The cold wind greeted my skin like an old enemy, its crystals melting against my warm skin, creating a freezing sensation all over my exposed skin. I walked almost the entire night. The rays of the sun started exposing from the dark blanket of the night sky, slowly turning it grey with occasional hues of orange. As if it cannot await its escape from the canopy of the thick, bouldering sheet of darkness.

My eyes watered with tears of joy. The huge and heavy gates of the city were right in front of me. Guarded heavily with strong, tall and bulky masters of magic and sword.

How am I going to get inside the city? Do I need some kind of identification?

I tried contacting the system for some help. Or a hint.

“Visiting Killian- Second to ray”

What is this supposed to mean now? Should I turn away? Maybe I can figure something out and then return.

Looking behind me, the long and dreadful path that I just walked didn’t seem very appealing to tread again. It hollowed a scream of promising agony and torture towards me. Talking a long and cold whiff of the smooth air around me, I moved towards the city gates.

As soon as I reached the gates, I was stopped by a 7 feet giant guard with a sword in its hands. It was almost as big as him. It appeared 1 feet wide and 5 feet tall. How does he carry such a thing around?

The muscles almost trying to escape his well groomed uniform were an answer of how. He looked heavily well trained. His bulky exterior and his stone hard expression gave me a stern look before speaking.

“What brings you here?”, his voice rusty and heavy. Maybe from drinking all night long. “What is the code?”

Code?

“Visiting Killian- Second to ray”, I replied exactly what the system hinted.

Hoping it was something he was asking for. He didn’t answer back, before I could look away he moved his sword towards me.

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“Matched!!”, someone yelled from the tower above the door.

His sword stopped midway and he moved to his previous position back on the post acting as if he wasn’t just going to slice me in half right now.

The sound of the doors rolling filled my ears like a beautiful symphony. They slowly rolled to the side exposing the beautiful city behind them.

It was bustling with happy noises, merchants yelling out their offerings trying to get more clients, children rolling around tires with a wooden stick in the narrow streets almost hitting passerbys near them, girls giggling around the marching royal guards, some dropping their handkerchief towards them. Some beckoning them towards them. It was a sight to see. An assurance. I wasn’t in this unknown world alone.

I stepped inside the city gates, taking in the delicious smell of the food around me.

“Adventurer foods available here”, signs on some shops said.

“Come try our shops sunday special baos”, a young frail looking girl urged as she tugged my arm and guided me towards her shop.

I was too hungry to argue so I followed her excitedly.

I eagerly rubbed my hands together as the steaming hot plate of baos settled in front of me. I took a long look at it. But the moment I bit into the bao, disappointment settled in.

This is shit. The flavour was bland and the texture hard and dry. I would not even feed this to my least favourite horse.

I swallowed the hard bao and slowly washed down the remaining flavours with their house brewed wine. This was the only thing on their menu that was remotely decent.

I watched as the two farmers seated near emptied their bowls, slammed 2 coins on the wooden table and took their leave.

Maybe this is how they do things at this place.

I didn't want to attract any unnecessary attention and carefully studied what other people in the restaurant were doing. Since I didn’t know any etiquette of this place, I have to learn by imitating their behaviour.

Feeling confident, I did the same thing. Slamming 2 coins on the wooden table, I yelled, “Thank you for the food” and took my leave.

Looking at the street in front of me, there were thousands of shops that I wanted to explore. Before I could step forward and see what this new and colourful world had to offer, i was greeted with the dreadful screen of the system.

Find Killian the Cartographer and Commission the map of Elmarst.

Quest Duration: 45 mins

Reward: +20 XP

+10 Elmarst Crowns

+Map Unlock

Penalty: -100 Elmarst Crowns

-30 XP

Penalty mission

What??

A timed mission and that too where the penalty outweighs the rewards by such a margin??