrowly avoiding being chomped by the massive teeth of the Miasmic Beast.


    Sprite attacked, casting bind on the Beast''s muzzle and shutting it as Rabbit Knight sent a volley of thrusts towards the beast.


    With a final howl of pain, the beast collapsed, melting away in flakes of light.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 974/1300


    ***


    Shadow Essence x2


    Shadow Fang x2


    Beast Claw x1


    ***


    Moon Points x500]


    "Finally," Yvlena sighed, dismissing her cauldron. At the end of the battle, her alchemy skill had risen to Level 3.


    "Now I can start O''Leary''s memento quest," Yvlena said, resting tiredly against the wall. She hoped she wouldn''t encounter any more Miasmic beings as she walked through the manor for the time being.


    With the disrepair the Rose Manor had fallen into, the inhabitants would keep appearing until she cleared them all out. Who knew what was waiting for her next?


    "Let''s check out the other rooms," she says to her summons. They nodded at her following closely behind her as she walked towards the room the Miasmic Beast had come from.


    To Yvlena it had to be guarding something as the creature was too high level to simply be there by chance. Many of the manor rooms would have secrets and Yvlena was determined to figure it out.


    Pushing the door open, she''s surprised at what she finds.

 063~An Unexpected Guest

    Yvlena opened the door to find a large bedroom decorated for what seemed to be someone younger. A previous Harvest Guardian perhaps? From the portraits, Yvlena knew some of the previous Harvest Guardians had been young women and men.


    Each one of them must have claimed their own space within the Rose Manor, meaning once Yvlena reached the Manor''s third floor she would be able to learn more about Rael and the others.


    The room''s walls were painted a pale shade of pink, having none of the wallpaper design from the hallway save for the very edges of the ceiling. A large canopy bed fit for a princess sat in the middle of the room under a marbled ceiling in the shape of a rose.


    Beside the bed was a small vanity and stool. What must have once been a frequently used piece of furniture had long since faded, losing its original color to age.


    The vanity''s mirror was cracked, its shattered remains falling all over the room in twinkling shards. The vanity''s drawer and its hand carved flower knobs had been pulled out, with some of the drawer compartments laying on the floor, broken and missing pieces.


    A study desk decorated with several dead flowers rested facing opposite the bed, papers, and books laid strewn about as if the person had left in a hurry. Yvlena was instantly reminded of William Brackett''s desk from the Outpost.


    Yvlena, Sprite, and Rabbit Knight walked in, crunching dead leaves under their feet as they walked around to explore the large room. The wood shuddered under Yvlena, letting her know some areas were prone to breaking.


    "I was expecting some ghosts or something," Yvlena said with a relieved laugh. She walked towards the study, leaving Rabbit Knight and Sprite to go about exploring the room on their own terms.


    Yvlena ran her fingers over the dusty wood of the study, wondering what it would take to restore the room or even, who it belonged to.


    She dragged a chair out, patting away the dust, and picked up the dead flowers lying on the desk''s surface. Yvlena held the withered petals in her hand, finding them familiar.


    It only took a moment for her to realize they were the crumpled and dried petals of the Bloom Lilies and other local plants of Bloom Forest.


    "Quite the sad sight," Yvlena said. She leaned over to inspect the vase, taking note of the greenish moldy water.


    Giving it a sniff, she pulled back immediately, making a face of disgust at the rank odor. Yvlena gagged and picked up the vase to tip its contents out the nearest broken window.


    "Gross!" She said, placing the vase back on the table. It would need to be replaced with some fresh flowers.


    She took some Bloom Lilies, Luna Orchards, and Fox Gloves out of her inventory then arranged them into a simple bouquet.


    "There you go," Yvlena said with a smile.


    [Special Subclass Quest


    ***


    Restoration of the Rose Manor 2.1% Completion]


    She gasped softly, reading the notification. The quest didn''t go up by much but this only meant that fixing this room up would unlock something for her. Maybe something about this person or even Rael.


    There were some books and papers left on the study table, Yvlena picked them up unable to make heads or tails of them for now as she skimmed through them.


    She arranged them in a neat pile, resolving to sit down and read through them later.


    She examined the chair as well noticing the once elegant floral upholstery was ripped up and faded but still retained some of its original glossy woodwork. She pushed the chair back into the wooden desk study.


    For now, the room would remain a mystery until she had time to play again, It was almost time for her to log out and meet Mars upstairs.


    It looked like a princess might have lived here.


    "I wonder whose room this was," Yvlena said as her summons played around.


    "What''s this!" Sprite gasped, flitting her way over to a table. Yvlena turned her attention to the summon letting her gaze fall upon an old dollhouse resting on a table within a far corner of the room.


    She walked towards it, coming over to inspect it closely. The doll house was a replica of the Rose Manor in its original glory, though quite old now Yvlena thought it just needed a little shine.


    She touched it and was prompted with the option.


    [Clean With Silk Rag?]


    [Yes/No]


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    "Silk rag? It must be a quest item, then again maybe I need silk rags to clean a bunch of things. I don''t think Risel will lend me that feather duster," Yvlena said.


    "I would have to weave and craft it, it seems," the elven girl said.


    ----------


    Aya pulled the Revista off her head and checked the time on her phone to see it had hit early in the evening. She got up and was just in time to hear a knock at her door. Aya put the Revista back on her bed and rushed to the front door.


    "Oh Mars you''re a bit-" she opened the door to come face to nose with Lydia''s cronish figure. The woman stood with a sneering expression, looking down at her niece through condescending eyes.


    The brunette glared.


    "What are you doing here? Rent''s not due yet or are you going to bump it up again," Aya asked folding her arms.


    "Mandatory inspection," Lydia said about to step in, Aya blocked her path with her arm, meeting Lydia''s confused gaze with a sharp glare. No longer the timid girl who wasn''t afraid to talk back. If Lydia wanted to search her apartment, she would have to fight Aya for the chance.


    "You''ve never inspected the apartment even when I''ve asked you to, what''s this really about?" Aya asked, in all her years of living within the complex Lydia had never once come by to check if the dingy, leaky little studio had a problem.


    Not leaking pipes, fried electrical sockets, or backed up toilets and sinks from the neighbors above her.


    Previously Aya would have been cowed and stepped aside knowing that Lydia could punish her with higher rent at the slightest displays of displeasure even though she had nothing to hide.


    But the lack of tenant protection went both ways. If Aya had no grounds to refuse the search, then Lydia had no grounds to search.


    Her grandmother''s deed wasn''t in her possession, but Lydia didn''t know that. Aya resolved not to make it easy for the woman to find out.


    "The circumstances are different, step aside,"


    "What are the circumstances? I''m not the one cooking substances on the roof," Aya protested. Despite Lydia towering over her, Aya didn''t see the older woman as a threat.


    She had options now, and Lydia wouldn''t be able to keep her here very long. Lydia furrowed her brows, trying to come up with an excuse to enter the premises.


    "I said step aside," Lydia hissed, injecting more force into her voice.


    "No. Come back with a warrant," Aya said with a scoff, she was about to close the door when it was suddenly forced open by a beefy arm not belonging to Lydia. "I just said!"


    "Hello Aya," a voice said, the young woman came face to face with her grandmother''s former friend, the man who put her in this situation.


    "Mr. Fido," Aya said softly in surprise.


    The man rubbed his head sheepishly, opening his arm in a welcoming manner.


    "I suppose I was trying to surprise you," he said. "But you and Lydia haven''t always had the best relationship," Fido tried to step into the house but he was once again stopped by Aya.


    He stared in confusion, expecting Aya to move aside and welcome him with open arms. He was after all her grandmother¡¯s best friend and one of the few people who¡¯d been around in her childhood.


    "I don''t have anything to say to the man who abandoned me," She knew he was only there for the deed, she couldn''t pretend she didn''t hear what he had said outside her door.


    Trying to break into her apartment of all things and then cursing her name when he couldn¡¯t.


    Aya''s heart pounded at the sight of him, restraining herself from leaping at the man with a ceramic plate and shattering it on his head. She stepped back into her apartment and tried to shut the door but the man refused to remove his arm.


    Aya looked up at him, Fido¡¯s friendly smile was barely hanging on. She noticed the twitch of his lips as he strained to keep up his mirthful expression. Aya felt the repressed rage hidden by his calm demeanor.


    "Now Aya, don''t be like that," Fido said with an edge to his tone, his fingers dug into the wood of the door firmly.


    "What do you want?" Aya asked, punctuating every word with a shift against the door, "You haven''t spoken to me in nearly three years,"


    "Things came up, I was busy. You''re a working girl you should know how it is," Fido said trying to come up with an excuse. By now he sensed Aya would not let him into the apartment, but the girl couldn''t be sure what he was thinking either.


    Would he force his way in? Or would he simply give in and try to break in while she wasn''t there?


    Aya waited with bated breath for the outcome of the standoff. Fido grew more impatient with her.


    "Why don''t we talk about this inside, I''m sure we have a lot of catching up to do," he said with a cheerful smile. Aya saw through it immediately.


    She swallowed the rising pain in her throat as she remembered he didn''t give a damn about her and only thought she had the deed to her grandmother''s house.


    "Not until you tell me why you''re here after all these years, you dumped me here!" Aya pointed at Lydia, forcing as much indignation into her voice as she could to keep up an act of ignorance. "With this witch!"


    Lydia''s forehead creased in anger at the accusation. Fido gave a hearty laugh, holding his belly as he tried to control the sound of his lips.


    "What if I told you I was here because you''re the only connection I have to Mira, you know," Fido said solemnly. "Every since your grandmother died, well I''ve just been by myself,"


    Aya would have fallen for it, the way his eyes went glossy with unshed tears, it tugged at her heartstrings, the way this aged man seemed to long for his best friend who had passed away.


    The act was convincing, Aya admitted. It would take heartlessness not to pity the man standing before her.


    Heartlessness or Discernment.


    ''Do not be fooled, chaos isn''t always evil, just as order isn''t always good. Nature in itself is chaotic, One must always be discerning'' Aya thought, remembering what the game had told her.


    Now she was even more certain, that message was left for her.


    Fido appeared to be a sweet old man visiting the granddaughter of his deceased best friend. But Aya knew his fa?ade hid something dangerous.


    Perhaps dangerous enough to kill.


    But that left the question, what would she do now? She couldn''t let him in and the man wouldn''t leave.


    "What do you people think you''re doing?¡±

 064~A Fine Find

    "What do you people think you''re doing?" A third voice said from the hallway. Mars stood on the staircase leading up to her apartment observing the scene with cold eyes.


    Aya sighed in relief.


    "Beat it kid, this has nothing to do with you," Fido said, reverting to the tone Aya had heard outside her door earlier in the day.


    "I beg to disagree, that''s my friend you''re talking to and I don''t appreciate her being threatened,"


    Fido laughed nervously on being met with such a hostile tone, a cold sweat broke out on his forehead as she read the girl who gave every indication she could and would end him where he stood.


    "We''re practically family, isn''t that right Aya?" Fido said, prodding Aya to vouch for him. The brunette in the doorway folded her arms and shook her head.


    "I barely know you, I told you we haven''t spoken in nearly three years!" Aya said bluntly.


    Fido laughed, masking his discomfort with a laugh. He looked to Lydia who was already inching away from the confrontation. The bony woman widened the gap between them, already halfway toward the staircase.


    "Oh you''ve always loved to play games as a child Aya, I can''t really stay long but I promise I''ll be back," Fido said, waving at Aya as though she was someone dear to him.


    "Take your time," Aya said, folding her arms.


    ----------


    "You saved my life back there," Aya said to her friend as they walked upstairs carrying Aya''s things into Mars'' apartment.


    "You were taking longer than usual. I knew something had to be wrong," Mars replied as she hefted the old suitcase Aya had up into her arms. Aya had the box containing the Revista in her arms and walked through the door to the apartment first.


    "I''ll find you some boxes, for now locking up is the best thing you can do," Mars advised.


    Aya flopped onto the girl''s couch, grumbling as she did about the whole situation.


    "That man," Aya said sadly. "Did he really think he could just show back up into my life like that?"


    Mars sat beside Aya, resting a hand on her back. She rubbed comforting circles, listening patiently as Aya ranted about her encounter with Mr. Fido, Lydia''s partner in crime.


    ¡°At the end of the day the safest thing for both of us to do is to leave,¡± Mars said again. Aya rolled around to face her.


    The brunette studied her friend''s stern expression and resigned herself to the decision. She already agreed to move to Mericross with Mars but it was taking a bit longer than she thought it would.


    "I know," Aya said. "I don''t really know how moving works,"


    "I can take care of that, you just need to relax. I''ll even pay you back for those expensive locks you ordered," Mars said.


    "There''s no need to," Aya said softly, she hugged a purple throw pillow to herself and shyly hid her face at the suggestion. It would be sad to leave the locks behind but unless the locksmith removed them, they would remain on her apartment door.


    Mars chuckled.


    "You should know me by now Aya," Mars said, tapping Aya''s nose fondly.


    ----------


    Aya lay on the couch thinking as Mars prepared dinner for the both of them. A mouth watering smell wafted from the kitchen prompting Aya to roll onto the floor and join her friend.


    "What are you making?" Aya asked, Mars looked up at her and away from the BooTube recipe video she was watching.


    "Just some cheesy pasta," Mars said, ripping over a packet of cheese and beginning to tip its contents over into the boiling pot.


    "Did you get the Ever Bloom?" Aya asked, recalling she had sent the girl the plant not too long ago. A smile stretched across her face, she turned swiftly. Facing Aya with an ecstatic look.


    "It worked!"


    Aya gasped, it had been a concern of hers that the Ever Bloom wouldn''t work for Mars. The flower hadn''t been easy to plant and Aya herself had a limited amount of plants, she would need to find out how Rael made them and create or find more.


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    "So you fought the Miasmic Guardian?" Aya asked. Mars lifted an eyebrow in confusion as she sliced some onions for the pasta.


    "What''s that?" she asked.


    "Uh oh," Aya said. "Did the Miasma come back after a little while once you passed through the area?"


    "What? How did you know that?" Mars asked suspiciously. The pasta was just about done as Mars stood over the stove stirring the mixture patiently.


    "That option didn''t come up for me at all,"


    As Aya suspected, only her class could deal with the Miasmic Guardians, luckily that was a bridge she would cross when she got there.


    "So tell me about the Miasmic Guardians," Mars asked as she dished out the food while Aya helped set the table.


    "They''re servants of the gods corrupted by the Miasma. I don''t fully understand how, but they''re essentially trapped in a realm different from ours in Moon Valley, only after defeating them does the Miasma disappear permanently," Aya explained.


    Mars nodded, poking her food with a fork.


    "So have you fought any Miasmic Guardians?" Mars asked eagerly.


    "Yes! Just one, her name was Viseli. I think she''s the hardest boss I''ve faced so far and I''ve faced a lot of them," Aya said, scooping some pasta into her mouth to enjoy. Her eyes shone with glee at the savory, cheesy taste of her dinner.


    The food was so good that Aya expected to see a stat buff notification appear mid air telling her she had been reinvigorated.


    "This is delicious!" Aya said, shoveling the food into her mouth, Mars stopped her with a laugh.


    "I told you if you choked I wouldn''t save you!"


    "Then I''ll die a happy woman!" Aya retorted, prompting both of them to laugh.


    "There are bosses in Bloom Haven? I thought it was a paradise from what you told me there are still forests and lakes," Mars said, raising an eyebrow.


    Aya swallowed more pasta and chugged a glass of water down before replying.


    "Well yeah, there have been several. I''ve fought a Rabbit Queen, A Giant Weed Mimic, Viseli, Commander Addison," Aya said, listing off the bosses she had fought so far.


    Mars listened, taking note of the names. She didn''t recognize any of these bosses from gaming forums or even niche discussion groups.


    Bloom Haven was truly a world of its own


    Mars scooped her pasta into her mouth, chewing as she listened to Aya who by now was explaining the fight with Viseli.


    "Oh Mars, are you done with that list you were making?" Aya asked.


    "Not yet, I could always give you the incomplete list, Moon Valley is still a pretty new game despite how widespread it''s becoming,"


    "I guessed as much,"


    Mars looked up from her plate, what Aya told her was so different from the Moon Valley she was playing.


    "Aya when you leave Bloom Haven I think you''re going to be very surprised at the world you''ll meet," Mars said, she scooped some more food into her mouth before continuing.


    "From what you''ve told me about your class I think you''re going to have a big role to play in restoring a large part of what''s happened in the war of the gods,"


    "What do you know about the war of the gods Mars?" Aya asked.


    "There are some Lore Keeper guilds, that document stuff, but they only allow members of their guild to have that knowledge for free," Mars sipped a cold drink she had set out for the both of them. "The rest of us have to pay for it,"


    "I didn''t know you could sell information!"


    "Imagine what it''ll mean if you told them about all these special bosses you''ve encountered or even the Miasmic guardians,"


    Aya averted her eyes, feeling the pressure of unseen eyes on her. If that many people knew about her feat would she be able to play her game in peace, what if the PVP crowd decided to attack her?


    "I think it''ll be best if no one knows, for now," Aya said.


    Mars raised her eyes but nodded, respecting the girl''s decision. Attention had its drawbacks and that wouldn''t benefit Aya right now. All the girl really wanted was to find her remaining family.


    "Alright, I promise not to say anything. But if I see some clues to your specific class I''ll let you know,"


    Aya smiled.


    "Thank you Mars and thanks for the food," Aya said, thoroughly cleaning her plate, it had been a while since she had a home cooked meal from someone other than herself.


    Mars smiled, beaming with pride that her culinary prowess was being appreciated by her friend. Her former team never seemed to appreciate the importance of a warm meal, preferring to dine out for the publicity.


    Mars shook her head, letting the thought fly free. It wouldn¡¯t do to think of them now. They were in different spheres of life. All she wanted to do was focus on getting Aya somewhere her Aunt and former family friend couldn¡¯t reach.


    ----------


    Once again a man sat at his desk typing intensely, a notification popped up telling him the Moon Valley auction house had been graced with a new and possibly valuable listing.


    He scanned the details of the listing, reading the description of the Epic Item dropped into the auction house by the same mysterious user he had purchased a water stone from not too long ago.


    "Well, well, well looks like they''ve gotten another fine item," He said smirking. Sure enough, he inspected the item once again, finding it to be authentic and verified by the game.


    "Now where would someone get a ring like this?" He asked curiously. He hadn''t expected another item from this user so soon after he pinned them. Now he knew he was wise to do so.


    "We might be meeting each other very soon, Yvlena," he said, sending the girl 120 Gold for the epic item. He was lucky no one had seen it already. The 5 Gold price point was simply too low for an Item of this caliber and would have no doubt been a steal.


    He sent her a note of thanks, telling her once again to heed his words and price certain items higher, this was an Epic Item after all.


    "I look forward to your next find,¡±

 065~A Silk Rag

    "This is your room for now," Mars said, swinging open the door to what used to be her gaming room.


    Aya stepped in to look at the room now cleared of Mars'' gaming pod and tables. The room was sparse now, only having a thick spare mattress laid on the carpeted floor and one of Mars''s free tables.


    The short curtains rustled in the wind as Mars forgot to shut the window, Mars walked in gesturing to Aya and wide space.


    "It''s not much but once we put the rest of your things around I''m sure it''ll be-"


    Mars didn''t finish her sentence as Aya leaped to hug her. Mars stumbled from the shorter girl''s weight, pausing for a moment before hesitantly wrapping an arm around Aya.


    "Thank you for doing this," Aya said earnestly, she pulled back to observe Mars whose face had grown red from the hug.


    "I said I was going to do it," Mars mumbled, She patted Aya''s head fondly with a sigh. "Silly girl,"


    They spend the evening putting Aya''s things in order all around the room, in an hour it looks as close to home as Aya could hope before they move out.


    "Don''t get too comfortable, we''ll be moving soon after all," Mars reminded her, watching Aya set up her VR Gear and PacBook.


    "It''s alright, I just have some things to check on in the game and then I''ll sleep,"


    "You better, I''m going to play a little too but I''ll be here to help you log out so you can get some rest," Mars said.


    "Hey! I thought you said you wouldn''t help me if I choked!" Aya whined.


    "Making sure you sleep is different from you choking," Mars grinned, the dark haired girl left the room allowing Aya some space to process her thoughts.


    "I''m really glad, if Lydia and Fido do manage to get in they''ll find nothing in my apartment," Aya said laying down on the mattress she thought about Fido and how remorseless the man had been.


    He had abandoned her at eighteen, leaving her to fend for herself with a woman who would rather see her dead than taken care of. He hadn''t even paid her discounted rent which led Aya to work double to cover two months of overdue rent.


    His smiling face disgusted her, the way the man had spoken about her through her door and the way he thought she wouldn''t see through his facade strengthened the notion that Fido was someone to be careful around.


    "He honestly makes me sick to my stomach," Aya said with a grimace, she laid down on the mattress with a frown. If Fido really did kill her grandmother what proof did she have? So far, all she had were suspicions of his foul deed but one way or another Aya was determined to get to the bottom of it.


    Discomfort grew within her chest, the conspiracy thickened. Aya never thought her family would have such an intricate web of deceit, was Lydia even her aunt at this point? Or was the woman simply a plant much like Fido had been?


    Who was her only living relative and were they looking for her too?


    ----------


    Before starting the game Aya checked her phone to find the missed call notification. Her mind flashed back to earlier in the day when she had dismissed Atlas'' call in a fit of panic.


    "Oh crap, after bugging him to call," she said to herself.


    She dialed the number, putting the phone to her ear and hoping it would connect to the busy president of Nue Corp.


    "Aya?" Atlas'' voice said on the other end of the line prompting Aya to release the breath she had been holding.


    Over the phone, she heard the soft whirring of tires letting her know he was on the road.


    "Hi! Sorry, you caught me at a bad time earlier today," she said with a nervous laugh.


    "I''d expect, I hope this isn''t a bad time for you. Professional gamer and all that,"


    "Wait, how did you know I was a professional gamer?" Aya asked.


    "It seemed like the next logical step for you, though I''ve seen some of those PVP matches and I must say it''s brutal out there isn''t it?" Atlas said.


    Aya heard the concern in his voice, she shook her head despite knowing he couldn''t see her.


    "Oh no, no, I don''t play PVP matches, they''re way off limits for me, I don''t want to get hurt or something," she said.


    Atlas made a sound over the phone, agreeing with her assertions.


    "Good, I''ve seen matches with one player in particular, Changelo or something like that. He seems like quite the maniac,"


    Aya laughed, prompting Atlas to give a chuckle of his own.


    "I''ve seen his highlight reels too, he''s exactly what put me off PVP permanently, I would hate to encounter him at all!"


    The two enjoyed their conversation until Atlas had to end the call due to overtime work.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "I promise to call again soon," Atlas said, "Hopefully with better timing,"


    "I look forward to that, we should go out again. Those donuts were really good,"


    "They were, bye Aya,"


    "Bye Atlas,"


    ----------


    Yvlena appeared within the desolate halls of the Rose Manor within the mysterious room containing the dollhouse. She marked it for later and exited the room turning around the corner to find another staircase leading upstairs.


    "Let''s see," She said, placing her foot on the first step. The game notified her with a similar warning as before.


    [Unstable Infrastructure, Your Character Risks Possible Injury]


    [Repair Staircase To Proceed To The Upper Level?


    Wood x300]


    [Yes/No]


    "Now it needs 300 pieces of wood, I suppose I should busy myself with restoring these two floors, I''ll ask Risel or Laurent where I can find a silk for the rag and if they know anything about the previous Harvest Guardian the room might have belonged to,"


    She ran down the steps and out the doors to be met with a flurry of birds.


    Large black birds circled her fields, cawing loudly as they dug up her seeds and ruined the land she had worked so hard to till.


    "Ack! My crops," Yvlena yelled, running forward and swinging her arms to scare the birds away. They paid her no mind and continued to swiftly land and peck at her plants.


    [Sprite cast Sting (01 MP)]


    One of the birds went down dissolving into flakes of light as all her previous enemies had done in the past.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 975/1300


    ***


    Chum x1


    ***


    Moon Points: x5]


    "Oh," Yvlena said in disappointment as she let her summons finish up the pesky birds. "They''re so weak!" she rushed over to the patch of land where she had planted her wild seeds.


    Not only had the birds eaten some of the newer seeds, they had pulled some plants up at the root and messed up the freshly tilled patch.


    "Looks like I''m starting over," She said, already taking out her hoe to organize more squares for her seeds. "I could probably craft a scarecrow or something, I never thought birds of all things would attack my crops!"


    "Keep an eye out for more birds, I''ll be back," Yvlena said to her summons. Sprite gave a small salute as Rabbit Knight skewered a bird mid air with his trusty rapier.


    ----------


    "Oh Yvlena," Risel said in a solemn tone, the elf was reading a large alchemical tome and hadn''t bothered to look up at Yvlena, her pointed ears drooped.


    Soon Risel put the book down and tended to the apothecary shelves prompting Yvlena to know something was wrong.


    [Your neglect of Risel''s urgent quest has dampened her mood]


    "Oh no, the Verdant Woods," Yvlena whispered to herself. She''d been so busy with the manor that she had forgotten to do her friend''s quest.


    Risel was one of the most important NPCs to Yvlena and she hated to see her friend so down. Yvlena sighed, making up her mind to investigate the Verdant Woods among other things.


    She walked up to the counter and placed her hands on it, leaning forward with a smile.


    "Hi Risel, I''ve gotten my alchemy to level three I think I''m ready for more potions, do you have anything that could help me through the Verdant Woods?" Yvlena asked.


    Risel''s ears perked up, the blonde elf spun around with her mouth open upon hearing Yvlena''s intention to enter the Verdant woods.


    [Affinity with Risel Increased+2]


    "Y-Yes, I mean the potions you have should be good for now but you''re always welcome to buy more! You can get an alchemy kit too and enhance them some more!" Risel said beaming.


    Yvlena smiled back at her, it warmed her heart to see the only other elf she had met so far smiling.


    Risel pulled up her shop menu allowing Yvlena to look through the items now available to her. Some of the recipes previously walled off from her due to her lower alchemy level now flashed with a noticeable light.


    "Poison," Yvlena gasped. After another moment of searching, she found a common antidote. She purchased the two of them and then got the alchemy kit as Risel suggested.


    "Oh Yvlena you have no idea what this means to me, the possibility of seeing my brother again!" Risel said.


    "You can count on me Risel, I just have some questions," Yvlena said.


    "Ask away,¡±


    ¡°The Verdant Woods have been submerged in the Miasma for a very long time, haven''t they? More than the Bloom Forest''s Depths?¡±


    Risel nodded.


    ¡°The Miasma from the Depths was still pretty young, nowhere near the level of the Verdant Woods, I worry what you might encounter there actually,¡± Risel said.


    ''She¡¯s right, the creatures there might be even more corrupted and I know I''ll have to fight some lesser Miasmic entities like that car and Commander Addison,¡¯ Yvlena thought.


    ¡°That would mean I''ll have to be careful,¡±


    ¡°Yvlena the Verdant Woods has several layers of Miasma, the deeper you go the worse it gets, if you can''t manage it all at once you can always come back!¡± Risel said. Worry shone in the elf girl''s green eyes.


    ¡°Don''t worry Risel, as the Harvest Guardian it''s my duty to clear the Miasma in the first place,¡± Yvlena said bravely, she puffed out her chest the way she imagined a hero would.


    Risel giggled.


    ¡°Be careful, I''ll know if you clear the first layer, I can see it from here after all,¡± Risel said.


    ¡°My next question is, do you know where I can find a silk rag?¡±


    Risel put a finger to her mouth in thought.


    ¡°Now that''s an odd item! Only the aristocracy of Bloom Haven would have something like that, you can get spider silk from the Verdant Woods or the caves to the East, but you will have to get a Loom from one of the tailors within the Artisan District,¡± Risel explained.


    Yvlena nodded.


    If the silk rag was a symbol of Bloom Haven''s aristocracy then one of the previous Harvest Guardians must have been one as well.


    ¡°Risel, did you know any of the Harvest Guardians besides Rael? One that might have been a novel perhaps?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she was from a destitute noble family here in Bloom Haven, but it''s so fuzzy to me and I can''t remember her name!¡± Risel said, rubbing her temple. ¡°The library might have something,¡±


    ¡°Thank you Risel, I''ll be sure to stop by again if I need anything,¡± Yvlena said.


    ¡°I''ll be expecting you!¡± Risel called as Yvlena left through the door of the apothecary.

 066~The Loom

    Yvlena left the apothecary weighing her options in her mind whilst she walked through the cobblestone streets of the Artisan District.


    On one hand, she could kill two birds with one stone if she went to the Verdant Woods, getting the spider silk and helping Risel.


    On the other hand, the Verdant Woods were more dangerous than the Bloom Forest''s Depths and would no doubt have devastating mini bosses to face.


    "But the rewards would be great and there would be more lore, I could find out if Rael went that way trying to find a cure for Viseli,"


    "I also need the silk rag for the kitchen too, I bet if I used it to clean I''d restore the Rose Manor more quickly," Yvlena said to herself.


    "It''s my duty as Harvest Guardian to clear the Miasma up anyway, so let''s do it!"


    She walked through the district, looking for any shop she could purchase a basic loom.


    On her way out of the Artisan District, she walked past a narrow building in-between a bakery and an item shop that read: ''Madam Pratt''s Clothing and Apparels''


    "This has to be a tailor''s shop," Yvlena said walking into the shop to find a single woman at the counter.


    The older woman at the counter was draped in a red flowing material with an audacious bird hat. Her regal aura gave the impression she was a noble of some sort although possibly of lesser rank.


    She sat measuring a mannequin, then cutting fabric to the measurements she had written down.


    Yvlena watched her work for a moment before entering the shop to catch the woman''s attention.


    "Excuse me," Yvlena called, lifting her hand to draw the madame''s sullen eyes towards her form.


    The older woman stopped her cutting and stared at Yvlena for a moment before a window popped up signifying a new NPC.


    [NAME: Madame Pratt


    RACE: Human


    OCC: Tailor/Merchant]


    "Hello," Yvlena said nervously as the woman stared at her with an appraising expression. She appeared to be studying Yvlena''s dress and after a moment, the aged woman nodded in approval.


    "I like your style," she said, "I haven''t seen a Willow Dress in Bloom Haven since the time of the Harvest Guardians,"


    Yvlena kept that at the back of her mind, Madame Pratt was around Beatrice''s and Iris'' age. She could probably remember Rael or even the other Harvest Guardian she was investigating.


    [Madame Pratt is fond of your fashion]


    [Affinity with Madame Pratt +3]


    "How may I help you, my dear?" Madame''s voice is smooth, low tenor Yvlena didn''t think she had ever heard before online or offline.


    "I was wondering if you had a loom to weave silk?" Yvlena said.


    "I have just the loom, it also allows you to spin wool and other threads, I will also purchase them if you''re interested in selling them, my dear,"


    The woman rose from her seat and went to one of her shelves, Madame Pratt stood running her fingers along the old shelves until she grabbed a device that appeared to be a wooden wheel on a rack.


    She lifted it from its resting place and returned to her counter.


    Madam Pratt presented the wheel to Yvlena who picked it up unsurely. The loom was something she had only seen in glimpses on the wide screens at Nue Corp, it was so alien to have one in her hands now.


    The game would have to guide her on weaving it seemed.


    Yvlena purchased the Loom for 1500 Moon Points then nodded to the woman and added it to her inventory.


    [Yvlena Acquired Basic Loom x1]


    "Your crafting is a bit low to weave silk, but in time I''m sure you''ll manage,"


    "Thank you, Madame Pratt," she said politely, the woman waved her off and went back to cutting her cloth.


    ''Maybe I can get some quests from her sometime,'' Yvlena thought as she left the shop.


    ----------


    Aya was suddenly logged out of the Revista as Mars lifted the VR Gear from her head.


    "Hey I was in the middle of planning my strategy," Aya said, turning to face the other girl''s dark eyes.


    "At one am?" Mars asked, lifting an eyebrow. Aya rushed to pick her phone up, checking the device to corroborate Mars'' statement.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "What?" Aya muttered, allowing her eyes to rove over the numbers displayed on the LCD screen.


    "I didn''t realize the time..." Aya said.


    "I know," Mars said, helping her disconnect and put away the Revista and its wires. She patted Aya''s head.


    "You should get some sleep," Mars said. Aya nodded, rubbing her strained eyes. Only after logging out did the long hours start to affect her.


    "I didn''t realize it had gotten so late,"


    Mars chuckled.


    "It''s always like that, you''ll grow out of it or you won''t. Now get some sleep," Mars said heading out the door.


    Aya crawled into the bed, listening as Mars shuffled around checking the doors and windows of the two bedroom apartment.


    She heard Mars'' feet walk into the bedroom, shutting the door for the night. Aya allowed herself to drift off to sleep


    ----------


    Aya woke to the sound of a pan sizzling and the smell of fried meat floating into her room as Mars prepared breakfast for the both of them, she got up, rubbed her eyes again, and groaned from the grogginess.


    "Hmmm," she huffed, grumbling as she stood up to check on her new roommate.


    "Mars," Aya called


    "Morning," Mars said already dishing out the toast and eggs for herself and her roommate.


    Mars rested her elbows on the table observing Aya''s sleepy face and tired eyes. The girl''s eyebags had grown bigger while her cheeks remained pale and sullen.


    Mars tsk''ed lifting herself off the table and sliding the plate towards Aya.


    "You sleep okay?" She asked, Aya nodded, picking at her food.


    "I guess I should have slept earlier, I don''t feel like myself," Aya said holding her palms over her eyes.


    "Make sure you take a nap before you play some more Moon Valley," Mars said. "I won''t be able to watch over you today,"


    "Where are you going?" Aya asked, lifting her head from staring at her food.


    "I have some business to attend to," Mars answered while chewing on a piece of toast.


    "How long will you be gone?" Aya asked.


    "Until noon, don''t worry. I''m sure time will fly by once you take that nap," Mars smirked. "And you better take that nap,"


    She lifted a finger, pointing at Aya with a stern expression.


    "Right," Aya said leaning back against the seat. "I do feel like a nap would do me some good,"


    Mars got up and packed up their plates to put on the sink.


    "I feel like things are changing too fast," Aya blurted out. Mars slowly turned around, trying not to startle the girl who by now was staring at her lap in contemplation.


    "One moment I''m a girl working a terrible job in the mail room and now I''ve quit my job to pursue farming items in a game,"


    "It must be a lot for you," Mars said softly.


    "I just hope it works out in the end," Aya said, she shrugged her shoulders tiredly and rested her head on the table.


    "Okay, it is definitely time for you to lie down," Mars said.


    ----------


    Yvlena found herself on the busy streets of the Artisan District, where she had been logged out of the game by Mars.


    "Only two more days before Ricardo has to leave Bloom Haven, right?" Yvlena said running to the Market District.


    She found the caravan already packing up its good and preparing to leave Bloom Haven. Ricardo hummed as he strapped his cargo to the top of his roof and the sides.


    "You''ve got to be more careful with that," Yvlena said to the man as she stood near the caravan.


    All around her NPC whispered and watched the merchant pack up. Their sad faces told Yvlena they would be sad to see him go.


    Ricardo was after all one of the first signs of the town''s returning prosperity.


    More travelers were finding their way to the town due to the open entrance. The guards greeted them as they stepped through the large wooden gates that formed the opening to the small town.


    Bloom Haven must have been one of the border towns on the way to the Verdant Woods and with the Miasma still blocking the way there was no way for them to access the Western path.


    Yvlena couldn''t help but wonder how they were getting through the caves.


    "Don''t worry my dear, this time the caravan is completely secure, not even the caves will loosen these knots," Ricardo said.


    The caravan''s weight had shifted to one side but Ricardo assured her the caravan would have no problems transporting the myriad of goods tacked onto it''s back.


    Yvlena nodded her head and observed the caravan filled to the brim with Bloom Haven goods the merchant would trade around Moon Valley''s other towns and Kingdoms.


    After some more tying, he faced her with a question.


    "Is there something you wanted to ask me Yvlena?" He asked.


    "Did you know of any Harvest Guardians?" She asked.


    Ricardo placed the spare ropes inside his caravan and paused to think.


    "I''m not quite sure Yvlena," he said.


    "Do you remember meeting anyone from Bloom Haven even once maybe?" Yvlena asked.


    Ricardo beamed, his lips curving into a wide smile as he recalled someone.


    "There was a girl about your age, well in the sense she was a human, not an elf," Ricardo said. "I did notice she was a long way from home when I learned she was from Bloom Haven,"


    Yvlena pumped her fist in the air at the information, she knew asking a well travelled merchant would yield some answers.


    Ricardo seemed pleased with himself as well, folding his arms and nodding as he finished speaking.


    "Do you remember her name?" Yvlena asked. She had her suspicions but wouldn''t know until Ricardo confirmed them.


    "I do not, but I''m sure if I heard it again I could confirm it," Ricardo said.


    "Was it Twyla?"


    Ricardo gave a sound of surprise so loud it turned heads in their direction.


    "Yes, it was! Twyla Flores!"


    [Beatrice''s Daughter 7% completion]


    "And she was on her way to Rosenheim?" Yvlena asked eagerly.


    "That''s right!" Ricardo said with his usual enthusiasm and now that you mentioned it I did speak to her,"


    "Did you find out why she was going to Rosenheim?"


    "To find a Harvest Guardian,"

 067~The Verdant Woods (1)

    Yvlena put a hand to her chin in thought, Twyla must have left the town looking for someone to help with the growing Miasma.


    By Yvlena''s estimation, the Verdant Woods would have already been completely overtaken by the Miasma, leaving only the Eastern path to Rosenheim free.


    "She left to find Rael,"


    [Beatrice''s Daughter 8% completion]


    "Thank you, Ricardo, that was all I needed to know. Have a safe journey back and watch out for any more creatures!" Yvlena said to the merchant.


    Before she could leave, the man''s large arms trapped her in a hug. Ricardo bawled sobbing about missing Bloom Haven and Yvlena.


    "There, there," Yvlena said uncomfortably, unable to pat the man''s head from the way she was trapped in his arms. "We''ll always be friends and we will meet again,"


    He placed her down on the Market District floors and wiped his comically large tears.


    Yvlena smiled at him. Wishing the merchant luck on his journey, she would see him again when she left Bloom Haven but that wouldn''t be for some time now.


    "It was very nice to meet you, Ricardo," she said


    [Ricardo is touched by your farewell]


    [Affinity with Ricardo increased +5]


    ----------


    Upon returning to the Rose Manor she found it devoid of the pesky birds that had plagued her earlier when leaving the manor.


    Sprite and Rabbit Knight had watered her farmland and taken care of the crops she had planted in the squares, Yvlena stopped at one of the squares, she squatted to check on the tiny flowering buds that signified more healthy herbs were on their way.


    "Well done you two," Yvlena said standing to full height. The grounds of the Rose Manor whilst still having a lot that needed to be done looked better now that a majority of the overgrown weeds and trees were cut down.


    ''I wonder if the outside of the manor counts during the restoration, I guess 2%'' she thought.


    "I need a silk rag and a scarecrow," Yvlena said walking into the manor through the path she had cut through, little stalks of grass were already trying to grow again but Yvlena paid them no mind.


    She headed into the kitchen and began cooking a batch of Rabbit Meat Soup


    [Rabbit Meat Soup improved slightly]


    This time the soup tasted even better than the last, letting Yvlena know she had made even more of an improvement.


    "Not quite there yet but soon," she said whipping up a few more plates, it would make her move faster through the forest for a while as she fought the corrupted beasts.


    "I have to find a way to get more seeds for the Ever Bloom," Yvlena said. "Like any plant, it''s gotta have some seeds right?"


    She said walking out of the manor.


    "Next stop, the Verdant Woods,"


    ----------


    Yvlena saw the outline of the Verdant Woods and gulped as she took a step forward into the dead path.


    She smelled the rotting scent of dead leaves and fruit and walked into the path of screeching silence fearfully.


    Sprite and Rabbit Knight huddled close, recalling the first time they stepped into the Verdant Woods together as a party.


    "Reminded me of the Depths but this is worse," Yvlena said as she moved step by step deeper down the path.


    A thick fog settled in front of her, thicker than the Miasma within the depth, Yvlena didn''t understand she had only walked a few meters forward.


    "It''s spread again," she realized. When she had visited the area previously the Miasma had been thick and encompassing but now it was even more so.


    A growl resounded beside her and it didn''t take long for Yvlena to stand on guard against the corrupted wolf.


    "I''m much stronger than last time,¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    The corrupted wolf circled the party keeping its head low and searching for a weak point in their formation to attack.


    Yvlena stood on her guard, brandishing her sword and knowing while she was strong the creature was intelligent enough the capitalize on any slip ups she could make if she lost her guard during the fight.


    The wolf ran toward them with a start, mouth open and ready to bite and tear the first person it could sink its teeth into.


    [Sprite Cast Bind (03MP)]


    Vines shot out from the ground catching the corrupted wolf and wrapping around its hind legs and halting the wolf''s stride towards them. The beast snarled, mouth foaming and teeth snapping as it tried to wrest itself away from the binds holding it in place.


    Yvlena noticed the shriveled, sickly color of the vines. Where they would have been a healthy dark green they were now a withering yellow like the dead grass and plant stalks that littered the Verdant Wood''s ground.


    "It''s not going to hold for long," she said, unleashing her own attack before the wolf could break free of the bindings.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Shot (10MP)]


    The orange bullet flew forward, striking the wolf just as it broke free of Sprite''s vines and leaped forward to use an attack of its own.


    [Corrupted Wolf Cast Bite]


    The wolf growled revealing rows of razor sharp teeth, It went for Rabbit Knight, clamping down on the Rabbit with supernatural speed, Rabbit Knight pulled back from the attack, clutching his arm.


    Yvlena lifted her swords, slashing the wolf from behind before it could do further damage to her summon. The wolf howled, sprinting forward to attack Yvlena who in the heat of battle brought her sword up to block.


    ''Whoa," she gasped, pushing the wolf back with strength she didn''t know she possessed. The wolf fell back unprepared for the critical hit Yvlena landed with the side of her blade.


    [Rabbit Knight Cast Rabbit Volley (05MP)]


    The Rabbit launched a volley of strikes with its rapier each one faster than the last, the wolf howled again, lifting its jagged claw to attack.


    [Corrupted Wolf Cast Shadow Claw]


    With a swipe of its paw, dark energy flew from the beast''s claws, shooting off in all directions. Yvlena dodged, narrowly avoiding the beam of darkness.


    Sprite wasn''t as lucky, the summon was struck by the flash of darkness, sending her flying into one of the gnarled trees that surrounded the area.


    "Sprite!" Yvlena called, diving into the bushes after her.


    "I''m all right!" The fairy said flying back to Yvlena''s side. The fairy''s wing drooped and he dazzling forest green glow dimmed with the HP she had lost from the wolf''s attack


    [Sprite cast Cure (05 MP)]


    [Sprite Cast Bind (03MP)]


    Vines snaked up and wound around the wolf once more allowing Yvlena and Sprite to fire up their battle combo.


    [Battle Skill: Rabbit Sting Combo]


    The summon and her master, attacked with enthusiasm, firing Stings and Sword slashes in a barrage that didn''t allow any room for the wolf to retaliate.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Burst (50MP)]


    With one final attack, Yvlena ended the corrupted wolf''s existence, watching it vanish in flakes of light.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 1175/1300


    ***


    Shadow Essence x2


    Wolf Fang x2


    Wolf Claw x2


    ***


    Moon Points x300]


    [Class Skill: Summon Leveled Up]


    [Rabbit Knight gained a Level +1]


    [Sprite gained a Level +1]


    Yvlena collapsed on the floor with a sigh, the wolf wasn''t much stronger than her but the battle had been a long one. She didn''t even have time to begin brewing any potions.


    Once again she turned to face the Miasma that had covered the Verdant Woods. A heavy fog permeated the area and was soon floating down toward the entrance of the path and down the road to the Bloom Meadow.


    Yvlena stood up from the path she was resting on and retrieved one of the five Ever Bloom plants she had potted and left in her inventory. Holding the potted plant in her hands, Yvlena was greeted with a notification.


    [The Ever Bloom wants to guide]


    "Yes!" Yvlena cheered nearly jumping for joy as she was moved by the plant, it took her forward towards the Miasmic fog, Yvlena held her breath expecting the fog to cause some damage as she walked through it.


    The Ever Bloom glowed, opening its petals and slowly beginning to siphon the foggy air into itself. Yvlena held the plant away from her, lifting it into the air until the path started to clear up.


    Rays of sunlight broke through the fog, crawling into the area and lighting up the path. The fog dissipated and soon Yvlena is left with the Ever Bloom.


    "Huh? I thought it would have opened a portal by now," Yvlena said. She took a look at her plant and noticed the petals had closed back up into the shape of a bulb.


    Yvlena furrowed her brows, running her fingers over the swollen bulb. The white petals had turned a veiny green topped with pink. She folded her knuckles and knocked upon the surface of the plant.


    A wooden sound reverberated, as she hit it. Yvlena shook the plant in confusion, listening to something rattle within it.


    "What''s wrong with it?" Sprite asked as she flew down to give the bulb a few knocks of her own.


    The elf pressed her ear against it until she heard a crack. The Ever Bloom burst open, making the girl jump back in shock and fright. Yvlena stared at the open bulb and peeled back what was once a petal to expose pods full of seed.


    "The seeds are formed from the fog?" she asked peeling the former Ever Bloom.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Ever Bloom Seeds x10]


    [Subclass: Leveled Up


    Herbalist(Harvest Guardian) 8/10]


    The game told her as she picked each seed from the bulb. She grabbed the stem of the former Ever Bloom and pulled the plant up from its pot to check the roots.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Ever Bloom Root (Herb) x1]


    "That solves the question of the seeds," Yvlena said now staring at the path the Ever Bloom cleared. The fog was gone leaving only the same path she had walked before.


    "The barrier I remember was this way,¡±

 068~The Verdant Woods (2)

    Yvlena and her party followed the path until they stopped at the Miasmic barrier that had blocked off the area.


    Peering at it Yvlena could make out a new area through the blurry surface of the Miasma.


    "There''s something on the other side, the spiders perhaps?" Yvlena said to herself. Taking a second Ever Bloom out of her inventory she allowed the game to guide her.


    [The Ever Bloom wants to guide]


    A mysterious force jerked her forward, pulling her until she stopped at the center of the Miasma. The force caused her to halt, signifying the plant wanted to act on its own.


    Yvlena placed the plant down and watched as the Ever Bloom''s petals open again and began to Siphon the darkness into itself.


    She waited and watched as the clouds of Miasma were once again swallowed by the small flower leaving the road clear for and her party to pass.


    "Huh, I thought it would open a portal," Yvlena said, picking the plant up again. She gazed at the bare forest of dead trees, already Yvlena could feel the treachery lying just out of sight.


    How long had the Verdant Woods been covered by darkness, she did not know. But no doubt its inhabitants would have been twisted by dark forces.


    "Risel would have seen this clear up by now wouldn''t she?" Yvlena muttered to herself. Sprite and Rabbit Knight stood behind her, hesitant to walk forward.


    [Sub Class Quest Unlocked]


    [Quest: Investigated The Verdant Woods (1)


    The tainted Miasma from the Verdant Woods seems to be stronger than Bloom Haven''s Depths, it''s been around for a long time blocking off the Western Path(also known as the green path) to the next town.


    This Miasma comes with many layers, you will need the aid of your skills as a Harvest Guardian to Conquer it.


    ***


    Rewards


    ????


    ????


    ***


    Moon Points x500


    Moon Gems x100


    EXP x700]


    [Do You Accept]


    [Yes/No]


    Yvlena hit yes, already knowing this was a task for the Harvest Guardian, no one else could do it especially since Rael had mysteriously vanished all those years ago.


    "It''s a multi-part quest,¡± she said as she read through the story line again. The Verdant Woods seemed to be her major quest as the Harvest Guardian, with the Bloom Haven Depths only being a tutorial.


    Yvlena gulped as her heart pounded in her chest.


    "It''s scary, I know," Yvlena said as she took her first steps, slotting the Ever Bloom back into her inventory for later use.


    The next barrier would be further up ahead, just as the depths were.


    Already, the girl anticipated something waiting for her, a titan stronger than Viseli.


    The sound of dead leaves under her foot was loud, Yvlena hoped it would not attract any of the creatures that dwelled within the horrid place.


    The trees oozed a dark tar like liquid on the surface of it barks, she inched closer to one of the trees. It was a twisted horribly blackened wooden figure, its branches naked and curled in strange shapes dripping black liquid.


    Taking one of her empty bottles she let the substance drip into it until the small bottle was full.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Mysterious Liquid x1]


    "I wonder if Risel will know what this is," Yvlena said. The alchemist elf knew more than Yvlena could and would probably be able to guess what this substance was.


    "It might be a poison from the Miasma," Yvlena said, putting the bottle into her inventory and moving on.


    "The trees are sick," Sprite said after a while.


    "I can tell," Yvlena said, turning her head, and around her the trees grew darker and more stained. They bent away from the sun as if accepting the Miasma that now bled through their roots.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    She stood at a fork in the road, one path went straight ahead, whilst another curved deeper into the Verdant Woods.


    A sign stood in the middle of the fork, the wood long since rotted and the words faded into memory.


    "One of these must lead to the next town," Yvlena said, "The question is which one will take me out of this forest and which one gets me into more trouble,"


    She stood thinking until a growl resounded behind her. Yvlena had heard that growl once before, on the first floor of the manor. Without turning around she knew it was a lesser Miasmic beast.


    [You have encountered: Lesser Miasmic Beast]


    Rabbit Knight surged forward already leaping to attack the beast it had fought before.


    Sprite followed closely behind flinging balls of light at the creature that attacked them. The beast roared, bowing its head and analyzing the situation before dodging the Rabbit and Fairy to head straight for Yvlena.


    The elf wasted no time heaving her sword and slashing to release her skill.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Beam (20MP)]


    The beast is pushed back, skidding away but clawing the ground to slow the force of the attack.


    The lesser Miasmic Beast swiped it''s claws in her direction, retaliating with a beam of darkness


    [Lesser Miasmic Beast Cast Shadow Claw]


    Yvlena swiftly dodged, running up to the beast and stabbing its side as it recovered from casting its magical attack.


    A high pitched yelp left the beast''s mouth as it felt the sharp end of a sword. With a huff it raked its claws against Yvlena''s arm, forcing her back and clutching her side in mild pain.


    [Sprite Cast Cure (05MP)]


    ¡°Thanks,¡±


    [Rabbit Knight Cast Rabbit Volley (05)]


    Together the party slashed at the beast, backing it into a tree dripping with the mysterious Liquid. A hiss could be heard as the substance dripped down a dead branch and unto the skin of the Miasmatic Beast.


    "It''s...poison?!" Yvlena gasped watching the creature leap away from the tree as if burned. A red patch appeared growing along the beast''s back.


    [Lesser Miasmic Beast is inflicted with Burn]


    "Burn?" Yvlena said she retrieved the mysterious Liquid from her inventory and, while the beast was howling in agony, hurled it directly at its face.


    The bottle exploded in the shards, smearing the dark burning liquid onto the Lesser Miasmic Beast.


    The cat clawed at its face, roaring as the substance burned at its skin leaving angry red patches on its midnight fur.


    "Don''t let the black liquid touch you," Yvlena said to her summons who nodded before attacking the distracted creature.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Burst (50)]


    With a final wail the Lesser Miasmic Beast perished from the combined forces of Yvlena and her summons.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 1375/1300


    ***


    Shadow Essence x2


    Shadow Fang x2


    Beast Claw x1


    ***


    Moon Points x500]


    [Yvlena is now level 12]


    "Phew, that was tough," Yvlena said, panting. She looked at the sign again, deciding to go straight ahead.


    She could always come back to explore the other path if she was wrong, the Verdant Woods would be a long path forward and she wondered if she was prepared for what she might face.


    "Leveling up is getting easier with all the enemies I keep facing,"


    She downed a bowl of Rabbit Meat Soup, feeling the effects of the food wash over her.


    [+5 HP


    +Temporary [AGI] Boost]


    "Ah, it doesn''t taste good at all but it surprisingly hits the spot, I need to find time to make some tea too," Yvlena said to herself.


    Before they got moving she urged Sprite to use Cure on herself and Rabbit Knight, the fairy obliged, spamming the skill until they were back to full health.


    "Ah one more thing!" Yvlena said, taking a few vials out of her inventory.


    She walked up to one of the dead trees and held the vial until the liquid filled the small containers.


    [Subclass Skill: Alchemy Leveled Up]


    [Subclass Skill: Herblore Leveled Up]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Miasmic Sap x3]


    "Miasmic sap?" Yvlena said. With her Alchemy skill and her Herblore skills leveled up, she could identify what the liquid was.


    "It must be some kind of concentrated version of the Miasma, if this got in a water supply like a lake or something that could be disastrous," Yvlena said.


    ----------


    The path straight ahead led to a barren meadow devoid of the tall trees within the previous path.


    Up ahead was a lake and just as Yvlena had guessed it was rotten.


    The wide body of water was blacked from the Miasma, the lake bed itself black and crawling with squirming roots that reminded her of the battle at the outpost.


    These vines were a deep purple pulsating with life as they slipped in and out of the murky lake water. Yvlena grimaced at the sight of it, willing herself not to throw up.


    "Poisoned," Sprite hissed from her side, Rabbit Knight shifted from foot to foot seemingly uncomfortable at the sight of the lake.


    "Let''s keep walking up," Yvlena said to her summons.


    In her mind, Yvlena wondered if there was a way to clear up the lake, if there was a Miasmic Entity living within it that had blackened the waters so much.


    A notification window stopped her.


    [Sub Class Quest Unlocked]


    [Quest: Within the Lake


    The Verdant Lake was once the resting point for many travelers on the green path, now its waters are blackened and murky.


    An entity dwells beneath the lake''s surface but an Alchemist may be able to fish it out.


    Drive and defeat the Minor Miasmic Entity that dwells within the Verdant Lake to weaken the hold of the Miasma on this path.


    ***


    Rewards


    ????


    ????


    ***


    Moon Points x1500


    Moon Gems x200


    EXP x700]


    [Do You Accept]


    [Yes/No]


    Yvlena accepted and stared at the open lake, her Alchemy skill had only just hit level four and she didn''t know if that would be enough to brew the potion that would help the lake.


    "If it''ll weaken the hold the Miasma has, on the Verdant Woods. I will need to go back to Bloom Haven and ask for a recipe or even see if Rael had one," Yvlena said with a sigh.


    "What am I going to do?¡±

 069~The Avaresh Swamp (1)

    Aya took the Revista off and rested her back on the mattress of her new room. She lifted her phone up and turned her alarm off then looked up at the dingy ceiling to stretch her neck and back.


    At the sight of the ceiling, she shook her head and let out a humorless chuckle.


    It looked like no matter what Lydia charged, the quality of the building was still the same. Small cracks ran along the room''s ceiling and Aya knew if she checked the corners she would see shoddy work done to keep the walls together.


    "How can she stand to be such a...terrible person?" Aya asked, she set her gaming equipment aside and rose from the bed to check if Mars had returned.


    The living room was empty. Aya huffed and decided to load the groceries from her apartment onto Mars'' shelves.


    The two of them would have more than enough to eat now.


    As she reached for the cupboard, a handwritten note caught her attention. Aya plucked it from the surface of the board and read.


    ''Make sure you eat something, you look malnourished,'' the note Mars had written was signed with a doodle of her face.


    Aya smiled fondly and placed the note to the side to get started on some rice for lunch. She didn''t know when her roommate would return and only made a small serving for herself.


    "Where ever she is, I hope she''s not getting into too much trouble,"


    ----------


    Yvlena awoke standing by the corrupted Verdant Lake. She jumped as a live vine jerked to life, nearly wrapping around her ankles.


    "Okay, that wasn''t the best place to log out,"


    Yvlena walked closer and stood cautiously at the edge of the lake bed, peering into the murky depths of the water.


    Something swam by quickly beneath the lake''s surface, forcing Yvlena to focus her eyes on the darkness of the water. The thing swam by again just as fast, leaving bubbles and ripples in its wake.


    While staring, Yvlena noticed a singular lidless eyes gazing up at her. She squeaked, stumbling back and away from the lake bed.


    Whatever creature that was had been big, easily the size of Commander Addison.


    "Is that the creature polluting the lake?" She asked. From the quest details, defeating it would weaken the Miasma''s hold on the forest.


    But would it be enough to weaken the next Miasmic Guardian?


    "I can only hope," Yvlena said, turning to face her summons.


    Beside her, the summons stood waiting for instructions as they talked to each other about in-game events.


    "I still have a free summon slot," Yvlena said to herself. A third slot would allow her to grow stronger as a summoner and maybe her class would level up after a while.


    She looked through her inventory and read the reward she had gotten from the Merchant''s Quest Ricardo had sent her on.


    "Giant Teddy Summon Bell?" She read out loud, she tried equipping it into the slot but found she could not.


    "That''s strange it''s not a summon stone like the others,"


    She put on her Adiri specs and read through the description of the item.


    [Giant Teddy Summon Bell


    ***


    Type: Summon Bell (Epic)


    The ringing of the bell summons the celestial spirit to deliver an attack action before disappearing.


    The Celestial Spirit of Elio the bear, a gentle protector of those weak and small.


    One of 5 Celestial Spirits (Toy Land Set)


    (Story uncovered with each piece added)]


    "An attack action? Toy Land Set?" Yvlena asked in confusion as she read through.


    The Celestial Spirits being part of a set might make it more valuable and strong, it would be nice to collect them all.


    "Might have to check for some in-game notes, I can''t find much about the set with the Adiri specs,"


    "I still haven''t decided whether to return to Bloom Haven or not, I could always come back. I need to know if there are any purifying recipes," Yvlena said, scratching her head.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    "On the other hand, I can try to find the next barrier and go through that,"


    After a bit of thinking she nodded to herself and decided to keep going until she found what was on the next path up ahead.


    "Let''s go," she said to her summons, immediately snapping them out of idle mode and setting them on the path to the next area.


    As she walked Yvlena noticed the ground sink the closer she got to the entrance of the next area, it began shifting under her feet and the smell of rotten leaves and stagnant water wafted past her nose.


    "Even with the lack of sensation from the Revista, I know what''s up ahead stinks," Yvlena said, pushing past leaves and branches to find herself in a swamp.


    "Blegh," Sprite said beside her, Rabbit Knight tentatively put a foot down on the green swampy ground and quickly retracted it.


    "Avaresh Swamp," The game told Yvlena, the swamp was a large dark green area with barely any light shining through. The thick trees that lined the swamp grew in clusters, banding together to form large masses.


    Despite their height, the trees did not have many leaves, only branches that grew together in knots forming a wooden canopy above.


    The swamp''s water was the same murky color as the lake in the previous area showing a contamination of the Miasma, Yvlena imagined the water would have been a pale green shade before the advent of the corruption.


    Giant lily pads floated just out of her reach. Yvlena wondered if they would be able to bear her weight at all.


    She took another step forward, feeling her foot dive into the watery soil. Yvlena yanked her foot out watching as the grime clung to the sole of her boot.


    Up ahead she could make out a hut. Moss and thatch covered the building and fell off to the side, a smoking chimney rose above the foliage.


    Light shone from the two circular windows on the side, letting her know someone occupied the far off hut.


    Yvlena blinked as a memory from so long ago floated into her mind. She recognized this swamp, it was a part of her mother''s story.


    "Bavga, the witch of Avaresh Swamp," She whispered. "The witch of bone,"


    Yvlena looked at the hut once more, its lights the only thing penetrating through the dim atmosphere of the Swamp.


    Did she want to encounter the witch so soon? Would she be evil? Yvlena only faintly recalled the character as neutral, an obstacle the main character faced in the original novel.


    Another step forward had Yvlena sinking into the swampy ground. The girl yelped, flailing around until her summons helped pull her free.


    "Well I can''t cross the soil for now, I''ll need better shoes,"


    Out of the windows Yvlena made out a figure gazing at her. As soon as the figure was noticed it disappeared from sight retreating into the hut.


    A chill raced up Yvlena''s spine. She would need to be careful if it was really the old witch from her mother''s tale.


    [Quest: A Figure In The Swamp


    Avaresh Swamp has been taken over by the Miasma but a friendly face might dwell yet within it.


    Investigate the figure in the window, it may be a boon to your journey.


    ***


    Rewards


    ????


    ????


    ***


    Moon Points x2000


    Moon Gems x50


    EXP x500]


    [Do You Accept]


    [Yes/No]


    Yvlena accepted.


    "That''s the third quest I''ve gotten in the Verdant Woods," Yvlena said. The area seemed to want her to level up quickly and she couldn''t help but wonder why.


    The next Miasmic Guardian would be stronger than Viseli, of that she was sure and it would take more than her current skills to beat it.


    "I''m not going to worry about it now I haven''t even seen any spiders," Yvlena said. She turned around and left the area with her summons.


    Returning to the Verdant Lake she passed by it and looked into the water once again knowing something was waiting for her.


    "I''ll visit Bernard then Risel and plant the rest of the Ever Blooms, I have a feeling I''ll need a lot of them," Yvlena said.


    ----------


    "Ah Yvlena, long time no see!" Bernard said, greeting the girl cheerfully.


    [Affinity with Bernard increased+1]


    "It''s nice seeing you again," Yvlena said politely. She looked around the shop with interest, her eyes lit up in excitement the moment she noticed the changes.


    Bernard''s shop was no longer as bare as it was the first time Yvlena had visited the shop to buy some items.


    Shelves were full now, brimming with weapons and equipment he''d gotten from other merchants and travelers that visited Bloom Haven from the Eastern path.


    "Ever since the Miasma cleared up I''ve had great luck with travelers, how many I help Yvlena?"


    "I need to get in Avaresh Swamp but my boots keep sinking through the land," Yvlena said.


    "You need something water resistant to get through¡­Did you say Avaresh Swamp?¡±


    Yvlena nodded.


    ¡°By the gods, that means the Western path is slowly clearing up!¡± He said in excitement.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Bernard said, waving away his excitement, ¡°Anywho you''ll need it to get to the docks,"


    "The docks?" Yvlena didn''t recall seeing a wood structure around the area when she had gone there with her summons.


    ''I guess I wasn''t looking closely enough,'' she thought.


    "Don''t worry I have just the thing," Bernard said as he opened the shop menu for her. Yvlena looked through, eventually coming across an item highlighted for her.


    "Adventurer''s Boots," she read.


    "It offers just the amount of water resistance you need to make it to safer ground within the swamp and offers better defense than what you currently have," Bernard explained.


    "2000 Moon Points," Yvlena whined, Bernard only gave a cheeky grin in response.


    She paid and equipped her boots before she could grumble about the price of the item. All that mattered was her progress and besides she would make the money back.


    "Pleasure doing business with you,¡±

 070~The Avaresh Swamp (2)

    "Time to get planting," Yvlena said, taking out her hoe and tilling more neat squares within the compound of the manor. She trimmed a few weeds and cut down a few more trees growing too close to her crops.


    "I''ll have to craft those scarecrows soon," she sighed, worrying about the birds, she hoped they wouldn''t return and gobble up her Ever Bloom seeds, that would be a disaster.


    After the Ever Bloom seeds were planted she wiped the sweat off her brow and harvested the wild seeds that had grown into Fox Tails, Bloom Lilies, and Star Root.


    "Oh Star Root is a bit rare isn''t it?" she asked tucking the herbs into her inventory for more potion.


    Her alchemy would need to keep growing if she wanted to keep taking on Harvest Guardian quests.


    "Off to see Risel,"


    ----------


    Yvlena returned to the Artisan District to inquire about an alchemical recipe that could help her purify the lake.


    "Yvlena!" Risel yelled, nearly falling over her counter at the sight of the other elf. She swung her feet over the edge and ran up to trap Yvlena in a bear hug. Though not as strong as Ricardo''s, Yvlena struggled to move her arms.


    [Risel witnessed the first layer of the Verdant Wood''s Miasma disappear]


    [Risel is excited]


    "You got through the first layer of the Verdant Woods, have you found the way to the next town yet?" The elf asked hopefully, concern for her brother shone in her green eyes.


    Yvlena felt a pang of guilt as she had to tell her she was no closer to breaking through to the next town or even discerning its location.


    Yvlena shook her head, her heart saddened as soon as she saw Risel''s ears droop in disappointment.


    The alchemist''s mood sunk, she sighed heavily disheartened by the news. It seemed she would be waiting a while before she could see her brother again.


    "I''m sorry Risel this is tougher than the Miasma within the Bloom Forest''s Depths, it''ll take a lot more for me to clear it,"


    Risel lifted her head as Yvlena spoke, quickly realizing her friend was trying her best as the new Harvest Guardian. Of course, the Miasma wouldn''t be gone in a few tries.


    It had taken root long ago after the previous Harvest Guardian had disappeared.


    "What do you need? I''ll help in any way I can, not just for my brother but for the good of the town! Things have gotten so much better since the Eastern path cleared up,"


    "I need to purify the Verdant Lake," Yvlena said. "There''s something in the water, a creature maybe but I need to purify it,"


    Risel gasped, slapping her hands to her cheeks in surprise. She hopped back over the counter to open the shop to Yvlena.


    "You''ve gotten as far as the Lake?"


    Yvlena nodded, smiling. Risel nodded in delight, impressed that Yvlena had gotten so far so soon.


    The thought had her squealing excitedly at the anticipation of seeing her brother again.


    Whilst the Lake wasn''t far from the entrance path to the Verdant Woods, it was more than the denizens of Bloom Haven had seen in a long time.


    "And the Avaresh Swamp," Yvlena added, watching Risel light up again.


    "That means you''ve met Bavga?!" Risel said tugging on Yvlena''s arm and pulling her closer to the counter so the girl could purchase an item.


    ''It really is the bone witch,'' Yvlena thought uncomfortably.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    "Well I haven''t met her yet, what do you know about her,"


    "Well you can trade animal parts to her, hides, pelts, fangs, and things like that. She was walled off for so long though, I don''t know if she''ll be hospitable to visitors," Risel said.


    "I''ll have to cross the docks to get to the swamp won''t I?"


    Risel nodded,


    "I''m afraid the docks are broken so someone will have to repair them, you can get some water resistant shoes from Bernard I believe. Only an adventurer may wear them, and only then will you be able to start repairing them,¡±


    "Don''t worry Risel I already did,"


    [Your proactivity impressed Risel]


    [Affinity with Risel Increased +3]


    "Your Alchemy went up too," the elf commented offhandedly.


    The Shop menu opened as Yvlena pondered over the words.


    She looked through the shop, finding the recipes she needed for O''Leary''s watch, and the Purifying Elixir were now available to her.


    They cost 2500 Moon Points each.


    "Damn it, I forgot I ran out of money buying those boots," Yvlena said, smacking a hand to her face.


    "I''ll have to come back later for them, Risel," Yvlena said, moving away from the counter and allowing Risel to close her shop menu.


    "Don''t worry Yvlena I''ll hold on to them for you," Risel winked.


    Yvlena felt heat rush to her face at the gesture, she giggled.


    "Now I just have to do some more quests to raise money," Yvlena said under her breath. The last quest she had taken was from Ricardo, and, that was a little bit ago.


    "Remember, you can also sell me any potions you made to make money, but there is something I need done," Risel said.


    "What is it?" Yvlena asked.


    "I just need help with some basic health potions,"


    [Quest: A potion a day (1)


    Risel the alchemist is overwhelmed with making potions for the healers of Bloom Haven.


    Lately, Risel has been overworked running both the apothecary and handling potion production for the healers.


    Help lighten the load by brewing and selling ten health potions.


    ***


    Rewards


    ???


    ***


    Moon Points x700


    EXP x300]


    [Do You Accept]


    [Yes/No]


    "Alright!" Yvlena cheered, pumping her fist in the air. She might need to ask NPCs if they had quests after exploring the swamp.


    "Oh Risel, what do you know about this?" Yvlena asked taking a bottle of the Miasmic Sap out of her inventory.


    Risel held her hand out for the bottle, allowing Yvlena to place it delicately in her palm.


    "Where did you get this?" Risel asked, turning the bottle over in her hands. "Its sap from a tree corrupted by the Miasma inflicts burning and can be used in potions,"


    "From the Verdant Woods, would you like to buy it?"


    Risel nodded.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Moon Points x500]


    "If you happen to have any more I would be interested in purchasing them," Risel said, still staring at the bottle of black liquid. She placed it on the counter and waved Yvlena off as the girl made to leave.


    "No problem Risel," Yvlena said leaving the apothecary.


    ----------


    Yvlena and her summons walked through the Verdant Woods, careful not to alert any beings of her presence.


    Although a battle was inevitable she would prefer not to be ambushed as she walked through the forest on a quest.


    The girl passed the lake again, throwing a hesitant glance at the deep pool and hoping nothing would leap out of it and attack her.


    ''Nothing''s coming out of there until I purify it,'' she thought.


    She entered the swamp again noticing her feet did not sink into the watery soil as they previously did. The land was by no means as steady as the dry land but it was good enough for her feet to find purchase on the soil.


    "Yes," she said walking forward, Rabbit Knight trudged along beside her, getting mud and dark soil all over his feet. He shook it off with each step but refused to let Yvlena carry him with her.


    "It''s just until we get to the docks," Yvlena said, even with the Adventurer''s Boots she felt herself beginning to sink as she walked forward.


    Another step forced her to pause, her foot was stuck in a hole. She struggled and wriggled, unable to pull herself out even as she grabbed the top of her boot to pull.


    "Uh..." She squirmed, struggling against the force of the hole only to see the mud ripple beneath her feet and open into a gaping mouth.

 071~The Avaresh Swamp (3)

    Yvlena screamed prompting Sprite to attack the open mouthed beast brimming with needle like teeth.


    [Sprite Cast Sting (01MP)]


    "Let go of her!" Sprite yelled, throwing balls of light at the creature holding onto Yvlena''s boot with fierce dedication. it growled and bit deeper into the leather of Yvlena''s adventure''s Boot until the girl began trying to shake it off.


    With a kick of her leg, the elven girl dislodged the ferocious creature.


    The creature appeared to be a fish created entirely out of the filth and grime of the swamp, its smooth blobby body sunk into the mud the moment it released Yvlena''s foot from its mouth.


    The retreat was short lived as it sprang up again with a vengeance. The creature hissed, flashing its pinprick teeth at the party and circling them waiting for a chance to bite again.


    [Swamp Fish Cast Bite]


    It sprang to attack, aiming to catch Sprite in its jaws. Its efforts were cut short by Rabbit Knight who, with a well timed slice, cut the creature in half with his rapier as it jumped mid air.


    The Swamp Fish dissolved into light leaving the party heaving sighs of relief.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 85/1590


    ***


    Chum x1


    Slime x1


    ***


    Moon Points x50]


    "Of course, there would be creatures hiding in the mud," Yvlena whined, she grabbed Rabbit Knight and hastened her pace until a set of broken and jagged pieces of wood came into view.


    "The docks?" Yvlena asked in confusion. She placed Rabbit Knight on the surface and pulled herself up just before the deeper water could swallow her up.


    The Avaresh Swamp docks were rotten pieces of wood barely hanging onto the frame that was constructed for it. At that point, it could barely be considered standing.


    It rested just above the deeper parts of the swamp''s dark water, similar in color to the Verdant Lake.


    All around the wooden structure holes reigned supreme waiting for someone to fix the gaping spaces on the docks.


    "One wrong step and you fall in," Yvlena said, peeking over the edge to check for more creatures. The wood creaked as she pressed her weight fully on the board.


    As she suspected more Swamp Fish swarmed the heels of the wood waiting for unsuspecting prey to fall through and into the water where they would sink their teeth into their victim.


    Yvlena grimaced at the disgusting little creatures, she hoped they would be the only mob in the area but that was highly unlikely.


    She looked around and noticed straight ahead was the hut where the Bone witch lived, but also the docks went straight ahead to a deeper area of the swamp. Yvlena didn''t feel like she would be investigating that any time soon.


    For now, she would head towards the hut and fulfill her quest to investigate the mysterious witch.


    Yvlena gulped, walking forward, a piece of wood cracked from too much force. She stumbled, nearly falling over into the water and the waiting swamp fish.


    "How much wood is it going to take to fix this damn thing!"


    [Subclass Quest Unlocked]


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    [Quest: Repair The Avaresh Swamp Docks


    Once a spot to seek arcane knowledge, the docks have been left to languish behind the walls of Miasma.


    Rot and decay have seeped into the wood causing it to break down and begin collapsing into the murky depths.


    Repair the docks and allow it to flourish once more.


    ***


    Rewards


    ????


    ***


    Moon Points x1000


    EXP x500]


    [Do You Accept?]


    [Yes/No]


    "I brought that on myself actually," Yvlena said, chuckling. She selected yes and took another shaky step forward until she heard a creak.


    From what Yvlena could see the docks were divided into three segments she would need to repair: the entrance, the middle, and the surface where the witch''s hut rested and where the rest of the docks continued.


    ''That''s probably why the witch couldn''t leave,'' Yvlena thought. She imagined a woman Beatrice''s age trying to flee as the Miasma began swallowing up large swaths of land, it just wouldn''t be possible.


    For now, it would take more wood than she had in her inventory to repair the docks.


    "Maybe I can do it as I go," Yvlena said pressing onward, she needed to meet Bavga to ask her some questions and fulfill the quest among other obligations.


    ''Maybe she''ll know where Rael went,'' Yvlena thought.


    She took another step toward the hut, a crack resounded just beneath her boots. Yvlena leaped over the space in time to see the rotten wood splinter and fall through.


    "Sheesh," she grumbled, tracing over the empty space she''s met with a prompt.


    [Repair Hole?]


    [Wood x10]


    [Yes/No]


    Yvlena got to work repairing the hole, soon the gap in the wood was replaced by her craftsmanship. A mismatched piece of wood in between the rotten boards. She rested her foot on it, she heard no creaks and the wood remained as stable as solid ground.


    [Avaresh Swamp Docks 1%]


    The docks would need a complete overhaul but until then this was the best she could do for it. The girl beamed with pride and moved to continue walking towards the hut, avoiding any more pitfalls that were in the way.


    The witch''s hut came ever closer but Yvlena was no longer afraid, Risel and what she could remember from her mother''s story told her the witch was at most neutral.


    And if she wasn''t, well what was another boss fight?


    "After all this time alone, she must want some company right?" Yvlena said standing in front of the old hut. Now that she was closer she could see the swampy grass growing out of the building, weaving together like straw to create the surface of the hut.


    A wooden door made of rough tree bark with a crude handle affixed, greeted Yvlena as the entryway into the hut. She lifted her hand to knock.


    The rough bark was tough on her hand as she rapped her knuckle across the door. She and her summons waited a moment for something to happen.


    "Maybe she''s not home?"


    With a gust of wind, the door was slammed open, flying back into the house as if pulled with great force. The sudden movement startled the girl but made her step closer to the house and into the entrance.


    "Here we go," she gulped and walked through with her loyal summons following beside her.


    ----------


    The hut was devoid of light as Yvlena stepped through the door, behind her the wooden door shut, forcing her to continue forward. The hut seemed tremendously bigger on the inside than the deceptively small exterior gave away.


    "Hello?" Yvlena called into the vast darkness. Slowly as she walked, buds of light glowed, springing to life with each step. After a moment''s study, Yvlena could tell they were bioluminescent plants growing from the walls of the witch''s hut.


    "Wow," She gasped, reaching for one, the flower closed up, shutting its light off until she retracted her hands. "Oh sorry,"


    The flower opened again allowing her to rest her hand on the glowing orb.


    "I wonder if this is a rare plant, it''s almost like the fairy-lit torch," Yvlena said moving on. She walked in a circle, descending lower until she stopped at a roaring hearth.


    It was carved out of wood, with jagged unsmooth edges that gave away the unskilled hands that cut it. The rest of the room stayed buried in darkness. Yvlena expected more flower buds to light up the space.


    Yvlena stood beside the hearth, her summons fidgeting nervously beside her. Where was the bone witch and where were the windows Yvlena had seen her through?


    She could make out pelts and animal bones on display, lining the walls as a sort of decoration. Just out of the corner of her eyes, a multitude of small bones were piled into a corner.


    Was the witch a collector? Or were the bones an indication of something sinister? As Yvlena pondered these questions a voice roared.


    "Who dares enter my domain?!¡±

 072~Bavga The Bone Witch

    "Who dares enter my domain?!"


    Sprite and Rabbit Knight braced themselves for an attack before Yvlena jumped in, trying to prevent a battle before it could occur.


    "Wait!" Yvlena said "I''m the new Harvest Guardian, Yvlena, I''m not here to fight you,"


    The voice in the shadows chuckled with relish. Yvlena could make out something shifting in the darkness as the figure of a hunched over woman moved closer to her.


    "Passed the mantle on has he? goddess knows what happened to Rael," the voice said.


    "You knew Rael?"


    "Hold yourself, I''ll be asking the question here," the voice said.


    Yvlena''s mouth snapped shut. She watched the figure come into the dim light of the hearth.


    "I am Bavga, Witch of Bone and you are in my domain, the Avaresh Swamp. What business do you have here?" She hissed.


    [NAME: Bavga


    RACE: Swamp Hag


    OCC: Bone Witch]


    Yvlena heard the clacking of Bavga''s staff as it hit the ground whilst the old witch dragged herself forward. It was a long crudely carved wooden staff topped with the skull of a bird fitted with two shining yellow orbs, a ring of beads and some feathers.


    The orbs within the skull''s eyes glowed maliciously, and led Yvlena to assume they were the source of the witch''s power.


    The hag was a hunched over old woman with sallow skin and a hard creased face lined with wrinkles and folds, from all her time living within the Avaresh Swamp alone.


    Her hair was the same thick swamp grass used on the outside of the house, obscuring half her face and only allowing a single glowing eye to bulge out from the woman''s water swollen face.


    The smell of rotten fish and wet herbs accompanied Bavga as she strode forward.


    "Before I answer any questions of yours you will have to pass my test, if you are a true Harvest Guardian just as Rael and those before you,"


    Bavga looked Yvlena up and down, inspecting the elven girl and her summons.


    This Yvlena recalled from her mother''s tale, she knew what the old hag would say next.


    "You are nothing but a child," Bavga said. She slammed the edge of her staff unto the wooden floor, lighting the room with magic.


    [Quest Complete:


    A Figure In The Swamp


    Avaresh Swamp has been taken over by the Miasma but a friendly face might dwell yet within it.


    Investigate the figure in the window, it may be a boon to your journey.


    ***


    Rewards


    Swamp Seed x5


    Water Resistant Elixir (Recipe)


    ***


    Moon Points x2000


    Moon Gems x50


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    EXP x500]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 585/1590]


    ''The quest is complete,'' Yvlena thought, Bavga found her way to a rocking chair carved out of old animal bones with a cushion crafted from pelts.


    She rested her back against it with a sigh, rocking back and forth as she stared grimly at Yvlena, appraising her again. After a moment of silence the witch smirked, then a slow grin spread across her face showing yellow, misshapen teeth crawling with little critters.


    Yvlena grimaced.


    "If you really are the Harvest Guardian as you say you are, these tasks will be no trouble for you," Bavga said.


    ''Here come the three trials,'' Yvlena thought, predicting the story. She knew the NPC would not deviate much from the source material. It wasn''t hard to guess Bavga would put her through an identity test.


    After all, Viseli too had questioned Yvlena''s identity as the current Harvest Guardian.


    Bavga coughed, a deep and raspy gurgle of her throat as if she was trying to clear something stuck. She snorted and spat a glob of black into the fireplace.


    The flames roared, fueled by the wad of thick spit.


    ¡°Well?" Bavga said impatiently. Yvlena nodded.


    [Bavga the witch aims to test your mettle]


    [Subclass Quest Unlocked]


    Bavga lifted her hand and began chanting something in an ancient language, a pile of bones in the corner rattled ominously in the swamp''s wind. The room shuddered as Bavga chanted.


    The bones began piling on top of one another, affixing to joins and forming a body, until they had arranged themselves into a monstrous dog-like creature.


    Yvlena noticed the glowing center in its chest, the same yellow as Bavga''s staff shined through the bony ribs cage of the Bone Beast


    Bavga cackled as the bone beast began rising, the dog-like entity growled at Yvlena and her summons then turned to its master and lowered itself waiting for the witch to give the command.


    [Quest: Defeat Bavga''s Bone Beast


    Bavga the bone witch wants to test your strength as the Harvest Guardian. Defeat the Bone Beast to begin the quest series and obtain your first task.


    ***


    Rewards


    ???


    ***


    Moon Points x500


    EXP x300]


    [Do You Accept?]


    [Yes/No]


    Yvlena gulped, looking into the bone beast''s empty eye sockets, the thing was already sizing her up, ready to end her.


    Yvlena had not yet allowed her HP to fall to zero and she did not intend to do so here. She hit yes, allowing the bone beast to lunge towards her and start the battle.


    "Sprite cast bind!" Yvlena ordered her summon, with a strategy on her mind she shouted the first command as she set her plan into action.


    The forest fairy obliged, tendrils of wet, slimy swamp grass burst forth from the floor boards controlled by Sprite''s fairy magic. They wound around the bone beast''s leg holding it in place.


    Yvlena felt as if she was back in the manor again fighting the Lower Miasmic Beast in the narrow corridor. She didn''t know why the bone witch would allow such a battle to take place in her abode but who was Yvlena to question it.


    "Keep it busy," Yvlena said to her summons, they nod and jump into battle with the terrible creature.


    Yvlena noticed Bavga watching her intensely, judging her every move. Yvlena summoned her cauldron and began crafting a potion that would help her in the battle.


    A brief expression of surprise crossed Bavga''s face at the sight of the cauldron. The witch seemed impressed.


    Yvlena bottled an Entanglia potion and hurled it at the beast allowing the conjured vines to hold the creature steady in place.


    Or so she thought.


    Before she knew it the vines began to snap, the poor quality of the potion was no match for the creature it sought to bind.


    The bone beast wrestled against it''s bindings and ripped the magical vines up before the time was up. Rabbit Knight leaped in tackling the beast head on.


    [Rabbit Knight Cast Slash (03MP)]


    [Sprite cast Sting (01 MP)]


    Her summons went toe to toe with the beast unafraid as Yvlena brewed more potions. She bottled a freeze potion and slammed it against the bone beast''s head.


    The creature fell with a thud, weighed down by the block of ice encasing it''s skull. Yvlena ran forward heaving her sword and bringing it down swiftly on the creatures ribcage.


    It''s shattered with the force of the blade, a small yellow or rolled out of the broken side. Yvlena dove for it, grabbing it in one had as the ice from the freeze Potion shattered.


    The bone beast rose again, opening it''s toothy maw to bite down on Rabbit Knight.


    Without knowing what it was, Yvlena crushed the orb in her hand, cracking the glassy surface and shattering it with her strength.


    The bone beast shook, rattling loudly as it crumpled into a pile of bones.


    [Quest: Defeat Bavga''s Bone Beast


    Bavga the bone witch wants to test your strength as the Harvest Guardian. Defeat the Bone Beast to begin the quest series and obtain your first task.


    ***


    Rewards


    Animation Core x1


    ***


    Moon Points x500


    EXP x300]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 885/1590]


    "Seems I underestimated you," Bavga reluctantly admitted. She rested her back against the chair, her single yellow eye watching intently.


    [Bavga is slightly impressed by your efforts]


    [Affinity with Bavga increased+1]


    Yvlena relaxed, glaring at the woman. Sprite Cast Cure on Rabbit Knight who read the room and waited for another attack.


    Yvlena hadn''t won over the bone witch just yet and this could be another ruse to get her to let her guard down.


    "You seem prepared enough for the first task,¡±

 073~What Is The Miasma?

    "What is the first task?" Yvlena asked warily, the swamp was crawling with all sorts of creatures, and taking on Bavga''s tasks would force her deeper into it.


    Yvlena already dreaded the sight of the water bound creatures but she would need to do it anyway to uncover the secrets of the game.


    And what her mother left behind.


    Bavga stayed on her bone carved rocking chair and began speaking.


    "Don''t rush me, child," Bavga snapped, Yvlena flinched at the tone but kept silent as the hag adjusted herself to be more comfortable in her chair.


    "Fine," Yvlena said folding her arms and glaring impatiently.


    Bavga took a shuddering breath, struggling to breathe the stale swamp air.


    The old witch was sick, that much Yvlena knew.


    "There is a peculiar item possessed by creatures corrupted by the Miasma. Obtain ten for me and I will answer a question if yours as well as present you with a reward,"


    ''She means the Shadow essence,''


    "The war of the gods destroyed everything after more than a few decades, I have remained secluded in this Swamp," Bavga said.


    "As for why I need you to get them for me, I am not as young as I once was and I do not possess the blessings of an elf, like yourself. 300 years will do that to a witch,"


    [Quest: The First Task


    Since becoming ill in the corrupted Avaresh Swamp, Bavga has been unable to venture out on her own.


    She needs your assistance acquiring the Shadow Essence possessed by creatures under the Miasma''s hold.


    ***


    Rewards


    Swamp seeds x5


    ***


    Moon Points x500


    EXP x300]


    [Do You Accept?]


    [Yes/No]


    Yvlena read the quest objectives with a serious expression. It seemed simple enough, collect ten Shadow Essence orbs from corrupted creatures.


    She already possessed seventeen Shadow Essence orbs in her inventory and needed them for the Ever Blooms in her garden.


    She sighed.


    ''I could always fight more creatures, it''s better I use them for the quest,'' she thought.


    Yvlena accepted, then fished the black marble sized orbs out of her inventory and presented them to Bavga whose singular eyebrow lifted in surprise.


    [Bavga is amazed at your prowess]


    [Affinity with Bavga increased+3]


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "I suppose the quest was too easy for someone like yourself," her tone carried a grudging respect.


    [Quest Complete:


    First Task


    Since becoming ill in the corrupted Avaresh Swamp Bavga is unable to venture out on her own.


    She needs your assistance acquiring the Shadow Essence possessed by creatures under the Miasma''s hold.


    ***


    Rewards


    Swamp seeds x5


    ***


    Moon Points x500]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 1185/1590]


    Yvlena let out a sigh of relief, thinking the game wouldn''t allow her to submit her previously obtained Shadow Essence.


    She didn''t want to have to hunt five different Miasmatic entities.


    "Ask your question child," Bavga said, the hag began rocking in her chair again.


    "Oh, uh," Yvlena stuttered, her mind had gone blank at the sudden prompt, she paused to think about her question, cycling through potentials.


    "Just what is the Miasma? Why does it seem to corrupt everything?"


    "That''s two questions in one but I will indulge you child because I was impressed by your fight with the bone beast and the speed at which you handled the first task," Bavga said.


    "The Miasma is what happens after a Godfall," the old witch grinned.


    "But aren''t gods supposed to be unkillable?" Yvlena said. She closed her mouth when she realized she had asked yet another question.


    Bavga gave her an irritated look.


    "I''m sorry," Yvlena apologized.


    "The Miasma is proof that they are not dead, they simply become something else," Bavga continued.


    "Something else," Yvlena repeated, she thought about it for a few minutes putting the pieces of her theory together.


    [War of the Gods 4% completion]


    "If the Miasma is the corrupted essence of a fallen god...That explains why it reanimated the dead soldiers at the outpost!" Yvlena said.


    It turned them into something else.


    "You may ask another question after the second task," Bavga said with a calm wave of her hand.


    "I''d like to take a moment,"


    "Come back when you''re ready," the witch said.


    ----------


    Aya took the Revista off again and got out of bed to check if her roommate had returned, it was almost two o''clock and Mars had said she would be back by noon.


    She found her roommate sitting on the living room couch tapping her foot pensively.


    "Mars you''re back," Aya said in relief.


    The dark haired girl looked back at Aya standing in the doorway to the other room.


    "Did you eat?" Mars asked, relaxing at the sight of Aya.


    Aya nodded.


    "Mars is everything alright," Aya asked, noticing the girl''s forlorn face. Mars looked contemplative, thinking deeply about something.


    Mars nodded slightly.


    "Just some stuff on my mind,"


    Aya came closer and occupied the empty space beside her friend. She rested a comforting hand in Mars'' hair and gave an encouraging smile.


    "Hey, what''s up?"


    Mars seemed hesitant to speak, but after a glance at Aya''s face, she couldn''t resist.


    "I was at the arcade today for a tournament,"


    [Flashback]


    Mars stepped off the podium connected to the arcade machine after clenching a difficult win. She shot her opponent a smirk and watched him step down as well grumbling.


    Overhead her avatar winked on the display board telling everyone near and far that she had won the fighting game tournament.


    Her prize money was transferred to her instantly and while she stood checking the amount, her opponent faced her again, sticking his hand out he said.


    "Good game,"


    In the spirit of good sportsmanship, Mars shook his large, clammy hands.


    "Your technique needs some work but you fought well," she said. He nodded and began walking away.


    Mars looked up from her phone to catch a glimpse of silver hair. She blinked, holding back a gasp at the sight of the familiar color.


    She stilled her heart, silver hair wasn''t uncommon especially not in Axen City but something about the figure filled her with dread.


    Mars started in the direction she had seen the figure go, walking away from the arcade machine and towards the entrance.


    Over the crowd, a silver haired man spoke to what looked like the manager of the Pinhole arcade.


    Mars inched closer, her heart pounding with every step forward, in a moment the figure turned around just briefly enough to catch sight of his face.


    [Flashback End]


    "It was Arlo, I¡¯m sure of it," Mars said, Aya frowned.


    Arlo, one of the people Mars left behind in Evangels, a member of the Eos Conquers. The same group that betrayed her friend. But what would a member of her former group be doing here in Axen?


    "Do you think they''re looking for you?" Aya asked. Mars nodded with certainty.


    "Oh, they most definitely are and I know the method they''ll use,¡±


    "What''s that?"


    "They''re going to hold a tournament to fish me out," Mars said. "Lucky I saw Arlo first, if not I would have walked into a trap,"


    "You''re right, that was lucky," Aya agreed. "Do you think they would all have been there waiting for you?"


    "Not sure but one thing is clear, we''ve got to disappear,¡±

 074~The Second Task (1)

    Victor sat in his office with his loyal subordinate Fred Barkley sitting directly opposite him. Fred''s eyes darted around trying to process the information his boss had just given him.


    All this time, the older man was being blackmailed and no one within the company knew, until now. The tired, blond man looked up at Mr. Sinclair with a question on his lips.


    "How long has this been going on?"


    "Two years now, an anonymous drop off, I''ve tried tailing them but somehow they always make the switch just in time for me to lose them," The man said with a glare. "Until now they had been the only ones who knew my niece''s location but now, that isn''t so, is it?"


    Fred nodded, still thinking.


    "I couldn''t have done this without your help Fred, and I thank you deeply from the bottom of my heart," Victor said.


    Fred rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, what would he say to the man who already got him out of the terrible situation he was previously in?


    "No need for that sir. I''m just glad you''ve found her. You can contact her through the game. She''s in Bloom Haven right now dealing with the Miasma,"


    "As her mother intended,"


    "You mean Mrs. Anastasia," Fred said, lowering his gaze. He remembered her, a writer working for the company, Moon Valley had been partly her brainchild.


    He had met her during his work, a cheerful woman with a kind demeanor before she was subsequently taken by a rare terminal illness. Fred had worked closely with her to create parts of Moon Valley''s story but the rest of her involvement remained a mystery to him.


    "Yes,"


    "No wonder," Fred said.


    ----------


    Mars left to make some calls leaving Aya time to play Moon Valley, she no longer worried about the apartment downstairs as it was now clear of all her belongings.


    Even if Lydia and Fido got through her locks, there would be nothing to find.


    Aya lifted her hand over her head in a deep stretch and went back to her room, it was time to see what the second task would entail.


    ----------


    "Are you ready for the second task?" The Swamp Witch asked the moment Yvlena returned.


    Yvlena nodded, ready for anything the woman would throw at her, another fetch quest perhaps? Or would the witch ask her to fight something else this time?


    Bavga coughed again, deep from her diaphragm. She rubbed her chest, groaning and wincing in pain.


    "I''ve fallen ill as you can see, an illness caused by the Miasma,"


    "What Viseli had," Yvlena asked.


    "Oh, so you know of the Titan of the Eastern path, I had a feeling she would be taken by it though we had never met. Yes, it seems it is much the same," Bavga said. "Fortunately I''ve developed a recipe, a balm that will help relieve my pain until a cure can be made or until I turn,"


    Bavga''s face appeared downcast as she coughed once again.


    "With Rael''s disappearance, I''m doubtful a cure will even be found,".


    Yvlena bristled, stung that Bavga didn''t believe she could continue Rael''s work as the Harvest Guardian.


    "I''ll need you to gather the ingredients and make the balm for me,"


    [Quest: Second Task


    Bavga''s illness grows more severe with each passing moment, luckily a way to soothe her pain exists.


    Collect the Swamp Balm''s recipe and craft this healing balm for her.


    ***


    Rewards


    ????


    ***


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Moon Points x1000


    EXP: 700]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Swamp Balm (Recipe)]


    "You will find the ingredients in the deeper parts of the swamp," Bavga said.


    Yvlena held back a groan, she hadn''t wanted to head into the deeper parts of the Avaresh Swamp just yet, but it seemed she would have to.


    "Right," she sighed, already beginning her ascent up the hut''s stairs and back to the main area of the Avaresh Swamp.


    Yvlena and her party stood once again on the rickety, hole ridden docks facing the path to the deeper swamp.


    Moist air blew through the area, bringing with it the scent of stale air and rot. Yvlena looked into the dark water swarming with Swamp Fish sensing their prey.


    She examined the docks, finding they didn''t continue towards the path she needed to go, meaning she would need some way to stay above the water that encompassed the swamp.


    "Let''s take a look at this recipe,"


    [Swamp Balm (Epic)


    ***


    Type: Recipe


    Created by the Bone witch of Avaresh Swamp to stave off and soothe the pain of her Miasma induced illness.


    ***


    Swamp Jelly (Herb) x1


    Fox Glove (Herb) x2


    Avaresh Lotus Petals (Herb) x5


    Spider Venom x2


    ***


    Small Jar


    Cauldron]


    She exhaled, facing her summons to relay her plans.


    "First we need to return to Bloom Haven and harvest the crops I''ve planted, then figure out a way to get the Swamp jelly from the deeper part of the swamp. I should have a Water Resistant Elixir,"


    She reread the recipe for good measure, focusing on the final ingredient.


    "Spider Venom!" Yvlena paled. The spiders were creatures she had put out of her mind despite needing them for their silk. Already she imagined their mandibles clenching and unclenching around her head. She whimpered.


    "One thing at a time okay, Yvlena,"


    ----------


    Yvlena returned to the Rose Manor exhausted. Traversing the swamp didn''t seem to get easier, even with the right shoes.


    "It''s such a relief to be back here," she said, walking into the manor grounds. As she did, she heard the flap of wings and the faint ''caw caw'' of a certain pest. Her eyes fell on her crop bed ready to be watered and some, harvested.


    She ran towards it, locking her eyes on the dark cloud circling her crops.


    The black birds had returned with a vengeance, diving toward her crop bed, ready to gobble up her seeds.


    Yvlena upped her pace, pushing her legs as fast as her Agility stat could take her. She unsheathed her sword and swung.


    "Back away!"


    [Sprite Cast Sting (01MP)]


    [Rabbit Knight Cast Slash (05MP)]


    Following their summoner''s lead, Sprite and Rabbit Knight jumped at the birds, cutting each one they could find, down until they disappeared.


    While her summons dealt with the pests, Yvlena watered the Ever Blooms and fed the last of her Shadow Essence orbs to them.


    "Now I really need to get more,"


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Ever Bloom (Herb) x7]


    "Oh that''s interesting, the game just calls it a herb now, I guess it''s not really the ancient Ever Bloom anymore since I''ve been cultivating it," Yvlena noted. She tended to the rest of the plants, cutting down some trees to make room for more sunlight.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Luna Orchid (Herb) x2


    Fox Tail (Herb) x5


    Fox Glove (Herb) x3


    Star Root (Herb) x2]


    "That''s almost everything I''ve planted so far," Yvlena said. She went through her inventory and planted the rest of the wild seeds, then paid special attention to the crops that hadn''t matured.


    She watered their green buds and checked for anything that might have been damaged by the birds.


    "Doesn''t look like anything''s wrong, I guess they just need some time. I hope I get some more Star Root from the next batch or I might have to go to Bloom Meadow again,"


    She chopped down some more trees, totaling her wood count to a hundred pieces of wood.


    [Subclass Skill: Herblore Leveled Up]


    "Yes!" She cheered. "My Herblore and Alchemy are getting better, they''re so reliant on herbs I''m pretty sure all the farming is doing something for them passively,"


    She tried planting the swamp seeds she''d gotten into some space cleared for it, but was stopped by a notification from the game.


    [Must be planted near water]


    "Oh right," Yvlena said, nearly smacking her forehead. "Swamp seeds would need some kind of watery soil like a lake bed or a...swamp," she chuckled at her silliness.


    Even logic had to apply sometimes.


    "I''d have to create some sort of pond or something," she said. Her eyes gazed at the Manor''s structure, at the dome that topped the Rose Manor''s roof.


    "That has to be a greenhouse right? But it''s on the highest floor that''ll take forever to renovate,"


    Yvlena sat under a tree, watching her summons sleep after a long and exhausting adventure. They didn''t have to go back for a bit so why not use the time to catch their breath?

 075~The Second Task (2)

    While under the tree Yvlena pulled up the recipe for the Water Resistant Elixir she wanted to brew. If she were right, it would help her traverse the deeper part of the Avaresh Swamp or at least provide a boost to her Water Resistant Adventurer''s Boots.


    "I hope I can get all of the ingredients without needing to unlock a new area," she said.


    [Water Resistant Elixir (Rare)


    ***


    Type: Recipe


    Created by a particular alchemist now long lost to time, the Water Resistant elixir, for a limited period will prevent the consumer from sinking into any body of water.


    The Elixir¡¯s effectiveness is determined by its grade.


    ***


    Slime x2


    Avaresh Lotus Extract x1


    Luna Orchid x2


    ***


    Bottle or Vial


    Cauldron]


    "Avaresh Lotus? I guess those were the lily pad things I saw earlier at the swamp. The slime can be gotten from the Swamp Fish and I already have the Luna Orchids," Yvlena said.


    She exhaled in relief.


    "And no spider venom required," She laughed, the elven girl hefted herself up from where she had been lying under a tree and went to wake her summons from their nap.


    "We''ve got work to do,"


    Rabbit Knight leaped up and Sprite fluttered to Yvlena''s side rubbing her eyes with a tiny fist. The fairy yawned, still groggy from the short nap.


    "Are we going back to the swamp?" she asked, Yvlena nodded.


    ----------


    The walk from the town back to the Verdant Woods was shorter now that Yvlena knew the path well. She stooped down to examine the few bits of green peaking through the dry soil on the Verdant Wood''s path.


    "It''s healing," Yvlena said in awe, "Selendriel must have given Bloom Haven some kind of blessing, the area always seems to recover so quickly,"


    [War of the Gods 6% completion]


    "Huh, looks like I called it," Yvlena said, lifting herself off the ground. She thought about Selendriel as she walked with her summons, passing the faded sign that pointed towards the direction of the Verdant Lake.


    "She''s one half of the twin gods of Bloom Haven but I don''t think I''ve heard much about Vaelindor, he doesn''t seem to get much attention,"


    Yvlena felt the prickle of eyes on her as she walked, she jumped around just in time to watch a boar careen out of the woods. She noticed the signs of corruption as it ran towards her party.


    It squealed loudly, dark vapor oozing with every step it took. The madness in its eyes let Yvlena know a head on attack was incoming, the boar was not as cautious as the wolf or even the Lesser miasmic beast and instead chose to run head first into danger.


    Yvlena noticed the red patches littering its body, an already injured beast would be easier to kill, it had burst out of the Miasma stained trees, burning itself with the liquid rolling down the branches.


    She drew her sword, blocking the boar''s collision head on but taking some damage in the process. The creature struggled against her, slamming it''s head against her blade repeatedly in an attempt to shatter it.


    Unknown to it, the Carrot Sword was made of sterner stuff and would not shatter so easily.


    Yvlena wrested herself away from the beast, while her summons attacked.


    [Sprite Cast Sting (01MP)]


    [Rabbit Knight Cast Slash (05MP)]


    The boar grunted, retreating a few steps back and changing the trajectory of its attack to the Rabbit in armor.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Oh no you don''t,"


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Burst (50MP)]


    The orange beam swept the boar up in its ray, slamming it against a tree. A wave of collected Miasmic sap washed over the creature burning it.


    Yvlena watched the sap melt through the creature''s skin, eating through the flesh and bone.


    "Oh my God," she said, holding her hand over her mouth in shock, the boar gave a final squeal before it was dispatched by the fluid.


    It fell, fading away in flakes of light.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 1350


    ***


    Pork (Rancid) x2


    Shadow Essence x2


    Blackened Tusks x2


    ***


    Moon Points x200]


    "I didn''t expect that to happen, poor boar!" Yvlena said in fright, she watched the ground where the Miasmic sap had landed, the ground had eaten away allowing the sap to pool together and form a puddle.


    Yvlena sheathed her sword and retrieved a few more bottles to collect some of it for later use.


    "I''m sure Risel would want to buy some," Yvlena said.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Miasmic Sap x5]


    "Almost out of vials and bottles, I''ll stop by the apothecary later when I need to get the purifying recipe and the potion I need for Captain O''Leary''s watch," Yvlena said.


    The black waters of the Verdant Lake greeted them as they passed it. Murky waters bubbled, making Yvlena wonder just what was at the bottom of those depths.


    Out of the corner of her eye, something moved, she spun to see a large webbed hand covered in water weeds pull itself back into the water with a loud splash.


    Whatever was in the water had to have been expecting her. Yvlena grimaced, knots of fear formed in her stomach as she and her summons ran past the blackened lake.


    ----------


    The Avaresh Swamp greeted them with the smell of damp rot wafting through the humid air. Out of sight, creatures swam within the water waiting to attack or for Yvlena to fish them out for her potion.


    "Gathering ingredients for this particular potion is not going to be fun," Yvlena said. Her foot pressed against the wet soil barely keeping her afloat. The Revista did a great job simulating the squelch as she delved into the swamp.


    The dorsal fin of a small, ugly Swamp Fish was already rising to the water''s surface the moment her boot touched the water. Yvlena drew her sword, and stabbed the water she saw the creature sink into. The Swamp Fish stilled and at once, its short existence came to an abrupt end.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 1400/1590


    ***


    Chum x1


    Slime x1


    ***


    Moon Points x50]


    "Eww!" she cried as she pulled her sword out of the water. "The recipe only needed two slimes right,"


    The water bubbled again as Yvlena stood rereading the Elixir''s recipe. Small dorsal fins popped out of the water and began swimming toward Yvlena and her summons.


    Rabbit Knight acted first, noticing the first of the Swamp Fish leap out. He skewered them with his sword, netting his summoner another kill. The rest of the creatures were not cowed and barred their teeth at the Rabbit before attacking.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Shot (10MP)]


    She blasted another and another as the Swamp Fish jumped out of the muddy waters one by one.


    "Ah! There''s too many of them, we have to make it to the docks!" she said, Rabbit Knight nodded, following his summoner''s lead, and rushed towards the wooden structure.


    Yvlena hopped on first, reaching out to grab the rabbit just as a Swamp Fish''s jaw could clamp down on his fluffy tail.


    Yvlena stabbed it, finishing it off.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 1600/1590


    ***


    Chum x4


    Slime x4


    ***


    Moon Points x250]


    [Yvlena is now Level 13]


    The Swamp Fish swirled at the edge of the docks snapping their jaws at whatever would come close to them, Yvlena tightened her grip around her sword and began picking them off one by one.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 260/1750


    ***


    Chum x5


    Slime x5


    ***


    Moon Points x350]


    She pulled her sword back as the last of the Swamp Fish faded away into nothing. Yvlena didn''t know when the rest of them would arrive but she swung her feet over the edge of the docks and attempted to pull in the closest Avaresh Lotus.


    Her fingers only brushed the green Lotus pad and with Sprite''s help, she pulled it closer to herself and lifted it out of the water. It was heavier than she expected, with large waterlogged roots and the Lotus pad big enough to carry a person.


    "I should have gone for a smaller one,"


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Avaresh Lotus (Herb) x1]


    "How do I get the extract out?" she asked. "I know, Risel sold me the alchemist kit,"

 076~The Second Task (3)

    Yvlena didn''t get the chance to look at the Alchemist Kit when she bought it at Risel''s apothecary. She took it out of her inventory, holding it carefully in both hands as she laid it down on the dock''s less patchy area.


    Whatever she was expecting it certainly wasn''t a wooden box, the Basic Alchemist Kit was a smooth wooden case with a golden latch holding it closed.


    The polished lacquer gleamed as she observed it before finally unclasping the latch to peer into the box.


    "Oh," Yvlena gasped, the case was neatly packed with instruments an alchemist would need but she could only recognize a few of the tools.


    In the case were a grate, grinder, small ceramic mortar with a pestle, burner, and glass containers.


    Yvlena held the burner marked with runes, possibly for igniting flames without using charcoal or matches. The burner stood on three feet, finished with a small rabbit''s foot on each of its three legs.


    "Cute," she said, setting it down on the wooden surface. "I had something like this in my chemistry class, nothing this fancy though,"


    Next came the glass containers, there were two of them, one was a rounded flask that attached to the burner quite easily, topped with an intricately designed cover that opened and closed on a single hinge, probably so she could add ingredients to boil.


    The other was a rounded flask as well that closed with a round nose, she didn''t know what to use it for and left it in the case for now. She took the first bottle and fixed it securely to her burner.


    Yvlena turned her attention to the Avaresh Lotus and picked the large herb up to examine it.


    "Uh...where do I even begin?" she asked, first she separated the lotus from the pad it had floated on, the Avaresh Lotus itself was a deep red, with splashes of green bundled in petals.


    Yvlena disassembled the Lotus piece by piece until she was left with the various parts of the plant.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Avaresh Lotus Petals x15


    Avaresh Lotus Seed x5


    Avaresh Lotus Stem x1


    Avaresh Lotus Pad x1]


    "Alright, what''s next?" Yvlena asked. She allowed her character''s knowledge to guide her, picking up the mortar and pestle she set about crushing the Lotus Petals into a paste and placing them in the container on the burner.


    The burner came on with a buzz, a blue flame roaring to life as the paste began cooking. Yvlena watched the petals dissolve into a pale, shimmering pink liquid.


    She sniffed it, finding a mildly sweet and herbal scent reminiscent of flavored toothpaste.


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    Once it was done she poured the liquid and was able to fill two vials.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Avaresh Lotus Extract x2]


    "I still have a bunch of petals left so maybe I can make some more extract later. Might need it for some other potion,"


    [Subclass Skill: Alchemy Leveled Up]


    "Well this was pretty challenging, I would have been surprised if I didn''t level up," she said, puffing out her chest in pride. "I have everything I need for the Water Resistant Elixir,"


    The cauldron bubbled to life, lit with a magical flame. Yvlena prepared her ingredients starting with the slime. It was cool to touch as she lobbed it into the boiling pot, next was the vial of Lotus Extract, and lastly two Luna Orchids.


    The elf watched the cauldron bubble until the potion was ready to bottle.


    "Odd, it''s only enough for one,"


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Water Resistant Elixir x1]


    "Phew, a new potion made. I almost thought it was going to fail. It seemed so tough to make," she said, wiping the sweat off her brow.


    She uncapped the bottle and tipped it into her mouth, swallowing the elixir in one gulp. Yvlena''s eyes bulged, she gagged, nearly spitting up the foul tasting liquid.


    "That was awful! How low was that Elixir''s grade? You''d think it was ''Z'' not an ''F'' from how bad it tasted!"


    [You and your summons can now traverse water without sinking, effects expire once you touch land]


    "Does that mean anytime I''m back on the docks I''ll have to drink another elixir?" Yvlena asked, her stomach lurched at the thought of drinking the elixir again.


    "Let''s start looking for those ingredients, Let me take a look at that recipe again," she said.


    [Swamp Balm (Epic)


    ***


    Type: Recipe


    Created by the Bone Witch of Avaresh Swamp to stave off and soothe the pain of her Miasma induced illness.


    ***


    Swamp Jelly (Herb) x1


    Fox Glove (Herb) x2


    Avaresh Lotus Petals (Herb) x5


    Spider Venom x2


    ***


    Small Jar


    Cauldron]


    "Right, spider venom," Yvlena grumbled. Her foot landed with a splash on the water, possibly alerting more creatures to her presence in the Swamp. Rabbit Knight followed behind her, landing with a hop on the almost solid water.


    Yvlena gripped her sword as she walked, ready to skewer any Swamp Fish that would dare cross her path.


    "I need the slime anyway," Yvlena said. "I wonder what the chum is for, maybe bait? But what would I want to catch?"


    She walked by the side of the docks coming to the end where the wood stopped. The sight of the way flanked by trees made her swallow with fear, so far the swamp had been creepy and she knew it would only get worse from there.


    Something sinister awaited her.


    "Alright let''s go," she said weakly, Rabbit Knight glanced at her, Sprite huffed.


    ----------


    The waters of the deeper swamp rippled as Yvlena and Rabbit Knight walked through. Dying trees halfway submerged in water faced them at every turn, some dripping with the liquid she had come to know as the Miasmic Sap, tainting the water below further.


    Yvlena didn''t notice any more Swamp Fish but kept her eyes open for any new enemy types that might spawn from that point.


    "If I were Swamp Jelly what would I look like?" She asked herself, looking around. It wasn¡¯t long before she caught sight of a glowing yellow flower growing out of the swamp water, the bell shaped petals seemed to house a ball shaped fruit.


    "Wonder if that''s the Swamp Jelly," she walked towards, reaching out to cup the flower in her hands and move on to the next ingredient.


    Underneath her, the water shifted, rippling with movement that was now her own and forcing Yvlena to jump back. She watched something big and reptilian poke its head out of the watery depths.


    Yvlena saw its snout first, two nostrils poking out of the water as the beast began rising. It opened its mouth to show her rows of razor sharp teeth. A growl followed and Yvlena was now looking at a green crocodile covered in wet soil.


    Yvlena''s eyes widened at the sight of the reptile swimming through the water, amber slits darted left and right, eventually falling on Yvlena and her summons.


    "Uh oh," Yvlena watched the beast submerge itself deep underwater, losing sight of it. "Damn it,"


    She set her sights below her and sure enough, she saw the reptilian body swim underneath her ready to rise again. The water rippled, and she jumped just in time to watch the massive jaw open and snap beneath the water where she previously stood.


    "Don''t tell me I have to fight that!"

 077~The Second Task (4)

    The creature vanished under the dark water again, prompting Yvlena to go on guard keeping her sword close.


    A battle on the water wasn''t something she thought she would be having, but she supposed it would have to come at some point in the swamp.


    "Where did it go?" Yvlena asked in a panic, looking down again she saw the emerging shadow and jumped out of the way before the creature''s jaw could snap at her.


    "I thought the game would give me a notification if it wanted to bite!"


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Burst (50MP)]


    Starting off with her most powerful move, she blasted the reptile with a wave of orange. The reptile growled, turning slit eyes to her and sinking back into the water.


    "It''s like playing whack-a-mole or something, does that game still exist?" she didn''t have time to wonder as she grabbed Rabbit Knight and jumped.


    The creature emerged again bursting out of the water like a torpedo and nearly catching the Rabbit''s ears in its teeth. If Yvlena hadn''t grabbed the summon it would have been food by now.


    The beast submerged itself once more, growling as it did.


    [Swampadile Cast Dive]


    "That''s more like it, wait dive?!" The water beneath her changed course and began rushing towards the area the Swampadile had sunk into.


    "That doesn''t look good,"


    A large sinkhole formed where the creature had vanished, pulling the water towards it, Yvlena''s feet began to slip as the rushing water became too much for the grade of her elixir.


    "Hey!" She exclaimed, nearly losing her footing.


    [Swampadile Cast Rise]


    With a burst, the Swampadile sprang out of the water allowing Yvlena to see its full form. It was large, spanning 7 feet in length, with armor patterned green scales arranged neatly in small triangles.


    Herbs and moss grew along its back, making the plants exceedingly difficult to pick. If Yvlena wanted them she would have to defeat the Swampadile.


    "Ah!" Yvlena yelped as she was splashed by the swamp water and flung away. She skidded on the wet surface, slamming into one of the trees rooted in the deep water.


    [Sprite Cast Sting (01MP)]


    The fairy tried her best to keep the battle going while Yvlena and Rabbit Knight gathered their bearings.


    "Okay I need a plan," Yvlena said quietly, she looked to Rabbit Knight who was keenly observing the Swampadile with interest as it prowled the water looking for them.


    "I think I have a hunch,"


    ----------


    A piece of meat landed on the water with a splash, it caught the Swampadile''s attention instantly. The creature submerged, and appeared under the meat with a burst allowing Yvlena to strike.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Burst (50MP)]


    She blasted the Swampadile with a wave of orange and watched it disappear under the water once more.


    "So chum is just...bait?" Yvlena asked. She jumped again, landing on a Lotus pad that happened to float by. She couldn''t stay in one place, lest the Swampadile appear at her location.


    Taking the chum out of her inventory she threw the squishy ball of meat into the water and waited.


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    The Swampadile took the bait.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Burst (50MP)]


    [Rabbit Knight Cast Rabbit Volley (05MP)]


    [Sprite Cast Sting (01MP)]


    The three of them attacked the emerging Swampadile who opened its massive jaws and released an unholy screech.


    [Swampadile Cast Screech]


    Yvlena clasped a hand over her ears just in time to get the notification.


    "Now you tell me!"


    [Rabbit Knight Inflicted with confusion]


    [Rabbit Knight may attack allies in confusion]


    "What?" Yvlena deadpanned.


    Her summon stumbled, his head spun as it fell and Yvlena noticed the comical swirls in its eyes denoting his confused state. The rabbit began jabbing the air aimlessly with his rapier, fighting an invisible enemy.


    She shook her head in disbelief.


    "Well that''s one member of the party down," she said. Something moved underneath her, only giving her a split second to react before the Swampadile rose again. Its scales brushed her legs as she dove in the opposite direction.


    "That was too close," Yvlena sighed, she had to remember to be focused, the creature could come from anywhere, they were on its turf.


    [Sprite Cast Cure (05MP)]


    "Thank you Sprite!" she said, leaping away from her spot as a shadow passed under her.


    Yvlena stumbled forward from the force of an attack, a sudden pain blossomed from her side. She winced in confusion and discomfort. After all, she had avoided the Swampadile, right? She thought, before turning around to witness Rabbit Knight in the thralls of confusion pointing his rapier at her.


    "Crap,"


    [Rabbit Knight Cast Rabbit Volley (05MP)]


    With her pronounced agility stat, Yvlena dodged each attack her summon released, it wasn''t easy avoiding the blade''s point but she''d seen Rabbit Knight use this attack enough times to predict where each strike would fall.


    "Rabbit Knight! Snap out of it!"


    [Sprite Cast Sting (01MP)]


    The ball of light struck Rabbit Knight between the eyes. He fell on his back with a splash. Yvlena grabbed him before the Swampadile could make short work of him.


    [Rabbit Knight''s confusion wore off]


    "Phew," Yvlena exhaled, it wouldn''t have been easy fighting both the Swampadile and her party member. The water beast was already tough enough as it was.


    The reptilian beast rose again from the swamp water but Yvlena had already been anticipating its return. She heaved her sword and brought it down on the emerging snout, cracking open its jaw.


    She stabbed at it again before it could vanish underneath the cover of the water, piercing its eyeball before it could escape.


    [Swampadile inflicted with bleed]


    "Only one more hit and it''ll go down, I''m sure of it," Yvlena said, she threw her chum and waited for the creature to take the bait. The Swampadile rose and Yvlena took the opportunity to end it.


    She jumped, lifting the sword over her head, and with a downward slash brought the blade down with the intent to kill.


    [Yvlena Cast Orange Slice (100MP)]


    The Swampadile perished before it could understand what was happening, melting away in flakes of light.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Swamp Jelly (Herb) x2


    Swampadile Skin x1


    Swampadile Meat x5


    ***


    Moon Points x500]


    "Swampadile meat? You mean the people of Bloom Haven actually eat it? Must have a good recipe then," she said.


    Yvlena trudged back to the first level of the Avaresh Swamp and pulled herself up from the water to rest on the docks.


    [The effects of the Water Resistant Elixir are nulled]


    The game told her, but she paid it no mind and lay her back against the broken wood, hoping she did not get a virtual splinter.


    "I think this would be a good place to level up, the game is really getting tougher," Yvlena told herself. When she first started Moon Valley Online, she recalled how easy Bloom Meadow and Bloom Forest had been.


    The creatures now, though not many, were tougher than the hoards of Horned Rabbits and Foxes she had first encountered.


    "That just means the Miasma must be way worse outside this area," She said. Yvlena picked herself off the docks with a groan. She dismissed her summons who by now were reaching their limit.


    [Class Skill: Summon Leveled Up]


    [Class Skill: Channel Unlocked]


    "Channel? Isn''t that like talking to ghosts and spirits," she asked. For now, she shrugged it off.


    "Now seems like a good time and place to log out,¡±

 078~Surprise Surprise

    Aya logged out of the game and went to meet Mars who sat at the kitchen table deep in thought. Aya surmised it was about the sight of her former teammate Arlo, who also used to be one of her closest friends.


    She remembered Mars'' face as she told the story of her betrayal by the Eos Conquerors. Unexpected and over money of all things. Aya couldn''t help but wonder who had been so interested in Mars'' account that they would want to purchase it.


    Did they really think it would be the same?


    "Mars, hey," Aya said softly not to startle her roommate.


    "Hey," Mars replied, rubbing her strained eyes, how long had she sat there in thought? At the sight of Aya''s worried face, a current of thoughts flowed through Mars'' mind like water. "Spoke to some realtors this afternoon, we should be out of here by the end of the week."


    "So soon?" Aya asked, a bit alarmed by the swiftness of the plan. Mars stood, pushing the chair back and getting out of her seat.


    "They''re setting the new place up,"


    "Really?" Aya gasped, she chewed her lip as she thought about leaving Axen City for Mericross, with the move she would be able to see Daichi and Mrs. Lutz.


    Furthermore, a visit to her grandmother''s old house would be possible now with the distance between them.


    Mars chuckled and nodded at Aya''s enthusiasm. Who knew the brunette she had wanted to start a fight with would grow to be such a treasured friend? She rested her hand on Aya''s head with a sigh.


    "Can''t wait," Aya said with a weak smile, she should have been excited but her chest tightened with anxiety, so much of the situation was uncertain, and the path ahead was unclear.


    Mars raised an eyebrow at the girl''s deflated expression. Aya seemed sad now, perhaps she was tired after her long gaming session.


    Aya noticed her friend''s questioning look and shook her head to dispel her worries.


    "Just got some stuff on my mind," Aya said.


    "I hear you," Mars said, resting her back against the kitchen counter. She folded her arms, "Got nothing but thoughts lately,"


    The two of them smiled at each other, Mars turned around and pulled out a pot and some ingredients.


    "Come help with dinner,"


    ----------


    The two of them had a nice dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, a meal Aya could only recall having at her grandmother''s house.


    "Brings back memories," Aya said, picking at her now empty plate.


    "Does it?" Mars asked curiously. She rested her head on the back of her hand and listened intently to what Aya was going to say next.


    "Yeah, I used to have this at my Grandmother''s house, but that was so long ago. I don''t think I''ve ever tried to make it since I moved here,"


    "You know, you haven''t told me too much about her. I know of her but what was she like?"


    "She was the most supportive woman I knew," Aya started.


    "She must have been very precious to you," Mars said smiling. "Tell me more,"


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    Aya chattered animatedly about the old woman, and how Aya had come into her care after her mother''s dire medical situation.


    "But she never made me feel like a burden," Aya said, tearing up. "She was so good to me, we''d cook and make cookies and garden and scrapbook. She was always there when I left for school and when I came home. I guess I''ll always remember her warm smile,"


    "She was stern but not mean, she could put her foot down and you wouldn''t even feel bad about it," Aya laughed tearily. "I just miss her, I tried to be a good kid for her because I knew it was a lot to raise me by herself,"


    Mars'' eyes saddened as she watched her friend wipe her eyes with her sleeves. She didn''t know what to say at the sight of her friend''s grief. She stood up and walked around the table to wrap both arms around Aya''s shoulders.


    "I''m sure she would be proud of you," Mars said after a moment of silence between them. "I might not be a grandma but you certainly have a lot of potential,"


    Aya laughed.


    "I do, and I''m going to find the deed to that house," She said with grim determination.


    "I know you will," Mars said pulling away from Aya, "But don''t let this consume you, life is for the living you know? From what you told me about her, she would want you to be happy first,"


    Aya noticed the concern in her friend''s dark eyes and nodded.


    "I promise not to go too far with this," Aya said.


    "I''ll hold you to that,"


    Their moment was interrupted by the sound of a drill whirring just outside the door coming from the stairway.


    "What the hell is that?" Mars asked in anger. The drill continued to whirr with a piercing noise enough to cause a ringing in Mars'' ears.


    "Maybe someone''s renovating?" Aya suggested.


    "Oh I have a feeling, we aren''t going to like that answer to this question," Mars said, flinging open her door and walking into the stairway.


    Aya followed closely behind her, calling after Mars.


    The girls raced down the stairs to the source of the drill, finding themselves on the same floor Aya''s former apartment was on. The two of them noticed people standing by Aya''s door as the drilling continued.


    "Lydia!" Aya gasped.


    The woman stood beside an unknown man operating a power drill trying to break through the locks on the front door.


    "What are you doing?" Aya yelled, running forward to confront the woman before Mars could stop her.


    "I''m enforcing the rules on my property," Lydia said in a haughty voice, she had something up her sleeve, Aya could tell.


    "Those are my locks, why are you taking them down, you''re going to have to pay me back for those you know!" The girl said, raising her voice.


    Lydia shot Aya a smirk and whipped out a neatly printed bundle of papers. She handed it to Aya, letting the stack sit in the girl''s hand.


    "What the hell is this?"


    "I believe you''ll find this tenancy agreement forbids you from modifying any part of your building without prior consent from your landlord," Lydia said.


    "What?" Aya said flipping through the papers, what she held was indeed a tenancy agreement, her name and address were stated in full as well as a list of regulations she needed to abide by if she wanted to live in the building.


    Aya read through it all, finding her signature at the bottom of the page, the only problem was Lydia had never given her a tenancy agreement, the building was too shady for that. But if she needed something to present to the cops...


    "You forged this! Along with a fake signature!" Aya said, throwing the tenancy agreement aside.


    "Nothing you can prove," Lydia said over the sound of the drill''s whirring. The bony woman folded her arms with a triumphant laugh and continued smirking condescendingly. "That is your signature isn''t it?"


    "No, it isn''t!"


    "Tell it to someone who cares," she said, shrugging.


    Aya balled her fist. The brunette lifted her finger ready to yell when Mars rested a hand on Aya''s shoulder and shook her head, telling her to disengage.


    "But Mars!" Aya started to whine.


    "It doesn''t matter Aya, there''s nothing in there, remember?" Mars said, the hand she rested on Aya''s shoulder squeezed in encouragement. The girl had nothing to worry about now that they would be moving.


    "Oh, that''s right," Aya said. She turned her attention to Lydia''s now confused face, having lost the triumphant smirk.


    "What?" she hissed.


    "Well Lydia, whatever you and Fido are looking for in that apartment you won''t find," Aya took the lead, pushing open the door without locks.


    It swung open allowing the haggish landlady to peer into the room and find nothing.

 079~An Empty Space

    The woman''s face blanched at the sight of the bare room. She stormed in, stomping around in disbelief as she stared at the bare walls of an apartment devoid of any possessions.


    Lydia had given Aya an empty room, without even a mattress to rest her head her first night there. Aya had only restored the room to it''s initial state, save for very few pieces of furniture she would move when the time came.


    Now the apartment was stripped of anything that indicated someone had lived there for two plus years.


    "B-But," Lydia stammered, she gripped her greying hair as stress overtook her, almost sinking to her knees in despair. She turned sunken eyes to Aya who stood in the door way in silence.


    Lydia''s eyes brimmed with hatred as she stormed back to the entry way to confront her niece.


    "Where is it? All of it?" Lydia barked.


    "By ''it'' do you mean my possessions? The same possessions not covered by the tenancy agreement?" Aya laughed. "I don''t have to tell you shit!"


    The tables had turned and Lydia had long since lost the attitude she started with. The older woman blinked slowly, glancing between the empty apartment, then at Aya who watched with a cold expression on her face.


    The girl stooped down to pick up her pair of locks from the floor where they laid beside the door. Luckily the drilling hadn''t damaged them.


    "Y-You can''t do this to me!" Lydia shouted suddenly.


    "Do what to you?" Aya asked keeping her eyes on her nails, she flicked her eyes towards Lydia''s panicked face.


    "I''m your aunt, we''re family." Lydia said, oozing false sweetness. She flashed Aya a shaky smile and suddenly the girl was reminded of what Fido had tried to do.


    Aya sneered in disgust.


    "I have more fondness for these locks than I do for you, you don''t matter to me and never have," Aya said coldly.


    Lydia quivered from the sharpness of Aya''s words, her expression was one of someone defeated. Aya knew leaving Lydia meant she and Fido lost whatever prospects they had by keeping her close.


    "Let''s go," Mars said wearing a pleased smile at the way Aya handled herself against her aunt.


    "You have no where you go! You can keep playing these games but you''re nothing but a dirty rat!" Lydia yelled stomping her foot.


    "No where to go?" Aya smirked. "I wouldn''t be so sure about that," She doesn''t bother to see Lydia''s expression as she disappeared up the stairs back to Mars'' apartment.


    ----------


    Once they''re back inside Aya closes the door behind her and pressed her door against the door to sigh in relief. Facing Lydia off was easier knowing the woman didn''t have any power over her accommodations.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Previously, Aya would have feared being kicked out, essentially rendered homeless by her aunt even though she paid her rent.


    "That was one of the most intense things I''ve ever done,"


    "Good job, that was pretty impressive," Mars said with a smirk. "You''re all grown up now,"


    Aya felt her face grow hot at Mars'' impressed expression. Her eyes darted about as she grew more flustered by the smirk.


    "Uh thanks," Aya said with a silly giggle. Mars nodded.


    "So I''m going to be up playing, grinding to level up. Are you heading to bed now?"


    Aya shook her head, pushing off the door and making a slow stride towards her room. She still had Bavga''s second quest to complete and the spiders were waiting for her.


    "No, I''m in the middle of a quest so I have to work on a potion," She said.


    "Oh, well those sell really well on the auction house, are you good at brewing them you could take requests,"


    "Not as good as I''d like, I hear only A to C grade potions do well on the auction house," Aya replied rubbing her neck.


    "Not necessarily, people also buy lower grade ones because they''re cheaper," Mars said. "But they''d have to be a rare recipe at least. The higher the recipe category the less people care that deeply about the grade,"


    "Oh," Aya said pleasantly surprised.


    "Checked the auction house lately?" Mars asked.


    "My ring!" Aya said, remembering the Ancient Ring she had put up for sale.


    She pulled out her phone to open the Moon Valley companion app and check if she had made a sale.


    "120 Gold," she gasped. She read the note the purchaser had left again, this time admonishing her for putting an Epic item at such a low price.


    "Alright, alright I get it now," Aya pouted, she noticed it was the same person that had previously bought her High Grade magic stone. "Looks like I have a returning customer!"


    "What did you sell?" Mars asked.


    "Just this Epic Garde item I got from beating Viseli," Aya said stuffing her phone back into her pocket. Hopefully she would get something just as good from the next titan she fought, or even list the Water Resistant Elixirs for sale.


    "Nice! How much did you start the bid?" Mars asked curiously. Epic and higher graded Items were rare in Moon Valley, their prices were usually through the roof, at that point Aya could have listed any price for it and someone would have bought it.


    "5 Gold?" Aya said nervously.


    Mars paused, fixing Aya with a disappointed expression, she lunged at the girl grabbing her ears and pulling until Aya yelped from each tug.


    "What do you mean you started the bid for an Epic item at 5 gold?!"


    "Waaaaah I''m sorry, I''m sorry!" Aya said rubbing her stinging ears as she ran to her room.


    ----------


    "I still feel where she pinched me!" Yvlena whined from where she sat on the docks back in the Avaresh swap.


    "Okay, spiders," She said with a heavy sigh, she stood up and walked toward the path to the Verdant Lake with the intention to summon and explore the other path at the fork in the road.


    Sprite and Rabbit Knight leaped out in a bright flash of light, with full HP and MP ready to take on whatever would come at them next.


    "Let''s go find some spiders," she said to them. They followed loyally behind her as she led them.


    Yvlena made sure to keep her focus of the Verdant Lake, lest she see something she wasn''t ready to deal with.


    The creature would keep to the bottom of the lake after all she wouldn''t disturb it until she was ready to face its wrath.


    ----------


    Yvlena and her party were back at the faded sign that marked the fork in the road. They had followed the straight path hoping it would lead them to the Miasma''s barrier but to no avail.


    "That means there''s a good chance the path to the next town is here isn''t it?" Yvlena said to herself.


    She walked forward, her foot crunching on the beaten grass and dead sticks, her vision darkened as she continued on.


    Large dead trees grew to block the sky, oozing with the oily black of Miasmic Sap.


    "At least it''s not dark enough to need a fairy lit torch," she said cutting through some trees with her sword.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Wood x5]


    "I''m surprised it''s not poisoned then again, it wasn''t stained with the black stuff," she raised her hand to sweep away more wood when she brushed something with an odd texture.


    "Hm?" Yvlena paused, retracting her hand to see the remnants of fine gossamer strands of a web clinging to her fingers.


    Behind her something slowly lowered itself from the trees clicking it''s mandibles in delight at new prey.


    As Yvlena shook her hand to rid herself of the web Sprite went on guard behind her.


    [Sprite Cast Sting (01MP)]

 080~The Spider鈥檚 Web

    As soon as Yvlena heard the attack she spun around and came face to face with clicking mandibles of the giant spider.


    She screamed, falling backwards and burning herself on some of the tarry sap that had dripped to the floor.


    "Ow," she whined.


    [Rabbit Knight Cast Rabbit Volley (05MP)]


    The rabbit launched itself forward, sprinting on fast little legs towards the giant arachnid that threatened his summoner.


    He weaved around the large creature, avoiding the Spider''s legs as it struck the ground with the intention to hit him.


    The spider''s mandibles clicked as it moved, releasing a strange crooning sound as it shot its web at them.


    [Forest Spider Cast Web Spit]


    Yvlena sliced through the stringy strands before it had a chance to touch her or her summons.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Burst (50MP)]


    She launched a destructive beam at the Forest Spider who lifted its legs in a defensive stance.


    [Forest Spider Cast Quake]


    The Spider struck the ground hard causing the forest floor to shake. Miasmic Sap fell from the trees, narrowly avoiding the party as it splashed.


    Yvlena stumbled, almost losing her footing as the floor continued to shake underneath her, she stuck the tip of her blade into the ground, weathering the storm until the rumbles came to an end.


    She ran forward, taking a shot at the Spider''s prone legs.


    "Take this!" She yelled, slashing a deep gash in the creature''s appendage. The Spider crooned, clicking its mandibles and snapping its beak.


    [Forest Spider Cast Bite]


    Faster than Yvlena could avoid it, the arachnid''s beak nipped her forearm painfully.


    Yvlena drew back, clutching the arm which now bore an imprint of the creature''s beak.


    She raised her sword and struck the Spider''s face, the creature squealed in pain, retreating from her instantly.


    A wave of weakness washed over Yvlena, she stumbled and soon her skin took on a greenish hue.


    [Yvlena inflicted with poison]


    "Damn it!" She cursed feeling another wave of illness rock her, her knees quaked as slowly she sank down, unable to hold herself up.


    "I''ve got to brew an antidote or else..." she said. She didn''t finish her sentence instead, laying her cauldron on the ground and looking for the antidote recipe she had purchased from Risel.


    [Basic Antidote (Common)


    ***


    Type: Recipe


    A basic antidote guaranteed to work on common poison attacks or potions one might encounter on their journey


    ***


    Health Potion x1


    Luna Orchard x1


    Star Root X1


    ***


    Cauldron


    Any bottle size]


    Yvlena swayed as she stood over the bubbling cauldron. Sprite and Rabbit Knight handled the Forest Spider, careful not to get bitten themselves.


    They drove the Spider back as Yvlena worked to cure herself of the poison. One by one she added the ingredients, careful not to fall in as she swayed from weakness.


    "This feels like the worst food poisoning ever," she said, holding back the virtual bile rising in her throat.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


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    Basic Antidote x1]


    "Finally!" She said popping the cork and downing the potion in one go. She grimaced at the taste and the sensation of sludge sliding down her throat.


    Now she was cured, the only problem, that was her last bottle.


    [Yvlena is cured of her affliction]


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Burst (50MP)]


    The orange wave swiftly sliced off the creature''s front legs allowing Rabbit Knight to jab his rapier into one of the Spider''s many eyes.


    He leaped up and down, targeting the Spider''s beak and eyes with Sprite casting stings by his side.


    Yvlena ran forward, kicking her feet into the air and jumping to land on the Forest Spider''s head.


    "I don''t even know what I''m doing!" She said, lifting her sword and bringing it down hard on the Spider''s neck.


    The beast shrieked, trying to buck the girl off its head. Yvlena shook but held on tight.


    "Sprite cast bind!" She ordered.


    [Sprite Cast Bind (03MP)]


    Thorny vines grew to wrap around the Forest Spider''s remaining legs holding it in place as Yvlena began stabbing the creature''s head and eyes.


    Rabbit Knight joined in, severing the joints that held the Spider''s body to its legs.


    [Rabbit Knight Cast Slash(03MP)]


    With a majestic swing of his blade the Forest Spider fell forward unable to lift its torso from the damage it had sustained.


    With a final blow from the Carrot Sword, Yvlena ended its existence.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 760/1750


    ***


    Spider Venom X2


    Spider Silk X2


    ***


    Moon Points x300]


    "That wasn''t as bad as I pictured," Yvlena admitted with a tired sigh.


    [Sprite gained a level +1]


    [Skill: Sting Leveled Up]


    [Sprite learned skill: Stun LV. 1]


    "Wow good job Sprite, now you''ve grown even stronger," Yvlena said, Sprite beamed with pride at the words of her summoner and even Rabbit Knight nodded in approval.


    Yvlena thought about her summon skill and how it had risen previously but she hadn''t investigated any of the boosts or even her new channeling skill.


    The new summon slot was empty too.


    "All in due time, it''s not like I''ve used the summon bell either," she said. Yvlena stood from where she sat on the ground and looked around.


    The haze darkening her vision had been another instance of the Miasmic fog.


    "Well I know how to take care of that don''t I?" She said taking one Ever Bloom out of her inventory.


    She placed the plant on the forest floor, watching the white petals open to suck in the haze like dust into a vacuum.


    Soon the fog was gone, leaving only a view of the forest path and more Ever Bloom seeds to plant.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Ever Bloom Seeds x10]


    "So glad I know how to get more seeds. But I wonder, could the Ever Bloom be used as a potion ingredient?" She asked.


    She kept the thought aside.


    For now it wouldn''t be wise to hang around the path, she would need to head back to Bloom Haven and get more bottles from Risel as well as a myriad of other things.


    "Once I finish the second task I know I''ll have to prep for the third and then fight whatever''s in the lake,"


    "So much to do, but I''ll head to Bloom Haven first, maybe weave the silk if I can. Madame Pratt said my crafting was too low but no harm in trying," Yvlena said.


    ----------


    "Yvlena you''re back!" Risel said in excitement. Yvlena stumbled through the apothecary''s doors in exhaustion. Fighting the Forest Spider had been no easy feat especially since she had been poisoned.


    "Hi Risel," Yvlena said. "I''m going to need the Purifying Recipe and a lot more bottles,"


    "No problem!" The elf said cheerfully.


    "Any news on the Verdant Woods?" Risel asked hopefully.


    "I need to purify the lake first I think," Yvlena said.


    "Oh,"


    "Something in particular you want me to do in the woods, other than the current quest of course?" Yvlena asked her friend.


    "When you find the path to the next town could you let me come with you?" Risel asked.


    [Quest: An Unexpected Escort


    Risel the alchemist is deeply interested in studying the Miasma and would like to accompany you to see the Miasmic barrier blocking the path to the next town.


    Should you agree, you will have to protect her which could slow things down, should you decline your relationship with Risel suffers.


    ***


    Rewards


    ???


    Moon Points x10,000


    Moon Gems x200


    Gold x50


    EXP 3000]


    [Do You Accept?]


    [Yes/No]


    "The rewards on this are crazy, but that just means it''s going to be super dangerous and I have to protect Risel as well!" Yvlena said quietly.


    "This has to be some sort of story quest or something, I remember the game saying my actions affected the world,"


    Yvlena hesitated, would she really be strong enough to protect Risel from the creatures deep within the Verdant Woods?


    Would she even be able to protect herself?


    She lifted her finger and hovered on her answer.


    Yes or no.

 081~A Little Gift

    Yvlena squeezed her eyes shut and hit yes, accepting the quest.


    Risel was her friend most of all and she was determined to see her quest done and reunite her with her brother.


    "Okay Risel I accept, you might be able to tell me some things about the Verdant Woods since you''ve lived here longer,"


    "Excellent!" Risel said, clapping her hands in glee.


    Yvlena purchased the Purifying potion recipe needed for the lake and some bottles, leaving her unable to afford the potion for O''Leary''s watch.


    "One thing after the other," Yvlena said with a sigh.


    "Yvlena you''ve been going at it for a while, I think you need to return to the Rose Manor and try to get some rest," the elf said. "Here,"


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Relaxation Potion x1]


    "A little gift from me, I''ve been meaning to give it to you for a while." the elf said, her cheeks possessed a tinge of red as she spoke.


    "Wow! Thank you Risel," she replied wondering what the potion could do.


    Risel waved her thanks off.


    "I should be thanking you instead," the elf said, "You''ve done so much for the town during your short time here, I wish I was able to do half as much,"


    "Sometimes it is not our destiny," another voice said, intruding into the conversation. The elves turned around to see the blonde Librarian had walked into the apothecary and was now browsing the shelves for something.


    "Laurent! It''s been a while," Yvlena said.


    [Affinity with Laurent +1]


    "Likewise, it seems you''ve been busy," the bespectacled man said, adjusting his glasses. He looked her up and down taking note of her equipment change. "The dress suits you, something a noble might wear,"


    Yvlena realized he was talking about the Willow Dress, it seemed most people of high standing within the town were able to recognize it.


    "Thank you Laurent and you look as classy as ever," Yvlena complimented.


    A cough resounded behind them.


    "How may I help you Laurent?" Risel asked in a pointed, clipped tone. Yvlena noticed the elf had her lips pursed and her arms folded as if in annoyance. She didn''t understand why her cheerful friend''s mood had suddenly changed.


    Risel was always happy to greet customers from what she had seen.


    "Well if it''s not too much trouble I would like to request a head calming draught of you," the librarian said.


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    Risel placed the potion on the counter for him. Laurent picked it up with a nod and paid for it instantly.


    "Yvlena don''t hesitate to stop by the library if you have any more questions about the town and its heroes long past," he said, turning to face the entrance and make his exit. Yvlena stopped him before he could go.


    "Actually I do have a question Laurent, do you know of any Harvest Guardians that were of aristocratic origins?"


    "I''m not too sure Yvlena, the Rose Manor is bound to have something on that, do you have any other clues? The Bloom Haven Library has an extensive list of nobles within the town,"


    "I''ll try to find out some more things," Yvlena said, a bit disheartened by the lack of information.


    Laurent saw her sunken expression and tried to cheer her up.


    "I think it''s admirable you''re continuing Rael''s work," He said with a smile. "Not many are up to the task,"


    [Laurent thinks highly of you]


    [Affinity with Laurent increased +5]


    Yvlena blushed at the words of the handsome Librarian, his surprise round of kind words warmed her heart, the game was really something else.


    ''The NPCs are actually growing as people, I remember when Laurent used to think I was a nuisance,'' she thought.


    "It''s my pleasure," she said seriously, then with a mad dash she ran out of the store before the redness of her blush could overtake her features.


    "I wasn''t even able to offer her a potion discount," Risel said, hanging her head.


    ----------


    "The AI in this game is really well designed," Yvlena said returning to the manor to meet more overgrown plants.


    "I''ve got to take cleaning this place more seriously," she said.


    [Yvlena Cast Harvest Skill: Wild Sweep]


    The sickled gleaned in the sun as Yvlena swung it like her Carrot Sword, clearing the weeds in front of her and defeating a few Weed Mimics in the process.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Wild Seed x25


    Fiber x20]


    "Better," she said, walking under her favorite tree to rest under it. She sat in the soft grass and rested her back against the tree''s bark to ponder her next course of action.


    "I''ve gotten all the ingredients for the Swamp Balm, and now all that''s left is to brew it and complete Bavga''s second task,"


    "It might actually be time to log out, it''s getting pretty late. A late night gaming session doesn''t mean an all night gaming session," she laughed.


    ----------


    Aya pulled the Revista off her head and rested her back on the mattress to think. With the distraction of the game gone, thoughts began to fill her mind. Slowly the burning sensation of tears stung her eyes as she thought back on the day''s overwhelming events.


    "You''re strong Aya, this isn''t the time for tears. Lydia is not your family and you know that," she told herself sternly.


    Still, the battle to control her tears continued. The fact that the only other blood relative she might have was lost to her until she could find them through her connection to the game.


    And with nary a clue Aya was fast losing hope that she ever would. Her maternal aunt hated her guts and only kept her around to steal from her and hold her as a prize she could use against someone else.


    "You''re stronger than this," Aya told herself again, and she was right. She would let nothing stop her from walking her new path.


    ----------


    Mars listened to Aya soft weeping from outside the door as she poised her hand to knock. She wanted to check on Aya and see if the girl was still gaming despite it being past midnight.


    Instead, she stumbled upon the sound of her roommate and friend weeping softly at the family she never had.


    Mars frowned, laying her palm flat against the door and contemplating walking in. She shook her head.


    While she had familial problems of her own, she couldn''t compare her complicated situation to Aya''s.


    Aya would want to be alone now, to harden her resolve against Lydia and cut their ties as aunt and niece.


    "That would be for the best,¡±

 082~The Swamp Balms Secret (1)

    Aya woke to the smell of breakfast blowing through the door, the sizzling of pans let her know Mars was cooking something nice.


    She yawned and stretched her hand over her head.


    "I should go help her," Aya said rolling off her mattress and getting up from her bed. After a small yawn, she headed towards the kitchen in her pajamas ready to assist her friend and roommate.


    "Oh, good morning," Mars said to Aya as she felt the shorter girl come up beside her. Mars greeted her with a head pat before returning to the sizzling bacon on the stove.


    Aya noticed a solemn expression on the girl''s face and inquired.


    "Hey Mars is everything okay? Thoughts still aren''t bothering you are they?" Aya asked in worry.


    Mars shook her head.


    "Nah," the dark haired girl said shrugging, "Why don''t you go shower and have breakfast and we can talk about some things," Mars offered with a smile.


    Aya nodded.


    "Sounds good to me, I love your cooking!" Aya said enthusiastically, Mars threw her head back in laughter.


    "Bootube taught me well," she winked, "Now go before I make you wash up this mess,"


    Aya saluted and ran towards the bathroom, as she walked she couldn''t help but notice Mars'' smile didn''t quite reach her eyes. She stopped to look at Mars who, as she cooked, stood over the stove with a vacant expression.


    The girl still had some things on her mind Aya could only assume were related to her former teammates.


    She heard the sound of the spatula clattering to the floor before Mars growled in frustration and stopped cooking to pick the fallen object.


    Aya watched her friend rub her face and sigh in exasperation.


    It saddened Aya to see her friend this way but Mars would not so readily talk about her feelings. If the girl didn''t want to say anything Aya would have to wait until she was ready to.


    But that didn''t mean she wouldn''t express concern.


    ----------


    "Mars, are you sure you''re okay?" Aya asked again over breakfast, Mars nodded and reached over to flick Aya''s forehead.


    "I am! Now geez stop asking will you, you look like a kicked puppy," the dark haired girl said. At Aya''s expression, Mars relented, leaning back into her chair.


    Mars'' expression softened. "Look I just...Had a really bad late night gaming session alright? Don''t worry about it too much,"


    "And here you are telling me I need to sleep early," Aya joked but still wasn''t convinced.


    Mars gave a weak chuckle, her mind clearly on something else.


    "Well, whatever it is you know you can tell me," Aya said encouragingly. Mars only nodded in response.


    "I have to go brew a potion in Moon Valley," she said. "Oh there, something I''ve been meaning to ask you,"


    "What is it?"


    "I got a dungeon key but I have no idea how to use it or what it does," Aya said scooping some eggs into her mouth as she spoke.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Mars leaned forward with interest. A dungeon key? In Bloom Haven? That was certainly interesting.


    "It''s basically like a miasma dungeon from what you''ve told me about them anyway, but less hostile. They''re limited dungeons, you go in there and clear them by beating the boss. You can score some rare and pretty good loot from them too," Mars explained. "Just activate whenever you''re ready,"


    Aya considered her words.


    "Alright, I have a bunch of things to do so maybe after I''ve finished my backlog of quests," she said.


    "Just be careful with dungeon keys, the criteria are often vague, you could get yourself in a lot of trouble but it''s good for grinding at least," Mars advised.


    "Definitely,"


    After breakfast Aya and Mars spent time cleaning up the kitchen before heading to their rooms to play.


    "Remember to take breaks in between," Mars said warning Aya. "I''ll check too," she added ominously before disappearing into her room.


    Aya gulped and nodded, she took a step back and slipped quietly into her room to begin another gaming session.


    ----------


    Yvlena opened her eyes underneath the tree she logged out under, she rubbed her head groaning as the same exhaustion she felt previously followed her into the session.


    [Your constant adventuring has taken a brief toll on your body]


    The game told her.


    "What? But I thought the Revista didn''t have a stamina bar!" Yvlena whined. Her body felt weighed down by some invisible force that threatened to keep her under the tree basking in the rays of the sun.


    [Yvlena inflicted with exhaustion]


    "I wonder if the potion Risel gave me will help?" she said to herself.


    [Relaxation Potion (Uncommon)


    ***


    Type: Crafted Potion (Risel)


    Grade: S+


    A potion brewed for adventurers after a long and mentally draining journey. Drink to regain some energy and soothe the aches that come with a long day of battling foes both great and small.


    It can be used in a pinch if food is scarce but is no substitute.


    The grade determines the effectiveness


    Cures Exhaustion]


    "Thank you Risel! And wow the potion''s an S+ grade! Risel''s gotta be one hell of an alchemist!" Yvlena said downing the potion in one go.


    The cool, minty liquid rushed down her throat followed by a hint of fruity sweetness. Yvlena sighed as the feeling of refreshing calm washed over her.


    The game was right, the better the grade, the better the taste. The drink had gone down easy, almost like soda at just the right temperature after a hot day.


    [A sense of calm washes over you]


    [Yvlena is cured of her affliction]


    The game told her


    Yvlena''s back relaxed against the tree as if all the knots in her neck and body had been kneaded out by a master masseuse. She exhaled in utmost peace and closed her eyes to enjoy the feeling while it lasted.


    A gentle breeze whistled through the manor as she rested.


    "That felt great," With a grin she jumped up, ready to start work on the Swamp Balm potion for the cranky Bone Witch Bavga.


    "I don''t think I have to extract anything, so I''ll just start," she said assembling her ingredients and the cauldron.


    The pot bubbled and growled, shaking in a manner Yvlena had never seen before.


    "Uh oh!" She took a step back waiting for her potion to cool. The pot simmered down and soon the potion was ready to be collected.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Swamp Balm (Incomplete)]


    "Incomplete?" She asked in disbelief, frustration bubbled within her and almost led to her kicking her feet in a display of anger at the potion''s result. Yvlena forced herself to calm down knowing she could ask Risel for help.


    "Let me try weaving the spider''s silk before I go, I still need to work on the silk rag," she said.


    Doing something else would take her mind off Bavga''s quest series and it would be a welcome distraction from all the brewing she had been doing lately.


    Yvlena placed the loom on the ground and took the raw spider''s silk to pass through the wooden wheel.


    She spun it watching the silk roll and roll until Yvlena''s hand was free of her first piece of spider silk. She saw it now, gathered at the end of the spindle, and gently plucked the finished product off.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Silk Thread x1]

 083~The Swamp Balms Secret (2)

    On receiving the silk thread Yvlena couldn''t help but peer at its grade using her Adiri specs.


    "This is like the most useful thing I''ve bought so far," she said equipping them, she was disappointed to find the game''s description of her latest creation.


    "Poor silk thread! Unbelievable! So long as I can still make the silk rag I need," she grumbled reading through the description.


    "Unable to be used for much," she read, her expression darkened in disappointment. She put the thread and specs back in her inventory with a frustrated huff.


    "Nothing to get sad about, I''ll just have to try again," she said, but the pain of frustration stung as she walked towards the Rose Manor''s gates on her way back to the Artisan District.


    On Yvlena¡¯s way there she noticed the streets were a lot quieter without Ricardo there to entertain the crowd, a smile tugged at her lips as she remembered the foreign merchant fondly.


    "I hope he visits Bloom Haven again, even if his stuff was a bit more expensive," she said. Her feet carry her down the familiar path to Risel''s Apothecary.


    "Finally here," Yvlena pushed the door, expecting the bell to tinkle as she entered. The door didn''t move. "Eh?"


    She tried again, pushing until a wooden board dangled in front of her.


    "Out for supplies," the sign read, Yvlena frowned, much like Risel her long, pointed ears drooped as she realized Risel wouldn''t be here to help her figure out the mystery of the Swamp Balm.


    "I know, maybe I''ll pay Iris a visit, it''s been a while since I saw her, and I do need to see how the Floral District is doing," Yvlena stretched, still feeling the effects of the relaxation potion course through her as she walked back the way she came.


    On her way out of the Artisan District, she passed by Madame Pratt''s shop and stepped inside to see the woman working away at yet another dress.


    The black gown seemed to shimmer under the store lights, lined with colorful feathers at the ends of the sleeves and hems.


    "Wow," Yvlena gasped wondering if the gown was for a noble woman or an event of some sort.


    The aged woman''s gaze landed on Yvlena, Madam Pratt gave a welcoming smile and beckoned the elf into the store.


    "How may I help," she drawled.


    "I have some silk threads, it''s not very good though," Yvlena said.


    A shop window opened allowing Yvlena to sell the bundles of threads to the woman. Madame Pratt held the skeins in her hand, examining them intently.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Moon Points x200]


    "Not the best but, you''ve only just started. Why not try weaving fiber into linen?" Madam Pratt suggested. The woman then went behind her counter and deposited the threads into her drawer possibly for future use.


    "But I have to get the silk rag!" Yvlena whined. "I need it for something important,"


    Madam Pratt only chuckled.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    [Affinity with Madame Pratt increased +1]


    "Well then you certainly better get practicing," she said, "Silk from the Spiders of the Verdant Woods is not so easily woven,"


    "How did you know?" Yvlena asked with wide eyes.


    "My dear I too used to be an adventurer, but that''s a story for a later day," The old woman winked at Yvlena but it did not ease the girl''s worries. Now she was down two quest items.


    "I have to figure out what''s wrong with the balm and fight more spiders," she grumbled.


    Yvlena exited the shop wondering what Madame Pratt''s life was like when she was young, an adventurer retired as a tailor. Yvlena shrugged, maybe Madame Pratt was just too old to be an adventurer and wanted a quiet and respectable profession.


    ----------


    "Hi Iris," Yvlena said walking into the Tea House, the grumpy older woman turned around and Yvlena could make out a ghost of a smile as she walked towards the serving counter.


    "Always a pleasure Yvlena," Iris said drying some of the teacups she had just washed.


    "You work with herbs, you wouldn''t happen to know how to make a balm would you," Yvlena asked the woman, she gripped her hair at wit''s end on what to do with the incomplete balm.


    Iris paused, thinking.


    "Well since I know you''re the one that put Dylan Brackett up to getting me the herbs I need for my Tea House I''ll tell you," Iris said with a smirk. She leaned over the counter watching Yvlena sputter.


    "I thought you could use the help since I couldn''t be around to help all the time," Yvlena said with an embarrassed grin. She scratched her cheek nervously, thinking Iris was angry with her.


    [Affinity with Iris increased +2]


    "Thank you for thinking about me Yvlena, not many remember an old broad like me," Iris said, she lit her wooden pipe, drawing in the smoke and puffing white clouds towards the Tea Houe''s ceiling.


    "The secret to making a balm is heating the mixture at the end, I used to make them for Jonathan all the time," Iris said.


    Yvlena''s eyes sparkled as she listened to the old woman speak. Iris frowned, purple lined lips drawing into a thin line.


    "What is it?"


    "Oh nothing, you''ve just been super helpful!" Yvlena said flashing Iris a wide grin as a weight lifted off her chest.


    "You ordering anything or what?!" Iris said suddenly flustered by Yvlena''s gratitude.


    "I guess I''d like to try the Sweet Bloom Tea," Yvlena said, sitting at the counter and waiting for Iris to brew her a cup of tea.


    Yvlena watched the woman dry the herbs and grind them down into tea leaves, she boiled the water and began steeping the tea until it was just right. Iris sprinkled a dash of sugar and pushed a porcelain cup of hot liquid towards Yvlena.


    "Here you go,"


    Yvlena lifted her cup, gesturing her thanks, and sipped.


    [The tea soothes your soul, and reminds you of a peaceful meadow]


    [+Temporary HP Boost


    +Temporary Increased resistance to poison]


    "Ah, thank you, Iris. Your teas are the best!"


    [Affinity with Iris increased +1]


    "Now get outta here and go do whatever elves do in their down time," Iris said taking the cup away. Yvlena saluted and hopped off her seat racing out the door.


    Iris shook her head, instantly reminded of when her brother used to do the same.


    ----------


    "Ugh why didn''t I think of that, a balm is not a potion it''s solid!" Yvlena said. "Though I guess I might be thinking of lip balm, but anyway I know what to do!" She knelt on the soft grass of the manor grounds to begin her experiment.


    Yvlena took the incomplete balm out of her inventory, it sloshed around the jar in its still liquid form.


    "I''ll use the burner from the alchemy kit to heat it up!" Yvlena said already setting the kit out beside her.


    She rested the jar in the burner''s holder ring and watched the magical flame come to life. Slowly the liquid began heating, bubbling, and bubbling until it dried out from the heat.


    Yvlena watched with bated breath as the balm slowly cooked to completion, hardening into a paste one could rub onto their skin.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Swamp Balm (Epic) x1]


    "Yes!"

 084~The Second Task Ends

    "Yes!" She cheered jumping and pumping a fist into the air.


    [Subclass Skill: Alchemy Leveled Up]


    "I was really worried for a second," she said exhaling in relief, she placed a hand on her chest to calm her anxiety and excitement at the creation of the Swamp Balm.


    With the Swamp Balm in her inventory, Yvlena was ready to return to Bavga and complete the second task.


    She hoped the Bone Witch would be appreciative of how much work it took Yvlena to acquire the ingredients for the Balm, especially since its creator was unable to do so herself.


    "I wonder what the third task will end up being?" Yvlena muttered.


    She packed up the alchemy kit and rose from the Manor''s grass to begin her journey back into the Verdant Woods and to the Avaresh Swamp.


    "I''ll need to get more Spider Silk too, I''ve got to make that rag and figure out who that room belonged to,"


    ----------


    Her summons were once again by her side as she walked towards the Avaresh Swamp. With the Purifying Elixir in her inventory, Yvlena wondered how quickly she would be able to create it.


    "Should I do the third task then the Verdant Lake or the Verdant Lake first?" She asked herself.


    Her foot stepped in something wet and squishy as she thought about it. Once again the girl was met with a feeling of sinking into the Swamp''s sludge.


    "Ah!" Yvlena screamed nearly falling into the murky swamp water. "Ugh! I forgot about the swamp water,"


    Luckily her boots were still water resistant and she would not need to brew a certain potion for now.


    Her obvious frustration caused her summons to jump to her side pulling her out of the water before she could sink any further into the swamp from her mistake.


    "Thanks, I really need to watch where I''m stepping!" she said as she walked towards the broken docks.


    On stepping on the wooden surface she once again almost trips over a hole her boot had gotten caught in. She caught herself before she could hit the ground and sighed in annoyance.


    "Might as well fix a few more of these holes, once the road opens up again people will need to come through here," Yvlena said. However, she did not know who would want to visit the Swamp Witch.


    Bavga seemed like a rather solitary figure.


    [Repair a small section of the docks?]


    [Wood x60]


    [Yes/No]


    She hit yes and began working on the docks with the pieces of wood gathered from the manor. Yvlena lowered herself and manifested a hammer from her inventory.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    She began fitting the wood into the holes and working along the section until it was complete.


    [Avaresh Swamp Docks 3%]


    Yvlena pulled herself up from fixing the various holes and made her way to the witch''s hut ready to face Bavga with questions once more, maybe the witch would know something about the previous Harvest Guardian?


    The hut''s door swung open, and from the depths, Yvlena smelled the faint stench of something old and damp, not quite the same smell as before.


    she wrinkled her nose, wondering if the Miasmic sickness had worsened with no one to check on Bavga, worry pinched at the elven girl''s heart. Would the witch survive or would the Miasma turn her into something else?


    Wood creaked as Yvlena and her summons followed the glowing plants down to the Witch''s hearth where she met Bavga again.


    The witch looked as surly as ever but from her expression, Yvlena understood the Hag did not expect her so soon. Bavga''s lips twitched in the beginnings of a smirk but kept her face neutral.


    "Ah, you''ve returned, and if fortune favors me, with the balm as well," Bavga said, her thin lips curled into a smirk unable to hide her doubts any longer. "Or did you disappoint?"


    Yvlena glared, all sympathy for the NPC nearly vanishing at the sound of the taunts.


    "I got your balm," Yvlena said retrieving it from her inventory. "You''re welcome," the exasperation in her voice was clear to anyone who heard it.


    [Bavga is grudgingly impressed]


    [Quest Complete


    The Second Task


    Bavga''s illness grows more severe with each passing moment, luckily a way to soothe her pain exists.


    Collect the Swamp Balm''s recipe and craft this healing balm for her.


    ***


    Rewards


    Sprout Snare x5


    ***


    Moon Points x1000


    EXP: 700]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    EXP: 1460/1750]


    "Many thanks, you may once again ask me a question child," Bavga said to Yvlena.


    The elven girl watched Bavga pry the lid off the balm and stick two claw-like fingers in. She winced as Bavga began smearing the balm over what seemed like blackened patches all over her skin.


    "I would like to know about the Harvest Guardian before Rael and I. I know they were an aristocrat but that''s just about it."


    Bavga raised an eyebrow, frowning.


    "And what makes you think I know anything about your predecessor girl?"


    "You knew Rael," Yvlena said immediately growing suspicious. "Had you known nothing, you would say so as you did with Viseli,"


    Bavga chuckled.


    [Bavga is impressed with your wit]


    "I''m beginning to like you," the hag said relaxing in her chair. "I did know her, Lilian was her name. And from the destitute house of Flores, she was cast out by nobility due to her class as a dark summoner,"


    "A dark summoner? Was she evil?" Yvlena asked.


    "A Harvest Guardian should know that dark does not mean evil," Bavga said drawing her lips in a slight sneer.


    "Right! My apologies but the nobility must have thought that right? That''s why they kicked her family out,"


    Bavga met her with a blank stare.


    "I will say this, the dress you wear now reminds me of her," the Swamp Hag said.


    "You cared about her didn''t you?" Yvlena said in a soft tone.


    "That''s neither here nor there," Bavga said but Yvlena saw through the witch''s nonchalance, underneath her sour tone was a spark of something. Nonetheless, Yvlena had enough information to take to Laurent at the library.


    "How does one become a dark summoner anyway?" Yvlena asked wondering if it was a special class. It couldn''t have been evil if Lilian was a Harvest Guardian, it was na?ve of her to think good and evil would be binary in a game like this.


    The same gods that once ruled in prosperity through their death called forth the Miasma.


    "You didn''t want to tell me about her because you still care about her in some way but two generations of Harvest Guardians...I just mean you know she''s gone I understand how hard that can be," Yvlena said tripping over her words.


    She didn''t need the NPC to like her but Bavga stirred pity in Yvlena''s heart. Too many people within the game had lost someone.


    "I suppose you would know, long as I live I do not covet the longevity of elves. You will know loss very soon,"


    Yvlena gave a short laugh.


    "I already do, I''m here because of it,"


    Though she was talking about playing the game, Yvlena knew Bavga would interpret those words to mean her calling as the Harvest Guardian.


    The witch made a noise, small and contemplative, as if she meant to say something but decided against it.


    "The third task awaits,"

 085~Lunch Break

    Yvlena nodded and waited for the witch to continue. Bavga coughed and spat something out of her mouth just out of sight.


    "By now you should know there are two Minor Miasmic Entities within this area," Bavga said, "The Verdant Lake and The deeper swamp,"


    "The deeper swamp?" Yvelna gasped, she paused, considering the witch''s words. She hadn''t seen anything strange within the deeper swamp but maybe she hadn''t ventured deep enough.


    "Your final task is to defeat the Minor Miasmic Entity within the deeper swamp. You''ve proved your resourcefulness, now prove your strength,¡± Bavga said.


    [Quest: The Third Task


    Within the deeper swamp lies a foul creature guilty of polluting the once harmonious waters of the Avaresh Swamp.


    Once a creature of balance, the miasma has tainted and destroyed the being''s true nature.


    Find the Minor Miasmic Entity and destroy what was once a former guardian of the Avaresh Swamp.


    ***


    Rewards


    ????


    ???


    ***


    Moon Points x5000


    EXP: 2000]


    Yvlean nodded grimly.


    At the sight of the girl''s forlorn face, the hag spoke again.


    "Fret not defeating another Miasmic entity will help with the creature in the Verdant Lake and your quest to uncover the secrets of the Harvest Guardian," she coughed again, though less severe than before.


    "I must say I expected a poor balm out of you, but I am pleasantly surprised," Bavga said with a smirk.


    Yvlena chuckled, resting her hand on her hip and shaking her head in disbelief at the woman''s audacity.


    In this short period, the hag had grown on her. Her quips, no longer as hurtful as when they first met. Yvlena now had a grudging respect for the hag especially since she used to be an acquaintance of her predecessor.


    Yvlena wondered what Lilian saw in the old woman.


    Was she so lonely after her banishment from noble society? Perhaps their loneliness mirrored each other.


    And what was a dark summoner?


    ''Could I unlock that class, I don''t even know what that is?'' Yvlena thought.


    "I''ll be back, rest assured I will defeat the Minor Miasmic Entity," Yvlena said, she grew nervous, the rewards for the final task were huge almost as high as the one from Risel¡¯s request.


    Higher rewards meant harder quests and though those were few and far in Bloom Haven that didn¡¯t make them any less difficult.


    Yvlena left the hut with her summons determined to finish the task.


    "If I have to head to the deeper swamp I''ll need the Water Resistant Elixir again,"


    "I still have ingredients left over from the first time I brewed it so it''s not like I''m stuck," she said setting out her cauldron.


    The black pot had served her well but she knew it would soon be time to upgrade.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    "I wonder if cauldrons affect the grade of the potion, I mean it has to right? My alchemy keeps leveling up but I''m making F grade potions," she said shaking her head as she added the ingredients to the bubbling pot one by one.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Water Resistant Elixir x1]


    "Here goes nothing," she said taking a swig of the potion, while it didn''t taste as bad as the last brew Yvlena had a tough time swallowing. The potion slid down her throat with the consistency of a runny oatmeal, its bitterness did not help.


    "Yuck!" she exclaimed wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "I really need to start making the tea I''ll drink after taking all these potions," she said stepping towards the docks.


    "I''ll be back in a bit," she said.


    ----------


    Aya pulled the Revista off her head with a pop, she sighed deeply, laying it aside and getting off the bed to take her gaming break. The third task was finally ready but before she could get to it¡­


    Her stomach rumbled, forcing Aya to shift her thoughts from the game to her real life hunger. She puffed her cheeks full of air and hopped off her mattress. Aya stretched her hands over her head, lifting her arms until she heard her back pop.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make a sandwich or something, wait Mars and I have tons of snacks lying around,¡± Aya said, her face growing hot as she thought of her roommate.


    With a heavy blush and an even heavier hunger, Aya headed to the living room and then the kitchen to find something to eat and maybe talk to Mars for a few moments before she needed to head back to the game.


    The kitchen was empty when Aya stepped foot onto the cracked tile, she looked around finding no sign of her roommate, not even a note.


    ¡°I guess she¡¯s not hungry,¡± Aya said reaching for the cupboard handle, she opened it to find snacks stacked together courtesy of her roommate. Aya took a bag of chips, down from the wooden shelf.


    It was a big back, enough to fill a serving bowl, turning the bag around in her hands she read the brand and the flavor.


    ¡°Quays Barbecue Chips, hmm? Never had this flavor before,¡± Aya said ripping the top open. A savory scent wafted from the bag making her mouth water. Her stomach rumbled again, that was the only permission she needed to dig into her bag of snacks with relish.


    ¡°Having fun?¡± A voice said from behind Aya.


    The girl spun around, nearly dropping her food in the process, Mars stood there smirking in amusement at the sight of Aya hunched over and devouring her meal.


    ¡°Oh Mars,¡± Aya said sheepishly. By now, half the bag of chips was gone, the remnants of course scattered across Aya¡¯s cheeks and fingers.


    Mars chuckled, shaking her head and stepping forward.


    She stopped in front of Aya. Mars lifted Aya¡¯s face, tilting it upwards so the brunette¡¯s eyes met her own. Then, she began dusting the crumbs off Aya''s shirt and cheeks.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to sweep up all these crumbs, you know,¡± Mars said.


    Aya caught a hint of endearment in her tone, while Mars tried her best to seem exasperated at the barbecue flavored crumbs that had landed on the tiles.


    ¡°I¡¯m...sorry,¡± Aya said unable to lock eyes with Mars who was now intensely staring at her. Mars smirked again.


    ¡°You must have been hungry, I¡¯ll make us some sandwiches,¡± She said stepping away from the brunette. ¡°You know where the vacuum is, get to it,¡±


    Aya grumbled and whined but walked towards the open closet to take out Mars¡¯ vacuum.


    ----------


    The girls sat at the table enjoying a lunch of bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches Mars whipped up while Aya cleaned.


    Aya bit into her sandwich, squealing at the taste.


    ¡°I wish I could take your food into the game with me,¡± Aya said imagining the stat boost the sandwich would give her in the swamp.


    Would it be possible to recreate real food in the game? The ingredients were basically the same thing, right?


    ¡°That¡¯s the highest compliment I¡¯ve ever gotten, thanks,¡± Mars said puffing out her chest in pride. Aya always seemed to compliment her cooking, it was more than she had gotten from her former teammates at Eos.


    Mars pushed the thoughts out of her mind.


    ¡°How¡¯s your potion making coming?¡± Mars asked as she bit into her own sandwich, by now Aya was working on her second piece, chewing enthusiastically as she tried to swallow quickly and answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s going well actually. I¡¯m about to end this quest series,¡± Aya said.


    ¡°Atta girl, I wonder what your reward will be,¡± Mars said.


    ¡°More information or a message from my mom I hope,¡± Aya said grinning. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m so close to answers but we¡¯ll be moving soon and I don¡¯t want to put my stuff in a box while I¡¯m itching to know the end of this story,¡± Aya said.


    ¡°I feel you, I¡¯m in the middle of something myself but I don¡¯t know if I can tell you about it just yet,¡± Mars winked.


    ¡°No fair! I tell you all about my stuff!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s you volunteering information, my dear,¡± Mars laughed.


    ¡°Mars!¡±

 086~The Third Task

    Yvlena opened her eyes in the Avaresh Swamp ready to take her first step towards the deeper swamp. She stepped off the docks, pressing her boot against the now sturdy water.


    It seemed the effects of the potion were stronger now that she had improved in brewing it. Yvlena smirked, puffing her chest out in pride at her alchemy''s progression.


    Walking from the docks she soon found herself at the entrance to the deeper swamp. She stabbed a nearby Swamp Fish before it could come any closer to her.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 1510/1750


    ***


    Chum x1


    Slime x1


    ***


    Moon Points x50]


    "I hope I don''t see any more Swampadiles," she huffed as she sheathed her sword. "They were surprisingly hard to beat,"


    As she stepped into the water, her mind flashed back to Mars'' words about the proving grounds. She had described it as a place filled with danger so players could level up faster.


    "I won''t have to find myself in an area like that right? The Verdant Woods are pretty much kicking my ass already," she snickered.


    But that asked the question, how strong was Mars?


    The thought had floated around Yvlena''s mind before but now she had to consider that once she found Mars in the game they would have to spar per the agreement over the Zephyr gear.


    Yvlena clenched her fist knowing she could only grow stronger the more quests she took, and right now the third task was her priority.


    Ripples formed around her feet as she moved through the deeper parts of the Avaresh Swamp. As she walked the watery path, the sounds of the swamp faded until only her steps against the water resounded around the party.


    Avaresh Lotuses floated by as she walked. In a moment of quick thinking, she picked up two large ones about to float away and then stored them in her inventory for disassembly.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Avaresh Lotus x2]


    "These will be so helpful for potion making later, something tells me this won''t be the last time I''ll need to walk on water," she said.


    "I wonder if the ingredients for the purifying elixir will be here somewhere."


    Yvlena gasped, pausing in the middle of the Swamp. It had only occurred to her, that she hadn''t looked at the Purifying Elixir''s recipe since she bought it from Risel.


    "Man!" She whined, pulling up her inventory to read the list of things she would need to brew it.


    [Purifying Elixir (Rare)


    ***


    Type: Recipe


    Created by a mysterious alchemist to purify bodies of water infected by disease, infections, or other unsavory elements. This Elixir can be modified to strengthen its effects.


    ***


    Swamp Jelly (Herb) x1


    Luna Orchid Extract x1


    Avaresh Lotus Extract x2


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Vaelindor''s Cup (Herb) x2


    ***


    Small Jar


    Bronze Cauldron]


    At the back of her mind, Yvlena could feel there was something else about the Verdant Lake''s quest she should know.


    "Vaelindor''s Cup? I''ve never heard of that herb, nor have I ever gotten it from any of the quests I''ve done so far," Yvlena said.


    There was a possibility she would find it around the area with the spiders but that would come after she made it through this quest.


    "Or maybe it''s in the swamp. It must be something found in the area right?"


    The cauldron listed intrigued her as well.


    "And it says here that I need a bronze cauldron, I knew it! The grades of my potion will improve if I use better equipment as well,"


    The Purifying Elixir on its own might not be enough to force the Miasmic Entity out of the water.


    "I''ll have to focus on that after I beat the Swamp Guardian," she said.


    Beside her, the summons were strangely quiet, as if their attention had been caught by something else.


    Yvlena scanned the area, trying to see if danger was incoming. So far nothing caught her eye but the sight of a Swamp Jelly cleverly disguised by a Swampadile.


    "Sprite, Rabbit Knight, are you okay?" She asked in concern.


    "We''re fine," Sprite chirped as she fluttered beside Yvlena "This place is just strange, I can tell it used to be something more,"


    Yvlena nodded, pretty much all of Moon Valley used to be something more before the Miasma. From what Mars said, Bloom Haven was tame compared to what lay outside its protective enclosure.


    ----------


    Yvlena and her party walked and walked until they stopped at a giant tree with a wide yawning cavern that seemed to pull her gaze into its darkness.


    The elven girl stopped to gaze at the long wooden trunk towering over her, she looked up following the tree''s height, and the very top of the tree disappeared into the smog filled sky.


    The tree was as big and as tall as a tower, and the hollow, wide enough for a bus to pass through.


    A foul wind blew, ruffling her hair and lightly sucking her towards the hole.


    "I have a feeling we need to go in there,"


    Sprite and Rabbit Knight exchanged glances then faced Yvlena with a frown. She said nothing only taking the Fairy Lit Torch from her inventory and beginning her descent.


    Sprite and Rabbit Knight followed beside her and soon they were plunged into darkness save for the light of the torch in Yvlena''s hand.


    "Here we go," she whispered.


    ----------


    The crevice smelled faintly of rot as Yvlena stepped through and found her way deeper into the tree''s hollow, water sloshed underneath her as she walked becoming more sturdy as she waded through the space.


    With Fairy Lit Torch in her hand, Yvlena was able to make out large areas filled with clumpy swamp weeds growing in bundles.


    A weed brushed past her leg causing Yvlena to jump in fright and move her hand to her sword.


    Upon further inspection, it was only a bush floating by in the dark recesses of the tree''s hollow.


    "Ah, it''s got some herbs,"


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Swamp Jelly (Herb) x3]


    "No Swampadile needed," she said in relief, pulling her hand back from the bush.


    "I wish I had some of the light Bavga had in her hut," Yvlena grumbled. "Fighting anything is such a hassle when I have to hold the torch as well,"


    The swamp water deepened the further she went and were it not for the Water Resistant Elixir, Yvlena knew the water would be at her waist by now.


    "Croak!"


    "Huh?!" Yvlena gasped spinning around, the sound of a croak resounded through the space but she found no sign of any frogs. "Weird,"


    "Croak, Croak!" she heard again the further she walked. Yvlena waved her torch around, lighting up the wooden crevice until she had reached the back of the area.


    There, resting on a tree stump was a bushel of swamp grass stacked together to form a large bedding for some sort of creature.


    "Is this a nest,"


    "Croak, Croak, Croak,"


    The sound of water splashing caught her attention followed by the rush of wind, Yvlena nearly stumbled from the immense shockwave it produced as something leaped into the air behind her.


    It landed on the makeshift nest with a horrible thud, causing a giant splash of swamp water to fall over Yvlena and her summons.


    "Oh my God that''s disgusting," she coughed, once again thanking the creators of the Revista for not making her senses too lifelike.


    The water cleared away revealing a giant frog sitting on its throne of swamp grass. Slowly, bioluminescent plants sprouted from the walls lighting the tree''s hollow up.


    [You have encountered Minor Miasmic Entity: Crocante, the terrible]

 087~Crocante The Terrible (1)

    "Crocante the terrible?" Yvlena whispered to herself, the former Swamp Guardian did nothing but sit on its throne of swamp grass, it closed its eyes for a moment waiting for something.


    Yvlena stared at the majestic toad bathed in the light of the flowers with her hand ready to draw the carrot sword at any moment.


    She returned the Fairy Lit Torch to her inventory and faced her new foe with rapt attention. It wouldn''t do to be caught unawares no matter how peaceful the boss seemed now.


    Crocante the former Swamp Guardian was a giant frog that wore rusty silver armor over its hulking form. Its green spotted skin was pale, slimy, and dripping with what Yvlena assumed to be toxins.


    Miasma oozed from every inch of the creature''s armored body, tainting its once lush green skin and what she assumed to be vibrant eyes with horizontal, slit pupils. Slowly the frog''s throat began swelling with air making Yvlena take hesitant steps back.


    The giant amphibian''s eyes snapped toward Yvlena and her summon, it croaked once then prepared itself to lunge.


    "It''s about to attack!"


    [Crocante The Terrible cast Tongue Whip]


    A long slimy tongue whipped out of the frog''s mouth making a wide sweep over the area, Yvlena dodged but her fairy summon could not move in time to avoid the strike from the leather-like tongue.


    "Sprite!" Yvlena called, running to catch the Sprite as she sailed through the air, leaving Rabbit Knight to watch their backs.


    Crocante leaped into the air, diving for the water where its skin would blend with the murky water.


    Yvlena caught her summon with both hands before she could hit the wall of the tree''s hollow.


    "Are you okay?" she asked trying to straighten the fairy''s crooked wing impacted from the hit.


    Sprite shook herself off and took to the sky, rubbing her tiny head to regain her bearings.


    "I''m fine! Watch out!" Sprite yelled, pointing a tiny finger at the incoming figure behind her summoner.


    Yvlena rolled out of the way in time for Crocante to emerge beneath the muck. Slit eyes watched Yvlena before powerful hind legs lifted the frog upward.


    "Sprite heal yourself quick!"


    [Sprite Cast Cure (05MP)]


    [Crocante The Terrible cast Tongue Whip]


    The leathery tongue struck again but this time Yvlena and Rabbit Knight were ready. Yvlena blocked the strike, pushing the tongue away as Rabbit Knight aimed for Crocante''s eyes.


    [Rabbit Knight Cast Rabbit Volley (05MP)]


    The rabbit jumped, landing on the frog''s head and jabbing the frog''s eye rapidly until Crocante bucked him off. The rabbit fell with a splash, landing on its feet thanks to the effect of the Water Resistant Elixir.


    Unlike previous foes, the frog did not roar or yelp it simply dove beneath the water waiting for its chance to attack.


    "Sprite when he comes up again use your new skill," Yvlena said. She knew it had a chance to cause paralysis but would it work on the boss?


    "Only one way to find out!"


    As she predicted Crocante leaped out of the water ready to gobble them up with its large mouth.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    [Sprite Cast Stun (05MP)]


    Electricity surged from Sprite''s tiny fingertips, blasting the frog with a loud buzz, sadly it didn''t seem to do much.


    "I guess Crocante is a bit too big for a single blast," Yvlena said to her summon. They moved out of the way, dodging the large webbed hand Crocante swiped at them.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Burst (50MP)]


    [Sprite Cast Stun (05MP)]


    The orange beam swept through the Tree''s hollow, hitting Crocante square in its face and piercing one of its eyes, combined with Sprite''s skill it forced the single eye shut.


    They watched the skin crackle with electricity, Crocante tried to shake it off but to no avail.


    The frog opened its mouth in a silent yelp of pain and dove beneath the waters giving Yvlena and her summons time to catch her breath.


    [Crocate The Terrible inflicted with bleed]


    "Nice, losing HP by the second," Yvlena whispered. Rabbit Knight hopped to her side, waiting once again for the frog to emerge.


    The party waited for a moment, each posed to strike but...


    "Huh?" Yvlena checked the water under her feet watching Crocante swim lazily through the swamp water.


    "Hello?" She said striking the water to get the frog''s attention. The frog didn''t even glance her way. Its hind legs continued to push it to and fro beneath the dark, swampy waters.


    "I need to get its attention?" she asked resting her hand on her waist, she couldn''t believe the former guardian of the swamp was such a coward.


    "Well I have the rancid pork from the creature I fought earlier," Yvlena said.


    With a plan in mind, she nodded to her summons and enacted her plan.


    With the blackened meat in hand, Yvlena sniffed before abruptly moving her hand away from her nose and gagging. Even the faint smell of rotting meat was strong through the power of VR.


    She threw it across from her party, waiting for the frog to catch the scent. It didn''t take long before the water''s surface broke to reveal Crocante''s armor.


    "Now!"


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Burst (50MP)]


    [Sprite Cast Stun (05MP)]


    [Rabbit Knight Cast Slash (05MP)]


    [Crocate The Terrible inflicted with poison]


    "That''s right, the meat was rancid!" Yvlena said, running towards the frog.


    Crocante began sucking in, filling it''s throat pouch with air in a new attack.


    "Uh oh!"


    [Crocante The Terrible cast bellow]


    A monstrous sound left Crocante''s mouth, with the roar came a rush of air pushing Yvlena and her party back with airwaves.


    The winds howled, splitting the water under their feet. Yvlena held her hand up trying to keep her hair from whipping around. The winds were too much for Sprite, nearly pushing her away until Rabbit Knight caught her mid-air.


    "Hold on, it''s almost over!" Yvlena yelled over the winds and water.


    The frog closed its mouth, staggering as the combined damage of Bleed and Poison got to it.


    The party spared no mercy rushing towards the Miasma infected being and unleashing multiple attacks upon its prone body.


    Crocante croaked loudly as it was hit with another stun from Sprite, fueled by the rage of being blown away multiple times throughout the fight.


    [Yvlena Cast Carrot Burst (50MP)]


    The beam soared across, crashing into Crocante''s armor, it fell off with a snap revealing more spotted green skin.


    [Crocante The Terrible cast Tongue Whip]


    The whip-like tongue shot out again, aiming for Yvlena''s, she held her sword up to block but watched as the tongue wrapped around her blade and pulled it out of her grip faster than she could react.


    "What the hell?!"


    The party watched Crocante swallow her weapon with a gulp and dive beneath the water again.


    "Hey!" Yvlena growled, falling on her knees and pounding the waters as she watched the frog swim leisurely.


    [Objective:


    It seems Crocante The Terrible has swallowed your sword, its powerful stomach acid is slowly digesting your weapon as we speak!


    You now have a limited time to defeat him before your sword is digested and lost forever!]


    A timer flashed before Yvlena''s eyes showing she had all but eight minutes to defeat the frog for her Carrot Sword would be lost.


    "Oh no! Oh no!" she gasped as the panic set in. She already knew how to lure the damned creature out but fighting without her sword meant she needed to use her potions.


    "And keep it from diving back under, I need to brew a freeze potion,"

 088~Crocante The Terrible (2)

    "Waaaah!" Yvlena said falling to her knees on the watery floor, she held her hands to her head and then searched the water for any signs of the amphibian.


    Crocante swam about, paying her no mind as she pounded her fists against the water whining for her sword back.


    "Ugh," she groaned, shaking the water off her hands and standing up to stomp her foot once more in frustration.


    Her eyes fell on the timer telling her she had already wasted a minute pouting. The urgency made her spring to action, coming up with a plan sure to work against the frog.


    "Alright, I''ve got to brew the freeze potion," she said running over to the tree stump Crocante had previously rested on. Yvlena hoisted herself up, just enough to keep the effects of the Water Resistant Elixir from wearing off.


    Stepping on something even as small as the wooden stump would count as solid ground and risk ruining her ability to continue the fight on water.


    "Gotta brew the potion and lure him out with the rancid pork, I''m so lucky I have that!" Yvlena said, adding the ingredients to the boiling pot and waiting for the potion to cook.


    Behind her, the summons monitored the giant frog leisurely swimming beneath the water.


    Rabbit Knight stomped his foot hard, trying to get Crocante''s attention, to no avail, the frog didn''t even glance in their direction.


    Sprite blasted a few stings at the water with the same results. The summons exchanged looks with each other, running to Yvlena''s side to see if they could be of help.


    They watched her stir the potion, wondering what she was cooking up.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Freeze Potion x3]


    "Got it," Yvlena said. "Only one way to find out, but I''m sure these bottles will be enough,"


    She took the rancid pork from her inventory, holding it away from her nose as she flung it towards the water and waited for Crocante to emerge from the depths.


    ''Bingo,'' she thought as the water''s surface broke with the rise of the green skinned frog.


    Crocante''s tongue shot out, wrapping around the rancid carcass and pulling it back into its mouth in one swift movement.


    [Crocate The Terrible inflicted with poison]


    "Gotcha!"


    Yvlena popped the freeze potion''s cork as quickly as possible before hurling it toward the frog about to leap out of the water.


    The icy blue liquid touched the wetness causing ice to explode all around Crocante''s lower half. The former Swamp Guardian struggled to rip itself free and remained stuck.


    "Attack it now," Yvlena said reaching for her sword only to remember.


    "Crap! It''s in Crocante''s stomach!" she said with a groan. She tried to remember if there was any other weapon in her inventory, but she had gifted her beginner sword to Olivia''s son, Dylan.


    "Unless..."


    Yvlena equipped the Moon Sickle and prepared for battle. She leaped at the frog and began slashing hard.


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    [Yvlena Cast Harvest Skill: Wild Sweep]


    The impact of the attack wasn''t just effective on Weed Mimics but on Crocate the Terrible, the being''s eyes darted around until it could break free of the ice that held it down.


    Yvlena dodged the frog''s flying feet. Nearly being knocked back by the force of his jump. She looked at the frozen water in surprise.


    "I guess it would make sense that the freeze potion would last longer in water," Yvlena said looking at the ice fragments left by the amphibian''s hasty escape.


    Her eyes followed Crocante and he prepared to make another dive into the water, she opened another bottle and threw the contents to the area before he could.


    Crocante dove head first, bashing its head against the newly formed ice floor for added damage against itself.


    The frog''s confused croak let her know she was on to something, it set his slit eyes on her before shooting out its tongue to seize her weapon again.


    [Crocante The Terrible cast Tongue Whip]


    Yvlena parried, giving Rabbit Knight time to scurry up and stab Crocante''s tongue in a volley.


    [Rabbit Knight Cast Rabbit Volley (05MP)]


    She wielded her sickle, bringing it down on the frog''s tongue as hard as she could. The sharp blade sliced right through and the sound of flesh ripping frightened her, soon, the leathery tongue wriggled and squirmed all over the Swamp''s floor. She gasped in horror as the thing entered her inventory.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Leathery Frog Tongue x1]


    "Oh my God I didn''t expect that to happen!" she exclaimed watching Crocante close its mouth, now its primary means of attack was gone.


    "It won''t be long now, the bleed and double poison status ailments should kick in to end this," Yvlena said, looking at the timer that told her she had only two minutes to finish this boss before her beloved Carrot Sword would be gone forever.


    [Crocante The Terrible cast bellow]


    The large creature opened its mouth and blew a fierce wind intending to sweep them out of the Tree''s Hollow. But Yvlena would not allow herself to be sent out without her sword, she held her summons close to her and braced herself.


    [Yvlena Cast Harvest Skill: Wild Sweep]


    The force of her sweep cut through the rank odorous winds of the Crocante''s breath.


    With that final attack, Yvlena''s party had secured their victory with only thirty seconds left on the clock.


    The winds sliced through forcing Crocante''s mouth to snap shut, the giant frog swayed landing hard beside the tree stump that was once its throne as the former Swamp Guardian.


    Yvlena watched the frog''s stomach rumble before the frog burped and spat a piece of metal toward her. She reached out and caught her beloved Carrot Sword.


    The blade was bent, missing pieces along the edge. The Carrot Sword''s shine had dulled, making it look like a flimsy piece of metal instead of the wonderful Sword that had carried her thus far.


    If she wanted it fixed she would need to head to Soren''s workshop.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Carrot Sword (Corroded) x1]


    A croak left the former Swamp Guardian''s mouth and the rumbling began.


    Yvlena nearly lost her footing as the Tree Hollow shook vigorously, the wooden walls rattled, pushing splinters out of the wood and into the swamp water.


    "It''s happening again," Yvlena said recalling her last battle with another Minor Miasmic Entity.


    Corcante opened its mouth and expelled a beam of darkness that shot into the air, breaking through the top of the tree and into the Avaresh Swamp''s sky.


    "We have to leave!" Yvlena said, taking her summons by the hand and rushing towards the exit. She avoided the pieces of wood that rained down as the Tree Hollow began collapsing in on itself with Crocante''s defeat.


    [Crocante The Terrible''s Domain is collapsing, escape before you are crushed!]


    The game told her on her way out of the structure, she looked behind her to see the darkness swirl in the sky before vanishing.


    "The Miasma''s influence..." around her, the murky waters changed. Gone was the sickly dark green and murkiness. Now the deeper swamp possessed a shimmering quality to its greenish waters.


    Fish swam underneath the surface and tiny swamp flora began to bloom, Yvlena faced the tree where the battle had taken place. Like a giant, the tree began its descent. The wood creaked and groaned as it fell back unable to keep standing.


    It landed with enough force to lift her off the ground.


    [You Defeated A Minor Miasmic Entity]

 089~Quiet Thoughts

    ¡°That¡¯s definitely enough out of me,¡± Aya said pulling her VR Gear off her head and keeping it aside. She fell back on her mattress hard, panting from the stress it took to play the game.


    The results of her action within the game would come later right now she simply needed to catch her breath and stretch her legs.


    ¡°Crocante The Terrible has been defeated huh? I wonder if Risel can see it all the from Bloom Haven?¡± Aya said lying down and looking up at the cracked ceiling.


    After a moment of quiet contemplation, it occurred to her that soon this place would only be a memory to her, in a few days she would be leaving Axen, the city her mother loved. But Aya had outgrown Axen.


    It was something to her once, when she would look past her grandmother¡¯s house on the horizon and wish she could be in the city, her grandmother would tell her stories about the places she had been, the shops she had been to, and the food she ate.


    All things Aya hoped she would experience when she finally moved here. Instead, Axen had been, to her, a cruel dream¡ªsomething from the depths of her nightmares.


    ¡°Mom may have loved you but I certainly do not,¡± Aya said to the air, as if it would carry her words deep into the city¡¯s heart.


    ¡°I just need some fresh air,¡±


    ----------


    She stepped out of the room dressed in a full coat, ready to walk out into the apartment hallway when she saw Mars.


    Before Aya could speak the dark haired girl already had her finger in the air, silencing her.


    ¡°I already know what you want to do, just watch yourself out there, things have gotten even worse lately,¡± Mars said with a frown.


    Aya could tell Mars¡¯ ire wasn¡¯t directed at her, but at the forces that drove the city to become worse. The dark haired girl, since living here had borne witness to the living conditions in Axen, felonies committed left and right in the open.


    ¡°As the economy worsens so do the people,¡± Aya said.


    ¡°You got that right,¡± Mars said folding her arms, she pressed her lips together in thought and went to sit at the table. ¡°Don¡¯t let me keep you Aya, just watch yourself out there,¡±


    Aya nodded, heading towards the door to pull it open. She began her walk down to the front and through the small area that made up the outskirts.


    ¡°See you later,¡± Aya said.


    Mars only nodded, texting on her phone as the door closed behind her roommate and friend with a gentle click.


    ----------


    The apartment¡¯s hallways are silent when Aya steps in from her shared apartment. It was close to evening now, the sun sinking into the sky slowly after the winding down of a long day.


    Aya said nothing, quietly descending the stairs with the hope Lydia would not see or hear her presence. It was too tiring to speak to the woman today.


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    Crocante had taken enough out of her.


    Aya¡¯s mind went back to Frog and wondered about its story, there were so many lore bits she would never see, but an MMORPG was big enough that not everyone would have been able to figure out everything by themselves.


    It¡¯s no wonder there were guilds.


    ¡®That¡¯s the beauty of it I suppose,¡¯ Aya thought, finally making it out of the destitute building. She turned to look behind her, seeing only the dingy windows, some even boarded up due to the disrepair.


    Lydia would see to it that the place was never fixed and Aya could only wonder why she ran a building that looked this bad.


    Her aunt wasn¡¯t happy and neither were her tenants, but no one came here looking for the most comfortable accommodation, it was just cheap, and sometimes that was good enough.


    It certainly had been for her.


    Aya shrugged, stuffing her hands in her pockets and walking off to stroll. She had nowhere in mind and only let her feet carry her. She knew the neighborhood like the back of her hand, getting lost would be impossible by now.


    The Seelim bus¡¯ shift would be over by now, and the driver had most likely clocked out if she wanted to go anywhere.


    Aya looked up at the darkening sky, thinking of Moon Valley and the Miasma that plagued it, would she soon outgrow Bloom Haven too? Is that why Rael left?


    She knew he went to find a cure for Viseli but to some extent did he feel like he could no longer get what he needed from the small town of Bloom Haven?


    The girl half expected a notification to pop up, telling her she had added more info to a quest, Aya giggled.


    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s the real world,¡± she laughed softly. ¡°No quests out here, it¡¯s not that easy,¡±


    How nice would it be to be born knowing what you needed to do, where you needed to go, and who to talk to about it?


    Life was only a game in the worst way.


    Aya kicked a rock into a corner of an alley as she contemplated some more. It wasn¡¯t long before she wandered into the convenience store she had shopped out not too long ago.


    The shop was almost empty save for a few teens hanging around and talking in hushed voices at the snack section. Aya reasoned they must have been from one of the other apartment complexes around the area.


    The same cashier from before was there too, under the fluorescent lights Aya could make out the brown skin so much like her own. She watched the woman flip through the magazine in boredom, not really reading the words but glancing from page to page to keep herself occupied.


    ¡°Oh she changed her hair too,¡± Aya said in surprise, the cashier that had once had a pixie cut was now rocking a full Afro in all its glory. The style suited her but Aya didn¡¯t have the courage to tell her that just yet.


    She looked up from her magazine to briefly acknowledge Aya before looking back down at her magazine.


    Aya nodded, walking over to the refrigerated section to get some something cool to drink. The teens had left by now, paying for snacks and whispering some more on the way out.


    ¡°Just this please,¡± Aya said pushing a can of soda towards the woman. That cashier looked up from her magazine again, allowing Aya to see it was a gaming magazine.


    On the front cover, Moon Valley headlined, showing the game¡¯s company only continued to rake in more profits than ever.


    ¡®Did mom work at Lumos Inc?¡¯


    ¡°Do you uh...play?¡± Aya asked as the cashier used a single hand to scan her drink into the machine.


    ¡°So what if I do?¡± the cashier retorted in a bored tone, ¡°Your total is 0.50 Lue,¡±


    Aya shrugged and opened the soda to drink the refreshing orange flavor, much better tasting than any potion she had brewed in the game.


    ¡°I just noticed the magazine, I mean I play too,¡± Aya said as she paid for the can in her hand. It was interesting how the other girl did not stop her from consuming the product before she paid.


    A bit of life returned to the cashier¡¯s eyes at Aya¡¯s words.


    ¡°I play,¡±


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s your class?¡± Aya asked in excitement, she didn¡¯t think Moon Valley would reach all the way out here but the game had quickly become an overnight sensation.


    ¡°Mage,¡±

 090~Mage

    "A mage? What''s that like?" Aya asked curiously. "I don''t think I''ve ever met one of them,"


    The cashier, who at this point had not given her name stared at Aya with an expression of incredulity. After all, mages were one of the most popular classes most people chose to play, second only to knights who were at the top of character creation.


    "I find that hard to believe," the cashier said. "What do you play?"


    "A summoner,"


    Aya was met with a snort in reply, the cashier put down the magazine ready to face the conversation.


    "Now that''s...interesting," she said.


    "I''m Aya, by the way, you uh...haven''t given me your name," the brunette said in a friendly manner, maybe they would be able to exchange information and play when Aya eventually left Bloom Haven.


    "Nisha," the cashier replied folding her arms. A silence passed between them, Nisha wasn''t much of a talker and Aya felt too awkward under her cold gaze.


    "It''s nice to meet you, Nisha," Aya said lifting her drink in a pseudo cheer.


    Nisha raised an eyebrow at Aya¡¯s cheerfulness then cracked a slight smile. She leaned back on the counter and sighed.


    ¡°It''s nice to meet you too, summoner,¡±


    ¡°Summoner? It¡¯s a little weird to call someone by their game class isn¡¯t it?¡± Aya said rubbing the back of her head sheepishly, the cashier was frankly a little weird but Aya was never one to be rude to someone because of that.


    Especially in the environment, she grew up it. The apartment on the outskirts of town, Aya guessed she could have decided to find a place in the city but the crime in more affordable areas would make that a death wish.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to be addressed as Mage,¡± Nisha said with a serious tone. Her dark brown eyes looked away from Aya and back to her magazine, the lights above them flickered prompting them both to look up at the same time.


    Aya didn¡¯t want the other feeling judged, after all maybe Moon Valley helped her with social skills, the area was pretty isolated and Nisha probably didn¡¯t get to talk to a lot of people often.


    Aya knew these were a lot of assumptions but it was all she needed to acquiesce.


    ¡°Alright Mage, so what¡¯s your favorite part of Moon Valley? I really like potion making and exploration maybe,¡± Aya said with an awkward laugh, it was all worth it when Nisha¡¯s head perked up at the response to her request.


    The act reminded Aya a lot of Risel, the way the elf¡¯s ears would move and twitch with emotion whenever she said something interesting or sad.


    ¡°Looting bosses, I¡¯ve beaten a number of them,¡± Nisha said eagerly. She didn¡¯t get to talk about the game often, that much was clear.


    ¡°That¡¯s my least favorite part,¡± Aya whined.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Nisha gave a small smile before it saying.


    ¡°Your party¡¯s probably trash then,¡±


    Aya paused, taking a moment to take in the girl¡¯s words about her beloved Sprite and Rabbit Knight. She opened and closed her mouth, trying to find words of rebuttal, all that came out was a small.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Oh was I too blunt, you¡¯re a summoner and I know they can be pretty weak but you should try to equip as many summons as you can as fast as you can,¡± Nisha replied all in one breath, Aya couldn¡¯t tell if it was awkward or apologetic the way Nisha looked away from her.


    It was the most Aya had heard her speak so far, Nisha clearly liked the game and knew a lot about the class she played, but that wasn¡¯t the right way to say things.


    ¡°Right...have you met any other summoners in game?¡±


    ¡°Not many people play them,¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It''s tra-I mean the skill floor to get good at playing is pretty high,¡± Nisha said folding her arms.


    At least Aya could say she was making an effort not to be as blunt as she previously was. Nisha rubbed her arms allowing Aya to get a glimpse of the cute nail polish and nail art the girl had on her fingers. It was black with little skulls scattered over each finger nail


    ¡°And they can¡¯t really participate in PVP,¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, why do people like PVP so much it just seems like a hassle y¡¯know? Players jump you and stuff?¡±


    Nisha snorted.


    ¡°Only if you¡¯re weak,¡± she said with utter confidence.


    Aya decided she liked this cute but mean girl. Nisha was different and looked about her age, she wasn¡¯t mean the way Viviana was. Haughty and degrading, Nisha was quite endearing.


    ¡°Do you want to exchange IDs?¡± Aya asked with a shy smile.


    Nisha gasped, eyes widening at the sound of the question. She watched Aya take out her phone and begin opening


    ¡°You really want to be friends in game?¡± she asked leaning over the counter in excitement.


    ¡°Yeah but it¡¯ll be a while before I get to one of the main areas in the game, I¡¯m currently stuck in a secluded area,¡±


    ¡°Is it a proving ground?¡± Nisha asked as she entered her game ID into Aya¡¯s phone.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Aya said, at this point, it would be wiser to keep her mouth shut about Bloom Haven, too many players even on the forum were trying to find out her secrets.


    ¡°Oh been there, I¡¯m on my way to Alfinheim,¡± Nisha said.


    ¡°That sounds elvish, are you an elf?¡± Aya asked.


    ¡°A human actually, I know elves have the best stats for magic but I like how balanced humans play,¡± Nisha said. ¡°And yes Alfinheim is one of the largest kingdoms of elves, everything about elven lore is in there,¡±


    Aya was glad Nisha was opening up a bit.


    ¡°I gotta go but let¡¯s meet sometime in game and if you need some potions I¡¯ll brew them, my alchemy is pretty good,¡± Aya said hopping off the counter she had been sitting on. She made her way towards the exit as she spoke,


    ¡°Alchemy, that¡¯s such a rare skill!¡± Nisha said in a whisper as if someone was waiting to poach Aya from her. Aya stopped to giggle.


    ¡°If I come across any summon stones I¡¯ll trade with you first before I auction them off,¡± Nisha wrapped a finger around her Afro curls shyly as she spoke. She didn¡¯t get off from work for a while so all she could do was speak before the checkout line.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I was mean about your party, other players are usually a bit antagonistic,¡±


    ¡°Oh no worries, I understand,¡± Aya said. The same applied in the real world, sometimes the only thing you could do was anticipate an enemy, even when there was none to be found. ¡°The world¡¯s a rough place,¡±


    ¡°You got that right,¡± Nisha said snorting again. ¡°Hey there¡¯s going to be a tournament in town, are you game?¡±


    ¡°What kind? Who¡¯s hosting it,¡±


    ¡°Eos Conquerors,¡±

 091~The Third Task Ends

    Romina Walsh stood in her cold office tapping furiously on her holographic screen, after Fred left that day with the information he sought she had not been able to get it off her mind.


    Who was Aya Brown and why was she important enough to the CEO to send the archival rat on a digital manhunt?


    The servers buzzed as she searched through the old employee database looking for something. Romina was pressed on the matter of why the name bothered her so much. Nothing like this had ever gotten under her skin.


    Brown.


    It was a common name but she could swear that name had great importance to the company, someone at Lumos Inc. had that name, someone that seemed familiar but she just couldn¡¯t remember.


    Brown. Brown. Brown.


    Romina sighed, pushing her long dark strands of hair out of her face, it had gotten long again and she would have to shear it off before it became a hassle. She continued typing until she was met with a message.


    [Access Denied]


    ¡°Denied?¡± Romina growled, other than Victor Sinclair himself she had the highest administrative permission as Lumos Inc¡¯s head server engineers, she had to know all the ins and outs of the database.


    This didn¡¯t make any sense.


    Romina adjusted her glasses and tried again.


    [Access Denied]


    [Highest Authorization reached]


    ¡°Highest authorization reached? Well, that confirms it. I have the same access and privileges as the CEO, unless¡­¡± She took a moment to pause and breathe deeply. If she couldn¡¯t access these files despite being at such a high level then¡­


    This was old data.


    Buried Data.


    Romina walked over to her office desk and placed her tablet on the table to think. The dark haired woman laced her fingers together in thought and stared out of her windows overlooking Evangels.


    Her company was hiding something and Fred had slipped up involving her, she would get to the bottom of this. To the bottom of the person, she could not remember.


    ----------


    Aya walked home with her hands in her pockets and more thoughts than she had left the house with. She had already known the Eos Conquerors were in town thanks to Mars catching sight of Arlo at the Pinhole Arcade they had visited not too long ago.


    ¡°Why would they be holding a tournament here? They clearly want to smoke her out. I don¡¯t even get why they¡¯re mad, they betrayed her!¡±


    Aya walked until she was once again within the vicinity of her building. She looked up at the old thing with peeling paint and worn broken edges. The walls had ballooned with water and old giving the decrepit old place an even worse look.


    Aya walked through the main door, into the lobby, and up the stairs to her and Mars¡¯ apartment. This would all soon be just another thing of the past.


    No more Lydia and Fido and hopefully one step closer to finding out who in her family was left.


    ----------


    Mars was in the kitchen when she stepped through the door, the dark haired girl was in the kitchen peeling potatoes for dinner with a high-tech slicer.


    Aya watched as she washed the potato and slotted it into a machine using the little compartment. The machine would peel all the skin off and slice the potato into long strips for fries.


    ¡°Welcome back, how was your walk?¡± Mars asked quietly. ¡°You were gone for a bit,¡±


    ¡°Oh sorry I was at the convenience store,¡± Aya said, taking off her shoes and placing them within the shoe rack. It would be one of the last things to be packed up when they were moving.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°The one with the dead-eyed cashier?¡±


    ¡°Oh you mean Nisha,¡±


    ¡°Nisha,¡± Mars raised an eyebrow, ¡°You¡¯re acquainted now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we just talked a bit about Moon Valley, she¡¯s pretty cool. A little mean but cool,¡±


    Mars laughed.


    ¡°Well, dinner will be ready soon, come help me with these eggs,¡± Mars said, stretching her hand out to Aya. The brunette ran over and began cracking the eggs alongside her roommate and friend.


    ----------


    ¡°Don¡¯t stay up too late,¡± Mars said after they had washed up their plates and dried them. They were each heading to their rooms when Mars had spoken.


    ¡°Right back at you,¡± Aya said with a laugh.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you made a new friend today, did you get her ID?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she plays a mage,¡± Aya chirped, she almost thought Nisha wouldn¡¯t have wanted her to have it. She seemed stand offish at first but Aya knew now that she just had some rough edges.


    ¡°Basic but I dig it,¡± Mars teased, she leaned against the frame of her door, she was ready to get back into her gaming pod to kick some more ass.


    Aya had a feeling Nisha wouldn''t like what Mars had just said about her class. Mage was pretty tough to play, Aya imagined. Besides, no class was a bad one.


    ¡°How is mage basic?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later, skill floors and all that,¡± Mars winked. ¡°See you tomorrow,¡±


    ¡°Later,¡±


    ----------


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 1710/1750


    ***


    Swamp Jelly (Herb) x10


    Rusty Armor (Rare) x1


    Marsh Stone (Mid Grade) x2


    Forest Elemental Soul Shard x1


    ***


    Moon Points x3000


    Moon Gem x100]


    [Title: Marsh Conqueror (I)


    Strength increase when in any Marsh or Swamp area


    Water Resistance Bonus]


    [Skill: Stun leveled up]


    [Skill: Rabbit Volley leveled up]


    [Rabbit Knight gained a level +1]


    [Sprite gained a level +1]


    ¡°Okay that¡¯s a lot, but at least I won¡¯t have to worry about Swamp Jellies for a while and I got a new title too!¡± Yvlena said in excitement, ¡°All I need to do is return to Bavga, but aww man. My sword,¡±


    Yvlena hung her head as Sprite came to rest on her shoulder. She gave a long and suffering sigh.


    ¡°Just leave the battles to us Yvlena,¡± Sprite said.


    Beside her Rabbit Knight gave a nod, Yvlena guessed with the two of them she had nothing to worry about. The Avaresh Swamp was a lot more peaceful now.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head to Bavga¡¯s,¡± She said taking the first steps back. Her summons followed loyally behind her.


    ----------


    ¡°You return,¡± The Swamp Hag said with a hint of surprise. ¡°I thought for sure that third task would be the end of you, Old Crocante¡¯s gone soft,¡± Bavga coughed, spitting out some darkened phlegm.


    ¡°Is the balm working?¡± Yvlena asked, she felt sorry for the old woman who had to endure such a strain on her body, hopefully eliminating the Miasma from Bloom Haven would help speed her recovery.


    ¡°Working! I¡¯ve never felt better in the last 100 years. I feel the Miasma¡¯s influence weakening,¡± Bavga laughed.


    ¡°Well done,¡±


    [Quest Complete


    The Third Task


    Within the deeper swamp lies a foul creature guilty of polluting the once harmonious waters of the Avaresh Swamp.


    Once a creature of balance, the miasma has tainted it and destroyed the being''s true nature.


    Find the Minor Miasmic Entity and destroy what was once a former guardian of the swamp


    ***


    Rewards


    Vaelindor¡¯s Cup (Herb) x5


    Vaelindor¡¯s Cup Seeds x10


    ***


    Moon Points x5000


    EXP: 2000]


    [Yvlena is now Level 14]


    [Yvlena is now Level 15]


    ¡°Two level ups in one go!¡± Yvlena gasped.


    ¡°Thank you for entrusting this task to me Bavga,¡± Yvlena said to the hag in her rocking chair.


    Bavga lifted her hand to wave away the comment. The hag sighed, rubbing her chest to soothe some of the pain that came with the Miasma sickness.


    ¡°I should be thanking you, I¡¯m breathing lighter and I can tell the Swamp looks better than it has in years,¡± Bavga said, her saggy cheeks stretched into a smile.


    Yvlena couldn¡¯t help but find it charming.


    ¡°Now ask your question,¡±

 092~Floral District In Bloom

    This was the last question Yvlena could ask Bavga for the time being and she had to make it count. Yvlena ran through her mind thinking and thinking.


    Only one question came to her.


    "Bavga, how do I stop the Miasma, permanently?" Yvlena asked. "I need to put an end to it, it''s my...duty as the Harvest Guardian,"


    Bavga looked up at her, in her eyes this young elven girl still had so much to prove, but for now, she had done enough to convince Bavga she knew her way.


    "In the crevices of our world there beats the heart of all things. But it had died long ago, you will find the goddess who tried to revive it, the one that caused all this,"


    "What?" Yvlena whispered, already confused, how was she supposed to find the center of the Moon Valley?


    "I would have to leave Bloom Haven,"


    "Did you think you would stay here forever? Your work here is almost done," Bavga said coughing lightly, the balm was working.


    Already Yvlena noticed some vibrance return to the hag''s fibrous strands, she coughed less and seemed a bit more cheery than when they had first met.


    Even her eyes were less sunken.


    "Right," Yvlena said hesitantly, "You''re right," she balled her fist, anxiety coursing through her. But Moon Valley''s world needed her, her Subclass was directly connected to the world''s story.


    It was obvious she would need to leave Bloom Haven, but the story continued elsewhere. She had to follow Rael and follow Twyla.


    She had to know what they saw. What made them leave Bloom Haven? They were both looking for something and she had to know if they found it.


    [Quest Series Complete


    The Three Tasks Of The Swamp Witch:


    You''ve done it, as the Harvest Guardian you''ve bested your trials and impressed Bavga, the bone witch of the Avaresh Swamp.


    You have made an ally out of the old witch and can now trade meat and animal parts such as tusks, teeth, bones, and more


    ***


    Rewards


    Kuti the doll (Rare) x1


    Swamp Belle (Herb)


    Swamp Belle Seeds x5


    ***


    Moon Points x3000


    Moon Gems x50]


    [Title: Bavga''s Trust, you are now able to ask Bavga questions without trades]


    ''That''s the second title I''ve gotten,'' Yvlena thought, reading through the notification.


    "Thank you Bavga," Yvlena said.


    Bavga, not one to be so sentimental, waved the girl off and shook her head.


    "It''s about time I got someone reliable," the hag cackled.


    ----------


    Yvlena left the witch''s hut with a sense of accomplishment, now there were only two things left to do in the area.


    Defeat the creature in the Verdant Lake and finally beat the Miasma Lord of this area thereby unlocking the path to the next town.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    And reunited Risel with her brother.


    "Oh that''s right I''m supposed to bring Risel with me when I do that," Yvlena said.


    In front of Bavga''s hut, a brazier had spawned allowing her to once again engage in fast travel. This time Yvlena opted to take the longer way back to Bloom Haven.


    She needed to check on the lake anyway.


    She passed by the Verdant lake, watching for any signs that the entity dwelling underneath it remained undisturbed.


    Yvlena inched closer to the lake bed, peeking into the water. As if affected by her actions in the swap the once dark waters had cleared slightly, but she knew she still needed the Purifying Elixir to get the rest of it out.


    "That''s the second Minor Miasmic Entity, I just needed to finish this potion and I''ll be ready to take it head on," Yvlena said.


    Crocante hadn''t been as hard, just annoying as hell when he took her sword.


    Commander Addison on the other hand had been legitimately terrifying.


    "I can''t wait to get back to Bloom Haven," Yvlena said with a sigh.


    Yvlena would need to visit the library, Beatrice and Risel. Then tend to the Rose Manor, the grass was growing at a faster rate now that the soil was recovering.


    ----------


    "Yvlena!" Risel called the moment the elven girl stepped through the gates.


    "Risel?" It was rare for Yvlena to see her NPC friend outside of her shop, she must have just been coming back from wherever she had gone to the last time Yvlena needed her.


    The blonde elf ran up to her, grabbing Yvlena''s hands in greeting.


    "Risel where did you go? I stopped by the shop and you weren''t around," Yvlena said.


    The two elves walked in the direction of the apothecary, making small talk as they did.


    "I went to the caves to gather some more ingredients for my apothecary," Risel replied, "It usually takes a while since I have to fill two baskets,"


    "I can imagine," Yvlena said, only then did she realize the NPCs didn''t have the same storage capacity as the players.


    Yvlena had no need for baskets though she could craft them.


    ¡®I wonder if Risel would be interested in buying one of those,¡¯


    "The air is so much clearer now since you''ve started on our Miasma problem," Risel said, taking a deep inhale. ¡°Before I would always have a little bit of trouble breathing, not for a while since I met you,¡±


    Yvlena blushed.


    "I''m glad I''ve been able to help, it''s so sad," Yvlena said. "I finally finished Bavga''s tasks though,"


    "Did she tell you anything about how to stop all this?"


    "She said I need to head to the center of Moon Valley, do you happen to know what she meant by that?" Yvlena asked.


    "I''ll have to get back to you on that my dear," Risel replied, she had a contemplative expression as if she had heard those words before but didn''t know where she had heard them from.


    "Oh here are the potions you asked me for," Yvlena said, gifting Risel the ten health potions from the quest.


    [Quest Complete:


    A potion a day (1)


    Risel the alchemist is overwhelmed with making potions for the healers of Bloom Haven.


    Lately, Risel has been overworked running both the apothecary and handling potion production for the healers.


    Help lighten the load by brewing and selling ten health potions.


    ***


    Rewards


    Antidotes x5


    ***


    Moon Points x700]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 300/2070


    Moon Points x700]


    "Thanks Yvlena! I''ve been really behind on my brewing,"


    "A lot of things on your mind?" Yvlena asked in concern.


    Risel smiled sadly.


    "You could say that,"


    ----------


    "Beatrice," Yvlena said, encountering the woman on her way back to the Floral District. The old woman held some bread in her hand along with a basket of flowers.


    "Yvlena my dear, could you help me with this?" Beatrice asked.


    "Of course!" Yvlena said, rushing over to the woman to grab the basket from her grip.


    Yvlena''s eyes caught the roofs of the homes in the Floral District, from almost every porch hung vines and ivy growing. Baskets and potted plants sat on window sills or front door steps.


    It was a blooming sight.


    "Oh my gosh," Yvlena said in awe.


    "I know, almost like it happened overnight, Vaelindor and Selendriel are smiling upon us," Beatrice said.


    Yvlena shared the old woman''s contagious smile and walked her to her home.

 093~The House Of Flores

    Beatrice''s cottage was in bloom the next time Yvlena set her eyes upon it. The roof brimmed with flowers local to the area.


    Yvlena recognized some Fox Gloves, Luna Orchids, and Bloom Lilies herbs. Combined the area was covered in a sweet herbal scent.


    Yvlena inhaled deeply allowing herself to smell something other than the swamp she had endured for ages. Bloom Haven was a literal breath of fresh air.


    "Beatrice the cottage looks amazing!"


    The old woman pulled open the door for the both of them to make their way into the house.


    "I know, life has returned to the Floral district and I couldn''t be happier to see it," Beatrice said. "Would you like some tea?"


    "You know it," Yvlena said placing the basket she was holding on a new table Beatrice must have bought from Tom the carpenter recently.


    ''I really need him to do some work on the manor,'' Yvlena thought. She looked around finding new furniture carved out of wood and new cloth items too.


    The large table was decorated with a hand-woven linen cloth. Some of the cushions on the chairs had been replaced too. The hearth had fresh logs cut and set aside.


    Who had done all this? It couldn''t be Beatrice, right?


    The elf took a seat on the now plush chair, beside the hearth and waited for Beatrice to come out with the tea she had already begun boiling.


    "Beatrice, can I ask you something?" Yvlena began cautiously, in her mind she had a hunch Beatrice would be able to tell her about the once noble house of Flores.


    "Of course Yvlena, anything,"


    "Do you know anything about the name Flores," Yvlena asked.


    The elf heard something clatter to the ground and ran to the kitchen to assist Beatrice who had dropped a spoon from the shock of hearing that name.


    "Beatrice, are you alright?" Yvlena asked, diving to pick the spoon up and place it back on the table. She wrapped an arm around the old woman who remained silent.


    "Why don''t we go and sit down,"


    ----------


    "I''m sorry Yvlena you just gave me quite the shock that''s all," the old woman shook her head and raised a hand to run through her greying locks. "It''s been so long since I''ve heard my family''s name,"


    "Your family?" Yvlena asked, all of a sudden the elf recalled the locket she had given to Beatrice with the initial T.F.


    T.F. Twyla Flores.


    "Oh my God, you''re part of the former noble house of Flores," Yvlena said gasping.


    [Beatrice''s Daughter 8.7% completion]


    [Story of the Harvest Guardian 15.7%]


    "Lilian Flores is your-"


    "Great Grandmother, yes. She was a Harvest Guardian much like yourself, I suppose that''s how you came to know of her,"


    "Yes, Bavga the bone witch told me about her and how the nobles didn''t take too kindly to her occupation,"


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "They could not see beyond their prejudices, dark did not mean evil but it''s difficult to convince anyone set in their ways of something,"


    "I''m sorry Beatrice, for bringing up this old wound, clearly it''s something that still bothers'' you," Yvlena said.


    The old woman shook her head again, standing to continue making tea for her guest.


    "Like I said it was just a surprise. No one calls me much by my surname anymore, Twyla was proud of it though. Proud to come from the line of a Harvest Guardian,"


    "I imagine she was,"


    ''Maybe that''s why she went to find Rael,'' Yvlena thought.


    Yvlena sipped her tea and ate bread with Beatrice who was always happy to have the girl around. They chatted for a bit about the state of things before Yvlena asked to take a nap.


    "Beatrice, is it alright if I rest here for a bit?" Yvlena asked.


    "Of course my dear, take as much time as you need. I can''t imagine there aren''t many useable beds within the manor," the old woman said.


    "Thank you,"


    ----------


    Aya logged out of the game with a sigh, her eyelids felt heavy from all the things she had done, but it was finally time for her to get some sleep.


    "I''m pretty sure Kuti is a summon but I''ll have to check tomorrow when I play," Aya said yawning. She set the Revsita aside and curled into the mattress for a good night''s sleep.


    ----------


    "Aya get up!" Mars'' voice said in a whisper, the dark haired girl had been shaking her awake forcing Aya to open her eyes. The brunette blinked herself awake wondering why her roommate would be waking her up at such a late hour.


    "Mars! What?" Mars slapped a hand over the girl''s mouth, telling her to be quiet. That''s when Aya heard it. The sound of something trying to come in through the main door.


    It was probably burglars, the most common criminals in Axen.


    Aya didn''t have to worry about them when she had her special locks but now with the moving efforts they only had the basic steel ones to rely on.


    Beside Mars was a baseball bat wrapped with a sock, while Mars herself had a calm but worried expression.


    "Someone''s trying to break in, how long would it typically take the police to arrive if something happened?"


    "This far and this late? It would take forever this is the lowest priority area in Axen," Aya said in a panic, she had lived through a break-in before, one of the nights before she had gotten her locks.


    "Alright, grab the heaviest or sharpest thing you can from the kitchen and stay close," Mars said patting Aya''s head. "Don''t cry, I''ll protect you,"


    "I''m not crying," Aya whined quietly as she got up from the bed in her pajamas and followed Mars into the kitchen.


    The lights in the apartment were off and remained that way so the would-be intruders didn''t know anyone was in the home. The girls kept their footsteps slow and light.


    Aya pulled the nearest knife from the kitchen rack and waited beside Mars.


    "You got it?"


    Aya nodded vigorously, holding the handle of the knife with a strong grip. The girls waited on either side of the door. Their hearts pounded in their chest as they waited for the miscreants to force their way in.


    "It''s no good, these are steel locks," one of the voices said outside the door. Aya and Mars heard a sharp smack, the sound of a person receiving a slap.


    "You idiot, you told me you could pick steel locks," Another voice whispered.


    "Cheap steel not expensive steel, shame too if we got in the broads in here are definitely loaded,"


    Another slap resounded through the hallway. The voices'' muffled complaints trailed off as the footsteps slowly receded into the distance.


    Mars and Aya let out synchronized sighs of relief, placing their weapons on the floor. A weight had lifted off their collective shoulders with the knowledge that no one was trying to come in through their door.


    "We almost got robbed," Mars said. "That''s never happened to me before,"


    "Axen City bids you a grand welcome," Aya said leaning her head on the wall.


    "It can take that welcome and shove it," Mars said.


    Aya laughed, already she was too used to the harsh realities of life in Axen city. Now she was only eager to leave this crime infested rat hole.


    "I only wonder how they knew we were women," Aya said.


    "What?" Mars sat up, alert at Aya''s words.


    "They said, if we got in the broads in here are definitely loaded, how did they know we were...women,"


    "Someone must have tipped them off," Mars said. "In which case we should keep an eye on the door just in case anyone else wants to play,"

 094~A New Path

    Aya woke up to her head resting on Mars'' shoulder. The taller girl had her arm wrapped around Aya, pulling her in to rest more comfortably on her shoulder.


    Aya smiled, gently moving out of the other girl''s grasp to sit up and crack her stiff back.


    It had been a long night of waiting for yet another attack, but so far none had come.


    Moving out couldn''t come soon enough. Aya couldn''t wait to be free of all this, no city was perfect but Mericross'' crime couldn''t be compared to Axen at all.


    At least they wouldn''t have to worry about things like this with a doorman.


    Mars yawned, stirring from her own slumber. She stretched her hands over her head and rubbed her sore neck.


    "What time is it?" She asked.


    "No idea, I left my phone in my room," Aya said, giggling at her friend''s sleepy face. "It looks like it could be 10 am or something though,"


    "What a night huh?" Mars said with some humor.


    "Not my first rodeo, unfortunately," Aya said. She stood up and then offered a hand to Mars who accepted.


    "I could use some more sleep," Aya said yawning.


    "You and I both, looks like we''re both sleeping until noon at least,"


    "You got that right," Aya groaned as she walked back to her room for a second round of sleep.


    ----------


    "Thank you for letting me rest here Beatrice," Yvlena said standing up from the comfortable couch.


    "Oh it''s no problem my dear, I admit I''ve never seen an elf sleep, but you seemed mighty comfortable," the old woman said.


    She handed Yvlena a parcel which the girl accepted gladly.


    A gift.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Bread x1


    Cheese X1


    Bread and Cheese Recipe (common)]


    "Just something for the road, and to show my appreciation," Beatrice said.


    Yvlena stepped forward and hugged the woman.


    "You''ve been the kindest to me since I came to this town, thank you, Beatrice," Yvlena said tenderly.


    Beatrice smiled and for an instant Yvlena could see her grandmother''s face in the old woman''s model.


    She teared up, not knowing it was possible in the game.


    "I''ll be going now, I''ve got to get my sword fixed," Yvlena said. Beatrice nodded and went back to making food.


    Yvlena exited the cottage with a weight in her chest, that couldn''t have been her Grandmother right? Was she seeing things now? Too emotional?


    She had seen her mother''s face in Selendriel too, Yvlena could only wonder how close her mother and father were to the developers of the game.


    ----------


    "Oh hi Yv!" Soren said the moment he laid eyes on the elven girl.


    "Hi Soren, I have a huge problem," Yvlena said wincing and bracing herself for a boisterous reaction from the NPC.


    "What''s that? Don''t tell me you went and broke your beautiful sword!" Soren said looming over Yvlena with laboured breathing.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "Did you?!"


    "Uhhh no, no, it''s not broken perse, just uh dented,"


    "Dented?!"


    "I''m sorry Soren, it wasn''t my fault I had to fight the Swamp Guardian Crocante and he ate my sword!" Yvlena whined.


    Soren paused and processed what she just said.


    ¡°Crocante? Swamp Guardian?¡±


    He gasped so loudly it sounded like a puff of air had just been sucked into his chest.


    "You were in the Avaresh Swamp, that means..." The man held a hand to his mouth. "But how? That entire area had been taken by the Miasma,"


    He looked at Yvlena, pointing an accusatory finger at her.


    "And you! You fought the Swamp Guardian? What kind of girl are you?"


    "I guess I didn''t tell you, I cleared up the Miasma. I''m the Harvest Guardian,"


    Soren dropped to his knees, dramatic as ever he hugged her boots with tears streaming down his face.


    "Oh goddess Selendriel ever divine, god Vaelindor ever faithful, they''ve answered our prayers," Soren wailed.


    "There he goes again," One of the passing NPCs said from behind Yvlena who could only watch quietly.


    "Soren!"


    The hulking lad stood upright and took the sword from Yvlena''s hands.


    He examined the corroded blade carefully thinking about what he could do. Despite her best attempt the digestive fluids of Crocante''s stomach had eaten too deeply into the blade.


    "This may be pretty hard to fix Yv," Soren said.


    "You mean, it''s already really badly damaged?" Yvlena asked.


    Soren nodded sadly.


    "But tell you what, I will hold on to this for now, and if you can find two Plain Ores of Gliresea something can be done," Soren said.


    It was the most serious she had seen of him so far and it worried her.


    What was she supposed to do now?


    "You''re the Harvest Guardian I know I can''t just recommend you any old weapon, but I can also tell you''re a summoner, why don''t you get used to fighting without a sword,"


    "You mean just relying on my summons?"


    "Yes!" Soren said enthusiastically. "Gliresea ores are hard to find and you will have to be without a weapon for quite some time,"


    "I... understand," Yvlena said, she swallowed uncomfortably.


    "I know it will be hard but try it out for some time and come back to me," Soren said.


    Yvlena nodded again, beginning to walk away from the forge.


    ----------


    Yvlena arrived back at the Rose Manor to begin tending to the overgrown grass and weeds, all the while wondering how she was going to tackle the Minor Miasmic Entity in the Verdant Lake with no sword.


    "I think I have to grind? Yeah that''s what it''s called. With my summons some more, if I''m going to rely on them,"


    She took out the Moon Sickle gazing upon its intricate design, it had helped against Crocante but would it really be suitable as the weapon for her era?


    Yvlena the Harvest Guardian.


    "Only one way to find out which path I take, I still don''t know what a dark summoner is, is there even a light summoner?"


    She used the sickle on the tall grass. Shearing it with ease.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Fiber x10


    Wild Seeds x10]


    "More seeds, at least I know I''m not going to run out of common herbs for a while," she joked.


    ----------


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Luna Orchid (Herb) x2


    Fox Tail (Herb) x5


    Fox Glove (Herb) x3


    Star Root (Herb) x2]


    "That''s all the harvesting done,"


    [Subclass Skill: Herblore Leveled Up]


    [Subclass: Leveled Up


    Herbalist(Harvest Guardian) 10/10]


    [New Path Unlocked]


    [Subclass evolution complete]


    [Garden Mystic (Harvest Guardian) 1/10]


    "New path?" Yvlena asked in confusion. All she knew was that her Subclass could evolve but not what it would evolve into.


    "Garden Mystic? What the hell does that mean? Do all my stats get a boost or something?"


    Yvlena''s question was answered by the series of notifications popping off on her screen.


    [Congratulations on attaining the next evolution of your Subclass.


    The Rose Manor and Harvest Guardians alike, have many secrets only as you progress through your tasks as Harvest Guardian can you begin to uncover the mystery of your predecessors.


    More rooms within the manor are now open to you]


    "Tell me something I don''t know," Yvlena said with a snort. "Wait there were locked rooms?"


    After some more thought, she recalled there had been rooms she couldn''t enter.


    "I guess I wasn''t eligible for certain mysteries until now," she laughed.

 095~Clean Up

    After reading the notification,  Yvlena turned around to the farming patch she had started. It was then she noticed something strange.


    The new seeds she had just planted had grown twice as fast. Where there was once a bed of freshly laid seed was now teeming with newly grown herbs and flowers.


    She gasped.


    "What? Seeds grow faster now," she whispered, walking over to some of the ripe herbs.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Bloom Lilly x3


    Star Root x2


    Luna Orchid x3]


    "That''s amazing, I won''t have to worry about herbs as much now, instant growth is such a hack for this Subclass,"


    She didn''t have any more wild seeds to plant, and would only once she had cleared the surrounding area of foliage. But there wasn''t much tall grass left to clean up.


    Yvlena had dutifully sheared the grass with her new Harvest Skill. The Manor grounds were looking cleaner with her work, all that was left were the excess of trees that had sprung up in the absence of a Harvest Guardian.


    "I''ll get them with the axe I still have the staircases to fix and then the docks. Until I fix all these things I don''t think I can simply walk out on Bloom Haven.


    Yvlena thought about what Soren said, she could always use potions on the lesser enemies but she liked the feel of a weapon in her hand.


    Even if it wasn''t as strong as the carrot sword.


    Yvlena held her hand to her chin and retrieved the Moon Sickle from her inventory.


    "This was Rael''s wasn''t it," she guessed. "But then why did he leave it behind?"


    "Maybe it''s something for the next Harvest Guardian to find, a sort of rite of passage perhaps?" she said.


    "I can''t use my usual moves now," She said, "But no use crying over spilled milk I have to push on, besides I''m sure I can get better weapons," Yvlena shrugged.


    She would still look out for the plain ores she needed but for now, it wasn''t at the top of her list, her summons and the Moon Sickle would have to do for now.


    "Going to brew some battle potions and then prepare to take on the creature in the Verdant Lake,"


    ----------


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Wood x70]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Wood x70]


    "That''s a total of 140 pieces of wood in my inventory, so the upper floors need 300 pieces of wood though,"


    Yvlena considered it had been a while since she had entered the Rose Manor, how would she learn the secrets of the Harvest Guardian otherwise?


    "I still need that silk rag, I have a sneaky suspicion that the open room belonged to Lilian before she moved out to have a family," Yvlena said. Her eyes widened.


    "That''s why Beatrice was the one who gave out the quest that made you the Harvest Guardian! She literally is one of the only people with the right to keep it,"


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    [Beatrice''s Daughter 9% completion]


    "I am so good at deductions," Yvlena said puffing out her chest in pride.


    After finishing up with the trees for the day, Yvlena stopped to gaze at Rose Manor.


    She faced the entrance of the Rose Manor, now completely clear of tall grass and smiled at the hard work it took to achieve this state.


    There were no longer any Weed Mimics hiding near that area of the house since Yvlena started aggressively shearing it.


    The only problem now was the lack of grass laid bare the unsightly, broken and decrepit exterior of the manor.


    Gaps in the walls, wood, and other places. It would take a lot just to restore the exterior.


    For now, Yvlena turned her attention to the statues.


    The old statues of Vaelindor and Selendriel were free of grass coverings, but Yvlena also needed a rag to clean up the moss and stains that had gathered.


    "I need to get back to the spiders to farm more silk threads, or maybe I could..."


    She took out the loom she had bought from Madam Pratt and then some fiber from her inventory.


    "Here goes nothing," she said running the fiber through the loom the same way she did with the spider silk.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Basic linen (Spool) x1]


    "Oh? A spool of linen, could I make a linen rag?" She asked.


    She ran some more fiber through the loom and ended up with two more spools of linen.


    She clipped the spools together and put them through the loom''s wheel which doubled as a weaver.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Linen rag x1]


    [Subclass Skill: Crafting Leveled Up]


    "Awesome, now let me just wipe away this grime," Yvlena said waking up to the statue of Vaelindor. She began with the bottom, wiping Vaelindor''s armored feet until the grass stains were gone.


    She moved to the middle, wiping the armor and then the sword he held.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Dirty linen rag x1]


    [You can no longer clean with this rag]


    "I could wash it though,"


    The elf went over to the shed and got a simple wooden bucket out of storage then filled it with water to wash the rag.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Linen rag x1]


    "Easy!"


    She continued like that until she had completely wiped the statue of Vaelindor clean, the dirt and moss were gone from every crevice after the thorough wiping she had given.


    The linen rag was worn out now, so used that Yvlena had to discard it.


    The white stone gleamed in the sun, making Yvlena step back to admire her work.


    Vaelindor shined with cleanliness, all that was left to do was clean Selendriel.


    ----------


    Aya walked to the kitchen for a snack. All the manual labor she had done within the game made her back and neck ache the same way it did her character.


    "Probably because I didn''t sleep well," Aya said. It was then that she noticed a disturbing lack of Mars.


    "Huh?" Aya lifted her brow and wondered if Mars was in her room playing something.


    She walked closer to the door, listening for any signs of activity, and heard nothing.


    "Well it''s not like it''s strange for her to go out," Aya said still eating her bag of chips. She recalled the way Mars had touched her face the last time that happened.


    "Pssh, why am I blushing?" Aya mumbled, crunching more chips between her teeth until she finished the bag.


    Aya noticed something out of the window, red and blue lights flashed across the walls prompting Aya to inch closer to the glass pane.


    She saw the red and blue of a police car and two officers standing at the foot of the building.


    Mars stood talking to them, possibly about the incident that occurred last night.


    Aya watched the officers take Mars'' statement, knowing they only did that to follow procedures. Nothing would be done about it though, else they would have come up to take her statement too.ll


    Aya shook her head sadly, suddenly losing her appetite. She folded the bag of chips for later and returned to her room.


    She tried to suppress her bitterness at the situation, there would be no justice for them. Just as there was no justice for her when she called the first time.


    "Oh well, back to Moon Valley,¡±

 096~Two More Days

    Just as Aya was heading to her room to game some more Mars, stormed into the room fuming.


    "Can you believe those asshole cops told me I was delusional," Mars said stomping around the apartment in anger. "They wouldn''t even come up to talk to you!"


    "Like I said, not my first rodeo, this is a low priority area. Even if the robbery were going in front of them they wouldn''t even lift a finger," Aya said folding her arms.


    Mars stopped pacing at Aya''s words. The girl frowned, barely containing her anger. The only thing she could say was at least nothing was stolen. Neither she nor Aya were harmed by the failed break in.


    "I guess it''s a good thing we''re getting out of here," Mars said after a moment of silence. "I didn''t think it would be this bad in Axen,"


    "Way more different than Evangels I take it,"


    Mars smirked.


    "A whole lot different, you could drop 1000 Lue in broad daylight and come back to meet the money still laying on the ground, nothing we can do about Axen I guess,"


    "Yeah nothing we can do," Aya said a bit disheartened.


    "Chin up," Mars said flicking the girl''s forehead. "Only two more days to Saturday,"


    ----------


    [Restoration of the Rose Manor 4%]


    The notification was the first thing that greeted Yvlena when she logged back into the game. She looked around only finding the statue of Vaelindor gleaming in the sunlight.


    ¡°Oh, I guess the grass around the manor counts but won¡¯t come up until I¡¯ve done something a bit more...substantial,¡± Yvlena got to work spinning some more Linen out of the fiber until she had another Linen rag.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Linen rag x1]


    She stepped up to the statue of Selendriel and began wiping from the bottom to the statue to the top, washing, and cleaning until the sister statue shined as brightly as the one next to it.


    Upon closer inspection Yvlena noticed some cracks had formed in both statues, parts of the stone had come off, causing the pieces of the face to crumble away.


    [Restoration of the Rose Manor 4.5%]


    ¡°Oh another one popped up,¡± Yvlena said in surprise after she had discarded the linen rag. She looked up at the statues¡¯ faces with a frown. Now they were so eaten away by the foliage she couldn¡¯t see the features.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a stone-worker? A stone mason? Yeah, that¡¯s what it¡¯s called,¡± Yvlena said stepping back. ¡°Got a lot of work to do,¡±


    ----------


    Yvlena went into the Rose Manor and headed straight for the kitchen, now she knew what she had to do to get rid of all the dust gathered on the stove and around the oven.


    She wiped and wiped until the stove and oven were spotless and free of the dust that once covered their tops.


    ¡°I doubt a rag is going to clean the floor, there must be some kind of broom or something right? Dust is only the first step, there are repairs to be made, rooms to unlock,¡±


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    She searched the kitchen for a storage cupboard.


    Previously she hadn¡¯t taken the time to really look through each other rooms on the ground floor that were available to her, but now she was curious.


    Now, she wanted to restore the Manor before she had to leave it.


    ¡°Aha!¡± she cried, fitted between the walls was a small kitchen cupboard that was no doubt used to keep the cleaning tools long ago. The knob was rusty and when Yvlena pulled all that came from it was a loud squeak.


    ¡°It¡¯s covered in rust, just like O¡¯Leary¡¯s memento,¡± Yvlena said recalling she hadn¡¯t bought the potion she would need to remove the rust from the watch.


    ¡°Well I have the Moon Points and my alchemy has gone up quite a bit since the last time I tried to buy it plus I need a bronze cauldron, looks like another visit to the Artisan District,¡± Yvlena said rushing out the door and back unto the streets of Bloom Haven.


    ----------


    It didn¡¯t take long for Risel¡¯s shop to come into view as she walked along the brick houses of the Artisan District. Yvlena inhaled the fresh scent of pastries, resolving to try one when she had the time.


    ¡°I got enough ingredients from Olivia to make some of the recipes people have gifted me so far, I should really try to make the spice bread,¡±


    She pushed the door open gently, listening for the sound of the little bell that let Risel know someone was in her shop.


    ¡°Oh, Yvlena!¡± Risel greeted cheerfully as the other elf approached the counter. ¡°What can I do for you today? thanks again for helping me with those health potions,¡±


    [Risel is deeply appreciative of your efforts so far]


    [Affinity with Risel +10]


    Yvlena giggled at the way the elf¡¯s ears perked up as she spoke. She wondered if her ears were also as expressive as Risel¡¯s but reasoned they weren¡¯t due to the quality of the headset. The Zephyr might have been able to, or even a gaming pod.


    The Revista could barely handle emulating the five senses, although it did a pretty good job so far.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, if you need any more help I¡¯m open to it,¡± Yvlena said.


    [Buy/Sell]


    Yvlena clicked buy and the shop opened up for her to peruse.


    ¡°I need a bronze cauldron to brew the Purifying Elixir, I didn¡¯t know cauldrons affected the grades of the potions too,¡±


    ¡°Well, they do but only after a certain point, if you¡¯re no good at something having the best tools won¡¯t help will it?¡± Risel said pointedly.


    Yvlena considered her words for a moment.


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right Risel, but I guess I¡¯m here to purchase the Bronze Cauldron and the Rustigra,¡± Yvlena said.


    Risel nodded.


    Everything all together cost about 7500 which was a huge chunk of change but Yvlena, from all the adventuring, had made enough to cover her purchase.


    I¡¯ve added a bonus for my favorite customer in the whole of Bloom Haven. Risel said in excitement.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Bronze Cauldron x1


    Rustiga Recipe (Rare) x1


    Bottles (Small) x10


    Bottles (Big) x10


    Relaxation Potion x5]


    ¡°Wow, Risel this is a lot of stuff!¡± Yvlena exclaimed, reading through the things in her inventory. Risel didn¡¯t have to part with so much but it was nice of her to. Now Yvlena didn¡¯t have to worry about getting more bottles for a while.


    ¡°You¡¯re awesome,¡± Yvlena said with a smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re the reason the town is thriving again, the next village will soon open up and I can¡¯t wait to head to Verdant Vale,¡±


    Verdant Vale? This was the first time Yvlena had ever heard that name within the game. It certainly fit the naming convention of everything she had heard of so far.


    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s what the next town is called?¡± Yvlena asked.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s where I¡¯m from. The Verdant Vale is a bit bigger than Bloom Haven and one of the main towns in Moon Valley,¡± Risel explained.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to help you see your brother, it must have been a long time since you two have gotten separated,¡±


    ¡°Incredibly long, I wonder if he¡¯s grown a beard by now,¡±  Risel said holding a hand to her chin.


    ¡°Maybe!¡± Yvlena said laughing along.


    She felt bad making Risel wait, but some things had to be done around the Manor first and Yvlena owed herself a little break within the game to get her other skills up if she was going to be fighting with the Moon Sickle.


    ¡°Seen you soon Risel,¡± Yvlena said leaving the apothecary.

 097~Rustiga

    "Okay let''s review the Rustiga, I''ll need to brew it twice one for the door and the other for the memento," Yvlena said.


    [Rustiga Potion recipe (Rare)


    ***


    Type: Recipe


    A rare potion made to cut through the rust that eats all, it is within the Purifying Elixir family but is not quite as powerful.


    The Rustiga potion is, however, perfect for removing melded shut items or rust eaten items.


    ***


    Common Spice Herb (Herb) x5


    Fox Tail (Herb) x5


    Bloom Lily (Herb) x2


    ***


    Vial or bottle


    Bronze Cauldron]


    "I''m so lucky a lot of these ingredients are around Bloom Haven, I wonder what will happen when I leave? Will I still be able to make the same potions I make now?" Yvlena wondered.


    She walked through the Artisan District slowly, enjoying the view of the traders at work. It wouldn''t hurt to look through the shops as she went. She passed a bakery, then a few dress making shops.


    Yvlena waved at the workers, smiling as they waved back at her. She sniffed the air, taking in the scent of the fresh flowers and bread that wafted past her senses.


    ¡°Wow, I should really get to cooking soon. I have meat and I have a working stove too,¡± Yvlena said. Even if her cooking wouldn¡¯t be at the same level, eating more within the game would level up the skills she had neglected.


    Her Alchemy and Herblore were growing at an impressive pace and with her recent Subclass Level up it would only be better for her to increase the levels of the rest of her Harvest Guardian skills.


    ¡°I was supposed to sell those on the auction house since I think it would be more careful to keep the spell stones,¡± she said thinking back to her fight with Viseli.


    The battle would have been much harder against the Titan of the Eastern Path if it wasn''t for the Grass Stone.


    ¡°It Storm Stone and the Summon Bell will come through in the next boss battle,¡±


    Yvlena walked the path to the Floral District not expecting to see a familiar face walking down the same path with her.


    ¡°Oh, Laurent!¡± Yvlena called out to the bespectacled NPC.


    He moved towards the voice, looking around until he found Yvlena¡¯s face smiling at him from a few meters away.


    ¡°Ah, Yvlena, what a pleasant surprise,¡± the blonde man said with a warm smile.


    [Laurent is pleased to see you again]


    [Affinity with Laurent increased +3]


    ¡°Where are you off to? I¡¯m about to brew a potion I just got,¡± Yvlena said.


    ¡°The Tea House started up again so I¡¯m paying it my first official visit,¡± Laurent replied, the two of them began walking together. Yvlena followed, knowing her path would diverge from his once she reached the Rose Manor.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a lovely place. I should really go and drop off some herbs,¡±


    ¡°I take it you helped give it a little push,¡± Laurent said.


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    ¡°I don¡¯t want to take all the credit, all I did was sell her some herbs and give her a pep talk,¡± Yvlena laughed sheepishly.


    The blonde man took her words in as he walked, softening his gaze as he looked at her.


    ¡°You are this town¡¯s little blessing,¡± Laurent said, humming. ¡°A lot of things have been getting better since you started working on clearing up the Miasma,¡±


    ¡°I noticed, but that is my duty as the Harvest Guardian,¡± Yvlena said.


    ¡°I guess I should have realized, the moment you walked through the door asking for those books. No one in this town has found that information useful in over a hundred years,¡± Laurent said.


    ¡°That¡¯s a very long time!¡± Yvlena said in surprise. Was that how long it had been since they had seen Rael? Since Risel had seen her brother?


    ¡°But it is the blink of an eyes for an elf, no?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long time regardless, longevity aside,¡± Yvlena stopped at the gates of the Rose Manor, ready to step inside and brew her potion to begin cleaning the Manor.


    Laurent gasped.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen the Manor like this in a long time, you¡¯ve cleared the entire front of the Manor grounds,¡± he said grabbing the Manor¡¯s gate in awe.


    Yvlena saw his slackjawed expression and felt pride swell within her. It had taken her a long time to clear the tall grass and begin her garden but it had been so worth it to reveal the Rose Manor¡¯s hidden beauty.


    ¡°Thank you, Laurent, feel free to stop by I always need help with the weeding,¡± she giggled.


    The librarian¡¯s face flushed red, he quickly faced away from her and coughed into his hand shyly. At that moment he reminded her of Risel when she got shy.


    ¡°I would love to pay you a visit,¡± he said.


    ¡°And I will be dropping by the library to look up the former noble house of Flores,¡±


    ¡°You found the name you were searching for, Flores will be a tough one to find but I¡¯m sure I will be able to pull those records for you,¡±


    Yvlena released a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Great, now go and enjoy your tea, I highly recommend the Bloom Spice Tea,¡± Yvlena said pushing the gate open and stepping inside.


    ¡°T-Thank you,¡± Laurent said as she went in.


    ----------


    ¡°Thank God I have a ton of these Common Spice Herbs and Fox Tails,¡± Yvlena said taking the cauldron out of her inventory.


    She rested the polished bronze cauldron on the grass away from her garden to begin cooking up the Rustiga potion. Sun rays bounced off the shiny metal giving it an expensive appearance.


    The cauldron sported intricate little designs like a bunny foot which held the cauldron¡¯s pot up and a ringed bronze handle on either side held in the mouth of a rabbit.


    ¡°It¡¯s so pretty,¡± Yvlena said beginning to create her potion. Since she did not need to extract anything, she simply added all her ingredients and watched it boil until the cauldron swirled with a bright orange liquid that emitted more heat than the average potion Yvlena was used to making.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s going to be pretty hot,¡±


    Yvlena scooped the potion into three bottles, one could never be too careful within the game. What if she needed more than one Rustiga?


    After banishing the cauldron back to her inventory, she walked back into the house towards the kitchen and the door that held her cleaning supplies.


    ¡°Moment of truth,¡±


    She took one of the bottled out and poured the potion all over the knob. The rust fell away, vanishing along with the spill of the potion.


    Yvlena opened the closet and found an old broom and a mop sitting there covered in dust. She pulled out a trust linen rag and wiped them free of dust.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Manor Broom x1


    Manor Mop x1


    Manor Bucket x1


    Manor Duster x1]


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get to work and restore this kitchen,¡± she said with a fist pump.


    It didn¡¯t take long for her to clean up the Rose Manor¡¯s dusty kitchen. It was a lot like cleaning the former apartment she used to live in before she had become Mars¡¯ roommate.


    The monotony of the task allowed her mind to wander towards what else she was supposed to do. After this, she would take a look at the training room and other rooms on the ground floor, then visit the library to read up on what happened to Lilian Flores.


    ¡°There we go, good as new,¡±


    [Special Subclass Quest


    ***


    Restoration of the Rose Manor 5.5% Completion]

 098~The Training Room

    Yvlena walked into the old training room where the suit of armor that had formerly attacked her rested. Now left alone the suit had gathered dust all over its shining metal.


    Yvlena felt bad for the visage of the Harvest Guardian and resolved to clean it up with one of the rags she had made after she was done sweeping and mopping the training room.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started,¡±


    The sweeping came easily, Yvlena took the old broom and with the strength she could muster began moving the broom back and forth. The light scent of dust was all around her, tickling her nose and prompting her to sneeze with the dust she had kicked up from sweeping.


    ¡°Achoo!¡±


    ¡°Achoo!¡±


    The elf sniffled, praying to finish up so she could begin mopping the hall. At least the water would keep any further dust from rising to disturb her senses.


    The game made the dust vanish as soon as she had packed it up into a corner at the end of the room. Yvlena jumped, surprised all of a sudden by the game¡¯s action.


    Now came the mopping.


    It was exhausting work mopping the large training hall. The bucket of water could only hold so much and would darken very easily after a few soaks of the mop. Yvlena would squeeze the mop fibers until her delicate hands pinked from too much force.


    The dirty water piled and piled but Yvlena would not stop until she had finished this room and restored some more of the Manor.


    Without this, she knew she couldn¡¯t restore it to its original glory and Yvlena wanted so badly to reinstate the legacy of the previous Harvest Guardians.


    Her mind went back to Beatrice¡¯s family, how would Twyla feel knowing the role had fallen to a stranger and not her as expected?


    ¡°I bet she¡¯d be pretty pissed,¡± Yvlena said with a humorless chuckle.


    With the last of the mopping done, there were only a few things left within the hall to be repaired. The glass from the window remained untouched but the curtains were moth eaten, with large swaths of fabric missing.


    Yvlena walked up to the fabric, touching it then grabbing hold of two sides to spread it apart and study what could be done. The material felt familiar to her, surely it was the same linen fabric she had been using all this while to make rags.


    ¡°Can I use it to make a curtain? I¡¯m pretty sure I could make a dress too but I¡¯d need a needle to sew,¡± Yvlena said, letting go of the curtain so it was once again resting against the walls.


    She took the linen rag out of her inventory and approached the armor with a bucket of water from the well outside.


    ¡°Let me just give you a wipe like I did the statues,¡± She said to the suit of armor.


    With the damp rag, she wiped the dust until she could see her face reflected in the metal before her. The Visage of the Harvest Guardian looked so much better now that she had cleaned it.


    Inspecting it now, Yvlena noticed the armor had the same intricate designs as Vaelindor¡¯s armor on the statue outside.


    ¡°Could the Visage be a relic of the first Harvest Guardian?¡±


    [Story of the Harvest Guardian 17%]


    ¡°Look at that! My deductions were correct again,¡± Yvlena said nodding, she worked until every inch of the armor was clean, including the sickle it held in its hand.


    ¡°It looks like the Moon Sickle but there¡¯s something more ancient about this one,¡± Yvlena said washing the rag until it was free of dust. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve done all I can do for now,¡±


    [Special Subclass Quest


    ***


    Restoration of the Rose Manor 7% Completion]


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    ¡°Not bad,¡±


    ----------


    ¡°Ah it¡¯s so nice to be outside again, the Manor was getting stuffy,¡± Yvlena said as she relaxed under her favorite tree overlooking the garden she had started.


    She used her free time to check the final summon slot and examine the summon she had gotten from Bavga.


    If Yvlena¡¯s suspicions were correct, Bavga had probably meant to give the summon to Lilian but unfortunately, the previous Harvest Guardian had passed away before she could receive the gift, leaving Yvlena to be the one to carry on.


    ¡°What are the chances that I would be a summoner too, maybe it¡¯s based on what class you have?¡± Yvlena tried figuring out the logistics of the game before deciding she was there to play a game not work on its mechanics.


    [Kuti the doll Summon Stone


    ***


    Type: Summon (Rare)


    Once a doll belonging to Lilian Flores, Kuti deals direct attacks to an enemy¡¯s HP by afflicting them with status ailments]


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s super useful, I¡¯ll have to try it during my next foray into the Verdant Woods when I fight the next Minor Miasmic Entity,¡± Yvlena got up and dusted herself off.


    She needed three things from the Artisan district.


    To visit Laurent and to see if Madame Pratt sold the crafting recipe for the curtains at the Manor and a needle.


    The walk to the Artisan District was quiet as her boots clacked across the cobblestone streets, it wasn¡¯t long before Yvlena found Madame Pratt¡¯s shop and entered without hesitation.


    This time the woman had a customer with her. The customer seemed to be of noble origin, Yvlena could tell from the way the silken robes moved in tandem with the customer¡¯s motions as they spoke.


    Yvlena silently walked up to the counter, trying not to interrupt the two NPCs who were conducting their business.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Madam Pratt said accepting her payment, the customer turned to Yvlena, finally allowing her to see it was a woman.


    ¡°You seem familiar,¡± the customer said to Yvlena. The woman narrowed her eyes and scrunched up her face, trying to remember where she had seen Yvlena around town.


    ¡°I¡¯m frequently around town, I think our paths may have crossed once or twice,¡± Yvlena said before the NPC could speak further.


    ¡°Ah that¡¯s true, have a nice day,¡± the NPC said leaving.


    ¡°Ah, Yvlena, what can I do for you,¡± Madam Pratt said from behind the counter. She stood on a small stool folding fabric to place back on the shelves, Yvlena wondered where she got them from. Did she make all her fabric with a loom too?


    ¡°I was wondering if you had any crafting recipes for linen curtains?¡± Yvlena asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy enough to find, give me a moment will you?¡± Madam Pratt said patiently as she continued to fold.


    [Affinity with Madame Pratt +1]


    ¡°I see you took my advice to weave something a little easier than silk,¡± the woman said stepping down from the stool.


    Yvlena nodded.


    ¡°Yes and the linen came out better than the silk, I wonder what else I could weave,¡±


    ¡°You could spin wool too with that loom, but it¡¯s slightly harder than spinning linen, I would purchase from you as well if you happen to spin wool into yarn for me,¡± the seamstress said.


    Madam Pratt allowed Yvlena to purchase the curtain recipe from her.


    ¡°What else do you need?¡±


    ¡°A basic needle,¡± Yvlena said, recalling she would need it to patch up the holes in the curtains that were left standing.


    ¡°Wise,¡±


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Linen Curtain Recipe (Common) x1


    Iron Needle x1]

 099~Eat More Aya!

    "Aya come and help me with lunch," Aya heard, as she was taking a break from her round of Moon Valley.


    ¡°Coming Mars, I just got out of the game!¡± Aya replied with a yell of her own. She put the Revista away, placing it beside her pillow so she could play some more after lunch.


    She rubbed her strained eyes, squeezing them shut to get some moisture in them before she got up from the bed to help Mars who was already laying out the ingredients for some chicken wraps.


    The girl had a fresh bag of groceries, filled with the meat and vegetables they couldn¡¯t really find at their convenience store.


    Aya walked over to the counter where Mars was prepping the whole thing for easy access. They would need everything within reach for this particular dish. The dark-haired girl laid out the knives and chopping board, perfect for cutting vegetables.


    A pot was on the stove bubbling with water and ready for the chicken to be placed in to boil before frying.


    "Oh? This looks interesting," Aya said leaning against the counter, "I''ve never tried a wrap before but I''ve seen a lot of them on the office TV cooking shows,"


    "Well, they''re a simple and easy meal to make. I used to make it a lot back in Evangels. You''ll get the hang of it in no time," Mars winked.


    Aya waited by the side while Mars worked seasoning the chicken and taught Aya how to chop up vegetables for the wrap.


    "Where did you even get vegetables this fresh?" Aya asked, tearing up as she sliced some onions into bits so she could add to the wrap stuffing.


    Mars stopped her from touching her face as she sliced the onions, knowing the other girl''s eyes were burning with tears but hands in her eyes would only make it worse, as Mars herself had learned from experience.


    "I had them delivered from the main city," Mars said, "Had to put in the order pretty early this place is nearly a ghost town,"


    Aya winced, blinking rapidly as she could no longer withstand the burning sensation of slicing onions.


    "Be right back!" Aya said, running off to the bathroom to wash her eyes clear of tears.


    The sound of the tap rushing at full blast resounded from the bathroom where Aya had practically thrown herself through the door.


    Mars chuckled as she watched her friend scurry off like something was on her heels.


    "That''s right actually, even the convenience store is getting bare," Aya said returning to Mars¡¯ side and moving on to slicing lettuce.


    Her eyes were puffy from the irritation but she stayed slicing the rest of the vegetables as Mars fried the chicken into lunch.


    ----------


    ¡°Now this is how you roll it up,¡± Mars said showing Aya how to roll up the flatbread they would be using.


    She demonstrated by laying the bread out in the pan to heat up and then filling the bread with enough of the stuffing to finish up a wrap.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Nice and easy,¡± Mars said rolling the bread up for Aya. ¡°Your turn,¡±


    Aya nodded and took one of the prepackaged flatbread to place into the frying pan, she scooped some stuffing up and dumped it into the pan with the bread.


    ¡°Your bread¡¯s getting dry,¡± Mars warned.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine, I didn¡¯t put the heat high,¡± Aya said, attempting to wrap the bread up when she heard it crack.


    ¡°I told you,¡± Mars said.


    Aya pouted but still managed to roll her wrap up without it falling apart in her hands.


    ¡°Not bad for a first try,¡± Mars said, getting to work making another wrap for lunch. She decided they would get two each.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make my next one,¡± Aya said eagerly, she wanted to try her hand at making something for real.


    All the potion making and cooking in the game did not compare to cooking in real life with Mars.


    It wasn¡¯t that Moon Valley didn¡¯t simulate it well, but the Revista didn¡¯t translate the sensations well enough.


    ¡°Eager are we? I like that,¡± Mars said with a laugh.


    ----------


    Aya bit into her chicken wrap with relish, chowing down so quickly Mars had to stop her from biting her tongue.


    ¡°I should have made more then,¡± Mars said with a chuckle, she reclined in her chair and watched Aya attempt to devour one of the wraps whole.


    ¡°I love your food!¡± Aya said squealing at the flavorful meal. This was the kind of thing she imagined they ate at all the nice restaurants in Axen City.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to teach you how to cook,¡± Mars announced. ¡°It¡¯ll probably help your cooking skills in-game,¡±


    ¡°Is that the only reason?¡± Aya asked, raising her eyebrows. She took another bite of her chicken wrap, savoring the taste and the way Mars had seasoned the meat. The meal had definitely given her an energy boost.


    ¡°How often do you feed your player character?¡± Mars asked, chewing her meal.


    ¡°Not a lot, I don¡¯t cook much in the game,¡± Aya said with her cheeks bulging full of flatbread.


    ¡°Aya you¡¯ve got to feed your character often or your stats will take a hit, even Relaxation Potions won¡¯t help much if you don¡¯t buy meals,¡±


    Aya paused her next bit of bread.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± All this time she had been neglecting her cooking skill as yet another Subclass skill she could focus on when she had time, but now it turned out to be crucial.


    ¡°Deadly serious, I wouldn¡¯t want your stats to suffer. You still have to beat me after all,¡± Mars said.


    ¡°Why do you think food sells so well on the auction, did you think it was simply delicious!¡±


    ¡°I had no idea! I thought it was just something I could do whenever,¡± Aya said, pouting. ¡°I¡¯ll have to roast that pork I have,¡±


    ¡°You better! And get more recipes too, you can¡¯t ignore the temporary stat boosts,¡± Mars advised.


    ¡°Do you have the cooking skill, Mars?¡±


    ¡°Yup,  through a Title: Good with your hands,¡± Mars said. ¡°It¡¯s a long story but it has to do with a corrupted Boar King,¡± Mars said.


    ¡°Ugh I''m so tired of those, I just fought a corrupted Swamp Guardian, I didn¡¯t even fully look at my rewards yet. It ruined my Carrot Sword I¡¯ve been using since forever!¡±


    ¡°Well maybe that¡¯s a good thing, you aren¡¯t meant to be stuck with one set of equipment for long,¡± Mars said.


    ¡°This is an RPG after all. The enemies will get tougher and you don¡¯t want to still be using the same weapon you used at level one,¡± Mars pointed at Aya and raised her eyebrow as well.


    ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t you a summoner? You don¡¯t even need a weapon!¡±


    ¡°I like the thrill of fighting alongside my summons okay!¡± Aya retorted.


    ¡°The most unique summoner I¡¯ve ever met, also thank you for telling me your skill set and giving me an edge in our upcoming battle,¡± Mars winked.


    ¡°Hey! You tricked me!¡± Aya whined, planting her palms on the table in surprise.


    ¡°All¡¯s fair in love and war Aya,¡± Mars teased.

 100~Requiem For The Outpost (1)

    Yvlena returned to Bloom Haven with fresh eyes but a terrible exhaustion. Knowing what Mars had told her plus the note on the relaxation potion, it was obvious she needed to cook something before she collapsed in the game.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat another bowl of Rabbit Meat Stew, maybe I should try to Roast it? I¡¯ve got the recipe somewhere,¡± she said.


    [Roasted Rabbit (Common)


    ***


    Type: Recipe


    A common dish served to tide the hunger of adventurers while out on long journeys, it¡¯s a simple meal to prepare only requiring meat and an open flame.


    The recipe can be modified


    ***


    Rabbit Meat x1


    Open Flame/Oven]


    ¡°Open flame? I guess I can try to build a campfire. Or just use the stove? Wait the kitchen has an oven!¡± Yvlena said walking into the Rose Manor.


    It was such a relief to have the kitchen clean even though there would be some things that would have to be restored.


    ¡°Ah there it is,¡± she said walking over to the large brick oven in the shape of a rabbit with a wide mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m sensing a pattern,¡± Yvlena said finding it cute. The Harvest Guardians of the past definitely had a thing for rabbits.


    It didn¡¯t take her long to find the Oven tray and pull it free, it reminded her of the pizza ovens at fancier restaurants in Axen City. The Rose Manor¡¯s oven on the other hand exuded a certain rustic charm that Yvlena quickly grew fond of.


    She took a piece of rabbit meat and placed it on the tray, then slid it into the oven, she waited for a bit and noticed that nothing happened.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, some charcoal.¡±


    She tossed some charcoal from her inventory in and watched the oven roar to life. Flames blazed about, firing the meat on the tray until it was cooked.


    Yvlena wasn¡¯t expecting much, it would most likely be an F Grade meal but it didn¡¯t hurt to try, she wanted to eat something different.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Roast Rabbit x1]


    [Subclass Skill: Cooking Leveled Up]


    ¡°Thank goodness Rabbit Knight isn¡¯t here to see this,¡± Yvlena said as she pulled the tray out to see the charred piece of meat on it. ¡°Uh...¡±


    The elven girl picked up the fist sized piece of meat and winced.


    ¡°Yikes but here goes nothing,¡± she said taking a bite out of it. Despite the charred exterior, the inside was woefully undercooked. Yvlena chewed with a crunch until she had somehow gotten the meat all down.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t as bad,¡± she said to console herself.


    [+5HP


    +Temporary Increased resistance to Fire]


    ¡°Sweet!¡± Yvlena said, taking note of that. It would be great if she happened to encounter anything that shot fire at her, the reduced damage would go a long way in a boss battle.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°My exhaustion¡¯s down too.¡± Yvlena noticed she could move a lot more freely now after eating up the charred bit of Rabbit meat. ¡°Okay let¡¯s do that again.¡±


    She repeated the process, knowing she wouldn¡¯t be running out of Rabbit Meat any time soon.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Roast Rabbit x1]


    She ate up, noting her next attempt wasn¡¯t as bad as her last try, the meat was less burnt, with some pink shining through the blackened exterior. The insides were better cooked too.


    [+5HP


    +Temporary Increased resistance to Fire]


    ¡°Still a long way before I can sell this on the auction house if I recall people only like things that boost their status so resistance to fire should be pretty good when it hits C Grade.¡±


    ----------


    ¡°Alright, I promised Laurent I would stop by the library and I need to look up Lilian¡¯s history,¡± Yvlena said walking out the door.


    Mars wasn¡¯t kidding, she felt energy surge through her as she walked down the clear path of the Rose Manor, down to the gate. Yvlena hadn¡¯t understood why it felt like the game had a stamina bar but now she understood she just wasn¡¯t eating enough.


    ¡°New Rule, eat one thing before heading into the dungeon areas,¡± Yvlena said to herself, she pushed open the gate and walked through it, into the streets of the Floral District.


    Her boots clacked on the fresh cobblestone streets as she walked, looking at the houses and remarking on how new they looked. She recalled her first foray into the district while trying to find Beatrice¡¯s house.


    The broken roofs and dilapidated houses now shone with new polish as she walked by them. NPCs milled around, breathing new life into the streets she crossed on her way to the main area of the town before she headed to the library.


    ¡°Hello.¡± someone greeted.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Yvlena greeted back just as cheerfully, she waved for good measure and managed to bump into someone in her distraction.


    ¡°Yvlena!¡± A masculine voice called.


    Yvlena looked up at the person calling her, finding the face of Dylan Brackett staring at her in relief.


    ¡°Huh? Dylan, it¡¯s been a while, How are you?¡± Yvlena asked cheerfully. The boy was most likely heading back home to his mother after a day of adventuring.


    He stood taller than her than the last time she had seen him, with the same piercing eyes that reminded her of the Ghost she had met at the Bloom Haven Outpost.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been good,¡± he said with a cocky smile, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely catch up to you soon and then we can go adventuring together!¡±


    Yvlena giggled, he was still exactly as she remembered him. He wore better equipment now but Yvlena didn¡¯t think he was ready to go with her to the Verdant Woods, she already had Risel to protect, and Dylan wouldn¡¯t be an ideal candidate to take.


    ¡°Well, have you been helping Iris with her herbs?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah! Just like I promised. I¡¯ve also beaten a few forest critters too!¡± He said, puffing out his chest in pride.


    Yvlena nodded, impressed by the NPC¡¯s growth since the last time they had met, as well as his programming. The game¡¯s AI never failed to impress her with its emotional range.


    She wondered how his mother was doing.


    ¡°How¡¯s your mom?¡± Yvlena asked, recalling the gifted ingredients she had yet to use.


    ¡°She¡¯s alright, the letter from Dad really helped. I wanted to thank you for bringing it back to her and apparently Iris too. How did you reach the outpost, It¡¯s incredibly dangerous you know?¡± Dylan asked folding his arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s not really a problem for me,¡± Yvlena said.


    ¡°Then I wanted to ask you a favor,¡± Dylan said.


    ¡°Sure ask away,¡± Yvlena said, sensing a quest not far behind the young man¡¯s request.


    Dylan scratched his head nervously as he prepared to speak, he mumbled something under his breath that Yvlena didn¡¯t quite catch.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I was wondering if you could take me to the Out Post, I would like to see it and perhaps my father¡¯s grave if I can.¡±


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s right I did bury your father and his comrades,¡± Yvlena said under her breath so he couldn¡¯t hear her.


    [Quest: Requiem For The Outpost


    Dylan Brackett, son of the late Captain William A. Brackett, wishes to pay his respects to his father who has long since passed.


    The road to the Out Post, although clear, still fosters hostile danger far beyond the skills of the young man.


    Will you escort him through the perilous roads of the Bloom Forest?


    ***


    Rewards


    ????


    ***


    Moon Points x1500


    ***


    EXP x700]


    [Yes/No]


    ¡°Of course Dylan, I accept.¡±

 101~The Archives

    As soon as she accepted the quest Dylan spun around in happiness, punching the air with enthusiasm. The joy on his face was contagious and Yvlena soon caught herself smiling too.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Dylan said.


    Yvlena nodded again, noticing that an affinity bar did not come up with this particular character. She wondered why but reasoned she didn¡¯t make the game and was only there to play it.


    ¡°I just need to pay a visit to the library.¡± Yvlena said.


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯m going to tell Mom that we¡¯ll be setting out to see the Outpost,¡± Dylan said nervously, Yvlena guessed Olivia wouldn¡¯t be too happy allowing her son to go towards the same area where she had lost her husband.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not at the town gates by the time you¡¯re ready, head to the library.¡± Yvlena said.


    [You¡¯ve given an NPC an objective]


    [Click for more information]


    ¡°Huh?¡± Yvlena looked at the floating notification as Dylan ran off to find his mother. He sped through the Floral District leaving Yvlena alone to examine the game mechanic¡¯s explanation.


    She clicked and once again the Moon Valley Mascot fluttered around as an animation window popped up to illustrate what she would need to learn.


    ¡°Need a close NPC to do something for you? Simply give them an objective and wait for them to carry it out,¡± the fairy said.


    ¡°NPCs can accept quests just as players can, but only if you have a relationship with them, the relationship meter will not always show in relation to a particular NPC but rest assured dear player you are more liked than you know,¡±


    ¡°Well, that explains some things.¡± Yvlena said.


    ¡°Once an NPC has accepted the objective, Moon Points will be deducted in completion of the objective to compensate the NPC, they need it just as much as you do,¡±


    The animation window closed out leaving Yvlena with a few thoughts. The NPCs were basically just people living in a town, she had seen them buying things and speaking to each other and assumed they were just programmed to do that.


    Yet again the game surprised her with its ability to create a world seemingly out of nowhere, Yvlena was once again impressed.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Yvlena shrugged and continued on her way toward the library. She followed the path to the Artisan District and soon came upon the Library¡¯s entrance, with the pillars that bore the carvings of the patron Gods of Moon Valley.


    The building was old enough that she could not make out the individual faces of the carvings but she did not doubt that if they were, it would be her mother¡¯s face.


    A burst of longing swelled in Yvlena, this game was the closest she would get to knowing her mother as an adult, was it wrong to hope she met the goddess soon?


    ----------


    ¡°Ah, Yvlena, a welcome sight. I assume you¡¯re here over the house of Flores,¡± Laurent said. The blonde man stood at his usual spot, speaking without even looking up at her.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    But how had he known that she was the one standing before him?


    ¡°Yes, how did you know I was coming?¡±


    Laurent looked up at her and shrugged in the elegant way only a nobleman could.


    ¡°I just knew.¡± He said.


    A blush crawled unto Yvlena¡¯s face, she stared down at her feet, holding back the silly giggle that almost escaped her. Laurent could be smooth when he wanted to be, a far cry from the first time they¡¯d met.


    ¡°Okay, let me know the shelf and row,¡± Yvlena said after a moment of sobering up.


    ¡°Basement level, 10th shelf, F for Flores. Second Level, 13th shelf, L for Lilian. There wasn¡¯t a lot, most of these things will be found in the Rose Manor but I assume some of the Manor is currently inaccessible,¡±


    ¡°Understatement, I¡¯ll need a lot of wood to repair the stairs and furniture, but I¡¯m determined to restore it to its original glory,¡± Yvlena said.


    [Laurent is impressed by your resolve]


    [Affinity with Laurent Increased +5]


    The library¡¯s basement doubled as an archive for old documents pertaining to the town. Yvlena wouldn¡¯t have guessed anything of note would be down here if she hadn¡¯t inquired before she stepped in.


    The archives were dusty, forcing Yvlena to tread carefully as she began searching the tomes and files containing the town¡¯s history.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see, 10th shelf,¡± She whispered running her fingers over the plaques bearing the numbers of the shelves.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± A droll voice sounded from behind Yvlena, the elf jumped, spinning around to find a tall, cronish woman standing in the shadows of the dusty archives.


    The woman was tall and thin with a long nose that housed the tiny spectacles she wore. Her skin was pale in the sparse light and accentuated by the burgundy dress she wore. The dress was a gray, ankle length piece with a deep red fanned collar that rose above the woman¡¯s head like a snake.


    ¡°O-Oh, hi, I was just looking for some information, Laurent directed me to the archives. I won¡¯t be long,¡± Yvlena explained nervously.


    ¡°Laurent sent you did he?¡± The woman asked seemingly in amusement. Her thin lips quirked in a smirk. ¡°Carry on.¡± She slunk away, leaving Yvlena with a nervous feeling.


    ¡°Okay, that was a weird one.¡± She said.


    She located the 10th shelf a moment later, scanning through the archives until she found the letter F and pulled out a long family tree detailing the ancestry of the house of Flores.


    Yvlena read through, finding Lilian and her Husband but noticing her family was apart from the main tree.


    ¡°That¡¯s because she was disowned right?¡± Yvlena said.


    [Story of the Harvest Guardian 17.5%]


    [Beatrice¡¯s Daughter 9.4%]


    ¡°Bingo, but does she have any siblings?¡± Yvlena asked tracing and tracing until she stopped on a name.


    ¡°Daphne Flores, but she¡¯s long deceased. Beatrice and Twyla are the only members of the Flores family left. Says here that their assets were sold off so they really were left destitute. Man, that sucks!¡±


    Indignation grew within Yvlena on behalf of the NPC that reminded her so much of her Grandmother. How could they cast a whole family out over a little magic?


    ¡°The Rose Manor isn¡¯t under Lilian¡¯s name but that makes sense it transfers over to the newest Harvest Guardian so it would be under my...name,¡± Yvlena said slowly. She lifted her head and thought.


    ¡°Do I have family history in Moon Valley?!¡± She gasped. Putting the thought aside for now, she placed the files back into the empty space. The files didn¡¯t tell anything she didn¡¯t already know about Lilian, she was a dark summoner, a fact she had learned from Bavga, but what else?


    What did she do as the Harvest Guardian?


    Yvlena exited the basement, avoiding the strange woman who dwelt there by sneaking up the steps. Once again she found herself on the first floor, the light nearly blinding her after the brief time spent scouring the basement.


    ¡°Second Level, that¡¯s the same spot Rael¡¯s information was,¡± Yvlena realized as she ran up the steps to the next set of shelves she would be searching.


    She found the shelf she needed quickly and was soon brushing her finger over the spine of the book she needed.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± Yvlena said picking out a thin tome, she opened it propping it on her elbows as she began reading.

 102~Requiem For The Outpost (2)

    [Lilian Flores


    ***


    Bloom Haven¡¯s most controversial Harvest Guardian, hailing from the noble house of Flores, she lost everything following the path of the twin gods.


    Cast out of noble society for her class, she endured her role as Harvest Guardian alone for most of her days. It is unknown whether she found peace.


    An extremely talented summoner and brewer she created many tonics, elixirs, and potions the denizens of Bloom Haven and Moon Valley as a whole use today, with these potions she was able to combat the Miasma in its growing stages.


    Much of her contributions have been lost to time, it is up to future archivists to find and chronicle much of this enigmatic figure.]


    [Story of the Harvest Guardian 17.8%]


    ¡°Poor Lilian, but she must have met someone right, that¡¯s why her memory is survived by Beatrice and her daughter Twyla,¡± Yvlena said, while it was sad to learn that bit of lore about Lilian she didn¡¯t find much except the remark about Lilian¡¯s alchemical prowess.


    ¡°Great, sort of a dead end isn¡¯t it, I already knew she was controversial because she was a dark summoner, Bavga said so,¡± Yvlena sighed. ¡°I mean I guess I learned something, even if it was quite sad,¡±


    She slotted the book back into its spot and sighed deeply. The library was helpful but a majority of the information was locked away. It would be a while before she could rebuild the manor enough to access the library.


    ¡°With Bavga¡¯s fondness, I guessed she would be an alchemist of some sort, I wonder if Risel met her. She¡¯s an elf after all, they might be young looking but really I¡¯m sure she¡¯s older than Beatrice or even...Bavga,¡± Yvlena made a face, grimacing at the thought of a hag-like Risel.


    It didn¡¯t suit the cheerful elf to be so glum.


    Yvlena left the area and walked down to the first floor where Laurent worked on being a good librarian to the establishment''s other patrons.


    ¡°Were you able to find anything Yvlena?¡± Laurent asked.


    ¡°Not much but that was to be expected, I did get quite a fright down in the basement,¡± Yvlena said.


    ¡°Oh, you must have met Dominique,¡± Laurent said, his expression turning sour. He pursed his lips and took off his glasses to rub his eyes. ¡°Apologies, people don¡¯t visit the archives as often,¡±


    ¡®Can¡¯t imagine why,¡¯ Yvlena thought sarcastically.


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s fine I suppose, she didn¡¯t bother me much at all,¡± Yvlena said trying to laugh off the strange encounter, the NPCs of the game continued to have strange personalities.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I would like to talk to you about later,¡± Laurent said.


    ¡°Oh? When you¡¯re ready then Laurent,¡± Yvlena said, making to leave the library through the front entrance when she noticed the figure of an adventurer heading her way.


    Dylan walked through the door looking around at the happenings of the library.


    ¡°Yvlena, there you are,¡± Dylan said, setting his eyes on her and approaching the front desk where Laurent and Yvlena stood talking.


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    ¡°Dylan, I take it you¡¯re ready for our quest. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t meet you at the gates. I was occupied here looking for some old documents,¡± Yvlena said.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, I know you¡¯re busy most of the time,¡± He said.


    Laurent lifted a brow in confusion, he looked between Yvlena and the young man standing before him then spoke.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about a quest?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m escorting Dylan to the outpost to pay respects to his father¡¯s grave,¡± Yvlena explained. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous for him to go on his own after all, the area is crawling with all sorts of enemies, especially those wild boars,¡±


    ¡°Very well, but I do have a favor to ask. Could you bring me back some boar meat if you encounter any, it¡¯s been a long time since I tasted the succulent pork of a Forest Boar,¡± Laurent said.


    [Quest: Laurent¡¯s Dinner


    Laurent the Librarian needs your help fetching meat from the boars that dwell in Bloom Haven¡¯s Forest, two Boars should be enough to satisfy his cravings.


    ***


    Rewards


    Fairy Hair clip  (Uncommon)


    ***


    Moon Point x2000


    EXP x500]


    [Do you accept?]


    [Yes/No]


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s no problem, Laurent. I¡¯ll get it to you as soon as I can,¡± Yvlena said.


    [Affinity with Laurent increased +2]


    Laurent flashed her a smile, one of the few Yvlena had seen from the blonde librarian. He waved her off as she left, marking the start of her quest with Dylan.


    ----------


    ¡°Are you sure you can handle a Forest Boar Yvlena? I know you¡¯re pretty strong but they¡¯re quite tough too,¡± Dylan asked as they walked back to the town¡¯s main gate.


    ¡°They¡¯re not as tough as the Swampadile or even the Spiders in the Verdant Woods,¡± Yvlena said with a casual shrug.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯ve fought those creepy spiders?!¡± Dylan stuttered, he paled at the thought of going up against the creepy arachnids and their clacking mandibles. The thought of such beasts made a shiver run up his spine.


    ¡°Yeah, and I won too, though getting poisoned was nasty work. So you better be careful if you think about heading towards that area,¡± Yvlena cautioned.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Dylan said, his footsteps slowed and soon he was trailing behind her with his head hanging sadly.


    Yvlena turned around, noticing his downcast expression as he walked with less pep in his step. She wondered what was up with him, only a moment ago he was animated and now he was anxious and quiet.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Well it¡¯s just, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get as strong as you Yvlena, you¡¯re fighting Spiders and Swamp creatures when I can barely take on a Horned Rabbit,¡±


    ¡°Evangels wasn¡¯t built in a day,¡± Yvlena said.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Yvlena realized he would not understand the expression as Evangels was not a place in Moon Valley. A lot of real world expressions would be lost on fictional characters. Even thought it pained Yvlena to think of them as such.


    ¡°It means I didn¡¯t get that strong overnight, you haven¡¯t been adventuring long so what makes you think you¡¯ll have the same skill level as someone who¡¯s done it longer?¡± Yvlena said.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but I want to help Mom and Iris out! Beatrice too,¡±


    ¡°And you will in time. You don¡¯t rush things like this, you could die if you aren¡¯t careful,¡± Yvlena said lifting a finger in warning. ¡°Got it?¡± she asked, jabbing a finger in his chest with severity.


    Dylan nodded gravely, taking her warning seriously but Yvlena felt this would not be the end of the conversation.


    She turned around and continued leading the way, keeping Dylan at the back of her mind. This would be her first escort quest and it would be good practice for when she needed to take Risel through the Verdant Woods.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think Risel will give me much trouble and she¡¯s an alchemist so I can count on her to have extra potions on hand,¡¯ Yvlena thought.


    Dylan was young and probably hot headed, he would want to try to test his strength.


    Yvlena only hoped it wouldn¡¯t cost him too much, she didn¡¯t want him to get hurt. The young man had grown on her and she would do what she could for him.

 103~A New Summon

    Yvlena and Dylan found themselves in Bloom Meadow, slaying the Horned Rabbits that scurried to attack them.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve actually been in this Meadow huh,¡± Yvlena reminisced, she recalled how tough it had been to defeat her first few enemies. Now she could lift her Moon Sickle and deal the critical hit in one blow.


    ¡°I still miss my Carrot Sword but until I find those Ores it¡¯s going to stay damaged,¡± She muttered.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Exp: 305/2070


    ***


    Rabbit Meat x1


    Carrot x2


    ***


    Moon Points: 20]


    Yvlena heard a clang resound behind her, she turned around to watch Dylan face a particularly tough Horned Rabbit, the little beast ran forward jamming its horn into Dylan¡¯s sword. He blocked it, pushing so hard against the beast, that his foot dug dirt up from the ground.


    Yvlena attempted to step in but Dylan shouted for her not to interfere. Yvlena stepped back, keeping an eye on the battle before her. She would protect him even if she had to step in against his wishes.


    ¡°Whew,¡± Dylan sighed after finally slaying the creature, Yvlena nodded and let her hand stray from her sheath.


    ¡°Good job, we¡¯ll be heading into the forest now, it¡¯s a long way from the outpost so we better not dally,¡± Yvlena said.


    Dylan gulped, looking up at the Bloom Forest¡¯s entrance fearfully. He ran to her side, following her lead into the forest. He scanned the path, finding nothing but enemies in the distance, he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to face them anytime soon.


    ¡°Yvlena has the Miasma really gone from here?¡± Dylan asked.


    She nodded, turning around to reassure him that he wouldn¡¯t be facing any Miasma corrupted beasts anytime soon.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡±


    Dylan held his sword close, moving swiftly through the forest while remaining behind Yvlena. He looked at the elven girl¡¯s determined face and found comfort in her unwavering expression. Sure he wasn¡¯t as strong as her but he could learn.


    ¡°Okay,¡± He said releasing a breath he was holding.


    Yvlena swiftly took care of a few foxes and Horned Rabbits, netting her a few more loot as she and Dylan pressed on.


    ¡°Hold on I got this,¡± Dylan said fending off some armed Field Mice, he swung his sword in a wave, parrying two little mice at once. The mice persisted, running at him with their small swords.


    ¡°Yah!¡± Dylan yelled, cutting them down, Yvlena stood to the side letting him bask in his victory. She nodded in approval, against some of the smaller enemies she didn¡¯t need to worry about him but she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what would happen if she needed to protect him from a wolf.


    ¡°We¡¯ll cross that bridge when we get there, I have my summons after all,¡± Yvlena said under her breath.


    [Your companion gained a level]


    The game told her, Yvlena gasped. She didn¡¯t know Dylan would be able to level up just like a player. She supposed it made sense if he could accept a quest, then it should have been possible for him to level up as well.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    He was doing a good job with some of the weaker enemies too.


    ¡°Brace yourself, we¡¯ll be entering the second level of the forest soon and there are some strong enemies here,¡± Yvlena warned. She turned back to examine his expression and as she expected, Dylan¡¯s face was pale with worry.


    A hint of determination shone through his trembling lips, Yvlena could respect that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re not alone,¡± She said encouragingly.


    ¡°I know¡­¡± Dylan said lowly, ¡°I¡¯ve just never been this far out before, even when I go to gather the herbs Iris needs for her teas,¡±


    ¡°I guessed and it¡¯s best you don¡¯t wander off too far until you can comfortably take down a fox at least, there are wolves in this forest too,¡± Yvlena said.


    ¡°L-Like that,¡± Dylan asked lifting a shaking finger at the creature. Yvlena looked ahead to find a large wolf growling at them, barring its shining rows of teeth at them. Even without being tainted by the Miasma, it was a menacing sight to behold.


    ¡°Yes, like that,¡± Yvlena gasped.


    The two gulped, Yvlena didn¡¯t like fighting wolves. Of all the forest creatures she took on, wolves were always the worst. Notoriously cunning and strong, they took a while to beat too and she wanted to get Dylan to his father¡¯s grave as soon as possible.


    ¡°Sprite, Rabbit Knight,¡± Yvlena called, she paused recalling the third summon she had equipped herself with. ¡°Kuti,¡±


    She was hesitant to summon the doll, worrying it wouldn¡¯t be as strong as her other ones. But it would only grow strong the more she equipped it in battle.


    The gray china doll was small only coming up to Yvlena¡¯s knees. The porcelain doll was dressed in black and white Gothic lace with a black bonnet covering her dark ringlets. The doll turned around looking up at Yvlena with dark rimmed blue eyes.


    The wolf doesn¡¯t give them any chance for introductions before it lunges. Dylan runs forward, sword raised too high in the air to be swung down quickly.


    Yvlena smacked her forehead and groaned, Kuti inched closer to the battle, pulling up her dress to run forward and join the other summons in battle.


    [Kuti cast weaken (03MP)]


    A dark cloud appeared above the Wolf¡¯s head and remained there as Rabbit Knight slashed the creature¡¯s side with it¡¯s rapier.


    [Wolf afflicted with weakness, -30% HP and Attack]


    The Wolf yelped, already limping from the combination of the status effects and the attack. It pulled back a bit before lunging forward at the party to chomp down on them with its powerful jaws.


    Yvlena¡¯s stepped back, causing the Wolf to miss its mark. She kicked its jaw, dealing some damage with her retaliation.


    [Sprite cast Sting (01MP)]


    The little fairy flitted around attacking with her balls of fairy magic made all the more effective by Kuti¡¯s inflicted status ailment.


    The Wolf gave a final howl before it collapsed, fading away in flakes of light.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Exp: 345/2070


    ***


    Wolf Pelt x1


    Fang x1


    ***


    Moon Points: 100]


    ¡°Huh? I got less Exp this time,¡± She looked back at Dylan who was still standing hesitantly to the side and wondered if he had gotten the rest of the experience from the battle.


    ¡°You can summon, I¡¯ve never seen anyone summon before,¡± Dylan said in excitement. He stood, staring at the summons standing before him with wonderment. He reached out to touch Rabbit Knight only for the small creature to brandish his blade and squint in anger.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you, Rabbit Knight doesn¡¯t like to be picked up all that much,¡± Yvlena said in warning.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± Dylan said, apologizing to the summon who nodded and sheathed his sword.


    While Dylan admired her other summons Yvlena took the time to address the newest addition to her team.


    She squatted down to the level of the china doll and spoke in a soft voice to prevent startling the little doll. Kuti looked up at her with big, shiny eyes.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Yvlena your summoner. Nice to meet you, Kuti,¡±


    The doll curtsied and turned its little mouth into a smile. For its supposedly creepy appearance, Kuti was quite cheerful, Yvlena found her adorable.


    ¡°Alright Dylan, the lake is up next and we can catch our breaths there,¡± she said pointing to the path up ahead.


    ¡°Right,¡± Dylan said following along.

 104~104~A Break At The Lake

    The Rejuvenating lake was a stark contrast to the blackened Verdant Lake, she marveled at the crystal clear waters no doubt teeming with life beneath it¡¯s waters. Her reflection swayed as she looked upon the lake, ready to take a drink.


    ¡°We can catch our breaths here, take a drink from the lake it¡¯s super refreshing,¡± Yvlena said, encouraging the young man.


    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t even think there would be a lake so deep in here,¡± Dylan held a hand to his chin, thinking.  ¡°Come to think of it, I don¡¯t think anyone¡¯s gotten this far out of town since the Miasma started spreading, except Twyla,¡±


    ¡°Yeah, do you have any idea where she went?¡± Yvlena asked, hoping for more clues, if Dylan knew something about her then maybe it would point her in a direction other than Rosenheim.


    Dylan shook his head and knelt by the lake bed to scoop some of the water into his hands and sip. He released a contented sigh and sat back on the soft grass. He laid down after a moment of sitting and looked up at the sky.


    ¡°Wow, the sky¡¯s so much brighter now Yvlena,¡±


    [The Lake Rejuvenates You, Full Health To Party]


    ¡°I know,¡± Yvlena said sitting down beside him while her summons got to know each other, she turned her head in the direction of the three beings to watch silently as they played.


    Sprite was really taking a shine to the Kuti, flitting about for the china doll to chase, while Rabbit Knight cleaned his snout with his paws.


    ¡®Adorable!¡¯ Yvlena squealed internally. As she and Dylan rested, she checked her inventory for some wood she would use to make a campfire, it would be a good idea to roast some meat or cook some soup.


    After making the promise to always eat before a big fight, Yvlena didn¡¯t want to end up breaking it so soon. While she didn¡¯t feel weakness from her actions so far, a little status boost couldn¡¯t hurt. She took the wood out of her inventory and gathered some stones to create a barrier for her fire.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Dylan asked, watching her start the campfire with some help from Sprite ¡°We aren¡¯t camping are we?¡±


    ¡°Just some lunch. I warn you, I¡¯m not much of a cook,¡± Yvlena said, facing him with a smile. Neither her Rabbit Meat Soup nor her Roast Rabbit were up to stuff, both were at such a Low Grade she didn¡¯t want to risk giving them to her NPC companion.


    ¡®But Beatrice liked it that time,¡¯ Yvlena thought, she reasoned the old woman was just being nice.


    ¡°Neither am I, it can¡¯t be that bad,¡± Dylan shrugged.


    Yvlena laughed, she looked at the water of the lake and then had a thought, when she used her cauldron she always just used the default liquid that bubbled in the pot and while it might have been great for potions, it might not have been for food.


    Taking out her new bronze cauldron she set it down watching it bubble to life.


    With an empty bottle, she approached the lake and dunked it in, scooping up some water for her soup, then returning to pour it into the pot.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Bottled Lake Water x1]


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do some basic cooking,¡± She muttered, taking a few carrots she had won off the Horned Rabbits and some common spice herbs, she tossed it all in before putting in the meat. It bubbled and bubbled until it was done.


    [Recipe: Rabbit Meat Soup Improved!]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Rabbit Meat Soup x2]


    Two bowls of steaming hot soup appeared in Yvlena¡¯s hands, she didn¡¯t question it and simply handed one off to Dylan who eagerly began chowing down his meal.


    [Rabbit Meat Soup x1 Gifted to Dylan]


    ¡°Delicious!¡± He said, chewing furiously.


    ¡°Hey, eat slowly! If you bite your tongue off what am I going to tell your mom?!¡± Yvlena cried. She took a spoonful of her own soup with a sigh.


    ¡°Only one way to find out if this was worth it,¡± Yvlena mumbled. She blew the steam off her spoon and slurped, surprising herself with how good it tasted. ¡°What?¡± she whispered taking another spoonful. It wasn¡¯t the most mind blowing food, but it tasted much better than all her other attempts at the soup.


    The meat was well done and meshed with the carrot and spices she had added to the soup. Even with the Revista¡¯s faint senses, the aroma of the soup smelled heavenly


    ¡°Got to be at least a C Grade now right?¡±


    [Rabbit Meat Soup (Common, Improved)


    ***


    Type: Food


    Grade: C+


    A common soup enjoyed by the denizens of Bloom Haven. Made from hunting the common Horned Rabbits around the area.


    This improved variety is made by adding an extra vegetable and some spice herbs, the recipe can always be improved.


    The Grade determines how flavorful it is as well as the status effects.


    +150 HP


    +Temporary AGI Boost


    +Minor Resistance to Fire]


    ¡°Wow! Okay I¡¯m definitely putting this up for auction now! Finally!¡± Yvlena cheered. She laid back on the grass giddy. The next stop would be the old temple, she wondered if she could say a prayer for Lilian and Bavga even the old Swamp Guardian, Crocante.


    ----------


    ¡°Hey!¡± Aya yelled as her VR set was yanked off her head by an annoyed Mars. She looked up at the dark haired girl, through the dangling wires, standing above her with a strong frown and glare in her eye.


    This was the first time Mars looked at her with such anger, Aya gulped.


    ¡°Oh, Mars,¡± Aya said quietly. She turned off the game on her computer, realizing she was in trouble now. She stood up but came up short as she tried to stand to Mars¡¯ height. The other girl shook her head and sighed, not in annoyance, but with a slight disappointment that stung.


    ¡°Aya it¡¯s late, you missed dinner,¡± Mars said in a clipped tone.


    ¡°I was in the middle of a quest and lost track of¡­¡± Aya trailed off, looking down at her feet like a guilty child. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡±


    Mars shook her head and folded her arms, losing her stern countenance. She looked at Aya with a softened gaze, into those guilty brown eyes.


    ¡°I think I might have overreacted,¡± Mars said, pinching the bridge of her nose, ¡°I know I¡¯m not your mom, I just got worried about you. You know,¡±


    Aya nodded, guilt growing within her at worrying the (possibly) only person who cared about her. Mars had given her playful warnings but Aya had still managed to forget.


    ¡°No, no I get it. It was irresponsible and stuff. I should have known I was in there a bit too long,¡± Aya said.


    An awkward silence hung between them, neither being able to look the other in the eye. It was the first time Mars had seriously scolded Aya and it surprised her.


    ¡°So¡­¡± Aya began in a bid to diffuse the tension. ¡°You must really care about me huh?¡± she said.


    Mars chuckled, lifting her hand to pet Aya¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Silly girl, of course I do,¡±

 105~Old Data?

    Romina waited for Fred outside the archives, knowing he would be heading out to use the company vending machine to get a midnight snack. She stood with her back pressed to the wall thinking deeply about the information she had uncovered.


    During her time searching for the name she had found several employees with the last name ¡®Brown¡¯ all too common after all, but something told Romina she was not looking for assistants and admin officers.


    No, this had something to do with the CEO himself, Victor Sinclair.


    The doors to the archive opened and the blonde man walked out with a yawn, he stretched his hands over his head and like a moth to a flame, headed towards the vending machine glowing in the hallway.


    Fred noticed the presence behind him immediately, without turning around he knew who it was that stood there in the shadows of the door.


    ¡°Romina, never thought you would be the one to seek me out,¡± Fred said, as a sandwich plopped to the bottom of the machine. The blond turned his tired eyes to the woman who stood with her arms folded and a glare fixed on him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to locate where I¡¯ve heard the last name Brown before and my only lead is you, I don¡¯t like to be deceived Fred, start talking,¡±


    ¡°You would know more than me,¡± Fred said, pulling his meal out of the packaging that allowed it to maintain its freshness. He bit into it with all the relish of a starving man finding food for the first time in ages.


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Romina hissed. ¡°This has something to do with the old data!¡±


    Fred said nothing, munching on his sandwich.


    ¡°Who is Aya Brown?¡± Romina asked again, lifting her glasses to rest on the bridge of her nose. ¡°You said finding her was very important to the CEO, why?¡±


    ¡°And you wished the best outcome for me, isn¡¯t that enough?¡±


    ¡°Fred, what does the name ¡®Brown¡¯ have to do with the old data?¡±


    ¡°Everything was scrubbed Romina,¡± Fred said, polishing off the rest of his sandwich. He looked into her icy blue eyes, for once, they lacked the usual contempt Romina had for the people around her. Now curiosity warmed them.


    And wasn¡¯t she part of this already? After all, they would not know Aya¡¯s name if it wasn¡¯t for her. Fred sighed, weighing his options. On one hand, he technically owed her this knowledge, on the other hand, this was between him and Victor Sinclair.


    For all he knew, she could be the one blackmailing him.


    He looked at Romina¡¯s expectant face again, if she really was the blackmailer, she did a good job hiding it.


    ¡°You can trust me, I know where Mr. Sinclair pulled you from and I never said a word. You¡¯re still the same archival rat to me as always,¡± Romina stepped forward until she was only a foot or two away from the blond man.


    Fred exhaled and faced the vending machine to purchase another sandwich.


    ¡°Do you remember Anastasia Brown?¡± Fred asked.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ----------


    The light of the microwave flared to life as Aya put her plate of pasta in to heat it up. She leaned against the door, alone in the kitchen as Mars had gone to bed by now. The silence echoed all around her, reminding her it wasn¡¯t usual to be up so late.


    She stopped the microwave before it could hit zero and took her steaming plate out to sit at the empty table.


    ¡°I wish I could have eaten with Mars,¡± Aya said scooping her pasta up and filling her mouth as she pouted. Dinner was such a lonely affair without Mars. It took Aya back to the days when she would come home from work and eat some pre-made food she scored on a clearance sale.


    Days she hoped not to revisit.


    Her phone buzzed on the table, alerting her to a text message from someone she knew. Aya stared at the phone, who could be texting her this late? Nisha?


    While chewing she picked up the phone to read the text from Atlas Nue. Her eyes widened in surprise at the name.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve heard from him, then again I haven¡¯t been the best at keeping in touch either,¡± Aya said.


    [Do you still play Moon Valley?]


    She read the text and let out a small laugh and wondered why that was the thing Atlas latched onto, it was his opener. Aya found it cute that he would ask. Probably because she couldn¡¯t stop talking about it whenever they met.


    [Of course, I do, you couldn¡¯t pay me to stop at this point :D]


    [I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be up this late, but I supposed pro gamers have notoriously late hours]


    Atlas replied.


    [Technically not a pro yet, and I¡¯m not usually up this late I was just lost in a session]


    [What class do you play? I¡¯m a Knight now, which I learned was quite basic but I like it]


    [Who said it was basic?! Knights are cool! I play a summoner though, I have about three summons now]


    Aya hoped he could see and feel the pride she was trying to convey in her message, it had been a while since they had talked on any medium and she missed him.


    [Three summons, I hear that class is hard to play but I know you¡¯ll be good at it.


    I¡¯ll be heading to bed soon but I wanted to let you know I¡¯m on my way to the Solstice Crossing, maybe if you¡¯re there we can take a quest together]


    Aya smiled sadly, knowing she was nowhere near the rest of the players in the game.


    [Not quite in that general area yet, but I will be in a bit. We can definitely take a quest together sometime]


    Aya texted, she didn¡¯t know where the sudden guilt came from. It wasn¡¯t like she was blowing him off. She really wanted to play with him but it wasn¡¯t the right time. There were a ton of things to do before she left Bloom Haven to follow Twyla and Rael.


    [That¡¯s alright, perhaps I¡¯ll be at a higher level when we meet, Goodnight, Aya]


    [Goodnight Atlas, It was nice talking to you again]


    [Call me more often]


    Their text conversation ended with Aya staring at the final message. A smile grew on her face at the thought of him texting.


    ¡°Ah! I forgot to ask what his username was,¡± Aya said. ¡°But I guess I could always text tomorrow,¡± she checked her phone for the time, it was past midnight now.


    ¡°It¡¯s tomorrow,¡± She whined. The sun wouldn¡¯t rise for a while, but it was getting later and she had no business fighting sleep when she should have been in bed already.


    Aya finished up her pasta and rose to take her dishes to the sink. She rinsed them off and put the plates in the drying rack so they would go back on the shelf when morning came.


    Moving through the two bedroom felt haunted, while Aya knew Mars was in her room sleeping, the absence of the other girl represented a break in her routine.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see her in the morning,¡± Aya said, entering her room once again. Mars had neatly put away her Revista and its wires while her PacBook charged on the small desk Mars left her.


    A small, fond smile crossed Aya¡¯s face at the sight of how gently the other girl handled her belongings. No place like home.

 106~Requiem For The Outpost (3)

    Aya got up with a late start to her day and climbed out of bed with a yawn. She blinked slowly and soon without intending to, stared at a nearby wall to zone out. It only took a few minutes before the sizzling of breakfast caught her attention enough to jolt her out of her thoughts.


    Breakfast? That meant¡­


    Aya bolted out of bed, racing towards the kitchen to confirm what she knew. Mars was cooking breakfast and she was determined not to miss it.


    She burst out of her room, startling Mars who hid it well as she flipped pancakes in a non-stick pan over a hot stove.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the fire?¡± Mars chuckled at the sight of Aya¡¯s disheveled appearance. She looked the girl up and down, scanning for any sign of a problem.


    ¡°Aya are you alright?¡± Mars asked in concern, Aya had a dazed expression on her face as if she had zoned out the moment she stepped into the kitchen. Mars narrowed her brow and turned down the heat to approach the other girl.


    ¡°Aya.¡± She called again, resting a concerned hand on the brunette¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just didn¡¯t want to miss breakfast.¡±


    Mars gave a small smile in response to her words, Aya could be so sweet. She turned her eyes back to the piping hot stack of pancakes and lifted one of the plates to present to her friend.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the syrup in a bit,¡± Mars said.


    Aya gripped the sides of the plate and went to take a seat at the table.


    ¡°Aya,¡± Mars called, the brown haired girl spun around, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about last night. There¡¯s no need to feel guilty about overplaying.¡±


    Aya rested the plate on the table and sat down.


    ¡°Pshh, what do you mean, I don¡¯t...feel guilty.¡± Aya said, cautiously moving the plate with the tips of her fingers.


    Mars smirks.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to keep pouting I¡¯m only going to say try not to miss meal times, or just let me know if you do. If we¡¯re going to be living together we can¡¯t be walking on eggshells.¡± Mars said.


    ¡°I just feel bad about it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t, I was just worried you had passed out.¡± Mars said, frying another stack of pancakes. She noticed Aya resting her head on the table.


    ¡°Has that ever happened before?¡±


    ¡°Mmhmm, it happened to me.¡± Mars said. ¡°Grinding for days, I didn¡¯t have anyone checking in on me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awful.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s life without any real friends.¡± Mars said. She turned around to face Aya whose brown eyes stared in concern for her. ¡°I don¡¯t want that to happen to you.¡±


    ----------


    Yvlena woke up beside Dylan who was busing himself plucking the blades of grass that grew along the lake bed. The young man noticed her stirring and scrambled to her side.


    ¡°Oh, Yvlena. I didn¡¯t expect you to fall asleep after eating.¡± He said rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. He held a hand out to help her up from the comfortable grass.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Yvlena blinked, forcing herself to focus. That was the second time a character had mentioned her sleeping, did elves not sleep as often as humans did in the game?


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Yvlena said, shaking herself. She was supposed to lead this quest and didn¡¯t want to look unsure beside Dylan.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Dylan asked.


    ¡°Yeah I¡¯m fine, I just had a weird dream. You know how it is.¡± Yvlena said. She winced a bit, realizing she didn¡¯t know if the NPC could dream or if they even knew what the concept entailed.


    ¡°I know what you mean,¡± Dylan said, resting his hands on his waist with a pensive expression. ¡°I get the strangest dreams sometimes, sad ones too.¡± he admitted.


    ¡°What kind of dreams?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes I dream the Miasma¡¯s gone, though I guess now that¡¯s becoming a reality,¡± he laughed. His expression saddened again. ¡°Sometimes I dream Twyla came back.¡± he muttered.


    Yvlena gazed at his solemn expression, she rested a hand on his shoulder, then pulled him into a hug. Only a moment after she felt Dylan¡¯s arms wrap around her shoulders in reciprocation. He allowed himself to lean in and take comfort in her embrace.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure wherever she is, she¡¯s okay.¡± Yvlena said.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Dylan said. ¡°You know I¡¯ve only ever gotten hugs from my mom.¡± he said shyly as they pulled apart.


    ¡°Cherish her while you can.¡±


    Dylan nodded, sensing the graveness in Yvlena¡¯s tone. She looked away from him, Dylan wanted to say something more but the words ended up caught in his throat.


    ¡°Alright everyone, let¡¯s go!¡± she said, rousing her summons from their play. She looked back at Dylan who now stared on with a contemplative expression.


    ¡®I guess I gave him a lot to think about.¡¯ Yvlena thought. ¡°Come on Dylan, the temple is up next, we need to stop by before we get to the Outskirts and then the Outpost.¡±


    ¡°R-Right!¡± Dylan said walking towards the path with Yvlena and her summons. The girl spoke to them like one would children, even though Dylan knew they were pretty powerful. He wondered how she became a summoner, but knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to understand even if she explained it.


    ----------


    The Depths didn¡¯t seem as hostile as it was when Yvlena had first visited. Sunlight streamed through the thick canopy of leaves making the elf consider cutting down some of the overgrown trees. That was an idea to explore later.


    ¡®It would help the light shine through much better but at least I don¡¯t need a torch anymore.¡¯


    She braced herself for an attack, even with the Miasma gone they were still in one of the more dangerous areas in the Bloom Forest with a NPC that wasn¡¯t quite on her level and even willing to thrust himself into danger.


    ¡®And I need to kill a boar for Laurent.¡¯ Yvlena thought.


    ¡°Wow.¡± Dylan gasped, marveling at the greenery all around him. Yvlena watched him spin around, whistling at the vastness of the forest. ¡°It just keeps going on doesn¡¯t it?¡± he said in awe.


    ¡°It really does. The temple¡¯s up ahead, keep your eyes peeled, there are wolves lurking around.¡± Yvlena warned. ¡°You run towards a wolf like that again, and I¡¯ll smack you!¡±


    Dylan stood rigid at the sound of her warning, recalling how he dashed forward into danger before Yvlena could stop him.


    ¡°I was only trying to prove myself.¡± he whined.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather have you safe.¡± She sighed. Her next point was interrupted by a growl, she looked ahead, sensing a danger she could not see was up ahead. It would most likely be a fox or a wolf but her inability to see it made her anxious.


    ¡°Sprite, Rabbit Knight keep your eyes open, there¡¯s something just around the corner.¡± Yvlena said, Kuti held on to her leg, prompting Yvlena to pick the doll up with care. She placed Kuti on her shoulders, like a child at a show needing a height boost.


    Dylan held his sword close, gluing himself to Yvlena¡¯s side, they inched forward through the poorly lit woods.


    The elf continued to hear the faint growling of a forest creature.


    ¡®Where is this thing?¡¯


    ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡± Dylan screamed behind her, bushes rustled behind them and soon they were cornered by two snarling foxes circling them, at any moment they could lunge at the party, setting them all on edge.


    Dylan gulped, brandishing his sword. So far his only victory had been against the lesser creatures of the Bloom Meadow. His hand quivered as he stared into the amber eyes of the hostile animal.


    ¡°Dylan,¡± Yvlena called. He took a moment to break eye contact with the enemy to look into her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not alone.¡±

 107~Requiem For The Outpost (4)

    At Yvlena¡¯s words, the young man allowed himself to release the breath he held anxiously. If anything happened, Yvlena and her summons would come to his aid, of that he was sure.


    His attention went back to the foxes, still circling them like prey. At any moment one or both would fly straight at them, most likely with the intent to go for the throat.


    Dylan gripped his sword, nodding grimly at the situation before him. His eyes drifted towards the Foxes¡¯  hostile expressions, snarling teeth barred at him, ready to snap shut with him caught between their jaws.


    As if tired of their conversation, the Foxes lunge but, they¡¯re no match for Rabbit Knight who attacks with a swift blow to the more daring of the two.


    [Rabbit Knight Cast Slash (03MP)]


    With just one blow, the Rabbit landed a critical hit, dispatching the fox instantly. With how many bosses he had fought, it would be laughable if forest critters gave him or Sprite any trouble now.


    Dylan leapt at the other fox, against Yvlena¡¯s warning. She huffed, growing annoyed with the NPC and praying Risel would not act the same way when they ventured into the more dangerous Verdant Woods.


    ¡°Sprite, help him out.¡± Yvlena ordered urgently. If Dylan wanted to tackle this himself, she would help him not get hurt in the process.


    The Forest Sprite saluted and rushed at the Fox, blasting it with Stings.


    [Sprite cast Sting (01 MP)]


    Dylan swung his sword in a wide arc and with Sprite¡¯s help leaving the Fox distracted, he slashed his blade against its side, wounding it fatally.


    The Fox yowled in pain, nearly retreating before Dylan landed another blow. The Fox disappears in flakes of light allowing Yvlena and her party to collect their rewards.


    ¡°Good job.¡± Yvlena says more out of relief than any other emotion. At least she knew he could take care of himself with minimal supervision. She watched him pump his fist in the air, cheering at his victory over the harder enemy.


    The elf folded her arms in thought, the only sub quest left in this area would be to kill a boar for Laurent. Level-wise it wouldn¡¯t be a problem the only thing she would have to worry about was...Dylan.


    She focused her attention on him again, now he swung his sword recklessly the way a child would with a toy.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to get mad at an NPC for having fun in his world.¡± Yvlena said to herself. She reached for her head and found the lace dress of her newest summon. ¡°Oh Kuti, I forgot you were there.¡±


    The doll made a rattling noise that Yvlena assumed to be laughing. It brought a smile to her face. She could breathe easier in Moon Valley, the rigors of the real world couldn¡¯t get her here and neither could the people.


    Yvlena shuddered at the thought of interacting with competitive players, she had been on the forums enough to see how they spoke to each other.


    ¡°Yvlena what are you thinking about?¡± Dylan asked, he was done swinging his sword around and now stood beside her, waiting for the both of them to continue with the quest.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Killing a Boar.¡± She said turning towards the path that would lead to the old traveler''s temple.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Dylan gasped somberly. Yvlena didn¡¯t understand his reaction considering he might try to lunge at it.


    ¡°Just be careful alright, the temple is up next.¡± She said.


    ----------


    The statue of Selendriel greeted Yvlena at her arrival at the temple. She smiled wistfully at the face of her mother, now an asset within the game she loved.


    She noticed Dylan performing a gesture and bowing his head to the statue. It made sense, these were the gods of Bloom Haven after all.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only heard of this place in mom¡¯s stories.¡± Dylan said.


    [The Departed Request a Prayer]


    The game prompted her.


    Yvlena already knew she would need to say some words for Lilian after her discovery.


    ¡°Would you like to go inside? I would like to say a prayer for someone.¡± Yvlena said already walking towards the battered doors of the temple.


    ¡°O-Of course.¡± Dylan stammered, following behind her into the stone building. He gasped in awe at the structure left to rot in the forest. He watched Yvlena approach the altar and clasp her hands together. He joined her, saying a prayer for the people in his life.


    [You Prayed for Lilian]


    [You Prayer for Rael]


    ¡°Rael.¡± Yvlena whispered. It sunk in that he was dead when Bavga implied that two Harvest Guardians could not exist concurrently. ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    If she hadn¡¯t taken the title, would Rael still be alive somehow?


    [Your prayers have been heard by the temple]


    [Your prayers bring you peace of mind, Full Health to party]


    Once again a shimmer rained down upon Yvlena and her party. She wondered if Dylan could see it too, but reasoned an NPC wouldn¡¯t be able to sense a game mechanic like that. She turned back to the young man who was slowly opening his eyes after the prayer.


    Dylan seemed dazed and Yvlena wanted to ask him if he was alright, but he was already walking towards another part of the temple to gaze at the statues of Vaelindor and Selendriel.


    While ruined they retained their original beauty and Yvlena was hard pressed to say anything about him exploring. It had probably been a long time since he left Bloom Haven, if at all.


    Yvlena followed his line of sight to the faces of the stone carvings that graced the insides of the ruined temple. Her gaze softened as it fell on the goddess. She approached it, her feet crunching dead leaves as it did.


    Dylan stood beside her in deep contemplation, he gazed up at the goddess¡¯s face, searching.


    ¡°I found Twyla¡¯s locket here actually.¡± Yvlena told him. Dylan snapped out of thought and turned to her with an expression of surprise.


    ¡°So she did make it through.¡± Dylan whispered so lowly he thought Yvlena couldn¡¯t hear him.


    The elven girl pretended she didn¡¯t hear him. Yvlena read the hope in his tone, she wondered if Dylan thought about Twyla coming back to Bloom Haven. It was unlikely given the state of her quest but maybe.


    Yvlena rested a gentle hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°We need to head to the Outpost now.¡± She said softly. Even if this particular NPC was a bit of a hassle with his recklessness, she had grown fond of him.


    Her words snapped Dylan out of further thought, he nodded at her and followed her out of the temple back into the Forest¡¯s Depths.


    "We have to go through the Outskirts before we reach the outpost." Yvlena informed him already on her way to the next area. She stopped herself from going any further until she was sure Dylan was a foot behind her.


    Once she was satisfied with his proximity, she and her summons parted the bushes and emerged at the Bloom Haven Outskirts.


    ¡°Breathe that fresh air.¡± Dylan said inhaling deeply. Yvlena giggled beside him but understood his excitement.


    Suddenly Dylan ran forward into the wide space of the Outskirts, Yvlena growled, knowing the dangers that lay ahead, and chased after him.


    ¡°Stop doing such dumb things!¡±

 108~Requiem For The Outpost (5)

    The open clearing was a welcome sight after the tangles of the Bloom Forest¡¯s depths, it always felt suffocating to have the trees on either side of her as she walked.


    "It''s such a relief not to hold a torch and do anything." Yvlena muttered as she walked. Without the Miasma to block out the sun, it left her hands and mind free to focus on her surroundings. A boar could show up at any moment now.


    She recalled her ordeals fighting within the temple and fighting the Miasmic entity that Commander Addison had become during the last stretch of the merchant''s quest.


    "Now that was a wild ride." She said chuckling.


    Yvlena¡¯s mind flashed to the boar she would have to kill for Laurent. The last two times she fought them were tough but now she reasoned she had leveled up enough to make it much easier to hunt them.


    ¡®Pork might be on the menu soon.¡¯ Yvlena mused.


    But if facing the enemies in this part of the game gave her so much trouble, she wondered what the proving grounds would be like.


    Would the creatures there have triple digit levels? The ones so far only had single or sometimes double digits.


    The Verdant Woods had creatures in the single and double digits range too, she hadn''t really been taking note of them so far, but areas like the Avaresh swamp and the spider''s forest would be good places to grind as the other players called it.


    And if Mars spent so much time in the proving grounds, what was her level?


    "What are you thinking about?" Dylan asked.


    "Fighting those giant spiders in the Verdant Woods." Yvlena replied casually. Dylan paled at the thought of wandering into that area. Nothing would make him go there, not even Yvlena.


    "Well, Good Luck with that." Dylan said with a nervous chuckle.


    The clearing so far was a space devoid of any enemies, but Yvlena knew better than to trust the sight before her. It wasn''t so long ago that a boar came careening out of the space, spawning into existence as soon as she made her presence known.


    "Enemies are tricky here, so keep your eyes peeled Dylan." Yvlena warned. The young man beside her gulped and took up his sword. Lifting it with the intent to strike any enemy that tried to get the jump on him.


    Yvlena shook her head. Was it over confidence that made her so sure she could handle anything the Bloom Forest threw at her? This area was still home to unexplored territory even the caves Ricardo had told her about were here.


    "I could explore the caves later, it''s the way to Rosenheim anyway." Yvlena said.


    The soft sounds of grunting caught her attention.


    Yvlena didn''t have to think hard before she knew a boar was coming towards her party. It seemed they roamed these open plains a lot which would explain why there weren''t any other enemies. The boars must either have scared them off or eliminated them.


    "A boar!" Dylan yelled, lifting his sword ready to attack the animal that was running towards them. Yvlena grabbed him by the back of his shirt. Shaking her head at his impulsiveness.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    [Yvlena Cast Harvest Skill: Wide Sweep]


    She swung her sickle, creating a large wave that sliced through the air and stopped the boar in its tracks. Yvlena glared at Dylan who could only grin sheepishly at the sight of her angry face.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡± She yelled, smacking him upside the head. ¡°Try not to get yourself hurt, why don¡¯t you.¡±


    Dylan pouted, rubbing his head to soothe the pain of the scolding and smack.


    "Kuti, weaken the boar so the others and I can attack it." Yvlena ordered, she lifted the doll from her shoulders and kept it on the soft grass. The doll stood, clanking its porcelain softly as it stood. She looked up at Yvlena, her tiny mouth set in a frown.


    ¡°You could break.¡± Yvlena said softly as she watched the doll raise her arms to be lifted. She tapped the doll¡¯s face tenderly as Mars would often do to her. ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up when we¡¯re done.¡±


    It wouldn''t be a wise idea to jump into the fray with the doll, which was probably why it was made out of porcelain. It was to be kept close to the summoner as the more active summons fought. But Yvlena wasn''t like the average summoner, she enjoyed fighting alongside her summons.


    That would be a problem in the future but not right now as there was only one enemy to focus on, besides, Dylan was close by.


    Kuti nodded and focused her attention on the boar.


    [Kuti Cast Weaken (03)]


    [Boar afflicted with partial weakness -5% HP and Attack]


    A symbol appeared over the enemy''s head, smaller than the last time Kuti had attacked. The boar stumbled a bit as the status ailment was inflicted.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s not going to be accurate all the time.¡± Yvlena said, leaping into the battle. She raised her Moon Sickle, clashing with the tusks of the wild boar.


    [Battle Skill: Rabbit Sting Combo]


    Sprite and Rabbit Knight flew at the Boar, slashing and stinging until the animal squealed in pain and fell to one knee.


    The boar shook itself off, digging its heels into the ground and stomping, its beady eyes shined with rage, it would attack soon and Yvlena didn¡¯t want to be hit by whatever the enemy intended to do.


    [Weaken has worn off]


    [Boar cured of it¡¯s affliction]


    "Uh oh!" Yvlena said, side stepping and dodging a head on attack from the boar. It brushed past her with the intent to reduce her HP to zero. Its tusks would have given her a nasty hit, but luckily her agility points made it easy for her to avoid the large being.


    [Sprite Cast Sting (01MP)]


    [Rabbit Knight Cast Rabbit Volley (05MP)]


    Her summons dove out of the way, with Sprite narrowly avoiding a stab with the ivory tusk of the rage-filled boar.


    They retaliated with attacks of their own, aiming for vulnerable spots that would send the animal down faster.


    [Yvlena Cast Harvest Skill: Wide Sweep]


    Yvlena used her harvest skill to slash the air once more, sending a wave after the boar.


    The wave struck, forcing the boar to come to a standstill once again. It grunted, stamping its foot into the grass and dragging it back, the boar crouched low, and soon a game prompt was flashed across the elf¡¯s face in warning.


    [Wild Boar Cast Charge]


    "Charge?" Yvlena asked, the boar began to run towards them and as it did, energy built up around its head. With each step it gathered more and more momentum, sparking with an unknown force.


    Yvlena didn''t even attempt to block and leaped out of the way but now the Boar was heading straight for Dylan and Kuti.


    The NPC held his sword up to block its attack, his face set in determination. He fully intended to tank the boar¡¯s charge attack.


    Yvlena gripped her head as the stress of this young man began to overwhelm her.


    "Dylan, move, you can''t block it." She cried, running after the boar. If she could stop the creature¡¯s attack or tank the hit, maybe they could still win and complete the task.


    "What the hell does he think he''s doing?!¡±

 109~Requiem For The Outpost (6)

    Yvlena felt her legs pound as she rushed to catch up to the boar and grab it by its thin tail. The pig grunted but didn''t stop moving leaving Yvlena to be dragged along by its pace.


    She didn''t have any potions with her, an Entanglia would have worked wonders right now to stop the pig from hitting the stubborn boy and her summon.


    Already she could see Kuti had lifted a hand to her face in concern Even if the doll ran, her little legs wouldn¡¯t be able to carry her away fast enough.


    ¡®If the boar hits, she¡¯ll shatter instantly.¡¯ Yvlena thought in dismay.


    "Sprite use bind as much as you can, we need to halt it before it reaches them! Rabbit Knight use Rabbit Volley!" Yvlena ordered.


    It wasn''t often she ordered her summons, most of the time she trusted the game''s very intuitive AI to do what was best for her but now they were all scrambling to avoid a potential catastrophe.


    ''Because of this stubborn little NPC!'' Yvlena thought, once this fight was over she didn''t know what she would do to him.


    [Sprite Cast Bind]


    [Sprite Cast Bind]


    [Sprite Cast Bind]


    Sprite cast bind and kept casting as fast as she could,


    [Kuti Cast Weaken (03MP)]


    From her place on the ground, the summon must have read Yvlena''s intent and quickly cast the only skill she knew that could help.


    Yvlena breathed a sigh of relief, at least one of them was using their brain.


    What a smart doll.


    The elven girl saw the effects of the skill in the form of a dark cloud appearing over the Boar¡¯s head. In a moment it would slow down from the effects of weakening.


    "Good job, Kuti!" Yvlena called. The tail in her hand slackened as it was no longer pulled taunt by the boar dragging her forward.


    The boar was slowing down now, its body tangled with the vines that shot out of the ground and wrapped around its appendages.


    It stopped in front of Dylan barely able to move but struggling despite that, the NPC, with a great heave plunged the sword into the beast''s head dealing the critical final blow.


    The boar disappeared in flakes of light, leaving Yvlena empty handed and relieved. She fell to the ground, resting on the soft grass panting hard.


    "I knew we had nothing to worry about." He said puffing out his chest. As he looked around him he saw the faces of the summons were displeased except for Kuti who only ran to Yvlena''s side wanting to be picked up.


    [Sprite Cast Sting (01MP)]


    "Ow!" he yelled as he was suddenly hit by a tiny beam of light.


    "What were you thinking?" Sprite flew up to him shaking a finger in warning. "What if you or Kuti got hurt?"


    "I guess we''ll never know." Dylan said holding his hands out casually. He didn¡¯t have so much as an apologetic expression on his face after thrusting himself and Kuti into danger.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    The forest sprite shot him a dirty look before huffing and flying over to Yvlena¡¯s side.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Exp:400/2070


    Pork x3


    Boar Tusks x2


    Moon Points x500]


    Kuti sat on Yvlena''s chest, jingling as she did in a giggle.


    "Good Job." Yvlena said again, opening her eyes and deciding to stand once more. She stumbled a bit as she did, sighing heavily as she looked back at her party.


    [Your Companion gained a Level]


    [Rabbit Knight gained a Level]


    [Sprite gained a level]


    [Kuti gained a level]


    "That is a lot of progression." Yvlena said, placing Kuti back on her shoulder.


    "Okay let''s continue on." Yvlena said, the fight with the boar had sapped her of any energy to scold Dylan but it seemed Sprite was doing just that for her.


    "We''re almost at the outpost so you''ll be able to pay your respects soon." Yvlena said with a tired shrug. The young man behind her nodded sensing he had done something wrong, he followed along quietly.


    Yvlena didn''t say much as they walked, her mind went towards Risel and the escort mission she would have to embark on through the Verdant woods.


    Risel had a lot more sense than Dylan, she knew, but Yvlena worried about the variables she could not control. No matter how many times she told Dylan to be careful he still did whatever he pleased.


    ¡®He¡¯s just like a real kid!¡¯ she thought in frustration. It was annoying.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Dylan asked as he noticed the deadpan expressions Yvlena and her summons had fixed on him.


    ¡°I¡¯m wondering if you¡¯re going to run straight into danger for the millionth time.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I haven¡¯t been that reckless.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you have!¡± Yvlena and Sprite yelled.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been as reckless as I could be.¡± Dylan said, his face split into a wide grin as he held a finger up to correct her assertions.


    ''Well that''s why they''re characters, you either work with them or against them.'' she thought, but right now Dylan seemed to enjoy working against her. Yvlena puffed up her cheeks, frustration continued to bubble within her.


    [Dylan can sense your mood]


    "Hold on...are you really that mad I didn''t get out of the boar''s way?" he asked.


    Yvlena felt the beginnings of a verbal lashing on her tongue but held back. He was just a young man who wanted to pay his respects to his father. It was a quest she accepted.


    ¡®I bought trouble with my own hands.¡¯


    "I''m upset because you and Kuti could have gotten hurt, I know you want to participate in battles but at your current ability you could get...killed." Yvlena said with as much grace as she could muster.


    Come to think of it, she didn''t even know what happened when an NPC''s HP hit zero. Would they burst into light like the enemies did? Or would Yvlena have to lug back a dead body?


    Either way, she was in no hurry to find out.


    "It doesn''t feel right to just stand back in battles and let you handle it." Dylan mumbled.


    "Well, you entrusted me to be your escort right? That''s what I''m supposed to do. If you die what would I tell your mom? What would I tell Iris, or Twyla when I find her? You''re my responsibility." Yvlena said. once again it felt like she had a sibling albeit a stubborn one.


    But maybe that was the lesson of the escort mission, NPCs wouldn''t listen to her like a summon would.


    "I know, I just feel pretty useless." Dylan said. "I see you order your summons around but you don''t give me anything to do."


    Yvlena gasped, she guessed she understood that feeling.


    "On our way back, I''ll leave you to fight some of the other enemies but please no more jumping into fights and I do mean it this time. No more."


    Dylan nodded but instantly had a bright smile on his face. Yvlena shook her head and cuffed him at the back of his head again.


    "That''s for making me grab onto that boar. You''re lucky Laurent needs his pork." Yvlena said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Dylan whined.

 110~Requiem For The Outpost (7)

    The Outpost¡¯s exterior came into view sooner than the party thought it would. Yvlena swore it had taken her longer to get there during the Merchant¡¯s quest but dismissed it as experience and better equipment.


    ¡®The boots didn¡¯t say they provided a speed boost.¡¯ Yvlena thought. ¡®Maybe I have to check the description again?¡¯


    ¡°Is this...it?¡± Dylan asked. He gazed at the decrepit buildings, wondering with great interest, how they managed to stand on their own. He took a hesitant step forward, past the battered wooden fence that surrounded the area.


    Yvlena¡¯s mind flashed back to the three humans she fought each in varying states of undead. She followed behind Dylan, letting him take the lead in his exploration of his father¡¯s final resting place.


    It didn''t take long for Dylan''s eyes to fall on Captain Brackett¡¯s gravestone.


    Yvlena glanced at the headstones lined up in a row where she had buried them. Captain Brackett, Lieutenant O''Leary, and Commander Addison all of whom she had encountered at the Outpost, it must have been terrifying for them to stay behind and watch the others retreat to safety.


    ''I completely forgot about the Rustiga and the locket.'' she thought. Lieutenant O¡¯Leary¡¯s memento quest was the hardest to fulfill so far. It required more skill than the other two.


    Dylan walked forward, taking each step slowly in disbelief. He stopped at the headstone resting his hand on his father¡¯s gravestone. He brushes some ivy off the stone to read the carving.


    "I''ll leave you to pay your respects." Yvlena said patting his shoulder. She watched him nod with a pensive expression on his face. Could he have been wondering why his father had stayed to protect the other men and only left them with a letter?


    Yvlena cast another somber glance at him. Dylan knelt at the grave, his body stayed as still as a ghost. Yvlena watched his lips move but could not hear the words he said to his father. She turned away, keeping the moment between father and son private.


    [Quest: Requiem For The Outpost


    Dylan Brackett, son of the late Captain William A. Brackett wishes to pay his respects to his father who has long since passed.


    The road to the Out Post, although clear still foster hostile danger far beyond the skills of the young man.


    Will you escort him through the perilous roads of the Bloom Forest?


    ***


    Rewards


    ***


    Moon Points x1500


    ***


    EXP x700]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    EXP: 1100/2070


    ***


    Simple Amulet (common) x1


    Moon Points x1500]


    [Subclass: Garden Mystic (Harvest Guardian) 2/10]


    She wandered away from the gravestones and walked towards the tower she had previously climbed, it would be worth it to get some more Heartish robin eggs for the auction house or Mars. This was one of the only places she knew she could get it.


    "I''m going to go up there." she said to her summons, she placed Kuti on the ground who looked quite grumpy to be placed there. The doll looked up at Yvlena who patted her head and turned her attention back to the rusty ladder.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    She began her climb towards the watch tower. Now that she had long since leveled up, the ladder felt easier to climb, Yvlena reached the top with little trouble, and just like before she found a flock of birds nesting on the surface of the abandoned tower.


    They scattered at the sight of her, allowing her to take each egg from the different nests.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Heartish Robin Eggs x6]


    "I don''t remember how many I got last time but this is great." She said. From her place high up she looked around, able to make out something just past the outpost. It was a large collection of rocks oozing with mystery.


    "Those caves lead to the next town." She whispered. It was nice to know they were close by, but she needed to finish up with Risel and the Western path before she could embark on her search for Twyla and Rael''s possible legacy.


    Besides what if she wasn''t strong enough to fight the enemies that dwelt in the caves?


    There were bound to be more than foxes and horned rabbits hiding amongst the crevices of the rocks, possibly more spiders too.


    "I just have to think that through before i even think about going in there. She said with a laugh.


    She went back the way she came and climbed the ladder.


    [Take the faster way down?]


    [Yes/No]


    The game prompted.


    "Sure why not." Yvlena said hitting ¡®yes.¡¯


    A force pushed her down, forcing her to slide down the ladder in a move she had only seen during brief glances at her former office''s television. She yelped as she went down, air rushing past her ears as she slid.


    She hit the ground boot first with a groan.


    "I am never taking the faster way again!" Yvlena said looking at her hands that practically glowed red.


    "Sprite please heal."


    [Sprite Cast Cure(05MP)]


    Yvlena sighed as the swelling in her palms disappeared, she shook her head. There was always a surprise waiting for her in this game.


    "Let''s head back to Dylan, he might be looking for us." Yvlena said.


    She and her summons returned to the grave site, calling for the young man to join them. A thought of making them some food crossed Yvlena¡¯s mind, she could cook some soup again or maybe even try roasting the meat. It would be nice to eat in a place that was now deemed safe after she had cleared out the enemies.


    "You''d think there would be more wolves and foxes." she said.


    They returned to the site but found no sight of Dylan who was supposed to be there honoring his father.


    "Dylan?" Yvlena called tentatively. An anxious weight settled in her stomach. She had already talked to him about running off, but within the Outpost it was safe and he couldn''t have gone far. Perhaps he just went inside the building to have a seat.


    "Maybe he''s inside?" Sprite suggested.


    Yvlena nodded.


    "Sprite, Rabbit Knight you check that building, alert me if you find him, I''ll check this one where we found Captain Brackett." Yvlena said.


    Sprite saluted and flew off with Rabbit Knight toward the building they were assigned. Yvlena and Kuti stepped forward.


    "Ready?" she asked the doll. Kuti nodded and pointed ahead where Yvlena saw some movement in the window.


    "Dylan!" she called rushing forward towards the building. She pushed the door open and was met again with the sight of only damaged weapons and furniture. The Outpost retained its eerie atmosphere, feeling every bit as haunted as the last time Yvlena had been there.


    But who was going to fix it? The game didn''t give her the option to, so maybe it was up to someone in town.


    A figure moved out of the corner of her eye and she followed.


    Kuti suddenly made a noise, almost like a squeak.


    "What''s the matter?"


    [Kuti warns you to be careful]


    Yvlena read the prompt and gulped. That would mean there was some danger ahead right? Yvlena nodded.


    "I hear you Kuti." she said lifting her sickle, whatever was in there would not be able to take her on. How fast could Sprite or Rabbit Knight get there in time to help her beat it?


    Yvlena trod carefully through the broken floorboards until she got to another one of the rooms. Pushing open the door, she winced at the loud creak, screaming from the rusty hinges.


    The figure inside remained motionless.


    Yvlena exhaled with relief.


    "Oh Dylan, there you are. You could have at least warned us you were going off somewhere." Yvlena said walking up to him. She rested a hand on his shoulder and swiftly drew it back, a trail of sticky slime followed as she moved her hand away.


    Yvlena gasped.


    "What the..."

 111~The Requiem Ends

    Kuti squeaked


    At the sound of the squeak, Yvlena jumped back so quickly it was as if her body moved on its own.


    The creature swiped at her with hands now shaped into blocky stumps. She didn''t know how much damage it would do but it would be better not to get hit.


    "What the?!" she exclaimed.


    Now, she had a chance to get a good look at the impostor, the thing in front of her was a poor mimicry of Dylan and in full view of it, she wondered how such a bad copy could have fooled her.


    The creature before her oozed with a now visible translucent mucus. It shambled around to face her, opening a half formed mouth in a creepy smile.


    "What the hell is that!" Yvlena shouted, it looked like a human made of slime and Yvlena didn''t know if she was looking at a mimic or something else.


    [You have encountered Slime Mimic]


    "Slime mimic?" So far all the mimics she had encountered were so weak they could be killed in one hit, but none had ever taken the shape of a human, nor had she encountered any slime before this.


    [Kuti Cast paralyze]


    "Nice, I forgot you learned a new skill." Yvlena said. A stormy cloud sparking with lighting appeared over the mimic''s head striking it.


    [Slime Mimic inflicted with paralysis, Slime Mimic might be unable to move]


    "Might? Only might?!" Yvlena asked in disbelief. She swung her sickle, casting her Harvest skill on the new enemy.


    [Yvlena Cast Harvest Skill: Wide Sweep]


    The wave swept across the room, striking the creature across its abdomen, its back snapped, forcing its upper half to fall limp as it was cleaved off.


    The elven girl exhaled, watching for any signs of movement or life. The bottom half fell to its knees, laying limply beside the torso, then Yvlena watched in horror as the two pieces began to meld back together.


    Soon the shambling form of the Slime Mimic was once again whole.


    "If only I had a freeze potion."


    But Kuti had no active attack skills and Yvlena couldn''t leave her to fight while she made the potion. The paralysis was only a 50/50 chance, making any attacks from the Mimic unpredictable. She jumped forward and swiped at it with her Sickle.


    Yvlena¡¯s blade moved through the thick slime that had formed the body, her movement slowed until it felt like she had lodged herself in a block of jello.


    She gasped, now fighting to pull the blade out of the being before it could counterattack.  Fearing from her bout with Crocante, Yvlena grunted with effort grabbing her stuck wrist as the Slime Mimic leaned forward with its mouth open, seemingly ready to bite her head off.


    The paralysis struck, sending a static wave up the creature¡¯s spine, freezing it in place.


    [Slime Mimic is Paralyzed]


    ¡°Ahhhh!¡± She screamed, grunting with effort until she was able to wriggle herself out, whilst holding Kuti to her shoulder.


    [Yvlena Cast Harvest Skill: Wide Sweep]


    She pulled back and swung, cutting the creature in two again.


    "Alright."Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    She took her cauldron out and began putting together the ingredients for the freeze potion. She kept her eye carefully on the crumpled heap of the slime mimic.  Yvlena pulled her eyes away for a moment as she mixed and stirred.


    All of a sudden, she felt a weight come off her shoulder.


    "Kuti!" she gasped, reaching out for the doll seized from the


    The slimy hand of the mimic had grabbed her doll summon by her dress collar. The doll squeaked as she sailed through the air in the grasp of the Mimic¡¯s retracting hand.


    She grabbed two full bottles of the Freeze potion and hurled one at the creature before it could slam Kuti into the ground.


    Ice crawled up the Slime Mimic¡¯s shoulder, freezing the arm in place and allowing Yvlena to shatter it with a hard heave.


    [Kuti Cast Weaken]


    Yvlena wasted no time slamming the second potion into the creature¡¯s waiting mouth. She pulled her hand out of the gummy mouth and watched the glass explode within the being¡¯s stomach.


    The Slime Mimic froze and in those 30 seconds, Yvlena had enough time to shatter it.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Exp: 1200/2017


    ***


    Slime x2


    Moon Points x300]


    ¡°All that and it didn¡¯t even give me that much Exp.¡± Yvlena whined.


    She picked up the disgruntled little doll and placed her back on her shoulders. Kuti tapped Yvlena¡¯s hair a few times, possibly in contentment as the girl made to leave the room.


    ¡°Yvlena!¡± The door burst open and in stormed Dylan and the rest of her party ready to attack. Dylan looked around the room, finding no sign of an enemy. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Where were you? We came back to the grave site and you weren''t there.¡± Yvlena said, containing her annoyance. Sprite and Rabbit Knight drifted to her side, making Kuti extremely happy.


    ¡°I went to...investigate one of the abandoned buildings?¡± Dylan supplied.


    Yvlena swallowed a litany of insults and pinched the bridge of her nose, exasperated. It was like babysitting a hyperactive child. It was only a game but interactions from NPCs had consequences too.


    The party left the small room and soon found themselves back outside the Outpost. Yvlena took a seat on one of the chairs that happened to sit outside. Now that the skirmish was over it would do well for her to have a moment¡¯s respite before the long journey back.


    Made longer by Dylan¡¯s recklessness.


    ¡°Were you able to pay your respects to your father?¡± Yvlena asked, shifting the topic to something else.


    Dylan¡¯s face fell.


    ¡°I spoke to him a bit, about mom and stuff. I just hope he¡¯s in a better place y¡¯know?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± Yvlena said. ¡°Believe me I know what you¡¯re going through.¡±


    ¡°Hard to believe an elf would know of loss, don¡¯t your people live for centuries?¡±


    Yvlena held her wrist to avoid smacking him for his callousness. But the look in her eyes gave her intentions away. Dylan gulped.


    ¡°S-Sorry!¡±


    ¡°People still die Dylan and it still hurts.¡± Yvlena said.


    ¡°Right.¡± He said under his breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get some rest, we¡¯ll be heading back soon. Try not to run off anymore.¡± Yvlena said shoving her finger painfully into his chest.


    ***


    ¡°This has got to be the most annoying quest line ever!¡± Aya said nearly throwing her head gear across the room.


    She had to give credit to the game¡¯s AI. Dylan behaved exactly like some of the teenagers she had interacted with during her brief visits to town. He was hardheaded and leaped into the danger the moment it presented itself.


    Aya realized, with great amusement, that she was now playing the same role her grandmother had.


    ¡°How did she do it, I was such a dumb kid.¡± Aya said, pulling her knees up to her chest. Fond memories flooded her mind, Aya smiled. ¡°I was really a handful wasn¡¯t I?¡±


    But soon those nostalgic thoughts turned to anger, why did Fido and Lydia have to make her life as miserable as theirs? Why did the world rip a comfortable life away from her?


    Would she always have to struggle? Would she always have to fight for a place?


    Aya got up and walked out of her room to see Mars reading something, her face illuminated by the tablet in her hand. The dark haired girl was engrossed, so much so that Aya walked up to her without so much as a shift in Mars''s posture.


    ¡°What are you reading?¡± Aya asked.


    ¡°Just making sure the move runs smoothly.¡± Mars replied. She looked up at Aya¡¯s face, at the dark expression that clouded her friend¡¯s features.


    ¡°Bad session?¡± Mars asked in concern.


    ¡°Not really, just...memories I guess.¡±

 112~Garlic Chicken Pasta

    Silence passed between them.


    Mars looked up at Aya¡¯s heavy face but hesitated to pry. Wherever memories were concerned it always pertained to Aya¡¯s family and Mars had no clue how to comfort her.


    Aya sighed again.


    ¡°Well lucky you, it¡¯s almost dinner time and nothing gets my mind off things like food.¡± Mars said, shutting off her tablet.


    Aya¡¯s eyes brightened, she nodded vigorously at the thought of food. Her Rabbit Meat Soup was nice but nothing compared to the taste of actual cooking.


    ¡°Whatever you need me to do I will, I¡¯m starved!¡± Aya exclaimed.


    Mars laughed.


    ¡°Of course you are, that¡¯s why you spend all that time holed up in your room.¡± She teased.


    ¡°The game¡¯s just really good okay.¡± Aya whined. ¡°You would know!¡±


    The girls moved to the kitchen and Aya helped Mars take out the bowls they would need and


    ¡°I would, Moon Valley¡¯s the most fun I¡¯ve had in a long time.¡± Mars said slowly. The dark haired girl blinked and tried to recall if the game she played now was anything like her time with Scarlet Frontier.


    Internally she shook her head, no. She had spent a lot of time trying to prove herself to the Eos Conquerors just for her to lose all she had and start over with something new.


    ¡°Hand me that bowl.¡± Mars says softly gesturing to one of the shelves in the small kitchen. Aya lifts an old ceramic bowl from the shelves, it¡¯s one she wasn¡¯t sure she had seen before. It was a dull white with faded flowers etched into the sides.


    A hand-me-down perhaps?


    She handed it to Mars who took it with great care and scooped the pasta into it.


    A mouthwatering aroma blew past Aya¡¯s nose as she scooped. She wondered where Mars had learned to cook so well.


    ¡°What did you say this was?¡± Aya asked as she set the table for their dinner,  arranging the cups, plates, and a pitcher of water.


    ¡°Garlic Chicken Pasta.¡± Mars replied, laying the bowl on the table. They would serve themselves and use the leftovers for lunch tomorrow, possibly.


    ----------


    Aya served first, scooping a helping of pasta and chicken into her plate, much to Mars¡¯s secret delight.


    Mars couldn¡¯t let the other girl know just how pleased she was that Aya enjoyed her cooking. She disguised her grin with a glass of water.


    ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s going to be our last day here.¡± Mars brought up, as she watched Aya¡¯s cheeks fill with pasta. ¡°How do you feel about that?¡±


    Aya noticed the slight worry in Mars¡¯ tone, was she worried that Aya would have second thoughts about leaving Axen City with her?


    Aya swallowed the lump of food in her mouth, prompting her to beat her chest as the pasta made its way down uncomfortably.


    Mars wordlessly pushed the pitcher of water towards her with wide eyes.


    ¡°Too soon?¡± The dark haired girl asked, picking at her food with a frown.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Well no, it¡¯s my fault for not thinking about it until you brought it up.¡± Aya rasped after chugging a glass of water.


    Mars winced, the pasta had certainly fought it¡¯s way down.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if there are a bunch of people I want to say goodbye to.¡±


    ¡°I have two.¡± Aya said, she held her head in her hands, distressed. ¡°I¡¯ve never said goodbye before, to l-living people I mean. My world¡¯s full of goodbyes.¡± Aya tried to laugh but it came out hollow.


    ¡°I usually just leave.¡± Mars said.


    ¡°That gets lonely doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Usually the people I¡¯m leaving aren¡¯t worth sticking around for.¡± Mars retorted. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m not leaving you.¡± she said under her breath.


    Aya could tell she wasn''t meant to hear that, but she did and soon started rapidly stuffing her mouth with pasta to cool her face.


    This has the opposite effect.


    ¡°Aya are you alright? It¡¯s not too spicy is it?¡±


    Aya mumbles something Mars doesn¡¯t hear over the mouthful of pasta. The dark haired girl shrugged and returned to eating her meal.


    Aya¡¯s phone beeped with a notification.


    ¡°Huh, Atlas?¡± She wondered what he was up to since the last time they had spoken. Aya glanced up at Mars who pursed her lips in annoyance. Suddenly the brunette recalled the tense meeting they had at the cafe and questions sprung to her mind.


    Aya placed her phone back on the table without reading the message and faced Mars with an inquisitive expression.


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me what¡¯s up with you and my former boss.¡±


    ¡°Who said I knew him?¡± Mars huffed.


    Aya raised an eyebrow, asking Mars if she was serious. At seeing the girl¡¯s reaction, she averted her eyes, suddenly taking great interest in her food.


    ¡°You did with your weird interaction.¡± Aya said pointing a fork at Mars in accusation.


    ¡°Maybe I just don¡¯t like him.¡± Mars smirked.


    ¡°Mars!¡± Aya whined.


    ¡°It¡¯s all in the past anyway, we don¡¯t even talk anymore.¡±


    ¡°Well it seems like he wants to talk to you, I guess he has some things left unsaid.¡± Aya hinted, she pouted and looked up at Mars with big pleading eyes.


    Mars sighed, running her hand through her dark hair.


    ¡°Maybe. Look, let¡¯s change the subject, what happened in the game anyway?¡±


    Aya was a little disappointed in the subject change but respected Mars enough to oblige. She sighed and sat back. Maybe it really was too soon to bring such a topic up.


    ¡°Nothing much, just an insensitive NPC digging up memories.¡±


    ¡°You play an elf, right? Some of the NPCs will act accordingly. You''re supposedly an immortal being after all. Don¡¯t take it to heart, they¡¯re just in character.¡±


    ¡°Oh, they¡¯re in character alright.¡± Aya¡¯s eye twitched in annoyance as she recalled what Dylan had said to her. ¡°Just a kid being dumb.¡±


    ¡°They tend to do that.¡±


    Aya leaned forward on her elbows with a question.


    ¡°Have you ever had a quest that dragged up old memories or you know, just pissed you off?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, every gamer has. But that¡¯s a story for another day.¡± She said.


    ¡°Sounds good to me, you better start telling me about your own adventures soon.¡±


    ----------


    After the dishes were done and the table had been cleared, each girl moved to the room to continue their respective business.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stay up too late.¡±  Mars warned.


    ¡°Right back at you.¡± Aya shot back.


    Mars shook her fondly and walked into her room, closing the door with a soft click.


    ¡°I wonder what happened between them.¡± Aya asked the empty room. What could have been so bad that it left Mars and Atlas on bad terms? Friends fight all the time but it must have been as bad as the Eos Conquerors for them to never speak again.


    Atlas had seemed friendly at the cafe when the two of them met again so¡­ maybe he was trying to apologize to Mars?


    If so why didn¡¯t he do it at the cafe when they met again?


    Aya recalled the text she had gotten earlier and lifted her phone to read the message Atlas had set her at dinner time.


    [Aya could you help me with something?]


    The text read.


    [Sure what is it?]


    [I know it¡¯s a lot to ask but, I need Mars¡¯s phone number]

 113~Her Number?

    Aya felt her breath catch in her throat as she reread the message. She stared long and hard at it as if the letters would rise from the phone and smack her.


    From their conversation at dinner, Mars didn¡¯t seem like she would want to have a conversation with Atlas by any means but Aya had the feeling she was running from her own feelings.


    Her grip on her phone tightened as she knew Atlas was waiting patiently for a response, the brunette couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this was their chance to reconcile.


    Aya sighed.


    At the end of the day, it would have to be Mars¡¯s choice and Aya wouldn¡¯t rob her of it by choosing for her.


    [I¡¯m sorry Atlas but I can¡¯t break Mars¡¯ trust like that, she¡¯s not ready to speak to you.]


    Aya¡¯s fingers trembled a bit as she typed in the message, she might have just jeopardized her friendship with him but it was the right thing to do.


    She watched the chat bubbles load and soon Atlas replied.


    [I understand, you¡¯re a good friend Aya and I¡¯m sorry I put you in this position. I just wanted to tell her I¡¯m sorry things turned out the way they did. It was no one¡¯s fault.]


    Aya read over the words, trying to puzzle out what Atlas could be talking about. Was Atlas somehow connected to the Eos Conquerors Mars was running from?


    [Do you mind telling me what happened? You don¡¯t have to if it¡¯s too personal.]


    A moment passed before the chat bubbles popped up again.


    [She was my fiancee, Mars can tell you the rest.]


    Aya gasped loudly, slapping a hand over her mouth in shock at the information. Atlas and Mars? Fiancee? How? When?


    Aya swallowed her shock and texted back.


    [Thank you for telling me, I¡¯m leaving Axen the day after tomorrow and I would like to see you tomorrow before I leave.]


    [We can meet up at Rolfe¡¯s again. I would like to see you in person. Where are you going?]


    [Mericross City.]


    [I guess it¡¯s too much to ask you to move to Evangels so I can see you more often?]


    [I don¡¯t think so.] Aya laughed as she sent the text.


    [Honestly, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re getting out of here. Better opportunities for pro gamers and lots of tournaments.]


    [Exciting and don¡¯t worry we could always meet up in Moon Valley when I¡¯m done with the area I¡¯m currently in.]


    [Sounds like a plan.]


    After a hasty goodnight, Aya plugged her phone into the charger and settled down to play. Grabbing the Revista from its resting place, she went over the details of her last check point in the game. Her goal now would be to lead Dylan back to the temple and take another break before she would get some sleep irl.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Aya snorted. Irl? She didn¡¯t think she had used that term before.


    Her eye twitched in annoyance at the escort mission but reasoned she needed to finish the quest anyway.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get on with it.¡±


    ----------


    Yvlena woke to the sound of birds chirping and the feeling of warm sun on her face. A gentle breeze ruffled her hair as she stood, the greenery of the Outskirts met her eyes, reminding her of the land she would have to traverse on her way back to Bloom Haven.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± Dylan exclaimed running up to her. Yvlena frowned and folded her arms at the sight of him. The young man noticed immediately.


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s mad at you.¡± Sprite teased, prompting Dylan to try and swat the giggling fairy away.


    ¡°Look I¡¯m sorry about what I said I didn¡¯t mean to be so insensitive.¡± He said.


    Yvlena saw the remorse in his eyes and softened her stance. She sighed, maybe Mars was right, maybe kids just say stupid things sometimes.


    ¡°I know elves live quite long by human standards, but that doesn¡¯t mean we live forever. I¡¯ve lost people too.¡± Yvlena said.


    Dylan nodded stiffly, his demeanor fully apologetic from the mild scolding. Yvlena sighed.


    ¡°Come on let¡¯s get you back to your mother.¡±


    ----------


    Dylan took a longing look at his father¡¯s headstone, Yvlena paused giving him a chance to say something if he wanted.


    ¡°Do you think he would have been proud of me?¡± Dylan asked turning to Yvlena, his eyes pressed her for an answer.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Yvlena said resting a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You were brave to come here after all.¡±


    Dylan gives her a small smile and a nod.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    He followed her towards the path to the outskirts leading towards Bloom Haven, leaving the final resting place of his father.


    The road back to the Bloom Forest¡¯s depths was surprisingly free of the small mobs they had come to expect, there were no boars around either, and for that Yvlena was thankful.


    Dylan wouldn¡¯t be throwing himself into any more enemies for the time being despite actively looking for them.


    ¡°I must have scared them all off.¡± Dylan said puffing his chest out in pride.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Sprite retorted sarcastically, Kuti laughed.


    Yvlena released an audible sigh of relief.


    ¡°What?¡± Dylan asked.


    ¡°Ah, nothing, nothing at all.¡± Yvlena replied blissfully.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to give Laurent his dinner, catching it was more trouble than it was worth, but it was a welcome break from Bavga¡¯s quest.¡± Yvlena said to herself as the temple came into view.


    ¡°Let¡¯s catch our breath here. It¡¯s still a long way to town.¡± Yvlena said. ¡®Besides I need to pray.¡¯ she thought.


    Yvlena wouldn¡¯t admit she only liked stopping at the temple because she adored her mother¡¯s face, she stood at the entrance of the temple gazing up at Selendriel.


    ¡®Mom, thank you for this world.¡¯ She thought, staring up at the statue¡¯s face.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite religious huh?¡± Dylan remarked from behind her.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Yvlena turned to face him, confused by the comment and annoyed that he had pulled her attention away from the statue.


    ¡°You look up at goddess Selendriel a lot.¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh...yeah. Well, she¡¯s my goddess and I¡¯m supposed to serve faithfully.¡± Yvlena said trying to remain in character.


    She didn¡¯t know much about elven culture within the game, so it was best to say as little as possible.


    Besides, who knew what would happen if she said the goddess was her mom?!


    ¡°That¡¯s true, I haven¡¯t seen many elves in Bloom Haven. Mom says it¡¯s because of the Miasma, I¡¯ve only seen you and that blonde alchemist in the Artisan District.¡±


    ¡°You mean Risel, she¡¯s a friend of mine.¡± Yvlena said. A smile crossed her lips at the thought of the other elf. ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t wait to get back to town and see her.¡±


    In thinking of Risel, Yvlena recalls she wasn¡¯t close to being done with the Verdant woods, or close to fighting what dwelt beneath the lake. Her face fell with the weight of responsibility.


    ¡°So much to do!¡±

 114~Changes

    Aya took the Revista off her head, stopping her session for the day and flopping into her bed.


    ¡°Tomorrow I have to say goodbye to Atlas, Nisha, and Renard. I guess that makes it three people and not two.¡± She exhaled in worry, feeling a nervous knot grow in her stomach.


    This was going to be such a big change, a new city, and the possibility of seeing Daichi and Mrs. Lutz again. All this wouldn¡¯t have happened if the old woman hadn¡¯t given Aya the PacBook and Icarus.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving Axen City. This is real.¡± Aya whispered. Before she knew it, she was wiping tears from her eyes.


    A suffocating fear enveloped her, dragging Aya deeper into despair.


    Aside from her grandmother¡¯s house, Axen was all she had known since Fido left her here years ago. It was where her mother was from.


    Her breathing picked up and soon Aya had curled into a ball from the pressure in her chest. She wasn¡¯t aware she was sobbing until she felt a hand on her back rubbing soothingly.


    ¡°Aya what¡¯s wrong?¡± It was Mars¡¯s voice, thick with sleep but she had come to check on Aya.


    The brunette couldn¡¯t speak over her tears nor did Mars want her to try. It would simply be too much for Aya right now, so Mars sat quietly with her in the darkness until they both fell asleep.


    ----------


    ¡°That¡¯s her?¡± Fred asked in disbelief picking up the photo Victor had laid on the oak wood table. The two of them sat in the CEO¡¯s office looking through the information delivered by the private investigator.


    ¡°I paid a lot of money to find her, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible without you.¡± Victor said softly. ¡°From the bottom of my heart, thank you.¡±


    Fred said nothing, uncomfortable with the CEO¡¯s display of emotion. He poured over the picture, trying to see if anything stuck out to him about the girl.


    No doubt she looked like her mother and Fred was hard pressed to wonder why they got separated in the first place, by all accounts Aya should have gone to the nearest surviving relative.


    ¡°She did.¡± Mr. Sinclair said as if answering her question, ¡°Her grandmother died when she became an adult, thus further removing her from any chance I had to find her.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense, and with the black mail there was a vested interest in keeping her away from you. So what¡¯s the plan now. You¡¯ve got her name, a general location too aren¡¯t you going to contact her?¡± Fred asked.


    At the question, Victor¡¯s face donned an unreadable expression. He stared at another picture of Aya in silence.


    ¡°Do you need a moment sir?¡± Fred asked, just about tiptoeing out of the office.


    ¡°What do I even say to her?¡± Victor said letting out a sigh, her held his hand over his eyes as his shoulders quivered.


    It only took a moment for Fred to realize that the man was crying. The blonde¡¯s hesitance grew tenfold, what was he supposed to do now.


    ¡°You¡¯ll think of something.¡± Fred could only say lamely. His skin burned with discomfort but he stepped forward anyway.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Victor felt a hand on his back, patting softly but awkwardly. He turned to the side and saw his lead archiver resting a tentative hand on him.


    ¡°There...there, she¡¯s a grown woman now. With prospects of her own. Just sit down and talk to her like an adult.¡±


    Mr. Sinclair sniffled, lifting his head like a child encouraged to stand after a bad fall. Fred winced at the sight of him.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I think that would be best.¡±


    ----------


    Aya woke to the feeling of warmth curled around her. She lifted her head, still aching from her bout of sadness last night, and slowly rolled over to find Mars laying beside her. The other girl was still sound asleep and Aya could only keep her shock quiet by rolling over to smack a hand over her mouth.


    How loud had she cried?


    The flood of memories rushed into her head filling her with embarrassment, she must have been sobbing like a child.


    ¡°Morning.¡± Mars¡¯s voice said, still tired from the previous night. ¡°How do you feel now?¡±


    ¡°I feel better.¡± Aya said trying to stop sweating bullets with how nervous she was. She had never had any friends over for things like sleepovers so she didn¡¯t know how to feel about Mars spending the night in her room.


    Mars placed a hand over her mouth to stifle the yawn that would escape her.


    ¡°I got up to get some water and heard you crying pretty hard, I got worried.¡± The dark haired girl explained without further prompting.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Aya said solemnly.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t want to talk about it, just know I¡¯m here for you. Always.¡± Mars said getting up.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Aya said quietly.


    Mars gave a curt nod and rose from her position on the bed.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to shower and start making breakfast, you should look into going to say your goodbyes.¡± Mars said. She left the room and Aya was alone again with her thoughts.


    Mars couldn¡¯t know that the very thought of leaving Axen was enough to send her spiraling.


    ¡°That¡¯s nothing for me here.¡± Aya whispered to herself. ¡°A hag that wants something from me, a city riddled with crime. I¡¯m on my way to a better life!¡±


    Saying it didn¡¯t magically change her mind, the attachments of living so long in the city went against rationality. It was as if Axen had its hooks deep in Aya¡¯s mind.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard to leave but I have to do it. I deserve better and I want a better life.¡± Aya said to herself.


    As she thought of her future, Mars¡¯s words echoed in her mind.


    ¡°Life is for the living.¡± The dark haired girl had said over dinner after Aya had told her about her grandmother. Aya didn¡¯t fully understand what it meant at the time but now maybe she did. She couldn¡¯t let memories hold her back from living her life.


    Her grandmother would want her out of Axen City, Daichi would want her out of Axen City, and most importantly, Aya wanted to leave.


    ----------


    Aya stepped out in fresh clothes and headed towards the table for the breakfast of toast and eggs Mars had prepared.


    She sat down to eat quietly while Mars nursed a cup of coffee as she read her tablet.


    ¡°Aya.¡± Mars called. ¡°Could you give me Atlas¡¯s number.¡± the dark haired girl didn¡¯t look up from her tablet as she spoke and thus didn¡¯t see or hear the soft gasp of excitement Aya gave.


    ¡°You know, he wanted me to give him your number last night but I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why not?!¡±


    ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t want me to!¡± Aya whined.


    ¡°Well, you were right of course, last night¡¯s Mars would have strangled you for even considering it. But I¡¯ve been thinking over somethings lately.¡±


    ¡°So what changed?¡±


    Mars hmm¡¯ed, tapping something on her screen. She looked up at Aya with a smile.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s my business isn¡¯t it?¡± Mars said sipping her mug of coffee, Aya shot her a look but knew better than to argue or whine about it. All she could think of was how happy Atlas would be to hear from Mars.


    ¡°Okay, Mars. Just let me know how it goes.¡±


    ¡°And you too.¡±

 115~Three For One (1)

    Aya stepped out the door wary of her surroundings, just because she had moved in with Mars didn¡¯t mean Lydia was up to no good. The woman was simply waiting for an opportunity to strike and Aya wasn¡¯t crazy enough to give her the opportunity.


    She left the apartment complex, her destination being the small convenience store where Nisha worked. Her sneakers trudged along the crumbling roads of her apartment complex until it got to the beaten asphalt of the store.


    Aya pushed the door open and looked towards the counter to see a young man working there.


    ¡°Welcome, I guess.¡± he said in the same uninterested tone Nisha would have. Aya gave a sheepish smile, knowing she didn¡¯t want to buy anything she was only here looking for her friend.


    ¡°Uh...I¡¯m looking for Nisha¡­¡± she said hesitantly.


    ¡°Why? She owe you money or something?¡±


    Aya was taken aback by the response. It wasn¡¯t an odd thing to say. This was Axen City, debts and debt collectors were insanely common.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re just friends.¡±


    Her words raised the man¡¯s eyebrow.


    ¡°Well, a friend ought to know where she is right?¡± He asked pointedly.


    ¡°You got me there, we¡¯re recent friends.¡± Aya said folding her arms. What was with this attitude? Aya didn¡¯t think she was someone even a little bit suspicious.


    The man said nothing, only continuing to stare at her with a blank face that said ¡®You¡¯ll never get me to talk¡¯


    Aya threw her hands up in the air, with a defeated sound.


    ¡°Fine then, have a nice day or something.¡± she said in frustration.


    The man only smirked as she stormed out of the store. Aya¡¯s face burned, he was right but she wouldn¡¯t admit to that. It was good Nisha had someone looking out for her, especially if she owed someone potentially dangerous.


    Aya was lucky she¡¯d never fallen into that, though many tried. Fast money was tempting but it would sometimes cost a life.


    Her stomach twisted with worry for the other girl. Nisha could have been playing Moon Valley for the exact same reason she was.


    Aya knew from the forums that bosses could give a lot of gold, but there was also the potential to build up a character with rare stats and skills, and then sell the account for a ton of Lue!


    While Aya never thought she would be able to sell the account that allowed her to find the things her mother left for her, it was big business.


    ¡°And to think this game came out not too long ago. It¡¯s crazy.¡± she said as she walked. Her next stop would be the junk shop where she would find Renard. She had to thank him for the Revista he gave her at a discount.


    ----------


    Mars felt her phone vibrate in her pocket as she was busy packing up her things for the movers to take the next day.


    ¡°Hmmm?¡± she reached into her back pocket and pulled out the device to see a reply to an earlier text.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    [I was pleasantly surprised to see your message, Mars]


    The text read from Atlas read. Mars rolled her eyes at the formality, it was one of the things that annoyed her when it came to Atlas.


    [Blame Aya, where do you want to meet up so we can hash things out] Mars texted back, she chewed her lip nervously, waiting for a response.


    [I''m free this evening, there aren''t many places in Axen to go, is Canary Park okay?]


    Mars checked the venue¡¯s location on her phone¡¯s map, it was close enough to town and convenient enough to meet at.


    [It''s fine]


    [Okay]


    Mars placed her phone face down on the table and exhaled deeply. She rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache brewing from the stress of the interaction.


    ¡°All I have to do is apologize right?¡± She said softly. She puffed her cheeks and sighed deeply wondering how she would drudge up the courage to face the man she had abandoned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t owe him anything, It was our parent''s idea and I never agreed to marry him.¡± she said, despite her words, guilt ate at her heart. It was all so long ago but the wounds still felt fresh.


    ¡°Friendships end all the time, he doesn¡¯t owe me forgiveness.¡± Mars said under her breath, stuffing some clothes into a suitcase. The feelings bubbled up like boiling water, soon becoming too much for her. She let out a frustrated scream and threw the bundle to the floor.


    ¡°Screw this! I need to kill something.¡±


    ----------


    The junk shop was the same as the last time Aya saw it. It brought a smile to her face to see the greying walls with peeling paint and janky store sign. She sped up running into the shop when she bumped into someone.


    ¡°Oh excuse me.¡± He said, Aya nodded. Starring the blonde man up and down. He looked tired, like he was barely able to hold himself up. He pushed his glasses up his nose and began walking away. ¡°You know it¡¯s rude to stare.¡±


    ¡°S-Sorry!¡± Aya squeaked and hurried inside the store.


    Aya only expected to see the old man tending the counter when she walked in. A girl stood there, thick hair pulled into two buns and the same shiny mahogany skin as the girl she was searching for.


    ¡°Huh? Nisha?¡± She called.


    The girl turned to face her with an equal expression of surprise. Nisha¡¯s eyebrows shot up at the sight of Aya, wondering what the girl was doing at her junk shop.


    ¡°Oh, summoner. Why are you here?¡± Nisha asked bluntly.


    ¡°Mage I¡­¡± Suddenly Aya couldn¡¯t find the words to tell the other girl she was leaving. ¡°I was looking for you.¡±


    Renard walked out from the shop¡¯s back room, having to duck under the doorway due to his large form. Aya recognized the shiny bald head first before the fluffy mustache.


    ¡°Renard!¡± Aya called with a wave.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you again. How are you enjoying the Revista?¡±


    ¡°Revista? At least Mark-III I hope.¡± Nisha deadpanned from where she sat.


    Aya chuckled nervously, Renard shook his head. From their interaction, Aya could tell Nisha was a long time customer of Renard¡¯s, and that made her all the more sad she never got the chance to build such a relationship with him.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s great that both of you are here right now because I had something I wanted to say.¡± She started.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Renard asked, sensing something serious in Aya¡¯s tone. He studied the girl¡¯s sullen face and balled fists, Aya stared at the floor like a guilty child but as far as he knew she hadn¡¯t done anything to offend him or Nisha.


    ¡°Did you have a bad game session with your old equipment?¡± Nisha asked, sitting up with interest.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­.well I¡¯m¡­.¡±


    ¡°Aya Brown!¡± before Aya could speak, a figure burst through the door nearly taking it off its hinges. It was the blond man from before and it looked like he had rushed back to the store as fast as he could.


    He had called Aya¡¯s name but the brunette didn¡¯t recall ever meeting this man in her life. The blonde man approached her slowly, making Aya back up in fear.


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with ya, Fred?¡± Renard shouted from behind the counter.


    ¡°Aya Brown we need to talk.¡±

 116~Rosewood 276

    Victor boarded the elevator within the Rosewood Private Hospital solemnly. He pushed the button to the 7th floor where they kept patients in special care and waited. His thoughts rested only on one thing.


    Aya Brown, no, Aya Sinclair.


    His missing niece, now found through the help of his brilliant but sleep deprived worker. He chuckled and ran a hand over his face from the stress of the past month. Moon Valley was a financial success, a hit game surpassing even his wildest expectations.


    But to Victor his true victory was the Yvlena Protocol, finding Aya had been his greatest wish and now it would come true.


    The elevator dinged as it stopped, allowing Victor to step out into the barren halls. This floor was known as the graveyard, a term he had only come to know due to eavesdropping on the nurses.


    He found it apt, each room housed an unresponsive or comatose patient. Some borderline vegetables.


    But the families persisted, hoping one day a miracle would happen. He was the same.


    His hospital shoes echoed on the floor as he approached room 276, he scanned his card into the door and waited a moment for it to slide open. He stepped into the doorway, where he was sprayed by a sterilizing solution.


    All so he could not contaminate the patient within.


    Victor took a seat near the comatose patient he had come to see. Glancing over at the tubes and machines, he gave a heavy sigh and reached for the patient¡¯s hand through gloves provided by the hospital.


    ¡°David,¡± Victor said squeezing the still hand through the gloves. ¡°I¡¯ve found your daughter. I found Aya.¡±


    Despite his best efforts, Victor could no longer keep the tears at bay. He wept softly, holding his brother¡¯s hand. If only the sound of good news could wake him up.


    ----------


    ¡°How do you know my name?¡± Aya asked, narrowing her eyes in confusion. The blonde man rubbed his eyebags and yawned.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story, I¡¯ll start with an introduction. My name is Fred Barkley and I work for your uncle.¡± he said.


    ¡°You work for my what?¡± Aya said, it was as if her heart had stopped beating from the shock of the news.


    ¡°Just what the hell is going on here?!¡± Renard asked from behind the counter. The older man rubbed his balding head as he struggled to understand his old acquaintance''s connection to his newest customer.


    ¡°My question exactly, if you¡¯re trying to extort money, she¡¯s as broke as I am.¡± Nisha chimed in from where she sat also watching Fred with suspicion. Things wouldn¡¯t be allowed to escalate with Renard here.


    If need be they could gang up on the scrawny fella and beat him down.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story Renard.¡± Fred said, only to be stopped by Aya who held his arm in a vice grip. He turned his attention back to the young lady who was now biting her lip in what he was sure was burning curiosity.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°How do I know you¡¯re telling the truth?¡± Aya asked. This could have just been another one of Lydia and Fido¡¯s ploys to keep her trapped while they continued to blackmail her only living relative.


    ¡°In Moon Valley, you play an elf, Yvlena. It was a character your mother, Anastasia Brown had written for you.¡± Fred said.


    Aya¡¯s eyes widened. How could he know?


    ¡°I worked with your mother, and I now work with your uncle. This is pretty sensitive information and I¡¯m already running late for a meeting. Give me your phone.¡±


    Aya hastily handed him the clunky old model phone she was using, Fred typed in a phone number and pressed the dial button.


    ----------


    Victor was deep in meditation when his phone vibrated in his pocket, he frowned wondering who could be calling at such a time. He had told his workers that Fridays were a special time for him to be alone with his thoughts.


    ¡®This better be some kind of emergency.¡¯


    He pulled out his phone to find an unknown number flashing across the screen, people rarely ever called his personal line so this had to be pretty damn important.


    ¡°Hello?¡± he answered.


    ¡°Just talk to him, say something.¡± Fred was on the other end of the line urging someone to speak.


    Victor waited patiently, his heart drummed in his chest. Fred couldn¡¯t have...could he? Victor leaned forward, hand over his mouth as if his breathing would disrupt the courage the other person on the line was gathering.


    ¡°U-Uncle?¡± A woman¡¯s voice said on the other side of the phone.


    ¡°Aya? A-Aya is that you? It¡¯s me! It¡¯s your uncle Victor.¡± He blurted out.


    ¡°No way!¡± Aya replied, he could hear the tears in her voice as she spoke. ¡°No way? How? How did Fred find me? Where are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at the Rosewood Hospital with...your father.¡± Victor said sadly. ¡°As for how Fred found you I¡¯m waiting for him to get back to the office and tell me himself. Hopefully with you in tow.¡±


    ¡°My father? I can¡¯t believe it, I have a family. Why didn¡¯t you ever look for me?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been looking for you!¡± Fred¡¯s indignant voice came over the phone. ¡°Do you know how many sleepless nights I¡¯ve had working on your case?¡±


    ¡°I tried but I was being blackmailed and I just couldn¡¯t remember your name. Your mother changed it as soon as you were born and I¡­¡±


    The phone call ended abruptly, Victor pulled the phone away from his ear in surprise. Axen was known for having pretty bad connection issues but there should have at least been some breaks first.


    ----------


    ¡°Nooooo!¡± Aya yelled as her phone gave her its final warning before shutting off. She must have forgotten to charge it last night and now it had doomed her.


    ¡°I get it, shitty phone. Happens to the best of us.¡± Nisha said patting Aya on the back.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s not like you¡¯ve lost him.¡± Fred said in response to the girl¡¯s dramatics. Aya had fallen to her knees wailing at the end of the call. Her tears, renewed, streamed down her face as she yelled.


    ¡°Do you not know how to charge a phone?¡± Nisha asked in genuine concern.


    ¡°I do, I just didn¡¯t expect it to shut off during the most important moment of my life!¡± Aya said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the end of the world.¡± Fred said, he took out an old receipt and wrote down a phone number. He handed it to Aya who stared at it in confusion. ¡°Your uncle¡¯s phone number.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Aya said.


    Fred frowned as discomfort began rearing its head. He waved her off.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been searching for you for ages, I hope you¡¯re able to rekindle your relationship with him. Now I¡¯ve really got to go. If I don¡¯t catch the last train to Evangels I¡¯ll really be stranded here.¡±


    ¡°Evangels?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where your uncle lives.¡±

 117~Three For One (2)

    Fred¡¯s exit leaves Aya in a daze, she stares at the piece of paper in her hand with a zoned out expression. Suddenly, she registers a hand being waved in front of her face. Aya snapped her attention to Nisha who had been waving at her for close to a minute.


    ¡°Summoner, are you feeling better now?¡± Nisha asked in concern and confusion. The girl had her hands on her hips as she asked and Aya was forced to turn back to reality.


    ¡°I think I just got my world rocked.¡± Aya said earnestly.


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s not every day you find your lost relative, even more surprising that it¡¯s Fred. I¡¯ve known him for years.¡± Renard said.


    ¡°He seemed like a weirdo to me, no offense.¡± Nisha said, leading Aya to the seat she was on previously. Aya sat, still looking at the phone number in her hand.


    It might as well have been a dream, but she was sure this was real life. Without a second thought, she reached up and smacked herself hard across the face.


    ¡°What the hell?¡±


    ¡°I had to make sure I wasn¡¯t dreaming.¡± Aya said sheepishly. Her wide smile made Nisha take a step back and exchange glances with Renard.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about her.¡± The older man said, making a face at the dazed girl on his old couch. When she had come in earlier that day, he hoped she was there to upgrade her equipment but now it seemed his store had become a venue for theatrics.


    ¡°How worried?¡± Nisha shot back.


    After a moment of light conversation, Aya lifted her head in remembrance of what she was supposed to do today.


    ¡°Oh, I still had something to tell you guys.¡± Aya said.


    ¡°What is it Aya?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you also discovered you¡¯re actually part alien.¡± Nisha teased.


    Aya¡¯s lips trembled, she stared back down at the floor, then lifted her hands to cover her face in embarrassment.


    ¡°I¡¯m moving.¡± Aya said. She shut her eyes, bracing herself for a negative reaction from her friends, surely they would be mad at her for leaving with such short notice right?


    A moment passed before the other two spoke.


    ¡°Congratulations!¡± Renard said.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally getting out of this city, lucky.¡± Nisha said with a mischievous smile. ¡°I wish I could say I was doing the same.¡±


    Aya blinked in surprise, all the nervous energy she had, dispelled at the words of her friends.


    ¡°You mean you¡¯re not mad at me for leaving?¡± Aya asked.


    ¡°Pfft! Mad? Only a loser would want to see their friend stuck in a bad situation.¡± Nisha said.


    ¡°Other than the fact I¡¯m losing a potential customer, I couldn¡¯t be happier for ya.¡± Renard said.


    ¡°Besides, thanks to VR, we can meet up in Moon Valley whenever you make it out of wherever you are right now.¡± Nisha shrugged.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Aya looked between their faces in disbelief. She thought the goodbyes would be hard, but it turned out she didn¡¯t have to say goodbye for real. She could always visit, or chat with them.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not the end of the world.¡± Aya said, calming down.


    ¡°Where are you going anyway?¡± Nisha asked.


    ¡°Mericross.¡±


    ¡°I hear they have great tournaments there, I¡¯ve always wanted to go.¡±


    ¡°And great deals on VR, doesn¡¯t beat mine though!¡± Renard said proudly. ¡°I only wish we knew so we could have thrown you a farewell party.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you cried enough today, you¡¯re not going to be able to wear your old Revista if you have watery eyes.¡± Nisha said.


    ----------


    Aya and Nisha left the Junk shop walking in the same direction as the apartment complex. The brunette strolled to match Nisha¡¯s equally relaxed pace.


    ¡°You know before I found you, I went to the store. The guy on his shift didn¡¯t want to tell me where you were.¡±


    ¡°Oh Robin? Well yeah, it¡¯s Axen City, who knows what kind of weirdos wanna pull up on you.¡± Nisha said in a matter of fact tone.


    Aya was inclined to agree, but it was frustrating all the same. It was one of the things she was glad to be leaving behind in Axen.


    ¡°Just be safe alright, I don¡¯t want to think of you getting hurt or something.¡± Aya said. Nisha laughed, then bumped shoulders with Aya, nearly knocking her down.


    ¡°You¡¯re really nice, I¡¯ve never had friends before.¡± Nisha said quietly.


    ¡°What about Renard?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a friend of my dad¡¯s, looks after me, gives me good discounts and I work there sometimes.¡± Nisha explained.


    ¡°I know what you mean, it''s not too long ago that I finally made some friends myself. Always been too busy to hang out with anyone.¡± Aya said.


    ¡°Working since you were a kid? Story of my life.¡± Nisha sighed. ¡° At least Moon Valley¡¯s the most fun part time job.¡±


    ¡°I hear ya.¡± Aya laughed. ¡°It¡¯s a full time job for me, one of the best I¡¯ve ever had.¡±


    ¡°Lucky! My dad¡¯ll tear me to pieces if he heard I quit a good part time job to play a game all day.¡±


    The two girls stopped at a diverging path, one toward the apartment complex and the other, toward the convenience store.


    ¡°See you around Aya, good luck in Mericross and with the family thing. I hope you get to meet your uncle soon.¡± Nisha said. She pulled Aya into a hug, wrapping her arms tightly around her friend.


    Aya realized Nisha had called her by her name and not class, it made her smile.


    ¡°See you around Nisha.¡± Aya said softly.


    Aya entered the apartment to freshen up and get ready to meet Atlas. She pushes open the door to find most things in the apartment in boxes.


    Mars had left something on the table for her, a plate covered by one of these fancy food warmers she had seen advertised on TV from time to time. It was leftover Garlic chicken pasta from the night before. Aya¡¯s mouth watered as she sat down to scarf down the food.


    ¡°So how was it? Mars said emerging from her room.


    Aya nodded her head, mouth too full of pasta to speak.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Mars said somehow understanding what the other girl was trying to say. She took some soda out of the fridge and guzzled it without stopping.


    Aya was almost impressed by Mars¡¯s ability to knock back sugary drinks at the speed of light. She swallowed her meal and started to talk.


    ¡°I thought they were going to be mad at me but they weren¡¯t. And Mars, I...I spoke to my uncle.¡± Aya said.


    Mars spun around so fast that she almost spilled her drink across the floor.


    ¡°You what? How? When? Where was he?¡± The questions flew out of her faster than Aya could think up answers to them.


    ¡°He was with my dad! One of the guys who worked for him recognized me, he said he knew my mom! Worked with my mom. That meant he worked for Moon Valley!¡± Aya said in excitement.


    Fred was running late and didn¡¯t have enough time to answer her questions but when her phone had charged up¡­


    She would finally be able to have a proper conversation with her uncle.

 118~You Look Great

    ¡°This is a lot.¡± Mars said rubbing her temple as she took in Aya¡¯s tale of the morning¡¯s events. Somehow even the act of saying goodbye had become extraordinarily complicated.


    Aya leaned back on the chair, throwing her head back in exhaustion.


    ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t imagine how he feels.¡± Aya said getting up to dump her plate in the sink so she could wash it before they had to pack up the kitchen. ¡°He really did seem like he had been searching forever.¡±


    ¡°Axen is a pretty optimal place to hide, that¡¯s why I came here. It¡¯s incredible that the Eos Conquerors were able to hunt me down.¡± Mars sighed. She looked at Aya¡¯s back.


    The girl was mindlessly scrubbing a now clean plate and would continue unless Mars went to stop her. The dark haired girl took a deep breath, knowing she would have to ask the hard question or Aya would bottle it up.


    ¡°And how do you feel about your dad...being alive?¡± Mars asked slowly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Aya said glumly. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to think about the state he¡¯s in. I didn¡¯t hear him over the phone at all!¡±


    Aya gritted her teeth, letting go of the plate, it clattered as it fell into the cheap aluminum basin. She gripped the edge and tried to calm herself down.


    ¡°What happened to him? Grandma said he was in an accident and we just never heard from him again.¡± Aya said. ¡°I thought he was dead. I thought¡­¡±


    Mars kept silent, letting her friend air out her frustrations.


    ¡°I thought I was an orphan.¡± Aya said quietly, she fell face first into Mars¡¯s chest tiredly.


    Mars shifted in surprise from the sudden weight on her, but raised her arms to wrap around Aya. Despite her discomfort, Aya needed her presence, Mars didn¡¯t want to let her down.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I know how you feel but I¡¯m here, Aya.¡± Mars said. She felt Aya mumble something into her chest, assuming it was some words of thanks Mars continued.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to feel sad, life can be such bullshit.¡± Mars said awkwardly patting Aya on the head.


    ¡°Honestly.¡± Aya agreed, pulling back. Mars was surprised she wasn¡¯t crying from the stress of it all. Was Aya growing out of those tendencies? She hoped not!


    Aya brushed her curls back and spoke calmly, too calmly for the current situation. Mars sensed something off about it but chose not to pry. After all, her friend was dealing with a lot of uncertainty right now.


    ¡°I¡¯m meeting Atlas in a bit so I have to get ready.¡±


    ¡°When and where?¡± Mars asked.


    ¡°Rolfe¡¯s the bakery.¡± Aya reminded with a laugh. Mars shook her head and soon heard the shower running. Mars checked her phone.


    The moving van was already en route and would be at the complex just before noon the next day. She nodded, everything was going according to plan. Soon they would be out of Axen and out of the crosshairs of the potential E.C scout.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Mars grimaced at the thought of Arlo finding her and reporting back to the team leader.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to continue packing and, maybe later I¡¯ll head out.¡± Mars said.


    ¡°Sounds good.¡± Aya called, running into her room to choose an outfit for the meet up.


    Mars leaned against the countertop top looking over at her apartment, well soon to be former apartment. This would be the third time she would be moving her life around. Twice because of the Eos conquerors. It was enough to make her angry.


    A life of moving around was not what she wanted, it was only a necessary sacrifice. Mars wasn¡¯t someone who lost her cool easily. She got one over on E.C before and she would do it again and again and¡­


    She paused.


    Now she had Aya to worry about and that complicated things. Mars sighed, deep and heavy at the thought of her only friend.


    Yes, that complicated things.


    ----------


    ¡°How do I look?¡± Aya asked from the doorway of her room. She spun around in her outfit waiting for Mars to comment.


    Mars chuckled, pushing off the counter to see the outfit her friend had picked out for the meet up.


    ¡°You look cute.¡± Mars said with a nod.


    Aya wore a simple white short-sleeved turtleneck blouse with a knee length black skirt and black leggings underneath. Her thick curly hair was put up in a way that flattered her face. Mars noticed she didn¡¯t wear any jewelry but supposed she¡¯d never seen Aya wear any.


    Aya¡¯s brown eyes lit up with excitement.


    ¡°You think so?¡± Aya asked, holding her face. ¡°I feel a little ridiculous but this is like the nicest thing I own.¡± her face heated up in embarrassment.


    Aya didn¡¯t know why she wanted to dress up so nicely, but she liked how she looked and wanted Atlas to as well.


    ¡°Maybe I should change? Scratch that, I¡¯m absolutely going to change!¡± She said, inspecting her outfit and already halfway into her room. Mars grabbed her arm before she could run.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Mars said walking to her own room to retrieve something. Aya waited patiently wondering what her friend wanted.


    The sound of Mars rummaging through her things filled the air, making Aya even more curious. Mars returned shortly after with a familiar black, bomber jacket Aya recognized instantly.


    ¡°That¡¯s the jacket you wore the night we met!¡± Aya muttered.


    Mars raised an eyebrow, wondering how Aya remembered such a thing, she lifted the jacket and realized she was right. Huh, Mars didn¡¯t think she had worn the jacket enough for Aya to recognize it. Come to think of it, Mars hadn¡¯t worn the jacket in a long time.


    A smile tugged at her lips to know what Aya recognized it but she kept her expression stoic and approached her waiting friend.


    ¡°I guess so.¡± Mars said stopping in front of Aya and laying the jacket over her shoulders. ¡°There, now you look great.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Mars.¡± Aya said beaming up at the dark haired girl, she tugged the jacket closer around herself and continued smiling.


    Mars opened her mouth to say something but closed it, letting go of the jacket collar where their hands met.


    And letting go of Aya.


    The brunette hurried off and slipped on her shoes so she could be on her way. She waved back at Mars who hadn¡¯t moved from the door way of Aya¡¯s room.


    ¡°See you later, Mars.¡± Aya said.


    Mars waved back nonchalantly, watching Aya head out the door and close it behind her. She was once again left alone as she had been for most of the day.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll pack up the kitchen and get to gaming.¡± she said with a shrug.

 119~A Marriage Of Convenience

    Aya hummed as she boarded the Seelim bus to town. She texted Atlas to let him know she was on her way, then waited for him to respond.


    [Are you on your way to Rolfe¡¯s? I¡¯m already on the bus.]


    [I¡¯m on my way. I¡¯ll probably get there before you, so what do you want to eat?]


    [Donuts! :D] Aya texted.


    [Donuts it is.] he replied, Aya could detect a hint of amusement in his response.


    [By the way, thank you for giving Mars my number. I should probably be thanking you in person.]


    [It¡¯s no trouble, she asked me for it and I knew you wanted to talk to her.] Aya texted back quickly.


    [Right.]


    Aya remembered they were almost married, she had forgotten to ask Mars about it due to all the things that happened earlier that day, it was something they could talk about after they moved into their new home.


    Aya looked out of the bus window and noticed she was already in the city, it wouldn¡¯t be long before she would be at the bus stop near the bakery.


    [I¡¯m almost there so let¡¯s save the conversation for when we meet.]


    [Agreed, it¡¯s a good thing I¡¯ve already ordered those donuts.]


    The bus stopped Aya at the bus stop not too far from the bakery where she and Mars had previously been. It was only a couple minutes to the bakery but it felt longer without Mars by her side. Aya was thankful for the jacket, as the afternoon faded into evening the air cooled, causing a chill.


    Aya skipped into the bakery to find Atlas sitting in the same seat he occupied last time. Aya took a seat opposite him, beaming.


    Atlas had a stoic expression on his face but the moment Aya slid into her seat a grin stretched out across his face before he could stop it.


    ¡°Hello, Aya. You look lovely.¡± he said.


    Aya giggled.


    ¡°Thanks! Mars gave me her jacket and I think it really tied my look together.¡±


    Atlas nodded.


    ¡°Absolutely.¡± Aya noticed he wasn¡¯t much of a conversationalist but he was trying, and that was really all she could ask for.


    ¡°So you¡¯re moving, what¡¯s that like?¡± Atlas asked.


    ¡°It feels surreal, I didn¡¯t think I was getting out of here for a long time.¡± Aya gazed out the window at the passing cars as she spoke, then back at Atlas. ¡°My life¡¯s changed so much over the past month it¡¯s crazy.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I understand.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± Aya groaned. ¡°But I¡¯m guessing there''s going to be a long period of insanity before I ever have some peace again.¡±


    ¡°Is that good or bad?¡± Atlas asked in confusion.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Life¡¯s what you make it right, I guess I just need to find the calm in the chaos.¡± Aya said, she stared intently at Atlas¡¯s face for a moment. ¡°You know, you¡¯re a lot like Mars. I can see why you two almost got married.¡±


    Atlas laughed.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not the reason. My parents and her parents thought it would be good to merge both families and companies.¡± Atlas explained.


    ¡°So you didn¡¯t want to get married?¡± Aya asked resting her head on her hand in interest.


    ¡°I was reluctant, open but not really.¡± Atlas replied, drumming his fingers on the table.


    ¡°Well, why didn¡¯t you say no?¡±


    ¡°I had already made my peace with the fact that I probably wouldn¡¯t marry for love.¡± His shoulder relaxed into the plush seat as he said that. ¡°I was relieved when Mars ran away, I do feel guilty about that. It¡¯s cowardly but I was afraid to speak up.¡±


    He spoke in a tone that let Aya know he was confiding in her, she resolved to keep that secret. A problem shared was a problem half solved.


    ¡°It sounds like your dad is a pretty tough guy to deal with.¡± Aya said sugar coating what she really wanted to say. Atlas¡¯s dad sounded like a controlling jerk.


    ¡°I respect him and tolerate him but he rules my life with an iron fist.¡± Atlas said. ¡° I sound lame don¡¯t I?¡±


    Aya shook her head frantically.


    ¡°Of course not! I¡¯m not so naive to think you have a perfect family because you¡¯re loaded.¡± Aya said. ¡°I¡¯m only now learning things about my own family that¡¯s making my head spin.¡± a nervous laughter followed her statement.


    ¡°What company was Mars¡¯s family running?¡± Aya asked.


    ¡°I thought she would have told you by now, but it¡¯s the Seelim bus and logistics company.¡± Atlas said signaling the waitress to bring them two cups of tea.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Aya paused to take in his words. ¡°You mean the bus I took here? The bus I used to take to work every day?¡±


    Atlas nodded in amusement at her expression.


    ¡°Mars¡¯s family.¡± He laughed.


    ¡°Speechless.¡± Aya said picking up the hot cup of tea, it was just what she needed the chilly air. She took a sip, rolling the liquid around her tongue. It was sweet, but unfamiliar.


    She didn¡¯t mind that Mars had kept it from her, the other girl was running after all. All the money she knew Mars had made so far was from career gaming.


    If no one could find her it was possible her family had cut her off so to speak.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what you would like so I just ordered sweet jasmine tea. It¡¯s what I like.¡± Atlas said cutting through Aya¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°I like it, it tastes just like the tea in¡­¡± Aya wasn¡¯t sure bringing up the game was appropriate now. ¡°Like a tea I¡¯ve had before.¡±


    ¡°Oh good, I wanted you to like it.¡± Atlas said in relief. ¡°The pastries will soon be here.¡±


    As if on cue, a waitress appeared with a platter of donuts. She placed it on the table then flashed Atlas a flirtatious smile, leaving Aya to gaze at each donut in hunger.


    ¡°Do enjoy your pastries.¡± the waitress cooed, but Aya barely heard her over her longing. Atlas gave a cut nod and a lipless smile.


    ¡°I guess Mars¡¯s family wasn¡¯t too keen on gaming.¡± Aya said reaching for a honey glazed donut with glee.


    ¡°As a hobby, they were fine with it, but they never intended for Mars to have a career path if you get what I mean.¡±


    Aya¡¯s eyes saddened.


    ¡°I do.¡± She lowered the donut from her lips, she¡¯d heard about things like that in books and movies but didn¡¯t think it was something people still did. It didn¡¯t seem real but alas.


    ¡°I care a lot about her, still do in fact. So imagine my surprise when after a while, she turned up with you.¡±


    Aya beamed, nibbling on her donut.


    ¡°She was acting way too suspicious for you guys to not know each other.¡±


    ¡°I guess she was, but I don¡¯t blame her one bit.¡±


    ¡°I hope you two get the chance to talk then.¡± Aya said licking a crumb off the corner of her lip. ¡°I have a feeling she has a lot to say to you too.¡±


    ¡°Atlas?¡± A puzzled voice called from behind them. Aya turned around to a silver haired man looking over at them from where he had called Atlas¡¯s name. The brunette squinted long enough to recognize the letters emblazoned on her chest.


    Eos Conquerors.


    ¡°Arlo.¡±

 120~Silver Haired Not Silver Tongued

    ¡°Arlo?¡± an equally puzzled Atlas called back from where he sat across Aya. What would he be doing here of all places? Weren¡¯t the Eos Conquerors supposed to be in Evangels? Atlas wondered.


    Aya looked back at him, recognizing that name. It was one of the members of Mars¡¯s former gaming group. The ones trying to find her after betraying her trust.


    Her eyes widened, and because Atlas and Mars hadn¡¯t spoken in such a long time it was possible he didn¡¯t know she was hiding from them.


    Aya grabbed Atlas¡¯s hand, forcing his attention from Arlo to her.


    ¡®Don¡¯t tell him about Mars.¡¯ Aya mouthed to Atlas. He returned her plea with an expression of confusion but nodded nonetheless.


    Arlo approached their table with a smirk, allowing Aya to get a good look at him up close. He was a tall silver-haired man dressed in his team''s silver and blue branded jumpsuit. He wore square rimmed glasses over grey eyes that stared condescendingly at her.


    Arlo made no move to acknowledge her only focusing his attention on Atlas. That didn¡¯t bother her, she was used to such treatment after her time at Nue Corp. He reminded her of Viviana, another person who got by on status alone.


    ¡°Are you still in touch with Mars?¡± he asked brazenly.


    ¡°No.¡± Atlas said shooting him a steely gaze. If Aya didn¡¯t want him mentioning Mars to this guy, he would trust her. After all, Arlo didn¡¯t look trustworthy himself.


    Aya kept her lips pressed together tensely observing.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you two on the same team? Why are you asking me?¡±


    ¡°And weren¡¯t you supposed to be her husband or something?¡± Arlo shot back with his lips still curved in that infuriating smirk.


    ¡®What brand of asshole is this?¡¯ Aya thought. His presence had made her lose her appetite so she calmly sipped her tea as she watched another type of tea unfold, and it was piping hot.


    Atlas clicked his tongue at Arlo¡¯s audacity. He hadn¡¯t even offered a greeting before he started trying to pry into his affairs.


    ¡°Well, it looks like neither of us knows where she is then.¡± He said, folding his arms. Arlo huffed, moving his gaze from Atlas to Aya who had been sitting there quietly.


    ¡°I see you moved on quickly.¡± Arlo said coldly.


    ¡°I genuinely don¡¯t have to explain myself to you.¡± Atlas retorted icily.


    Arlo seemed to think Atlas¡¯s angry face was funny, he laughed loudly, attracting attention to their table. Atlas glared.


    ¡®This might actually come to blows if I don¡¯t say something.¡¯ Aya thought.


    ¡°Hey, maybe things are getting a little too heated.¡± Aya said to Atlas in a bid to calm him down, the man already had his fist balled so tightly his nails were digging into his palms.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°This conversation doesn¡¯t involve you, so zip it.¡± Arlo said making a motion for Aya to be silent. Aya blinked.


    Once.


    Twice.


    She stood up lifting a finger the same way she did when Dylan was rude to her as Yvlena.


    ¡°I¡¯m Atlas¡¯s friend whose get together you ruined with your shitty attitude, so either have a donut or shut up and leave before I show you my street credibility.¡± Aya¡¯s eyes burned with a fury Arlo didn¡¯t expect to see from a nobody.


    She didn¡¯t break eye contact as she spoke, letting him know she was serious about the beatdown she wanted to deliver.


    He met her threat with a stony expression but internally he panicked at the thought a girl this short might actually do something. Arlo found himself unable to look her in the eye for much longer.


    ¡®Ugh I didn¡¯t even want to come to this city, now I¡¯m getting threatened over donuts.¡¯ He thought.


    ¡°Whatever, enjoy your meeting.¡± Arlo said storming off, the bell at the entrance clinked, signifying he had left the bakery. The other patrons breathed a sigh of relief


    ¡°Rubbish.¡± Aya muttered and sat back down. She released a frustrated breath, she really wanted to smack Arlo across the face but he left before she could raise her fist.


    ¡°Wow, you really showed him.¡± Atlas said.


    ¡°No, next time he should try me. The audacity of coming into a fine establishment such as this and causing trouble. The thought of it is making me so mad.¡±


    ¡°Well don¡¯t be so mad that you can¡¯t finish your donuts.¡±


    ¡°Well I can¡¯t be that mad, but my tea is cold.¡± Aya pouted. Atlas signaled the waitress for more tea and soon a bubbly young woman hurried over with a steaming glass jug.


    ¡°Thank goodness you asked that guy to leave miss.¡± she said. ¡°I was worried this was going to be another gang thing.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no problem. I¡¯ve had some encounters myself.¡± Aya said smiling. The waitress nodded and returned to her station.


    ¡°What a day huh?¡± Aya said.


    ¡°What a day indeed.¡±


    ----------


    Arlo stormed out of the bakery into the streets of Axen city, cursing the man and his friend who had made him look foolish. Who did she think she was? If this were Moon Valley he would find her and destroy her avatar!


    He fumed all the way to the ride he hailed from his phone and all the way back to the Easton Hotel he was staying at. He couldn¡¯t wait to be done organizing the tournament so he could go back to Evangels.


    Arlo turned his nose up at the sights of the city, Axen¡¯s luxury wasn¡¯t even a thousandth of the beauty he experienced back home.


    ¡°Ugh, I just want to leave already!¡± He groaned, resting his head on the car¡¯s headrest. He closed it for a moment to calm down and think.


    Arlo¡¯s eyes snapped open as he recalled the girl¡¯s outfit. He sat up wracking his brain to figure out where he had seen that custom bomber jacket. A style so distinct one would remember it if they saw it again.


    Only one person he knew had that jacket tailored and It was Mars Seelim. She had worn it a few times around the headquarters over her jumpsuit, Arlo was there when she had it made. Even without the trinkets, there was no mistaking the piece of attire which meant...


    That girl knew Mars and she had kept it from him.


    He growled, grinding his teeth so hard he was sure he would chip a filling. She had watched him make a fool of himself asking Atlas Nue questions he clearly didn¡¯t have the answer to.


    Then she had made a fool out of him by threatening him.


    Arlo gripped his white strands tightly from the anger that coursed through him. Whoever she was, he would find her and crush her.

 121~Nothing Lasts Forever

    Atlas sent Aya home in a taxi just in time for his meeting with Mars at Canary Park.


    Meeting Arlo at Rolfe¡¯s had been a shock. He hadn¡¯t seen the other man since Mars had been on their team long ago.


    He had forgotten what they were called, something conquering? The name should have come to him but he had never been too involved with gaming.


    A chauffeur held the limo door open for him as he ducked his head to enter the car, speaking to Aya about his past with Mars made him breathe a little easier.


    It was no one¡¯s fault what had happened, Mars ran off to pursue a life where he could not. She had always stood up for herself.


    Atlas leaned back against the plush interior of his car as it started moving.


    ¡°Where to sir?¡± his driver asked.


    ¡°Canary Park." Atlas said. He wanted to know what Mars had to say to him, this was the first time in ages they had the chance to speak in person. He would not miss it.


    ----------


    The taxi dropped Aya off at the apartment entrance where the girl first peered out the window for either Lydia or Fido to show up. She hadn¡¯t seen them in a while but that didn¡¯t mean the two of them were done with her.


    Aya met Mars at the front door of their soon to be former apartment locking up. The dark haired girl flashed her a smile and was about to say something when Aya grabbed her friend by the arm and pulled the door open, forcing Mars inside with her.


    ¡°Aya? What the hell? I was just about to head out-¡±


    ¡°I met Arlo at the bakery, he was looking for you. I told Atlas not to say anything.¡± Aya said all in one breath.


    Mars¡¯s mouth snapped shut as she took in the information. She knew she¡¯d been correct in assuming the tournament being held in Axen was just a ruse. Searching for her to work off the amount she¡¯d fled with, but that wasn¡¯t going to happen.


    ¡°If you insist on going out just keep your eyes peeled for him, I¡¯m pretty sure I pissed him off back there.¡± Aya said with a laugh, she walked over to the chair and took off the jacket, laying it on the couch.


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°I threatened to beat him up. He¡¯s such a rude guy! How were you ever friends with such an asshole.¡±


    ¡°Who says I¡¯m not an asshole myself, I just happen to like you.¡± Mars retorted in amusement. Aya turned to her with a deadpan stare.


    ¡°Right?¡± Mars said nervously. ¡°It was a long time ago, I¡¯m not friends with that spineless worm.¡±


    Arlo was the only person in E.C Mars expected to have her back, but when the chips were down he chose Mateo over her. She shook her head in disgust. No, he was no friend of hers, and hunting her down made him her enemy.


    ¡°He knows you¡¯re in Axen by now, but I also think he won¡¯t last long in this city carrying on the way he does.¡± Aya said flopping unto the couch after kicking off her shoes. ¡°Man, all I want to do is play and sleep.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Shower first.¡± Mars said folding her arms and rethinking her plans to meet Atlas. He might have already been on his way to their spot.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Aya mumbled.


    ¡°If going out is worth it, we only have one more night here.¡± Mars said, staring at her phone.


    ¡°Well if someone¡¯s looking for you I¡¯d say stay in as much as you can, but I have a feeling you¡¯re going to see Atlas.¡±


    Mars looked up from her phone in shock.


    ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that hard for me to put two and two together you know. We spent most of our meet up discussing your relationship.¡± Aya grinned.


    ¡°Did he tell you who I really was?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the heir to the Seelim bus and logistics company.¡± Aya said rolling over on the couch. She noticed Mars¡¯s pensive face, knowing her friend was going to ask how Aya felt about the knowledge she had gained.


    ¡°And how do you feel about it?¡± Mars asked quietly. If she was nervous, Mars didn¡¯t show it at all. She kept an unwavering expression as she asked. Internally her heart drummed against her chest. What would Aya think of a run away rich girl out in the world?


    Would she look down on Mars for giving up a comfortable life and a family while she had none of those things? The thought of Aya breaking off their friendship over her past troubled her. But it was a possibility she had to face.


    ¡®Nothing lasts forever.¡¯


    Mars braced herself for harsh words, steeling her heart she knew it would come to this. People would never be able to look past her exterior and her family name.


    The harsh words never came.


    ¡°Mars you¡¯re my friend, my best friend in fact. Why should a shady past mean anything?¡± Aya hopped off the couch and slung her arms around Mars¡¯s neck. ¡°I understand why you didn¡¯t say it, it¡¯s not like you have much ties to your family now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Mars said. Aya shrugged.


    ¡°Then why would I feel like anything¡¯s changed? You¡¯re the same Mars whose boxes I knocked over the first time we met.¡± Aya grinned and placed a hurried kiss on Mars¡¯s cheek. She let go of her and started walking towards her room to change.


    ¡°You should probably wear a hat, like a really big one if you decide to go out.¡± Aya called from the room.


    Mars touched her face where Aya¡¯s lips connected and smiled. Now her heart beat fast for a different reason.


    Of course, the silly girl wouldn¡¯t end their friendship over such a thing. Aya¡¯s heart was too big, and now Mars felt stupid for ever doubting the kind of person Aya was.


    ¡°Do you want to wear my frogger hat?¡± Aya asked from her room, she returned with a comical large green hat topped with felt frog eyes. She presented the item to Mars with a wide grin, waiting for the girl to respond.


    Mars stared at Aya¡¯s face then at the frog hat with her lip lifted in disgust at the garish color and eyes held up by cheap piping. It was nothing she would ever have worn back in Evangels.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to look at frogger like that!¡± Aya whined, scrunching her face in offense. Mars laughed and reached for the hat.


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯ll wear it.¡± Mars said grabbing the item from Aya¡¯s hands and dumping it on her head. It was larger than she expected but the hat did a good job of obscuring her face. Maybe the best disguise was something she wouldn¡¯t have ever worn back then.


    ¡°Yay!¡± Aya said clapping her hands. ¡°Good luck and tell Atlas thank you for the donuts.¡±


    ¡°I hope you have enough room for dinner.¡± Mars said with a frown. She couldn¡¯t let Atlas outdo her when it came to taking care of Aya, what kind of best friend would that make her?


    ¡°I always have room for dinner.¡± Aya said puffing her chest out with a matter of fact tone.


    ¡°Good, I¡¯ll be back and taking the key, don¡¯t play Moon Valley too long or else.¡±


    Aya stuck her tongue out, prompting Mars to flick her forehead.


    ¡°Ow!¡±


    Mars smirked then took the chance to plant a kiss on Aya¡¯s forehead. Aya gasped, looking up at Mars who was already turning to head out the door.


    ¡°Just returning the favor.¡±

 122~Damsel In Distress (1)

    Yvlena woke up to Sprite tugging on her hair. The girl groaned, forgetting she was actively trying to return Dylan to his hometown. The quest had been one of the most stressful she¡¯d ever taken but it was worth it to revisit the outskirts and check on one of the storylines.


    ¡®Only, it doesn¡¯t just feel like a story when I¡¯m in here.¡¯ Yvlena thought standing up and rubbing her eyes.


    It seemed that while her body within the game slept, her health and stamina were fully restored. It must have been a pretty long nap.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Dylan?¡± Yvlena asked, still in a daze from waking up in her game. She looked towards Sprite who was angrily buzzing in her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m awake now, I¡¯m sorry I slept off in the middle of the return journey.¡± Yvlena said, placing her hands on her hips and pouting.


    ¡®These guys wouldn¡¯t believe what I just went through irl.¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°Dylan ran off into the forest Yvlena, we have to find that rascal before he gets himself in serious trouble!¡± Sprite said.


    Yvlena threw her neck back and groaned. Of course, he would run off after she had fallen asleep. He didn¡¯t even know where he was and now he¡¯d run off.


    Again.


    ¡°This is getting super annoying.¡± Yvlena said under her breath but didn¡¯t blame Dylan much, she had spent most of the day asleep and she would need to go back soon to catch some z¡¯s before the moving truck in her world would come.


    ¡®Enough thoughts of the outside world, it¡¯s time to have fun playing as Yvlena the elf.¡¯ she thought.


    ----------


    ¡°Dylan?¡± Yvlena called as she walked through the forest, so far she hadn¡¯t encountered any of the usual mobs she would find here. There was still no sign of the young man and Yvlena was starting to worry that a wild creature might have picked him off.


    ¡°Yvlena!¡± a voice called. The voice was small, faint as if he was far into the foliage and so far Yvlena hadn¡¯t bothered to venture beyond the path outlined by old merchant carts on their way to Bloom Haven.


    ¡°Dylan?¡± She shouted again looking beyond. No answer came, forcing her to dive head first into the thicket.


    Yvlena followed the voice into the thicket and reached in with some hesitance, she stepped forward into an almost identical path to the one she was on before but the game notified her she was on another level.


    Bloom Forest L3


    ¡°Level 3?¡± She asked herself. It made sense though, on the forums most dungeons had five or more floors with five floors minimum.


    She always found it weird how the Bloom Forest stopped at level 2, but now she understood it was because she had not explored the forest area enough to find the rest of the levels.


    ¡°Hey, that means Bavga¡¯s Swamp has more levels too.¡± The realization made her frown, but it was worth it for the exp. That area was the most intense she had come across so far and she hadn¡¯t checked the rarity of the items she could find there.


    ¡®So much to do.¡¯ She thought.


    ¡°Dylan?¡± Yvlena called, cupping her hands over her mouth to scream his name. Kuti chirruped and lifted a lace-clothed hand to point toward a creature watching them. The sound of something thudding suddenly against the ground repeatedly drew Yvlena¡¯s gaze in the direction her summon pointed.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Before the party was a familiar enemy with a new twist, rather than the single horned rabbit they had encountered so far, Yvlena and her group were up against a larger creature with a set of jagged antlers. The rabbit was large, almost the size of the wild boar they had fought within the outskirts.


    Yvlena gulped.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose it¡¯s friendly.¡± She said with a nervous laugh, one glance to her side told her the summons were gearing up for a fight and it would be a tough one.


    The pounding against the floor stopped and in a flash, the creature leaped forward.


    [Jackalope Cast Dash]


    With blinding speed, Yvlena almost couldn¡¯t match the creature kicking its foot as it sought to gore her on its antlers.


    Rabbit Knight jumped forward, parrying the attack with its rapier and giving Yvlena an opening to cast her skill.


    [Yvlena cast Harvest Skill: Wide Sweep]


    [Kuti cast Weaken (03MP)]


    [Jackalope afflicted with weakness -30% HP and attack]


    Two skills working as one slowed the creature¡¯s attack just long enough for the jackalope to pause in its next move.


    Yvlena could tell it was more intelligent than its lesser cousins.  The horned rabbits would simply rush forward uncaring of who their enemy was, but this rabbit creature was sizing her up. Would it run away if it couldn¡¯t fight her?


    ¡®I¡¯m not giving it the chance to figure that out.¡¯


    ¡°Sprite cast bind on it.¡± Yvlena said, running forward and raising her sickle to strike. The jackalope moved to attack but found itself constrained by thorny vines wrapping around its strong legs. The creature struggled even as Yvlena brought down her weapon hard.


    Her sickle¡¯s blade clanged against the antlers, getting caught in one of the spaces in between. She pulled it back but forgot the effects of Sprite¡¯s bind had already worn off.


    [Jackalope cast headbutt]


    The rabbit surged, striking Yvlena¡¯s midsection with maximum force. The elven girl felt the wind push out of her lungs and a sharp sensation overcame her. She yelped.


    ¡°Ahh!¡± she clutched her middle tightly noticing her HP had gone down significantly but what was she expecting from taking such a hit directly?


    ¡°Yvlena!¡± Sprite called, rushing to heal the summoner while Rabbit Knight unleashed his sword skills upon the Jackalope.


    [Sprite cast Cure (05 MP)]


    [Rabbit Knight Cast Slash (03MP)]


    ¡°I¡¯m alright, it just caught me off guard.¡± She said breathlessly. When she saw Dylan again, she was going to hit him as hard as she could for putting her in this situation.


    Again.


    Yvlena stood up, gripping her sickle in one hand and still holding her stomach.


    ¡°Kuti cast paralyze quickly, let¡¯s see if the status ailments stack.¡± Yvlena ordered. The doll nodded and lifted her hands to use her skill.


    [Kuti cast Paralyze (05MP)]


    [Jackalope afflicted with paralyze, Jackalope might be unable to move]


    The rabbit creature froze in place allowing Yvlena to strike it with a decisive blow of her own. It yelped as it died, disappearing into flakes of light as Yvlena sighed in relief.


    ¡°Finally, that was almost as hard as killing the boar!¡± she said.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Exp: 1400/2070


    ***


    Rabbit Meat x5


    Jackalope Antlers x2


    ***


    Moon Points x500]


    [Harvest Skill: Wide Sweep leveled up]


    [Class Skill Summon Leveled up]


    [Rabbit Knight gained a level +1]


    [Sprite gained a level +1]


    ¡°Whew, that was quite the battle.¡± Yvlena said, looking through the system messages. She read through the level-up messages and nodded in appreciation. It had been quite some time since she had seen any of her skills go up but she supposed that was her fault.


    Lately, her real life hadn¡¯t allowed her to focus so much on gaming, but things would have been better if she had moved into the new apartment.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Yvlena said pressing onward.

 123~Damsel In Distress (2)

    ¡°It''s nice to be out in the wild again.¡± Yvlena said walking over to a berry bush and harvesting the fruit she could see. Avaresh Swamp had tired her out to no end with its murky waters and hidden danger, it was nice to be in the forest again.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    **


    Foxen Berries (Herb) x3]


    ¡°Alright! New things to forage, I wonder if Risel¡¯s been here. I don''t think so, she did say she went to the Verdant Woods more often.¡± Yvlena said, storing the berries in her inventory.


    They were a bright purplish-red and looked plump enough to eat but somehow Yvlena got the feeling they were dangerous somehow.


    ¡®This may just be my Harvest Guardian senses, but I think this plant may be poisonous.¡¯ she thought.


    As they walked, Yvlena wondered why she had such trouble defeating the Jackalope, perhaps it was just a higher level but she didn''t seem as strong.


    ¡°It''s probably because the Moon Sickle isn''t as strong as my Carrot Sword! I miss that sword so much now.¡± She whined.


    ¡°Yvlena!¡± She heard Dylan call again.


    ¡°I hope he learned not to run off so much anymore.¡± Yvlena smirked, following the sound of the voice whining for her to save him.


    Yvlena and her summons rounded the corner to find Dylan tied to the thick bark of an old tree. The young man struggled against the binding and Yvlena was left to wonder who tied them.


    Below him was a cluster of tiny field mice squeaking threateningly as they pointed their spears at him. He kicked at them which only made his situation worse.


    Dylan¡¯s squirming only infuriated them, causing the mice to retaliate by poking him harder.


    ¡°Oh thank the gods! Yvlena help!¡± He yelled the moment he saw her. Yvlena ran forward and without hesitation unleashed her skill.


    [Yvlena Cast Harvest Skill: Wide Sweep]


    Now at level 2, the force of her attack swept forward in a powerful wave, annihilating the cluster of mice that had surrounded Dylan.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    1300/2070


    ***


    Cheese x3


    Mushroom x2


    ***


    Moon Points x50]


    The ropes came loose, and Dylan fell to the forest floor in a heap. He landed with a thud, groaning in pain as he rolled over to lay on his back.


    ¡°Sprite, help him out.¡± Yvlena said rolling her eyes.


    [Sprite Cast Cure(05MP)]


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Dylan mumbled. He kept his gaze low, knowing if he looked up he would be met with the furious eyes (and possibly fist) of an elf maiden.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°And how did you end up here?¡± Yvlena asked keeping her tone even, Dylan saw through her calm demeanor. The girl was holding back a storm.


    ¡°I heard a noise, I followed it and I was ambushed.¡± He mumbled.


    Yvlena pinched the bridge of her nose, resisting the urge to ask why he hadn''t just stayed near the traveler¡¯s temple.


    ¡°Okay let''s head back to town, it''s a straight road from her anyway and we get to pass by the lake too.¡± She said already turning around and heading back the way she came.


    ¡°Uh...Yvlena.¡± Dylan said, pushing his fingers together nervously.


    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked, looking at him. Dylan pointed to a hole where a large and angry head had suddenly started emerging beside him.


    The young man was frozen in fear, his legs quaking as he looked towards the hole where a giant mouse snout was emerging, its whiskers brushed his pants making it harder for him to concentrate on anything but his fear.


    ¡°Well don''t just stand there! Run!¡± Yvlena yelled. If they could escape now maybe they wouldn¡¯t have to trigger the boss! Dylan squeaked but couldn''t find the courage to move, his gaze was fixed firmly on the paws now climbing out as well.


    ¡®So much for all his bravado!¡¯ Yvlena thought!


    A tail had already wrapped around his leg and pulled him towards the hole before swinging him into the tree. Dylan''s back slammed against the tree so hard that he clenched his teeth to keep his sounds of pain in.


    ¡°Dylan!¡± Yvlena and Sprite called in worry.


    [Your companion is critically injured and unable to assist you in battle]


    ¡°Oh no...¡± Yvlena said in a panic, she would have to fight whatever was coming out of that hole and it looked to be as big as the Rabbit Queen''s secret boss she''d fought so long ago.


    It would be easier now that she had her summons right?


    Right?


    Finally, the being emerged from its hole to reveal a giant field mouse, it sniffed the air looking for its kin before setting its sights on Yvlena.


    She gulped.


    [You have encountered: Field Mouse Sentinel]


    The large rodent bellowed, sending a wave of warm cheesy breath stinking through the forest. Now fully out of its home Yvlena took a good look at it.


    Lowering her hand and looking up she could see the Mouse Sentinel was a giant chubby rodent with its cheeks stuffed full of cheese, Its head was encased in silvery armor, and in its paw it clutched a spear in the same style as its smaller compatriots, the spear¡¯s tip was topped with a piece of sharpened cheese!


    Black beady eyes stared down at the girl and her companions before unleashing a battle cry for the ages.


    [Field Mouse Sentinel Cast Piercing Slice]


    The spear shot forward, forcing Yvlena to dodge with Kuti on her neck. The massive Spear whistled past her ears, separating her from Sprite and Rabbit Knight.


    Rabbit Knight in a burst of speed with Sprite close behind, ran towards the Mouse Sentinel to deliver their Stunner combo.


    [Battle Skill: Rabbit Sting Combo]


    ¡°Kuti cast paralyze and weaken!¡± Yvlena said jumping back to avoid a swing of the giant mouse¡¯s spear.


    [Yvlena Cast Harvest Skill: Wide Sweep]


    Yvlena read through the system messages, without taking her eyes off the giant creature in front of her. She knew the spear shot wouldn¡¯t be the only skill the mouse would have up its sleeve.


    Sensing an opportunity she aimed for its armed hand, aiming to make the creature drop its spear. She swung, slicing the Moon Sickle¡¯s blade against Mouse¡¯s hand. It shrieked, and with its tail smacked Yvlena to the side.


    The elf flew to the side, turning her body to cradle Kuti so she would not smash against the ground.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± She cried, landing hard. The doll in her hands shook her head and lifted her hands. ¡°I¡¯m fine Kuti, this isn¡¯t my first time.¡±


    [Field Mouse Sentinel Cast Tail Whip]


    In a flash, the mouse had Rabbit Knight soaring through the air the same way it had sent Yvlena. She rushed over to him but Sprite was already on it casting cure as fast as she could.


    ¡°What can I do?¡± Yvlena asked, picking herself up and dusting off the bits of grass stuck in her hair.


    The mouse shrieked again, rearing up for another attack when Yvlena was hit with a bright idea. There was one thing she hadn¡¯t tried yet.


    The bell.

 124~Like Father, Like Son

    Yvlena dodged another tail attack and opened up her inventory to read the description again. As she had previously read the description with the specs the details would show the same way.


    [Giant Teddy Summon Bell


    ***


    Type: Summon Bell (Epic)


    The ringing of the bell summons the celestial spirit to deliver an attack action before disappearing.


    The Celestial Spirit of Elio the bear, a gentle protector of those weak and small.


    One of 5 Celestial Spirits (Toy Land Set)


    (Story uncovered with each piece added)]


    She grabbed the bell, leaping over the spear as it struck forward to impale her. Yvlena skidded to a halt, right in front of the Field Mouse Sentinel, and with both hands shook the bell so that its clear chime rang out.


    For a moment nothing seemed to happen, Yvlena held the bell with shaking hands wondering what she had done wrong. Her choice to stand in front of the mouse left her open and vulnerable to a devastating attack.


    ¡°Oh no!¡± She yelled, bracing herself for the point of the spear.


    The bell rang again, and a shower of cartoonish glowing stars fell over her. The ground shook and a large teddy bear descended from the sky falling bottom-first onto the field mouse and crushing it with its weight.


    Yvlena laughed. Elio, the bear looked around before locating her, the summoner. He gave a bright grin and jumped up, bouncing as he did. With his attack action done, he waved at her before disappearing in a pop and rush of stars.


    Yvlena turned back to the Field Mouse who had dropped its spear after the devastating attack. She grinned deviously and rushed throwing her sickle as she ran.


    [Yvlena Cast Crescent Throw]


    The sickle spun in the air, colliding with the sentinel multiple times before returning to her hands.


    [Rabbit Knight Cast Rabbit Volley (05MP)


    [Sprite Cast Sting (01MP)]


    [Yvlena Cast Harvest Skill: Wide Sweep]


    Together the barrage of attacks was enough to finish the Field Mouse Sentinel off. It fell forward disappearing in flakes of golden light and leaving Yvlena her rewards.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    2200/2070


    ***


    Gourmet Cheese (Rare) x5


    Grass Stone (Low Grade) x1


    Field Mouse Sentinel Spear (Rare) x1


    ***


    Moon Points x300


    Moon Gems x25]Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    [Yvlena is now level 16]


    ¡°I leveled up!¡± She cheered, but she didn¡¯t have time to focus on her rewards from the fight as she rushed over to Dylan with a common health potion in her hand.


    ¡°Dylan!¡± she cried falling to her knees. She lifted the boy¡¯s head gently and opened his mouth to tip the potion into his mouth. He drank it all, grimacing as the liquid slid down his throat. Yvlena hadn¡¯t tried one yet herself but she knew it wouldn¡¯t taste too good.


    ¡°Yvlena?¡± he called rubbing his head.


    ¡°Yeah it¡¯s me, you got taken out by that giant mouse. I hope you won¡¯t go running off again.¡± She said shaking him furiously.


    ¡°I won¡¯t, I won¡¯t!¡± he said in protest. Yvlena let go of Dylan and joined him to sit in the grass. She sighed then suddenly punched his upper arm hard.


    ¡°What was that for?!¡± he barked.


    ¡°You know very well what that was for!¡± Yvlena replied. Dylan grumbled under his breath and rubbed the sore arm until it stopped hurting.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get back to Bloom Haven, your mother must be worried sick. You can tell her all about your adventures when you get there.¡±


    ----------


    The return to Bloom Haven was smooth with Dylan not having the energy to run off into the distance chasing danger. Yvlena wouldn¡¯t admit it but she was secretly glad the mouse had hit him hard enough that he didn¡¯t have the strength to be foolish.


    Once they walked through Bloom Haven¡¯s familiar gates, Yvlena dismissed her summons to give them some well needed rest before the next battle.


    They arrived at the Floral District, easily spotting his house and his mother who was outside hanging fresh laundry. At the sight of her son she practically leaped over the fence to grab him.


    ¡°Dylan where have you been!¡± The woman yelled, shaking the boy furiously the same way Yvlena had done not too long ago. She looked to Yvlena for an explanation, narrowing her gaze in anger at the elf.


    ¡°I took him to see his father¡¯s final resting place, at his request of course.¡± Yvlena said nervously, with how realistic the NPCs were in this game it wouldn¡¯t surprise her if Olivia was pissed off at the thought of her son going out on such a dangerous journey.


    Olivia¡¯s eyes softened, she should have known her son would have liked to venture out on his own to find the grave site.


    ¡°And he went with you?¡± Olivia asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry I kept both my eyes on him.¡± Yvlena said. Dylan wasn¡¯t in rough shape thanks to Sprite and a bunch more health potions.


    Olivia stared at her son¡¯s face with a forlorn expression, she lifted her hand to caress his face gently and soon started to cry.


    ¡°I should have known this day would come.¡± She said softly. Olivia turned to Yvlena, who was allowing the family to have their moment and smiled.


    ¡°Twice now, you¡¯ve done a kindness for my family and I don¡¯t even know you. Did you perchance know my husband in his youth? I know your people live long.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not ma¡¯am but I¡¯ve grown fond of you and Dylan, plus he asked for my help I couldn¡¯t turn him down.¡± Yvlena replied confidently.


    ¡°Thanks Yvlena.¡± Dylan said.


    ¡°Look after yourself and your mom okay, that¡¯s really all the thanks I need.¡± Yvlena told him. ¡®And stay in Bloom Haven until you¡¯re stronger please!¡¯ she thought.


    [Through your actions you have progressed the story of this town and its citizens, they may prove to be helpful allies in the future]


    Yvlena read through the notification curiously. That was new, she already knew she had progressed the story of the Harvest Guardian with her actions but she didn¡¯t know she could affect Bloom Haven more than she already did.


    [Subclass: Leveled Up


    Garden Mystic (Harvest Guardian) 3/10]


    ¡°Mom, I want to join the town guard.¡± Yvlena heard Dylan say as Olivia led him into the house. The elf¡¯s eyes widened. She didn¡¯t know why she was as shocked as she was, it made sense that he wanted to be just like his father.


    And well...he certainly had the instincts for it.


    ¡°He¡¯s on the right path but I hope we don¡¯t have another quest together in the future unless he grows up!¡± Yvlena said to herself.


    The walk back to the Rose Manor was quiet, without Dylan and his antics it was oddly lonely. But that was okay, she had so many things to do and she had a quest with Risel to look forward to.


    Pushing past the gates, she sighed in relief and went to sit under the big tree to rest. Now she could safely log out for a while.


    Yvlena took a long look at the bright blue sky of Bloom Haven all the while she thought of the real world and moving day.


    ¡°Right, that¡¯s tomorrow.¡± she said, leaning back fully against the tree. ¡°The next time I log in, it¡¯ll be from Mericross.¡±

 125~Reconciliation

    Aya took the Revista off her head with a heavy sigh, she patted it lightly and stood up to place the head gear and all its components safely into its box. With some leftover tape, she sealed it, putting it aside for pick up in the moving van.


    She smiled and returned to her room to lay down. Mars wasn¡¯t back yet from her meeting with Atlas and Aya didn¡¯t feel like playing any more games. In the emptiness of the house, she took out her phone and went to the call log.


    The number she had saved as her uncle¡¯s was there waiting for her to press call and communicate. Aya hesitated, what if she was disturbing the man? She didn¡¯t know anything about him only hazy memories from funerals.


    She pressed call, then put the phone up to her ear and waited.


    ----------


    Canary Park was cold when Mars stepped out of the car. She paid the rider, rating him five stars on the app, and tipped him generously for getting her to her destination.


    She looked around, trying to locate Atlas amidst the couples that sat idly around the park, Mars walked allowing her feet to carry her nowhere in particular. She was sure she looked ridiculous in Aya¡¯s frog hat but wearing it brought a smile to her face.


    Eventually, she walked up to a small bridge where the stream had dried up, and standing there was a figure on his phone in black.


    ¡°Atlas?¡± Mars called unsurely, the figure locked eyes with her and she stepped forward more confidently now that she knew.


    ¡°Mars.¡± he said, Atlas made no move to shake her hand or hug her. He did not reach for her the way Aya would have and that disappointed her.


    ¡°What are you wearing?¡± he said regarding the giant hat, if she hadn¡¯t spoken he would have thought it was just someone with a very odd sense of style. Knowing Mars she thought it was a good disguise.


    Mars folded her arms, jutting out her chin in defiance.


    ¡°Aya gave it to me, what did you want to talk to me about?¡±


    ¡°I heard you were moving to Mericross.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my last night here, what of it?¡± She spoke with her guard up, as usual, Atlas noticed. His shoulders tensed and he wondered if it was a bad idea asking to see her. Mars was always able to do what he could not and stand her ground.


    Mars cocked an eyebrow, internally she winced at her words. She didn¡¯t mean to be harsh with him, but Atlas brought out a side of her she hid from everyone, the tenderness to her rough edge. Then again, wasn¡¯t Aya like that as well?


    It was a wonder how their parents ever thought they could get married. He was always a scared little boy and she would let him follow her around. It was cute until it wasn¡¯t.


    Despite him being older he would cling to her, it was nice to have company when the Seelim manor was devoid of everyone but maids but Mars knew what she wanted before he¡¯d even gotten the chance to think about it.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Maybe she had just outgrown him.


    The dark haired girl watched him shift uncomfortably under her gaze until finally he said something.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t say anything about the wedding that day.¡± Atlas blurted out. ¡°I always thought they were joking about it, until the meeting between our families.¡±


    Mars¡¯s eyes widened, is that what he wanted to talk to her about? She had already forgiven him all those years ago. It had never been fair to blame Atlas for the actions of their parents but Mars was just too angry at the time to see it.


    She remembered her harsh words to him before storming out of the large dining room. Atlas had shrunk in his seat, withering away like the wallflower he was.


    ¡°No.¡± She said facing away from him and looking past the trees to the hotel casting a large shadow over the park. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault and I-I never should have blamed you.¡±


    ¡°But I was a coward.¡± Atlas said. It stung to hear her words repeated. Mars should have never thrown that back in his face.


    ¡°And I ran away, I¡¯m even doing it again so who¡¯s the bigger coward?¡± Mars tossed him a smirk but Atlas still had that forlorn expression like he wanted to grovel. She tapped the bridge¡¯s railing anxiously. Should she apologize? Would it even make a difference now?


    ¡°We were just kids.¡± Mars said patting his shoulder. He still had his head bowed, the weight of his past inactions holding him down even now. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I said that stuff, I was just so angry. It felt like I had no control over my own life, running away was the only thing I could do.¡±


    Atlas leaned on the railing, heart pounding at the next words he wanted to say.


    ¡°I really did love you.¡±


    Mars¡¯s grip around the metal tightened, she knew it was coming and it only made the guilt in her heart grow. She knew he did. She glared, trying to calm herself down.


    ¡°We were just kids, we didn¡¯t know anything about that.¡± She said trying to relax her grip on the bridge¡¯s railings before she strained her hand.


    ¡°I know, I wish I said it back then. I know it wouldn¡¯t have changed anything but I really did. I¡¯ve moved on from it but I wanted you to know that.¡±


    Mars nodded. She reached out, touching the face of her almost husband. She could imagine what it would be like to be married to him, it would have been a comfortable existence, one that her parents would have wanted for her.


    But that was not her, that was not Mars.


    ¡°Stop being scared of what you want, Atlas. We¡¯re all grown up now.¡± Mars said gently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I left you alone, but I was figuring stuff out too.¡±


    He looked like he was about to cry, green eyes grew glassy at her words and made Mars feel all the more guilty. It was all so long ago so why...why was the wound still fresh?


    ¡°I wish you would have said something, we didn¡¯t have to stop talking.¡± Atlas sniffed, Mars was immediately reminded of when they were younger.


    He was right though, they didn¡¯t.


    ¡°We can start over, I¡¯m here now.¡± it sounded lame but she really was. Atlas had been with her through a rough and lonely childhood. Mars didn¡¯t deny she still cared for him, cherished him even. She took her hat off


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to try if you are.¡±


    ¡°Of course I am and you don¡¯t have to worry. I...love someone else.¡± Atlas said sounding childish as he said that. It piqued Mars¡¯s interest but it wasn¡¯t something she wanted to look into.


    ¡°Oh really? I¡¯m sure they¡¯re very nice. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever get to that point but I¡¯m happy you seem to have.¡± Mars said with a smile.


    Atlas took out an embroidered handkerchief and wiped his eyes and nose.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell Aya you made me cry.¡±


    ¡°Reporting me to the authority? That¡¯s treacherous coming for you Atlas.¡± Mars joked. Atlas laughed too.


    This was definitely the best outcome of the night.

 126~A Couple By The Bridge

    Arlo stepped over the balcony overlooking Canary Park, he had asked for the best view in the house and this was all they could offer him. He snorted.


    He gazed around with his phone in his hand looking up periodically at the people milling about the park. He scoffed, such simpletons. He couldn¡¯t wait to return to Evangels and tell Mateo it was a mistake setting up a tournament in such a small, poor city.


    The turnout would be low and wouldn¡¯t make back the money invested, it might as well be deemed a tax write-off for charity.


    ¡°Whatever, maybe I need some fresh air.¡± he said running a hand through his hair. He walked back into his room to access the elevator and go down to the park near the apartment.


    Maybe the city was injecting its rottenness into his veins.


    His dad had been from Axen and didn¡¯t have a kind word to say about living there. He tugged on a jacked and opened the door to take the elevator down to the entrance.


    The evening air was cool when he emerged from the air conditioned hotel lobby, Arlo looked towards the trees and park benches before making his way across the street and into the park.


    He walked solemnly through the stone streets, hands in his pocket as he looked around at the passersby. A lot of them were young men and women with some elderly sprinkled in between. From what he could hear they talked about their days, their hobbies, and most of all the hottest game on everyone¡¯s lips, Moon Valley.


    Arlo smirked, Eos was making their way into the scene, Scarlet Frontier was dying out and they needed to move on to something new. Moon Valley was it and soon its PvP would be the next great e-sport.


    He sighed, taking a deep breath to calm himself from the frustrations of the evening. He looked through the trees, his eyes landing on a pair speaking by the bridge. Arlo chuckled, wondering how long they had been together, he was about to look away when he realized he recognized that face¡­


    Wasn¡¯t that Atlas?


    He leaned forward, turning on his phone camera he zoomed in until he quite clearly caught the face of the man he had spoken to hours earlier at the cafe.


    But the woman beside him wasn¡¯t the brunette shorty he was with! She was taller, with dark hair and eyes, wearing a ridiculous frog hat that prevented him from seeing her face. Arlo whistled.


    ¡°Atlas moves fast doesn¡¯t he?¡± Arlo said he stopped to watch them for a moment, unable to hear their private conversation, he could only speculate on what was going on between them.


    He watched them until the girl took off her hat, revealing herself to be the person he had been searching for all this time, Mars.


    He nearly dropped his phone at the sight of her. Arlo took a picture and without hesitation opened up his messages to send it to the Eos Conquerors group chat. He paused.


    Looking at the picture he had taken, his former teammate seemed sad. He scoffed.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡®Why should I care when she abandoned me?¡¯ He thought, his thumb hovering over the send icon, it would only take a moment for him to have all of E.C swarming Axen to catch her.


    Arlo paused again, his heart beating so loudly he could hear it in his ears. He needed to confront her before he told them where she was.


    The silver haired man watched Atlas and Mars depart the scene, hiding behind a tree before they could catch sight of him.


    ----------


    Mars got home with a weight lifted off her shoulders, she turned the key in the lock and stepped in to find Aya waiting for her scrolling through her phone.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back.¡± Aya said grinning ear to ear. ¡°How was it?¡±


    Mars nodded, she didn¡¯t have a lot to say about her conversation with Atlas, Aya would simply not understand without context and she didn¡¯t know how much Atlas had told Aya about their relationship.


    ¡°We agreed to start over as friends.¡± Mars said.


    Aya jumped for joy, landing with a thump on the wooden floor, her actions immediately caused the tenants below her to begin poking furiously at them from below.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Aya shouted, hoping they could hear her. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault the floor is so thin.¡± Aya muttered with a pout.


    Mars laughed, walking over and placing her hand in Aya¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Aya blinked, smiling widely. Mars knew if Aya had a tail she would be wagging it by now. The girl was too invested in her and Atlas¡¯s relationship.


    ¡°For what?¡± Aya asked tilting her head in confusion. All she did was connect them via phone number, Atlas was the one who wanted to make up first.


    Mars shook her head, patting Aya gently. She took the frog hat off her head and placed it on Aya fondly.


    ¡°Are you all packed up?¡± Mars asked, walking into her bedroom to change out of her outfit for the evening.


    ¡°Yeah, I called my uncle too.¡± Aya said.


    Mars stuck her head out of the bedroom, then after tugging on a loose shirt, she came out to sit by Aya on the couch.


    ¡°That¡¯s great, what did he say?¡±


    ¡°That he wanted to meet me of course, I told him I was moving out of Axen, he seemed relieved.¡± Aya said. ¡°Everyone seems to think it¡¯s best for me to leave this city.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re moving on to bigger and better things.¡± Mars said placing her hand on Aya¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s natural for the people who care about you to be happy about that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s basically what Nisha said.¡±


    Mars remembered her as the cashier at the convenience store, they had only met for transactional purposes but now Aya regarded her as a friend, a close one it seemed.


    ¡°Exactly. Now come on, we¡¯re having pizza for dinner. I¡¯m not cooking tonight.¡±


    ¡°But Mars I love your cooking!¡± Aya whined.


    ¡°Cooking is for people who stay at home and have energy.¡± Mars said picking up her phone to dial the number for takeout. ¡°Besides, we¡¯ve gone through our groceries, did you think I was cooking nonstop to save them.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right.¡± Aya said. She had a home cooked meal the whole week before they were supposed to be moving, it would have been a disaster if they still had any fresh produce right now.


    Mars patted Aya¡¯s head again, then began speaking to the person on the other end of the line for their pizza. She relayed the address and the flavor with extra cheese and toppings for them to enjoy.


    ¡°It¡¯s be here soon, I got drinks too.¡±


    ¡°Not energy drinks I hope.¡±


    Mars snorted.


    ¡°I would like to sleep tonight, hello?¡± The girl laughed and sunk into the couch to wait for their pizza and what tomorrow would bring them.

 127~Moving Day (1)

    Morning came swiftly and before they knew it Aya and Mars were rising with the sun. The moving truck would be there early and soon they would be leaving the apartment for good.


    Mars walked out of her room, phone in hand as she checked with the driver and the movers who would be in the vehicle with him.


    Aya was already in the bathroom getting ready for the long journey to Mericross. Mars waited for her to finish before running into the bathroom to begin her own routine.


    ¡°No breakfast?¡± Aya asked, pouting.


    ¡°We''ll get some on the train to Mericross.¡± Mars said yawning. The truck would be there any minute now, the driver told her he was already coming up on the turning towards their run down apartment complex.


    Aya looked out the window in time to see the truck pull into the driveway. It was a large orange and yellow van, with the company logo printed in bold green letters.


    ¡°Cole trucking co.¡± Aya read. That was a bit tough to say, almost like a tongue twister.


    ¡°Oh perfect they''re here, come on Aya we have to let them get packing.¡± Mars said, tugging on her jacket.


    Aya nodded and watched a pair of burly men exit the truck¡¯s rear. She followed their movements towards the entrance where they were stopped by...


    Lydia.


    The hag held her hand up authoritatively, speaking to the men in what Aya assumed was her usual condescending tone. The men exchanged glances with each other and then took out their phones, no doubt to call Mars, their client.


    Mars picked up, then followed Aya¡¯s gaze to the window where Lydia had stopped them. The dark haired girl sighed deeply and answered the phone, telling them she would be down shortly.


    ¡°Your aunt¡¯s a pain in the ass.¡± Mars said, pulling open the door and walking down to get the movers.


    Aya watched them argue downstairs, watching in glee as Mars and the pair of movers pushed past the old woman and began their ascent toward their apartment.


    ----------


    The heaviest thing to carry down was Mars¡¯s gaming pod, the men carried it gently, moving at the pace of a snail as they got it into the truck. Aya and Mars helped with the smaller items, taking their clothes, and dishes on a long trip down the stairs.


    The men came up to carry the rest of Mars¡¯s equipment and Aya¡¯s boxed up Revista.


    ¡°Finally moving huh?¡± Mars said with a grin, she bumped her shoulder gently into Aya¡¯s who smiled back at her.


    ¡°Finally.¡± Aya said. ¡°I can''t wait to get on that train and never look back.¡±


    The girls exited the apartment complex, the moving van, now packed up, was already on its way to their new apartment in Mericross. In its place was supposed to be a taxi waiting to take them to the train station but it hadn''t arrived yet.


    ¡°Huh, the car''s not here yet. That''s annoying.¡±


    But there was one more obstacle in their path and that was Lydia.


    ¡°You want to take this one or should I?¡± Mars asked, ready to spit fire at the annoying old woman who had made her friend¡¯s life hell.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°If she tries anything, I got it.¡± Aya said confidently. They walked past Lydia, ignoring her as they made their way to the driveway so they could wait for the car that would ferry them to their destination.


    ¡°Where do you think you''re going?¡± A voice asked behind them. Aya and Mars turned around to see Lydia¡¯s lip curved in a sneer. The woman stood like a Miasmic creature at the entrance of the building a few meters away from them.


    ¡°You think you have the right to leave this place, your grandmother-¡±


    ¡°You should probably get some new material, you''ve tried that already.¡± Aya said with a shrug, a smug expression overtook her features. ¡°Remember when you said I had nowhere to go? Where''s that confidence now?¡±


    ¡°You can''t leave, when Fido gets here-¡±


    Aya cut her off again.


    ¡°Lydia, does it look like I''m going to be around when Mr. Fido gets here?¡± Aya asked incredulously. ¡°Look around! I''m leaving.¡±


    The crone clutched her head in a panic, her emotions were plain to see. If Aya wasn''t here they couldn''t keep blackmailing her uncle.


    Aya wondered if it was wise to tell her she was on to them, but reasoned that would be stupid. Aya shook her head.


    ¡°Geez, where is that car?¡±


    ¡°Not so fast.¡±


    ¡°What is it now?!¡± Mars barked.


    A car had pulled up into the driveway. Rather than a taxi, a beat up four seater that looked to be on its last legs squeaked into the scene


    Its occupant stepped out with a smirk and one hand in his pocket.


    ¡°Aya won''t be going anywhere.¡± Fido said.


    Lydia gasped and her expression of despair transformed into one of arrogance.


    ¡°You see it''s beneficial for us that Aya stays with Lydia, not only are they family but there are certain opportunities that we cannot allow to slip by.¡±


    ¡°You mean the blackmail.¡± Aya said in disgust. ¡°We know all about that already.¡±


    ¡°You two have got to be the dumbest criminals I''ve met.¡± Mars sighed.


    Fido frowned, how long had Aya known?


    ¡°Would a dumb criminal do this?¡± Fido whipped out a gun, but to Mars¡¯s surprise, Aya didn''t seem fazed at all. The brunette laughed.


    ¡®I knew this girl was not normal.¡¯ Mars thought, meanwhile she looked around for a way to get out of the situation. She was about to tell Aya to run when the brunette spoke again.


    ¡°All that money and you haven''t upgraded your car in three years?¡± Aya retorted.


    ¡°Shut up and put your hand up. You think I''m going to let a stupid brat ruin the best years of my life?¡± Fido snapped, ¡°I''m surprised Lydia even let you get this far.¡±


    Mars intended to step forward, she didn''t know what she was going to do, but she would be damned if she let anything happen to Aya.


    Fido chuckled and turned the gun on Mars.


    ¡°I remember you, not so tough now with a gun in your face.¡±


    ¡°Oh brother, all that money and that''s the gun you could afford. Well, I suppose any bigger and we''d both think you were compensating for something.¡± Mars said. She remembered him too, a coward who folded at the first sign of confrontation.


    Fido fumed, his face as red as the peppers Aya had foraged in Moon Valley.


    ¡°Shut up! Shut up!¡± Fido released the safety of his gun and fired a bullet a few feet away from Mars. He whipped the gun around and pointed it back at her.


    ¡°Give me any more attitude and you won''t live to make any more quips.¡± Fido growled.


    Aya slowly put her hand up but didn''t lose her confident expression.


    ¡°Were you ever going to tell me I had family outside of that hag?¡± Aya asked glaring.


    Fido ran a hand through his greasy strands, trying to maintain his calm.


    ¡°It was best you didn''t know, after all, I didn''t think you''d be getting out of this city.¡±


    ¡°Did you plan to keep me here or did you just assume I wouldn''t have any dreams or aspirations? A loser, quite like... you.¡±


    ¡°Watch it.¡± Fido snapped. ¡°Tell your friend to do as I say.¡±


    ¡°Mars, put your hands up.¡± Aya whispered.


    ¡°What are you planning you silly girl?¡±


    ¡°You''ll see.¡±

 128~Moving Day (2)

    At Aya''s cryptic response, Mars slowly lifted her hands into the air too. The situation had escalated and she didn''t know how she would think her way out of this one.


    ¡°Trust me.¡± Aya said winking so fast she almost didn''t catch it. Aya had never lied to her or led her astray. Whatever the brunette was planning, Mars would follow her lead.


    That didn''t make her any less nervous though. Mars gulped, what had she gotten herself into?


    ¡°Oh my God! Aya!¡± A voice screamed from behind the commotion. Nisha and Renard stood aghast at the sight of their friend at gunpoint.


    ¡°Don''t move! Let me see those hands! Shit!¡± Fido shouted, cursing as he swerved to face the newcomers.


    He hadn''t expected there to be witnesses. He broke out in a nervous sweat, if this went badly he would actually have to kill someone, how could he live his life on the run?


    The hand holding the gun trembled as he pointed it at Renard who stood there stone faced.


    The older man motioned to Nisha to do as Fido said, and both lifted their hands slowly as he had ordered them to do.


    ¡°Not the brightest are you?¡± Aya taunted in the other direction.


    ¡°Doesn''t seem to be a strategist this one.¡± Nisha said. She looked toward her friend who had her hands in the air. From her expression, Aya didn''t seem bothered. This was Axen, who hadn''t been held at gunpoint at least once living her.


    ¡°Fragile ego too.¡± Mars said, shaking her head.


    Fido clenched his teeth, boiling over until he lifted his gun in the air and shot twice. The sound startled the group but unbeknownst to them it was only helping further Aya¡¯s plan.


    ¡°Did the clouds put up that much of a fight?¡± Aya laughed.


    ¡°Y-You shut up, I thought living with Lydia would curb your ego.¡±


    ¡°I told you I wasn''t afraid of you, you abandoned me and now you''ve hatched this stupid scheme to do what? Keep me in this shitty apartment for the rest of my life?¡± Aya asked. ¡°Tell me what was your plan when the landlord of the new apartment noticed we didn''t show up?!¡±


    Fido wiped the sweat beading on his brow. He didn''t think about that, he didn''t even know where she was moving to. If it was somewhere more legit of course they would ask questions if the tenant didn''t show up.


    ¡°I would have thought of something.¡±


    ¡°You sure you''ve got enough brain power for that?¡± Nisha said.


    Before Fido could answer, the final cog in the wheel of plans turned and the sounds of sirens began blaring through the air all the way towards the apartment complex.


    It had taken them as long as Aya expected, being on the outskirts of Axen made them more difficult to reach. Fido¡¯s reckless firing only sped up the process as more reports would have been made from the sound of it.


    Not only was the man a coward but he was a moron as well.


    ¡°Police!¡± Fido squeaked, Lydia had already long since disappeared leaving Fido desperately searching for his accomplice.


    The enforcers of the law were soon upon them, rolling out of their vehicles at the sight of Fido¡¯s gun.


    ¡°Police! Drop your weapon!¡± One of the men yelled, pointing his gun back at Fido.


    ¡°Try not to be stupid, though that might be a bit difficult for you.¡± Aya said, sticking her tongue out. She lowered her arms, a sign he no longer held any power over the situation.


    Fido trembled, throwing his gun down and falling to his knees in a panic.


    ¡°Officers! Officers, I swear I''m not the mastermind behind this!¡± Fido yelled, shaking his head. ¡°Please!¡±


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Ewww.¡± Nisha said walking over to Aya. Renard followed suit, trapping Aya in a hug.


    ¡°Aya! Taunting an armed man was very stupid! Very dangerous!¡± He shouted. ¡°Why would you do such a thing?!¡±


    ¡°Fido isn''t a man, he''s a worm.¡± Aya said, casting a glance over at the man now being cuffed. ¡°That coward has been blackmailing my uncle for years all the while working a position at the company.¡±


    Renard was taken aback by the context. He looked over at Fido who was bawling his eyes out, snot running down his face as he pleaded his innocence.


    ¡°He got that gun to scare me, he wouldn''t actually have done anything with it.¡± Aya said, patting Renard on the shoulder.


    ¡°Regardless! Never do anything like that again, understand?! You really don''t know what people are capable of in times like this.¡±


    Aya nodded, the sight of Renard''s worried face reminded her that she had put everyone she cared about in danger. As funny as it sounded, she felt a bit like Dylan. Acting with no regard for their safety.


    "You''re right, I''m sorry. I should have clued you in, but I couldn''t have known if he would try to take me to a second location and I knew the only way I could stall him was to taunt..."


    The older man released her for Mars and Nisha to pull her into hugs of their own.


    "I guess I can forgive you, Aya." Mars said, smirking. ¡°You had me worried for a second there Aya, I thought you had cracked.¡±


    ¡°I knew you couldn''t be taken out by such a maggot.¡± Nisha said.


    ¡°It''s a long story, remember when I told you I talked with my uncle last night? I told him everything about the blackmail and the people doing it. Fido had told him he didn''t know where I was all this time.¡±


    The lights of the police siren painted Aya red and blue as she told them everything she had rehearsed.


    ¡°What an asshole!¡± Mars and Nisha remarked.


    They watched as a group of officers dragged Lydia out of the apartment kicking and screaming. The old hag thought she would escape the situation unscathed.


    From the windows of the apartment complex, the tenants watched, with some even stepping out of their apartments to witness the commotion downstairs.


    The girls and Renard watched the old woman fight being dragged into the cruiser to sit beside Fido.


    ¡°Aya tell them I had nothing to do with it, tell them I''m your aunt!¡± The woman cried.


    ¡°Officer! She kept tabs on me every day and basically held me hostage in my apartment.¡± Aya said to the policeman who took her words seriously.


    Lydia''s pleading expression morphed into one of anger and hatred. She clenched her teeth so hard that Aya thought she would chip the enamel.


    ¡°You brat! After everything I''ve done for you-¡± she was shoved into the police car before she could continue her rant.


    ¡°What a hag.¡± Nisha said, wrinkling her nose. ¡°I can''t believe this happened as we came to see you off on moving day.¡±


    ¡°Me neither, we even have a gift for you.¡± Renard said, handing Aya a box. The brunette accepted graciously.


    ¡°Aww thank you guys.¡± Aya said, wrapping her arms around the burly man.


    ¡°Think of it as your housewarming gift.¡± Renard said.


    ¡°My idea of course!¡± Nisha chimed in.


    ¡°Our idea.¡± Renard corrected.


    With the last of the police cars came the unexpected arrival of Fred. The blonde man stepped out of a black jeep looking as sleepy as ever, yawning as he surveyed the scene.


    ¡°I see I got here just in time.¡±


    ¡°All according to plan.¡± Aya said, smiling at him.


    ¡°A plan I did not support but I suppose it worked out.¡± Fred said. Aya beamed and Fred was suddenly reminded intensely of Anastasia, she had the same radiant smile all through her time at Lumos and now he was staring at her daughter. He couldn''t help but smile back at her.


    ¡°I''m glad to see you''re okay, you too Renanrd.¡±


    ¡°Never let Aya do anything like that again!¡± Renard said exasperatedly. ¡°My heart can''t take it.¡±


    ¡°Frankly neither could mine.¡± Mars said. ¡°I just know Atlas would go crazy if I told him what you did.¡± Mars said.


    ¡°Let''s keep this between you and me.¡± Aya said, making a zipping motion over her lips.


    ----------


    After taking statements and bidding Nisha and Renard farewell. Fred offered them a ride to the train station.


    ¡°Your uncle paid for a First class experience, so we''ll make the 9:00 AM departure time. Here are your tickets.¡± Fred said, handing them the tickets for Korva Express.


    Mars gasped.


    ¡°A cabin to ourselves, hell yeah! Aya, your uncle¡¯s a pretty nice guy.¡±


    Fred smiled, Victor Sinclair was indeed a very kind man. If only Fred could find the time to tell Aya just what the man had done for him.


    Oh well.


    ¡°Indeed, now let''s get there before I fall asleep at the wheel.¡± Fred said, swinging the keys around his finger.


    ¡°No!¡±

 129~The Plan

    [Flashback]


    The board meeting ended with little fanfare, the investors were happy and Lumos Inc. was raking in record profits for a newly established game company. Victor chuckled, he should have known.


    Anastasia had always had good ideas, it was just a shame she did not live to see her work come to fruition.


    There was still hope for David, somehow if they could just¡­


    His thoughts were disrupted by his phone buzzing, lighting up, and wiggling across the table as it rang. Victor frowned, who would be calling him so late?


    He relaxed in his chair before picking up the phone. He read the contact flashing across the screen as Aya, his niece. Without hesitation, he picked up.


    ¡°Hello?¡± he said nervously.


    ¡°Uh, hi¡­¡± Aya replied just as nervously. Victor heard the shuffling of fabric over the phone and surmised she was probably settling into her bed or a couch.


    ¡°My phone died before we could really get a chance to talk.¡± Aya said. There was a long pause over the phone as both didn¡¯t know what to say to the other.


    ¡°How are you? Fred told me he met you at a junk shop in Axen.¡± Victor said starting the conversation. What did people her age even do, he spent just as much time holed up in his office as Fred. What did Aya do for fun other than play his game?


    ¡°Oh yeah, I¡¯m leaving Axen actually. I was saying goodbye to my friends. I¡¯ll still visit occasionally but we all agree it¡¯s for the best I leave such a terrible place. Don¡¯t you think?¡± Aya gave a short laugh, Victor¡¯s heart clenched, it sounded so similar to Anastasia''s carefree laugh.


    ¡°Honestly, that city¡¯s no good. You know your father, mother and I were all from there. But we left.¡±


    ¡°To Evangels?¡±


    ¡°Mericross first.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where I¡¯m going, following the family''s footsteps huh?¡± There was another pause, Victor hung on her word, waiting for her to ask what they both knew was coming. ¡°How come you never found me? Didn¡¯t you know about me? I know you said you looked but...¡±


    ¡°I did! I knew Anastasia had changed your name and your grandmother wanted to raise you herself, but after a few years we lost contact, something happened you went missing one night. And I forgot it all, your new name, your address, my memory was in complete disarray.¡± Victor took a breath and continued.


    ¡°Then someone contacted me, telling me they knew where you were but it was a trap, Aya.¡±


    He slammed his fist unto the table in anger before he could control himself, he hoped he had not scared her with his temper.


    ¡°The blackmail.¡± Victor¡¯s eyes widened, how had she known? Was it possible she knew who was committing such a crime?


    ¡°You know?


    ¡°And I know who¡¯s blackmailing you. My mother had a sister, Lydia and my grandmother had a friend Fido. Those two are conspiring to keep extorting you but I¡¯m determined to put a stop to it.¡± Aya said in determination.


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    ¡°A sister, Aya your mother was an only child!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Aya asked in alarm. Victor could imagine her sitting up in shock. Victor nodded, forgetting she couldn¡¯t see him. Indeed, Anastasia never had any siblings, Mira raised her by her lonesome on the outskirts of Mericross.


    ¡°Lydia, if I recall correctly was a woman who would come over to help your grandmother sometimes, they were introduced to each other by none other than Fido.¡± Victor said.


    ¡°That rat bastard! Sorry.¡± Aya said apologizing for her cursing.


    ¡°No, I agree especially since I gave him a job at Lumos Inc. as a favor to your grandmother. He told me you went missing as soon as you turned 17, just disappeared in the middle of the night.¡±


    ¡°He dumped me at this apartment with Lydia and told me it was my grandmother¡¯s wish that she should take care of me! I knew it! I knew there was no way that hag could have been my aunt. She was too cruel, I should have known.¡±


    ¡°There was no way you would have.¡± Victor said softly, even with the anger bubbling in his heart he contained himself for Aya¡¯s sake. ¡°We were both tricked, to think I helped Fido to pay Mira back for looking after you and this is how he chose to reward all the kindness I¡¯ve shown him.¡±


    That Fido had masterminded this blackmail all along cut Victor deeply. He had never looked down on the man, seeing him as someone who had fallen on hard times and chose to help him. They both grieved the loss of Mira Brown or so he thought. Victor¡¯s head throbbed as he began thinking.


    ¡°Aya I have an idea, it might be a little risky but if it works those two will end up behind bars, possibly for the rest of their lives.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m in.¡±


    [Flashback Ends]


    ¡°And the rest is history!¡± Aya said, leaning back in her seat. She scanned Mars¡¯s face but was unable to read the other girl¡¯s expression. Mars had her lips curved in contemplation, she folded her arms at the end of Aya¡¯s tale.


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad it worked out and I¡¯m even happier that Lydia and Fido were exposed for their crimes. I mean forging identity is one thing but kidnapping? What the hell is wrong with those two? I don¡¯t even know who¡¯s worse!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no contest if you want my opinion.¡± Fred said. He had listened carefully to the story Aya told. While he was glad it worked out, it was insane to think the unassuming man he had seen every so often was actually under their radar this whole time.


    There had to be more to it. Fred shook his head.


    ¡®There¡¯s no way those two are connected.¡¯ Fred thought, his past linking him to the infamous hacking group could not in any way be connected to Aya¡¯s situation. He looked into the review mirror watching Mars and Aya bicker as friends would.


    He had quickly grown fond of the girl in the few interactions they''d had. Maybe his proximity to her mother caused him to look upon her favorably, but he just wanted her to be alright. Being taken advantage of for so long was bound to cause her problems in the long run.


    ¡®Luckily it seems she has a good friend by her side.¡¯ Fred thought as they pulled into the parking lot of the train station.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re here.¡± Fred said, unbuckling his seat belt.


    The Axen Metro station was a large building with its central focus being its igloo-like dome and the several pillars surrounding it.


    Aya got out of the car, gazing around the white and cream building in awe. She had been expecting something old and poorly maintained like most buildings were in Axen but the beauty of the area shocked her silent.


    ¡°Beautiful isn¡¯t it?¡± Fred asked, handing his keys off to a uniformed man. At the girls¡¯ questioning gazes he replied ¡°It was a rental, I¡¯m taking the train back to Evangels.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll meet again right?¡± Aya asked hopefully.


    ¡°Unless I die or something we will.¡± Fred chuckled. At Aya¡¯s alarmed face, he sobered up. ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll meet again. Remember to call your uncle when you board the train. Here, I¡¯ll help you take your bags and find your train.¡±


    Aya and Mars nodded, taking out their duffle bags and backpacks. It would be a long trip to Mericross so it would be good to get there early.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get going.¡±

 130~A Favour From Me To You

    Arlo breathed a sigh of relief as he found himself back at the train station he had used to arrive in Axen, finally, he would be leaving his place now that the preparations for the tournament were complete. He pulled his luggage into his private cabin and flopped into his seat under the air conditioning.


    The room was a decent size, but after asking for a deluxe cabin he had expected much better. Arlo snorted, it seemed he couldn¡¯t expect much from Axen City even on the most basic levels.


    Around him, the faint sounds of train whistles bellowing faded into the background as the final call to board began, in a few moments his vehicle would begin moving and he wouldn¡¯t have to think about this godforsaken city for a while.


    Taking out his phone, he read some messages from Mateo and the new member they had signed on. Arlo scoffed as if anyone could replace Mars. He quickly discarded the thought, reminding himself that Mars had abandoned them and not the other way around.


    Looking out the window at the passersby, Arlo wondered if he should have sent the picture to E.C. the night he took it instead of sitting on it, Mateo would chew him out if he knew Arlo had a chance to grab Mars but had let it slip by so easily.


    The train rocked to life, chugging as it began pushing towards its destination, Arlo felt the steady rocking under his heels that would smoothen as his journey progressed. As he continued to people-watch, he noticed a familiar figure walking towards one of the trains heading in another direction.


    The white haired man squinted, leaning forward until he was practically pressing his face against the window pane. His mouth slackened, staring as his eyes found Mars and the girl he had spoken to the previous night. They were boarding a train, but to where?


    Before Arlo could asses even more of the situation his train had pulled fully out of the station, now on its way back to Evangels.


    ¡°Shit!¡± He cursed, squeezing his fist so hard it almost left imprints in his palm. He had missed her again, that was three chances now. If he had only grabbed that shrimp at the cafe last night he would have had a chance to talk to Mars before he left for Evangels.


    A cold sweat broke out on his forehead, so what would he do now? Would he tell Mateo he saw her? Or would he delete the picture from his phone and pretend it never happened?


    Arlo opened up his phone and scrolled past the screenshots of stats and boarding passes until he reached the picture of Mars and Atlas he had taken the night before. His thumb once again hovered on the image of Mars¡¯s sad expression, it was almost as if she was staring at him.


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    They had been friends once, she had his back once.


    But those times were over now weren¡¯t they?


    He tapped the delete button and cleared the picture away before he could have any more second thoughts about sending it to E.C. Arlo exhaled. There was no reason to bring trouble to his doorstep by starting the hunt for Mars back up again. For now, let her live her life and he would call this an unofficial favor from himself to her.


    For now anyway.


    ----------


    ¡°Wow, this is so cool!¡± Aya said, running into the large train cabin, her uncle had paid for a private cabin able to accommodate up to three people and since it was just Aya and Mars they would reap the benefits of all the space.


    The chairs could convert into a bed but for now, they were arranged in a sitting position with a retractable table built into the walls of the room. The entire space had a dark green color with creamy yellow accents, Aya thought it was cozy but Mars, not so much.


    ¡°Who the hell designed this? Couldn¡¯t they pick better colours?¡± Mars said placing her backpack on the chair, Aya was already sitting down, practically bouncing with how excited she was to be on the train.


    Fred, after showing them to the cabin for the long ride, had left to board his train to Evangels before he missed it.


    ¡°I¡¯m just excited to be here.¡± Aya squealed.


    ¡°Believe me, it shows.¡± Mars retorted with a smirk. She took out a sleek laptop Aya had never seen her use before, along with the Zephyr gear. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a 13 hour scenic route through the forest until we get to Mericross so I suggest you play a bit.¡±


    ¡°But I packed my head gear up with the movers.¡± Aya whined, stretching her hand across the table towards Mars¡¯s headset. The dark haired girl playfully smacked her hand away.


    ¡°No, didn¡¯t you get something from that guy earlier?¡± Mars said recalling the large man and the girl whom Aya had referred to as Renard and Nisha.


    Aya¡¯s head perked up immediately, checking her duffle bag she pulled the gift into her lap only now realizing its weight. She shook it gently, trying to guess its contents.


    On the box was a letter from Renard, Aya read it carefully.


    [I got some old stock I wanted to get rid of and I thought you of all people would appreciate it.


    P.S.: Nisha may or may not have had something to do with it. ;)]


    Aya giggled and began ripping apart the wrapping to reveal the box of a new headgear. She gasped, lifting the box to show Mars who was busy setting up her Zephyr.


    ¡°Mars look! Look!¡±


    Mars turned her head to look toward Aya who was presenting the box like she was a child, she sighed fondly and wondered how in the world she had become such close friends with a pipsqueak. She wouldn¡¯t have had it any other way.


    Renard had given Aya a new headgear and as they read through the packing Aya found it was an upgraded version of her Revista.


    ¡°Revista-i, as in Mark I?¡± Aya read out loud under Mars¡¯s gaze. The dark haired girl nodded in approval.


    ¡°Nice! They improved some of the features in this model, you should be able to taste and smell better in the game when you play now.¡± Mars said. She slid into the space beside Aya. ¡°You brought your laptop right, I¡¯ll show you how to set it up.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Mars.¡±


    Mars placed her hand in Aya¡¯s hair and stroked it fondly.


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯m just happy you got some better equipment. I hope you didn¡¯t forget our bet.¡± The girl singsonged. Aya blanched at the thought of having to fight Mars and was once again keenly aware of the difference in their skill level.


    ¡°Oh, I totally didn¡¯t forget.¡± Aya said nervously. Mars laughed again.


    ¡°Silly girl.¡±

 131~Revista-Mark-i

    Yvlena woke to the sounds of birds chirping as she found herself in Bloom Haven. The setup for the Revista Mark-i had taken less time than the previous iteration. She blinked, holding a hand over her face to block the sun rays penetrating the leaves.


    Her face felt a bit warm from the light of the sun. Something she had never noticed before, could it be that she could feel the temperature of certain areas now?


    Yvlena made to stand. Noticing the responsiveness of her movements now with the Zephyr, it was as smooth as butter, but the Revista mark-i was definitely an overall improvement.


    ¡°I wonder how this will affect my combat.¡± She said, rising from her space under the tree. As she did, the fragrant scent of flowers drew her attention to the garden where she had planted her flowers. A lot of them had bloomed.


    From her long absence, escorting Dylan, a lot of them had withered but few remained. She rushed over, gathering the ones that persisted in their growth while clearing out the dead leaves and weeds that had grown all over her patches.


    ¡°So many of them died, there¡¯s got to be a way to look after this garden when I¡¯m not at the Manor.¡± Yvlena said as she worked.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Star Root x3


    Common Spice Herb x2


    Fox Tail x1


    Fiber x5


    Wild Seeds x3]


    As soon as she finished, her vision began to swim and soon Yvlena found herself on the grassy floor.


    [Yvlena is Exhausted]


    ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s right I took such a long quest and I don¡¯t remember eating anything during the second half of it!¡± She said. The elf reached into her inventory and pulled out one of the Relaxation Potions Risel had given her.


    She popped the cork and downed the refreshing potion she could taste better now, the cool liquid flowed down her throat bringing along with it a minty, fruity flavor she could now identify as a citrusy taste.


    ¡°Wow.¡± She gasped, keeping the bottle back into her inventory. She stood up, regaining her balance. Exhaustion was a nasty status effect and she was lucky she had only gotten it while she was at the Rose Manor and not during a battle.


    ¡°Does that mean the Revista Mark-i has a stamina bar?¡± Yvlena asked, rubbing her head. If she could feel temperature, taste better, and move more smoothly, did that mean there were more features she would notice later?


    ¡°Nice, now I have enough to make some more potions. I guess I should find Laurent and give him that pork.¡± She said, heading towards the Manor gates, her body felt more comfortable moving around and she even felt blades of tall grass brush against her boots.


    She smiled, looking over the Rose Manor, the whole place was looking better thanks to her care.


    ¡°There still needs to be some repairs, I mean some wood and maybe some stone, but the front is clear, I shudder to think of what the back looks like.¡± Yvlena exhaled and pushed open the gates to step into the Floral District.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    It would only be a short walk towards the Artisan District and then the Library where she would find Laurent.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long I forgot what the reward for this quest even was. I was so occupied with keeping Dylan alive.¡± Yvlena said. Her feet clacked against the now repaired cobblestone. ¡°Huh, when did that happen?¡± there was a hint of happiness in her voice.


    The streets of the Floral District brimmed with life as more occupants moved into the once vacant houses, and with the power of her new headgear, Yvlena could smell the fragrant flowers and admire the vibrant colors dotting the townscape.


    ¡®More places to explore and more NPCs to meet.¡¯ Yvlena thought as she glanced over the streets as she made her way out of the area.


    ¡°It''s now almost as beautiful as the Artisan District now. I wonder if Risel¡¯s come by this district lately.¡± Indeed, now she saw flowers hanging from the rafters and the banisters of the houses, potted plants sat outside of the home and on windowsills lending more to the beauty of the District.


    When she first started the game, the Floral District was the worst in Bloom Haven.


    When she had first laid her eyes upon it, it was dilapidated with many of the homes crumbling to near ruins. Now she saw mothers and their children laughing and running around.


    She heard the simmer of pots on the stove and wafting scents of home cooked meals. She passed the Tea House and could hear the murmurs of citizens settling to enjoy a nice cup of tea.


    ¡®Remind me to pay Iris a visit later, I need to see how she¡¯s doing.¡¯ Yvlena thought happily.


    Iris was the grumpy owner of the Tea House who had closed it down due to the lack of patrons in Bloom Haven, but with the activity picking up, it seemed her mood had significantly lightened.


    But the NPC that had her heart was Beatrice, The kindly old woman who was distantly related to the previous Harvest Guardian whose daughter had gone missing searching for Rael.


    Bursting out of the Floral District, Yvlena ran toward the town center before she could make her way towards the Artisan District, she took note of Bernard''s store with caravans parked in front of it and customers going in and out.


    With the Revista Mark-i, the Artisan District smelled amazing, but before Yvlena decided to visit Risel she would have to complete the quest Laurent had given her. She didn''t know if the quest had a time limit so she worriedly ran towards the library.


    She was met with the sight of the Elven gods guarding the entrance of the Library, the faces had long faded, unlike the statue in Bloom Valley''s depths. It was strange seeing as Yvlena recalled them having much clearer faces when she had played before.


    Would there possibly be a way to restore them to their original glory? Even the faces at the Rose Manor looked so much better than what was currently in front of the library.


    She moved through the door ignoring the statues for now. Yvlena''s feet carried her towards the library''s lobby where Laurent was waiting to collect the pork she had graciously sourced for him. She found the library suspiciously void of people.


    ¡®Where is everyone?¡¯ she wondered, as she walked down to the lobby where Laurent was diligently cataloging his texts.


    ¡°Yvlena.¡± He said, looking up from the book he held in his hands ¡°It¡¯s been a while, I assume your escort quest took longer than expected.¡± he said jovially.


    Yvlena slouched over, resting her elbows on the table.


    ¡°Hi Laurent, I have the meat from the Forest Boar for you. You would not believe what I had to go through to get it.¡± Yvlena said, handing him the pork, a notification popped up on screen telling her she had fulfilled the mission.


    [Quest complete: Laurent¡¯s Dinner


    Laurent the Librarian needs your help fetching meat from the boars that dwell in Bloom Haven¡¯s Forest, two Boars should be enough to satisfy his cravings.


    ***


    Rewards


    Fairy Hair clip  (Uncommon)


    ***


    Moon Point x2000


    EXP x500]


    [Yvlena Acquired


    Exp: 630/2300


    ***


    Fairy Hair Clip (Uncommon) x1


    ***


    Moon Points x2000]

 132~Your Pork Sir!

    ¡°I imagine it must have been a lot of trouble on top of the escort mission.¡± Laurent said placing a hand on his chest apologetically. He seemed so sad, Yvlena forgave him at once. It might have had something to do with how empty the library was.


    ¡°Oh no, no. I was happy to do it and between you and me, fighting the Boar was the easiest part.¡± She dead panned, recalling how Dylan refused to move out of the way as the Boar careened forward ready to attack.


    Laurent gave a chuckle but Yvlena noticed it wasn¡¯t as full as before, she made a show of glancing around the library noticing the lack of patrons.


    ¡°Where is everyone?¡± Yvlena asked, looking around the library, she¡¯d known it to be a bustling place. Well, as bustling as a library could be.


    Along with the lack of people, she noticed the librarian wasn¡¯t as too chipper, carrying with him a solemn air as he cataloged his books. It prompted her to ask what was wrong.


    ¡°Hey what''s wrong?¡± Yvlena asked. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you sad after not being in Bloom Haven for a while.¡±


    A smile tugged at Laurent¡¯s lips at her words.


    [Laurent is touched by your concern


    Affinity with Laurent increased +5]


    Laurent gave a long and suffering sigh before he pushed his glasses up his nose and prepared to tell Yvlena of his woes.


    ¡°The bloom festival is coming up and I''m on the planning committee. As you can see, not a lot of people are here right now, it''s due to the festival.¡± Laurent began, ¡°This year we have less resources than we anticipated due to the Miasma.¡±


    ¡°Dang, even with all the new merchants coming by?¡± Yvlena asked. She thought business would be booming by now.


    Laurent smiled again.


    ¡°Oh dear Yvlena, it¡¯s because of you we¡¯re even able to celebrate in the first place. We haven''t been able to celebrate in ages and we were sorely under prepared for how much planning and resources it would take.¡± Laurent explained.


    ¡°Oh I see, that makes sense.¡± Yvlena said, furrowing her brows in confusion, if they needed help they could simply just ask her. Though it would be a hassle to take on too many quests at a time. ¡°What are you missing?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I don''t know yet, but I would have to visit the committee and relay your willingness to assist.¡± Laurent said. ¡°And thank you for the pork, despite what you say I''m sure it must have caused a great deal of trouble to obtain.¡±


    Yvlena recalled the problems she went through trying to hunt the boar specifically because of Dylan and how he had run head first into battle without consideration for his own safety.


    ¡°It really wasn''t any trouble but there were some distractions when it came to getting the meat.¡± Yvlena said giggling. She wasn¡¯t in a hurry to look after Dylan any time soon, hopefully the next time she met him, he would be a more competent fighter.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Laurent shelved another book as he responded.


    ¡°As the Harvest Guardian, surely there are more important things for you to do than hunt boars for starving nobles.¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°It''s really no trouble Laurent, I consider you my friend and I was happy to do it so don''t worry about it.¡± Yvlena said waving off his concerns.


    She looked over the books he was shelving, each a large and heavy tome of knowledge. It reminded her she didn¡¯t know much of the game¡¯s lore.


    The gods had died and created the Miasma, so now what? And what did she or her mom have to do with it?


    ¡°However, I am still searching for information on the previous Harvest Guardians. I am especially interested in documents that are as old as you can find, maybe about times before the Miasma had fully taken over.¡±


    Laurent paused and touched his chin with his gloved hand. To Yvlena it seemed he was searching his brain for any information that would be important to her. She waited patiently for him to respond, after a moment he spoke.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find documents like that deep in the archives if you have the time to pour over them. There are a lot of historical texts and many of the nobles have their libraries so you might have to gain their trust before they allow you to read their books.¡± He said returning to stacking the books.


    ¡°Do you have books about that stuff as well?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Of course, what kind of librarian would I be if I had no personal collection of my own?¡± Laurent said with a smirk.


    Yvlena thought about his words for a moment before promptly asking if it would be alright to look through his collection for any of the information she needed.


    ¡°I hope it¡¯s not too much trouble to ask if you could look through some of your collections for Lillian Flores for me, it''s very important. I only just found out she has two living descendants and one of them¡¯s run off.¡± Yvlena said.


    Laurent nodded with enthusiasm, finally, the stack of books he had been sorting, disappeared from the table as he had cataloged them all during their conversation.


    ¡°It would be my pleasure to assist, as you said, what are friends for? But you won''t have much luck with my personal collection. All my house contains is information about historical events in Bloom Haven, so to learn more about the Harvest Guardians you would have to check the library at the Rose Manor.¡± he said lifting a finger as if he was lecturing a class. He adjusted his glasses again.


    ¡°And I wouldn''t mind you donating some books to the library for preservation, they will be returned, I simply wish to copy them.¡± He said.


    Yvlena¡¯s face fell at the thought of getting to the library amidst the wreckage of the Rose Manor she hadn¡¯t even finished restoring the first floor.


    ¡°I wouldn''t mind you copying them at all. It''s just the manor is pretty much falling apart right now, so I''m unable to reach the library, hence why I''m pestering you at the Bloom Haven library.¡± she laughed.


    ¡°I guessed as much, it hasn¡¯t been inhabited for a long time, in fact I scarcely remember the previous owner, it¡¯s been that long.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ve got a lot of work taking care of Bloom Haven, I¡¯m surprised the merchants can make it past all the creatures on the Eastern path.¡±


    Laurent smiled a bit at her word but nodded all the same.


    ¡°I will help you as you''ve helped me, and why not stop by for food sometimes? I have some old recipes that might interest you.¡±


    [Laurent has invited you for lunches and dinners, be sure to stop by and improve your relationships


    It is an opportunity to learn new recipes]


    The game told her, Yvlena dismissed the notification and nodded in return.


    ¡°Sounds like a plan. Honestly I¡¯m tired of eating my own food.¡±


    ¡°Very well then, I¡¯ll be sure to expect you.¡±

 133~One Annoyed Elf

    Yvlena stepped out of the library with a smile on her face and thoughts of the Bloom Festival. She wondered what she could do to help, feeling that it was her duty as the Harvest Guardian to chip in for the sake of the town.


    Had Rael done this before her? And Lilian before him?


    Bloom Haven seemed to have such a rich history and Yvlena could spend all her time discovering it. Right now she needed to focus her attention on following up with her favorite NPCs.


    She looked up to the sky, now a shining clear blue that marked the middle of the day. It was always sunny here, but something seemed different about the game now, it was more lifelike. The colours were more vivid and everywhere she looked Yvlena felt like Bloom Haven was coming alive.


    Was this the power of her new headgear? She couldn¡¯t say. Yvlena had only played so little with the Zephyr and she could not compare it to the Revista Mark-i.


    ¡°Just imagine what a gaming pod would feel like.¡± she said as she walked, but quickly shook those thoughts loose from her mind. A gaming pod would cost a fortune, and right now it just wasn¡¯t something she was interested in, so soon after the lovely gift from Renard and Nisha.


    The only people that could afford something like that would be Mars or Atlas. For now she would only stick to head gear and after all she wasn¡¯t playing competitively like Mars. Yvlena was just a girl trying to discover the secrets her mother left for her within the game.


    ¡®It¡¯s honestly more stress than it¡¯s worth.¡¯ She thought.


    Yvlena walked through the Artisan District admiring the scenes, even the already thriving district was looking marginally better than it had been previously. There were more NPCs walking the streets, which made it a little harder for her to move casually through the town as she was used to doing.


    She passed Madame Pratt¡¯s shop and realized she had not yet woven any more linen to fix the curtains in the Rose Manor training hall but there was something more important at hand. She would need to clear out the Verdant Lake, then talk to Risel so their escort mission could begin.


    Now that she was done with Dylan¡¯s quest, she knew what to expect when guarding NPCs, she could only hope the elf would be a lot more mature and helpful than Dylan was.


    Yvlena stopped at the apothecary doors, pushing it open to greet the elf and stock up on more bottles and jars for the task of clearing out the Verdant Woods.


    What she saw was the blonde elf running around attending to a horde of customers at her counter. Yvlena blinked in surprise.


    Since when was the apothecary this busy?


    Yvlena stepped inside, battling her way to the front of the counter where she caught a glimpse of Risel running to and fro taking orders.


    ¡°Risel, what''s going on?¡± Yvlena called over the demanding voices, was this even a good time to speak to the elf? Maybe she should visit later?


    ¡°Oh business has been picking up a lot lately and I¡¯m completely swamped with work now but don''t worry about it.¡± Risel seemed annoyed at Yvlena, prompting the girl to squint in confusion and wonder what she did wrong.


    She wanted to ask but it might only make the other elf even more annoyed.


    [Your actions of forgetting to update Risel have lowered your affinity with her


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    -10 affinity with Risel]


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Yvlena cursed under her breath, she knew the quests weren¡¯t timed but she still had her relationships with her friends to consider. She wondered if Beatrice would be just as upset she hadn¡¯t visited in a while.


    Even Laurent had been surprised by how long it had taken her to deliver his pork.


    ¡®Ah well it wasn¡¯t just Dylan, there was a lot of real life stuff to attend to but there¡¯s no way I can explain that to a bunch of NPCs!¡¯ Yvlena thought.


    Determined to make it up to her elven friend, Yvlena waited patiently for the amount of customers at the counter to decrease so she could talk to her Risel.


    Once the last one had gone, Risel leaned over the counter, taking a breath, Yvlena could see the blonde elf was exhausted. With her skin taking on a pale hue, the beginnings of dark circles were forming under her eyes.


    A twinge of guilt stabbed Yvlena¡¯s heart, it had been a while since she checked up on her friend.


    ¡°Oh, you actually waited.¡± Risel said in surprise. Her pointed ear, twitched in fondness for Yvlena.


    [Affinity with Risel increased +1]


    ¡°Risel I''m so sorry, I had an escort mission to take a boy to see his father''s grave. It took longer than expected, that¡¯s why I haven¡¯t been around and been so busy.¡± Yvlena blurted out before the next sentence could leave Risel¡¯s mouth.


    The elf said nothing yet, only taking in Yvlena¡¯s sincere explanation.


    ¡°Is there any way I could make it up to you? I''m really so sorry.¡± Yvlena said reaching across the table and grabbing Risel¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Well I suppose I can¡¯t really hog you to myself, you¡¯re the Harvest Guardian after all.¡± Risel said with a sigh. ¡°But you¡¯re also my friend and I worry about you Yvlena.¡±


    [Risel considers your words, you have tugged on her heart strings with your explanation and passion, Affinity with Risel Increased +5]


    "Well that makes sense.¡± Risel said "You really do like helping people, don''t you Yvlena?" A fond smile crosses the elf¡¯s lips as she says that. She let go of Yvlena¡¯s hands and crossed her arms across her chest, pouting.


    "Fine, I guess you could make it up to me but I''m not going to go easy on you Yvlena!" Risel said pouting.


    "I completely understand Risel, I''ve just been so busy and I need to prepare to take you to the Verdant Woods so I had to practice with someone else." Yvlena said. She rubbed her head and shot Risel a big grin, causing the blonde elf to blush.


    [Risel is touched by your words


    Affinity with Risel Increased +1]


    The two elves smiled at each other all the while, a fresh batch of customers stormed into the apothecary, waiting for Risel to attend to them.


    "I''m running out of herbs from the Avaresh Swamp so I need you to get me a couple." Risel said.


    ¡°No problem, how many do you need?¡± Yvlena asked.


    ¡°Just a couple.¡±


    [Quest: An Alchemist In Need


    Risel is busy at the apothecary and cannot maneuver the dangerous Swamp herself to get the herbs she needs.


    The Avaresh Swamp, although accessible, is teeming with dangerous monsters and creatures that would put anyone in a tight spot!


    Help Risel get the herbs she needs for her potions.


    Swamp Belle x5


    Swamp Jelly x5


    Avaresh Lotus x2


    ***


    Rewards


    ???


    ***


    Moon Points x3000


    EXP x800]


    [Do you accept?]


    [Yes/No]


    Yvlena clicked the ¡®yes¡¯ button without hesitation and nodded as she looked into Risel¡¯s green eyes.


    "Don''t worry, Risel, you can count on me." The elf nodded and went back to attending to her customers.

 134~Something Stronger (1)

    Yvlena left the apothecary with a new quest from Risel, but now she would need to go back to the Verdant Woods where she would fight the spiders, gather the herbs for Risel, and perhaps trade some of the animal parts she had gotten to Bavga the witch.


    ¡°I just returned, and I already have so much to do. I suppose that¡¯s my fault, actually.¡± Yvlena laughed, but compared to the troubles of her real life she would much rather be in Bloom Haven helping the NPCs as the Harvest Guardian.


    Yvlena started on her path toward the Rose Manor where she would cook a meal in preparation for her next set of tasks as she promised herself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to avoid exhaustion as a status ailment, I¡¯m really lucky it¡¯s never hit me in the middle of a fight.¡± She said.


    The next thing she would do was review the recipe for the Purifying Elixir before she would head to the Avaresh Swamp to finish the easy quest for Risel. To get the herbs from the Avaresh Swamp she would need to pass the Verdant Lake which held a creature corrupted by the Miasma.


    Not only would defeating it level her up but it would also weaken the Miasma blocking the path to the other town and help the Verdant Woods heal from the sickness.


    But she hadn¡¯t brewed the Elixir she would need to purify the Verdant Lake and drive the creature out.


    ¡°Not so easy now without the Carrot Sword.¡± She said dejectedly. "That''s just a boss battle waiting to happen and I can''t say I''m ready to fight another creature without a weapon as strong as the Carrot Sword was.¡± Yvlena said with a sigh.


    While the Moon Sickle was strong, she noticed it wasn''t as strong as the previous weapon she had lucked into when she fought the secret boss of the Bloom Forest.


    The carrot sword had made a hard journey through the Bloom Forest and even the Verdant Woods more bearable than if she had simply gotten a weapon from Bernard¡¯s shop.


    Heading into the Avaresh Swamp with it, it would definitely be a harder time even if it had dealt the final blow to Crocante, the previous Swamp Guardian.


    If she wanted a stronger weapon now, she would have to find a way to upgrade the Moon Sickle or find a stronger sword. But that would be tough, if only there was someone she could ask.


    Yvlena stopped and recalled there was indeed an NPC that she could pester about the information she needed. Soren the eccentric blacksmith within the Smithing Quarters of the Artisan District.


    An idea formed in her head,  she could ask Soren if there was anything she could do about the Moon Sickle, if not, then she would test the spear she had gotten from the Field Mouse Sentry Boss, or look for a stronger sword.


    A stronger weapon might have been a big ask in a beginner town, but Bloom Haven had its own secrets and Yvlena wasn¡¯t sure this was such a beginner town like she had initially thought.


    She had a feeling the Harvest Guardian was supposed to fight with the sickle, after all, it had transformed in her hands.


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    So why then did Rael leave it behind?


    Yvlena shrugged and turned to head back into the Artisan District, it was a good time to see Soren anyway and tell him where she had been.


    "Here we go again.¡± she said in excitement. The thought of having so much to do thrilled her and filled her with glee. A little bit like having a purpose.


    ----------


    It didn''t take long before Yvlena reached the artisan District Smithing Quarters. The smell of hot metal and smoke covered the air, filling her nostrils with its choking scent.


    It was a miracle anyone could work in these conditions and thanks to the Revista Mark-i, Yvlena could smell it all.


    She coughed as the smell began to scratch at her throat. It was so different to have the sensation of smell remind her she was in a different part of Bloom Haven.


    Previously, there had only been a hint that certain Districts smelled distinct from one another, now she could taste the smoke in the air.


    ¡®Let me just search for Soren so I can leave.¡¯


    She walked around, holding a hand to her nose, which made her receive odd looks from the Blacksmiths at work. Yvlena walked to the area she had seen Soren working at, but could not find him at his usual workstation, in fact, it was closed.


    "Have you seen Soren today?¡± Yvlena asked one of the other blacksmiths passing by, heaving a giant slab of metal.


    The muscled woman thought about it for a moment, then replied.


    "He''s usually at the tea house by now, you know the place that opened up in the Floral District." The woman replied, placing the slab against the wall to what Yvlena assumed was her own workstation.


    "Oh, thank you." Yvlena said. Now she had a chance to visit both Iris and Soren at the same time for her questions.


    It was nice that the NPCs of Bloom Haven interacted with each other. She wondered if it was like that in the other beginner towns. The forums didn¡¯t tell her much about NPCs, it seemed like not a lot of people were all that interested in their personal stories.


    Other players in the game reported NPCs being mean to them, but Yvlena had never had such a problem.


    The people within the town of Bloom Haven were quite sweet. Even Ricardo, when he had visited during his Mercantile Trials, was quite nice to her as well.


    The meanest person she had encountered so far was Bavga of the Avaresh swamp.


    The witch had only been mean because she had been so distrusting, and it was up to Yvlena to prove herself a capable Harvest Guardian.


    The witch eventually warmed up to her, which made Yvlena feel bad for the affliction caused by the Miasma, she wondered if it was better now after she had gotten the balm for the witch.


    ¡®I wonder if I could sell that on the auction house. The game listed it as a quest item but I still have the recipe for it.¡¯ Yvlena thought, maybe some of the other NPCs would be kind to the players if they had something to help their afflictions.


    The world outside Bloom Haven was one Yvlena was hesitant to venture into, sure her friends were there, but the world seemed harsher with more monsters and from what she had read online, there were all sorts of players she didn¡¯t want to run into.


    ¡®I can¡¯t say that for sure, maybe those lore people Mars was telling me about would be nicer.¡¯ Yvlena thought as she ran out of the Smithing Quarters.


    She shivered in fear. The thought of fighting more than just foxes and wolves made her hesitant to leave. But she needed to follow Rael and find out if he was able to concoct a cure, It was a shame Viseli died before he could return to her.


    "I need to find Twyla too." She said.


    But first she needed to find Soren.

 135~Something Stronger (2)

    The run to the Floral District got her there quicker than she had expected. From the entrance, Yvlena heard the soft murmurs of customers as they sat themselves and ate while they chatted with each other.


    Pushing the door open, the scent of herbs and sweetness wafted through the air and into her nose. The Tea House smelled heavenly, like a mix of the fragrances from the Floral District and the pastry scents of the Artisan District.


    ¡°Wow.¡± Yvlena sighed, breathing in the smell. She wouldn¡¯t have minded staying there for a while just breathing in the scent.


    "Well, well, look who dropped by. " Iris said with a sly smirk.


    At the sight of the old woman, Yvlena flashed a smile glad to see Iris still had a little spice to her.


    The woman stood at her usual place behind the counter grinding herbs into tea balls she would serve to her customers. As Yvlena came closer, she could see the herb drying rack was now filled with all kinds of herbs, thanks to Dylan, no doubt.


    The Tea House¡¯s dark wood gleamed in the light streaming from the large windows. New decorations, trinkets and potted plants slowly filled the spaces and gaps within the shop. Much like the Floral District, the Tea House had bloomed.


    The tables were filled with customers, each sipping from a cute cup and chatting amicably with others or sitting by the window staring out into the slowly bustling streets of the Floral District.


    It¡¯s improvement reminded Yvlena a lot of Rolfe¡¯s cafe. Having enough of standing around, Yvlena approached and took a seat ready to order some refreshing tea.


    "I was just dropping by to see how you were doing and to find the local blacksmith," Yvlena said, skipping over to the counter. ¡°Glad to see the ol¡¯ Tea House is doing well.¡±


    Iris lifted her chin smugly, smirking as she spoke.


    "I heard from Olivia you took Dylan to see his father''s grave." Iris said as she wiped down the table littered with crumbs from the dry herbs.


    "He asked me to and I felt I sort of owed it to him after delivering the letter to his mom." Yvlena said.


    The old woman looked at her with some sadness in her eyes. She might have wanted to make that journey too, to see her brother¡¯s final resting place. Yvlena would have to ask later when the main quest wasn¡¯t taking up her time.


    Iris snapped out of her sadness and began speaking again.


    "I don''t suppose it was an easy journey, that kid¡¯s stubborn. "


    ¡°You don''t know the half of it!¡± Yvlena said. ¡°Almost got himself killed more times than I could count.¡±


    Iris threw her head back in laughter, partly at Dylan¡¯s antics and partly at Yvlena¡¯s annoyance at said antics.


    ¡°Sounds just about right, his father was the same.¡± Iris said. She looked as if she was about to launch into a story about her youth, but only served Yvlena a cup of tea in a pearl white cup. Lilac coloured liquid sloshed gently in the cup topped with petals from what Yvlena knew by now to be a Luna Orchid.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°On the house.¡± Iris said as she went back to work.


    ¡°Thanks, you have no idea how much I need a cup of tea right now.¡± Yvlena said, taking the cup gently by its handle and bringing the cup to her lips.


    One sip of the tea had her sighing in bliss. The subtle fragrance of the Luna Orchid combined with a hint of sweetness.


    [The tea refreshes you, a wave of exhaustion has been lifted off your shoulders]


    The game told her.


    [+Temporary HP Boost


    +Temporary Exhaustion Resistance]


    ¡°Fantastic.¡± Yvlena sighed, placing the now empty cup back on the table. With her mind stress free, she began searching the customer¡¯s faces, looking around the Tea House to see if she could spot Soren.


    It wasn''t long before she saw the large man sipping tea quietly in the corner of the shop, he seemed so out of place there, but who was she to judge?


    As soon as she spotted him, they locked eyes, Soren began waving eagerly for Yvlena to join him. Shaking her head fondly, she of course obliged and left her seat to go and join him in the empty chair across from him.


    Soren sat by a large round window decorated with climbing plants and little lights that illuminated the area. It was quite homey and Yvlena understood why he chose it.


    She felt a little bad bothering him while he was having some time to himself, but he loved weapons and she knew his insights would be valuable regarding the Moon Sickle.


    The weapon that had belonged to the previous Harvest Guardian would be of great interest to him, usually a sickle would be a farming tool, but now it was something she took into battle, and she needed to know if she could make it stronger.


    ¡°Hi Soren!¡± she said cheerfully. The man greeted her back with as much excitement as she had come to expect from him.


    ¡°Oh, Yv it''s been a while. Where have you been? I was actually beginning to get a little worried.¡± He said as he sipped his cup of tea from a large brown mug.


    ¡°I had to escort someone to the Outskirts. But the most important thing is I need you to take a look at this weapon that belonged to the previous Harvest Guardian.¡± She said wincing as she asked the favor. She really hoped he didn¡¯t mind.


    All Soren did was place his mug down and hold his hand out for her to hand over the weapon. Yvlena retrieved her weapon from her belt and placed it in his large hands.


    Soren looked over the sickle in her hand, using his thumb, he ran it along the curve of the blade. He gripped the handle next, studying the hilt and the Moon shaped gem in the middle.


    ¡°I can tell this is a very special weapon, undoubtedly left behind for you the Harvest Guardian.¡± Soren said. He tapped the gem. ¡°A weapon like this requires a delicate touch.¡± he swung it suddenly, forcing Yvlena to dodge.


    ¡°Hey, watch it!¡± She yelped, recalling when he had returned her sword the first time.


    Yvlena felt her heart beat faster, she knew bringing the Moon Sickle to Soren was the right choice. His knowledge of weapons was of course exactly what she needed, even if he was a little too eccentric.


    ¡°Did you ever meet the previous Harvest Guardian?¡± Yvlena asked, she realized she had never asked Soren this question because she had been too busy trying to fulfill Ricardo''s quest.


    But if that mysterious ore she had seen last time was within his possession, then he definitely had something to do with the Harvest Guardian.


    Soren shook his head, handing her back her weapon.


    ¡°That was before my time, you¡¯re asking because you saw the Rose Ore in my workshop, didn¡¯t you?¡± he said with a laugh.


    ¡®The Rose Ore? So that¡¯s what that stone was.¡¯ Yvlena thought. She nodded in response to his question. Soren sipped from his mug again.


    ¡°Very well, let me tell you about it.¡±

 136~Sorens Quest (1)

    ¡°The Rose Ore came into my possession a long time ago, passed down to me by my father of course.¡± Soren said eventually downing his cup of tea.


    ¡°And I assume he got it from the previous Harvest Guardian then?¡± Yvlena asked curiously. Soren nodded.


    ¡°A man named Rael.¡±


    [Story of the Harvest Guardian 18% completion]


    Yvlena gasped, it had been a while since she had increased what she now knew as world quests. The next stage was almost done too, what would be her reward when she completed it?


    ¡°As you know I¡¯ll require two pieces of ore to upgrade your weapon, but I only have one at the workshop.¡± Soren said.


    ¡°Where can I find the other one?¡±


    ¡°You could search the Rose Manor or¡­¡± Sore took a great fearful gulp as he proposed the other solution. ¡°you could defeat the creature at my father¡¯s old warehouse.¡± Soren said, his lips trembled and he held a hand over his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if the Miasma brought that beast upon us but we haven¡¯t been able to get rid of it.¡± He cried.


    Yvlena nodded.


    If it was a Miasmic entity, it¡¯s unlikely the towns people would be able to get rid of it by themselves. But just how strong was it? It didn¡¯t matter, she needed the Rose Ore and the Manor was in no shape to be searched just yet.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help clear out the warehouse, Soren. Just show me where it is.¡± Yvlena said.


    [The Creature In The Warehouse


    ***


    For many years Soren¡¯s father has operated the warehouse on the far side of the Artisan District¡¯s Smithing Quarters but due to the influence of the Miasma, a foul creature has begun to nest within the area.


    Help Soren clear it out and in turn give the blacksmiths of Bloom Haven a place to store their ores and equipment other than their small workshops.


    ***


    Rewards


    Rose Ore x1


    ***


    Moon Points x2000


    EXP x700]


    [Do You Accept?]


    [Yes/No]


    Yvlena hit the ''yes'' button without hesitation, this would be another way to help Bloom Haven, now it made sense why it seemed like the Smithing Quarters were so crowded.


    If the warehouse where most of them stored their things happened to be occupied by some entity it would seriously slow down production.


    But just how big was the warehouse?


    Soren stopped sniffling and lifted his head to look at Yvlena with large puppy dog eyes. Yvlena giggled finding his antics adorable.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯ll help my friend out, besides I need to clear out those creatures wherever I can find them, it¡¯s my duty as Harvest Guardian after all.¡± she said.


    ¡°Thanks Yv.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Soren.¡±


    ----------


    Aya was roused from her game by Mars who shook her gently. She sat up rubbing her eyes a bit, and blinked her eyes open to find many of the passengers milling about the train.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Aya asked, yawning. The sounds of murmuring roused her fully out of the semi-conscious state the game put her in.


    ¡°It¡¯s lunch time, the stewardesses will be passing soon, of course, there¡¯s always the option to venture into the dining area but I doubt you¡¯d want to do that.¡± Mars said smirking.


    Aya shook her head, besides there was nothing better than Mars¡¯s cooking in her opinion and the price tag was free. She looked around, finding Mars had already gotten them some bottles of water in preparation for their meals.


    Aya smiled fondly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just have whatever the complimentary meal is.¡± Aya said, now sitting up fully to gaze out the window. There were still miles of country side to look through, she wondered if she would be able to see her grandmother¡¯s cottage from there.


    Amongst the cities in their country, rural areas and villages lay scattered on the paths to large cities like Axen and Mericross.


    Right now all Aya could see were the tops of chimneys hidden in dense foliage.


    ¡°I guessed as much, same honestly. It¡¯s too much of a hassle heading down to the dining area.¡± Mars said flopping into the seat.


    A few moments after she had said that, a gentle knock came from outside their cabin. The girls turned their heads toward it and Aya got up to open the door.


    A beautiful pale woman stood before them with a trolley, she peered inside and quickly flashed Aya a wide, saccharine smile.


    ¡°Your meal is here courtesy of the Nile Express!¡± she said.


    Aya smiled back and allowed her to move the trolley inside, she gasped as she noticed it had no wheel and simply levitated a few meters above the ground. She wondered how easy her job at Nue Corp would have been if her mail trolley had been this model.


    Instead, she had wrestled with squeaky wheels on rusted hinges.


    The woman placed their meals on the retractable table and gave a quick curtsy before she left.


    ¡°Enjoy your meals.¡± She said before closing the cabin door behind her.


    ¡°A hover trolley.¡± Aya said still delighted by the sight of the tool the woman had used to deliver her food.


    ¡°Oh yeah, you used to have one of those didn¡¯t you?¡± Mars said recalling Aya¡¯s previous job. The brunette bobbed her head eagerly in affirmation.


    ¡°I always suggested the company get one, but they never listened to me.¡± Aya said popping the stasis wrap off her food to begin eating.


    Her meal was rice with a spicy beef sauce and optional coleslaw set off to the side. She sniffed it before snapping open the wrap containing her utensils.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat!¡± Aya said cheerfully.


    Aya and Mars chatted as they dug into their food, it didn¡¯t take long for either of them to finish and gulp down their relaxing bottles of water. There may have been food in the game but it didn¡¯t compare to having a full stomach outside of it.


    Aya laid back with a contented sigh and resumed staring out the window, Mars followed her gaze wondering what was so interesting about the trees and unfinished construction her friend was staring at. She left it alone, assuming the girl was deep in thought.


    ¡°So how¡¯s the new Revista?¡± she asked.


    Aya¡¯s brown eyes lit up at the question and in excitement, a stream of words tumbled out of her mouth faster than Mars could catch what she was saying.


    ¡°Slow down and start from the beginning.¡± Mars said laughing. Aya could be so adorable.


    ¡°It¡¯s awesome, I feel like my senses have sharpened or something. Everything tastes better which means my low quality potions are going to taste even worse! But somehow I¡¯m looking forward to that.¡± Aya said.


    ¡°Have you fought something yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet but I¡¯m about to do a quest for the local blacksmith so I can upgrade my weapon.¡±


    Mars whistled.


    ¡°Nice! I love weapon upgrades but sometimes it¡¯s better to cut your losses and just buy something with better stats.¡±


    ¡°True but this is a key item.¡± Aya said.


    They continued talking until each girl was ready to head back into their respective areas of the game.


    ----------


    Yvlena woke up sitting across from Soren in the Tea House. He beamed at her.


    ¡°Dozed off did you?¡± He asked.


    She nodded, knowing that was what happened when she logged out. Another thing that made her hesitant to leave the safety of Bloom Haven, in an area populated by other players, would she get robbed when she logged out?


    Only one way to find out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head to the warehouse.¡±

 137~Sorens Quest (2)

    Yvlena followed Soren back to the Smithing Quarters, taking note of his interactions with the other blacksmiths at work. They smiled as he passed them by with her in tow.


    Soren was loud, but jovial, leaving the other NPCs shaking their heads or laughing along with him. It brought a smile to Yvlena''s face to see the interactions they had. Seeing the NPCs interact with each other like this made the game feel even more alive.


    One of the blacksmiths stopped them as they walked, an older looking man with graying tufts of hair sticking out from his balding head. He wore dirty overalls and his tanned face was stained with grease from working a long day at the forge.


    The ground rattled as a sledge hammer was dropped by his side. He lifted his hand and jabbed a finger at Soren and Yvlena


    "Don''t tell me you''re heading towards the old warehouse." The man sneered.


    "That''s exactly where we''re going, is that a problem?" Yvlena asked before Soren could stop her. She glared at the newcomer. Just who did he think he was?


    The man shot her a haughty look coupled with a smirk.


    "Don''t come crying to Sean if anything happens." He said hefting the large sledgehammer over his shoulder.


    "Who''s Sean?" Yvlena asked, playing dumb just to annoy him. The man¡¯s smirk slipped off his face, morphing into an angry expression.


    Soren gave a nervous laugh and quickly ushered her away before an altercation could occur.


    He soon led her to a large brick structure that appeared to be at least two stories tall.


    It had a decrepit appearance, with many of the bricks crumbling and shifting out of place, causing the building to slump at an odd angle. The roof was practically falling apart, no doubt allowing rain to come through.


    "Looks like I''ve got my work cut out for me." Yvlena sighed. Could the building even withstand her running around in it?


    Soren nodded, looking apologetic at the fact that she had to go in alone.


    "Are you sure you''re up to this, Yv?" Soren asked again.


    She nodded, touched by his concern.


    "I''ll be fine. You can count on me to clear this place." She said giving him a thumbs up and a smile. Soren nodded, but still gazed warily up at the building.


    "I don''t know where the creature could be. Some people have heard it moving around." Soren explained. As he said that, the sound of rattling shook the building, followed by the muffled sounds of an animal of some sort.


    Yvlena furrowed her brows, wondering what kind of creature could be nesting inside. Would it be as large as Commander Addison? Only one way to find out.


    "Just leave it to me. Sprite, Rabbit Knight, Kuti, let''s go." Yvlena said, calling for her summons.


    Sprite flew up to Yvlena''s cheek, looking up at the building with her.


    "That looks...fun."


    Yvlena snorted.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    "Tell me about it." Yvlena muttered. A cold wind blew from the bowels of the warehouse, carrying with it the smell of rust and decay.


    Yvlena almost gagged from the scent alone, maybe having enhanced senses would not be to her advantage right now, but she had smelled this before albeit faintly. It smelled like the Verdant Woods¡¯ path before she cleared the first Miasmic barrier.


    Kuti tugged the hem of her dress, looking to be picked up, which Yvlena obliged.


    "See you soon, Soren." Yvlena said making her way towards the rusted double doors. Soren nodded grimly and walked over to an old crate to sit down.


    "I''ll wait out here for you, Yv." Soren said with a worried expression. It was clear despite his large stature, the gentle giant had no fighting prowess. Yvlena nodded.


    Oh well, it was better than tagging along and leaping in danger at the drop of a hat.


    ----------


    The rusty doors creaked open after Yvlena and her summons strained pushing it ajar. She huffed, stepping inside and being met with an even stronger scent of rust.


    A faint sound of dripping caught her attention. Looking up she could see a large hole in the ceiling of the warehouse, the roof long since eaten away by the elements.


    Luckily, the hole allowed sunlight to stream through, lighting up a path for her and her summon to begin their exploration.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s nasty.¡± She said, stepping forward. Scattered around were all sorts of tools and half finished pieces of ore. Yvlena leaned down to pick a clump of it that didn¡¯t seem as rusted, figuring she could give it to Soren.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Copper Ore x1]


    A basic weapon would need iron at least, but maybe this could improve her hoe or axe, there were still a lot of trees to cut up.


    ¡°Something¡¯s moving around.¡± Sprite whispered. Yvlena, Sprite, and Rabbit Knight paused to listen. In the darkness of the corners, they heard it.


    A sound akin to the beating of wings, reached their ears, but it was coming from above them. Yvlena looked up in time to see a large amber eye soar over her. She jumped, startling Kuti in the process.


    ¡°That seems pretty big.¡± Yvlena whispered. She followed the sound, running through rust stained floors with tools and metals cluttering the floor. Her foot stomped into a puddle sending a splash of copper-colored water spraying about.


    Yvlena held onto Kuti and swerved around the bend leading up to a staircase blocked by a mountain of wooden crates.


    ¡°Ugh! Of course, it¡¯s not going to be as easy as heading up the stairs and into the fight.¡± Yvlena inhaled, looking around until she noticed some chains strapped to the bottom surface of the junk blocking her way.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a mechanism? Where¡¯s the switch?¡± She asked. Her gaze traveled to the ceiling where she saw a pulley mechanism attached to the chains. Beside her was a lever she pulled instantly, but as soon as she did it slammed back into its original position.


    The elf balled her fist, brimming with frustration at the puzzle.


    ¡°Okay think Yvlena. There¡¯s got to be a way to activate the lever.¡± She took a deep breath and scanned the pulley mechanism carefully until she noticed a part was missing.


    [Large Cog: 0/2]


    The game¡¯s notification alerted her she was on the right path, Yvlena nodded and turned to her summons. ¡°Let¡¯s explore, maybe we¡¯ll find the parts we need.¡±


    Her summons nodded. They began moving, picking up bits of ore from the ground as they explored the abandoned warehouse. The party soon discovered the area wasn¡¯t as large as they thought, just cluttered with large wooden crates and dangerous pieces of metal.


    [Yvlena Acquired


    ***


    Copper Ore x3


    Iron Ore x2]


    ¡°Over here!¡± Sprite said, calling for her summoner from the entrance to a flight of stairs leading downwards. Yvlena, Kuti, and Rabbit Knight followed her voice and stopped at an unsound door


    The doors hung off their hinges, swinging ominously in the wind coming from the basement below. Yvlena took the Fairy Lit Torch out of her inventory and gulped as she approached it.


    ¡°Well...looks like there¡¯s nowhere to go but down.¡± Yvlena said taking the first step forward. Kuti held on to her collar, shivering while Rabbit Knight and Sprite pressed on beside her.