Eden got up from bed at four in the morning. His eyelids felt heavy, his lips were dry, and his movements were a little shaky.
"I slept like a log," he muttered, heading to drink some water.
'Good morning to you too,' Zizi said.
"Morning," Eden replied.
Zizi, a bit dissatisfied with the lack of enthusiasm in his response, asked, 'So, you can call yourself a millionaire now, right? How do you feel? Why not celebrate?'
"It's just the outcome of my actions. Why would I celebrate?" Eden asked. "Having money is normal; I don't feel any different than before."
'You were happy when players first bought your small courses, but you don't feel anything now that you've made millions?' Zizi asked. 'I understand you were too tired last night, but i though you will react different in the morning.'
The day before, Eden's prediction came true. Cole's father wanted to discuss about the Trading Plan, and as the quality of the information was undeniable, the money followed. This was Eden's first sale of the Trading Plan, and he realized that even though his bank account had now with 20 millions more, he didn't feel different.
"When the money starts coming in, you feel good. Later on, the amount doesn't matter as long as it's big enough," Eden explained to Zizi.
He didn't feel a thrill now that he had 20 million. Instead, he felt a new responsibility to invest it wisely. The money from the player guides continued to flow in, and he now had more than 200,000 credits from them.
I need a few hundred thousand to establish a workshop and gather players. Then, I need to buy equipment and stuff, Eden thought to himself.
'What about the academy? Will you still go?' Zizi asked.
"I'll come and go as I want," Eden said. "I still need to recruit some people from there. Besides, no academy will remain the same after a few more days."
Picking up his phone, Eden typed a message for Cole and then went to eat something. While eating, he searched for properties for sale in the city and for a car. It was time for his driving license to serve its purpose.
. . .
When Eden and Cole returned to Ahartohaim, the sun had been up for some time. Since Kavya was practicing again, they decided not to interrupt her and headed straight to work.
"Do you think others have also reached Level 1 by now?" Cole asked.
"Certainly," Eden replied. He was sure that with a good party and a great leveling area, some players had caught up with them. "Have you started searching for equipment?"
"Of course," Cole said. "Unfortunately, my father's friends are extremely busy, and we'll have to wait a few days."
"That's not a problem. By the way, when we get back, expand your search for places we can buy. The bigger the building, the better," Eden explained.
"How much have you made from the affiliation with that guy?" Cole asked, referring to the nonexistent person who supposedly gave Eden the Trading Plan.
"A few million," Eden said.
"Good, then we can start recruiting immediately after opening the workshop," Cole said, his expression brightening at the good news.
While they continued their back-and-forth trips to the river, players from two workshops began a dispute that showed no signs of peaceful resolution. Good leveling areas were rare, and when someone claimed dominance over an entire location, many players became frustrated. However, only another workshop had the power to compete with one. And this led to the first organized confrontation between the players.
"Listen here, boy, you better take your people back and find yourself another leveling area. This one is booked by the Hell Lurkers," said Kivion, the captain of the Hell Lurkers squad defending the entrance to the valley.
Hearing the Hell Lurkers name, Torvald, the leader of the Green Crest forces in Ahartohaim had second thoughts about pursuing the matter. Hell Lurkers was a guild with a well established reputation that aimed to climb the ranks and become a top faction in the future. Both in the real world and the gaming realm.
On the other side, Green Crest was a somewhat new workshop, with a decent influence on the city level, but mostly unknown beyond that. On paper the workshops were well balanced, their backers both being people with money and influence. The difference however, stood in the dedication and quality of their people.
Hell Lurkers was a guild that recruited only capable people, most of them coming from their own martial arts centers. Their connection with the military also allowed them to have veterans or even soldiers among their ranks, drastically increasing their coordination, discipline and fighting capabilities, especially in the world of Ahartohaim.
On the other side, Green Crest was just a project for the corporation behind, having the funds, they managed to recruit a large number of players over the years, some of them having quite a background. However, because of the prospects offered by Ahartohaim, the leading board decided to allocate even more resources to this particular game world.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
That being the case, for a decent amount of money, they managed to recruit Torvald, a Beta Tester with more then five years of experience in the VR world and a few other players with enough experience to train the newbies and create a foothold for themselves in the new game.
"Is that how you, Hell Lurkers, want to act?" Torvald asked on an angry tone.
"Do you think you can take over the whole kingdom, or what?" Jack the Butcher said with a smirk. He was the son of one of the leading figures of the guild. With two years of experience in the game world and just as much in fighting, he was confident in what Green Crest could achieve.
"You can complain all you want; nothing will change," responded Kivion.
Torvald looked at the twenty or so Hell Lurkers obstructing his way, then at the more than one hundred players behind him, and his confidence grew.
"Good, if you want to play like this, then I'll show you what the Green Crest can do," he said, tightening his grip on his spear.
"Brothers, this will be the first group battle in Ahartohaim. They slandered the reputation of our Green Crest, and they must pay the price. Remember, the names of the winners will be written in history. And I will make sure to compensate all of you when the time comes. Now, charge!" Jack the Butcher rallied his men and ordered the attack.
"Follow Commander Jack for victory!" shouted one player.
"For the glory of Green Crest!" yelled another.
Kivion drew his sword and yelled to his people, "Leave none of them alive! Send them back to spawn and show them what you're made of!"
"Advance!"
With Jack the Butcher at the front, the players from Green Crest charged like a furious tide. However, they didn't consider that the men before them were all melee classes, most equipped with shields. This wasn't a lineup strong enough to defend the entrance, but no one from Green Crest seemed to care about these details. So, when Jack the Butcher and his men entered the attack zone of the long-ranged classes hidden behind the trees...
"Open fire!" a cry sounded from above the path as a rain of arrows and basic magic attacks poured down on the Green Crest people.
"Ambush!" Jack yelled. "Take cover!"
But he was one of the main targets of the attacks, and his proficiency with the sword was far too low to deflect the projectiles. In the next moment, he uttered his last words as his Level 0 body disintegrated into shimmering powder.
"Commander Jack is dead! The commander is dead!" yelled a shield user who managed to protect himself.
"Continue the charge, they can't stop all of us!" cried Torvald, protected by two shield users.
"Attack!"
"Attack!"
The front line shouted as they advanced under the relentless shower of projectiles. Pushed by those behind them and hampered by the slow or burning effects from the mages' basic attacks, the Green Crest continued their advance, their numbers still giving them an edge.
But not for long. The barrier formed by the Hell Lurkers' melee classes minced every opponent that approached. The twenty-three Hell Lurkers, all at Level 1, formed a sturdy shield wall that outmatched their foes. The difference in abilities was brighter then the morning sun.
Kivion pushed forward with two shield users at his sides. He needed no special skills as his sword moved like a vicious snake, striking the vital spots of his victims. Level 0 enemies had a low chance of dropping items, which Kivion found unrewarding. However, the terrified expressions of his enemies provided a small sense of satisfaction.
"Break them!" Kivion cried to his men.
"Make way for the Boss," shouted Torvald's guards as they opened a path for him.
"Kill them all, Boss," shouted the Green Crest players taking the place of their fallen comrades at the front.
Torvald, also at Level 1, wielded a Level 2 Common spear. He was chosen by the Green Crest board to lead their players in Ahartohaim, and failure wasn't an option. Kivion, confident in his swordsmanship, deflected an incoming arrow. He wasn't a Sword Master, but his proficiency was formidable. His anger reached new heights as well when the tide of players managed to push back his men.
"Come find your demise with your people," Kivion shouted as Torvald emerged from the Green Crest ranks.
"I'll send you back to spawn," Torvald said, pointing his spear at Kivion.
"You need a few more years before you can stand against me," Kivion provoked, challenging Torvald at one vs one.
Torvald prepared to meet Kivion head on, swinging his spear to maintain a favorable distance and land hits without exposing himself. But his spear clashed with Kivion's sword, failing to halt his advance. Torvald quickly repositioned and launched several thrusts, his most confident move.
Kivion blocked the first two attacks and grabbed the spear on the third attempt, even though a sharp pain came from his palm. He couldn't hold the spear for long, but it was enough to close the distance and bring Torvald into his attack range. Kivion's blade slashed Torvald's neck, dealing [- 24] damage and causing pain.
Torvald wanted to scream but found no voice. He was "silenced" for a few seconds by the hit. He forced his spear through Kivion's attacks and tried to defend himself, but his amateurish moves left an opening. Kivion's sword pierced his liver, dealing another [- 24] damage.
"You're dead!" Torvald managed to scream, nearly half of his HP gone. Defeat meant humiliation in front of his men, a fate unfit for a leader.
Kivion smirked and continued his assault. Torvald blocked some of the strikes, but his low proficiency with the spear left him at a severe disadvantage against Kivion's superior technique. The Hell Lurkers' relentless shower of arrows demoralized the Green Crest players, considerably reducing their numbers.
"Retreat!" a Green Crest member shouted even before Torvald was killed.
"Fall back!" another followed.
With fewer than forty remaining, the Green Crest survivors fled for their lives.
"That's all your guild amounts to?" Kivion laughed in Torvald's face before delivering the finishing blow. "Kill as many as you can!" he ordered, disappointed that no items dropped from Torvald's body.
. . .
"Thank you very much for your work," Kavya said, looking at her full barrel of water. "I won't be cheap with you either, so you can take these." With a motion of her hand, two Skill Books appeared before her.
Cole's eyes widened in surprise.
"I'm aware that you can increase your level without cultivating, but this can help you anyway," Kavya said, presenting the "Life Breathing Manuals" to the boys.
Accepting the gift without hesitation, Cole voiced his appreciation. "Thank you very much, Miss Kavya."
"We are grateful for your gift," Eden said.
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[ Congratulations, you have completed the "Hand of the God" quest! ]
+ 1 Life Breathing Manual
+ 100 EXP
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The notification rang inside the boys' heads, filling their hearts with joy.
"Miss Kavya, time is important for us, so we'll say goodbye for now. We hope to meet again in the future," Eden said, bowing slightly.
Kavya nodded. "If that's what the creator wants, then we'll definitely meet again."
Leaving the solitary house, Eden and Cole headed for their initial destination, Oakland Valley. They couldn't use the Skill Books yet as they were only at Level 1, but they checked their [Character Cards] for the specifications.
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[ Life Breathing Manual ]
Description: By using this item, the person will learn how to gather more primordial energy with each breath. Practiced by a player, life breathing will grant a +10% increase in the EXP received.
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"We hit it big, brother," Cole said, satisfied with the reward.
Eden was also pleasantly surprised. Even with his experience, he had never encountered someone who could give him such a precious skill.