“Jake,” Jake said dumbly, “My name is Jake.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Jake,” Gaia nodded, holding out a stone hand, “As I said, I am Gaia, Primal of the Wilds, and you have piqued my interest.”
“Piqued your interest?” Jake asked, “What do you mean by that?”
“That you have caught my attention,” Gaia replied, “It is not often that mortals lay claim to a portion of my land, especially in such a brazen way.”
“Brazen? I’m sorry, but I’m not sure what you mean?” Jake blinked, making Gaia stare at him blankly.
“You truly have no idea what you’ve done, do you?” she asked, Jake just shaking his head, the skull-headed statue sighing, “It’s really quite simple. You have laid claim to portion of the Wilds, which is my domain, without my permission. In doing so, you brought my attention upon you, making me observe your actions in order to judge whether you are worthy of such a gift.”
“And am I?” Jake asked slowly, still unsure of what was happening.
“No. Or at least not yet,” Gaia replied, “But we can change that. Of course, you’ll need to perform some tasks for me, but you have already proven yourself at least somewhat capable of following instructions.”
“Somewhat capable?” Jake scowled, furrowing his brow at the statue.
“You completed a Quest given to you by a voice on the wind, did you not?” Gaia giggled, “I think that marks you as willing to follow the instructions of your betters.”
“I only did that because it was a Quest, and my friend told me it’s always best to complete Quests when you get them,” Jake replied.
“Well, your friend sounds very smart,” Gaia nodded, “So, will you do the Quests or not?”
“I mean…” Jake trailed off, looking around the small clearing, “I suppose? It’s not like I have anything better to do.”
“Ah, you Travellers and your fickle natures,” Gaia sighed, shaking her skull-head, “Not that the natives are much better anymore, honestly.”
“What does that mean?” Jake asked, Gaia looking at him with her glowing green eyes, “What do you mean by Traveller and native?”
“You are a Traveller,” Gaia explained, “A soul from another world given form in this one. This is why you are able to resurrect, you cannot truly die. Natives are just that, the people of this land, who can, and will, die if they are killed.”
“Oh, okay,” Jake nodded, “So what now?”
“Now you go on my Quest,” Gaia said happily, a screen appearing in front of Jake a moment later.
Quest: My First Errand
Gaia, Primal of the Wilds, wants you to collect mushrooms.
Requirements:
25 Manawort mushrooms (0/25)
25 Stamino Mushrooms (0/25)
25 Helthi Mushrooms (0/25)
25 Purifa Mushrooms (0/25)
Rewards:
Unknown
“What is this?”
“A Quest,” Gaia replied, “You need to complete it to get the rewards.”
“But the rewards are unknown. And how am I supposed to know what types of mushrooms these are?” Jake countered, looking at the statue as it just shrugged again, walking back to its small plinth, stepping up and standing on it.
“That’s for you to figure out,” Gaia’s voice replied as the statue went still, the glowing lines vanishing a moment later.
“Wait!” Jake shouted, rushing over to the statue, “Hey! I have more questions!”
The statue simply stood motionless, Jake scowling at it for moment before he looked back at the Quest screen, shaking his head.
------
The sun was cresting the horizon as Amelia walked towards the gates of the starter town, the guards saluting her as she strode confidently through the archway. It had been a good night’s hunting for her, the young woman getting more and more comfortable with the way the game world of GNW worked. She had even gained a level during the night, bringing her up to the minimum needed to get a class, not that she would get one just yet, doubting that this little fort in the outskirts of a small kingdom would have what she was looking for.
“Excuse me,” the regal sounding voice said as she walked into the bustling streets, a tall, robed man approaching her, “May I make a request of you?”
“Of course, sir,” Amelia replied, smiling to herself as the obvious Quest NPC nodded, indicating for her to follow him, “Anything I can do to help.”
“It is not me you’ll be helping,” the man replied cryptically, leading her into a small café and towards a booth at the back, letting her sit first before taking his own seat opposite her, “But rather yourself.”
“What do you mean?” Amelia asked slowly, eyeing the man carefully as he ordered a drink from the waitress, Amelia just asking for water.
“Let us ensure that this stays between us, first,” the man said, waving his hand as silence descended on them, surprising Amelia, the man chuckling at her expression, “A simple privacy spell. Of the Wind school. You’d be able to learn it if you wished.”
“You know I’m a Mage,” Amelia said flatly, not especially surprised as she hadn’t exactly been secretive about using magic.
“I know that you’re more than that,” the man replied, “You’re looking to become something beyond that. And I can help.”
“You?” Amelia asked, now starting to get interested, “How?”
“I can train you,” he said.
“I don’t need training,” Amelia replied, starting to get up from her seat, “I need a Class.”
“And that is what I’ll train you in,” the man replied, “Tell me, what Class am I?”
“A Fighter?” Amelia sighed, looking at the thin blade at his hip, the man chuckling as he shook his head, “A Mage, then?”
“Both wrong,” he smiled, “I am what is known as an Arcane Sword.”
“Arcane Sword?” Amelia asked, falling silent as the waitress returned, giving them their drinks, seemingly unperturbed by the silence around them, “What exactly does that mean?”
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
“It is an advanced class,” the man replied, “One that you cannot access yet, but will be able to in the future. Of course, you may take your own path as well, but that is up to you.”
“How do I start?”
“So impatient,” the man sighed, shaking his head, “As all you Travellers are. Barely stay long enough to learn a Spell, then run off to kill more innocent wildlife.”
Amelia blinked at the man’s declaration, realising that he did have a point. Most players would just treat these people like regular NPCs in a game, with barely a shred of intelligence about them, but she’d noticed a few things. The natives, as they called themselves, of GNW seemed almost too real, like they were just actors playing a part, and very well at that. If she hadn’t known better, she would have thought that they were being controlled by real people.
“I apologise,” she said.
“Apology accepted,” the man nodded, sliding a ring across the table, “Now onto the real details. This is a spell focus, put it on.”
------
Jake stared at the five piles of different mushrooms spread out around him, using [Inspect] on each in turn, only getting the same result each time.
Unknown Mushroom
An unknown Mushroom.
Unknown effect
Sighing, he fell back onto the soft grass of the Safe Zone, staring up at the mid-morning sky, trying to think of a way to identify the mushrooms. He had already tried associating them with mushrooms from the real world, but that had resulted in nothing, the mushrooms appearing completely alien to him. He’d also tried to figure out which was which from the names in the Quest, but that hadn’t worked either, just resulting in Jake wasting more time.
“What would Andy do?” Jake sighed to himself, sitting up again, and looking at the piles of fungus.
An anecdote sprang to Jake’s mind, Andy having told him of some ancient game where the fastest and easiest way to identify the effects of plants or other ingredients was simply to eat them. Looking at the piles of mushrooms, Jake cringed at the thought. It wasn’t that he didn’t like mushrooms, much the opposite, but he just didn’t know what each one would do. What if they were all poisonous and he ended up dying over and over from eating them? Of course, that wouldn’t make much sense, as this was a game and from what little bit Jake understood of games, they tended to be tough but fair.
“Fine,” he sighed, picking up the first of the mushrooms, one with a thin stalk and a wide bluish-purple cap, putting it in his mouth, “Here goes nothing.”
He bit down on the mushroom, blinking as a strangely sweet taste filled his mouth, covering his tongue in a tingling sensation like he’d licked a battery. Swallowing, he marvelled at the pleasant taste for a moment longer, before a jolt of energy shot through his body. Jake clutched his stomach in pain as the second pulse went through him, feeling like he was being electrocuted while boiling acid was being poured into his veins. Jake barely managed to keep conscious as the third pulse went through him, his entire body in pain as he fell backwards to the ground, the feeling of electricity focusing around his brain. Then, just as quickly as it had come, it was gone, leaving Jake panting on the floor.
Opening his eyes slowly, he stared at the three screens that greeted him.
You have consumed an item of powerful Magical Energy.
Mana use unlocked.
Learn a Magic Skill in order to learn Spells.
Learn Skill: [Alchemy]?
Cost: 1 Fate Point
Y/N?
You have identified [Manawort Mushroom].
Jake quickly dismissed the screens, both glad and slightly annoyed that his gamble had paid off, even if the experience was less than pleasant. Sitting up after a while, he glared at the other piles of mushrooms, wondering what hell each of them would put him through, before looking at the pile of bluish-purple fungi itself, a new screen appearing above them.
Manawort Mushroom
A mushroom containing powerful magical energy.
Can be used in potions or eaten to restore Magic Points.
Jake just sighed as he read the screen, looking back at the four remaining piles. He quickly grabbed the next one, it’s short thick stem and bright red round cap reminding him of something from the real world. Not wanting to drag out the potential suffering any longer, Jake simply put it in his mouth and bit down, a slightly spicy flavour filling his mouth before he swallowed.
Another rush of energy surged through him, igniting his veins on fire once again as he gasped. However, instead of feeling like his entire body was being electrocuted, it felt like his muscles would explode, his heart beating so frantically in his chest that Jake was afraid he’d go into cardiac arrest somehow. Jake coughed as he struggled to keep upright, staring at the blood in his hand in shock as the energy continued to wash through him, going wild for a moment, before vanishing just like before, a screen appearing in front of him.
You have identified [Helthi Mushroom].
Sighing, he inspected the pile of red mushrooms.
Helthi Mushrooms
A mushroom infused with powerful vital energy.
Can be used in potions or eaten to restore Health Points.
“Restore Health Points?” Jake muttered, shaking his head in disbelief, “Then why did it hurt me?”
Jake just picked up the next mushroom, not even looking at it as he ate and swallowed it. Immediately his heart began to race again, this time like he’d been given a shot of adrenaline rather than the strange frantic beating of before. He felt like he could run a hundred miles in minutes, his body burning with energy as his muscles twitched and spasmed painfully, trying to work the energy out of his system. Just as the energy was getting too overwhelming, it vanished, leaving Jake gasping for air as he let out the breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding, a familiar screen appearing in front of him.
You have identified [Stamino Mushroom]
He looked at the pile of mushrooms he’d just eaten from, seeing their green caps with yellow flecks, sighing as he grabbed the next one, actually looking at it. It was the most ominous looking of the five mushrooms, a small black cap that blended into the darkness of the forest. Jake had only found it mostly by accident, as it exuded a slightly bitter smell. Shrugging, he put it in his mouth and bit down, swallowing a moment later.
You have identified [Death Bringer Mushroom]
You are Severely Poisoned.
Pain wracked his body as the two screens appeared, Jake screaming as his vision was tinged a dark green. A second wave of agony washed through him as he tried to force his fingers into the back of his mouth, feeling like his body was already shutting down. Panicking, he grabbed a handful of the last pile of mushrooms, shoving them in his mouth and swallowing.
You have identified [Purifa Mushroom]
You are Heavily Poisoned.
Jake could barely read the two notifications, only able to feel that the pain had abated slightly, so he greedily devoured the rest of the mushrooms in his hand, more screens appearing as he did.
You are Badly Poisoned
You are Poisoned.
You are Slightly Poisoned.
You are Lightly Poisoned.
You are no longer Poisoned.
Jake groaned as he toppled to the floor, the last of the pain fading as he swallowed another mouthful of mushrooms. Curiously, he looked at the pile of fungus that had just saved his life, made up of small clumps of mushrooms with tiny pearlescent ball caps.
Purifa Mushroom
A mushroom infused with powerful purifying energy.
Can be used in potions or eaten to reduce poison and disease effects.
Shaking his head, Jake forced himself up right, looking at the two notifications that had appeared during his harrowing experience.
Learned Skill: [Alchemy]
Quest Completed: My First Errand
Gaia, Primal of the Wilds, wants you to collect mushrooms
.Requirements:
25 Manawort mushrooms (35/25)
25 Stamino Mushrooms (32/25)
25 Helthi Mushrooms (29/25)
25 Purifa Mushrooms (25/25)
Return to the [Shrine of the Wilds] to collect your reward.
Rewards:
Unknown
Jake flinched slightly as he looked at the numbers. He’d been desperately eating the Purifa Mushrooms when he was poisoned, probably consuming more of them than he needed to counteract the poison, but he’d been panicked. At least he still had enough of them to complete the Quest without having to forage more on his way back to the shrine. Looking up at the sky, he saw that it was about midday, meaning that he could make it to the shrine and back before sunset even if he stopped to gather some more mushrooms and saplings on his way.
Nodding to himself, Jake got unsteadily to his feet, calling up his map to check his direction and heading into the forest.