Ryu was in the Platinum Gallery in Voruna. The place was bustling as usual, but he paid no attention to the noise. He stood at an auction kiosk, staring with great incredulity at the screen.

The prices of his items had increased since he'd last seen them. The plums now had bids for a few gold coins each, from 1,200 silver coins earlier in the week. Even more impressive was the bids on the rest of his items. His lot of equipment, such as the Copper Swords and Copper Daggers, now had bids ranging from 100 to 200 gold coins. The accessories were especially on the higher end of that scale.

I didn't think they'd get this high.

He thought just for a moment about how wealthy he could become if he farmed nonstop. But it was only a thought; he shrugged off the idea. Right now, he had other priorities, so mindless grinding was off the table.

Even if I farm for several months, I won't be able to make enough to buy the thread materials.

He'd seen firsthand the extent to which the elves would go. Going to an auction wasn't a viable option right now.

Ryu grabbed his chin. He searched up the materials for Charlotte's needle.

Listings for: Golden Spider Fang Golden Spider Fang

Current Highest Bid: 2,200 gold coins

Auctioner: Marvin Bordath II Golden Spider Fang

Current Highest Bid: 8,700 gold coins

Auctioner: Marvin Bordath II Golden Spider Fang

Current Highest Bid: 10,000 gold coins

Auctioner: Helena V. Silverspoon Golden Spider Fang

Current Highest Bid: 33,500 gold coins

Auctioner: Boar Brownbeard Golden Spider Fang

Current Highest Bid: 91,900 gold coins

Auctioner: L'eau LeChantille

...They were in the triple digits just a few days ago.

He quickly followed up by searching for vials of Flame Tarantula Venom. Much to his dismay, the lowest price for a vial currently sat at over 200,000 gold coins. He then searched for Orichalcum Ore, which was now being bid at for half a million cold coins, up from the original listing of 10,000 gold coins.

Ryu gaped at the screen, a bit in despair.

Damn, they're so expensive... All to make a damn needle and thread.

Out of curiosity, he re-opened the search menu and entered in "Pure Weaver Silk." Immediately after performing the search, he was met with the following message:

There are no listings for Pure Weaver Silk. Please try your search again at a later time.

Figures.

Ryu closed out the screen. He scoffed lightly and put up a smidgen of a smile.

It must be some incredible piece of silk if just these items are worth this much.

Ryu took a giant breath. After his mood mellowed out, he re-activated the kiosk. He brought up his Auctioner panel to accept the current bids for his items. He could've let them sit for a few more days, but it was going to be his first meet-up with Chase and Orchid, so he was fine with it.

Please select the item(s) for which you would like to complete transactions.

Select individual item Select items by item type Select items by name or key word Select items by bid amount Select all items with bids

He tapped to select all items with a bid amount, upon which the following screen appeared:

You have selected to accept the current bids for all your items with a bid amount.

You have [268] items that currently have bids.

The total bid amount for these items is:

36,750 gold coins Would you like to accept current bids for your selected items?

Yes No

Ryu glared at the amount of currency, which was an astronomical amount for someone who'd only been playing two weeks. Monsters he'd been hunting up til now had only dropped copper currency, either directly in copper coins or in copper pieces or bars. He knew if he didn't have the title of 'The True Identifier,' this wouldn't have been possible. It was beyond unfair, he thought. But for someone who left a game full of terrible experiences, it was truly a redeeming moment.

Ryu half-smiled and accepted the prompt, to which another prompt followed.

Thank you for your transaction! All currencies and items will now be sent to all appropriate parties.

You have accepted the following currencies and items:

36,750 gold coins Please visit the Grand Kiosk Station to receive your items.

Have a good day!

Ryu looked to the far right side of the Platinum Gallery. He'd seen the map of the auction house the first day he visited the gallery. There were several hallways on the right of the Platinum Gallery, which led to the central part of the building: the Grand Kiosk Station.

Ryu closed out the panel and headed for the connecting hallways.

The Grand Kiosk Station was just as the name indicated: grand. That and beyond. The vaulting of the station domed a colossal section of the building, up to an opaque glass ceiling. The station expanded a thousand feet in diameter, and rounding the entire edge were black-topped counters, all occupied by auction house staff. There were numerous square pillars raised, all mounted with giant marble bear heads, all of them spread symmetrically and evenly across the station. At the center of the station was another round setup of black counters, above which market boards hung. The hanging signs were labeled with "Member Service Center."

When Ryu entered the station there were lines of people, all waiting to get serviced. He walked toward the central counters, as the lines there weren't as long as those on the outer rim.

The central counters must be for Auction Association Members.

He approached the table where a gentleman had just finished collecting his items. There was a lady representative that was now available at the counter. Ryu walked up and politely said, "Hello. I'm here to collect my items."

The young woman smiled. "Of course! May I see your Platinum Token Pass?"

Ryu took out his Platinum Token Pass and handed it to her.

The lady quickly inspected it, seeing nothing wrong, and placed the coin into the mouth of a bear head statue on the counter. Immediately, an essence panel appeared in front of her. She scanned the information on the screen before getting back to the player. "It looks like you have 36,750 gold coins from your recent auctions. Would you like to collect it all?"

Ryu nodded. "Yes."

"Alright, give me one moment," she said. She began scrolling through a few essence panels, a frown coming on her face. She raised her head back up. "It looks like you don't have a bank account in our system. Would you like to set up direct deposit? It would make for an easier transfer."

Ryu waved up his arms and chuckled. "I don't have a bank account to do that, I'm afraid."

"No worries!" the lady said. "We also serve as a branch of the Grand Bank here in Voruna. We can set up an account for you. Would you like that?"

"Of course," Ryu said, in a soft manner.

"Just one moment," she said. She opened up another essence panel and scrolled down the screen, tapping on numerous options. She took a few moments before getting back to Ryu. "Would you also like to set up automatic payments from your account to pay for your monthly membership fee?"

"I'd appreciate that."

The auction representative then tapped on one more option. "Your account is all set, sir. Would you like to withdraw anything before I transfer your funds to the bank?"

Ryu nodded. "Ten thousand gold coins should do."

The representative tapped on a few more buttons, after which ten large gold coins dropped from the kiosk. She took the membership token and the coins and handed them to Ryu.

"Thank you," Ryu said.

"And thank you for supporting the auction house," she said. "Please do visit again."

"Will do." Ryu nodded, giving her a wave, and went on his way.

Ryu arrived at Menridge. The town didn't have a central portal gate like Voruna. Small towns probably didn't have the resources to construct one, he thought. He ported directly in front of the eastern gate where several soldiers stood guard. They greeted him amiably and let him through.

As he walked the streets, he turned his head right and left, looking at the buildings. The architecture was a different style than Durn's—probably due to the town being located by the mountainside—but it still had a rustic charm to it. The streets were just as small, and they weren't crowded with horses and carts.

This and Durn must be 'beginner' towns.

Although 'beginner' towns, the two places were terribly far apart. Durn was located about twenty miles south of the Brown Forest's southern path, and Menridge was located by the northeastern path entrance. To Ryu's estimate, the two towns were almost 300 miles apart.

Without fast travel from portal scrolls, it's practically impossible to meet up with others in different areas. It's basically a solo game unless you meet with other players. The size of this world makes it even worse. I was more than lucky to have met Guy and the others.

Ryu continued on the main street, eventually making it to the center of town. By the town center's fountain, he saw an enthusiastic blond man who had on a white t-shirt and blue jeans. He was holding up a sign in English: "Hot Chase." The passerby were mildly confused by his glee and the foreign sign; they gave him an odd look and turned their heads the other way as they walked by. Next to him was a short young lady who would've stood out with her light purple hair. But she was dressed in the game's commoner clothes, so it helped her to not stand out so much. She held her arms to her back and stood with her legs very tight together. She continually shifted her gaze so as to make it look like she wasn't associated with the lad beside her.

Ryu was in slight embarrassment by this little reception.

I forgot to tell Chase about names in this game...

In any case, this was the Chase he'd always known. But it was a relief. His lips genuinely curled up seeing that his friend hadn't changed. He waved out from across the court.

The blond stud saw his waving and pulled out a broad smile, yelling across the square. "George!"

"Do you have to be so loud?" said Ryu, a smile on his face as he approached the pair. "And don't call me by my real name. On here, it's Ryu."

"Okay!" said Chase, smiling. He walked up to Ryu and gave him a big hug...which lasted a little too long.

"I think that's enough, Chase" Ryu said.

Chase backed off, letting out an innocent laugh. "Right."

Ryu regained his posture after receiving Chase's bear hug, after which he directed his attention to the young woman by Chase's side. "Orchid, I presume?"

The girl nodded and murmured, "Mmhmm." She turned her head away, her face a little red.

Ryu half-smiled. "No need to be shy. We're teammates."

Chase went up to Ryu's side, putting his arm around his shoulder. "Yup! And you can always count on us!"

Orchid turned her head forward. "Okay." Her eyes were still mostly looking at the ground, but her expression was genuine.

"Anyway, wh—" Ryu said before Chase began feeling his shoulders.

"Oh wow," said Chase. "Your shoulders are pretty strong." He moved his hand over Ryu's chest, feeling his upper body. "Have you been working out?"

Ryu's face twitched. He lifted his hand up to Chase's nostrils and pinched them. Then, he began shaking his friend's face.

"Okay, okay! I'll stop," Chased exclaimed as he let his arms go.

Ryu sighed aloud. "I really don't have any normal teammates."

"I'm not normal?" said a soft voice from behind.

Ryu turned his head, seeing a young woman standing right behind him. She had a calm and poised statur, and her grey eyes reflected a gentle optimism that seemed never-fading. And it was these eyes he'd never forget.

"Grace," Ryu softly said.

The girl smiled. "It's been a while."

Ryu's eyes were widened for a moment, as he was caught off guard. He looked at the girl with the face of someone who hadn't seen his good friend in many years. After seeing the reality, his face naturally came to a smile. "Yes, it has."

"Hehe," uttered Chase. "I thought I would surprise you."

Ryu scoffed. "Chase, you big doofus. You shouldn't have."

To that remark, Grace gave him a warm smile. Chase could only put up a gleeful expression, seeing as how he'd just pulled one on Ryu.

"If you don't mind me asking: All three of you were guildmates in Dream World, weren't you?" Orchid said.

"Mmhmm!" Chase exclaimed. "Grace, aka Calm Grace, and I, aka Hot Chase, were lieutenant captains. And George—I mean, Ryu—aka Dream Dragon, was our captain."

"Dream Dragon?" said Orchid. She grabbed her chin. "That name sounds familiar..."

Ryu and Grace momentarily froze.

Realizing his blabbermouth, Chase tried to change the subject. "Uh, anyway...we should probably get going. I'd like to see what this game's made of!"

Ryu sighed.

It's fine. It's all in the past now.

A half-smile on his face, he gave Grace a reaffirming nod. "Yes. Let's move on."

Grace nodded back in full understanding, happy to see that he'd turn a new leaf.

The group had entered an equipment shop. Chase, Orchid, and Grace were looking through the weapons while Ryu was looking at the armors.

Ryu identified one of the leather armors. Thankfully, when he did, it didn't glow as brilliantly as the boots he'd identified in the auction house. The shopkeeper would have definitely noticed it.

Studded Leather Armor Level Requirement: 1

Agility: +1 Durability: 8/8 Weight: 3 lbs Quality: Poor Explicit Rarity: Common Implicit Rarity (Hidden): Brown This item is True-Identified.

Ryu looked up at his party.

I'll take them to Voruna next time, but this'll have to do for now.

He inspected the leather vest closer, then took another look at his teammates.

It's too big for Orchid and Grace. It should fit Chase, though.

He raised his head to the shopkeeper. "Excuse me, do you have anything smaller than this?"

"Of course," the shopkeeper said. "What size armor do you need?"

Ryu turned his head to Orchid and Grace. "Do you have anything that'll fit them?"

The storekeeper looked at the two girls. He grabbed his chin. "Let me see what I have. Give me one moment."

"Thank you," Ryu said.

As the owner went to check his inventory, Ryu approached his friends. "See anything you like?"

"Where's all the magic items? These just seem like ordinary weapons," said Chase.

"That's because they are," Orchid said, examining a dagger in her hand.

"Huh? Why are we here then?" said Chase. "Let's go somewhere else."

"This should be fine, right?" Grace said. She held a crossbow in her arms, aiming with it.

Ryu identified the weapon.

Oak Heavy Crossbow Level Requirement: 1

Strength: +1 The draw-weight for this heavy crossbow requires the least draw power out of any heavy crossbow. Users must have at least 5 Strength to pull this heavy crossbow. Durability: 10/10 Weight: 10 lbs Quality: Poor Explicit Rarity: Common Implicit Rarity (Hidden): Brown This item is True-Identified.

Ryu frowned and grabbed his chin. "Try pulling the string, Grace."

Grace pulled the string but failed to draw it completely down. She grunted a few times before finally being successful.

Ryu Recognized her to check her stats. Her Strength was revealed to be 5, the bare minimum to draw the crossbow. The rest of her stats were just as mediocre as his own stats when he first started. Granted, his Wisdom and Intelligence were above and beyond normal. Grace's Stamina, however, was 25, and her Endurance was 50.

She has more Stamina and Endurance than I do.

He then Recognized Chase and Orchid. The majority of their stats didn't stand out much either. Chase's highest stat was Strength, which was 30. Orchid's highest stats were Speed, Agility, and Quickness, which were 25, 25, and 100, respectively.

He turned over to Grace and asked, "Are you sure you want to stick with a crossbow?"

"I'm not sure," said Grace. "I was a mage in Dream World, but I thought I'd try something different this time."

Ryu grabbed his chin.

That shouldn't be an issue, but...

He looked at Chase, who was now holding a sword, and Orchid, who held two daggers in her hands. His brows furrowed.

"Is there something wrong?" Grace asked.

"No," Ryu said, lightly.

This is a completely different game. And they're inexperienced with weaponry.

A thought in his mind prevailed.

...I wonder if Bors has returned to his camp.

Thud! The shopkeeper dropped several leather armors on the counter. "This should do!"

"What did he say?" Chase said.

Ryu nodded to his female companions. "Grace, Orchid. Go take a look at the armors. I'll help Chase."

"Alright," said the two girls simultaneously.

As the two young women walked to the counter, Ryu approached Chase. He carefully examined Chase's physique, then Identified the sword that his friend was holding.

Copper Sword Level Requirement: 1

Strength: +1 Durability: 14/14 Weight: 10 lbs Quality: Poor Explicit Rarity: Common Implicit Rarity (Hidden): Brown This item is True-Identified.

Hmm. Ten pounds.

"It's not too heavy, is it?" Ryu asked.

"Not really. Feels like a small dumbbell," said Chase. "Why?"

Ryu scanned the weapons on display and Identified all of them, looking only at their weights. He came across a sword that weighed 100 lbs. He went to the rack, empowering himself, and picked the sword out with a single arm. He walked back over to Chase. "Hold out both your hands."

"Huh?" Chase said, confused. He hesitantly drew his arms out, upon which Ryu handed him the weapon. Upon receving the weapon, his arms immediately dropped, and he almost collapsed. But managed to stay standing. "What the hell? How much does this thing weigh?"

"One hundred pounds," Ryu said.

"Bull! You didn't even sweat."

Ryu smirked. "I have something you don't."

"And what's that?" Chase asked.

"I'll tell you later," said Ryu.

Ryu extended his arm out and nodded, to which his friend handed him the heavy spear. He placed the weapon back on its rack and returned. By this time, Grace and Orchid had settled on their armors and approached the two young men. Grace had a leather vest and pair of shorts in her arms, while Grace held cotton variants instead.

"Did you find something for Chase?" Orchid asked.

"Nah," Chase said.

"You don't like any of the swords here?" Grace asked.

"I want to try something new as well," said Chase. "I can use a sword til I find something."

"Let's get going then, shall we?" Ryu said. He turned over to the shop owner. "Please add that armor and sword to the bill. That'll be all." He nodded to a duo of equipment on display: a studded leather body armor and a copper broadsword.

The shopkeeper smiled. "Very well."

Ryu went to the counter and paid for group's items. He gave the shop owner an amicable farewell, and then the group departed.

After leaving Menridge by the southern gate, Ryu tossed a brown crystal necklace to everyone.

"What's this?" Chase said.

Ryu turned to Orchid. "You didn't tell them, did you?"

"No...Sorry," Orchid said.

"It's okay," Ryu nodded. He then turned over to Chase and Grace and explained the necklace to them over the next few minutes.

"Wah?" Chase exclaimed. "You need these to understand the NPCs? I thought it was a glitch."

Ryu shook his head. "It isn't."

"That's such a drag," Chase said.

"You can bypass this by learning the language yourself," Ryu said.

"Who has time for that?" said Chase.

Grace gathered her thoughts, and after a moment she asked, "You've already learned it, haven't you?"

"Only a little," said Ryu. "I can fill in some parts under assumptions though."

"That's because you're smart," Chase said. "And you've been playing longer than us."

Ryu said with a plain look on his face, "There are at least eleven major languages in this game, one for each of the eleven countries. It'll be a while before I learn more languages."

Chase scoffed. "Pfft. Dream World has over a hundred countries. Eleven is nothing."

"Moratia, the kingdom we're in right now, is the smallest country...and it is one and a half times the size of the U.S.," Ryu said.

When he said this, all three of his party jolted his surprise.

Orchid's mouth gaped wide open. "O-one and a h-half?"

Ryu nodded.

"How big is the largest country, if I may ask?" Grace said.

"I haven't done the math for that yet. But if my calculations are correct, the next largest country after Moratia should be at least ten times the size of the U.S.," said Ryu, plainly.

"No way!" Chase shouted.

Ryu retained his calm expression, simply shaking his head.

"That's....That's..." Orchid murmured.

"That's insane," Chase said.

"And that's speaking for only one country," Ryu said. "Beyond the northern-most kingdom, there's uncharted territory that isn't part of the Eleven Kingdoms. Even more, there is uncharted land beyond the oceans. For all intents and purposes, we're basically on a massive island. I honestly can't tell you how big this world is."

Hearing this, Chase's face turned stupified, his mouth dropping low enough to make his face ugly by just a tiny bit. Grace was stunned, and Orchid looked like her heart had just skipped several beats.

Chase poked Ryu's cheek. "He's a robot, I swear. No reaction. No emotion."

Ryu smirked. "It took me some time to digest all of this, too."

"Will we be able to find other players?" Grace asked.

"I was fortunate to meet some people on launch day," said Ryu. "But I think that's part of the design of the game. I don't think I would have ever met them otherwise."

"You haven't seen any others since?" said Grace.

"No one," Ryu said. "Only NPCs."

"Then what have you been doing all this time without a party?" said Orchid.

Ryu smirked. "Come. I'll show you."