As Jun prepared to leave, he heard a loud cry in the distance. He looked around and saw no one near. It was no longer faint.
“Yggsalad! Wait!” The voice seemed to be coming from above him. Very quickly, the voice came closer and closer until he looked up and the sun, which was now covered by something other. He raised his arms but, the unknown object connected with him, pushing him to the floor. As he lay knocked down, he felt winded and confused, yet he could tell there was a weight on him.
Jun felt a metal plate, armour-like, and a boot to suit.
He pushed upwards but it was too heavy. Finally the weight moved off him, revealing a person's outline. The Silhouette rose, impeding the sun rays, to bask its shadow upon Jun.
"Hey! I just wanted to say thanks back there!" the figure stated.
Jun didn't recognize the person at first but then remembered.
Knight armor. This must be...
The Knight drew closer and closer to him, and as sun faded, the figure rose its helm revealing its face. It was a young woman, with blue eyes and blonde hair. "Thanks for your help back there! I really couldn't do it with you!" The young woman pointed outward, and placed her other hand over her chest, as if to adorn someone in the distance
Jun was surprised. "You're that Knight from the Baldoth!" he screamed.
Jun's shadow coursed and wiggled.
---
“With you guys finishing off Baldoth, everyone who hadn't respawned got experience! Not as much as you but enough for me to gain a couple levels. And now!” It was as if a drum was sounding to a pivotal climax. “I am a Knight!” She then drew out her sword towards the sky. “I swear on my honour, I will serve you until I repay you for saving my life!”
Jun looked back towards his shadow. Jun hadn't met much people in Asper Online. For now people were either welcoming like the Quest Giver. Valiant like the Knight. Or cunning like the person in his shadow. Even still, he didn;t know how to judge the person, but from her respectful tone, and happy manner towards him, he saw her as a friendly person. For a moment, he thought about the encounter. It wasn't him that dealt the final blow. He didn't wish to take credit. “Well I wasn't...”
The shadow tugged at his boot.
“Shut it! She mustn’t know,” Madder whispered to him.
As Julia continued to be enamored by her new class, she inspected herself.
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How do we get there? Jun thought.
"Check your map," Madder whispered to him. There was a yellow marker indicating for him to travel to different points on the map. He clicked his current whereabouts, and then he saw it lead to another map, and then another map. “It seems this time we are going North, huh?”
----------
The shadow wiggled and pointed in a direction. “To get to Elleon we must first head through Yueyun Path. It is an area filled with hilly plains and thatched farms. Then you must go through another boss area called The Hillbane, which is the zone's level 20 Boss."
Jun was astonished. "Another Boss?" He recounted the death experience that just occurred and was not ready for another like it. "Can't we go around and avoid it."
Madder could tell Jun's fear and hesitation in his voice, but even still Madder seemed very adamant. "We must get to Elleon after we kill that boss. You'll get more experience this way. And" She said with a long pause.
"And?" Jun asked with intrigue.
"He may drop something…valuable.” Jun looked back at his shadow and saw that it had formed a smirk in the pool of darkness.
“Valuable you say?” Jun exclaimed with his eyes lighting up holding his hands to his chin.
It was then that the two would remember that another was with them. Julia darted forwards stepping on Jun's shadow.
Ugh, Madder grunted.
“My liege! If that is what you wish, thou will shall be my desire!” Julia said. She brought herself to the floor, kneeling on one leg, looking upwards towards Jun.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
She's really into this RP stuff huh... Madder thought.
Jun held out his hand to Julia, and she grasped it. With that, a new comradary had begun. It served as a gesture that the both understood. The group began their travels North towards the entrance portal to Yueyun Path.
Part 2
When they finally reach the entracne gate, they notice a large crowd of players. Some are in booths, while others have signs and flags. What's going on here?" Jun said. He then ran towards the crowd and Julia followed.
“Hey, join Triple-Ace!” One yells.
“If you're looking for hardcore players, join Grim-House”.
Madder snickers. “No one would join a low-level guild like these so willy-nilly.” Madder didn't realize but Jun's shadow had stretched from her position. She looked for him but he was nowhere to be seen. Finally she looked at the trail and saw Jun speaking to another player. “Hey, what are you doing?”
“In Bronze-Basket we don't PVP. We accept all applicants. And we have players gathering all sorts of rare materials.”
Jun's eyes light up. “Rare, you say?”
Jun felt a tug on his jacket, but he stood firm continuing to listen to the player. but felt a stronger tug, which pulls him closer to the portal. As he gets right before it, he hears a loud thud behind him.
“Stop right there! Halt!”
In Front of Jun stood player he's never seen with a Lance. They wore silver plated armour, like Julia's had more details.
“A Greatbolt” Madder whispers to Jun. The Greatbolt player began to inspect Jun. He wakled around him, eyeing him up and down. Until finally he stopped at his shadow.
“You there! Something seems off about you. I am inspecting all people for Greatbolt and your level seems to be flashing red sometimes. Are you an outlaw?” Jun was confused but before he could answer, Julia intruded. “Must you know that Ser Yggsalad here is fairer than fair? He is the noblest of the nobles. My fair master would never be an outlaw!” She ended her sentence piercing her sword into the soil solidifying her words and resolve vindictively.
The Greatbolt player wasn't completely convinced, but Julia's display of loyalty seemed too outlandish to not be real. “Well, I can sense something about you." The player walked closer but then suddenly the red flashing stopped. "Must've been a glitch..." He said changing his focus back to Jun and Julia. "Greatbolt is recruiting! If you're interested, we are accepting applicants. We are a guild that focuses on boss monsters and…” The pause was distinct as if he could tell Madder was in his Shadow. “And hunting Bounties.”
Jun was new to Asper Online and hadn't heard about this feature. "What's a Bounty? Do you mean like hunting animals? How much do bounties usually pay?" His rapid-fire set of questions caught the Greatbolt player off-guard but he was wise enough to understand Jun was a very new player. While Madder's expression couldn't be seen it was not impressed. She let out a, "hmph."
"Bounty's are quest that are completed upon defeating or capturing an Outlaw player. These player's have committed many crimes in Asper. They may steal from other players or even player kill. When we complete a Bounty Quest, the guild generally splits the spoils and each player ends up with around 10000 gold."
Jun thought about it. 10000 gold for one bounty
It didn't impress him as the item in the Bazaar sold for more. “Well that sounds awesome, but I better be on my way” Jun replied. As they part, they wave goodbye, and leave towards Elleon.
----------------------------------------------->
“They seem to be still inspecting us,” Madder says. “Be ready to strike if they decide to PK us.”
“PK?” Jun asks.
“Player Kill us…” Madder whispers in annoyance.
The members remain distant but the group ends up close to the portal. “We’ll lose them once we head through this portal though. And as the group went through they entered Jun could feel the inspect skill lessen over him.
Part 3 - Yueyun Path
When they emerged from the portal, Jun couldn’t believe his eyes. “It's endless.” He stated. And it seemed so. As far as he could see was wheat. Burly wheat.
“Ser Yggsalad, what now?”
Jun hadn’t noticed but Julia was still with them.
He peered into the distance. He could see a giant windmill. “Maybe we’ll check out that Windmill. There might be something interesting there.”
As they walked the long path the wind breezed through the wheat and pastures. It was calm and subtle. On every side was a Thatch. “Mooo!” a cow cried. Jun didn’t expect but he began to notice many players tending to their farms. He began to open his mini-map.
“Taking notes, huh?” Madder whispered. Jun’s eyes glowed towards the newfound information. When they had finally reached the foot of the windmill they noticed it was actually in the centre of a small established city, equally bustling with caravans and adventurers.
“After that long trip, you must be tired, Lord Yggsalad.” She pointed at a Tavern nearby. “There is a rest nearby. Must we take quarters?” Jun agreed, and they entered the Tavern. Knowingly there were many patrons and adventurers alike. As he walked in the atmosphere resembled that of a ye-olde pub in medieval fantasy as well as a Western. People were playing an in-game card game. Some people were playing instruments and the Tavern owner was at his stall, tending to several patrons. Jun walks to the front and asks the owner if he has rooms to which the owner points to the stairs. “I have infinite rooms. When you walk up the stairs the game will send you to your room. Only you can go in there, everyone else would be left behind. There’s a bed to sleep and regain your stamina. Lastly, it’ll look like a familiar space to you and only you.”
“Sounds like a plan. How much gold?” Jun asks.
The owner holds up his palm. “5 gold.” to which Jun transfers to him. Jun heads up to the stairs when Madder suddenly yells out to him. “Wait, wait! Don't!”
It was already too late. Jun had entered the room. He couldn't believe his eyes. It was his room from home. The table with his computer. His bookshelf with his manga. His TV. The view outside was blank. His bed was made just like he left it. He then wondered how long it had been, and maybe it was time to log out. “A little more. Let’s get a good night's sleep”