Andy awoke the next morning to Kermit prodding him.

Andy was wearing the plain green tunic and brown pants he had found in the guest closet the night before. He was in one of the lofts, with the bed he had claimed. Arlene had taken the other one in the loft across from him. Her curtain was drawn.

"You have to get up," said Kermit, wearing similarly plain clothes. "It's time for breakfast."

"Thanks," said Andy. He sat up. The serenity of the morning, of the sun pouring in through the windows and illuminating the little dust particles in the air, relaxed him and inspired him at the same time. "Breakfast sounds amazing right now."

"It's not what you think, though," said Kermit.

Andy stood up and stretched. He had slept in a simple linen outfit that had been provided in the bathroom.

"What do you mean?"

"It's not like biscuits and eggs," Kermit said in his gruff child voice.

"Is it something… I should be worried about?" Andy said.

"I don't think so," said Kermit. "They said it's called zah er somethin like that. It's pretty good."

As they made their way into the kitchen, Andy saw better what Kermit meant. Rowan had put slices of cold pizza on plates, with a side of ranch dressing and hot sauce. Arlene and Lilly were eating and discussing something in a corner nook, the wall next to them covered in flowering vines that descended from the high window sill.

Arlene had found an all-black outfit, not too different from what she had been wearing in the cavern.

"Ah, good morning, Andy," Rowan said, making a kettle of what smelled like coffee. "Please have a slice of zah, a rather traditional breakfast for new otherworlders."

"Pizza?" Andy asked.

"Yes I do believe that is the formal name," said Rowan. "Many thousands of years ago, this dish was created by the brilliant otherworlder culinary scholar, Bosshard Nandor. If you don't like it, you can thank him."

"I… love it actually," Andy said. He sat down to his plate and, to his surprise, it was an almost perfect clone of leftover pizza delivered by any mom and pop pizza shop. The only thing that was unusual was the presence of extremely fragrant herbs in the red sauce, which could be detected despite the dish's cold temperature. The ranch, too, had exceptionally flavorful herbs.

"I am glad! I have had very few travelers reject a nice plate of zah in the morning," said Rowan.

"What did you think?" Andy asked Kermit.

"I'm on my third plate," said Kermit enthusiastically.

"The young one eats well," said Lilly. "He will always remain healthy and strong."

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Andy asked.

"Today, you'll be going to town," said Rowan. "You'll meet Tobo, the tavern owner in Cresthaven, who will get you started on your tutorial quest."

"Tutorial quest, huh?" said Andy.

"Yes," Lilly said, "we want you to ease into things and not become too overwhelmed. The System is fairly simple once you get the hang of it, but over the centuries, we scholars have developed a fairly reliable method for acclimating new arrivals."

"Ah, in that verses book?" Andy asked.

"Exactly," said Lilly. "And the recommended step after arrival is to immediately connect with a tutorial quest giver. We'll still be here at the cottage if you ever need us, but you've got to go out and gain your first level!"

Once the group finished the pizza, Rowan served coffee and a vanilla-flavored biscotti, which made a divine combination when dunked.

After the group all finished, Rowan and Lilly showed them out to a path.

"Lilly will take over now," said Rowan. "I've got to stay to monitor the pools."

Lilly nodded as Rowan disappeared into the cottage.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

The group walked along a light path, which was often no more than a gentle impression on the soft, green grass. The air was clear and energizing, the world was vivid, and the path opened up on a majestic view of a magnificent vale below and a city skyline on the horizon.

"Welcome," said Lilly, gesturing at a skyline a few miles in the distance of the valley, "to Cresthaven."

As the group continued, declining in elevation all along the way.

After a set of switchbacks, the area slowly became more populated. The forest grew less dense. There small dwellings and a major warehouse that looked like it had both woodworking and blacksmithing operations active within.

"This is the industrial district," said Lilly. "You'll find many crafters out here. The nobility of Cresthaven reward the crafters generously, but also prefer the bigger operations to be completed out here on the outskirts of the city for the sake of noise."

They don't look like they're being rewarded much at all, Andy thought.

The workers were covered in soot, and the residences seemed dilapidated, but he did occasionally see a boss with a fine set of gold rings and a hat with a feather. Maybe that's who Lilly was talking about.

"Who are the guys with the feathers?" Andy asked.

"Those are the foremen," said Lilly. "They lead teams in their guild. Those are smiths and builders over there in that warehouse. They look like they are building… spikeshields."

That seemed right to Andy. It looked like several teams of blacksmiths and carpenters were working in tandem to produce composite shields of wood and steel, with spikes protruding from the centerpiece.

"That's a Cresthaven specialty," said Lilly. "Our infantry are known and feared in the region because of the spikeshield, an excellent defensive and offensive weapon."

"Can we get one?" Arlene asked.

"In time, perhaps," said Lilly. "We've got to get you through the tutorial quest first."

The group continued and passed a sign that read Mines: Iron ore, coal, sapphire and an arrow pointing down a path off the road.

"They have coal mines here?" Kermit asked.

"They do indeed," said Lilly. "Do coal mines interest you?"

"No," said Kermit. "No, I don't want to see them."

"Too much like home, huh?" Andy said jokingly.

Arlene shot him a glare.

"I just don't wanna," said Kermit.

"Ah, pay attention up around this bend," said Lilly as a large structure came into view. It was a short but girthy tower with runes carved on every stone. "This is where the enchanters' guild works."

That is a chode tower, Andy thought but made sure not to say. The enchanters work in a big stone chode in the woods.

"The enchanters can imbue items with magical capabilities," Lilly continued. She gestured toward a horse-drawn wagon full of finished spikeshields headed toward the tower. "It looks like the builders and smiths have a batch of shields arriving for magical enhancement."

A huge wooden door slid open to receive the wagon. Andy was able to get a peek into the tower: there were all kinds of glowing magical circles on the floor. Several groups of enchanters were working at different parts of the shop. One enchanter, closer to the door, stood at a podium with an open spellbook. The mage held one hand outstretched with glowing energy toward a spikeshield that stood on a pedestal covered in glowing runes and glyphs. The door shut before Andy could see more.

They continued as the buildings became more dense. Small rows of shops and residential housing became more continuous, and increasingly towering.

The small trail soon gave way to a cobblestone road, and the average height of the buildings increased. There was still more skyline ahead of them, so they weren't even in the innermost city, but the environment was certainly urban.

Laundry hung from third and fourth story apartment windows, food and item vendors lined the streets.

The food seemed mostly breads, fruits, and sweets, as well as the occasional sandwich stand. One short man with a mustache had a display cart with some stuffed pastries that looked suspiciously like calzones.

This whole pizza thing has really gotten around, huh? Andy thought.

Then Andy saw it: a sign hanging in front of a small restaurant that read "Tobo's Tavern & Inn."

"Here we are," said Lilly. "It has been a pleasure meeting the three of you. Feel free to grab some food and drink at the bar. As level 0 players in a spawn city, necessities are provided at no cost."

Kermit mmm'ed with satisfaction, no doubt dreaming about eating all the pizza, pastries, and cookies he could find.

The group thanked Lilly and headed toward the tavern.

"If you ever need anything, feel free to give us a visit at the cottage anytime," she said.

Andy turned to watch her go and saw the road they had traveled. It led into the forest, which gave way to the towering Mount Aurora that loomed over Cresthaven, the mountain from which they had spawned the night before.

Andy took in the scene around him. The streets were bustling with people shopping, laughing, cavorting. Wizards in glyph-covered cloaks, warriors in leather armor with longswords strapped to their backs, and all other manner of adventurer bustled alongside commoners, vendors, and craftsmen.

There were shops lined with weapons, potions, magical items…

Andy could make himself whoever he wanted to be.

Finally, he had the unrestricted freedom to craft an identity… something real. Funny enough, he had to go into a post-mortem virtual reality for it. But here, he could be something he didn't have to hide. Something he didn't have to pretend to care about while his real self ate away at him until he became numb. This simulation, this place, the Infinite Plane… it felt alive with possibility.