As Justin and Lila made their way toward the town’s southern gate, the hustle and bustle of the surrounding streets seemed to meld into a distant hum. The palisade walls were illuminated by the morning sun approaching noon. It had been a busy morning, and Justin wanted to get at least halfway to Silverton before the day was through so that they could arrive by evening tomorrow.
It was quiet at first, and awkward. Justin wasn’t sure of the proper protocol for hired muscle. Did they talk or ignore each other? He and Lila couldn’t have been more different, at least on the surface.
Appearance-wise, he supposed she wasn’t bad, but she was no beauty, either. Whatever the case, she was far out of his league. He supposed his mind shouldn’t go to such places, but there it was.
“So, a Socialite?” Lila began with a smirk, glancing sideways at him. “Can’t say I’ve met one of those before.”
“It seems to be a common sentiment.”
“So, how does that work? Do you fight enemies with the power of charm and dinner parties?”
Justin couldn’t help but chuckle. “Well, words can be as powerful as any sword. And trust me, social situations are difficult. You’d be surprised how much damage a whisper can do.”
Lila feigned a look of mock horror. “Please, spare me from your deadly gossip!”
“Hey, don’t underestimate the power of a well-placed rumor. It can break empires!”
“Well, you’re Level 1, just like me. I think it’s a little early to call yourself the Breaker of Empires.”
“True enough,” he conceded. “I could hardly convince the innkeeper to fetch me a bath last night.”
Lila laughed, shaking her head. “Really, though. A Socialite? You’re obviously not from around here. I heard something about Ironhold, but where were you before that?”
“That’s a long story,” Justin said. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Well, now I want to know even more.”
“Alas, I must maintain an air of mystery, at least for now. Suffice it to say, my class is powerful in the right hands.”
“Okay, Mr. Socialite, here’s a question for you. What happens when words fail and fists fly?”
Justin smirked, adjusting the pack on his back. “That’s why I hired you, isn’t it? I trust you are handy with that knife and that spinning move you did wasn’t all just for show.”
“You sound skeptical. Bards are far more capable at combat than you might realize. I don’t just play with knives; I can make them fly as true as any Ranger’s arrow.”
“Is that so? It isn’t all just songs and dance?”
“Well, I am a wonderful singer.”
“So, what is your Level 0 ability?”
“Why don’t you look for yourself?”
He set his thoughts on Lila’s character and quickly found the information he was looking for:
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Character: Lila Fairwind
Class: Bard (Level 1)
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Attributes
Power: 10
Coordination: 11
Endurance: 10
Intellect: 10
Perception: 10
Charisma: 10
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Skills
Bardic Inspiration (Level 0): Once a day, start a melody that can enhance the morale and capabilities of your party and allies, providing a +2 boost to a selected attribute for the duration of the song.
Knife Thrower (Level 1): Become a skilled knife-thrower, gaining a ranged attack that can damage or distract foes with deadly precision.
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“Interesting,” Justin said. “Sounds like that knife-throwing could be powerful, especially when combined with the song.”
“The whole reason I’m investing in my Coordination,” Lila said. “I’ve tested it out already. I only have three throwing knives, but I hope to add more soon. They're surprisingly expensive!”
“I invested in Charisma, because it doesn’t seem like I have many options,” Justin admitted. “But in case things get rough, it’s good to know I have you at my side.”
She grinned, clearly liking the compliment. “And don’t you forget it! Still, I must admit, it’ll be interesting to see how your . . . unique skill set comes into play on our journey.”
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At that moment, Justin got a sense that Lila was inspecting his character. He wasn’t sure how the thought entered his mind, but he was sure of it.
“Poison Barb,” Lila said. “What is this emotional damage?”
“It’s like a stun,” Justin said. “Consider it a punch right to the heart and soul of a person. It’s pretty amazing to see in action.”
“I suppose that’s what you did to those two boys earlier? I thought the insults were kind of silly, and strangely specific, but it seemed to do the trick. I’d rather get in a fistfight than have to deal with that.”
Justin looked ahead, finding that somehow, they’d already passed through the gate. The vast expanse of the Silver Road stretched out before them. In the distance, the Umber Hills waited, rising low out of the misty forest. Justin hoped to make it there by nightfall.
Their banter faded as they left the city behind, the daunting challenges of the Silver Road awaiting them.
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The Silver Road, stretching out like a ribbon through the dense Wildwood, led Justin and Lila to a narrow, steep-walled canyon as the late afternoon dragged on. The trees overhead formed a thick canopy, their branches intertwined, blocking most of the sunlight and casting eerie shadows on the path before them. The distant chirping of birds and the occasional rustling of leaves were the only sounds accompanying their footsteps.
As they were approaching the mouth of the canyon, Justin suddenly motioned for Lila to stop. He pointed to a bend in the road up ahead, where muffled voices reached their ears. Silently, they crept closer to get a better view and soon found themselves behind a massive boulder, using it as a vantage point.
A group of rough-looking men, unmistakably highwaymen by their worn-out leather armor and crude weapons, had surrounded an elderly traveler. The man’s horse stood nervously to the side, its saddlebags being rummaged through by one of the robbers.
In the corner of his vision, Justin spied an alert for a new Quest. His heart raced, knowing that every quest brought experience and rewards, but also peril.
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Quest: Rescue the Waylaid Traveler
Description: A group of notorious highwaymen are robbing an elderly traveler on the Silver Road. Will you be the beacon of hope in these perilous times and stand up against the oppressors? This quest is high-risk, but with significant risk comes glorious reward.
Objective: Stop the highwaymen from harming the traveler.
Experience Points: +500
Rewards: Whatever the robbers carry, plus any potential bounties on their heads.
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Justin nearly gawked at those rewards. It would be enough to put him at Level 2 and then some, and the amount of loot could be quite a bit, likely far more than his current job.
Before he could tap the alert and accept, Lila grabbed his wrist, pulling it away.
“Are you insane?” she whispered. “There are four of them, and they look like they’ve been doing this for a while. We’d be killed!”
“But we can’t just let them rob and hurt that man,” Justin whispered back, torn between his sense of justice and the danger in front of him.
“I know, it’s a hard thing to watch. But one dead is better than three dead. And I don’t think your Poison Barb or my knives will be much use against those broadswords.”
Justin immediately saw her point. This wasn’t just a game. As far as he could tell, there were real consequences here. If he died, he really died. This might be his only chance at life. The will to live was a powerful thing, and Justin felt fear clutching his throat.
He decided perhaps, given the circumstances, it was best to stay on the sidelines.
The scene in front of them took a grim turn. After snatching all the man’s valuables, one highwayman roughly pushed the traveler to the ground. Another unsheathed his dagger and, with a swift motion, ended the old man’s life. It was quick and methodical, with no hesitation. Clearly, they had killed before, and this group might even be the source of all the missing couriers.
The shock of witnessing the cold-blooded murder left Justin frozen, his mouth agape. The brutal reality of the game world hit him hard; it wasn’t just a series of challenges, but a ruthless environment where death lurked around every corner.
Lila’s hushed whisper pulled Justin out of his daze. “We need to retreat. Now.”
Without waiting for his reply, she turned and made her way deeper into the woods, away from the Silver Road. Justin, still trying to process what he had just witnessed, followed her.
They walked in silence for what felt like hours but was probably closer to minutes. The approaching dusk painted the sky with dark purples and blues.
Lila finally stopped in a small clearing, hidden by thick foliage. “We’ll set up camp here for the night. We’re far enough from the road, and those brutes won’t find us in the darkness.”
As they started setting up a makeshift camp, Justin spoke, his voice tinged with guilt. “We should’ve done something.”
Lila looked up, her eyes softening. “In a perfect world, maybe. But you’ve got to choose your battles. We wouldn’t have stood a chance. I’m only Level 1, for Arion’s sake. And you . . .” She paused. “Well, you have no fighting skills at all. You hired me to protect you, and that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
Justin sat down, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders. “This world...it’s so real. The violence, the fear, the blood...I wasn’t prepared for this! What happens if you get killed? Do you respawn somewhere, at least?”
Lila gave a bitter smile. “Resurrection, you mean? That’s a high-level skill. Only high level white wizards and paladins get that one. But to answer, no one knows what happens when we die. Some say we go to the Isle of Souls. Others say it’s simply darkness and nothingness. Either way...I’m not ready to find out.”
Justin remained quiet, not sure what to say. He could only assume, from the man’s dying screams, that the pain was indeed very real. It could only mean one of two things: the developers, or perhaps gods, were complete monsters. Or this place wasn’t a game at all, but an alternate universe where, like Justin’s own, nature was an impartial observer and imposed System-like rules over all reality.
Of course, there was the third option he had already considered. That Justin was in a coma, or in some weird sort of purgatory he might wake up from some day.
Lila offered a reassuring smile. “Look, every choice we make, whether to fight or flee, changes our path. The important thing is to learn and adapt. We survived today, and tomorrow we’ll be smarter, stronger, and better prepared. We have our whole lives ahead of us. Let’s not get caught up on something that was impossible to deal with.”
Justin nodded, but of course, it was hard to be satisfied with that answer, even if he knew she was right.
As night drew in around them, they opted not to build a fire, for obvious reasons. They just had to hope no monsters or unwelcome creatures found their way into their camp. Justin’s stomach growled; he hadn’t had a bite since lunch that day.
“I’ll take first watch,” Justin said. “No way both of us can sleep with those ruffians out there.”
“No argument from me. I’m beat.”
As Lila drifted off to sleep, Justin wondered how she could do it so easily. It seemed death in this world was a constant companion, where the very act of reaching the age of twenty was a triumph.
The sounds of the Wildwood surrounded them, a symphony of the untamed wilderness. Their journey had only just begun.