Surprise was the best element they had right now. Once people knew someone like him was helping Fayte, they would do everything they could to hinder her progress, but so long as they thought she only had Susan Forebear in her corner, Adam could continue working for her unhindered until it was the appropriate time to reveal himself.
“I guess… you’re right. I’ll be back soon.”
“Be safe.”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
Watching Fayte’s shoulders slump a little as she left the apartment made Adam sigh. He liked Fayte. He really did. However, he couldn’t let himself get too close. The only reason he was living with her was because she had the only method that could cure Mortems Disease. What’s more, for as much as he enjoyed spending time with Fayte, the person he loved was Aris.
Speaking of…
Adam wandered into the room with Aris’s cryobed and sat down. He stared at the lovely girl’s sleeping face, longing mixed with heartache filling his being, and told her about his battle against the pirates. He felt more animated than usual, but he believed the reason was mostly because he couldn’t get Fayte’s disappointed voice out of his head and was trying hard to forget about it. Adam believed he had done the right thing by telling her no. He needed to draw the line in their relationship somewhere.
That did not make him feel any less guilty.
Fayte came back about an hour later with some ice cream. It seemed she was having a sweet tooth craving. Adam joined her and discussed Age of Gods some more as she chowed down on ice cream. Fayte told him more about her mysterious new companion.
“Lilith is very quiet. I really don’t know anything about her. She doesn’t talk about herself much, or at all, really, but she’s been very helpful. Susan and I are almost at level 9 thanks to her. If we keep up at the pace we’ve been going, I think we can reach level 9 some time tomorrow.”
Adam couldn’t quite keep the smile off his face. “That’s good. Lilith should be able to help you reach level 10 quickly.”
“I’m still really curious about her though.” Fayte took a huge bite of her chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. She had drawn her knees up to her chest. She wasn’t wearing socks right now, so her tiny toes were visible as she wiggled them. “She told me that Age of Gods is the first video game she’s ever played, but she’s so good at it. I once asked her why she was so good, but all she said was that she has experience. I’m not sure what that means, but I guess maybe she has real life experience with combat. She certainly knows how to fight. And she’s so stealthy too. It’s enough to make me think she might be a real assassin!”
Fayte laughed at her own joke, not noticing the odd smile that stretched across Adam’s face.
When the clock reached 9:00 pm, Adam and Fayte said goodnight to each other and went to their respective rooms. Before Adam went to bed, he took out his phone, flipped through his caller ID, and pressed on the contact named Lilith.
“Master?”
“Hey. I hear you made contact with Fayte and Susan.”
“I have. Just like you ordered, I joined their party.”
“I know. Fayte has been extolling your virtues. She says you’re so good, she thinks you might be a real assassin.”
“…”
“How does the game feel? Have you noticed anything odd about it?”
“Odd? No. Not really. I do not have anything to compare it to since I have never played virtual reality games before. Games are Astaroth’s forte, not mine. However, I have noticed that moving around in Age of Gods feels a lot like moving around in my real body. That is probably why Fayte was able to tell I have experience with killing people.”
Adam nodded even though he knew she couldn’t see it. Age of Gods was so realistic that Adam thought he might forget it wasn’t a game if it didn’t have all those game stats. Even the combat felt relatively realistic. It was, in fact, the realistic combat that allowed Adam to defeat enemies more than ten levels higher than himself.
“Please stay with Fayte. Once you, she, and her friend, Susan, have reached level 10 and left the Village of Beginnings, the three of you will hook up with me.”
“Yes, Master.”
Maybe it was just his imagination, but Lilith sounded pretty happy about joining up with him in the game world. Come to think of it, they had not seen each other for about five years now… not since Adam had met Aris.
“Also, tell Astaroth that he and the others are not to leave the Village of Beginnings until Aris is awake,” Adam added.
“I am certain he already knows what you have planned, but I will be sure to inform him.”
“Thank you… by the way, how are you?”
“Master?”
“Never mind. Anyway, please keep up the good work.”
“Yes, Master.”
Adam sighed as he hung up, placed his phone on the wireless charging stand, and ran a hand through his hair. How are you? Really? Why had he asked her that? He had not shown Lilith or anyone concern even once since they met, so why would he show it now?
“Maybe I have changed,” Adam whispered as he laid down. With a tired sigh, he closed his eyes and pressed a forearm against his eyes. “I would have never felt this guilty five years ago.”
Adam only slept for a few hours before logging back into the game. It was nighttime when he arrived inside of the inn. Adam was sure the clock would say 1:00 am if there were any clocks in this game. When he glanced out the window, he could see the dark sky and the stars glittering against the velvet canvas.
Titania was asleep as well. No longer floating in the air, she was lying on the pillow next to his head. When he shifted, Titania fell down the depression his head made and her big (for a one-foot tall woman) breasts came into contact with his face. It was an unusual sensation, having such squishy but small boobs along with an entire tiny body resting on his cheek.
Because he didn’t want Titania to wake up with her body pressed against his face (he had no idea how she would respond), Adam sat up in bed and began stretching. His bones popped and his back cracked. He groaned.
Perhaps it was the sudden shift that woke Titania up. She sat up and stretched like him, then rubbed her eyes. It was a very cute gesture that didn’t at all fit the woman he’d come to know these past few days.
“Oh. Adam. You are back,” Titania said with a soft yawn. “What time is it?”
“It is around one o’clock in the morning,” Adam answered.
“So early… I’ve noticed this, but you do not seem to sleep very much.”
“I don’t need much sleep to function.”
“That may be so, but I do.”
While Titania complained about needing sleep, she still fluttered off the bed and landed on Adam’s shoulder as he stood up. However, as though showing proof of how tired she was, her body tilted to the side and she ended up leaning against his neck. She was not asleep. Even so, it looked like she might fall asleep any moment.
Even though it was still early in the morning, before the sun had even risen, Adam left the inn and traveled out of Watershore. He didn’t go too far. His plan was to return and see if there might be some quests for him to do, but he also wanted to see what kind of monsters were located within this area.
As he left the town, Adam looked at his stats. His level had increased and he had an extra +105 status points thanks to becoming the first person to leave the Village of Beginnings. He didn’t hesitate to put all those points into his Strength stat.
Name: Adam
Class: Warriors
Lvl: 11
SP: 0
AP: 13,200
Experience: 423/153,600
Reputation: +50,500
Strength: +315
Constitution: +150
Dexterity: +5
MP: +5
Speed: +6
Physical Attack: +690
Health: 500/500
Hit-Rate: 6%
MP: 100/100
Movement: +6
Physical
Defense: +435
Magical Defense: +150
Dodge-Rate: ???
Magic Attack: +5
Resistances:
Fire: 50%
Water: 50%
Earth:50%
Wind:50%
Lightning:50%
Darkness:50%
Slashing: 50%
Skills:
Slash: A basic skill where the player swings his or her sword and attacks the enemy!
Current Lvl: 5 MAXED
Ability:
Causes 150% damage to enemy if it hits
MP Cost: 1
Cooldown Time 0 seconds
Thrust: A basic skill where the player thrusts his or her weapon at the enemy!
Current lvl: 5 MAXED
Ability: Causes 160% damage with a 5% chance at getting a critical hit
MP Cost: 5
Cooldown Time: 1 second
Blood Sacrifice: By sacrificing half of your blood (HP), you have gained the ability to increase the damage you do
Current lvl: 5 MAXED
Ability: Causes 300% increase to attack power for 60-seconds
Disregards skill cooldown times
MP Cost: 20
Special Limit: Drops HP by half
Cooldown time: 30 seconds
Dance of the Sakura Blossoms: A skill only Adam can use. Attacks with numerous spear thrusts as the player dances around his enemy, eventually forming the shape of a sakura blossom
Current lvl: 1
AP needed to reach next lvl: 1,000
Ability: Unleashes five super-powered attacks, increases damage by 200% for every consecutive hit, and resets when Adam misses an attack. Hit-Rate has increased to 10%
MP Cost: 100
Cooldown time: 60 seconds
Equipment:
Item Name: Rusted Spear
Lvl: 6
Experience points needed to level up: 45,732/160,000
Item Type: Spear
Grade: ???
Use Requirements: Can only be equipped by Adam. Cannot be thrown away, cannot be given away, and cannot be unequipped.
Description: This unknown weapon was found by Adam. It has recognized him as its master and cannot be used by anyone else.
Abilities: Physical Attack+60; Strength+60
Special ability: Sentient Growth
Item Name: Dragon Bone Cuirass
Item Type: Armor
Use requirements: Can be equipped by Warriors level 10 and above.
Description: This chest plate was made from the bones of a powerful dragon. Not only does it look stylish, but it offers solid defensive abilities and some special stats.
Abilities: Defense+200; Constitution+100; 25% resistance to slashing, fire, earth, wind, lightning, and darkness damage
Item Name: Dragon Bone Gauntlets
Item Type: Armor
Grade: 1-star
Use requirements: Can be equipped by Warriors level 10 and above.
Description: These gauntlets are made from the bones of a powerful dragon. Not only are they stylish, but they offer solid defensive abilities and resistance to elemental damage.
Abilities: Defense+50; Constitution+10; 10% resistance to slashing, fire, earth, wind, lightning, and darkness damage
Item Name: Dragon Bone Greaves
Item Type: Armor
Grade: 1-star
Use requirements: Can be equipped by Warriors level 10 and above.
Description: Greaves made from the bones of a powerful dragon. They are not only stylish, they also offer solid defense and resistance against elemental damage.
Abilities: Defense+75; Constitution+25; 15% resistance to slashing, fire, earth, wind, lightning, and darkness damage
It looked like his [Rusted Spear] had also leveled up. It was at level 6 now, which meant his Strength and Physical Attack had gone from +50 to +60. That meant his spear was now several times more powerful than the weapon he had used during his fight against the [skeleton dragon].
The area outside of Watershore was mostly farmlands and open fields. Stalks of long grass swayed in a gentle breeze. The breeze carried an earthen scent that reminded him of the countryside. After walking for several hundred yards, Adam eventually discovered a monster wandering through the fields and had Titania [scan] it.
Name: Killer Bunny
Description: This rabid rabbit is vicious and violent. It is known for attacking both cattle and humans.
Class: None
Lvl: 15
Health: 5,000/5,000
MP: 500/500
Strength: +200
Constitution: +50
Dexterity: +50
Intelligence: +25
Speed: +200
Skills:
Rabid Kick: The Killer Bunny can jump really high in the air and use momentum and gravity to launch a powerful kick at its foe
Damage = Strength + Speed
MP Cost: 20
Cooldown Time: 0 Seconds
Bite: The Killer Bunny doesn’t have the sharpest fangs, but it still hurts when it bites you!
Damage = Strength
MP Cost: 15
Cooldown time: 0 seconds
“You’re kidding me,” Adam muttered.
“What is the problem?” asked Titania.
“This is a monster? Really? A giant rabbit?”
Titania looked at the [killer bunny], which was indeed just a supersized rabbit. It was about the same height as a person. Other than its gigantic size, sharp fangs, and glowing red eyes, it looked like a normal rabbit with brown-gray fur.
“This is indeed a low-level monster,” Titania confirmed. “I have run into them many times, though they used to avoid me when my level was higher.” She placed her hands on her hips as she fluttered next to him. “I do not see what the problem is here.”
“Well, whatever. Let’s see how well this thing fights.” Adam sighed. He just couldn’t get motivated to fight a giant bunny.
Adam did not bother activating [Blood Sacrifice], though Titania did sing the [Song of Vigor], which already increased his physical strength by 220% anyway. With her song playing in his ears, Adam relied only on [slash] to dispose of the first [killer bunny].
-2,277; MISS; -MISS; MISS; MISS; -2,277!
While Adam missed quite a number of times, he continued using [slash] to strike the enemy, while dancing around its reckless attacks. The [killer bunny] shrieked at him in anger and continued to viciously attack with its dull fangs, but Adam wouldn’t let it. He finished the enemy off with a few more attacks.
Ding!
[Congratulations! You have defeated the enemy [killer bunny]! Items dropped: [rabbit pelt] and 350 gold coins! +1,500 experience points!]
Adam looked at the announcement screen detailing what he had gained from this kill and sighed. The paltry amount of experience points was far too little for Adam, who needed a truly astronomical amount to level up. Even though it looked like the enemies in this vicinity did not give him much, he still went around to see what sort of monsters there were.
The enemies in the vicinity of Watershore were only at levels 11 through 15. Several different types of enemy appeared in this forested area just outside the port town; they were the level 11-15 [killer bunny], the level 15 [giant wild cat], the level 11 [killer ants], and the level 15 [black bear]. He did not run into any 1-star, 2-star, or 3-star enemies.
Adam killed several of each kind of monster, which earned him and Titania quite a few experience points. Sadly, the amount earned wasn’t anywhere close to what he, Titania, or his spear needed to level up. Since it looked like leveling up here would take too long, Adam returned to Watershore when the sun came up and inquired with the first civilian he came across if there was any place he could go to take on quests.
“If you just want normal quests, you can always go to the tavern,” the fisherman said. His name icon said he was Nelly Fishmonger, which was an odd name, but Adam didn’t fault the man for what his creator named him. “However, if you’r
e looking for something special, you should go and see the mayor. I hear he recently began requesting help from several travelers and even asked the mayor of Solum to send him soldiers.”
Adam had never heard of Solum before, but he guessed it was a larger and more powerful city than Watershore.
“Why would the mayor ask for soldiers?” asked Adam.
Nelly Fishmonger looked around for a moment before leaning over and whispering into Adam’s ear. “This isn’t really a secret, but it also isn’t something we’re supposed to talk about. You see, the mayor’s son went out exploring a while back, but he got poisoned. No one knows how it happened. One of the townsfolk found him collapsed halfway between here and the Forest of Gloom. The poison he was infected with is deadly and has been slowly killing him. We think he might have been attacked by a [basilisk] or something.”
“I see. Thank you for the information,” Adam said.
He let Nelly go and began traveling toward the mayor’s house after getting directions. It was the largest house in town, though it was a little out of the way. The mayor’s house was a large building situated on a bluff overlooking the town. Adam thought it was kind of ostentatious, but he knew this sort of setting was also common in fantasy games—the king overlooking his keep.
Whoever made this game must have been a nut for classic dungeons and dragons style storytelling.
The mayor’s house was surrounded by a gate, and the entrance was guarded by two soldiers wearing leather armor. Their status screen stated they were both at level 40, which was more powerful than anyone else Adam had run into. He guessed the levels reflected not only the village’s placement (since this was where players arrived after reaching level 10, he assumed the level of NPCs was weaker than other cities), but also had to be high enough that any player who wanted to cause trouble in town could not do so.
“Excuse me,” Adam said. “I’m a play—I mean, I am an otherworlder who just arrived from the Village of Beginnings. I heard the mayor’s son has been poisoned and wanted to ask if I could help.”
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