Part 3 - The Beginning

"Status"

A screen pops up with the following:

Basic

Equips

Offense

Defense

Special

Title:

Guild:

Class: Novice

Level: 1

HP 140/140

MP 160/160

[STR 6]

[END 7]

[INT 8]

[MND 8]

[DEX 10]

[AGI 7]

Unused Points 0

"Skills"

I bring up the skill window and check the description of -Fast Learner-

-Fast Learner-

Lvl 2

Prerequisites: learning skills and comprehension skills at least 25 points higher than accumulated [INT] and [MND]

Description: Increases codex entry acquisition and skill acquisition and skill leveling

Interesting, I might have stumbled into a true gem here. Wait a level 2 skill?! Does that mean I'm starting out as a level 2?

Wait I'm still level 1? It says -Fast Learner- is level 2. Wait that means that skill itself is level 2?! The skills themselves level and it can exceed your own level... Well this game is so interesting. I scroll down and smile as I look at my skills gained from my public profile connection.

Now let's take a look around. I look around and surprisingly there are a few people here in the first town. There are quite a few buildings too for a beginner town. At a closer inspection I can see several emblems on various buildings, looks to be guild halls of some sort. Must be in the first town for easy access, I peek at some of the buildings and they're all quite busy, considering it was Christmas Eve I'm surprised there were so many people on and in the first town too. Just then I hear a ringing, odd?

I see it's from John, how?

"Yo I just arrived in the first town. How is it you know my avatar already? For that matter I didn't even name it yet... And why are there so many people in town?"

"Haha, well first off you didn't name it because they made it like real life. You introduce yourself to people however you want and that's what registers as your name in their eyes whenever they see you. Second you had to register your system right? It also asked you if you wanted to import your address book. Whenever someone from your address book logs in the system will automatically send you a notification, though the default only notifies you when you bring up your friends list. If you bring up your friends list you'll see it's full of people from the restaurant. Second the town is busy because there are actually only 5 towns at the moment and a main capital. Most of the continent is still undeveloped. It should change soon though, if it's anything like the β a month or so from now a few guilds will start trying to clear up a zone to and claim it as theirs to start a town. They'll then have to make some buildings and attract NPCs and other users. The NPCs themselves may start trying to make a few villages to live in too, especially as it's become much safer thanks to Adventurers. Oh you should register at the Adventurer's Guild once you've got your battle skills up. I assume you're going mage like usual? Which means you got {Mana Manipulation} and {Specific Elemental Knowledge} or maybe {Literacy}? If you got the first two go to the Mage's guild and you can get an apprenticeship with a mage there, if you got {Literacy} you can find out about the basic elements in the library. Just use the map in the middle of town and once you see it you can bring it up any time you want. It was made by a guild that helps novices, so one of them is actually in English."

"Well I didn't get any of those instead I got a skill called -Fast Learner-, know anything about it?"

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"Oh geez a few people actually got that in β, but most of them gave up on it. I saw one guy in the forums post about it that he used it as a crafter and got surprisingly good results, because he was able to learn skills quickly after finally being able to apprentice with a blacksmith. He had to raise his strength up by 3 points first though; he said it took him 4 days game time which is about a whole day. From there he learned hammer mastery and further increased his strength and that's how he got started on using hammers as a weapon. The growth was fast, but he still fell behind other crafters and warriors because he didn't get talents specifically to go in that direction. He was however able to get his own materials later in the game unlike other blacksmiths who had to party to do so. He was doing well until β closed. Everyone wonders how much gold he had in the end as he never posted, but it seems to be hard early on. Everyone thought it would be good for mages, but it's become standard to get {Mana Manipulation} and one of the other two I mentioned. Nobody has been able to figure out how to learn the alphabet here without {Literacy} or if they have it's not in the forums. It's easy to reroll just say 'Reset Avatar' and you can go back to the creation area. Let me know when you're ready to go hunting everyone the restaurant was either in β or has been playing since launch so we're all waiting! No rush though we know what your schedule is usually like haha. Oh and if you don't want to call we all made a guild 'Everyone Adventuring Together.’”

"EAT?"

"Yeah haha everyone from the restaurant thought it was hilarious. People in food service adventuring together are bound to eat at some point. Anyways good luck!"

With that he hung up, well the name of the guild was a little lack luster, but the initials and inside joke was funny. Maybe I'll join, for now I have to figure out if I should reroll or not. I do want to craft, but not being able to learn mage skills isn't the direction I want to be going in. There has to be a way to learn how to read. For now let's check the map. For now let's look at this map John was talking about. I walk to the center of town and see a stand with several sides to it like one of those things you see in malls. I see that there’s a huge piece of paper stuck on it looking exactly like a mall map. There were little numbers where each building was and at the bottom you could look up what that building was. Wow very well made, this one was in what looked like Japanese as I look to the next side it was in English. Perfect! I study the map carefully looking at all there was on it. Then I get a window the popped up.

Alpha town map acquired

Stored in Codex

You can now access this area's map as if you've explored the whole of it.

Well that's taken care of, but I still need to figure out if I can learn how to read in this place. I look at the map and there's several likely places the Library, an NPC run bookstore, the Mage Guild, and a few schools. Well most likely the other players have tried the Mage guild as that's what most people were aiming for. The Library is out too, John already pointed me in that direction, and so β testers must have tried that already. Let's check the bookstore.

"Welcome! Oh wow a newbie that's rare. If you're trying to get a clerk position for some gold sorry I'm filling it at the moment. The owner is in the back I could get him, we might need someone to stock shelves and do inventory, but I recommend you go do an apprenticeship somewhere they provide meals and you start learning whatever it is you want to do in this game. I'm only doing this because of the employee discount and I heard the owner gives a quest if you get on his good side for an extremely rare book."

I see a small red headed girl behind the counter of the bookstore. She's really small and cute, but the way she was smiling seemed so mischievous. I'd guess she's in her late teens early twenties, but I'm not the best judge of age. She was wearing a red robe and a red witch's hat.

"Oh, no I was just wondering what kind of books were here, I just started and was wondering if there was a book on the alphabet or something here. How'd you know I was new?"

She giggled "Well you're still in your starting clothes silly. Even people who have played the game for a day would either be in their uniform if they started working somewhere or in apprentice clothes if they found a master to train under. And you're one of the ones that didn't get {Literacy} huh? Finally finding out that reading helps around here a lot? Well sorry to tell you this, but if you want to read something you'll have to go to one of the player made shops that's in your language, Chinese I'm guessing? The books are quite expensive too. You'll have to secure some income and food first. What this bookstore sells are basic skill books and some rare books. Oh and skill books don't work like they do in other games. The books here just tell you the mechanics behind each skill and user made skill books tell you the prerequisite for a skill and how they went about getting the skill to activate."

"Ah so the one NPC bookstore doesn't even sell kids books or anything huh? Well it was a long shot anyways. I speak English by the way. Thanks for the info Miss....?"

"Oh I'm Sarah, and you are?"

"Oh where are my manners, sorry I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Chris."

"Well Chris once you figure out what you're doing look me up in the Adventurer's Guild sometime! I'm under Scarlet Sarah."

"Okay see you around!"

Well the bookstore was a bust, and it seems the info John gave me was right on the spot. Maybe I should reroll and grab {Literacy}. Ah well let's check the school.

I was literally laughed at when I tried to register for a class at the school. They wanted me to fill out a form and I told them I was there because I couldn't read and write. Once they stopped laughing they said bonehead Blessed, I guess that's what NPCs call the players, should just go and apprentice themselves to a craftsman or the guards. I was going to give up when I saw a bunch of little kids running out of a nearby building. I check my map and saw it was labeled as Daycare. Little kids even if they are NPCs shouldn't know how to read yet, but for some reason the school expects applicants to be able to read already. I wonder if?

"Excuse me ma'am?" I address a pretty young woman that looks to be a school teacher of some sort.

"Ah yes? Did you want to register a child with us today?"

"Actually I was wondering if you taught people how to read and write."

"We here at this daycare pride ourselves in preparing children to face whatever vocation that catches they're eye. So of course this includes the basics such as reading and writing as well as math, basic plant cultivation, and physical development. Rest assured your child will be well prepared for whatever challenges he or she faces."

"Well ma'am, I was actually asking for myself. I'm embarrassed to say this, but I never learned how to read or write."

"Ah such a sad predicament, I'm sorry to say that we don't take in adults."

"Isn't there anyway I could get you to teach me how to read and write? Please ma'am?"

"Tell you what you come by tomorrow before the children come for class and help me teach math. You do know math don't you?" I nod. "Good! Then help me teach the children math and I’ll teach you how to read and write. We'll say each session you'll do the same thing and pay me 5 copper is that fair?"

"Yes more than fair thank you! I'll see you tomorrow then!"

You have accepted a quest. Would you like to check the details? I hit yes.

Hidden Quest

Teach the Children Math

Help the caretaker teach the children basic math skills, in return he will teach you to read and write for a few hours.

Time limit: none

Quest Rewards: -Reading-, -Writing-, increased intimacy with the children and caretaker, and 5 fame

Quest Failure: If your knowledge of math and lack of teach skills fail intimacy with caretaker will decrease should it decrease too much she will refuse to try and teach you again

I leave merrily thinking that there really was a way to learn how -Read- and -Write-. Wait I need money to do so I wonder how much I start with?

"Inventory"

A screen pops up and all I see is a blank screen and 0 gold 0 silver 0 copper. Oh yeah I start out with nothing because of the profile connection; I wonder how I can make money with no skills? Maybe I should head over to E.A.T.? I check my map and start heading towards their guild hall. From the looks of the map their building isn't all that big. I was one building away when the smell from the open window caught my attention. It smelled like good food being cooked, I peek in and I see a busy restaurant. Oh? I remember there was a girl minding a store, so that means you can be employed in places. Maybe I just secured a good source of income!