"Wait... Did you just say, 'where Evil's influence first began to taint the world'? What does that even mean?" Han felt troubled by such a strange introduction.
Jade grinned. "I think you already have an idea of what I'm saying. This place is the location where an Evil has slowly invaded the land, causing what we see all around us. It's an exciting training area and a favorite with many of the players."
It was strange seeing her with such a mischievous expression like she was enjoying his reaction. Taking a look around at the village, there was a feeling of oppression as if many of the people had lost hope in the world. Trying not to get annoyed by Jade's look, he asked, "So is this some type of game? Are we able to interact with the people here?"
"Exactly! You can talk with the people here, giving off a feeling that everything is real." Jade appeared excited as she answered him.
"How is this even possible. I feel like I could understand the competition training grounds, but the way you're hinting at things..." He started to say.
"It's like a real place. When Star and Moon first showed us this place, none of us could believe what was happening either. But when we started playing through the simulation, we realized that it's all hyper-realistic." Jade said.
Just seeing how she was acting like a kid in a candy store, Han sighed. Star and Moon did a really great job with this, using some type of technology to create such a simulation. "So I'm guessing the purpose of this place is to kill the Evil presence in this town?"
"That's what we think we're supposed to do...," Jade looked slightly guilty.
"You're saying that you don't know? How long have you guys been playing in this simulation?!" Han demanded.
"Ever since Star and Moon built this place and told us about it," Jade said. When she saw the look in Han's eyes, she protested, "This game is tough even on Easy mode!"
"What?! Aren't you guys basically professionals in a sport that's nearly as intense as being in the military, fighting against monsters and players nearly as strong as you? I..." Han placed a hand on his forehead.
Jade sighed, after seeing Han's reaction. "The people who made this said that it was going to be tougher than anything we tried or trained for, which ended up being a complete understatement." Seeing Han's hand slide down his face, she added, "The nice part is that we have someplace where we can train and get stronger."
"The monsters here..., how much stronger are they compared to those things out there?" Han asked.
"They were about the same as the monsters in the first couple of levels down. So they weren't too difficult." Jade expression changed as she continued, "But as the night progressed, they began getting a lot stronger and could have overrun us if they didn't stop."
"There must have been a lot of them," Han pondered, wondering how quickly those things moved through the city. He then looked at Jade's expression and realized how wrong his assumption was.
"Yeah. Exactly." Jade said.
"You guys weren't joking when you said that this entire place is hanging precariously over a pit," Han muttered.
"Many of our players are training in places like this, instead of inside the competition training grounds. But the main benefit of that area is how we can connect to other schools and locations. Facing against other teams around the country is an excellent resource for seeing how others fight. The fights can also be broadcasted, so people living in these types of places can watch the games and feel better about our predicament." Jade explained.
Han thought about how Star and Moon really set up a great system for the various places that compete in this sport. It's like an online VR game that's just as realistic as the real world. If humanity didn't have this technology, then he could imagine how quickly they would fall to those creatures.
"What do we do now?" He asked Jade.
"This place is unique with how time is compressed. I adjusted it so that the compression is set to an hour being a full day inside the game. Getting a feel for this place will help you improve your abilities, and help you understand how serious this place is." Jade was quiet for a moment before saying, "I heard from Steve that you were thinking about your friends out in the world."
"Yeah. I wasn't in a position where I could look for them, while keeping my family safe. Being inside of this place just made me wonder how they were doing." He looked up and stared at the dark sky.
"Once you go deep enough, I'll let you know which level is equivalent to those things. You already understand how they are able to adapt, which is why you guys can't just look for them. You may think you're strong enough, but you're not." Jade looked regretful, likely thinking about her own loved ones. Shaking off her negative thoughts, she suggested, "How about we get something to eat."
Han's head snapped down at Jade's words, seeing her head towards a large building with a sign that had "Inn" written on it. Heading towards the inn, Han didn't understand what she meant by 'get something to eat.' He did notice that some of the villagers were looking at him, with expressions showing signs of curiosity and suspicion.
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When he entered the inn, Han saw that the interior was fairly dark with few people inside. Of the people that were sitting at tables, they were huddling close to one another. He could hear sounds of whispering, catching only a sentence here and there.
"Julia, what are they talking about?" He asked.
"Enhancing the sounds, I keep hearing talks about the state of the world and the rising Evil in the woods near the village. Supposedly, the village chief had hired some adventurers to find out more information about the strange noises and people going missing during the night, but they've yet to return. Some of the people think those adventurers either ran or were eaten by monsters." Julia reported.
Seeing Jade sitting at one of the tables, Han went over and took a seat next to her.
"I'm guessing you've been listening in on the people here?" She asked coyly.
"Just trying to figure things out." He shrugged his shoulders.
Jade's helmet opened up and revealed her face. "I ordered us some stew. The quality isn't that great, but it's still decent."
"This all seems pretty impressive for a game," he said
"There are some players who stay in here for weeks at a time, just trying to get deeper into the dungeon." She added.
"I'm guessing the dungeon is located in the forest?" He asked.
Jade smiled at his question. "Seems like you did a good job at listening in on those people over there," She indicated with her chin at the other patrons. "Yeah. What they are talking about is the dungeon we'll be entering. And adventurers they're talking about can be found on the first level. They didn't get too far into the place."
A young serving girl approached their table while carrying two bowls. "Here are your stews, my Lord and my Lady." She nervously set them down on the table in front of them.
"Thank you, girl. Here, for your troubles." Jade lifted her hand and several bronze coins dropped onto the table.
"Thank you, my Lady!" The girl said cheerfully, trying to curtsy to Jade.
Han watched as the girl rushed back to an older man behind the bar. The man looked at the coins the girl was showing him and then looked at the two of them. He smiled and bowed to them.
"That was really realistic," Han murmured.
"C'mon, try the food before it cools," Jade said to him, taking the provided utensil and bringing the stew to her mouth.
His helmet opened up, exposing him to the various smells. What was alarming first was the smell coming from the stew. It was a pleasant smell. Following Jade's movements, he tried some of the stew. He could taste the potatoes, carrots, meat and various other flavors. "This is good," he commented at Jade.
"Even better is that you can eat the food in this place and not go hungry," she said.
"Seems like a really great game...," He pondered.
They continued to eat the stew, and in moments both of their bowls were empty. After enjoying the dish, Jade indicated that they should get ready to go. Getting up, the two of them headed out of the inn.
"What's the plan now?" Han asked her.
"We need to both get weapons. This place uses the in-game weapons, so we're unable to bring them from the outside." She explained.
"I'm guessing that's why you had those coins?" He asked her.
Jade flashed him a smile. "The monsters in this game drop various items, including coins, which you can trade for other items. When you start off, you can pick up a battered and rusty sword for free, but those aren't very good. Normally, you go out and kill various smaller monsters that have leaked out from the forest and then save up for better weapons."
"No armor?" Han asked.
Jade shook her head. "Our armor is far superior to what you can find here, so there's no point in purchasing the armor inside of the game."
There was the sound of a hammer hitting metal up ahead, and looking in that direction, Han saw that it had a sign with a hammer and anvil on it. "Guessing that's the place where we get weapons?"
"Nothing gets past you, huh?" Jade teased. "It's one of the places where we can pick up weapons. There's also a merchant nearby, who brings in goods from outside this village. Some of us have wondered whether this is a place we can visit later."
"Why haven't you tried?" He asked.
Raising both hands, she sighed, "The monsters are too strong the further away you go. It makes it impossible for us to travel. There are some caravans that leave this place, but they cost far too much money. We think that after clearing the dungeon, there may be some type of event that allows us to hitch a ride out of this place."
Han laughed. "It's definitely a creative way to make sure that you guys don't just take off to a different place."
Soon the sounds of the smithy working on something became louder as they reached the entrance. The place the smithy worked in was opened up, only providing a roof in case of rainfall. There were various stands, holding weapons and armor on them. The styles were of varying types.
Wielding a hammer and making what seemed like a sword, the smithy had massive arms the size of a person's thigh. He had on a leather apron with a dirty shirt underneath it, likely from all the smoke from the large fire in the corner.
"Excuse me," Jade called out to the man.
Hearing Jade call out to him, the smith stopped and looked towards them. "What do you people want?" He asked gruffly.
"We're interested in purchasing weapons from you," Jade called out to him.
Waving his hand for them to come over, he growled, "I have some weapons on display, though if you're buying them to go off into that cursed forest, I would recommend against doing that."
Jade smiled sweetly at him, as she entered his area under the tarp.
Han soon was looking at the various weapons, some of them looked very basic like the kind you'd see at the start of a game. There was a decent number of swords that appeared useful for intermediate level people. Looking around, he spotted a massive sword that looked like a massive blade without a handle. He noticed on the other side of the blade was a place for a person to grab the weapon. Instead of going along the outside of the weapon, it ran at an angle. Looking to the middle of the blade, he noticed the metal rod was exposed as if meant to be held there. With the size of the blade, it could act as a shield.
"It seems you've found one you're interested in?" Jade whispered into his ear. Moving away from him, she asked the smithy, "How much for that weapon?"
The smithy looked confused, turning to look at what she was looking at. "That thing isn't meant to be wielded by a newbie."
"How much?" She asked again, giving him a radiant smile.
"Lady, I'm telling you that if you use that weapon, you'll likely get yourself killed." Pointing at the weapon, the man said, "This thing here isn't a toy. I can't even properly carry that thing with one hand, let alone with two."
Jade laughed, "Don't worry about us. We're pretty strong."
Seeing that she wasn't going to move on the subject, he sighed, saying, "That thing is worth 20 gold coins."
Jade grabbed a cartridge on her side, opening the top and looked inside. Tilting it to the side, gold coins poured into her other hand. Closing the cartridge, she placed it back into her pouch and said, "Here's the money. There should be enough, also, for that pair." After dumping the coins into the smithy's cupped hands, she pointed at twin blades that looked like something a master swordsman would use.
The smithy mutely nodded his head.
"Go grab your weapon," she said. Jade walked over and took the pair of swords then headed towards the dirt road.
Han walked over to the slab of deadly metal, picking up the sword with a slight grunt. It was far heavier than it appeared, though the weapon felt solid. Adjusting his strength, the sword soon felt light and easier to wield. "Can this thing attach to the back of the suit?" He asked Julia.
"Yes, Creator. The suit has already scanned the weapon, so all you need to do is place it near your back and the suit will hold onto it automatically." She explained.
As he moved the blade to the usual position, Han felt a slight lurch as the weapon attached to the suit. It was nice how the suit adjusted itself, so he didn't feel off-balance, having such a heavy weapon on his back. If he didn't have the suit, Han would likely need to lean forward constantly.
When Han reached where Jade was waiting for him, she said, "How about we finally go have some fun?"
"I've been waiting to see what this dungeon looks like, especially if it's a place that's causing professional players to die early on," Han stated.
"We'll see how you feel about the place after you get killed a few times," Jade smiled sweetly at him.
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All around them were ancient looking trees that didn't have any leaves on them. It really did give the impression that some ancient evil was corrupting this place, with how the branches were twisting and looked like arms reaching out to grab unsuspecting travelers.
"This place does give an impression of being tainted by something," Han stated. As they traveled through the forest, he heard the occasional growling of a monster or animal off in the distance. When he looked towards the sound, he saw a pair of glowing red eyes staring back at him before dashing away and disappearing into the darkness.
Jade was calm as they proceeded, "The monsters here are not likely to attack us. Somehow the game is able to sense our strength, making lower level monsters avoid us."
It reminded him of games he played, where the higher level you were the less aggression/agro you'd attract to yourself from various mobs that were lower level than you.
"How far away is this dungeon?" He asked Jade.
"We should be reaching it soon. There will be an open area, where there used to be some place of worship to a Holy Being." Jade answered.
Several minutes had passed, before the trees around them began to thin out. As they left the influence of the forest, Han saw a cathedral in front of him. It was very similar to the ones back in his own world that he often passed by on his way to work. The building was made out of some type of stone with windows that had images in them. The stained glass had images of winged beings fighting off disfigured creatures. Other religious icons were seen in the windows, as they approached the place.
Even though the windows presented a picture of light vanquishing dark, the building appeared defiled and aged as if the Evil it trapped was too great of a weight for it to bare.