Chapter 1: A New Beginning

When Alexander awoke, he found himself in a clearing just before the Green Mountains.

Seeing how he didn't appear in Camolt, this meant he hadn't died but had been somehow teleported to this location. He recalled his encounter with Merlin the Wise and shivered. The profound knowledge he had gained shook him to his core and gave him a new perspective on the world around him. He didn't quite know what this was yet but knew he could play this game the same way as he had originally intended. He wasn't a cruel person, to begin with, who would go about needlessly killing NPCs, but rather than the contrary, he now felt he had a responsibility to these people; everyone knew the amount of violence against NPCs was incredible.

They were robbed, killed, and taken advantage of by even the most average players; however, this now all seemed wrong to the young man. He had no idea what he was going to do about it and would need a great deal of time to think before he did.

Wanting to regain his bearing, he decided to inspect his Character Details:

image [https://imgur.com/tdL1T2k.png]

As for his titles, they were numerous and, at times, bizarre. They mostly increased his Basic Stats but did provide some nice points, like decreased food and water needs and a greater amount of Mana gained with each level.

In terms of Equipment, he had his Bonking Stick created through the Blessing of the World and his clothes, which were still the same from when he began the game, though they were now severely torn up. In terms of items, he had some impressionable loot, including wood from two World Trees and even fruit from one of them. Alexander had no idea how he would use these items, but he was sure he would figure it out in time.

After taking in these entails, he got to his feet and began to walk back towards Camelot.

When he arrived at the gate, a fellow paler looked at him and remarked, "Wow, got roughed up by the Green Mountain Mobs."

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Alexander smiled at this and responded, "A little bit, but the view was fantastic."

This stranger smiled and nudged him, commenting, "Better be careful, I heard Zain the Vengeful was excited about climbing a bunch of mountains and using their Buffs to do some hardcore Skill Leveling, but someone beat him to it. He's been luring around the tenth mountain, trying to intercept the guy and killing everyone that comes close."

The Elf's eyes went wide as he responded, "He does sound vengeful." He then smiled again and added, "Luckily, I think I'm done with the Green Mountains for a while." With bright eyes, he asked, "Is the Mages Guild still accepting new applicants?"

The stranger laughed and blurted, "Of course they are; what else would they do?"

Alexander laughed as well, and the two went their separate ways.

At the gate, he encountered two guards who looked normal at first, but when they caught sight of him, their expressions changed. Almost sputtering, one blurted, "Sir Alatar, it's an honor."

The young man didn't expect this and raised a hand to dismiss the men before responding, "No need for formalities." He smiled, taking in these two men and viewing them in a light he had never considered before. In a kind voice, he said, "The honor is all mine. I thank you for diligently guarding the castle gates…" With a more knowing tone, he added, "It must get boarding." The two guards looked ready to cry and nodded as Alexander brought out some basic poisons he had made and presented them, "I hope you will accept these. They are not very effective but can help heal some minor wounds."

The guards looked at each other and gladly accepted them while blurring, "Thank you, sir…"

Alexander didn't know why he was different, but after receiving the glances of many NPCs as he walked through the city, he decided to inspect himself to try and find the root cause. Ultimately, he found that these people could see his titles, specifically "A Wise Hermit," which had been appended below his player ID. One could usually append a title in such a way if they wanted, but this had been performed automatically.

The Elf performed a quick cost-benefit analysis and changed his character setting. A better relationship with NPCs would be useful, but he could also provoke the curiosity and envy of others. Thus, he restricted his Player Name to only his friends and left his title as his main identifier. Both would be visible to NPCs, but players wouldn't get to know his real name unless he let them.

Once this was done, he continued his journey through the city, reveling in the feeling of being surrounded by civilization. His tattered clothes attracted a few glances from other Players, though no one bothered him. Everyone was running around busy with their tutorials or quests. Alexander was amazed by the sheer number of people, which had increased exponentially since he was last here.

Taking in the sites, he made his way to the Mages Guild, where he found a long line of dozens of people. Seeing this, he sighed before joining the line and waiting his turn.