Julian made his way back to Keidale, the warmth of his recent meal still spreading a pleasant feeling of fullness and energy through his body. His stats were restored, and he had plenty of time before dark, so Julian took his time, practically strolling back to town.
As he approached the training grounds, a thunderous roar shattered the peace, followed by the sight of a stocky man crashing through the entrance and landing face first at Julian's feet. Julian sidestepped just in time to avoid being bowled over, and he looked down to see Farne’s familiar, if not dirt-smeared, face.
Julian stared in astonishment at Farne’s disheveled clothes and the multiple rips and tears in the fabric, momentarily awestruck, before recovering and stooping to offer the man a helping hand. He stepped back, hauling the man to his feet while picturing the hulking Drageen or Barbarian capable of overpowering a player of Farne’s caliber. The player’s Farne normally dealt with shouldn’t be able to land a hit on him, let alone throw him from the training hall into the street.
“Just who were you fighting?”
Farne snorted loudly and began brushing the mud from his trousers.
"A sparring match with the Guildmaster of Wyvern’s Hall. It’s been a long time since I've had a decent fight. We haven’t sparred in ages.”
"You mean to tell me you actually lost to someone?" Julian asked, incredulous at the notion of anyone sending Farne flying, even a Guildmaster. His disbelief faded as a tall, imposing woman strode through the shattered doors.
When icy gaze fell upon Julian, her scowl deepened before she looked away to fix her sparring partner with a wry grin.
"You're out of practice, Farne. Why did you decide to train these weaklings?" she demanded, her voice as sharp as it was teasing.
"If I hadn't taken the position, you wouldn't be Guildmaster, now would you?" Farne retorted with a grin. If not for the man’s reaction, Julian would have sworn the woman was mocking him.
Julian stared at Farne in shock as the man’s words sunk in.
"You used to be the Guildmaster for Wyvern’s Hall?"
The man seemed too good-natured for such a role, especially as the leader of a guild as notorious as Wyvern’s Hall. Julian had never joined a guild, preferring to enjoy his RPG games without the undorgiving rules and demanding leaders his friends once complained about.
Farne may not fit the image, but the woman glaring at him again certainly did. Her high brows and long ears marked her as an Elf, and the great sword strapped to her back made it clear she was a Warrior. She gave off a haughty and imposing air, everything Julian expected of a Guildmaster.
The woman’s piercing eyes and stern expression made Julian uneasy. Her scrutiny felt like a weight on his chest, a pressure that continued to build the more she glared at him. The stale scent of the training hall mingled with the faint metallic tang of weapons, only heightening the sudden bout of nausea that overcame him. He shivered under her gaze, feeling as if she saw through him completely.
Farne glanced at Julian, a brief flash of concern crossing his face as if fearing the woman might crush Julian like a bug.
Julian began to share that worry, his eyes flicking nervously to the towering woman and her massive sword as he struggled to breathe.
"Now, now. Don’t glare at him so, Elise. You know how you look when you take an interest in someone," Farne chided, attempting to diffuse the tension.
Julian snapped his head toward Elise, his horror plain.
“An... interest in me?”
“Wipe that look from your face, idiot. He didn’t mean it that way,” Elise growled, her cold gaze shifting to Farne, who only laughed harder.
"And you, Farne! Don’t give him any ideas. The poor boy might die of embarrassment."
Julian took a deep breath, swallowing the knot in his throat as his unease faded. The two seemed to know each other well, their banter reflecting a long-standing camaraderie. Julian couldn’t imagine ever teasing Elise like that, but if Farne managed to get along with her, he doubted the woman could be too bad.
The pieces clicked together, and before he could stop the thought that crossed his mind, he blurted out, "So are you two… married?"
Elise’s gaze snapped back to him, colder than ever, and Julian felt his soul shrivel with fright. Her high cheekbones and piercing eyes, accentuated by the sharp midday sun, made her look even more intimidating. The tension between them thickened, and Julian was certain he would hear a pin drop in the silence following his stupidity. Sweat beaded his neck, and the faint aroma of ale drifted from inside the inn, causing bile to rise in his throat once again.
This was it. He was going to die, not by a beast’s claws, but at the hands of a woman who could be his senior twice over.
Beside him, Farne’s stifled laughter finally overflowed. The man snorted, a good-natured smile spreading across his face.
"Oh, quit teasing the poor lad," Farne said, turning to Julian. "Yes, as a matter of fact, we are. How could you tell?"
"Were you keeping it a secret or something?" Julian asked, confused.
"Oh, nothing like that, but I am surprised. Not many catch on as quickly as you did," Farne replied, still smiling.
Julian’s smile faded as he looked up at the clear blue sky. The sun reflected off the windows, momentarily blinding him.
"My brother acted much like the two of you. His wife passed years ago, but I remember their banter. It’s hard to mistake."
In his brother’s case, their roles had been reversed. His brother was a stick in the mud, obsessed with his job and hardly ever came home to visit, at least until he married his wife. Julian smiled fondly, remembering how they used to take turns She’d been one hell of a party.
"I’m sorry," Farne said, his smile dimming slightly.
"Oh, don’t apologize. He still talks of her every day. They are the reason I chose to play this game. I’ve never been much for VR, at least not until they dragged me in."
"Did they suggest you sign up?" Farne asked, his interest piqued.
"No. I wanted to help him out. My brother has found it hard to get by these past few years, and I thought the game might be a way to earn enough for both of us."
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The lies slipped from Julian's lips, slick as oil, and he swallowed back the urge to tell them the truth. It felt wrong to lie to these people, people who so resembled his family, but revealing the truth would jeopardize his plan. He couldn’t be sure that Farne or his wife weren’t on Enigma Realm Studios’ payroll.
For all he knew, they were part of the plot that destroyed his father.
Seeing his distress, Elise’s gaze softened. She coughed lightly into her arm, one hand reaching to fondle a ring hanging around her neck.
“If you’re looking to gain quick gold, try checking out the players’ bulletin. It’s down this street and around the corner, right in front of player registration.”
Julian furrowed his brows. "What’s that?"
Farne frowned at Julian’s confusion.
“The building right outside the entrance portal. West side of town? Big, glowing golden tower?”
Julian shook his head.
“Don’t you remember passing it when you first got here? You would have loaded in right next to it.”
“I ended up in the forest north of here when I first arrived.”
“I’ve heard of people glitching when they enter the game, but damn, you really got unlucky, kid.”
“Yeah, tell me about it,” Julian chuckled. At least he’d gotten a bit of a bonus out of it. Without Ginger, he doubted he would have made it this far, and her help would be invaluable later on. “So, about that request board?”
“Higher-level players who want to craft something but don’t have the required materials usually post their needs there. Most don’t bother gathering low-level materials and would rather pay someone to get them,” Farne explained.
“A waste of gold if you ask me, but the time saved can be worth it. And it benefits new players,” Elise chimed in. “Guilds have their own request boards, but you need to be at least level twenty-five to join one.”
Julian nodded. If someone was willing to pay for him to gather materials, he would gladly take them up on the offer.
“That sounds perfect. Farne, Elise, thanks for the advice.”
“No worries. We veterans have a reputation to uphold. Can’t leave a new player floundering when we’ve been there before,” Farne said with a grin.
Julian smiled, thinking not everyone was so kind. Some people, like Farne, went out of their way to help new players, but he knew just as many jerks who saw it as a waste of time. They were more likely to exploit them rather than help.
Personally, he wouldn’t pay anyone to get materials for him, newbie or not. He preferred grabbing items between quests to keep a well-stocked reserve. That way, when he needed something, he didn’t have to waste time later, and it was ridiculous how often quests at higher levels required you to gather materials from places at the beginning of the game.
Battling monster after monster wasn’t terrible when you gained decent experience for the fight, but when the creature was so weak a single blow could take one out a dozen times over?
It got old real fast.
If it were just in-game currency, he might feel differently, but lost gold meant lost money in real life. He wasn’t about to waste even a penny of it on a game.
Still, he imagined gathering six hundred rocks just to craft a fancy sword with slightly better stats than the previous one would be rather tiresome. The thought sparked his memory, and Julian caught up with Farne before he went inside.
“Hey, Farne, before you go, I’ve got one more question.”
Farne glanced back, one hand resting on the half-broken door. “What is it?”
“I, uh, never read up on the game. What’s the going rate for gold? I know the exchange minimum for real-world money is pretty high, but just how much is that?”
Farne laughed, a deep belly laugh. “You really are new to this, aren’t you? A dollar in real life is a thousand gold, and the fee to convert currency to the real world is fifteen percent. That fee is waived for transfers over ten thousand dollars, but it’s a hefty risk. Until you open a bank account in the game, any gold you earn could be lost if your character dies. Even with a resurrection scroll, any items, equipment, and gold you have on you will be gone.”
Julian’s eyes widened. Farne’s bitterness was clear, but Julian had honestly expected as much. There had to be a catch somewhere. It was impossible Enigma Realm Studios would stay afloat without recouping their losses somehow. Most players would probably take the fifteen percent loss, but he imagined those who tried to bypass it more than made up for the money they lost.
Julian sighed. He had planned to wait until he had enough gold to bypass the conversion fee himself, but the risk just wasn’t worth it. He would open a bank account and transfer the gold one handful at a time. The company wasn’t getting a penny more than necessary from him.
He tapped his watch to bring up his status screen, groaning at the meager gold he had left. Killing a few hundred rats had only earned him a few dozen gold, and after paying for his room, he had a measly twelve gold coins left.
“Yeah, Enigma Realm Studios didn’t make that common knowledge,” Farne’s smile returned, taking on a feral note. “But once you’re strong enough to take on Imperial Beasts, that’s when you start making real money.”
Julian looked at him eagerly.
“Are Imperial Beasts worth a lot?”
“Of course. They’re some of the strongest monsters in the game. Rumor has it the developers programmed them to be more intelligent than most NPCs. They’re a different breed of monster, rarer and stronger than any other in the game, Nightwalkers included. Take one down, and money will never be an issue again.”
“That’s amazing. How strong do you have to be to beat one?”
He knew he wasn’t strong enough now, but if he played his cards right, perhaps he could take one down with enough support items in the near future.
Farne guffawed, and even Elise smothered a grin. “Kid, you’ve got a long way to go, and besides, there’s a reason the blasted things are worth so much gold. No one has defeated an Imperial Beast yet. I wouldn’t even attempt chasing after one without being at least level seventy-five, and unless you have legendary class gear, you won’t survive the first blow.”
Seeing his crestfallen expression, Elise chuckled softly.
“Don’t worry, hunting Imperial Beasts isn’t the only way to farm gold. Higher-level areas have more valuable resources. You can get plenty by mining ore and rare loot drops. Once you reach level twenty-five, a new feature unlocks: Summons. Selling them can be quite lucrative, if you manage to catch them alive.”
Farne nodded, glancing at his wife.
“Tamed Summons aid you in various ways, but only the person who defeats them in battle can use them. Catching them alive makes it one of the best ways for beginners to amass gold and rare items. Even the weakest Summons are worth a small fortune. Plenty of players want to collect all the Summons for bragging rights and will pay handsomely. I hunted them for a while before becoming a battle trainer.”
“I can’t use them, but can I hunt them before level twenty-five?”
“Afraid not. Simmons won’t appear to anyone below that level, and even if you did chance upon one, the only way to get a Summoning stone is as a level up reward from player registration.”
Julian ground his teeth as his frustration grew. Knowing this now didn’t help when it would be weeks, or even months, before he could use them. In any other game, he would rush to level up, but here, the consequences were more than just a “game over” screen. Every step he took needed to be placed with caution.
Elise smiled, her fierce features softening.
“Listen, whether you want to sell Summons or take on Imperial Beasts, I suggest joining a guild, even if it’s one of the smaller ones. If you want to speed through the game, that’s the fastest way to level up. The Hunters Association even has a branch dedicated to defeating Imperial Beasts, where they share exclusive information and sightings.”
Julian deflated, shoulders slumping. He had been adamant about not joining a guild, but if it was the only way to find information on Imperial Beasts, maybe he would rethink that plan.
Every guild he’d heard of in the past was full of toxic players. Some even used their guild perks to hunt down other members. Beyond that, guilds reminded him too much of Enigma Realm Studios’ cutthroat tactics.
He sighed, finally nodding. For now, he had a long way to go before he was strong enough to join a guild or take on an Imperial Beast. Wishful thinking was only a waste of time.
In the meantime, he needed to plan his next moves.
Julian stared at the ground, his gaze boring into it. Joining a guild seemed like the best option, but it was hard to imagine being part of one, even with Elise leading it.
Farne clapped a hand on his shoulder.
“Why don’t you check out the town bulletin? Work your way up. You’ve got plenty of time to decide. The game isn’t going anywhere.”
Julian nodded. “Thank you. And, Elise… I’ll consider it.”
He might want to destroy Enigma Realm Studios, but he didn’t want to take the whole player base down with them. Their advice was genuinely kind, but not everyone was so helpful. Some lured people into their guilds to exploit them. He felt rage simmering beneath his skin just thinking about those people.
Elise paused before leaving with her husband, her eyes appraising Julian.
“Question for you, Julian. Are you a Ferular, by chance?”
“Yeah, though I didn’t really have a choice in the matter. I would rather be a Warrior.”
One of her brows quirked upward, and she nodded slowly.
“You’ve got fire, kid. Come find me if you decide to take on an Imperial Beast in the future. Personally, I think the Hunter’s guild is too strict with newcomers. I’d be more than happy to offer you a place in Wyvern’s Hall.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, thanks.”