As he made his way back to the Golden Meadow, Julian noticed a small farm tucked at the back edge of the field. Like the abandoned place he’d seen during his encounter with the wolf, the house was small. A water wheel attached to the side dipped into the water, bubbles gurgling at the bottom before rising to the surface as the wheel turned. Julian turned his attention to the farmhouse, approaching the door and knocking lightly.
Not every quest came from the guild, and according to Silan, the farmer who owned this place gave out a decent reward for clearing his fields of rodents. If you were unlucky, there wouldn’t be any rats in the fields, but the quest reset often enough that few players left empty-handed.
Julian smiled. Helping the farmer out would kill two birds with one stone. If he was lucky, the man might even be willing to take some more straw sandals off his hands.
He still needed to complete that crafting quest.
Wood creaking beneath his bare feet, Julian approached the door and rapped his knuckles on the sturdy wood. After a moment passed without receiving an answer, he stepped back. One hand hovering over his belt, ready to draw his dagger if needed, Julian pushed the door open a crack.
Normally, he might feel his actions rude, but this was a game. The people in Keidale were actual players, but the farm was not owned by any of them. Who cared if he went inside?
Maybe he’d find a chest or a random spawn item.
Julian stepped inside, eyeing the vases lined up on the wall near the fireplace, wondering if he would find anything by smashing them or rooting in the ashes. The fire had long been extinguished; the stones cool to the touch. There was a waste bucket in the kitchen, but he reined in the urge to rifle through the trash and instead opted to search for the farmer.
Not a single golden sparkle caught his attention, and he sighed, thoughts of finding a useful item fading from his mind.
“Hello! Is anyone here?” he called out, not wanting to earn the man’s ire if he was home. Rumors passed along from the players in Keidale suggested the game developers coded NPCs with situational responses, and he didn’t want to lose this quest by doing something stupid.
Something clattered to the ground, the metallic clang of steel catching his attention, and Julian warily made his way to the back of the house. As much as he didn’t want to barge in, if someone was hurt, it would be an opportunity. Perhaps a character grateful for his help might give him money or items as a reward. They could even provide some information on the area.
A gruff voice from somewhere in the back of the room interrupted his thoughts.
“Back here.”
When Julian turned the corner and followed the sound of rustling, he noticed leathery hands stretched up from under what looked like some kind of tractor. He’d only ever seen one in history books, and certainly not one with a giant glass ball mounted just behind the seat.
“Give me a hand, would you? This old body of mine isn’t as limber as it used to be.”
Julian obliged, inwardly congratulating the game developers. For an NPC, the man’s actions were very realistic.
“The name’s Will.” He cast an appraising glance over Julian’s body. “A traveling adventurer, I see. Just the person I need. Would a strapping young man like yourself be willing to help me get rid of a few pests?”
He shuffled across the room, one hand rubbing his lower back, before returning with a small pouch in one hand.
“Don’t worry, I’d be willing to make it worth your while. Rats have plagued my fields for the past few years. I was hoping someone would come to help out, but unfortunately, everyone who comes by seems more interesting in looting my home. Think you could help me out?”
Julian nodded eagerly, only half listening to the man. The pouch Will carried in his left hand looked full to the brim. For a starting quest. It was no wonder the other had recommended this as a starting quest. He eyed the pouch again, trying to guess exactly how much gold might be contained inside.
“I’d be happy to,” he said, trying to contain his eagerness. Killing a few rats would be easy after the grueling training session he’d had with Farne.
Quest Accepted: Rat Exterminator
Help Will clear his field of rats.
Quest Objective: Kill rats (15)
“Wonderful.” The old man pointed out the window towards the fields.
“There are six fields in total. I’m sure you’ll find plenty of the little devils. Wipe out the vermin and come back to see me when you’re done.”
Julian headed to the nearest field right away, eager to get started. He waded into the wheat field, neck raised above the wheat. Unsurprisingly, he couldn’t see or sense any rats. Maybe one of the mystery Therian skills he had might give him the ability, but he doubted he would be so lucky.
Finding a large rock to put his back against so nothing could sneak up behind him, Julian opened his status screen and glanced at the map. Beyond the fields, a dense evergreen forest blocked both his view and raging gusts of wind. The rain had lessened, fading to little more than a light mist.
At least he wouldn’t be drenched any more. The sun peeking behind the clouds would dry him off by noon.
He gazed towards the southern horizon. There, he could see a dark shadow, not much more than a blob, soaring over snowy mountain tops.
Was it a dragon, or something else?
Julian grimaced, suddenly terrified of facing monsters the size of a small plane. The wolf was large enough. He couldn’t imagine something ten times its size. A growl of frustration slipped through his tightly pressed lips.
Having an upgraded map would prevent him from being ambushed in areas like this, especially by larger, more powerful monsters. The neck high stalks of wheat left him little visibility. It would be easy for something as small as a rat to sneak up on him. He doubted a monster of that size could do much damage, but it would still hurt, and he had no desire to lose even a single health point until he had more to spare.
He only had three potions.
He left the safety of his current spot and ventured back into the taller parts of the field, thinking that the beasts would be more likely to hide where they could not be seen. His guess proved correct when something rustled near his left foot. Julian smiled.
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
“Bingo.”
A ball of fur shot out of the wheat, aiming for his face. He swatted it away with his dagger, landing a glancing blow to the beast's side, but doing no real damage. The rat’s health bar didn’t decrease. It was one mechanic he was grateful the game developers saw fit to include. An enemy’s health bar would appear after he attacked, and so long as he stayed within range, their remaining health would be displayed.
At least this way, he could figure out how many attacks it would take to defeat the rats.
Chest pounding, he forced himself not to look at the creature’s grotesque appearance. The rat looked half decayed; half of its mouth and ribcage were gone, the bones clearly visible. When the monster spun around to attack again, he forced himself to remain still despite every bone in his body screaming to attack. He swallowed back the panic, waiting until it was almost on top of him before attacking again. Such a small target would be impossible to hit unless it was within arms reach.
The rat was inches from his chest when he finally moved. This time, he didn’t miss, cleaving the beast in two with his dagger. Hot, foul smelling blood splattered onto his face as the rat’s health bar dropped and its lifeless body fell to the ground in a burst of blue sparks.
Defeated Diseased Rat.
Gained 3 experience.
He had no time to wipe the blood from his eyes as another rat burst from the grass, and another, until he’d amassed a handful of coins at his feet and completed the quest.
Defeat Rats: (15/15)
Quest Completed: Rat Exterminator
The golden notification flashed briefly in his vision, and Julian was glad how fast it vanished, his senses on high alert.
He couldn’t let his guard down. Not when the rats were still swarming him.
Their soft chattering whispered around him like a wordless chant, communing in a language only the rats could understand. How the things made any sound was beyond him, with the number of them who were missing half their jaws.
Julian backed out of the wheat until he’d put a few yards between himself and the field. Chest tight and muscles burning from use, he took a moment to catch his breath and check his stats. The scratch on his arm had stopped bleeding, and thankfully, had only cost him two health points. His stamina, on the other hand, had taken a heavy hit, dropping by over half.
“Hey Ginger, does stamina replenish over time, or will I need to find a bed?”
She chuckled.
Check your stats again and you’ll have your answer.
He glared at the empty air, but did as she instructed, finding a single point of his stamina had returned.
While resting in a bed would increase how fast you replenish stamina, remaining still does as well, at a rate of one point every five minutes. The timer resets if you engage in combat or move.
“Well, at least I won’t have to go back to town.”
There was no reason for him to return just yet, not when he still had plenty of health and three potions. Disgusting as they were, Julian intended to use every moment of daylight available to get stronger. The sun still hung low in the sky, barely above the treetops. It wasn’t even noon yet, which left him plenty of time to grind a level or two. He doubted a virtual reality game would be very different in this case. Grinding now, while he was all but guaranteed not to encounter any dangerous enemies, was the perfect time to level up and get a feel for his skills.
His breath came in short gasps by the time he finished clearing the first field. Over thirty rats met their end at his blade, and both he and his dagger were covered in blood. Most of it was not his, although a few lucky rodents had landed a few scratches. He’d had to down one of his foul tasting potions, but the sight of his experience bar, already over half full, made the taste bearable.
A quick glance at the sun told him his day was at an end. As much as he wanted to continue, Ginger’s warning rang fresh in his mind. It would be dark all too soon.
Julian returned to Will’s home, knocking on the door in the hopes the man would offer him a place for the night. He had plenty of time to return to Keidale if necessary, but with any luck, the game developers weren’t too cruel. He did not relish a trek back to the village, not when blood and gore covered his body from head to toe. Already, the dried blood caused his clothes to stiffen and crackle as he moved.
Upon seeing him, the man burst into laughter and pointed down the hall.
“I’ve got a spare room, free to use it. You finish the job?”
Julian shook his head. He had, but if the game gave him the option and he could continue in the morning, he planned to take advantage of it. The experience drops for the rats were abysmal, but they were easy to kill, and their movements were predictable.
“No problem, you can finish up tomorrow.” His eyes lingered on Julian’s ruined wardrobe. “I’d recommend washing your clothes before you turn in for the night. Rat blood tends to disintegrate things rather quickly.”
Horrified, Julian raced outside to where he’d seen a washbasin and stripped off his clothes. He’d thought the faint tingling on his skin was a side effect of muscle pain and general overexertion, not his body being eaten away by acidic monster blood.
A curse fell from his lips. Who the hell thought this stuff up? For a common starter quest monster, this was a bit overkill in his opinion.
He didn’t really care that the water felt like ice against his skin. Nor did he care if his host saw him naked. Will was an NPC, and he hadn’t seen a single player in the area since morning. Now that he thought a bout it, it was strange. Normally, starter towns in popular games were packed with people, but outside of the main street, he’d seen very few players roaming around.
Were there different starter towns, or had everyone already completed the tutorial? Julian sighed, wincing when he realized he’d scrubbed his arm raw. It was a question for another day. He didn’t have the energy to ask Ginger. Right now, all he wanted was to be clean.
The water did little for the stench clinging to him like bad perfume, or the stains on his tattered clothes, but after a few minutes of frantic scrubbing, his skin was at least free from the blood and his clothes were less stiff.
And less likely to disintegrate.
He left for the spare room in silence, exhaustion weighing down his arms even more than his sodden clothes. As he slid under the thin blanket, he wished for nothing more than morning to come—and his clothes to dry.
This was probably the worst aspect of playing a virtual reality game so far. Julian had underestimated just how realistic everything was, down to the tiniest detail. Like his current attire. In any other game, he wouldn’t care about his gear. He would wear whatever had the best stats, even if it was falling apart. Yet even though he knew it was not real, that all of this was just in his head, the feeling of wet cloth chafing against his skin was indescribably annoying.
Perhaps he would invest in a decent set of clothes or two. He wasn’t sure how many days he could stand rough cotton and foul smelling, bloodstained shorts.
The next morning, Julian woke to the sound of splintering wood. Reluctantly, slipping off the bed, he peered out the window to see Will splitting wood. A brief glance at his stats confirmed his suspicion; while his stamina had been restored overnight, his health hadn’t changed. A finger brushed his belt as he contemplated downing a potion, but he decided against it. He hadn’t lost enough health to warrant using one yet, and as disgusting as the things tasted, he planned on getting every point he could from them.
Curious what the man would say, he left the house, turning the corner to find Will, who waved when he noticed Julian approach
“Sleep well, I hope?”
“Yes, thanks.”
“You off to do some more exterminating?”
“Yes, I think I’ll be finished by the afternoon.”
“That’s great, but don’t push yourself too hard. Those little buggers are more trouble than they look.”
Thinking back to how volatile their blood was, Julian had to agree. They might be small and weak, but if you weren’t careful, their blood would whittle away your health point by point.
“Really, your help is truly appreciated. I’d take care of the little beasts myself, but winter is fast approaching and if I don’t get my wood stocked up now, I’ll never make it through till spring.”
Julian eyed the giant stack of wood, pondering his options.
“Once I finish up with those rats, want me to help you cut wood?”
The man paused, looking at him curiously before a wide grin spread across his face.
“If you’re willing, perhaps I will take you up on that kind offer. How many adventures would lower themselves to do manual labor?”
The corners of Julian’s mouth turned up into a gentle smile. There was no kindness involved in his decision. To him, it was a chance to hone his gathering skills—without having to spend the gold on a tool that would only waste one of his precious inventory slots. He didn’t really care if Will was grateful for the help or not. Gathering quests rarely had good rewards, but he had a hunch that if he wanted to mine for ore, he’d need to increase his Gathering skill.
Besides, if this game was anything like the others he played, having some wood on hand for a campfire might just keep monsters at bay if he got stuck travelling after dark.