Kal marvelled at the architecture of Firsthaven. He’d never noticed before how beautiful buildings could be. He strolled through neatly cobbled streets, eyeing up every detail. Small thatch roof houses lined the streets; each the residence of NPCs with names, jobs, and lives. Temples to various of the game's gods were scattered throughout, great columns supporting their holy structures. The sun bathed everything in stunning golden light, the sky a plethora of blues. Overhead flocks of strange birds circled, eyeing up scraps to scavenge.

A quick inspection of the map revealed that Firsthaven was split into quarters based on their primary use including a craftsman's quarter, a mercantile district, and the docking strip. He’d spawned in the Royal Circle, the grandest part of the city. A high-spired keep rose towards the sky. Guards patrolled atop the walls, no doubt keeping a close watch on any of the players who might approach. Antonius had mentioned consequences for troublemakers. Had they managed to cause problems already?

Kal spent the next hour exploring the city. He knew there would be players out power levelling or grinding away at professions, but he couldn’t help himself indulge his senses. The time would come for a solid grind. They could have their head start.

He stopped at a small garden, surrounded by a shin-high brick wall. Between the lush grass, a gravel path snaked through to the centre where stood a grand tree. Fuschia flowers blossomed from within its leaves. Small birds chirped from within its branches. Kal could hear each note as if he were also perched in the tree. Their song was complex and beautifully harmonious.

The game seemed to have advanced his hearing. Kal mulled over it a moment. Could the game be extrapolating from his reliance on sharp hearing? He must have had better hearing than the average player.

Kal found he could easily eavesdrop on conversations from across the garden. He sat on a bench listening in on a couple of players, feeling similar to those old Assassin's Creed games. No doubt it would come in handy.

“This city is amazing! I could walk it for hours and not get bored.”

“The combat is unreal. I can't wait to try magic.”

“Did you get hurt in the tutorial? Man, I’m glad they’ve numbed the pain system, but it can still sting.”

Kal chuckled to himself. He didn’t disagree, and he too was blown away by the realism and features he’d encountered in his initial moments of the game.

Skill Gained: Enhanced perception.

Your acute senses allow you to perceive the most minute details in the world.

Suddenly Kal felt he could somehow pull more information out of the world. He mentally yanked at a passing NPC, his vision filling with a stream of data.

Clothing pristine. Left leg damaged (limp), past break. Coin purse hidden by left ankle. Hurried. Breathing heavily, unfit.

The merchant NPC wore a red robe, which Kal assumed must have cost him a few… He had no idea how currency in this world worked. He'd be sure to work it out whenever he got any.

Still inspecting the anxious gent, he noticed a second person, walking intently 20 steps behind. Though dressed well, he had a rugged looked about him. Kal knew a seasoned criminal when he saw one. He looked like the kind who’d have no qualms slicing a coin purse, or fixing a game of cards.

Stolen novel; please report.

Someone's following him.

Old instincts kicked in and Kal found himself tailing the pursuer. He’d done this countless times before and knew how to keep pace without being conspicuous. The tight alley was devoid of sunlight casting natural shadows for Kal to skulk through. Almost too easy.

Sneak skill gained.

Kal dismissed the prompt with a mental flick. The shadows began to envelop Kal, giving him a cloak of darkness. He knew he'd be able to pass by relatively unnoticed, but this was the icing on the cake.

As he followed, he was thankful that waste didn’t seem to be part of the realism. If he had a time machine instead of a VR console he’d be dodging all kinds of nasties in a medieval alley. Perhaps Firsthaven had some sort of plumbing system. Kal pushed away from thoughts of virtual sanitation and listened out for any signs of a confrontation.

“Give me the stones, and you can have your life, old man.”

Kal stopped upon at a fork in the alley, his improved hearing allowing him to listen in without showing himself.

“N-no, please!” Answered a haggard voice. "I can give you money. Great riches!"

Kal peaked around the corner just enough to see the two. The merchant had taken himself right into a dead end. Before him stood the tail, he wore a well made grey tunic, black pants, and sturdy leather boots. Making use of his enhanced perception, Kal could see there was bulk to the man’s form. Beneath the outward exterior clothes, he wore some kind of leather outfit, that he’d imagine a rogue class to wear. He reached down into his boot and pulled out a small item. A blade glinted from his hand.

“Last chance,” the rogue hissed, stepping forwards.

“Hey!” Kal found himself shouting out as he stepped out behind the armed man. The would-be thief spun on his feet to face Kal.

“How rude, we were having a polite chat,” the man spat, anger flaring onto his features. “Leave us to solve our grievances and perhaps I’ll toss you some coin."

Could this be some gameplay path to take me towards rogue-orientated gameplay?

Whether it was or not Kal didn’t care, stealing wasn’t for him.

“Leave the man alone. You’re not talking business."

“Ha!” The rogue laughed, “you appear unarmed and out of your depth, stranger! Though your fire could be of use to our group."

Kal realised he was right. For a moment he’d forgotten himself, expecting to be back in his uniform with at least a baton at his hip. There was the cudgel in his inventory, but he felt confident. He’d dealt with his fair share of knives and assumed with how real this game felt things would be no different.

“Seems I’m getting my blade twice as bloody today.” The rogue waved his dagger, pointing it at the man, then Kal.

Kal allowed the man to advance on him, calm taking over. The thief smiled, clearly thinking that Kal had frozen in panic. The man leapt forward, leading with a punch. Kal grabbed the approaching arm and danced away from the swinging blade. He moved faster than Kal thought he would.

“But not fast enough,” Kal growled as he spun behind the rogue, still holding the punching arm. He yanked on the limb as the man’s momentum carried him forward. Something popped in the man's shoulder, accompanied by a scream of agony.

“Argh, fuck!”

The knife clattered to the ground, which Kal promptly kicked away. Another kick, to the back of the man’s legs, sent him to his knees.

The merchant took this as his opportunity to bolt. He began to make his way past the fighting pair before thinking better of it. He reached down to his left ankle and retrieved his coin purse.

Time for Kal's first reward!

Instead, the old fellow swung the bag by its drawstring. The weighty purse hammered into the disarmed thief’s temple like a mace. The already beaten man had no chance. Kal felt the man sag and let go of his arm. The unconscious figure fell unceremoniously to the cobble.

Perhaps he'd misjudged this merchant.

“Time for us to leave.” The merchant was suddenly in charge of the situation. “Now!” The command broke Kal from his stupor. He’d been examining the latest system notification.

Unarmed combat skill gained (with proficiency).

What did proficiency mean? Kal dismissed the prompt. He’d work it out later.

“I’m guessing he won’t be working alone?” Kal didn’t need an answer. It was time to move.