''Hello Mark, I know this may be confusing, but I want you to stay calm and don't do anything that may hurt you or others.
I wrote this letter in case something happened to us, an elder from my family predicted that certain things are unavoidable and would happen even if we don't want.
That elder is respected on the side of my family so no one dares to rebuke him, so I prepared many things for you. The credit cars contain enough money for you and your sister to live a peaceful life and all those papers contain a new identity for you.
Mark, we want you to be safe and you don't have to worry about us. I am sure we would be able to reunite soon. In truth, I did not want you to suffer so much but because some things happened I had to leave you behind in order to make you live a good life but I knew that it would not be permanent because there are many things that you don't know.
With love, Sarah.''
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I looked at the contents of the letter for a long time until I gathered myself and lightly pressed my lips.
I know I should be happy knowing that my mother is alive and all, but how many things do I not know? Why did she never mention my father? Why was this box here? Why did that elder say that to my mother? What is my sister hiding from me?
I quickly shook my head to get rid of those thoughts because I am sure I would not get any answers as of now.
I promptly decided to leave the letter in the box while moving it to my room. After opening the door of my room and putting the box on the table, I realized I was feeling a bit dizzy so I went to sleep.
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You... leave... and... don't... look... behind...
Every word was said between heavy breaths as if the person who said those words ran a long time without taking any rest.
I could not help but turn to look towards the person talking and after turning around I only managed to see a few strands of silver hair that were dropping a few drops of blood as if it was water before everything turned dark...
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'' NO!! '' I woke up while screaming while my entire body was covered in cold sweat.
I quickly sat on the bed while panting and not until a few moments later I decided to think about that dream but no matter how hard I tried to remember I just could not remember, the only thing I managed to remember are the few strands of long silver hair that were dripping a few drops of blood every second.
After what seemed an eternity I finally came to myself and decided to leave everything at the back of my mind, 'Well, I will leave everything to my future self.'
While thinking that I finally gathered my emotions and saw that the time was 6:00 am on the clock that is on a table a few steps away from the bed.
Without anything better and knowing that I would not be able to sleep I decided to play the game.
'At this time, the servers should already be opened right?' while thinking that I was hoping that the servers were already opened.
When I finally turned on the cabin I was welcomed with two options:
Enter game
Enter lobby
I quickly pressed the first option without thinking twice and a few seconds later I was greeted with the familiar entrance of the village.
I looked at my surroundings and I was not able to see any other player apart of me.
Knowing that I was too early I quickly went to the village in search of quests before I saw another notification at the corner of my eyes:
We are deeply sorry for everything adventurers. In compensation of the time taken from you, we have sent every adventurer a random gift ranging from items to equipment from bronze equipment to 1-star types of equipment!
Reading the notification I could not help but be excited because in this game there are different types of equipment, some being low-grade equipment called: bronze, silver.
Middle-grade equipment being: gold, diamond, obsidian.
After that are the upper-grade equipment ranging from the ranks: planet, moon, star, sun, galaxy, and finally, universe.
Every equipment has 10 ranks separated from each other such as 1-bronze, 2-bronze... 10-bronze
When the game was still being developing this news were released in the official page from the game and many people calculated that it would take an eternity for one player to even have the star equipment.
'If only I could obtain any star equipment everything would be easier' I could not help but think that until the reality hit me and I turned to look at one specific stat in my stats:
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Luck: 0.2
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When I realized that I could not help but to silently cry tears of full of grievances
Not until a few seconds passed did I realized that I was too absorbed in my thinking that I did not pay attention to my surroundings while walking and I bumped into another person
Quickly taking a few steps back in order not to fall down due to colliding with someone else I hurriedly looked at the other person who did not even flinch
'Wow, his eyes are really something else.'
Yeah, his eyes were so cold that I could feel myself freezing as if I was in a very cold environment and not until I felt him walking past me did I calm myself and then did I remember the gift from the game and the folded paper the beggar gave me before the server closed.
Calmly taking the folded paper from the inventory I opened it and only saw a little red circle in the middle surrounded by many mountains which names were written clearly in it.
'Is this... a treasure map?' I could not help thinking that but I clearly knew that it was not that because there are not any destinations marked on the map and just the circle in the middle of everything.
I kept walking while looking at the map until I noticed that the ink was moving, no, it was more precise to say that the circle was moving and then did I thought about those maps that are given in other games and only then did I realized what was this map!
This map was really a treasure in the actual stage of the game because they are not supposed to be on sale until various players are able to learn the spell of 'Mana connect' or for players who use Qi or cultivators, as said in the game, are able to send their Qi to the nature itself while still being connected to it.
I was quite excited and then did I realize that I was in front of the chief of the village looking at me with an unreadable expression until he finally smiled at me,
''Oh, adventurer, we are glad to see you in this little village. I would be glad if you can enter my home to talk about something?'' I looked surprised at the chief because before I managed to answer I only saw his back as he was walking as if I had no option but to obey him.
The chief is really different from the villagers, right?
Not only is he really arrogant but his condition is different from the other villagers.
All the other villagers looked pale and skinny as if they did not eat for a long time but the chief looked as healthy as a bull and his body clearly indicates how much food does he eat every day.
I was suspicious but I still followed him, and when I entered his house I saw many types of herbs were here and there and the house was in a mess as if a party was in here not long ago.
Not minding all the mess in the house the chief only walked towards a cabinet and unlocked it with a key that was in his pocket.
He quickly took out a letter from the cabinet and quickly closed it as if he was afraid something would escape from there and hurriedly locked it before turning around to give me the letter with a grin on his face.
''Adventurer, this letter is for the blacksmith that is outside the village. I hope you can give this to him.'' he gave me the letter which I calmly took it from his hand and until he gestured me with his hands to leave did I finally left that place.
Why did he even give me this out of nowhere? What is he planning?
And the worst part of everything was that he did not give me any directions at all!! he just said out of the village...
How would I ever know where exactly is the blacksmith even located???
*Sigh*... let's just ask a villager around here.
After asking the first villager I saw I got the directions and then did I go towards the house of the blacksmith.
I quickly arrived without any type of obstacle on the way and I saw the house of the blacksmith.
That house was different from all the other houses in the village, this one was clearly sturdier and it could hold itself from falling just from the wind unlike the houses of the village.
I calmly knocked to the door and a few seconds later I saw the supposed blacksmith open the door,
''Do you need anything young missy?'' that was the first thing I heard from him after he oped the door and saw me
''Yup, the chief of the village wanted me to give this letter to you,'' I said while holding the letter and showing it to him.
After he saw the letter seemed to want to grab to letter but just immediately changed the directions of his hand from the letter to my wrist and quickly pushed my inside his home before he quickly closed the door as if afraid someone would see him.
1,582 words (Excluding Flashback)