Exactly twenty-four hours after he had died under Lortan’s hands, Beast re-entered the world of Agaia inside the bustling city of Rydelin. The first thing he did was to check his status and inventory.

Status WindowName:BeastLevel:2Profession:Lore KeeperRace:HumanGender:MaleTitles:NoneFame:6-Health:320Mana:560 (+500)Strength:14Intelligence:49Dexterity:11Wisdom:35Stamina:21Luck:21-Equipment EffectsVanadic Tome of Artifacts: +500 manaRelationsCaerheim: 16

No stat loss. That was fortunate. His skills however took a hit, but it was thankfully lucky most of them are still at level one. The only problem is that his cooking and artifact knowledge skill had decreased; cooking could still be leveled again but the skill that requires him to find and identify artifacts is not as easy. Beast felt a faint stab of pain in his heart. Things are never going to be smooth-sailing, will they?

His inventory was as expected. The Ceremonial Sword was gone, left with the broken sword hilt and blade in his backpack and his money had been entirely looted to an outstanding zero. Beast exhaled a large breath. He had been so stupid and naive. Although power-leveling do exist as a form of practice between guild mates back in his older games, he had forgotten to remind himself that it was a new start in Ages Online for him. Everyone here is a stranger and there are no such things as free lunch to take advantage of. Maybe he was just so desperate with his profession’s circumstances that he took up that offer on a moment of folly and now he even lost his only weapon that he could use.

“Maybe I should have gotten it repaired first.” Beast darkly muttered. Originally, he had wanted to save cost based on the assumption that he would not be using the sword much during the hunt, but it had come back to bite him in the ass.

In any case, there was no point depressing over his sorry state anymore; all the fuming had already been done one hour right after he was killed. It appeared that the twenty-four hour login penalty was made just so people can calm down after their death and with the passing of three in-game days, Lortan might not even be in Rydelin anymore. Besides, he was sure that he was not the only one in this plight; somewhere out there, a girl was also wailing when she found out that she had been robbed bare.

Beast hoped that Kiki would not be grieved off the game though. Anybody who has a vendetta against Lortan is automatically his friend and a friend would definitely be appreciated in his eventual plans for revenge. For now he is better off leveling as much as possible so that when he meets Lortan again, he will be in a better position to repay the man. Heading back to the city gates, Beast coldly scanned the mass of waiting players looking for parties and player members. They are as always, approaching and asking around with a friendly smile that once too adorned the face of an evil murderer.

No, there is no way he is going to trust any of them again. He will survive, and he will do it on his own terms. Without a second look back, Beast exited the city gates alone.

……………………

He was back in the farmlands where critters and small pest roams. Passing a few new players trying to hunt, Beast headed for a more secluded spot. Lesser players mean lesser competition for the monsters and loot as well as lesser people noticing his skills when he does use them. Right now, his priority is to level up to around ten where he could pass off as a normal mage or something such that he would not attract too much attention regarding his premature job-change. It is one thing to let others know he is a Lore Keeper, but another to become a frequent target of assassinations because of his supposedly artifacts –loaded character.

Noticing a scurry of movement over by a pile of hay, Beast followed to meet with a small rat and immediately pounced at the animal. He missed however and was promptly rewarded with a sharp bite on his forearm.

“Oww!”

- 1 HP

This is not going to be easy. Without any weapons, there was no choice for Beast but to try and punch his target. This was further complicated by the fact that the low level critters are mostly smaller in size and there was just something inherently difficult with hitting a smaller moving target with bare fists, much less the miniscule rats. The only things worse might be cockroaches.

- 1 HP

While Beast struggled to connect his fists with the rat, the rodent was rapidly bleeding him dry. The pain, while irritating, was secondary. He will be damned if a rat is going to kill him, but try as he might, the rodent always got the better of him. Soon enough, Beast was already in critical health.

“Goddamnit.” Glancing around to see that nobody was in the immediate vicinity, Beast called upon the power bestow by the Lanos Sword. “Prime: Renew!”

It might have been inefficient, but it did the job just fine. With renewed strength, Beast leapt back into combat with the pesky rodent. This time however, he held back and observed. With every bite he sustained, Beast grew more and more familiar with the habits and movement of his enemy. While the behavior of the rat is still erratic and random like real mice, he eventually felt that he could accurately predict how the animal would move before time.

Is this what they call, combat experience?

A little bit to the right…

“HERE!” Beast hollered as he leapt, smashing his fist against where he knew the rodent would move. It was as he thought, for the rat let off a squeak of despair as it was stunned by Beast’s megaton punch. Not letting up the golden opportunity, he then landed three more punches until only a bloodied carcass was left to show when Beast removed his fist.

Finally, he did it; Even though other people would probably one-hit kill those creatures very easily, he got the annoying pest good. Just in time too for his health was almost in the critical zone again. Drawing out the sword hilt from his backpack, Beast severed the tail of the rat and cut whatever intact meat from the body which he then put back in. While it might not be much, somebody might pay for the tails and the meat. Or he could just cook the meat for himself to eat.

Though the prospect of having to eat rat meat is not very appealing to him.

Using whatever mana he has remaining to heal himself, Beast continued on his hunt. At first, it was a long and tiring grind. Killing a rat took him no less than two Primes which he had to first ensure that nobody was watching before he activated it, followed by the subsequent rest he must take to regain his mana pool before he could reenter battle without running the risk of being out of mana and dying a fool’s death. Surprisingly however, It appeared that the more he hunts, his hunts only became easier and faster and he could dodge more attacks from the rodents than before.

Soon, it went from two Renew spells per rat to once per rat to three rats per prime. Those too, had their tails cut and meat taken and no sooner had his health and mana top off was he at it again, hunting farmland rats like a raging mad man. He only stopped when his satiety dropped and he had to take a break to cook some rat meat skewer over hastily scavenged firewood and dried grass to fill his stomach and regain his stats and regeneration from hunger.

In a game where accuracy is determined by one’s ability to physically connect with the target, Beast became so fluent in the characteristics of the farm rat that in time, he was going at it with a one hit one kill streak, only limited by the spawn rate of the rats in the area. While rats are level one critters that died in two or three hits now and give a measly experience per kill, at the end of it all, Beast had hunted hundreds of them and leveled to five. Given that he already had stat bonuses in intelligence and wisdom, Beast spent all thirty points plus the unspent ten from the level gained during Lortan’s wolf hunting into strength and dexterity so that it would facilitate his leveling.

His cooking skill had also increased twice from the sheer amount of times he had to cook to regenerate his mana pool and though it might seem weird, the rat skewers he cooked near the end of the hunt appeared to taste a little better than when he first started.

Interesting. So the game does factors in skill levels in such a way too.

What really interested Beast though, was this.

You have gained the Skill: Bare-Handed Mastery

Skill: Bare-Handed Mastery (Basic 2) 23% mastery

+12% damage to bare handed attacks

The skill appeared when he was halfway through his rampage so he barely took note. Now that he had the time, Beast was also distinctively reminded of another skill he did not have the chance to check.

“Sword Mastery Window”

Skill: Sword Mastery (Basic 1) 0% mastery

+1% damage to sword attacks

The disparity in the buff bonus could only be explained by the fact that swords or weapons in general provide a damage bonus when wielded, while bare fists are supplemented by player stats alone. Not that he cared though, any passive skills are certainly welcomed no matter if they are useless or not because unlike active skills that required activation and consumed energy to do so, passive skills like masteries are always in effect.

With that out of the way, Beast hauled his backpack full of rat tails and meat and headed back into the city of Rydelin through the gates. Hunting rats had taken him the whole of two in-game days and Beast thought that he should log out after selling his loot in the market.

Had he lingered a little bit more though, he might have been able to overhear a few newbies whispering about him.

“Did you see that guy?”

“Who? Him?”

“Yea, he was killing rats with bare hands. I mean… one punch and a rat falls dead. I saw him running around his area killing every farm rat he sees.”

“Are you serious? Those rats are the most agile critters in the area. There is a reason why the forums encourage us to get a weapon first or to skip them and go straight to the bigger sized wild dogs.”

“I think… he is hacking.”

“Aimbots? In Ages Online?”

“I am going to report him.”

“Okay I will too.”

…………………..

Back within the walls of Rydelin, Beast was hard at work trying to find a buyer for his hard-earned loot. While he could always dispose of his tails and meat at the NPC store, what he would earn from the sale would merely be a pittance with regards to potential player-to-player sale. The player who sold him the ceremonial sword is a prime example, although Beast was sure he got the upper hand in that deal.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

Try as he might however, there was nobody he could find that wanted to buy either rat meat or tails.

“Rat tails?” A female warrior in polished platinum armor chuckled. “I can hunt that myself if I ever need them.”

“Hey how about I buy everything off you for 2 silvers?” Came a potential offer trying to exploit newbie ignorance.

“I am sorry brother, but rat meat? No thank you.”

Rejection after rejection happened, and Beast wondered if he should just sell his entire loot to the NPC stores and be done with this. It was getting more and more unworthy of his time the longer he carried on, cumulating at the end of Market Street where Beast slumped down in defeat. Very well, he should accept that some things just are not worth anything to anyone.

A familiar voice made itself heard over the normal bustle though. “Is this mister Beast?”

Beast looked up into the beaming face of Talos the merchant.

“Oh my, it is my benefactor indeed! Why are you sitting here with a forlorn face? Come on into my house and tell me over some tea, will you? Risette will be so happy to see you again!”

Beast is not one who would turn down a free treat and thus followed the man in amidst the bewildered stares of the players in the market. While NPC intimacy is commonplace and known, having one invite a player into his house was virtually unknown. Many people usually never look beyond NPC intimacy as a bonus to selling and buying price and thus would never know. Those who do are not telling of course.

Once inside, Beast was immediately cannonballed by the familiar figure of Risette.

“UNCLE!”

It took all he had not to fall backward on his butt.

“Hey, Risette.” Beast gently pried the little girl off. Despite feeling a little slighted by being called ‘uncle’, he felt glad that the girl had recovered and is out of her bed and about. At least she would not have to suffer in the hands of a careless player anymore.

“Uncle Beast went away before Risette recovered so Risette didn’t have the chance to thank him.” A little blue stone was suddenly shoved into his hands. “So Risette is giving him her treasure as thanks!”

You have gained the Little Blue Rock

Little Blue Rock

This rock is Risette’s treasure given to you as thanks for nursing her back to health with utmost care.

“That’s my little girl!”

While Talos ruffled his daughter’s hair, Beast looked at the stone in his hand. A memento of thanks and affection, something that one least expected from a game and yet it was one time more than any he had received in the real world. It is somewhat a joke when virtual reality behaved more like real life should be than what real life would ever be.

Before he could lull into his melancholy, Talos pulled Beast to the table and began pouring him tea.

“So what is wrong, my friend?”

And the chance appeared. Making himself out to a pitiful as possible, a story of hope, despair and fruitless searching which ended up with him seeking aid at a friend’s door was woven and fed to the other man. When it finished, Talos lapsed into silence. From the looks of it though, the merchant had taken the hook, line and sinker though it was while before he spoke up again, which Beast took his time to enjoy the free tea.

“I think… I can help you with your problem. You see, the business I am opening is a Potions Store and Rat Tails happen to be one of the ingredients I needed to brew an experimental potion. Only for you I can buy all three-hundred and thirty six of them at four copper each amounting to 13 silver and 44 coppers.”

Regardless of how human they might have been, the lightning fast calculations reminded Beast that Talos and his daughter are still artificial intelligence underneath.

“However,” Beast shifted his eyes from Risette to Talos at the mention of the negative conjunction. “I am not able to purchase your rat meat as I have no use for them. I am sorry Beast, I have a business to keep.”

Selling the tails to any other NPC would only net him two copper each. Having a hundred percent increase in gain was enough to cause Beast to agree to the deal regardless of whether the experimental potion thing is true. After all, he could eat the meat himself is nobody wants them.

“Deal. “ Beast replied.

“By the way, do you have some salt Talos?”

………….

Beast exited Talos’ Potions three hundred and thirty six tails lighter and around ten silvers richer. He had also ‘borrowed’ enough salt to preserve at least a hundred pieces of rat meat. These would substitute his bread stock from now on. Thankfully, the meat pieces were small enough that Beast did not feel guilty ripping off the merchant of his house condiments.

Wait a moment… guilt for an artificial construct? The boundaries between virtual and reality were starting to blur. Now that he had the money to do so, the first thing on course was to head to the blacksmith to check if his sword could be repaired. Heading the Rydelin Smithy was a muscular lady dwarf that goes by the name of Orya. She was hammering away at the anvil when Beast entered her shop, only putting her hammer down when he approached the counter.

“Excuse me, I would like to get this fixed.” Beast dumped the broken blade and hilt onto the counter. “I heard that someone of your expertise could possibly forge the blade back together.”

It was a common occurrence in the games of old; equipment that dropped to 0 durability could be restored for a fee. He hope it is the same for Ages Online.

“Yes lad, I could probably do something about it.” Orya took the broken sword up to examine. “Oh… I am sorry laddie, the rust had eaten away much of the metal that it is impossible to restore it into its original form. You are better off finding a new weapon at this rate.”

Orya gave the broken weapon back to Beast, much to his abject disappointment. Without any other choice in the matter, he then exited the shop into the open streets.

“Hey!” An unfamiliar voice suddenly rang out. “Are you… Oh hey! It is you!”

Someone approached from behind.

“Sebast… Sebast Koh?”

Now that he thought of it, he knew this voice. “Wong Xiang Jun?” Beast turned around, coming face to face with the jovial smile of his course mate Xiang Jun. The other man looked as though he just found a long lost brother. “Call me EmiyaX here. I thought you did not play Ages Online?”

“Beast. I just started.”

“Oh. I am on my way to Loyderidge to apply for the joint operation strike on Breben Hills to clear the recent troll appearances. Our classmates based in Caerheim have set it as a meeting point for all of us. I think Ervin, Xing Ting and even Beatrice will be there!” The dude is way too excitable. “Want to join me?”

“I am only level 5.” The face of Xiang Jun fell after hearing that. While a joint operation usually incorporate many various roles of level ranging from the hundreds to the low twenties, a level five would have no value to the expedition. Even a level 34 like him is relegated to scouting and sniping from high vantage points while the bulk of the work is done by the commissioned troops and the higher levels. It is more about quest completion for him than the experience and loot.

“Ah… well… so have you decided which class you want to become yet?” It is a little obvious that he is trying to change the topic. “I am an Archer, with a capital A!”

Beast on the other hand, was taken aback by the sudden question. “I uh… I don’t know yet.”

He can’t possibly tell him that he had job-changed already. Luckily, the answer he gave was in itself a valid excuse.

“It’s okay. Take your time. With so many jobs to choose from, it is natural to be confused.” Emiya laughed, though Beast could detect a hint of pity. “I got to go. Maybe next time when we meet again you can tell me what profession you picked.”

With a smile and a wave, the jolly archer went out of sight.

Beast sighed. It was not that he did not want to participate. Joint operations are usually lucrative quests commissioned by the sovereign of the region in response to certain events that occurred; an event in itself if one will. In addition to the NPC troops he will receive, the main person whom the quest was commissioned to would also be able to request for help from other players by giving them what people called ‘secondary quests’, thus giving rise to the term Joint Operation Quests.

Looking at the city gates where the usual crowd stood looking to form parties, Beast pondered over his choices. He originally wanted to take a break before moving on to hunt wild dogs outside the walls but now, he is not so sure. Does he prioritize his sleep or his levels?

That sympathetic response from Emiya came again in his mind.

With a steeled resolve, Beast strode out of the city gates.