The First Player (AlterGame Book #1) LitRPG Series

by Andrew Novak

  “Sartorius is not here yet,” he told Lisa. “There’s no hurry. Shall we go to the tavern?”

  Virtual food was not nutritious. Of course, you could get some insignificant temporary buffs, like increases to strength and endurance, but the main thing was the process. In Alterra, those who lived in the ghetto clusters could get a sense of what real food looked like and how it tasted. Not the canned food from the humanitarian aid or fried rat. Besides, the taverns and inns had always been a place for exchanging information. There you could talk to others, learn the latest news and find the right people. It had always been and would be that way, both in real life, and the virtual one. Jack occasionally liked to try unfamiliar dishes, recreated from real samples by the Alterran programmers. It was interesting to know what it was like in the real world, that is, before the Gendemic.

  People at the neighboring tables talked about everything having to do with life on the Great River, and Jack would occasionally catch bits and pieces of conversations: they talked about the prices of fish, the political life in the country of the Taunites, what principalities were at war now, and which ones had called a truce, about the sea pirates, and the quests that could be obtained at the port. They never mentioned the invasion of Maxitor by the necromancers, which was a good sign.

  As it turned out, Lisa was troubled by the same questions. Could vigilance be relaxed here? Was there anybody taking an interest in Nightmare? And most importantly, could she put on the cool stuff stolen from the Ruger’s Castle? Back in Maxitor, her outfit would have looked too provocative, but what about here? Jack knew exactly what she wanted and, well, he agreed. After all, it was Alterra, the land of dreams come true and fantasies materialized! The dinner was over, and Lisa asked right away for a place to get changed.

  A chapel that served as an exit for players was also a private office where she could comfortably change her clothes. Such a chapel was found on the nearby street, where Lisa found some privacy, and soon she came out a completely different person. Now she was dressed in all black and silver, which made her look even more slender. Her waist was girded by a belt with silver plates, drawn by the sheath of a large dagger. On her head was a light helmet with bizarre, twisted horns. Of course, all the pieces had bonuses to magic. On top of that were all kinds of bracelets, rings and a massive necklace with black stones. The stones, according to the game legend, were none other than the petrified blood of demons and were an indispensable part of black magic.

  The race of Areuts, which could be joined for free, provided a minimum set of abilities. But the magic jewelry Lisa was wearing could certainly compensate for the racial limitations, and then some.

  “Now I understand why Ruger got angry,” was the only thing Jack could say while looking at Eloise’s new appearance. “Was there anything left of the magical amulets in the castle?”

  “Don’t you worry, there’s so much stuff left there that he wouldn’t even notice. These aren’t even his level. The only item he used was the Rod of Despair”.

  Jack would have asked more questions, but suddenly he noticed that Sartorius’s chat icon had activated.

  I’m in Vincent. Heading for the port. Meet you there.

  Jack gave Lisa a nod.

  “Let’s join our Master. He is already in Vincent, asking us to meet him at the port.”

  Eloise gave a deep sigh and put on her black cloak with a hood, which completely hid her magnificence. Then they went down to the foot of the hill, where the quarters of merchants and artisans gave way to wretched ruins. This was the Areut ghetto and the beginning of the PvP zone. Another disadvantage for played the descendants of the vanquished was that they were not covered by the security rules applicable to cities and large settlements. For example, in Svetlograd, a raid on the ghetto was a customary pastime. Jack did not approve of it and had never taken any part in the raids, but accepted the rules of the game as the natural order of things. That’s how things are in the real world, and why wouldn’t dreadful things happen in Alterra, too? Virtual reality didn’t have to be perfect.

  The port was located outside the city walls and was filled with a buzzing crowd. Ships were coming to the dock to unload merchandise. There was a noisy market, where the fishermen were offering their catch for sale, and the merchants were advertising the imported goods. Here and there you could see the NPCs standing still surrounded by a bunch of players, making it a distribution center for quests. The river and the life of Vincent were deeply interconnected, so one would expect that most of the quest distributors would be found on the shore. And somewhere here should be Sartorius.

  Jack and Eloise were walking slowly through the crowd, looking out for their Master. It would be easier to see him if he was riding a horse... Finally after twenty minutes of wandering they saw a familiar figure. Jack’s expectations were not met, because the mage had exchanged his star embroidered robe for a more suitable riding suit. He was wearing chain mail and a heavy helmet. Sartorius’s soft face seemed out of place in the helmet. The alpha was wandering among the trading rows, constantly turning his head, and looking at the oncoming people.

  “Hey, Master, we’re here!” called Eloise, waving her hand.

  “Oh, finally!” grumbled the mage as they came closer. “Follow me and try to keep up.”

  He moved on, continuing with his search.

  “I thought you were looking for us,” said Lisa.

  “We need a ship that can take us to the Fasheer marshes, and it would be a challenge to find a person willing to go there,” Sartorius said casually over his shoulder, not bothering to stop. “While you were out having fun in Maxitor, I studied the guides on Vincent. There is a suitable quest with a mission to sail to the Fasheer marshes. It comes with the ship and crew. A free ride with all the amenities.”

  “Having fun?” said Lisa angrily. “Actually, we made our way through throngs of enemies to get to you!”

  “That’s what I’m saying. The rumors about your exploits have come to my attention, too. Worst of all, the Gravediggers now know about our guild.”

  “And what’s wrong with that?” Jack cut into the conversation. He didn’t like the alpha’s tone, either.

  Well, it didn’t go so smoothly, of course. Now the Gravediggers knew that he wasn’t hiding in the dungeon of Dargoth. Meeting them at the village market was completely out of place. But why would it be problem?

  “The problem is,” the mage insisted, stubbornly, “we’re heading to their guild territory. You said yourself that they even locked the portal there. Which means, for some reason they value this location very much. The less they know about us, the better. Here, looks like this is the guy. This old man has a quest connected with sailing to the Fasheer marshes. Wait here, I’m going to talk to him right now.”

  The alpha rushed to the NPC, who was standing motionless amid the market bustle. He was a gray-haired, wrinkled old man, dressed in well made, but shabby and heavily worn clothes. One could see that there wasn’t much commotion around him. Looks like his quest was especially not popular here, thought Jack.

  Hiji, Lahitte

  Expertise: 35

  Health: 35

  Sartorius stopped in front of the old man and took off his helmet.

  “It’s a wonderful day”, he said.

  “Oh, warrior, my days of glory are in the past now,” sadly replied the NPC. “Since the day I lost my ship, the Gray Gull, and all the goods with it, I don’t know what happiness is anymore. Now I’m broke.”

  “And how did this misfortune happen?”

  “Here’s how. I sent the Gray Gull with a loyal team far north along the waves of the Great Chand. My people delivered the goods to the port of Fan-Go, in the land of the Taunites. There they bought the best of the Taunitian silk and sailed back to Vincent. Then they got lost. Rumors reached me that outlaws, those desperate thugs, broke free from the prison in Fan-Go. They seized the Gray Gull, killed all my people and disappeared without a trace. No one has seen my good ship sailing the C
hand since. The creditors took all my property because I went into debt buying the goods for that voyage.”

  “That’s a sad story,” remarked Sartorius, as soon as the old man stopped talking. It was obvious that he was familiar with the guide.

  “Ah, I wish some brave men would find my ship and bring back my goods,” sighed Hiji. “I would be so grateful and would share the proceeds. One-tenth’s worth of the load would be given to the hero.”

  “If there are such brave men, then how would they find your Gray Gull?” asked Sartorius indifferently.

  Jack realized that, after reading the guide, Sartorius knew both the NPCs questions and answers by heart. Just look how impatient he was. The mage wanted only one thing, to get the quest and be done with it.

  “I can find the right ship for it.” Hiji, as opposed to the player, was speaking emotionally, gesturing, and with an ingratiating smile.

  Eloise became interested in the conversation and came closer.

  “Here we are, three travelers, heading to the north,” added Sartorius.

  “And what’s this...” started Eloise started.

  But Sartorius cut her off, not letting her finish the sentence.

  “I’ll tell you later, we’ll have plenty of time on the Chand.”

  Hiji was talking only to the alpha, that is, to the recipient of the quest. He didn’t even bother to look at the girl. He was pressing his own agenda and didn’t pay attention to their conversation.

  “I have some trusted friends. Though I am ruined, I lost everything but friendship. My friend, the skipper, will let you on his ship and take you to Fan-Go. I’ll give you a letter, good man. You will give it to the local chief of the guard. He will tell you what to do next, and if you treat him kindly, he will even go along with you. He is eager to capture the villains who escaped from the prison. Are you willing to help the old man? To restore justice?”

  Suddenly an information window appeared before Jack.

  Your guild received the quest “Return the Gray Gull”.

  Reward: One-tenth of the value of the cargo.

  Accept / Reject

  Jack didn’t understand at first, but soon he realized that he wasDeputy, and was supposed to know everything that went on in the guild.

  The sign blinked, and the word “Accept” flashed for a second, which meant Sartorius accepted the assignment. The Lahitte Hiji reached into the bosom of his shabby robe and pulled out a scroll sealed with a brown wax.

  “This is for Captain Khao Nai, the Captain of the Guard in Fan-Go. Go to the dock, brave travelers, and find the ship of the merchant, Zambal. The ship is called the Runner. Tell him that you are acting on the request of old Hiji, and he will take you on board and get you to Fan-Go. May Astra, the saint of travelers, bless you! And may the brave Ged help you!”

  On their way to the pier, Sartorius explained that by completing this quest, they were going to get a free ride to the Fasheer marshes. The Captain of the Guard knew where to find the criminals. He and his soldiers would join their expedition so that there would be no problem with the robbers who escaped from the prison. And if they were lucky enough, they would get some experience.

  The travelers found the Runner among the ships crowded in the port and walked up the gangplank. Zambal, the merchant, was a gloomy looking black-bearded Achaean, who wasn’t welcoming upon first meeting them. He meticulously examined everyone from head to toe and said:

  “So, the old scoundrel Hiji found those who would get him back his washtub. Well, I made him a promise, so I’ll go after the Gray Gull with you. Come on, let me show you your cabin.”

  “We have a lady here, actually,” interrupted Eloise, “and she’s supposed to have a separate cabin.”

  Zambal calmly ignored her interjection. Evidently, his script did not provide for those kinds of problems. The cabin that he brought the passengers to turned out to be a modest room – three narrow bunks, and nothing more. They didn’t need much from it, anyway. During the voyage, the players could leave virt right from this cabin, which served as an exit point. That was what it was made for.

  During the journey, one could expect all sorts of adventures, such as an attack by river pirates or a sighting of water monsters. If a player wanted to get the complete set of adventures, then they would need to be on the deck, to ensure they didn’t miss any side quests. If they wanted to just get from one port to another, then they could leave the game for the duration of the trip.

  The Stargazers had a lot to talk about, so the travelers went up to the deck. It looked like they were the only ones that the Runner was waiting for, because Zambal was already starting to give commands on the deck, and his sailors, four silent NPCs, were preparing to set sail.

  The passengers took place at the side of the deck to avoid getting in the way and watched the crew do its job.

  “It looks like our quest isn’t popular here,” remarked Jack. “No one spoke to Hiji, except you.”

  “Oh, yeah, everyone knows him, and that his quest is ruse,” explained Sartorius. “The cargo of the Gray Gull isn’t silk, but a cheap sackcloth. Didn’t you hear that our captain called the old man a scoundrel? A tenth of the value is a mere trifle. But we got a free trip to the Fasheer marshes. Who else would go to such a forsaken place without taking a decent payment? Besides, a fight with runaway criminals is not a simple task. Their level depends on the level of the player who doing the quest. Since I’m level forty-eight, we can expect them to be quite strong. The Captain’s expertise will be more than fifty, and his assistants will more than forty. The Taunites going with us, most likely, will perish in the battle. Long story short, there’s very little good about this quest. Nobody wants to take a task from Hiji, because they know that it’s not profitable.”

  “We are idiots, then,” summed up Eloise. “I mean, that’s how we look to others. Where did you get such a quest from, Master?”

  “At the Gravediggers forum, where else?” Sartorius shrugged. “There must have been a way for them to get into the demon city, right? I looked up all the threads of their forum, found the way, and found information about completed quests.”

  “So, they aren’t that smart either, if they decided to help Hiji,” said Eloise with a smile, “that’s some consolation.”

  “It is not funny,” cut off the alpha dryly. “I made thorough preparations for the trip, while you were running around all over the Maxitor and fighting headhunters, who were attracted by the thousand gold promised by Ruger. Speaking of Gravediggers! Jack, they know that you’re in my guild. They already contacted me, demanding something I wasn’t sure about, some kind of artifact.”

  How did they find out? thought Jack, Oh, yeah, of course, those two he crashed into the village market. They figured out the name of the guild from his stats. The rest wasn’t hard… guilds and names of their Masters was open information, easy to find out.

  “Well,” muttered Sartorius, “I looked up the old threads in their forum, searched out when they located the demon city, learned what quests are on the way. I also need two more XP points. I calculated our route and planned everything ahead. We will travel from the bank of the Chand to the black city by the same route, and in the meantime I can finish a few small quests that the Gravediggers wrote about. Perhaps, in the process I can earn a point of experience.”

  “With your level, small tasks won’t raise your experience,” remarked Jack.

  “True, but it’s worth trying. Besides, there are quite a few of them. Maybe in the end I’ll get a point. We’ll need to fight the savages, the demon-worshipers, and everything else that is usually found in the wild lands of the Fasheer marshes. A word of warning: I must finish the last stage of every quest, so it will be my task. You only need to help me fight the savages.”

  “We get to fight the savages, and you’ll get it handed to you on a platter,” said Eloise sarcastically.

  “That’s right,” said Jack. “Our Master needs to get to fifty points of experience. Sure, Sartorius,
of course we’ll help you.”

  “I’m telling you, these are personal assignments, not the guild’s. It’s me who must finish them. You better think about the Gravediggers, now that they’re our common enemy.”

  While they were discussing the upcoming trip, the Runner set sail. The sailors raised the sail, and the ship began to move along the bright, blue waters by the docks. Zambal turned the steering wheel, and the Runner headed for the middle of Chand. When the shore was left behind, a fresh wind swept in, ruffled the skipper’s black beard, filled the sail, and the ship moved faster. The port of Vincent gradually disappeared behind the stern, and the banks of the river slid along the sides of the ship. There were green pastures, hills crowned with castles, and villages with wisps of smoke slowly going up.

  Many ships, large and small, floated on the waves of the Great River. Wind-filled sails of all colors: blue, green, white, striped... It was a beautiful sight! Eloise was mesmerized by the view, which was no surprise since this was her first trip along the Chand. Jack was also filled with wonder at the beauty of what he saw. However, there was one more question that he needed to ask the alpha.

  “Hey, Sartorius, do you know why Alterran technical support flew an airship into the Wasteland a few days ago?”

  “What, an airship?” asked the mage absentmindedly. It seemed that he was also fascinated by the views that were opening up from the side of the vessel. “Oh, yes, I heard something about that. There was a rumor in Alterra that a part of the global script suddenly changed, and the admins suggested that somebody had connected an older version of Alterra. Well, the one that was originally stored on the servers of Alterra Conqueror. It seems that the server station survived the cataclysm; the only problem is that it’s been offline for a long time. Nobody knows if it’s even operational at all. They were going to check what’s going on at the old Alterra Conqueror buildings, so, the airship flew out... I thought that they would discuss it for a while and forget, because the scripts turned out to be ok. Why do you ask?”