[Quartz Town – Town Hall]

Upon arriving in the Town Hall, Eiji asked the receptionist where he could get change job class. The receptionist guided him to the second floor of the Town Hall. In the second floor there was only a huge door. Eiji was instructed to wait for the Town Leader.

[Outside Quartz Town – Balhur Road]

Meanwhile Nana’s party was just to embark going to another town to hunt. Instead of using to town portal to save time Nana chooses to use wagon as transportation.

“What do you think of Eiji?”

Nana asked while staring in the horizon of hills.

“Well… He has one hell of a luck that he was saved twice in a row.”

Aika answered.

“Nana aren’t you thinking that Eiji is the same Eiji in your school?”

Arisato asked.

“I didn’t know. I haven’t asked him and besides there are many Eijis out there. I guess he is not the same Eiji. I heard that he isn’t gonna play WOTL after the Final Tactics where shut down.”

“This naming system surely made some of us confused. I mean, shouldn’t all games we can choose our IGN?”

“Yeah, that is weird right? We cannot choose our in-game names.”

Aika agreed to what Adachi said.

“I wonder if this Eiji will gonna buy the story of the town leader.”

Adachi wonders and shifted the topic.

“If he’s gonna buy it or not it is not our concern anymore. I just wanted to finish the game to see it if it’s true or not.”

Nana answered.

“It is absurd right? That story that the town leader told us? That we are invaders of this world?”

Arisato said.

“Yeah… Invaders… If there is really two worlds and if the town leader’s story is true then that sums up that the NPCs aren’t just computer generated. What’s weird is that the NPCs here can answer our question as long as it is within their knowledge.”

“Unlike in other games for example. When you ask direction to an NPC only selected NPCs could answer. But here in WOTL, most of them could answer and they provide supporting answers like which direction we would take, what are the problem we will encounter upon arriving in the said direction, and many more.”

“Maybe the game devs set up this way.”

Arisato guess.

“Isn’t in much to set NPC this way? The game was just about 20 Terabyte if they set this world filled with those NPC it would just as 20TB or more, even the graphics and environment if I calculate all of these matters it would be not less than 10,000TB. Given the world size and the small details.”

Adachi calculated.

“Uh… Guys, I guess we have company.”

Aika said as she pointed a group of kobolds blocking the road.

[Quartz Town – Town Hall]

Back to the Town Hall, Eiji already met the town leader and heard his story. Eiji couldn’t believe that there is an NPC capable of being to act like a normal person. It was said that the Minegard is a real world and the people of Minegard is real and not an artificial intelligence generated. It was hard for Eiji to believe so he didn’t go through it all and just hear the story of the town leader. After the story telling Eiji gone to a series of question and answered it all without a problem. Eiji felt weight lighted after he answer it correctly and his body shine in just a second.

“Congratulations, you’ve become a legitimate Spearman-Class. Adventurer Eiji, I won’t force you to believe what all I’ve said up to this moment. However, I wished that you will protect all the people not only adventurers but also the people you so-called NPCs. Unlike you adventurers you can be revived but people of Minegard lived only once so deep in the heart I want you to adhere my wish.”

The town leader said.

“Don’t worry town leader, protecting the NPC is much easier than believing your story. It is not that I don’t believe at all but it is hard to comprehend everything you’ve said. So protecting the NPC is much better as long as I have the power to protect then I will do what you’ve wished.”

“Thank you adventurer Eiji.”

“By the way, I haven’t got your name town leader. If you really not an AI then I guess you have a name right?”

“I am Theodore L. Maxwell. I was a descendant of an adventurer. My 56th generation of my great-grandmother was an adventurer like you. That was been told to us as generations of Maxwell comes by.”

“Theodore… I see… I will go now Town Leader Theodore. Thanks for changing my job-class.”

Eiji said as he left the room.

After changing job Eiji was now a Spearman-Class. He examine first his job skill and look what he could use and level up.

Spearman-Class Skills

*Spear Mastery

*Piercing Spear

*Whiplash

*Rapid Joust

As expected immediate job-class has less skills but it was not useless. Eiji knew that upon level 30 he will change job and he can only level his job skills by using it often. Before hitting level 30 he must mastered at least two skills.

“I think I’ll go with Spear Mastery and Rapid Joust.”

Eiji said in his mind.

Spear Mastery boost the usage of spear-type weapons. It can be level up if he use spear-type often. Spear Mastery adds physical damage and add a small amount of attack speed when using spear-type weapon and also it lowers the requirements of all spear-type weapon.

Rapid Joust can only be used if the character is equipped with spear-type weapon. It increase the attack speed depending on the skill level (level 1= 20%, level 2= 35%, level 3= 50%,level 4= 65%, and lastly level 5= 80%). Slowing attack speed debuff is cancelled when using Rapid Joust.

Since only Rapid Joust consumes MP a little, Eiji thought he could add an offensive ability skill – the Piercing Spear which deal 150% of the physical damage and has a chance to lowers the defense of the target by 10%. Each level adds 5% of damage and chance to lowers the defense.

Eiji didn’t noticed at first that he was automatically level to level 11. He add the stat points to his strength.

Eiji goes first to the General Supply Store to sell the remaining loot he had before embarking to new location.

“Good morning kiddo! I see you’ve changed job-class. What I can do for you?”

Grandell the General Supply Store Manager asked.

“I wanna sell this loots. Also here is the Wolf’s Hide that you’ve asked me.”

Eiji handle everything to Grandell.

“Thanks for this hide. I’ll give you six potions and 300 gils for this. As for the loots I can give you 2,500 gils for it.”

A title prompted to Eiji saying that he acquired the title of ‘Wolf Slayer’.

“Can I buy the Overviewed Map and potions?”

“Oh, so you’re gonna change location?”

“Yeah. Pallet Forest cannot suffice my experience. I need to go somewhere.”

“I see. Here’s your Overviewed Map and I recommend this location. It has good monsters to hunt on. Grass Wraith, Mandrake, Angry Bunny, and Driller Bee can be found in this location. They are on the same level as you. You just need to watch out for Trolls which rumors said to be found also.”

Grandell warns as he points the location in the map that was brought by Eiji.

“Trolls?”

“Yeah. They are rare to seen in the field because their territory is far north in the mountain lands. However, this past few week peddlers going here in the town are telling stories they’ve encounter Trolls in the highways and plains.”

“Okay. I’ll gonna watch out for those Trolls.”

It was the third day of Eiji in WOTL when he noticed that there are few players in the Neutral State such as Quartz Town. Based in the first day of release of WOTL the game registered around five hundred thousand players in the first hour swarming the starting towns of the game. Eiji couldn’t compare the estimation of players in the other kingdoms but he knew that only few manage to go to the Neutral State. The Flea Market which supposed to be the market place for players there roughly hundred Merchant-Class vending in the area. After a short while Eiji skipped thinking about the number of players and started to focus on leveling.

Just before Eiji could leave the town he noticed that there are two players following him since he left the General Supply Store. The town isn’t big but there are many alleys. Eiji decide to shrug off the two players following him by misleading them in the alleys of the town.

[Quartz Town Outskirts]

As Eiji pick up the phase of his walking the two players also speed up their walk. Eiji was now sure that the two players were following him. As of the moment Eiji didn’t know their purpose of following but Eiji has given a bad vibe from them.

“Why they are following me?”

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Eiji said as he starts to run.

He observed that the two players were Squire-Class and possess no threat at all. Eiji thought that if they are Squire-Class surely they are from Neutral State too since Quartz Town is a starting point for those who’d just started the game.

“Okay let’s stop this game of cat and mouse. Why are you following me?”

Eiji stated as he stopped in a desolate alley.

The two players stopped running as Eiji stops and confront them. One of the players look to the other one and seems like to ask what they’ll do next. Both of them were hooded by a tattered robe cape. Sign that they are low-level players.

The taller player unsheathe a blade from its robe and the other one corresponded.

“You know you can’t hurt me right? I know that we are from the same faction – the Neutral State. Even you are from different faction there is a big difference in our class. Both of you are Squire-Class while I am a Spearman-Class.”

Eiji buffed.

All of a sudden the taller player burst with laughter.

“That was the worst buff I’ve ever heard in this game. HAHAHAHA!”

Said by the taller player.

As Eiji heard the player’s voice he guaranteed that it was a female player.

“What do you mean Momo?”

The other player asked.

“A novice in this game was acting a veteran here in WOTL. That buff of yours wasn’t too bad if you encounter a novice but if it was a veteran in this game they won’t surely buy it.”

The taller player said.

Eiji remained silent and wondering about what she said.

“The flaw of your buff is that every veteran player knows that starting towns are no-killing zone even though if both of you are from different faction”

The taller player explained as she removes the hood of her robe.

She was beautiful with a face of an idol in real world. She had a brown shoulder length hair.

“You are Eiji of Silent Phoenix right?”

The idol-faced girl said.

The Silent Phoenix was the guild Eiji created in the Final Tactics. Eiji was now more curious why a girl knew him immediately even though his facial feature was changed.

“What if I am? What of it now?”

Eiji stood his ground.

“You might forgot already who we are but we are from Heartshaker Guild in Final Tactics. It would be weird how I recognized you but the way you hold your spear and with my intuition. That’s how I knew you. By the way, I am Momo and this is Chae.”

Heartshaker Guild was South Korea’s one of the finest guild which is composed of girl players. Eiji already encountered them during the international competition of the Final Tactics but he barely knew or recognized the players of Heartshaker Guild except for player named Dahyun who dealt massive damage to Eiji’s character during the game.

“I remember the Heartshaker Guild but I don’t remember its player.”

Eiji honestly said.

“Don’t sweat it. We barely scratch your guild during the competition.”

Momo said as she was trying to ease the tension.

“So why are you following me?”

Eiji returned to the topic.

“Momo saw you last night and decided to follow you for some reason.”

The girl with shiny long jet-black hair named Chae said.

“As you see, we are still Squire-Class… We thought that we could party and level up at the same time however earlier this morning you already change job-class.”

Momo stated the reason straight.

“Why you didn’t told me immediately and you just started to stalk me.”

“HEY! We are not stalking you!”

Chae ferociously shouted.

“Well, basically we are not stalking you. Following is the right term I guess. As soon as you changed job-class we hesitated since we don’t want you to think that we are leeching experience who are above level to us.”

Momo calmly explained.

“I see... I see… If you stated your intentions immediately we wouldn’t have confusion. I wouldn’t mind partying with you especially you are both from Final Tactics, that way I won’t have hard time organizing the party.”

“Really you mean it?!”

“Yes. Both I’ll call the shot for this party. Also I won’t held responsible if you die during fighting okay?”

“That’s not a problem.”

Momo agreed.

After the agreement, Eiji created the party called – Tranquil Sentinels. Momo was Level 8 and Chae was Level 7. Momo seems to be a veteran despite of her job-class which made Eiji awe.

“Momo was basically a veteran in this game. She was a Level 73 Seductress-Class.”

Chae revealed to Eiji.

“A Seductress-Class?”

“It is the next job-class of Dancer aside from Gypsy-Class. That job-class is status-oriented class. They are not the best support class in all Superior-Class but it comes handy when dealing NPCs.”

Momo briefly explained the Seductress-Class.

“Why you become Squire-Class again?”

Eiji asked.

Momo become silent after Eiji ask. Eiji looked at Chae and she just waver her head a little telling Eiji not to engage in that conversation. Eiji immediately understood Chae’s waver and he just told Momo that it is okay not to answer his question.

Momo made a bitter smile.

Chae tried to shift the topic since it is giving the party a gloomy ambience. As Chae shifted the topic Eiji noticed even Momo and Chae came from different country he could understand them without a problem. Momo explained that the game system automatically translate every language so that players will have ease playing with players from different country. Slowly Momo’s mood is getting better and at that time they’ve arrived in the location where Grandell pointed.

“Momo and Chae, I’ll pull some of the aggressive monsters in the area and you’ll do the damage and just make sure you won’t put damage greater than I do so change the monster won’t target both of you.”

Eiji said as he pulls out the scabbard of the blade of his spear.

What Eiji said is a common strategy in most of MMORPG which is called tanking. One player deals massive damage to a monster while the lower level player hits or produce damage not greater than the first player so that the aggression of the monster won’t change to the lower level players. Considering that the first player has great defensive power or could take the damage until the monster is dead without getting its HP to zero.

“Seeing you weapon makes sure than we can’t dealt damage higher than you Eiji presuming it is an Excellent-Quality or higher type of a weapon.”

Momo asserted as she saw the spear gleaming with fiery red aura.

Eiji started attacking the red named monster called Angry Bunny. Red named monster are aggressive monster that attacks players or person even though it is not attacked and they are often called the Active Monsters while there are gray named monsters that are docile and won’t attack useless being attacked and they are called Passive Monster. Mostly in lower level zone monsters aren’t aggressive but in the case of their location only the Angry Bunny are the monsters they should only watch out.

“Rapid Joust!”

Eiji activated his first skill.

Eiji noticed that the spear became light so he attacked the Angry Bunny with single strike dealing almost half HP. Momo and Chae attacked afterwards giving their four slash strike a fatal blow to the monster. Momo ended the monster’s life with a swift piercing blow.

“That was a good attack Momo also you Chae.”

Eiji praised the both of them.

“Momo’s damage was greater than mine since her stats focuses on STR.”

Chae said.

“Of couse it is. Chae wants to be a Minstrel-Class so she needs to focus on WIS stats build and some of vitality stat for survival. While I need to focus on STR since I need to deal physical damage because Fencer Mage-Class requires STR, AGI, and some of INT to cast spells.”

Momo explained.

“A Minstrel-Class and Fencer Mage-Class huh?”

“Minstrel-Class are supportive job-class that could boost the party’s stat by using his or her Song-Abilities. While Fencer Mage-Class are master of piercing attacks and could use magic for his or her advantage.”

Momo added.

“So Minstrel-Class is a hard job-class. Do they really need a party to get level?”

Eiji questions as he was still confused on the levelling system of the game.

“Minstrel-Class has offensive ability however their stats build should have massive INT and WIS in order to go solo mode leaving the survivability stats behind. However the Supportive Song Abilities of a Minstrel-Class requires a lot of WIS in order to become effective and prolong the duration of the effect. Minstrel-Class is more effective to be a support than a damager since we could level up just by using our skills often than killing a monster.”

Chae briefly explain.

“I see now. That is why supportive class needs a party in order to level up.”

Eiji uttered as he knows now the explanation behind the levelling system of a support role.

They’ve continue hunting in the plains for about an hour as the heat of the sun blazes reminding them that it is almost past noontime.

The scorching heat was intense in the plains than the forest. Eiji saw a three debuffs as he noticed the heat. It was a Sun-Burn Debuff which lowers the VIT by four points, Thirsty Debuff which lowers stamina and agility by fifteen percent and the Scorching Heat Debuff which intensifies the effect of the current debuff by fifty percent.

“Woah! I’ve got minus six VIT, minus two AGI, and more than minus twenty percent on stamina.”

Eiji shockingly said.

“Damn, Today must be the Day of Surt.”

Momo silently said as she tries to log out.

“Day of Surt?”

Both of Chae and Eiji wonder.

“You both are still beginners right? There are random environment changes in WOTL, we better first find a shade before this heatwave kills us.”

Momo suggested as they are still in the plains bathe in the heat of the sun.

Not far away from them is a forest and they’ve decide to take shelter.

Momo explained immediately the random climate changes as they took shed in the forest.

“Day of Surt, Day of Strum, Day of Kuyi, Day of Sunduomun, Day of Falr, and Day of Jyuwajyumento are the reported debuffing weathers in WOTL and each of these Days has lethal killing debuffs. If ever you are inflicted by these debuff you cannot log out for the whole duration of effect.”

Momo sad as she washed her face with the water in the nearby creek.

Chae that time tried to log out but since she is also inflicted by the debuff she can’t.

“What should we do Momo?!”

Chae worriedly asked that her eyes become teary.

“It is either we leave this location or wait for the weather to settle down. However I don’t know when this will end.”

Momo suggested.

However before they could come up to conclusion either they will leave or wait. Eiji asked directly a personally question even though Momo doesn’t want to talk about her previous experience in WOTL however she didn’t mind it and answer Eiji.

“Amongst the climate change, what have you experienced already?”

“I’ve only experience the Day of Kuyi when a three guild alliances of the White Lion Crest decides to raid a Neutral Town in the Central Northeastern part of the continent. We are marching in the Mountain Ranges of Fuverst when a snowstorm halts our raid. It lasted for two days and we cannot log out. High level players as well as the leaders of each were given a massive debuff and some of them died during the first day. The worst part of it was the second day…”

Momo stopped as she remembers what happened that time.

“What happened?”

Eiji curiously asked.

“If a player gets killed in WOTL he or she will respawn immediately in the last town he departed… However during the second day dead avatars was left in our camps. The players who died told us that they were logged out immediate when they’ve died and it took half an hour to reconnect. During that time their avatars woke up and become enemies. They’ve killed the remaining players in the camp including me.”

Momo said as it sounds that she was still terrified reminiscing those memories.

“That sounds terrifying especially when you can’t log out.”

Chae softly said.

“What happened to the avatars and to the dead players?”

Eiji further asked.

“Everyone respawned after that incident. Luckily we manage to recover most of our items but not to the items that we pulled out in our inventory. Our levels were reduced by five and that was I think the worst scenario that happened to us.”

Momo answered.

“Hmmm…”

“What are you thinking Eiji?”

Chae asked as she saw Eiji thinking deeply.

“Nothing…”

Eiji softly replied.

In the end of the conversation, they’ve decided to leave the place. Momo and Chae have already enough level to change job while Eiji got enough experience to get level fifteen. However before they leave in the edge of the forest they saw the plains where they were levelling is becoming a horizon of mirage; a sign that the heat was so strong.

“Hey are you hearing something?”

Chae stopped and focused on what she was hearing.

Eiji and Momo didn’t heard what Chae was hearing but in a couple seconds they slowly heard a faint of thumping.

“This noise… It is familiar…”

Momo said as she heard the thumping sound.

In a split second, she immediately climb in the nearest tree to observe the plain horizon.

“I am right… This noise is the sound of a marching guild!”

Momo spoken as she saw a vague group from afar.

Momo goes down and asked what they’ll gonna do.

“It is unsafe to travel in the road now since there is a guild marching on it. The direct way going back to Quartz Town is by the road.”

Momo seriously said.

“Shouldn’t we wait until they pass?”

Chae suggested.

“Based on the direction their taking, it is likely they’ll attack the Quartz Town. Well, this is normal in WOTL. We’ll just go to the opposite direction and look for another town instead of waiting.”

Momo considerately said.

“No… That won’t do… We must warn Quartz Town to the impending attack. Do you know what guild or faction it is?”

Eiji strongly asked.

“I think it is a mid-level guild… I’m not sure what guild it is but surely it is a White Lion Crest guild since they bear the same flag on my previous guild.”

Momo answered.

“Going back to the Quartz Town is a suicide. If they attack there while we log out, it would be under their flag as soon as we log in.”

In the midst of their discussion, a huge explosion happen in between where Eiji’s party is and the White Lion Crest guild is. The mirage disappears and it was changeover with dust and smoke.