Syn watched in horror as the multifaceted eyes stared at him unblinkingly. Gratefully, not the entire horde had stopped, maybe around fifty or so. An eerie silence settled between them. Then, like a dam bursting, the spiders rushed him.
Syn pulled himself up to a higher branch to get out of their web’s range and hurried to eat a plate of Fried Onions to increase his Mana Regen; he’d need every advantage if he wanted to survive. A few spiders tried to snare him, but the webs fell short. Then, the spiders climbed. Syn cast Water Blast when they came into range. The spell dropped the first four spiders, but the spiders behind them wasted no time crawling over their fallen comrades.
Syn took out his spear. Water Blast took up way too much Mana to handle the entire horde. When the first spider got in range, he swung the spear like a bat. The spider flew. The fall damage did a lot more than his swing. A new one took its place immediately. Again and again and again. When multiple spiders got too close, he would cast Water Blast to knock them down. Then he was back to whacking them.
One of them got close enough to slice his leg. Syn let out a scream of pain and knocked it back. But, the damage was done; Water Blast was out of Mana. He was only left with his spear and tunic. The spiders continued their relentless attack. When they got knocked down, they rushed up the tree again when they recovered from being stunned. Syn kept on fighting the same spiders over and over, not dealing enough damage to kill them.
Syn began making mistakes, missing a stab here or not dodging fast enough there. More and more, Syn was getting slashes on his legs and arms. His wrist continually beeped at him warning him he was bleeding. His high Mana Regen helped keep him alive, but he couldn’t keep it up forever. His arms throbbed as he felt his Stamina plummet. Ten minutes passed and his Meal expired. He pushed himself to make enough of an opening to eat Mashed Potatoes, increasing his Stamina by 2. He felt energy flood into him, but the swarm continued their attack giving him no time to rest. He wished he had another Teleport Shard.
Syn felt a surge of hope as one of the spiders died when it struck the ground. “Ok,” Syn panted. “Only forty-seven spiders left.” Syn caught his second wind and started whacking them with new vigor. He killed one more, but his newfound energy only lasted a moment. Soon, his arms felt heavy, and he could barely keep his hands holding on to the spear. His attacks slowed down, and he took more and more hits. Then, his tunic dissolved.
Syn felt lighter as he caught his third wind, but the damage greatly increased. 70 Mana remaining. Darkness crept into the edges of his vision as his mind struggled within the slow time. Syn killed another spider. 60 Mana. 50. 40.
When Syn thought he couldn’t swing his spear one more time, all of the spiders paused as one and looked further down the trail. Syn’s mouth fell open as a group of twenty giant toads collided with the spiders. It was a massacre. The toads shot their tongues out and swallowed the spiders whole. The spiders tried to retaliate by slicing them, but they only managed to kill one of the toads by poking its eyes and cutting its tongue.
Syn waited with nervous anticipation as the toads finished off the last of the spiders. He’d hoped they’d move on, and most of them did, but four of them stayed behind; all of them were at least Level 5. One of them flicked its tongue which stuck to Syn’s arm. Syn held on to the branch for dear life. A second tongue hit his other arm, which balanced out the pressure and made it easier to stay on the thick branch. Two more tongues hit his legs and pulled harder. Syn’s Mana Regen almost kept up with the damage being dealt. Almost. It almost made it worse as his body was slowly being crushed against the branch. The branch started to creak under the mounting pressure.
“Hey, stop that!” a voice called out. The toads turned as three people ran down the path—two men and a woman: two level 7s and a level 9. The Orbs above their heads were all Copper. The toads looked at them, let go of Syn, and scattered back into the forest. Syn breathed out a sigh of relief; 13 Mana left. Time went back to normal.
One of the men, level 9, looked up at Syn. He had a grin on his face like he always had some hidden joke only he knew about. “Oi! Still alive up there?”
“Yes,” Syn croaked back. “Mind if I come down?”
The man laughed. “Go ahead.”
Syn half climbed and half fell down the tree. He landed facedown in the dirt. He wanted to kiss it but held back with the last shred of dignity he still had.
“Thank you for saving me,” Syn groaned as they let him get to his feet. He looked at the group. The man who had spoken to him had messy brown hair and looked relaxed. The other man had an arrow knocked to a bow as he watched the surroundings and the woman with a spear was glaring at him.
“No problem at all, my friend,” the relaxed man said. “I don’t suppose you know who kicked the weaver’s nest?”
“Um, I killed a few of them,” Syn said hesitantly. “Does that count as kicking the nest?”
The woman glared at him even harder. “It was your fault! We should just kill him and wipe our hands clean of this mess.” She stepped forward threateningly, and Syn flinched.
The relaxed man held her back. “Calm down, Kayla. At least we know he’s not from Favia. They wouldn’t be stupid enough to go into that part of the forest.”
Kayla relaxed. Slightly. “Guess that’s true. Still, he wasted our time and people could have died.”
Syn almost laughed at the insult. These people were the first NPCs he had talked with since entering the game. Well, other than Lola. And those bandits. And that guy who killed him multiple times in a row. But those other times didn’t count. Syn was amazed he was talking to computer programs. They sounded so . . . real.
“He’s just a newbie,” the relaxed man said. “Give him a break.”
“Hey, Jack,” the bow guy said. “Let’s talk back in the [Village]. I don’t like it out here.”
“Good point, Tony,” Jack said. “Hey, what’s-your-name, want to come with us? A lot safer than staying out here.”
“I’m Syn,” Syn replied. “I’d love to come along.”
“So, you got lost while out gathering plants? Then you got attacked by a couple of guys and weavers?” Jack asked after Syn gave a summary of his adventure since leaving Wellspring [Town] as they walked down the road. Syn nodded. He’d left out being killed multiple times and the Teleport Shard. He was trying to say as little as possible as he didn’t want to get exposed that he had no idea what was happening. Luckily, the group thought he was an idiot.
“You are an idiot,” Kayla said for the fifth time. “With your low Perception Stat, you’re lucky they didn’t kill you before you realized it.” Some of her hostility had evaporated, though her default expression was a scowl. “Those guys must have been from Favia. Good riddance.” She spat.
“Favia? That a town nearby?” Syn asked.
“Outpost,” Kayla answered with scorn. “They’re full of criminals and outcasts. You didn’t even ask about the surrounding area? I know Wellspring doesn’t have the best newbie program, but what possessed you to leave on your own?”
“I got sort of excited and didn’t tell anyone,” Syn said. “And I just wanted to collect herbs for cooking. I didn’t think it would be that dangerous.”
“Everything is dangerous,” Tony said. He was rather paranoid as he watched the trees intently.
“You were lucky we were sent so quickly,” Jack added. “The moment Capt’n Vers became aware of a horde of Grim Weavers rushing into our territory. Over two hundred I believe. She says, ‘Jack, me boy-’”
“Captain Vers does not sound like that,” Kayla interrupted. Her scowl was now directed at Jack. “Don’t make her sound like a buffoon.”
“Are you the one telling the story or am I?” Jack quipped back. “Capt’n gave me the orders, not you. So I get to tell the story. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, she says, ‘Jack, me boy, you are my most trusted ally. I need you to go scout up in yonder forest to make sure nutten’ is amiss.’ And being the loyal man that I am, I straight at once left. We followed the Stonehide Toads to the weavers and found you hanging in that tree.”
“That’s not the way I remembered it,” Tony said while keeping his eyes on the forest. “Captain Vers had to toss you out of the Tavern and forced a sobering drink down your throat. She gave us explicit orders to leave you behind if things got dangerous.”
Jack huffed. “I liked my story better. You know, I suspect she wants me dead.”
“What makes you say that?” Kayla said sweetly. “She loves you, that’s why she always sends you out on the most dangerous missions and prays to the Goddess you’ll meet some sort of grizzly end. I liked the last version of you better. You were so sweet and timid.”
“And you weren’t as grumpy as before, Beatrice,” Jack smirked.
Kayla glowered at him even harder. “I told you never to call me that.” She shuddered. “Beatrice was so ditzy. I should have never got her memories back.”
Syn had to bite his tongue to not ask any questions. It sounded like the NPCs could respawn, but they gained their memories back at a later date. Patience. He’d find out eventually.
“She was so fun to be around,” Jack said wistfully. “She added an element of chaos to all of our battles. You never knew when she was going to trip or blow something up. We both died at the same time, right, when we attacked that roc dungeon?”
Kayla tripped Jack and pointed her spear at his throat. She smiled sweetly. “Who were you talking about again?”
“No one, no one,” Jack said soothingly. “Oh look, we’re here.”
Syn looked up and saw the walls he had seen at a distance. The walls weren’t as large as Wellspring’s, but they looked even more imposing because it was on a hill. It also had spikes at the base of the wall and a closed portcullis.
A guard stood up on the ramparts and called down, “Jack! Looks like you made it back in one piece.”
“Hey, Greg,” Jack called back. “Sure did. I didn’t almost die this time. Found the cause of the disturbance.” Jack slapped Syn’s shoulder. “Just a newbie who got lost. Can you get him registered?”
“Sure, give me a second.” Greg disappeared and a moment later, the gate opened up. Inside the gate, a blue barrier blocked the entrance like the bunny dungeon and Wellspring [Town]. Two Mana Crystals were embedded into the wall, one inside the barrier and one outside. Greg placed his hand on the one inside and motioned for Syn to do the same. Syn touched it.
“Let’s see, Syn, was it?” Greg mumbled. “No Citizenship. No Bounties. Only Level 3? Dangerous to be out alone. Be aware, we don’t offer too many newbie programs here. You’ll be registered as a Visitor.” Greg motioned him to enter. “Welcome.”
Syn stepped through the barrier nervously. It felt cool like he stepped through a thin layer of elastic water. Syn glanced at his wrist to see his notification.
<[General] You have entered Jin [Village] as a Visitor. You may not use any Orbs unless the settlement is under attack.>
“Good to know,” Syn mumbled.
“Welcome to Jin [Village],” Jack said graciously. Four buildings lined the street with a tower in the center similar to Wellspring. Also like Wellspring, nobody was out on the street. “Like all [Villages], we have four buildings. My favorite is the Tavern. We’ve got an original Silver-ranked ale recipe you can’t find anywhere else. I’m not sure who made it, but it’s *mwah* excellent. Great food as well.”
“I made it,” Tony said. All eyes turned to him. “I made the ale recipe. It was in a previous life before you joined the [League].”
Jack looked at Tony with his mouth agape. “I never knew that. You should start brewing again. It’s your gift.”
Tony stared at him flatly. “Do you want to be a waitress again? You did have a talent for it.”
“Point taken,” Jack said. “Moving on, the next building is the Hunter’s Hall. You can accept quests from here and train with new weapons; also, they’ll take any loot you give them for a pittance and sell them for exorbitant prices.”
Kayla glared at Jack. “Don’t let Wilma hear you say that. She’ll beat you senseless. Why are you giving him a tour?”
“Please,” Jack quipped back. “A little bit of kindness goes a long way. Besides, he looks young and probably hasn’t found more than one Journal yet. He probably doesn’t know most of this stuff, especially if he left before getting trained. Shall I continue?”
Syn nodded eagerly. “Please.”
“Whatever,” Kayla said. “It’s just a waste of time. I’m going to report back to Captain Vers.”
“I’ll come too,” Tony said.
The two of them touched a nearby Mana Crystal and disappeared, leaving Syn alone with Jack.
“They don’t know how to have a good time. Where was I? Oh, yes. Next is the Crafter’s Den. They make Orbs and Shards. They’re usually the ones to post the quests in the Hunter’s Hall for items they need. The Tavern does that as well but for food ingredients. They might have a spot open in the Tavern as a cook if you’re interested. You did say you were a cook right? Much safer than going out into the forest, especially at your level. Finally, the Market is where you can buy a bunch of stuff; it’s usually supplied by the Crafter’s Den or other merchants traveling between towns.”
Syn was fascinated by the city-building aspect of the game. They were all interconnected despite there being only a few buildings. Syn felt drawn to the Tavern to cook and the Crafter’s Den to make things.
“Thank you, Jack,” Syn said. “You’re the first nice person I’ve met since . . . spawning.” Syn thought that would be the correct terminology.
Jack laughed. “As I said, a little bit of kindness goes a long way. If you become rich and famous in one of your lives, keep me in mind. Come on, I’ll treat you to a drink.”
“And then I slashed it with an ax!” Jack said drunkenly with his arm around Syn’s shoulder. The others around the table, also very drunk, burst into laughter. Syn smiled politely, though it didn’t matter too much. Everybody was too drunk to pay too much attention to him. Jack had given Syn a light ale, while Jack had taken some heavier stuff.
<[General] You have consumed Light Ale [Iron].
- Effects (Duration: 10 minutes):
- Carry Limit: +2
- Special: Drunk (Dexterity -2, Blurry Vision, Loss of Balance, Uninhibited, Causes Hangover)>
Eric had never been much of a drinker, only occasionally when Todd brought some home. The edges of his vision were a bit blurry, and he felt lightheaded. It wasn’t exactly like getting drunk, but it was close enough. Syn waited for the debuff to wear off. However, that only gave him the Hungover debuff for an hour; a headache and nausea. Just perfect. Syn excused himself from the table. Nobody paid him any mind. Jack was in the middle of telling another story.
Syn leaned against the wall and looked at the Tavern. Everything was made out of wood. The floor, tables, walls, and roof. Even the cups, plates, and utensils. The only things not made out of wood were the people and the Mana Crystal in the middle of the room.
Syn looked at the two dozen or so people in the room. A good portion of them was at Jack’s table; Jack was free with his money and gave free drinks on a whim. When they learned he was drinking, people started teleporting in from other settlements. So the Tavern shifted from being almost empty to packed full in just a couple of minutes. There was a clear distinction between Citizens and Visitors; the Visitors could only wear underclothes while the Citizens wore a range of different colored tunics since they could activate Orbs.
A level 4 waitress rushed between tables and deposited meals and drinks from her storage. She had on a skirt similar to Trist’s. A larger man stood behind a bar and talked with a customer. The mood was raucous. Syn loved it. It was just how he imagined a fantasy Tavern to look.
“You’re a new face,” a woman said next to him. Syn jumped as he turned to look at the speaker. She had long black hair and was in her early twenties. The waitress. She grinned at him. “Pleasure to meet ya. My name’s Lily. You must be one of Jack’s friends.”
“I’m Syn,” Syn nodded with a polite smile. He motioned at Jack. “Yeah, he saved me earlier, then he started to give me a tour. Pretty sure it’s over now.”
Lily giggled. “I know, he told me. Ya know, he used to work here in his previous life.” Lily smiled sadly. “Those were good times, though our roles are reversed now. Anyway, before he got drunk, Jack mentioned you were a cook. Or at least an aspiring one. We could use the extra help.”
“Yeah, sure,” Syn said. He let out a huge yawn. The whole day came crashing down on him; the hangover didn’t help. “I think I need to get some sleep first. Long day.”
Lily giggled. “Fair enough. Get some rest, and I’ll see you tomorrow. I have to get back to work.” Lily glided back to the tables and started taking orders.
Syn walked over to the Mana Crystal and teleported to his room. He fell asleep as his body materialized on the bed.
Syn took a deep breath and stepped into the Hunter’s Hall. Empty. Like the Tavern, the building was made out of wood. Doors lined the wall; Syn opened one and saw it led to a small room. Probably for meetings or something. The other objects in the room were a front desk, a large bulletin board with papers on it, and a Mana Crystal.
Syn touched the Mana Crystal to set a teleport point and eyed the bulletin board. The board was split into two parts, each side containing flyers. One part was dedicated to Quests, of which about half a dozen quests were listed. He chose the one he had a bit of progress. A notification appeared in front of him.
<[Quest] Metal Claws for a Crafter
- Description: Jin [Village] Crafter’s Den has requested Metal Claws.
- Progress (0 / 1):
- Collect 10 Claws [Weapon, Metal, Iron]. (3 / 10)
- Reward:
- Copper Chip x1
Accept: ~Yes~ | ~No~>
Syn accepted it. Those lizards he fought outside of Windfall dropped those items. He had started to get the hang of fighting them and thought it might be a good place to farm if he could make it back. Those spiders dropped metal claws as well, but Syn didn’t want to go near that forest ever again. Syn checked out the other half of the board: Bounties. Bounties had many different people listed with a price and their last known location.
“Like what you see, boy?” a female voice said behind him. Syn jumped and turned around. He found a large older woman with brown curly hair smiling down at him. Level 10; all of her Orbs were Copper. She had thick leather armor and muscles that looked like they could squeeze him in half. She raised an eyebrow as she glanced at the board. “Took one, eh? Metal claws? You sure about that?”
“Um,” Syn stammered. “I already have three. I think I could get more. I’m Syn by the way.” He held out his hand to shake.
The woman stared at him quizzically. “You’re quite forward, aren’t you? We only just met and you want to shake my hand?” She let out a belly laugh and shook his hand. “I like you already. I’m Wilma, the Hunter’s Hall Master. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
Syn saw a blinking notification on his wrist and remembered that shaking hands sends a friend request. He wondered if it meant something different socially here like only those who trusted each other shook hands. Something to consider. He accepted the friend request, and Wilma did as well.
Wilma examined him again. “I’m not sure I can in good conscience let you accept that quest.” She fiddled with her Mana Crystal behind the desk, and Syn got a new notification.
<[Quest] Metal Claws for a Crafter has been removed from your Quests.>
<[Quest] You have been banned from receiving quests from Jin [Village] Hunter’s Hall.>
Syn stared at it blankly then looked at Wilma. “You can do that?”
Wilma laughed. “Of course I can. If a person is taking too long or I feel it’s too dangerous, I can remove it. Come back to me once you get to Level 5 and then we’ll talk.”
Syn shrugged. He wasn’t too attached to the quest. He turned to the Bounty Board. “Um, I saw this man die when I was walking through the forest.” He pointed out Ratface, whose name was Garv. “Could I somehow collect the bounty on him?”
“Did you get his Journal?”
Syn shook his head. “No. What is that exactly?”
“Really new, aren’t you? Ok, it’s general knowledge. Whenever a person dies, they leave behind loot. Part of that loot is a Journal. When you are reborn and find your Journal, you gain back your previous life’s memories, though without specific knowledge like skills or recipes. You’ll spawn in the closest Town or City to your Journal. You can also make a Journal when you leave a Realm. However, if you have two Journals in the same Realm, the older Journal will disappear.”
“Ah, it’s like autosave and manual save,” Syn nodded.
“I have no idea what that means,” Wilma said with a raised eyebrow. “You’re an oddball, aren’t you? Anyway, if you ever come across a Journal, even a non-bounty one, you should be able to sell them at the Market. You won’t be able to teleport with it, so it’s best to sell it as soon as you can. Many people store their fallen friends in dungeons or settlements they own so they can reunite quickly. [Leagues] form to help people find their lost Journals and distribute resources to climb up the Realms. Jin [Village] is part of the Moss [League] and spans up to the third Realm, in case you were wondering.”
“Good to know,” Syn said. “Thanks. Any suggestions on the best way to level up for me?”
“We don’t get many newbies here unless they’re part of the [League], and they usually have a lot of resources saved up,” Wilma explained. “Usually, I’d say to head over to Wellspring [Town], but they treat their newbies like sludge nowadays. You could head out to the forest by yourself, but I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s dangerous. Do you know where your Journal is? It should be marked on your map.”
Syn thought about how Cela [Dungeon] was marked on his map. “I think so. I was on my way over when I ended up here. I just didn’t know what it was.”
Wilma nodded. “My suggestion, hire a guide to help you locate your Journal and level up. However, you’ll need money to do that. A couple of Coppers at least. You can find odd jobs at the Tavern or Crafter’s Den to build up a few chips. It doesn’t pay well, but it’s a lot safer than fighting monsters at your level. I teach lessons in the basement here for a Copper an hour, if you want to practice fighting without risk.” She pointed at a door behind the desk.
“I’ll probably take you up on that offer,” Syn nodded. “I was told you buy items here. Looks like I’ll need as much coin as possible.”
Wilma nodded and led him to the desk for him to display his loot. After Wilma explained how Syn was able to show on a display screen what he wanted to sell. He decided to sell everything except his Ingredients and Meals, though he stuck in his Failed Meals. Wilma scanned through the list. “Not a bad haul for your level. You do have a lot of metal materials, don’t you? How did you . . . ?” She thought for a moment then her eyes went wide and laughed. “Wait! It was you? You’re the idiot who kicked the Grim Weaver nest? That caused a huge mess yesterday.”
“I didn’t know that would happen!” Syn exclaimed, his cheeks turning red.
“Ah! I get it now!” Wilma laughed. “That’s where your Journal is! You saw the Grim Weaver Dungeon on your map and tried to challenge it yourself. That dungeon probably has hundreds of Journals by this point. You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that. No harm done. Just don’t attack them again without a direct order from the Captain. Anyway, back to your loot. The stuff you picked up out in the forests is basically worthless. I’ll give you 5 Iron Chips for them. The Skull is Copper grade, so I’ll give you 50 Irons for it. I’ll give you 30 Iron for the rest of the Iron Crafting items, plus 10 Iron for your 30 Failed Meals. In total, that will be 90 Copper Chips.”
“Why is the Copper item so much more?” Syn asked.
“Copper items are much more useful than Iron ones, obviously,” Wilma said. “That skull is actually on the low end, because it’s for the head and is Wood. With it, you can either make better Orbs and Shards with Crafting. Plus, when upgrading your Orbs, it provides 10 points, much more than the Iron’s 1 point.”
“And how many points to upgrade?” Syn asked.
“10 at the bare minimum, but you can supply more points for more unique items.”
“Um,” Syn said hesitantly as he thought about the numbers. “At the risk of sounding like an idiot, what’s the exchange rate between Iron and Copper Chips?”
Wilma laughed again. “You fought a swarm of Grim Weavers before you knew the exchange rate? You sure do things backward.” She placed three square coins on the desk: iron, copper, and silver. She pointed at each one. “100 Iron Chips equals 1 Copper Chip. 100 Copper Chips equal 1 Silver Chip. And so on up to Gold and Platinum.”
“Ok, simple enough,” Syn nodded. He debated whether to keep the skull, but it’d just be sitting there until he got an Orb for his head. He needed money now. He accepted the trade, boosting his total to 1.29 Copper Chips. “I think that’s everything. I’ll be back when I get more money. I got offered a job at the Tavern.”
“Best of luck to you,” Wilma said.
Syn left the Hunter’s Hall and checked it off his mental to-do list. “Next up, the Market.” He took a step to the Market, but something flashed on his wrist. He absently tapped it to see what it was. The notification system here reminded him of having his phone again. Syn stopped abruptly.
<You have received a message from Piper.>
Piper? Ben! Eric quickly opened the message and read it.
Piper: <u t?>
“U t? You there?” Eric asked himself. He quickly typed back a response.
Syn: <Ben, it’s good to hear from you. I’m here. Did you escape?>
Piper: <no u? i baby. hard type>
Syn: <You’re a baby? Level 0, I guess. I managed to escape. I’m safe but far away from the starting location. Are you still at the spawn location?>
Piper: <no. moving. in box. dnt no whre.>
Syn: <Ok. I’m going to find help and rescue you. Mythic should have realized something was wrong by now. Did you see anyone else? Todd escaped.>
Piper: <good. ashley aaron. brief. danger gtg.>
Syn: <I will rescue you. I promise.>
Eric stood in the middle of the street, hands shaking. He waited for any type of response. Nothing, though he could still send messages to Piper. He checked the others. Still behind enemy lines. He chuckled wryly. “At least I know they’re still alive.”
Eric wanted to rush to Alpine. But no, he was very far away; he could kill himself, but that wouldn’t solve anything and only get him captured. Nothing had changed, except that they were moving the prisoners from the starting location.
Breathe; in, out. Syn sent a new note for Piper to pay attention to any landmarks or any details if he had a chance to write again. He’d hoped they wouldn’t be able to move them too far away. He sent a message to Trist:
Syn: <Ben just sent me a message. He’s still captured but they’re moving him now. He’s a baby.>
Syn waited a couple of seconds for a response, but nothing. He shrugged and continued his way to the Market at a quicker pace.
The Market building was like a doughnut with the middle plaza being open air where most of the shops were located. About forty people were looking at or buying items from the stores and stalls. A dozen small carts filled the center area as their owners called out their wares. Nicer shops surrounded the plaza in the actual building. The Mana Crystal stood in the center of the plaza, and Syn watched multiple people teleport to and from it.
“Excuse me, young man,” a voice said next to him right next to the entrance.
Syn looked over and saw a non-human for the first time. He was humanoid in shape but half the size, only coming up to his waist. A Halfling?
“Yes?” Syn said hesitantly. He was oddly nervous talking to him for some reason.
“I noticed you are new here and quite young,” the halfling said. “Have you by chance not found your Journal yet? Take a look, and you might get lucky!” The Halfling showed off the bookshelf behind him.
Syn scanned through the books lined up. He could take them off the bookshelf, but only the owner could open them. The Journal was a little larger than the size of his hand and came in many colors. When he touched a small crystal on the cover, a small screen appeared, which displayed the name and a picture of the previous owner, along with the date the Journal was created. After asking, Syn learned that it was standard to sell Journals to stalls for 5 Copper Chips and buy them for 10 Coppers. A major exception was if the Journal belonged to a person with a bounty, which would then go to the Hunter’s Hall.
Syn thanked the stall owner and walked further into the Market. After setting up a teleport spot at a nearby Mana Crystal, he slowly walked through the Market to get an idea of the price. He checked out the Orbs first; the armor Orbs, such as Head, Hands, and Feet started at 10 Coppers, while the Weapons, Spells started at 50 Copper and went as high as 5 Silvers. Syn only had one Copper; he had a long way to go.
Other than Orbs, he found shops for Shards, Meals, Pills, Crafting, and Ingredients. Shards were single-use items. They could be simple bombs, fast healings, or teleportation. The only Teleportation Shard Syn found was to return to the last friendly settlement within ten miles, which went for 1 Silver Chip. The bombs were cheaper at 5 Coppers a piece.
Pills gave permanent changes and were the most expensive item. He only found one Pill in the entire Market: 1 Gold Chip for a Pill that gave one Attribute Point. Syn was feeling very overwhelmed by the price of everything. If he wasn’t afraid for his life, he’d be super excited to farm to get the best gear.
Luckily, Meals and Ingredients were far more affordable. Syn browsed through the Meals to see what items he could cook in the future. Most of them seemed to be pretty bland and sold for about 10 to 20 Iron Chips a piece for Iron Meals. 1 Copper for a Copper meal. These were quite a bit more expensive than in the Tavern, but they offered much more variety. Each Ingredient was selling for 3 Iron a piece. Syn bit the bullet and bought a few different types of Ingredients. Almost half of his minuscule wealth was gone in an instant.
The Crafting Items were a mixed bag. On the low end, they were selling for 5 Iron a piece, like for the rocks and branches he found in the forest. The high end went up to a few Silver, especially if the item had a Copper grade. He noticed that the element affected the price a lot. Syn had to ask, “Why is there such a price difference?”
The Halfling shopkeeper gave Syn the stink eye, probably annoyed with the newbie who probably didn’t have any money. Finally, he shrugged. “Crafting Items have multiple purposes, including making new Orbs and Shards. However, non-crafters still need them to upgrade their Orbs to the next grade.” He pointed at a red claw. “Claws and fangs are generally used for weapons. And, since this is a fire element item, it can give the fire element to your Upgraded Orb. Wood and Earth are considered the weakest and easiest to find, so the price for those items are are pretty low.”
“Is it possible mix elements?” Syn asked.
“That depends. Neutral Orbs can use any type of element to remain Neutral at the higher grade. However, if you mix Fire and Earth, you can get Metal. Water and Wind to get Ice, and so on. Now, are you going to buy something?”
“No, but-“
“Kid, I don’t have time to answer all of your questions. Go to a town or city if you want to learn more, not a village. I’m not a teacher.”
Syn thanked the shopkeeper and continued window shopping. It was fascinating trying to figure out what each of the items did, but he was flat broke, and he was in a hurry to get stronger.
So, he left the Market and knocked on the knocked Crafter’s Den door. Long pause. Syn knocked again. A skinny woman opened the door a minute later, looking annoyed. “I’m very busy. What do you want?”
“I’m just wondering how I could get a job working here?”
The woman eyed him up and down. “You have the Crafting Skill?”
“No-“
The door slammed in his face. Syn sighed. So much for that idea. He had been warned the village wasn’t very beginner friendly. He’d have to find out how to get the Crafting Skill later. He walked over to the Tavern next.
Lily the waitress jerked up like she had been falling asleep behind the counter. “Ah! Welcome! Oh, it’s you. Syn, was it? How can I help you?”
“Yes, you mentioned yesterday I might be able to get a job here?”
“It depends on our cook. Come back to the kitchen, and we’ll get you sorted out.” Lily stepped through the back door and called out, “Tom! We’ve got a new potential hire.”
Syn followed and found himself in a small kitchen. It had a stove, an oven, and a countertop. It felt a little crowded with three people in it. A large Level 7 bald man was standing at the counter cutting potatoes. He glanced up and looked at the newcomers.
“Lily,” Tom glowered. “How many times do I need to tell you not to bring every stray into here who needs a job? Most have no skill and quit after a day.”
Lily grinned and leaned over to Syn, whispering loud enough for Tom to hear, “Don’t worry, he’s gruff on the outside, but he’s a big softie.”
Tom pointed at Lily and flicked his finger to the door, “You, out of my kitchen.”
Lily saluted cheerily. “Aye, aye, boss.” She winked at Syn and almost skipped out.
Tom examined Syn. “A little young, aren’t you son? When did you spawn?”
Syn found himself standing straighter under Tom’s scrutinizing glare. “Two days ago, sir.”
Tom raised an eyebrow. “And how did you end up here? Jin [Village] doesn’t spawn people unless they’re part of the Moss [League]. And if you were part of Moss [Leauge] you wouldn’t be here.”
“I arrived in Wellspring [Town], but I got too excited and left on my own to gather Ingredients and got lost. I got attacked and ended up here,” Syn said, getting a little tired of repeating his story.
Tom burst out laughing. “Gather Ingredients? What did you think you would find in the forest?”
Syn blushed. “I-I don’t know. I found some herbs and nuts while I was out.”
Tom struggled to get his laughter under control. “Boy, you don’t find good ingredients out in the wild, at least not around here. Sure, you might find some herbs and such but nothing really for Meals. I suppose it’s too much to ask that you have the Cooking Skill. Let’s get you started on that. I’ll take the recipe fee out of your pay.” Tom motioned Syn to stand next to him.
“Um, I do have the Skill.”
“Really? How’d you manage that?”
“In the Trial. My guide gave me some vegetables and lent me her kitchen. I had to experiment a lot and failed most of the time.”
Tom rubbed his chin. “That is interesting. Tell me, what Meals do you know?” Syn listed his Meals. Tom stopped him when he said fries and stared intently. “I don’t know that one. Could you make it for me? You can use my ingredients. I’ll give you 5 Coppers if you’re not lying.”
Syn hesitated. He did need the money, but he also didn’t want to stand out too much.
Tom saw the hesitation and interjected, “7 Coppers.”
But, Syn did need the money. “I’ll do it for 10. And, you must promise me you won’t tell anyone where you learned it.
“Deal!” Tom said excitedly.
Syn thought he probably could have bargained a bit more but shrugged. He’d find out the prices soon enough. “I need three potatoes,” Syn said.
Tom nodded eagerly and pulled out the potatoes from a small chest on the counter. Syn almost laughed at the disparity between the gruff man he initially met and the eager student standing in front of him. Syn cut the potatoes into strips and used oil to fry them. Then he added a bit of salt; it didn’t add any stat benefits, but it helped with the taste. It was Syn’s first time cooking since he got the Cooking Skill. Holograms appeared in front of him to help him cook; not only displaying the recipe step by step but the exact thickness that the fries needed to be and a timer to show exactly how long they needed to be fried. It made cooking very easy.
“Done,” Syn said as he handed Tom the plate. He still found it odd that the plate appeared out of nowhere when the Meal was completed.
Tom stared at it skeptically. “That was simple.” He tried one, then quickly finished off the plate. “Mmm, excellent. Three to Stamina as well. Let me try to make it.” Tom quickly copied Syn, cutting the potatoes much smoother and quicker. He was a much better cook than Syn. Upon completion, a new batch of fries sat on the counter and Tom had a big grin on his face. He schooled his expression immediately and turned to Syn. “As we agreed.” Tom handed him 12 Copper Chips. “And a bit extra.”
“Thank you, I needed this,” Syn said as he put the Chips into his Inventory. “Working in fast food finally paid off.”
“Ok, back to the topic. Lily said you wanted a job. What I need you to do is make meals and drinks. However, you’ll need to buy your own Ingredients.” He motioned at the small chest on the counter. “You can buy most Iron Ingredients off me for an Iron a piece.”
Syn groaned. “I wish you would have told me that before I went to the Market. It was three Iron each.”
Tom chuckled. “Live and learn. We buy in bulk, so it’s cheaper. Here’s a list of all the Meals we need to be restocked.” Tom led him over to an open chest in the back corner of the kitchen. It looked similar to the chest in his Room. It had a list of about twenty Meals with how much was needed and the price Syn would get. He could get about 3 Irons per stat gained. Tom fiddled with an invisible screen and Fries was added to the list. “Just add the Meal here and get paid.” He set the plate of Fries in the chest, and the Meal disappeared; fifteen Iron Chips took its place. “You’ll get more from making the fries, since it’s a new dish. Since you and I are the only ones who know how to make it, you can make more of a profit there.”
“Awesome,” Syn said as he looked over the list. He found a few he didn’t know. “Is there a way for me to learn the ones I don’t know?”
“I offer classes. Three Copper for each ingredient used in the recipe.”
“Could I experiment making my own Meals?” Syn asked.
Tom paused. “I’ll allow that, as long as you finish thirty Meals on the list.”
Syn agreed and began cooking. It was an odd experience. Since the hologram from the Skill displayed the exact recipe, he didn’t need to concentrate too hard on cooking. It became more about time and resource management. He could cook multiple Meals at the same time if he timed it well enough. It reminded him of the cooking games he played. Tom had stayed for a little bit but left when he saw Syn had it under control. After about two hours, Syn managed to complete all of the Meals he could and was about two Coppers richer.
“Ok, time to experiment.” Syn began testing out many recipes he had used in the real world. It was nice that he had more than three ingredients to work with, though Tom’s stock was still pretty limited. He wished for the hundredth time that he could look up recipes online. Many of his real-world dishes did not translate into new Meals. He took inspiration from the Meal names on Tom’s list. A good portion of the Meals he made were just adding meat to his previous recipes. Four hours later, Syn had ten new recipes, over fifty Failed Meals, and used over 4 Copper Chips. Syn only made two new recipes not on the list
.<[Meal] Chicken Sandwich [Iron]
- Effects (Duration: 10 minutes):
- Carry Limit +1, Speed +1
<[Meal] Hamburger [Iron]
- Effects (Duration: 10 minutes):
- Attack +1, Carry Limit +1, Mana Regen +2>
The Chicken Sandwich was nice because it was simple to make, but the Hamburger was a masterpiece. A Meal that offered four stats was pretty impressive; it was like temporarily gaining a level. One more ingredient, and it’d be boosted to Copper-grade. It felt weird to have a burger in a fantasy setting, but he’d take what he could get.
“Oh, that looks delicious,” a voice said next to him. Syn nearly jumped out of his skin and almost dropped the burger. Lily was staring at the Meal.
“Uh, yeah,” Syn replied. “Just made it.”
“You better hide that from Tom,” she said. “Especially if you don’t want to sell him the recipe. He gets a little crazy.”
Syn chuckled as he put it away. “I noticed.” Syn stretched his arms. “I think that’s it for me today.”
Lily laughed. “I’d say. Almost six hours in the kitchen, but you stocked us up fairly well.”
“I did what I could,” Syn said with a smile. “Well, I’m off to the Hunter’s Hall.”
“Okay, stop by again. Say hello to Wilma for me,” Lily waved. She called out when Syn started walking through the doorway, “What are you doing?”
“Um, leaving?”
She pointed at the Mana Crystal. “Use that. I assume you’ve already set a teleport point.”
Syn blushed as Lily giggled. “Ah, that makes sense.” That’s probably why the streets were so empty; everybody was lazy and teleported everywhere. He quickly touched the Mana Crystal and teleported to the Hunter’s Hall.
Wilma appeared a few seconds later. “Ah, welcome back Syn. How can I help you?”
“You mentioned you taught a class about fighting. I’d like to take it.”
“It costs 1 Copper Chip per hour. You have enough?”
Syn pressed a Copper on the desk. “I’ve been working at the Tavern.”
“You work fast,” Wilma nodded and collected the money. “Right this way.” She led him through the back door and down some stairs. The basement was a large empty room. When Syn entered the room, he got a notification.
<[General] You have entered a Training Room. You may use Orbs but cannot gain Experience. You cannot die while within. Training Room becomes deactivated if the settlement is under attack.>
“First,” Wilma said. “I need to know what I’m working with. What Orbs do you have?”
Syn equipped his items. “In Slot order, Water Blast, Short Spear, then Basic Tunic.” He had swapped Water Blast to the first Slot as soon as he could.
“Okay, so you’re going for a control build. It’s good to keep your distance and offer support in a team.” Wilma equipped a large ax with her dark leather outfit, much thicker than Syn’s Tunic. “Go ahead; try to hit me.”
Syn nodded and smiled as Mind Dampener activated. Time slowed and he rushed Wilma. He thrust his spear with quick jabs, but she easily blocked each strike with casual ease. Frustrated, he slid to the ground, dropping his spear in the process. When he was almost beneath her, he aimed up and cast Water Blast. Wilma’s eyes widened as the spell activated a lot quicker than she was anticipating. The spell caught her stomach, but she barely moved.
Wilma kicked Syn while he was on the ground; he tried to roll out of the way, but she was too quick. Her kick knocked the wind out of his lungs and launched him vertically into the air. While Syn was still in the air, Wilma slammed her ax into his chest. Searing pain raged across his body, and pain doubled when he slammed into the floor. Syn’s vision blanked out.
When he came to, Wilma was standing above him smiling. “You did well, you caught me off guard. What is your Mind Attribute?”
“11,” Syn said with a groan as he got back to his feet. If he wasn’t in the Training Room, he would have died.
Wilma laughed. “You must have put everything into it. Not sure if that’s foolish or not. You don’t sound like a person with high Perception. They usually speak really fast, but you talk slow.”
“I got a Skill,” Syn explained. “It lowers my Perception when I’m out of battle.”
“That is interesting,” Wilma mused. “Mind telling me how you got it? I’ll pay you.”
Syn thought about it but shook his head. “I’m going to keep it close to my chest.”
“Fair enough,” Wilma said. “I think I can guess how you got it anyway. It’d be difficult to replicate. Your time in the Trial must have been interesting. Are you going to continue boosting your Mind?”
“That’s the plan.”
“As a guy, you’ll have a harder time with it without the gender bonus, but it’s possible.” She laughed heartily. “I have a high Strength Attribute after all. Ok, lesson time. While you did surprise and hit me, what you did was foolish. Your strengths are catered to keeping a distance and wearing out your opponent. With your high Perception, you should be able to dodge most projectiles, and your Water Blast spell should keep most enemies off balance. We are going to drill that into your newbie brain.”
TheXtra Path 
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