《The Legendary Druid》 Chapter 1: The Best of the Nation Daniel de Oliveira Dantas was 26 years old, lived in Florian¨®polis, and was considered the best Brazilian player of Nova Avalon Online, the most played virtual reality game in the world. He had been with the Dark Age team for five years, and thanks to his genius and leadership, they had won the Brazilian Championship and were set to represent the country in the 8th World Championship. As usual, Daniel woke up early and arrived at the Dark Age Organization headquarters before sunrise. Inside the building, he encountered players, coaches, and other employees moving through the corridors. He greeted them, took the elevator, and headed to the training room on the fourth floor. There, he found the five players of the main team inside the immersion pods. Daniel went to the nearest unoccupied pod, settled into the seat, put on the virtual reality visor, and vocalized the command that transported his mind to the virtual world of Nova Avalon Online. Inside the game he was in control of his avatar, Dante, a knight in shining armor carrying a round shield in his left hand, while his right hand wielded the Amethyst Hammer, one of the most famous legendary weapons in the game. He trained for about six hours. Two hours were spent dueling against teammates from the main team, another two hours training the secondary team, and finally he finished alone, perfecting high-level combos for the world championship. It was during a sequence of strikes that two messages flashed in his field of vision: Juliet: Hey! Sleeping beauty, it''s time to wake up!!! Juliet: We''re waiting for you...........................! Daniel logged out of the game to meet the girl behind the avatar called Juliet. Back in the real world, he removed the VR headset, took a deep breath, and observed the nine pods in the training room, all empty. ¡°It was about time you returned to the land of the living¡± J¨²lia announced, crossing her arms, her brown eyes staring at him. ¡°We''re waiting for you in the boss''s room.¡± ¡°But you''re here...¡± ¡°I''m here because they sent me to get you. I was this close to dragging you out of there by force.¡± Even though she was joking, he believed her words because the girl had a well-defined body from daily gym workouts and martial arts classes. He closed the pod lid, but as he bent down, J¨²lia slapped his butt and let out a mocking laugh. He tried to retaliate, but she jumped back, then raised her fists and challenged him: ¡°You wanna fight?¡± ¡°No... burp...¡± Daniel couldn''t stop a burp from escaping. ¡°Sorry...¡± ¡°Good thing you didn''t do that when we were together.¡± ¡°Miss me?¡± He smiled provocatively. ¡°As much as you''d like, a relationship where one party is egocentric could never work.¡± ¡°And the other is a narcissist.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± she protested, lightly punching his shoulder. The two laughed at each other. J¨²lia pulled Daniel by the sleeve of his black and gray uniform jacket and led him out of the training room. ¡°J¨²¡± Daniel called her just before they reached the door. ¡°Have I told you how beautiful you look in uniform?¡± ¡°Like a thousand times!¡± She pushed him. ¡°Let''s go, captain. We have a world championship to win.¡± *** The Dark Age Organization headquarters was located by the seashores on the island of Florian¨®polis, capital of the southern state of Santa Catarina. From the president''s office on the fifth floor, one could admire the vast blue sea that, at the horizon, merged with a cloudless sky. However, none of the five professional players gathered there were admiring the view. At first, Daniel and J¨²lia thought only the main team would be present, but for some reason, the company''s partners and directors were also there, along with Ronaldo Emerich, the president of the Dark Age E-Sports Organization. No one said a word. As the captain of the main team, Daniel occupied the center of the sofa. To his left was J¨²lia, nervous to the point of tapping her right foot on the floor. Noticing Daniel staring at her, she bit her lower lip and held his hand. The president took a deep breath, adjusted his gray suit, shook the watch on his wrist, and announced: ¡°It is with great regret that I inform you that... our organization is closing its doors.¡± He looked at the floor, then lamented: ¡°I apologize to all of you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Daniel said, standing up from the sofa, startling J¨²lia. ¡°What the hell is this? Is this some sort of a bad joke?¡± His indignation was echoed by the other players, who also stood up. ¡°No, it''s not a joke...¡± confirmed Ronaldo Emerich. ¡°The organization is under investigation. All company''s assets are being seized by the authorities.¡± No one spoke. Daniel looked at J¨²lia, who was covering her mouth with her right hand, about to cry, but instead, she responded without much hope: ¡°What about the... World Championship?¡± ¡°We''ve been disqualified...¡± Emerich replied. Of the six players, two broke into tears. Despite also being emotionally shaken, Daniel clenched his fist and questioned the president: ¡°If the company is really under investigation, what the hell did you do? In what mess did you get involved in?¡± ¡°Watch your tone, captain... I don''t like your attitude.¡± ¡°Answer!¡± J¨²lia intervened. ¡°What happened?¡± The president scratched the back of his neck like someone who didn''t know anything. And he spoke in a condescending tone: ¡°It''s too complex for you to understand...¡± Before they could protest against the president, the receptionist entered the president''s office, walked quickly to stand beside Emerich. She whispered in his ear, but her stuttering was heard by everyone present: ¡°P-pre-president, th-the po-police.¡± Emerich shuddered, his carefree attitude vanished in an instant. ¡°Tell them... tell them I''m coming. Honey, try to buy me some time, please.¡± ¡°Bu-bu-but.¡± The receptionist froze as she saw the police team entering the president''s office. There were six men wearing the police uniform. And the first officer to enter declared in a categorical tone: ¡°President Ronaldo Emerich? We are from the federal police. We are here to take you in.¡± He displayed his badge and a copy of the judicial warrant. *** After handcuffing President Emerich, the federal police turned to the players. The operation leader informed them that they should prepare for a future hearing and also recommended that they contact their lawyers as soon as possible. The news brought even more distress to the players, but the officer quickly reassured them, saying that the hearing would address the company''s closure, so none of them were involved in the case. After being released, J¨²lia, who had endured the initial shock, allowed herself to cry as she left the organization''s building, and was immediately comforted by a teammate from the secondary team. Meanwhile, Daniel put on a tough front, showing nothing but anger and dissatisfaction in front of his teammates, but hours later, when he arrived at his apartment, he let his frustration take over. He punched the wall, cursed the world, and knocked over several objects in the living room. When his energy was completely drained, he threw himself on the bed and sobbed, thinking that the goal of his life¡ªwinning the World Championship with the team he loved so much¡ªhad once again become nothing more than a dream. All because of Ronaldo Emerich, the corrupt president. Daniel knew he couldn''t prove that the bastard was indeed corrupt, but if the company was dismantled by a police operation, the guy couldn''t have been up to any good. *** After two weeks of waiting, the day of the hearing arrived. Inside the room reserved for the occasion, the six players and their lawyers sat on one side of the table, while Emerich and his team occupied the other. The judge and the clerk sat at the head of the table. The hearing began with the judge summarizing the events, citing the crimes and infractions committed by the representatives of the Dark Age Sports Organization. Then the names of the involved parties were mentioned, establishing that the six professional players present had an employment relationship with the company, and most importantly, that they were innocent.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The legal action stated that Daniel and the other players should receive compensation for the company''s actions. The law stated that a player''s image was worthy of compensation if it was negatively affected by illegal or immoral actions on the part of the company. The news brought relief to Daniel, as he had recently financed his new apartment. The judge picked up a dozen papers. Everyone grew anxious. Daniel felt a chill in his stomach as he saw a strange smile forming on the face of the former president Emerich. ¡°Regarding the players'' avatars ¡°the judge announced in a loud and clear voice. The six looked at each other. ¡°It has come to my attention that, along with the standard employment contract, the Dark Age Sports Organization also agreed with the newly employed parties on a total transfer of avatar rights. This, in the eyes of the law, is understood as the full ownership of the accounts used by the players, under the condition that they were created and offered to the players by the company itself.¡± The judge paused before continuing. ¡°In my hands are the contracts signed by the members of the main team. The signatures have been previously validated, therefore, they are legitimate. Starting with the team captain, Daniel de Oliveira Dantas, owner of the avatar Dante, knight class, level 99. The estimated auction value is R$500,000.00 for the starting bid.¡± ¡°What?¡± Daniel slammed the table. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± ¡°Daniel, calm down!¡± his lawyer intervened, terrified. The judge glared at him disapprovingly, then said: ¡°I recommend you listen to the doctor''s advice, or I will order you to leave the hearing.¡± It wasn''t just Daniel who lost his cool. The other teammates also voiced their dissatisfaction, making their lawyers try, albeit unsuccessfully, to calm them down. ¡°Silence!¡± the judge shouted. ¡°Next time any of you disrespect this hearing, I will penalize you for contempt. Everyone will have the right to speak, so I demand that you remain silent until I give you the floor.¡± Out of the corner of his eye, Daniel could see Emerich holding back laughter. And when he turned his gaze to J¨²lia, he felt a pain in his chest seeing her crying, hugging her lawyer. The hearing continued. The other avatars of the team were mentioned, evaluated, and announced for auction to settle the debts and liabilities of the bankrupt company. The process was horrible and painful. Daniel felt his strength fading with each passing minute, felt powerless, felt like crying, felt like destroying the hearing room, starting with Ronaldo Emerich''s face. Daniel clung to his lawyer''s words when he told him that he could contest this arbitrary decision, he also said that there was no way something so low could be legally valid, and he gave him hope that Dante was still his, the legendary knight he had dedicated years of his life to making known worldwide. Finally, it was time for the players to be heard. Daniel would be the first, he took a deep breath, faced the judge, and presented his defense: ¡°My life depends on my avatar. Without it, I won''t be able to return to the competitive scene. Your Honor; we, professional players, can only have one avatar. It''s forbidden to have another. If Dante is taken from me, I will have to start from scratch. You don''t know how long and laborious it is to reach the higher levels. It could take me months, maybe a year to collect the necessary equipment to return to the competitive scene. To make matters worse, most professional teams only hire high-level players. And... I just financed my apartment. I don''t have any other qualifications to help me get a job. Please, I need my avatar¡± Daniel begged with tears in his eyes. On the other side of the table, Emerich smiled. The judge flipped through the papers on his desk, then asked a question: ¡°Daniel, did you have any avatar before joining the Dark Age Organization?¡± ¡°Yes, a knight. At the time, I was hired as a reserve after winning an amateur championship.¡± ¡°Would this knight be Dante, the character in question?¡± ¡°No. The team coach asked me to use an account created by them. All I did was rename the provided account to ¡®Dante¡¯. I deleted my old character to avoid being fined for having two accounts.¡± ¡°So it''s correct to assume that Dante is a creation of the company?¡± ¡°But doctor¡± Daniel''s lawyer intervened. ¡°Even if the avatar is the company''s property, it gained recognition thanks to Daniel''s efforts, without him the avatar would be worthless. ¡°Doctor, that''s irrelevant.¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°Hearing adjourned!¡± the judge announced, silencing everyone who stood up to protest. ¡°This is unfair, it''s ridiculous, you''re robbing us!¡± Daniel shouted, echoed by his teammates. ¡°Silence!¡± the judge ordered, with a piercing glare. ¡°This hearing is a farce, this case is madness. Give me back my avatar!¡± Daniel threatened the judge by taking a step towards him. ¡°Doctor, control your client¡± the judge demanded. The lawyer grabbed Daniel and pleaded: ¡°For the love of... control yourself... He''s not your enemy.¡± ¡°You''re right. The culprit is that bastard.¡± Daniel glared at Emerich. Seeing that he was being stared at, the former president of Dark Age said: ¡°Kid... listen to your lawyer...¡± ¡°You ruined me. I dedicated my life to your organization. I bled alongside my teammates to win all those titles for you... I was going to take your dirty company''s name to the world championship...¡± ¡°I know, I know. I''m very grateful, but you know how it is, shit happens. So, move on, the game continues¡± Emerich replied. ¡°How can you be so calm? You corrupt piece of shit. You screwed me. I''m bankrupt because of you...¡± ¡°That''s great. Let it be a lesson.¡± Emerich stood up and raised a finger. ¡°Lesson number one: next time, remember not to finance a real estate without knowing if you can pay for it.¡± He raised another finger. ¡°Second lesson: never sign a contract without reading and questioning every single clause.¡± The lawyers managed to calm their clients until the room fell silent. But as everyone began to leave the room, Daniel jumped over the table, stood in front of President Emerich, and landed a clean right jab on his nose. *** Because of the punch, Daniel had to face an expensive legal process, even for a successful professional player. It didn''t take long for the incident to go public. Daniel''s reputation went from bad to worse. Media channels couldn''t stop talking about the disappointment he had become, while influential figures across the country endorsed that narrative. It seemed like no one would bother to find out the truth. Daniel tried to remedy the situation by telling his side of the story, but everything he posted on social media was met with thousands of hateful comments. And the very few channels that gave him space to explain himself ended up suffering the same fate. No one wanted to hear his side of the story, so he took a break from everything and everyone. Three months had passed since the fateful event. To cover his daily expenses, Daniel found himself forced to take on a regular job. It seemed like his professional career was over. One day, he woke up to the sound of his phone, he brought the screen closer to his face and read the message: "You are not alone. We know the truth. Don''t give up!" He reread the message, but judged it to be a prank, so he ignored it. The phone rang again, it was another message: "If you don''t want to spend the rest of your life mourning a lost avatar, log into the game and create a new avatar." Daniel was confused, so he replied by sending: "Who are you?". The response he received was: "We are friends, but our time is short now. We will contact you after you create a new avatar, but it MUST be a DRUID..." Daniel found that requirement strange, why a druid avatar? How would that help him? He cleared his mind and took a deep breath, slowly a spark of excitement began to burn within him. He was imagining what it would be like to control a druid, the most ignored class by professional players. He looked at the corner of the room, where the immersion pod was installed. Since he had nothing planned for that weekend, Daniel reread the message on his phone, and the temptation to log into the game grew. ¡°A druid?¡± he reflected out loud. ¡°An interesting class...¡± He was already in front of the pod. ¡°Whatever your intentions are, my mysterious friend, you''ve convinced me.¡± He took a deep breath and entered the immersion pod. After sitting comfortably and putting on the virtual reality visor, he uttered the voice command: ¡°Start: Nova Avalon Online.¡± The sensation caused by total immersion was like being sucked into a vortex. You lost your sense of time and space for seconds, everything turned black, and when you realized it, you were already in the virtual world. Daniel found himself in a room with white walls. He looked at his own body and confirmed that it was an exact virtual representation of himself. Of course, I don''t have an avatar anymore, Dante was officially taken from me, he thought. In front of him was an angelic creature with a pair of white wings, a halo hovering above its head, and a sheathed sword at its waist. ¡°Welcome to Nova Avalon¡± said the creature. ¡°My name is Mikhaela. I am the celestial responsible for guiding you through the process of creating your new avatar. Do you have any class in mind?¡± ¡°Yes, druid.¡± he went straight to the point. Mikhaela gestured with her hand. A holographic panel appeared in front of Daniel, showing the representation of a druid, a man wearing a long green cloak over a leather armor. He wielded a spear and cast a spell with his other hand. Below was the class description: The druid is a protector of nature capable of transforming into powerful creatures to devastate their opponents. Their magical repertoire derives from natural elements, they can cast anything from healing winds to lightning and earthquakes. The arsenal available to a druid is, in a way, limited, as they are not devoted to mastering advanced martial techniques. After analyzing the class, Daniel couldn''t help but reflect on how it differed from the class he had dedicated years of his life to. He pondered whether it would be worth the effort to master a new class. No! He mentally scolded himself. If everything went wrong and the mysterious contact turned out to be a hoax, there would still be time to go back and try again. Daniel felt that he should seize this opportunity with all his strength, no matter how obscure it seemed. Mikhaela asked: ¡°Would you like to confirm the druid class for your new avatar?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Understood¡± she said, approaching. She then placed her hands on Daniel''s shoulders and chanted: "Oh deities of nature, grant this adventurer an avatar worthy of their talents and bless them with the primordial wisdom of the druids." The white room was illuminated by a strong green light bright enough to blind Daniel. When the light faded away, he looked down and saw himself wearing a long moss-green cloak, with a vine rope tied around his waist. "Great, I''ve become a tree-hugging hippie," was his reaction upon embodying his new character. "Noble adventurer, behold your beauty through this mirror." Daniel walked to the mirror and saw himself inside the skin of the druid. "Would you like to alter your appearance?" He was posing in front of the mirror when she asked. "No. It''s perfect like this. I love the black, rebellious hair; I look like an anti-hero." After a few minutes of admiring his own body, especially the musculature, he announced, "I''m ready." "We''re almost done. Do you have a name for this new avatar?" He had been thinking about it since he arrived. "Ragnar." "Excellent. Adventurer, I believe the creation of your avatar is complete. Would you like to check your stats before departing?" "Of course." She snapped her fingers, causing a holographic screen to appear in front of him.
General Information
[Name: Ragnar] [Class: Druid] [Level: 1] [Experience: 0/100] [Health: 112/112] [Energy: 92/92] [Mana: 120/120]
Atributes
[Strength: 5] [Agility: 5] [Constitution: 5] [Magic Power: 8] [Magic Talent: 7]
Skills
Animal Form: Wild Bear (Level: 1): You transform into a large bear, becoming stronger and more resilient, but unable to cast spells. Healing Breeze (Level: 1): Summons a gust of wind that heals a small amount of health over 30 seconds. Summon Roots (Level: 1): Summons three roots that can immobilize up to three enemies for a short period.
Talents
Friend of the Forest: Your presence may incite an animal to fight by your side. Naturally Talented: You are already initiated in the professions of Herbalism and Alchemy. Vision Beyond Reach: You detect traps and hidden mysteries with greater ease.
Ragnar puffed out his chest and announced to the celestial creature: "I''m ready. Please, transport me to the world of Nova Avalon." "As you wish, noble adventurer. I wish you good luck on your journey." Mikhaela conjured a blue portal in front of the druid. He took a deep breath and stepped through.
Support my work through Paypal: [email protected] Chapter 2: Druid Daniel was now in control of Ragnar, his new avatar, a novice druid with nothing but a handful of spells to protect himself. When he crossed the portal opened by Mikhaela, Ragnar found himself in a sea of new players moving through the central square of the city of Bremer. It had been a long time since he had visited one of the game''s starting cities, so he had no idea that New Avalon was still attracting so many new people to its server. But it was time to get into character. From now on he would no longer be Daniel, but Ragnar the druid. His first action as Ragnar was to scout the city for opportunities. His first stop was the inn located at the entrance of the square. The sign above the door read: ¡°Moose-Kick Tavern.¡± Ragnar walked in with a smile on his face. Like any respectable tavern, when stepping on the floorboards, a shrill creaking sound resounded, but it was muffled by the melody of a bamboo flute played by a frivolous bard. Even though it was early morning in New Avalon, the tables were packed. Ragnar focused his gaze on the barkeep behind the counter, revealing his name: Bartov. Curious, he checked the target''s basic information, visible on a transparent panel in the corner of his field of vision. His name was Bartov, and he was a level 8 swordsman. Ragnar walked up to the counter, sat on a stool, and greeted the tavernkeeper: "A fine day to level up, isn''t it?" "Sure is, buddy," Bartov replied, pausing briefly to look the druid up and down. ¡°It¡¯s not every day that we get to meet a level 1 adventurer. I still remember my first day in this game. Everything was so complicated, so many systems to learn, terms to memorize, but we learn it little by little. So... don''t worry, the important thing at the beginning is to have fun. Over time, you''ll learn the nuances of combat, the economy, and everything else." Bartov paused for a moment before continuing: "I apologize if I ended up sounding like a know-it-all. I''m still at level 8, so... in a way, my journey is just beginning too." ¡°Thanks for the tips and words of encouragement." "Have you tried any drinks in the game yet? It''s amazing, it''s exactly like a cold one in the real world, maybe even better." "I haven''t tried any yet," said Ragnar. ", buddy. Then let''s fix that. How about a mug of Unicorn Piss? It''s an exclusive mead you can only find here." The tavernkeeper leaned in with a smile on his face: "This mead is excellent for beginners, it will greatly increase your strength. You''ll kill goblins, wolves, and everything else out there with ease. And if you do everything right, you''ll reach level 5 in the blink of an eye." "Interesting," Ragnar said, feigning interest. "How long does the effect of this drink last?" "About five minutes." "And how much does it cost?" "Each mug is worth 25 rubros, but since you''re a nice newbie, I''ll give you a special price, 18, how about that?" "I only have five," Ragnar lied. "Really? How strange. From what I remember, new players start with fifty." ", Mikhaela," Ragnar muttered softly, grateful for being transported to a city of scammers. Then he continued: "Forgive my boldness, but isn''t 25 rubros expensive for a drink like this? I read somewhere that each rubro is equivalent to one cent. So you''re charging me 25 cents for a virtual drink. Isn''t that expensive?" Bartov analyzed Ragnar with a cold, menacing gaze and grunted in disgust: "Get out." "Before I go, I''d like to try your mead, but at a fair price." "And what would be a fair price, one rubro?" "No, my dear tavernkeeper, you must not underestimate your product. I''d say this mead shouldn''t cost more than three." Bartov let out a mocking laugh, then retorted: "And where did you get that value from, out of your ass?" "I can tell by the smell. Your mead must contain only the basic ingredients: water and honey. The water you can get for free by going to the river or the city''s fountain. As for this low-quality honey by its sour stench, it shouldn''t cost more than one rubro per unit. Now, let''s add the processing cost, after all, you need to store the mixture until it ferments properly, which ended up not happening, since the smell of this drink is a crime. Taking all this into consideration, I''ll be kind enough to add two rubros to your profit margin, resulting in the three coins I''m willing to pay for a mug of this drink." Bartov''s face twisted in anger. He grunted, turning his back on Ragnar. Then he walked over to the mead barrel, filled a mug, and poured it for the druid. "Take this shit, I hope you choke on it!" Ragnar smiled, raised his mug in a gesture of thanks, and drank it while making faces throughout the process, and ending with a critique: "It was worse than I imagined..." "Fuck you. Now, get out of here!" the tavernkeeper muttered. "Me? Leave? You owe me 47 rubros," Ragnar said with a mocking smile on his face. The tavernkeeper approached. "You think I''m an idiot? You think I don''t know what you''re doing? You think your little blackmail of yours will work? Friend, listen carefully to what I''m going to say: this tavern is not mine, it''s property of the Black Paw." "Black Paw? Never heard of it..." "Really? Then rest assured, because I''ll tell you. They''ll destroy you. They run this city. And unlike the pathetic NPCs who call themselves guards, the Black Paws are capable of finding any fool who threatens one of their establishments." Ragnar stopped to think. Bartov''s story didn''t sound like a bluff, as he had encountered guilds that operated like criminal organizations before. Many of them established themselves in some irrelevant place with the aim of controlling the market, terrorizing the population, and taking advantage of innocent players. After pondering, Ragnar insisted: "I want my 47 rubros." "And what makes you think I''ll give that amount to a level 1?" "You''re taking advantage of this being a city of newbies to sell your overpriced drink," Ragnar made sure only the tavernkeeper could hear. "So what? Is there a law protecting fools?"The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. "Here? In the game? No! This world is a jungle where the strong oppress the weak. But the name of this inn would be tarnished if your customers knew the truth." "Kid... You have no idea what you''re getting into." "I know exactly what I''m getting myself into..." Ragnar stared at him. "Either you leave now, or you''ll be on the Black Paw''s list." "I''m the one calling the shots here. Either you pay for my silence, or everyone will know about your little scheme of yours.¡± After Ragnar''s ultimatum, nervous conversations spread across the tavern''s tables. Bartov was on the verge of imploding with rage as he said: "Kid, you''re way too cocky for a level 1. Either you''re crazy, or your avatar is a secondary account! Are you asking to be reported?" "You can report me, but I''ll shout to everyone that you''re scamming newbies... Do you have any idea what a veteran, one of those with a level 60 avatar or higher does to people who deceive those who are just starting out? I''ll tell you, the name Bartov will be on a lot of important people''s blacklists..." A hunter who overheard the conversation stood up, he raised his bow, and stood beside Ragnar, announcing to everyone: "It''s true!" He pointed his finger at Bartov. "This guy sold me a mug of mead for 40 rubros." Ragnar glanced at him; his name was Skiff, a level 2 hunter. The tavern patrons turned their furious gazes toward the tavernkeeper. "Forty for the mead?" a customer near the stage where the bard had stopped playing his flute exclaimed indignantly. "But he sold it to us for only five rubros," said another customer. The built-up tension seemed ready to burst. "Give me back my money!" demanded the player next to Ragnar. "No!" Bartov replied. "We''re not leaving until you give us our money," Ragnar said, looking at the hunter and nodding. Most of the customers stood up and left the establishment. "Hey!" Ragnar turned to those who hadn''t left yet. "Are you just going to sit there and watch, or are you going to grow a spine and help?" The customers seemed offended at being scolded by a level 1. Taking advantage of the others'' distraction, Bartov drew his sword from its sheath and pointed it at the two who had challenged him. This scared off the last remaining customers in the tavern. Anticipating the tavernkeeper''s reaction, Ragnar jumped onto a table and raised his arms to prepare casting a spell. "Get out of here," Bartov shouted. "What now?" Skiff asked, holding his bow and arrow. "Stay back and shoot only when you''re absolutely sure you''ll hit." "You want to fight him? Are you crazy? He''s much stronger than us," Skiff''s voice was filled with desperation. "I know, but try to buy some time." "Enough!" Bartov roared and charged forward. Ragnar''s hand flashed, and he aimed the spell at the tavern keeper, but downwards. Three roots sprouted from the ground and grabbed Bartov''s ankles, knocking him face down against the tip of the druid''s wooden sandal as the druid himself kicked him. Bartov fell to the ground, feeling the humiliation of being beaten for a level 1. But Ragnar didn''t have a weapon. His original plan was to rely on the customers'' indignation to join the fight, but he had overestimated them and was now paying the price for his optimism. Seeing his only ally, Ragnar gave the signal: "Now!" Skiff was behind an overturned table, pulling his bowstring to its limit. The tip of the arrow was surrounded by a swirling gust of wind spinning at high speed. When Skiff released the arrow, the roots summoned by Ragnar let go of the enraged tavernkeeper, but there was no chance for him to counterattack. The hunter''s arrow flew at high speed and hit Bartov in the shoulder. The damage was low, but the goal of the shot was to afflict him with the slow status. Despite their efforts and efficient teamwork, the opponent''s health was still almost full. Ragnar knew this was a battle he couldn''t win alone. Bartov recovered from the attacks, twirled the sword in his right hand and, with a gesture of his left hand, called the druid to fight, but he did not fall for the provocation and remained at a safe distance. The three studied each other for a minute. Skiff couldn''t shoot freely, as after firing an arrow, he would be vulnerable until he prepared the next shot or switched weapons. Ragnar slowly backed away toward the tavern''s stage. Skiff took the initiative by firing a well-aimed shot at his opponent''s leg. However, even though he was damaged, Bartov charged at an astonishing speed towards the shooter. But before he could reach him, roots burst through the ground between them and turned towards the tavernkeeper, who smirked mockingly. "Pathetic!" he sneered as he performed two diagonal sword slashes. The strike was so fast that blue streaks marked the blade''s path, and the force was so great that it cut through Ragnar''s roots as if they were nothing. Such was the gap in strength between them. With the roots out of the way, Bartov bent his knees and used his Charge ability to charge at the archer at breakneck speed. The tip of the blade pierced Skiff''s chest, but before he could pull it out to follow up with another attack, Ragnar transformed into a black bear and charged at the opponent, knocking him to the ground with a paw strike to the chest. Skiff fired his arrows, and Ragnar delivered two more paw strikes before being repelled by a clumsy sword slash, which took out 30% of his health in one fell swoop. Ragnar retreated and canceled his animal form, returning to his human appearance. Bartov stood up and held his sword horizontally, preparing for the final blow, but before doing so, he said: ¡°You messed with the wrong person¡­! And he quickly turned his body, releasing a cutting wind through the blade of his sword. Ragnar felt the sword cut him three times, red messages with the damage taken flashed in his field of vision. The total damage far exceeded his health points. The battle was over. Ragnar was kneeling on the ground, contemplating his life counter which, for some reason, had not reached zero: Health: 99/112 Raising his head, he saw a tall woman. In one hand, she was casting a healing spell, while the other held a saber against Bartov''s neck, who fell to his knees before her. "Bartov..." the woman said. "You are under arrest for the crime of assaulting innocents people." After the arrest was announced, the accused''s hands were imprisoned by chains conjured by magic. "But... Baroness Merwin," Bartov whimpered. "They were the ones who attacked me..." "I''m not finished..." she said. "You are also suspected of selling products at abusive prices. This offense has an aggravating factor: you targeted novice adventurers to avoid suspicion." "You''re done for, brats," Bartov said, seething with rage. "Especially you, you damn druid!" "Guards," ordered the baroness in charge of governing the city. "Take him to the dungeon." Three soldiers led the condemned man away, but halfway there, Bartov tried to break free. However, he didn''t count on one of the soldiers being a mage capable of freezing him from the torso down with the snap of his fingers. "Damn it. Log out!" Bartov shouted, and he disappeared. Ragnar stared at the baroness, and she said: "Don''t worry. He''s officially arrested, so he''ll wake up in the prison cell until he serves his seven-day sentence." Ragnar noticed that she wore several layers of fine fabrics that overlapped and harmonized with a silver crest, on which was engraved the image of a sitting cat. "What... madness," Skiff sighed, his eyes wide and his mouth open in disbelief. The baroness approached Ragnar. "Thank you for reporting the tavernkeeper. He''s been a thorn in my side. You did a good job holding him off until a customer came to inform me of what was happening. He could have escaped in time to seek refuge in another city. But your courage, or perhaps stupidity, made him stay and fight." She turned to Skiff: "We are grateful that you stood by justice while the majority of the customers fled in panic." A message appeared for Ragnar and Skiff:
Secret Mission Completed: The Bremer Swindler (Level: 10)
Dark rumors say that someone is taking advantage of the defenseless. Identify the culprit and report them to local authorities.
100 rubles 1,000 reputation points with the City of Bremer Official Permission to Use the Bremer Community Garden
Three messages appeared for Ragnar: You have evolved to level 2 You have evolved to level 3 Your reputation with the City of Bremer has advanced from Neutral to Friendly He couldn''t contain his happiness. In half an hour of gameplay, he had advanced two levels, and 100 rubros was an amount of money that would help catapult his progression. In addition to the traditional rewards, Ragnar received enough reputation points to become a friend of the City of Bremer. This would provide discounts at local shops, limited items, and opportunities like exclusive quests. Finally, he was granted official permit to use the city''s community garden. There, he could grow whatever he wanted¡ªas long as it wasn''t illegal¡ªwithout having to worry about someone coming along and stealing his harvest, since the garden plots were limited to those with the permit. With all the rewards assimilated, Ragnar approached Baroness Merwin and asked: "Were you after him?" "We heard rumors about a con artist in the city, but we didn''t know he was targeting only newcomers," she said, studying Ragnar from head to toe. "You''re not part of a Druidic Circle yet?" "Not yet, but I intend to undergo the initiation rite when I can." "That won''t be necessary," Merwin pulled a piece of paper and a quill from her small bag. She placed the paper on one of the tavern''s tables and scribbled. When she finished, she showed what she had written: "I, Merwin, Baroness of the City of Bremer and honorary druid, attest that Ragnar, a druid, is fit to join the Druidic Circle of Bremer as a worthy initiate, entitled to all that the position has to offer." "Now you can enter the Sanctuary of Lilies," she said, handing the document to Ragnar. "The sanctuary is located in the forest west of the city. It''s not far, just follow the trail through the woods." "Thank you." She nodded with a slight bow of her head, bid farewell to the two newcomers, and left the tavern. Ragnar turned to Skiff and verbalized one of the game''s commands: "Add Skiff to friends list!" Within seconds, the following message appeared: Skiff accepted your friend request.