Chapter 2: New Beginnings

He jumped on my shoulder and said, “Okay, now it is time to choose where you wish to start.” The blackness faded, and the light of the sun illuminated a blue sky. Some white clouds were off in the distance and spread a massive continent below me. I was high in the air, floating.

Simba continued, “Open World has one billion square miles of the playable area. That is five times the area of the Earth. This also does not include the thirteen higher planes that can be accessed for adventuring. The game is also constantly growing, and the current game expansion is at about one million square miles per month. All new lands are created to the south. If you went there now, you would see a shimmering impenetrable veil stopping you.”

The tiny cat, tail whipping slowly, waited for me to be impressed. The large numbers were too hard to process, and there must be vast population centers. I decided on another route. “Simba, I want to start in a small village that has access to lumber, is mostly human, is relatively safe for my level, and has no one with great carpentry skills.” I waited while Simba processed the information, his focus in the distance.

“I have seven hundred thirty-three villages that match your criteria. Do you want to visit them?” We would need to shrink the list a little more first.

“Let’s add a few more qualifications. I want to be a good distance from major populations, at least 50 miles. I also want the village to have access to all the natural resources it would need to grow into a thriving community.” I hoped this would bring down my choices.

“Fifty-four villages match your requirements. Would you like to visit these locations?” He repeated, sounding anxious. Well, fifty-four seemed manageable. I nodded.

So, with Simba on my shoulder, we began to visit villages while we were ethereal. After visiting a few, I added my demand to have only between 40 and 80 people. This shortened my list to just eighteen possibilities. We spent a few minutes gliding over the villages as I inspected them.

I finally decided on a village that was in the shadow of a mountain range to the north. A strong river ran out of the mountains to supply the village with fresh water. A majestic forest towered on the other side of the river from the village. There was great farming and grazing land on the village side of the river. A rough dirt road ran south from the village along the river.

The road connected many small villages before reaching a major population center 240 miles to the south along the river. The forest area showed monster levels 40 to 50, the mountains level 60 to 70, and the plains level 5 to 15. The area along the road heading south was for levels 0 to 1, which is why it fits my criteria. It worked for me, I guess, unless leveling was going to be difficult, and then I would just head south to another village with lower leveling areas.

The village was called Malcum. It had 52 people, all human. It also had a number of abandoned buildings and an abandoned lumber yard stocked with wood! I was hoping to walk in and offer my skills. I affirmed my selection and appeared in the center of town in a bright flash. Two young girls were playing in the street. Fear of a stranger caused them to jump up and run inside one of the homes nearby.

I turned in a circle, studying my surroundings. The homes were pretty beaten up and needed a lot of work. They clearly needed a good carpenter.

I was alone; well, I did have Simba on my shoulder. He had decided to clean his paws at this moment and was not talking. I hadn’t noticed how bad the buildings actually were from my flyover. I was looking at one falling apart porch when I heard a door open. I turned and noticed an older woman walking toward me.

Her hair was mostly white, and she had flour on her dress from baking. The detail was amazing, and it did not feel like virtual reality at all. She studied me, her lively blue eyes taking me in, and initiated the conversation. “Do you need help, traveler? We have not much to offer ya in terms of comfort here. I suggest traveling south to Barrista. They have an okay inn there. It is about 15 miles, and you can make it before dark.” She turned to leave, thinking she was done with me.

“Madam, I am a carpenter and was hoping to ply my trade in your village for a few weeks.” She stopped and turned slowly. This time studying me over more closely.

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“Madam?” She huffed at the title. “Where are ya tools?” She got me there. I thought quickly of a remark to save the situation. I had already fallen into the trap of thinking this was real.

I pulled out my tools from my backpack. She just grunted, signifying my possession of the tools did not mean I could do the work. I took a shot, “I am famished and would be willing to work for food today. Just give me a task. If you don’t like my work, then don’t feed me.” She assessed me again.

“Okay, carpenter. My chickens need a hen house out back. Build me one.”

New Quest Offered: Gwen’s Hen House, you have been offered a meal for building Gwen Hallo a hen house. Rewards: Meal, 50 experience

“I accept your offer, Ms. Hallo.” I followed her to her backyard, taking in the amazing details of the virtual reality. Trying and failing to find fault with anything I saw. A half dozen chickens milled about in the grass, searching the ground for food. A dog was lying in the dirt. He looked up at me and then focused his gaze on Simba, suddenly becoming very alert. Simba locked eyes with the hound, then left from my shoulder and darted around the corner, the dog not far behind. I sighed and hoped Simba was just playing and not antagonizing the dog.

I surveyed the backyard. A fair amount of lumber was already nearby, and space seemed to have already been cleared for the hen house. Gwen left me to work, and I started by going back and forth to the river to collect large stones for the foundation. Then, I began to assemble the structure. I became lost in my work, and my virtual body sweated as I labored away. My clothes didn’t seem to get dirty, though, which was the first sign of being in a virtual world. It was quick work as the game helped with cuts and placement. My best guess is I was working four times faster than in the real world.

The largest annoyance was that my magic pool was only 51, meaning I could only cast meld wood four times during the 8 hours it would take me. The magic pool took almost 8 hours to regenerate; I would have to do something about that.

I did have access to some nails but was annoyed that I couldn’t use my magic to build as quickly as I had planned. It was fascinating to me how magic works. I was able to merge pieces of wood up to six feet in length, melding the grains together just like they had grown that way in the wild. I ignored all notifications and finished the coop before sundown. It was a nice little structure with spots for twenty hens and a lockable door for nighttime. I opened my notifications to see what I had gained.

Masonry 2 Tier 2 Unlocked, +1 Strength, +2% health to structures

Woodcraft 2 Tier 2 Unlocked, +1 Channeling, +2% health to structures

Woodcraft: Carpentry 2 Tier 2 Unlocked, +1 Luck, +2% quality to structures

Woodcraft: Carpentry 3 Tier 3 Unlocked, +1 Luck, +2% quality to structures

Woodcraft: Carpentry 4 +2% quality to structures

New Recipe Learned: Basic Chicken Coop, holds 20 chickens, Health 200, Requires Masonry 1, Woodcraft Carpentry 3

Gwen came outside and inspected my work as the sun was setting. I noticed my satiety bar was flashing. Simba was close and noted this meant I could not regen health, magic, or stamina until my hunger was satisfied. A smile broke onto Gwen’s aged face. “It is a good hen house. Come inside for dinner, and we can discuss what other projects people of the village may have for you.” I was in!

Quest Completed: Gwen’s Hen House, experience 50, your meal awaits at Gwen’s residence

The meal was a chicken pot pie. I devoured nearly the entire thing while Gwen looked on and smiled. My stomach felt like it was filling, and the taste matched my expectations, maybe even exceeded them.

Gwen Hallo’s Chicken Pie, +20% stamina regen for 4 hours

I gave Simba a large piece of chicken to chew on. The dog was lying in the corner, visibly exhausted from the day’s pursuit and now ignoring Simba.

“So, are you going to tell me your name, carpenter?” I choked on my food. Oops, I had forgotten basic courtesies.

“Tallis, Mam. I apologize for not introducing myself the moment we met.” I drank the soft cider to wash down the food. The food was quite excellent. I reveled in the texture, temp, smell, and taste…I felt like I was in the real world. I couldn’t notice any differences except for small things like my clothes not getting dirty or the smell from the long day’s work. My body did sweat, and my clothes had become damp, but they dried quickly…

“Well, Tallis. I am Gwen, the village elder of Malcum. Our carpenters were lost six months ago while gathering lumber in the forest across the river. We have actually lost many men in the Shiverwood. No one dares to venture there now. Many widows left when their husbands did not return. The village needs someone to give them hope. I think you can do that. We don’t have much to offer you, but if you complete these twenty tasks,” she said, sliding a piece of paper to me, “you can take ownership of the wood mill by the river. You can even have the attached residence to live in while you complete these tasks.”

New Quest Offered: Gwen’s 20 Projects, you have been offered 20 tasks around the village, rewards: the lumber mill and village carpenter’s house, 500 experience

I eagerly took the paper to begin my adventures in carpentry.

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