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[ Welcome to Ahartohaim! ]
[ You don't have an account. Do you want to create one? ]
[ Yes/No ]
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"Of course I do," Eden said, pressing the [Yes] button.
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[ Excellent. ]
[ Select your weapon of choice. ]
* Staff
* Sword
* Axe
* Dagger
* Shield and Sword
* Bow
* Bare hands
* Spear
* Flute
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"Sword."
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[ You have selected the sword. Inside Ahartohaim, you will have the option to choose between many different types of swords. ]
[Please allocate your attribute points.]
Attribute Points: 24
Attributes:
Strength: Influences physical power, physical attack damage, carrying capacity.
Agility: Governs speed, reflexes, attack speed, evasion.
Vitality: Reflects a character's health, resilience, sometimes resistance to damage or status effects.
Intelligence: Determines magical prowess, spell-casting speed, magical attack power, strategic thinking, problem-solving.
Willpower: Influences mental strength, resistance against mental attacks, ability to resist control or manipulation effects, magical energy reserves.
Endurance: Affects the ability to perform continuous actions or activities without getting fatigued, sprinting, prolonged combat, swimming, and sometimes physical/magical defense.
Charisma: Affects social interactions, leadership abilities, the power of buffs, curses, and status effects. Extremely useful for flute users.
Senses: Governs awareness, detection abilities, the character's ability to spot hidden or secret elements within the environment, accuracy.
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Eden began distributing his points, following a pattern from his past experience. He would have preferred to avoid placing points in intelligence, willpower, and charisma for now, but each attribute required at least one point.
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Strength - 6
Agility - 6
Vitality - 2
Intelligence - 1
Willpower - 1
Endurance - 3
Charisma - 1
Senses - 4
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After finishing his attribute allocation, Eden pressed [Continue], and his character information was displayed in full.
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[ Name: Eden Ivera ]
[ Level: 0 ]
[ HP: 140/140 ]
[ Physical Attack Power: 12 ]
[ Magic Attack Power: 2 ]
[ Movement Speed: 12 ]
[ Social Status: Commoner ]
[ Title: None ]
[ Race: Human ]
[ Age: 20 ]
[ Jobs: None ]
[ Weapon: Sword (Common) ]
[ Attributes: ]
Strength - 6
Agility - 6
Vitality - 2
Intelligence - 1
Willpower - 1
Endurance - 3
Charisma - 1
Senses - 4
[ Skills: None ]
[ Items Received: Sword User Common Equipment ]
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As Eden pressed the [Start] button, his body was generated, and he opened his eyes to the green lands of the new world.
"Welcome to Ahartohaim," Monique said, spreading her arms.
"Let's wait for Cole and then we'll proceed with exploring the northwest," Captain Chou said.
Eden lowered his posture and touched the ground, thinking, This land will become the second home for many people.
Because Ahartohaim was a real world, it required a real identity. It downloaded all the information of a person to create the body. The laws of the world gave a second chance for people with disabilities, as all characters created were in full health condition and with all their limbs. However, their combat abilities and constitution remained the same.
Both aspects can be improved by training back on Earth, leading to the expansion of the physical and martial training industries. I need to make money fast and open some centers. I'll also need my own workshop and guild, Eden thought.
At that moment, Cole's body appeared, and Monique welcomed him in the same manner, with a quick glance at Eden that he caught.
Cole moved his fingers, touched his body and hair, pinched his hand, but everything felt real. He could even feel the materials of his clothes and had all his senses.
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"Good, we are all here," Captain Chou said, not giving time for the boy to familiarize himself with the world. "You two are Level 0, so be careful. We need to explore, gather items and information, and map the area. But to do that, we need to level up as well. Be careful not to attack monsters who are two levels above you."
"To access your inventory, you can do it with a mental command. To access your [Character Card], you have to focus your attention inside your chest," Chou explained as his card appeared in front of him, "and it will appear like this."
Eden was accustomed to the process and had already checked his timer, but when Cole activated his [Character Card], he was amazed by the increase in size and the amount of data displayed on it.
"The cards can't be stolen or broken inside Ahartohaim, and in the real world, back on Earth, they can only be accessed by you. Their material is quite hard, so you don't have to worry about breaking them," Chou explained. "Now, the cards can be used like control panels for managing your character. Your stats, level, skills, log out button—everything is on them. And you also have a timer. That countdown represents the time you can spend inside Ahartohaim. The time increases with your level, but for level 0, it’s 10 hours. Ten hours in Ahartohaim means five on Earth. Questions?"
"What happens after the time expires, and where can we get the skills from?" Cole asked.
"You will be automatically sent out of the game, and because of the forceful process, there's a risk that you'll experience some health issues. [Skill Books] can be obtained from monsters, looted from ruins or other places, and given as rewards for quests. These are all the methods we currently know of," the captain replied. "You can log out from almost any place, but we'll meet back here when the countdown shows we have one hour left. Everything clear?"
When Captain Chou saw there were no more questions, he ordered, "Let's move."
I can't make enough money in a short period of time without having something to sell, Eden thought. The currency can't be exchanged between the worlds, so I can't sell gold coins. Not to mention that I don't have any. For selling objects, I also need a market, and the Earth trading shops won't be well prepared in just a few days. And I'm stuck with this little inventory.
Eden walked in silence, his face alternating between ashen and reddish-blue. Monique threw some furtive glances at him, but after seeing his expression, she became afraid to strike up a conversation.
Why is there no market? Because people don't know about the products and don't have a scale to measure their value. A brilliant idea hit Eden. Corporations, normal citizens, rich people—everyone will be interested in this new world, and many will want to establish a power and control something here. But everyone will need information, and I'm the most knowledgeable person. I don't have to open training centers now; I need to sell the information and make a fortune from the rich people. Then I can control part of the market of the physical preparation industry and have a stable income back on Earth. And here? Here I know exactly how to establish myself, he thought as a sinister grin appeared on his face.
Eden moved closer to Cole and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I think this is the beginning of a long and prosperous partnership, my dear brother."
"What got into ya, mate?" Cole asked, making fun of his friend's approach.
"Inspiration, my dear brother. I was looking at our beautiful teammate Monique when a truck of inspiration hit me. Strange are the ways of universe."
Monique turned her head, squinting at the person who just mentioned her name in the conversation. But what she saw was Eden leaning over his friend like a drunk person and eyeing her up. So she increased her pace without paying any more attention to the guys behind her.
The green grasslands extended until the towering trees of an old forest appeared in the distance. The group didn't stay together but separated into pairs that would divide again if they found something worth exploring.
Eden and Cole avoided the forest, as that was what the former's 'instinct' dictated. Both of them placed some importance on agility and endurance, so the moment they separated from the group, they started running. But not before adding all the team members as their in-game friends.
Led by 'luck and good intuition', the boys found a dirt road and followed it until a city appeared before them. The city wasn't a big one, but it had what Eden needed.
At the sight of the walls, Cole wanted to report their discovery, but Eden told him to wait. It was better to just map the city and take some merit for their discovery.
"I don't know if we can enter," Cole said at the sight of the guards protecting the gate.
"We'll have to find out," Eden replied. Everyone was allowed to enter a regular city during peacetime.
Confirming Eden's guess, the guards didn't even bother with two commoners in simple clothing.
"I don't like how they stare," Cole said, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword. The guards looked at them like some thieves.
"If you were a beautiful girl, they would've stared at you differently," Eden joked. "Maybe they know the faces of the people around here, so they look like that because we're newcomers."
"Maybe," Cole replied, still keeping an eye on the guards. "Let's go do some quests. I want to level up as soon as possible."
"That would be a mistake," Eden said. "Have you ever heard of any beta testers who got to keep their accounts when the game was released?"
Cole stopped his advance. "You think we won't keep our accounts?"
"Like Captain Chou said, our mission is to gather information, items, and map the area. We can earn some money this way and increase our merit points, right?"
Cole remained silent.
"Come, let's get our hands on some valuable stuff that can boost our accounts when the game officially launches," Eden said, grinning in a sinister manner.
The most valuable quests in Ahartohaim are given by the godsents. Their behavior and gaze creep me out sometimes, but if I want to get my hands on a decent weapon early in the game, I need to speak with one. Eden looked around to find the right direction.
Back when Eden first entered Ahartohaim, many guidebooks were already available. The beta testers, in their quest for earning money and fame, competed against each other in sharing information. Because Cole was one of the testers and Eden's good friend, the latter gained access to essential information for free. Unfortunately, some quests could only be accomplished once. But either way, Eden now had the chance to return the favor to his friend.
Wandering apparently aimlessly through the alleys of Akem City, the boys met a man dressed in a flowing robe primarily in deep blue, symbolizing wisdom and tranquility, adorned with intricate white embroidery along the hems and cuffs. The robe was complemented by a wide, white sash tied around the waist, emphasizing purity and holiness. A matching blue and white stole draped elegantly over the shoulders, embroidered with sacred symbols and delicate patterns. With a noble demeanor and exuding a scent of incense, the man spoke to them calmly.
"You are not citizens of this city, are you?"
Eden recognized the man as one of the godsents and replied politely. "We are indeed not. We come from a faraway place, and the road led us to this city."
The tall godsent caressed his long, gray beard. "And after coming from such a long journey, don't you want to find a place where you can relax? Why are you wandering on these unpopular streets?"
"We were looking for a blacksmith to upgrade our swords." Eden took out his common-grade weapon. "As you can see, it is of a low level and damaged nonetheless. Killing monsters for some money can become difficult without a suitable weapon."
Cole looked at his friend's serious face but didn't say a word. He was unsure if Eden was truly looking for a blacksmith or just making conversation with the NPC.
"That's one of the most horrible weapons I have ever seen. But considering your level, it’s understandable," the godsent replied.
"Yes, sir, you are indeed right about this." Eden sheathed his sword.
"We'll do it like this. I'm called Timothy. If you manage to reach Level 4 in less than two days, I might be able to help you with the weapons. What do you say, are you willing to try?"
"Yes," Eden replied right away.
"Yes," Cole nodded repeatedly.
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[ Special Quest "Level Maniac" accepted. ]
Benefactor: Timothy
Time limit: 2 Days
Details: Reach Level 4 in less than two days and report back to Timothy. Players must be at Level 0 to accept the quest.
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"Very well then, meet me at my shop at the end of the street when you're done." Timothy turned around and took his leave. "Those must be the rookies from the other world. Marlin said they’re weak, but I didn't believe her. Either way, new people are always welcome," he murmured to himself.
Cole stared at Eden. "Did you know about this quest?"
"Can I know something that not even the company that owns the game knows?" Eden asked, astonishment written all over his face. "This was pure luck. Even though will have to farm level only to lose it later."