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[ Congratulations, you have reached Level 1 ]
+ 2 Attribute Points
You have unlocked:
- Weapon Mastery
- Vital Spot Extra Damage
- Equipment Usage
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"Good, now let's get the hell out of here," Eden said, running away without looking back.
"You're crazy," Cole remarked, not remaining behind.
"Desperate times requires desperate solutions," Eden replied.
After they finished the four potions, the two knew they had no chance in fighting the grass minions any longer, so for the remaining EXP needed for reaching Level 1, Eden and Cole went to kill common monsters and wild boars.
Only that by using the common way of farming EXP inside the forest, not only have they spent a tone of time but also met with a Level 5 Giant Bear that could crush them with a single paw.
"Great, we spent about 20 minutes to fill 78% of the EXP bar and more then an hour to fill the remaining 22%," Cole said after resting on the tall grass after escaping a sure death.
"That's the difference in leveling up the common way vs the smart way," Eden said.
"Yeah, but if we used the four potions on the Javelin Birds, maybe we could've reached Level 2."
"Maybe, but it's better to reach Level 1 as fast as possible to ensure our safety when meeting other players. Also, the journey to Akem will take us a few days," Eden said.
After using the four potions on the Grass Minions, Eden and Cole filled their EXP bars for 78% in record time, the only downside was that the little monsters didn't drop much of a fortune; the boys managing to collect only 37 Coppers.
"Equip your stuff," Eden said, handing Cole his equipment. They weren't too tired to walk, so it was better to get moving.
"What now?" Cole asked. "Do we stay here, or...?"
"I don't know a better way to level up than killing Wooden Golems. Let's head to Oakland Valley. This forest is dangerous at night anyway," Eden explained.
"No, you're joking, aren't you? Why have we wasted the four potions then? We could've-"
"I know what i'm doing, trust me," Eden cut the complaints of his friend. "You have to know that Level 0 players aren't allowed to venture too far from their spawn point."
"So we couldn't have made the journey to Akem if we were Level 0?" Cole asked.
"Exactly," Eden spoke half truths.
"I understand now. Then, after you." Cole motioned for Eden to lead the way.
Only a few short hours had passed since Ahartohaim opened, and many new players were just getting accustomed to the game's dynamics. By spending time wisely, Eden and Cole created a significant gap between themselves and the less experienced players. However, that gap will reverse by the time they will arrive in Akem because traveling was only time consuming and not EXP rewarding.
No one had yet formed a guild, but players from established gaming workshops knew what they were doing and leveled up together. They were still far from reaching Level 1, but their organized efforts gave them a noteworthy advantage.
Well-known gaming workshops, with ample resources and experience, had at least one or two Beta Testers among their ranks. Most of their players were trained individuals or VR game veterans with years of experience. Their work was organized: groups searched for information and quests, while others focused solely on leveling up. Grinding for levels was easier with a trained group, even if they could only use basic attacks.
Regular players stood no chance against such workshops. Aware of their advantage, the "Hell Lurkers" took over a prime leveling area, killing any player who dared to enter their territory.
After walking and sprinting for two more hours, Eden and Cole finally exited the interminable forest. To their surprise, they found a small wooden house at the forest's edge. There, in the middle of nowhere, sat a woman in a lotus position, with a colorful bird perched on each shoulder.
Sensing the newcomers, the woman opened her eyes.
"Let's not get too close," Eden said, starting to walk in the opposite direction.
He knew that a normal inhabitant couldn't possibly live there, and he didn't want to disturb someone whom even the monsters avoided. But it was too late to retreat, as the woman called out to them.
"Newcomers, will you be kind enough to help me with something?" she shouted.
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Cole looked at Eden, and they both nodded. Nothing could be done, and judging by her words, there might be a chance to obtain a quest.
Approaching the woman, who seemed to be in her forties, Eden noticed her leg was wounded. From this distance, he could also see that the illusory, diamond-shaped symbol above her head was green, indicating she was friendly.
"Good day, miss. How can we be of use?" Cole asked politely.
The woman struggled to get up and, after stabilizing herself, asked, "Judging by your level, you must be newcomers, right?"
"Yes, we are," Eden responded.
"Then you must be traveling through here in search of ways to increase your level," the woman said. "I am called Kavya, and I can help you with that if you are willing to help me first."
A large smile appeared on Cole's face. "We'd be glad to help you, Miss Kavya."
Kavya returned the smile and continued, "I was wounded by a monster," she gestured to her bandaged leg, "and I can't move well. If you'd be kind enough to fill that barrel over there with fresh water from the river, I'll be sure to repay your kindness."
The boys looked at the wooden barrel, which was half the size of the house, and nodded.
"Yeah, we can do that," Cole said.
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[ Quest "Hand of the God" accepted ]
Details: Fill Kavya's barrel with fresh water. No time limit, no level requirement.
Rewards: ???
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The notification rang inside the boys' heads.
Hand of the God? Eden wondered.
This type of quest was a goldmine for any player. The rewards were usable for all classes, and no one in their right mind would sell them—they were too precious. Even Eden, who knew many powerful skills in his previous life wouldn't say no to a new skill from this type of quest.
"Perfect, but I only have two buckets. There's no rush; finish when you finish," Kavya said.
Hearing there were only two buckets, Cole's expression became serious. It would take a lot of time to fill the barrel this way, he thought.
"Do you have an axe?" Eden asked.
"Yes, I have one," Kavya responded. "Why?"
"I just got an idea," Eden said.
Carrying water from who knows where with just two buckets was a waste of time, so Eden thought of a better way. Using the axe, he and Cole started to cut down a fragrant tree. Kavya returned to her meditation, the energy circulating through her body slowly healing the bite wound on her leg. From time to time, she opened her eyes to check on the boys.
Why are they cutting that type of tree? Kavya wondered. She wasn't sure what they were trying to do, but as long as her barrel got filled with fresh water, she didn't care.
When the tree was down, Cole and Eden chopped it and formed a log trough that could be carried by two people. The process took a while, but it was worth it since they could now carry much more water in one trip.
Eden stored the small pieces of fragrant wood in his inventory, and with everything ready, he and Cole took the log trough and headed to the river. They were lucky—the sound of rippling water reached their ears after walking for just over ten minutes.
Putting down the trough and taking a short break, Cole asked, "What do you think we'll get for finishing this quest?"
"How would I know?" Eden responded.
He had no clue. Searching his memories for information about Kavya, he found nothing. Either he couldn't remember, or there was no information about her in the past.
Carrying the trough alone could be considered training—they needed to take breaks and relax their muscles after each trip. It was a time-consuming activity, and they realized they couldn't hope to finish the task by nightfall.
Seeing Eden and Cole recuperating, Kavya came to speak with them. "I don't have much room in my house, but it will be enough if you're willing to sleep on the floor. I'll also prepare something for you to eat."
"You don't need to do that, Miss Kavya," Cole said. "We'll go back to our world for the night and return in the morning."
Kavya looked at the boys, puzzled. Then, understanding, she said, "I'm still not used to you not being from around here. My mistake. At your level, you can't stay here for too long, right?"
Cole looked at Eden for answers. He didn't expect the inhabitants to act and talk in such a real manner—they were no different from real humans.
"We can stay for about a day," Eden said. "But we'll waste time sleeping, and tomorrow instead of working, we'll have to return to our world."
"Aha," Kavya said with a sad expression.
"We can stay and eat if you'd like us to," Eden said, understanding her thoughts. It wasn't easy for someone to live alone in the middle of nowhere.
"It would be my pleasure," Kavya responded, opening the door of the cellar without actually touching it.
I was right, she's above Level 60, Eden thought.
Cole remained dumbfounded by what he saw. Will I be able to do that when I reach a higher level? he wondered.
"Wait here for a little; I'll go relieve myself," Eden told Cole as he got up and headed to the forest. He wasn't going to do what he said, but to search for a type of mushroom that grew near the fragrant trees.
For those who don't know, this small, purple-black mushroom is considered poisonous, and in some cases, it really is. But not if it's taken correctly, Eden mused as he slowly dug the earth around the mushroom with a piece of fragrant wood.
As he slowly lifted the mushroom, the fragrant wood in his hand started to change its color and smell. From a cedar-like color, it became a purple-black that began to spread toward Eden's hand. Without waiting any longer, Eden placed the piece of wood back in his inventory and took out a healthy one. When the mushroom was fully uprooted, its color slowly changed, becoming a bright purple.
You're my ticket to getting a favor, Eden thought, storing both the mushroom and the piece of poisoned wood in his inventory. When done, he returned to Cole.
"Come, let's get back to work. We have time for another trip to the river." He extended his hand to help his friend up.
. . .
"Who would've expected her to make such a delicious meal out of nothing," Eden said, lying on his bed. He and Cole had returned to Earth after eating the food prepared by Kavya, but neither expected it to be so tasty. "Maybe it tasted that good because we were too tired."
Feeling the warmth of his bed, Eden was ready to close his eyes and sleep, but his phone started ringing.
"Yes."
"Brother, I know you're tired, but you need to come to my house right away. My father has an urgent matter to discuss with you," Cole explained in a single breath.
Hearing his friend's words, Eden's tiredness vanished, and he was on his feet instantly. "Alright, I'll come after I make myself a coffee."
"I have coffee. I'll send someone to pick you up. See you soon." Cole ended the call without giving Eden a chance to decline.
As his home felt too comfortable, Eden decided to leave immediately and use the refreshing air outside to keep himself awake. To his surprise, as soon as he exited the building, he was greeted by a guy handing out leaflets.
"Hello, this is for you. Have you heard about Ahartohaim? If you have, you must know that Blue Feather is recruiting players. If you want to upgrade your lifestyle, this might be your chance," the guy said before leaving as quickly as he came.
"Blue Feather?" Eden asked. "Look how small the world is." He crumpled up the paper and threw it into the trash.
He and that workshop didn't have a good relationship in the past, and he wouldn't repeat the same mistake that almost cost him his right to enter Ahartohaim.