Chapter One - The Cleaning and The New
One Week Before
After coming back from school, and having lunch, I finally made to my part-time job, well, My name is John, and I am managing the register right now; since there is also less people for now, I guess looking up the Forum for the game is not a bad idea.
"Clara, the Brave Forum" Said I to the Personal Aristotle.
Guild advertisement, 3 word game, New Player question, Item to sell, another Guild Ad, old video of fight, Company Gift, New Fight video of top raking players. Shame i don't have time to watch it. And some old stuff that got attention again, no that I can blame then, a Guild War being interrupt by a Dragon can only sound awesome. Until you heard sufficient to be sick of it.
"Clara, time in game on Brave Hearths since log out"
"One day and twenty hours in game has passed since log out"
I guess that doesn't matter since I already have found the city, map on the game are not reliable at all, are they?
That aside i need to find someone to help out with the exploration of the area, if not it will be a pain in the ass to clear everything, and my second character it's not close enough to that village for a safe exploration either. *sigh*
"Hey John, there is gonna be a new employee on the store" Said the Manager while coming from the corridor, wait, why is he on casual clothes? Aren't he gonna help here?
"Ok, when will he come? And why the casual clothes?"
"I got a date, and you will teach her the job, i will leave both of you to introduce yourself since you are all adults now"
After the manager selfish got out of the store from the front slicer door, a girl appeared from the corridor this time, chestnut color hair, blue eyes, white skin, and wearing the store uniform.
"Hello I am Rose, 16, nice to meet you" She said with a smile
"Yo" Okay, what do I say before a awkward silence begin "I am John, 17"
She have a confused face for a moment but seem that she shrouded it off "Right, so the manager said that you would train me..."
No pervert thoughts, no perverts thoughts "Right... Since the store just opened let me show you around for now" Okay, let's handle this with care so the conversation don't become strange later on.
I got up from the set, and make sure that the register was closed.
"Do you play any VR game?" Asked her
"I play Brave Hearths, and as you can see there are the shelf with food, there are the ones with magazines and newspapers, on the top of the register the cigars and the rest, let's move to the back to show you the rest place and the storage"
As we move though the corridor I point to one of the doors.
"That's the store room, next door is the works room, the other two ones I assume you know, and do you play any VR?"
"Yes, I played Eternium but by the looks of it everyone here play the fantasy one" There was a ton of annoyance
"Let's enter the works room to show you the kitchen, and you played the sci-fi one, what's the difference between a fireball and a gun that shots fireballs?"
I opened the door to the room that looked more like a living room with view to the kitchen than a place for workers.
"It's not fireball, there called laser, but i admit that both just shoot hot stuff in people, and are you sure this is a place for work only and not just, like living here?"
"All the buildings are somewhat standardized since here is a city more for living than working, so we just took advantage of that and modified some stuff around, by the way, you are not from here right?"
"Yeah... I moved in near the end of the summer vacation"
"I see, let me show you the supplies now since there are gonna be some people to buy soon enough"
After the work i got home, turn on the TV for the news, cooked my dinner, and I toke a shower. I live alone on an small apartment, besides the bathroom, everything else is on the same room, my bed, kitchen and living room, i still wonder how the game pod for the VR can be so well hiding inside the wall.
"The war with the rebels on Old China, Old U.S.A and Old Russia still on going, the causalities on their side is speculate to be near 400 million people for the entire war, on or side the causalities are near a thousand people..."
"So the rebels still at it hum, is hard to get people out of their power, isn't it?" Either way, countries and culture should have ended a good while ago, or at least at a nationality level. Well nothing to do with me.
After switching the channel for some time until I stopped at a gaming channel, talking about the difference between the three big VR game at the moment, nothing new again. I turn off the TV and go to lay down on my bed.
"Clara, log in, Brave Hearths"
"Validation successful, Which character connect as?"
"Nathan"
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After what it look like a flash of white light, or looking into the sun without sunglasses, I closed my eyes and waited for a minute or two, and opened my eyes, now looking into a decaying village, at least the wood houses are. It was a week worth of effort in walking all the way here, but there are some forbidden zones, so let's start to make money!
First, to the Beginners Guild. After some quick walk thought the city there was only one building that stood out, and that could possible be the one. After entering by the front door, all i could see was a desk with a person behind and some tables with chairs around, but there something that is missing. I come closer to the desk.
"Hey... where is the notice board?" I asked wile looking around to make sure that i didn't miss anything.
As if finally notice that i was on the building at all. "Oh, another one, is become populated recently hum, well is not that you missed it, just that there is no job near here, there just not enough money flowing if you know what I mean"
"I see, wait, populated, so there more people here?" This may be easier than I first thought
He gave a small smile "Yes , there another group and one other person" He looked behind me "And yes he is alone searching for someone, he is on the second floor room 5, good luck"
What a quick fellow, but i guess he may be happy by the fact that there is more than just one group here.
Following his advice I got to the second floor, after all fighting alone is prone to death. I knock on the door.
"Who?" Shouted a voice.
"I am here because the guy on the desk said you are looking for a partner"
"Wait right there, I am coming out" Right after the sound of a thing or two falling to the floor before the door opened, and all i could see where a pair of green eyes inside a black hood, some black leather armor on his body, that's definitively a assassin.
"Sorry for the shout earlier, my name is Black, and you are?"
"Nathan, a spearman, and to make sure..."
"Assassin, so you wanna go to the forbidden zones but before form a party with me correct?"
"Ah, yes, before that do you have butcher or skinner skill?"
After some checking on gathering skills of both of us. We moved to the down floor and we negotiate the division of loot and what to do with items dropped and some miscellaneous things.
"Since you still need to take care of some things, let's start exploring tomorrow" Said Black
"Fine by me, then see you tomorrow at six then" I got up from the chair and walk my way to the desk.
What a nice guy, luck is on my side today hum. I need to look at my supplies first and see if I don't miss anything, and there also the maintenance of my equipment, i have been traveling for one week to reach here after all.
"Hey, there is vacant room here?"
He looked under the desk, pick up something. "Room 3, and the price is 2 silver"
"Wait, 2 silver? Isn't it on the price side?" I look at him while pick up the key from the top of the desk
"Look the city around. any more money taken from you go to the maintenance of the place"
"At least here i know that I won't suddenly lost some money" I got walking away from the desk with a light wave of my arm.
After open the door, all i could see was a place on verge of demolition. "He said for the maintenance right?" There was something that looked like a bed, a table that should had have four legs, a wardrobe without door, a window that i guess is more like a hole in the wall than a window. I should have paid more attention on the outside than simple follow the big building. No time regretting that now. I throw my backpack on the bed and look on the wardrobe, there a mirror but the reflection is kinda of opaque. Green shirt beneath the brow leather-chain, with a
leather leggings, a target shield on my left hand, with my black eyes and brow hair, not too bad I guess. Well, I simply take out the chain part of the armor and breathing everything in and then out. "Ha...." The chain mail is heavier than anybody guess on the start of the game isn't it?
"Status, skills, and so it become" At the end of the chant my skills levels appear, the window is cyan on color, personal preference really, and is kinda easy on the eyes, but looking in to it, any person that strive for efficiency would cry, the skills are all over the place, the only excuse is that I start before any help from forums or other players, but oh well.
"Hum..." Some more practice and my spear mastery will get to expert, the butcher and skinner skills are standard, foot movement is on skilled and haven't advance for some months now. Looking at the list there is just to much levels zero skills. After some more digging in my skills list, I approach the bed and look at the Bag of Holding, or is more suitable to say backpack of holding?
"I put, I see, I forget and I Take, while you hold" Following the chant, a small window appear in front of the bag with a list of things inside and the quantity, a shame that it cannot hold what don't pass by the opening or that is to heave for me to put in. Either way, some scales, skin, fur, ropes, some food and drinks, knives, throwing knives, two short sword, one long sword, three steel tip spears, and some more random stuff. I looked at my belt and see that my sack of holding also have a window in front of it. Right, area of effect, either way, 3 gold coins on view would make any person happy, there are also some finger, ears, wings, needles, crystals and more random stuff. I wish I could say that's just because I can't throw things away but...
I took a hammer out of the backpack, and start repairing my armor.
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Two days Later
"Are you sure that this is the plant for paralysis poison?" I questioned Black while pick up a plant from the ground".
"Yes, if i didn't even know how to make this i wouldn't have pick up a assassin class" A shame that class don't exist here.
"Either way, how many wolfs have we killed with this one?"
"I count 27"
Today is the second day of hunt in the forest nearby the village, on the first day we only did a search for the area, and small hunt for small game, such as a group of wolfs and globins, there were some skeleton, and we did find a cave, but the monsters that could be there made we shiver, specially because we don't have a magic to deal with bats.
"I will scout the west, see you in a minute then" Said Black while waving the small white crystal in his hand. That's definitively a convenient item for communication. Either way he definitively choose the west side because we have just got from there *sigh* I guess i can only scout the east then.
Walking for some time, i see the small white crystal on my left hand shine, he found something hum. I turn around and start to see in what direction the crystal shine more... I take out a compass out of the sack and... north... wasn't he supposed to be on the west? I start to walk in his direction.
Some time later "How many?" I asked
"Eight goblins"
"That's... to little" Normally a goblin would never be alone, and always on group of twelve to more.
"Look better, there something more there" I look in the direction that he points in and...
"I see nothing" He look at me with some disbelief in his eyes "I am nor a assassin, my vision is not so good" I took a binocular out of my belt and look at that direction again, but this time "Wh...at?" I have a small smile on my face
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"I know, is not easy to encounter that" A double head land dragon
"Here look closer this time" I pass him my binocular
"He is... injured, that's bad, is he some else prey?"
I did not pass though or mind that globins would be able to do that, after all, the dragon is already looking in our direction with corpses at it's feet. "Let's get somewhere else first, and then look around a little more, if nobody appears then we kill it" we slowly get away from the area, and after Black gave me back my binoculars, we explore a little bit more.
"Nothing here really, but what could be fighting that thing?"
"I don't know, but we are gone get rich quickly, by the way, the price for dragon skin is?" Asked Black with too much enthusiasm
"Calm down, and is somewhere in the six gold line" Right now my blood is pumping really fast, six gold.....six gold coins..... the three that i have with me took an entire in game year to collect... but right now, even if with slit the profit in half, I would still get an entire year of income. "By the way, how do we kill it?"
He made a thinking face "Maybe ice? For what I have look, that dragon don't see to have scales"
"Hum... Lighting would be the best, but that would be only a wish, i have one or two spells of ice, and you?"
"Three, but against that only, one will work" Said Black with a complex face.
"Then i will be the vanguard again, try some poison just in case"
"Fine by me, let's get going before gets dark" Said Black while start to walk.
"Hey, hum, it's the other direction" I said while scratching my cheeks.
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After some walking and preparation, we were finally ready to fight the two head scaleless dragon, the only problem.
"Behind you!" Shouted Black
Without thinking i turned back and put my shield in front of me, but the paw of the dragon was quicker and opened a deep wound on my left arm. "From the stone to sand to mountain and magma[Stone Arm]!!" I shouted, soon enough my left arm that was heavily bleeding turned into stone, i have made sure that the position would be more useful for defense since it could also back fire. I backstep but the dragon moved forward with another claw attack and this time my shield was ready to block even if only a little.
From the right three flying daggers stuck on the left neck of the dragon. But it didn't stop the headbutt of the right head right into my shield. I tried jumping back without much success i end up falling on my back, and before I could get back up, I fell the pressure from the right paw on my stomach, I vomited some blood to my right, my mind was in pain and half of my body was numb, before the dragon could hit my had with it's left claw, throwing daggers dig deep on it's skin on his back, the pressure in my stomach alleviated, the dragon have turn around and look directly to Black.
Before long, the dragon sprint towards him, I guess it considered me out of battle, I bring my right arm near my dropped shield, my left arm was thorn out on the right side of my body together with my shield. "I bring the light and dark, so I wield the glass spear of crystals[Build]!" I took out my spear from my shield, and with it I helped my self to get up, Black was running while throwing daggers and parrying some of the dragon hits. Like a javelin, I throw my spear into the dragon direction, and before it could react I took another spear from my shield that was on the ground and trust it on it's right head, but before it could hit, the dragon stopped some distance away.
I was not tired, but the damage made me have a heavy breath either way, if not by the surprise attack I would still have my left arm, I look into Black direction, he seem to have run for quit a bit, maybe I was dizzy and don't remember how long I was on the ground. "How long?" I shouted.
"Long enough, I was ready to leave you here and come back later, any new ideas?" Before I could response the dragon ran forward, I waited until I see he move his right paw, I avoided to the right, the paw pass right near my face, with all the strength that I could muster with my right arm, I trusted my spear into his sides, both heads scream into sync "Now or Never!" I shouted but before I have even finished, Black was already into the back o the dragon and trusted his short sword into the back of the dragon not letting go. The Double Head Scaleless Dragon feel onto the ground.
"Is it dead?" I asked between wides breaths.
"Yes... I guess the poison have worked" We remained in silence for a time. Soon enough, or laughs could be heard for a mile away.
After we stopped laughing we sited on our buts while heavily breathing.
"So..... your arm..... what you will do with it?" Black looked at my shield on the ground near me.
"Nothing much..... a day or two and we can continue" Said while heavily breathing.
He looked at me like a maniac saying insane things. "Tell the truth, it would take at least a week in game before you could use your arm again"
"I can't blame you for thinking so" I pick up my left arm that was on the ground, the cut part was pretty deep, the part that the dragon had hit earlier, not just that, the arm itself have countless scratch and marks on it, I put the lose arm near the base of what was left on my body. "Stone as one, stone as many, earth that don't separate [Sand Glue]" Now the base of my arm the part that was sent flying when I feel was clued. But even if my arm was hit in the elbow, connecting back with magic it's not a problem, well, until I undo the stone arm magic, than it will hurt like hell.
I looked at Black, it look likes he forgot the magic that i used earlier. "You really..... isn't that like... difficult?"
"Depends on the person, so how will you skin that thing down? Also, leave some meat, i want to cook some." To think that the shield would still be together with the severed arm.
He looked at me for some time. "Fine... by the way... no that would be impolite of me"
"What would you ask? The weapon? The magic?" Is not that easy to find glass weapons after all.
"Actually" He have taken out a knife and was start to cut open the dragon "Is your pain options that I would like to ask... it's just that, I don't think I ever meet anybody with it on"
"Wait, how did you know?"
"I used the Search Stone on the communication one, and that was what I got from you"
I sighed "I really should have though that you would have one" Right, Brave hearth have that as one of the options, if not wrong there was also hunger and thirst in the options... "Well... I kinda of just leave things on all the time, if I didn't have it on I wouldn't be this immersed on the game after all, now less talking and more cutting, the sun is gonna go down pretty soon"
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When we got to the city, it was already dusk. After some talking, we decided to sell the hide at a bigger city, actually we could probably only sell on a bigger city than this place.
"Here, the keys to your room" Said the desk guy, i should really ask his name, but let's not bother.
"Thanks" Said Black
"Oh, right, I forgot, do you have a map of the region to sell?" I asked, i was supposed to buy one when I come but I forgot.
The desk guy looked like he wanted to point out some stuff, but apparently he stopped himself "Yes, the north side is 10 silver, the east 12 and the west 13" I looked at my sack and i have near 50 silver, I guess this will do. I took 35 coins from the sack, and the desk guy had already pick up the maps.
"You haven't brought them before?" Asked Black with a complex face, or what I could see on the parts not covered by the shadow of his hood.
"I was repairing my gear before, but it took more time than expected" I took the map, rolled it and put it on the sack. Humph, the sack is getting pretty full. I gave a look around and saw something that wasn't there before.
"Hey... that's a request?" I said pointing to the notice board.
"Yes, it came in today, is by the guild, they want some people to clear the surrounding area, the other group is clearing the north and west side, that's the note for the east one"
"How much?" Asked Black looking into the direction of the board.
"One kilometer radius, equals two go- Before he could finish, me and Black said in sync.
"I will take it" We looked at each other quickly, before I correct myself "We will take it"
After we accepted the job, we both combined our clock, for the purpose of efficiency.
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Real World, The Next Day
From school, I heard that one new student have appeared in the first year of High School, apparently someone moved in the start of this year. A new face for the north school.
After eating something, I got to the convenience store.
"John, where are you in the game?" Asked the Manager
"On the borders of the Olivier Kingdom, why?" I was sitting in the front of the register.
"Is that I have a quest and through that you would be nearby" The manager was drinking a cup of coffee, to not even make one for me.
"And am I?"
"Saying that you are on the other side of the world wouldn't be even close" The manager take another sip of his coffee
"Right, I have forgotten but and the date?" The Manager frowned a bit
"She isn't what I was looking for" He looked a little displeased
"*sigh* I already said, your standards are too high for anybody"
"That may be so, but I also meet the requirement for any displeased woman" He and his illusions
"If you say so, and what about that quest?" But before the Manager could reply
"Hey, I finished re-stocking, anything more?" Say Rose
"Not for now, you can rest if you like"
"I will take the offer" She was walking in the direction of the works rooms before she stopped and looked at me, at least let me hear the manager quest. "John, do you have time to help in the game? Some people are already asking for help, but I have yet to truly enter and pass by the tutorial"
Strange "Wouldn't be simpler if you asked someone on your class?"
"I may have giving some excuses and lied a bit" She looked away from me.
*sigh* I think that i sigh a lit to much some times "Can it be tomorrow? I have some stuff to finish first"
"Yes, thanks" After that she simple left and entered the works room
"So, you saying about a quest"
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Game world - After the defeat of the Legion Ogre
"So how much land did we clear?" Asked Black while looking on the map on my hands
"One to two Kilometers, a day or two and we finish it"
"How much on the exploration alone?"
"With the hides, furs, meat, bones, eyes and the occasional good weapon, around 300 silver, if we add the really good stuff then somewhere between 4 to 7 gold" Just thinking about it made me smile. We are currently walking in the direction of the village, we will return for today, we are gonna celebrate our successes and richness.
"So what bar do you recommend?" I wonder which of he two here would be better.
"The one near the guild, I haven't gone to the other one" Answered Black
"Fine by me" After some walk, we end up seeing another group composed of thirty to forty people. "Hey... who are they?"
"Oh, right, that's the Black Fish Unit of the Guild Leviatã, I guess there was the ones who pick up the other request"
"I see..." There was ten swordsman, five spearman, some chanters, living mages and sorcerers, I could not find one with bow as the main weapon. "How many healers?"
"I don't know, but I guess the same number as the Chanters probably" On the middle of the group there was a big corpse. "Hey that's definitively"
I took my binoculars from my belt and look in there direction "Yeah..." That was a gryphon no doubt. "I don't see a archer in the middle there, maybe as a side weapon?"
"We got luck on don't finding any flying monster"
"Yeah" I put the binoculars back on my belt.
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End of Chapter One
I will await comments, critics and the fee for make your eyes bleed with my english. Either way I hope you enjoyed.