Weed slowly made his way back up the hill towards Theodore’s clearing, he wasn’t really looking forward to the competition. There were probably players way better than him at the competition. To draw comparison, Weed just learnt the dwarvish blacksmithing skill 15 days ago versus some of the other players who had learnt the skill way before taking the first test, forge yourself anew. Some of these players were aiming to be apprentices of Theodore and thus had begun preparations much before joining the game. One could argue that Weed had the additional benefit of being an elemental blacksmith; however it would only count as an advantage if he knew how to use it. In the end, as Weed thought of it, it was dork versus blacksmithing obsessed fanatics; Weed considered himself as the dork.
Even if Weed were to look the preparation players usually put in,there was an additional twist to the entire test to become apprentice; it was open to anyone who had cleared the first test…even the current apprentices. Though no apprentice had ever succeeded to be reselected; it became an unspoken intense competition between them to try to win it at least once more. The crowds booed them and jeered them for trying to spoil others chances of winning. However, they would ignore the crowds, it was not a competition for glory or unlocking a secret quest, it was simply to decide amongst themselves who truly deserved Theodores apprentice title / Theodores best apprentice.
The other apprentices had obviously been chosen way before Weed While he had been working hard to increase his skills; he wasn’t very optimistic. After coming this far, Weed could not stop now; the quest’s penalty for not turning up was excessively expensive. As Weed reached Theodore’s cabin he was greeted by queer stares of other participants; blacksmithing elves were an oddity of the highest order. Elves were known, through fictional tales and games, for their elemental affinity and combat abilities not blacksmithing. Weed held his hood tightly, not wanting to expose his silver hair he was already enough of a circus attraction.
“Excuse me, are you here for the blacksmithing competition?” asked a human, draped in pearly blue cotton robes. The human character was middle aged, tall and broad shoulders. Going by appearances, he gave of a look of a wanderer; players who played the game as explorers of new worlds etc etc. Shabby appearances, funky clothes, light weapons armed…very wanderer like.
“Yes.” Weed replied; there was no point to lie about it.
“Watching or participating?”
“…participating.”
“Wow! You might be the only elf taking part in the competition this time. I wish I did something more to stand out.” The human participant moved closer to Weed as more people gather near the forest clearing. “Really crowded isn’t it? At least a hundred participants this time, maybe two to three hundred at most. Sounds intense?”
“Is Theodore really that good?” Weed asked as he struggled to think of conversational topics.
“No. I guess when he started off with the competitions a lot of players thought it was a serial quest of some sort. Turned out to be one of the many long pointless quests in this game. The highest profession he teaches is dwarvish blacksmithing. Could always learn it from a dwarven city…” The participant happily chirped away information he had researched when he first received the quest forging oneself anew.
“Then, why the rush of participants?”
“You don’t know?” The human asked happily; at least there was someone here who was not prepared about the test. “Recruitment! A lot of famous blacksmithing houses come here to identify potential new recruits. Those who stand out are even hired by Nobility; good money there. However, the position of apprentice is the jewel! 15% discount on all materials purchased from any shop in Versailles Continent. There is also unrestricted access to all dwarvish cities in Air Kingdom. Hooohhooohooo, apprentice is the position, is the most coveted position! I prepared the entire month notching up my dwarvish blacksmithing skills, how about you? What did Theodore teach you upon clearing the first test?”
“…Basic…” Weed was hesitant to say the entire title. Attention of others was something he avoided out of personal preference.
“Basic Blacksmithing?” The participant interrupted before Weed could say more. The participant stared at the elf for a moment, he could understand why Weed was hesitating. Most players who cleared the test learned advanced blacksmithing. The difference in treatment was evidently clear between dwarves and elves. ‘Dwarves never got along with elves, history was proved right once again’ the human participant thought.
“Well I don’t think you will be able to clear the next test with just that. Did you learn advance after that?” He asked hopefully.
“…Yes.”
“Two rounds at most. I don’t think advance level players would last longer. You really should learn dwarvish blacksmithing! Its like the next level of blacksmithing. Don’t give up hope! You really shouldn’t!” The human participant added the last few lines as he imagined Weed wallowing in despair. “The first apprentice only learnt basic blacksmithing as well! Ignot the dwarf, of fire kingdom, basic blacksmithing skills only and I personally feel he is the best apprentice out there.”
“Who said Ignot is the best?” Asked a coarse deep voice, it came from behind Weed. Weed and the overly bearing wanderer turned around to see a dwarf clad in white armor perched on the stone while juggling two hammers.
The wanderer stepped back; his experiences with this particular dwarf had warned him that the player sitting on the rock was not to be trifled with.
“Thor is the best.” The dwarf said after the awkward moment of silence.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“Thor?” Weed whispered to the wanderer. The wanderer stared back at Weed in disbelief, every player of RREV had heard of Thor at least once. His skills were legendary, not just in RREV but other game titles where blacksmithing was an option. His skills were in fact so great that there were several rumors of how he could create his own blacksmithing technique in any game.
“The twelfth apprentice of Theodore and heir of the forging throne.” Scorned back the dwarf. Clearly, the dwarf had taken offense that there were noobs who didn’t know of Thor.
“Heir of the forging throne?” Weed whispered back to the wanderer.
“……not sure myself…first time I am hearing of this.” The wanderer replied back.
The dwarf started turning red in anger, ‘how dare they make a fool of me!’ he thought to himself. His grip on his hammers tightened as he considered throwing it at the human noob and the elf noob.
“Is that you Thor?” asked another dwarf dressed in black armor, as he joined the trio’s conversation. Unlike the juggling hammer dwarf, this dwarf had a dark aura to him. He didn’t hold a hammer, but a very long pearly silver flange.
“Cynbel Orangerock.” Hissed Thor, the two considered each other eternal rivals. Every time a new game was released with blacksmithing options, both Cynbel and Thor could be found there. Cynbel was the number one VR blacksmith till Thor came along, since then both of them have ferociously fought against each other. There fights weren’t limited blacksmithing but also usually escalated to sword versus hammer blows, physical punching, clawing…verbal abuses…hissing like animals at each other…staring competitions…the low levels of weird hatred they had for each other knew no bounds.
“Whose Cynbel?” Weed asked curiously, he was completely oblivious of these players and their legacy. It couldn’t be helped; Weed had only played one other game before RREV and that had no blacksmithing profession. At the age of 10, there are just so many games one could have tried, though some children begin VR gaming as young as four but none would have been able to play VRMMORPG before the age of six (legal restrictions) and even then there were parental concerns. Most children typically began VRMMORPG around the age of 9-11.
“Elf how old are you?” Cynbel asked, his intuition was telling him the elf was far too young to know and understand their greatness.
“…” Weed didn’t respond. No matter how much society changed, it was never safe for kids to give away their RL details to strangers…or at least that’s what they were taught at school.
The other three players understood Weed’s silence; in front of them stood a hatchling, completely new to the VR gaming world.
“Greatness is defined by action and not words Thor.” Cynbel replied as he turned around and began walking away. “Elf, you don’t need to know who we are, well at least not who Thor is.”
BANG! A loud noise exploded where Cybnbel stood. All the participants and audience who had gathered near Theodores cabin and were chattering away, suddenly fell quiet. When the dust settled, they all could see Cynbel with his shield raised. Cynbel wore a smile that he hid from others view; ‘every victory counts’. Thor had thrown a hammer straight at Cynbel. Their personal battle had already begun even before the competition.
“If you like throwing hammers around Thor, do it at the elemental colosseum.” Saying that Cynbel lowered his shield and walked away. Thor frowned and jumped off the rock and walked away as well. Their fight had only just begun.
Murmurers broke out in the crowd, the two dwarves distinctively stood out; not for their scuffle but for their armor and weapons. Thor’s signature was white armor and two hammers and Cynbel’s was black armor a flange and distinctive glowing blue long shield.
“Thor and Cynbel, twelfth and second apprentice.” The wanderer pointed out to Weed. “Those two are one of the best blacksmiths.”
“I thought Ignot was the best?” Weed asked, slightly confused.
“Yeah..I lied, I only said that to cheer you up…”
“…”
“My name is Pallidus.”
“…”
“Thought of adding a little Latin twist to my name.” Pallidus smiled as replied. “And you would be?”
“Weed”
Pallidus stared at the elf for a moment; filled with doubt and then shook hands. The name Weed was revered once again in the gaming world with reappearance of Lee Hyun; it was only to be expected that players would use this name…however the elf in front of him gave of an eerie resemblance to another player named Weed which he knew of.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Authors Note:
1. Edited by Knaivvs.
2. Pallidus :) Hope you get it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Connect to Royal Road – Elementarem Vim next Chapter?YesNo
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------