Chapter: 5 A Farmer’s life 5

Three days have passed since we left the forest. Lep-ahn said that we’re almost at New End but he decided to take a small break because of the fatigue we accumulated in our haste to catch up with Dug-ahn’s group. I wanted to continue but seeing the 3 Leoparns other than Lep-ahn visibly tired, I decided not to object. Their attitude towards me gradually changed during our journey. It started after I told them why I raised my voice at the Elder; it seems their anger somehow lessened. And when they saw how I rode Skuld “The skull Basher”, their view towards me turned to respect. I asked them why Skuld got such a title and they said that everyone else that tried to approach Skuld except Lep-ahn and the Elder got their skulls bashed. When I heard that, it made me look at Skuld with newfound respect and fear. I then ask if Skuld killed a lot of people but they answered that Krium made sure to put some kind of mask at its beak after Krium himself nearly dies from getting bashed. I don’t remember seeing any kind of mask when Krium appeared with Skuld and it made me realize how much he wanted me to fail then

“Lep-ahn, how long do we need to rest here?” I ask with clear impatience in my voice

“No need to rush hyumen. We are near already but we still need to exercise caution until we are within New End’s guardian crystal’s protection. You remember what happened in the forest when you relaxed your guard don’t you?”

“Yeah……” I can’t argue with that since it was true that I got careless when it was thought to be safe and I payed dearly for it

“Ahahahahah Riyen! We are warrior leoparns! We just need 10 minutes to regain our strength so we will be on our way soon enough!” says a leoparn with triangular spots who already introduced himself to me as Harin

“Fuuuuu…..I know Harin. It’s just disappointing that we didn’t catch up to Dug-ahn. I know that you, Harun and Haran are all great warriors. I’m sorry for being like this and just rest for as long as necessary”

“Do not boast like that when it is clear that you are the one that is the most tired Harin” says a another leoparn, this one with nearly square spots and said that his name was Haran

“Hahahah that is true. But Haran, what he said is also true, so it is not just empty boast” the last leoparn with large oval spots called Harun said this in defense of Harin

These three leoparns are brothers according to Lep-ahn and are the best warriors of the leoparn clan next to himself. I asked if they are his children, but he denied it and said that they his late sister’s children. I didn’t inquire anymore after hearing the word “late”. In the end, we rested for 20 minutes and then decided to continue on. In the course of this journey, my Pathfinding skill was raised to basic level 5 but what surprised me the most was when I got a notification that my Riding skill reached Intermediate level 1. After making sure I didn’t forget anything, I start heading for Skuld.

“We’re almost there Skuld, just a bit more so please give it you’re all once again”

“CRAAAAAAAAAOOORRR”

“Ahahah I’ll take that as a yes. Having my Riding skill rise so much has been a great help. Skill info, Riding!”

Riding SkillIntermediatelevel: 112.3% expMount Speed +125%

Movement Speed on Roads +50% (half on rugged terrain)

Increased Efficiency of riding mounts +25%

Riding skill is one of the most basic skills required to be a Knight. Riding can also be learned by others but only Knights can bring forth a mounts true potential. When one is riding a mount such as a horse, one will then be able to travel at great speeds and for longer periods of time.

Basic level will allow a person to ride basic mounts. The higher the level the better the performance

Intermediate level will allow a person to ride War Mounts.

Advanced levels will allow you to ride even wild beasts such as griffons, Pegasus and others

Master level will allow a person to ride even powerful monsters even Dragons (only if a dragon allows)

To think I would be able to raise this skill so much without even knowing it. Ollie must have made sure that I didn’t fall while I was logged off from the game. While I was thinking this, I saw Lep-ahn gave the order to finally leave so I ordered Skuld to move. It didn’t take long for us to reach the gates of New End. At the gates was Dug-ahn, it seems he saw us coming and came to check who the incoming people are.

“Oh…if it is not Lep-ahn and the one on Skuld’s back…..grahahhahaha, hyumen Riyen! I knew you are still alive! Even though you are weak, you somehow gave the feeling that you will not die easily grahahhaha”

“It’s been a while Dug-ahn. I was nearly done in by Calamity Ants but somehow my horse Ollie managed to save me”

“Grrrr…is that so…to think those nasty bugs would come back so soon. It was unfortunate that you encountered them but you can rest easy hyumen Riyen, because I personally went there to kill them! There were even Black Ants! Grrrr….it makes me wonder what those bugs are doing there when the closest Black Ants should be at Dragon Tomb Mountain”

“So you really did wipe them out like Lep-ahn said. Thank you for that Dug-ahn, anyway did you happen to find my wagons? It’s the same ones you saw with me last time” I was a bit hopeful now

“I did….they were not in a condition to be repaired anymore so we took the wagons apart and decided to just carry what’s inside. There was……..not much left since the bugs have eaten most of them. It is in the care of Claudia since she also took part in the fight, so you best head there to see for yourself”

“Claudia? I see, I’ll be going then, thanks again Dug-ahn! Da-um!” I quickly order Skuld do run while thanking Dug-ahn

“...….There he goes again. Dug-ahn, the Elder will be happy to hear that you have taken care of the ants. I am sure she will send something as thanks for your effort”

“Grahahah to think you will be the one to accompany him here. Also there is no need for that Lep-ahn; it is my task to crush those bugs. It was just unfortunate that I did not know of it sooner. I just wish the hyumen will not be too shocked about what is left of his goods”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Dakun!"

I rushed as fast as possible to Claudia’s tavern with Skuld. I probably made a new record with how fast I got here but I could care less about it, I order Skuld to stop right in front of the tavern and rushed again inside. The people inside was shocked by my sudden entrance but when they saw my face, half of them dropped what they were holding and their mouths are wide open. I again didn’t care about it at the moment and just went straight to Claudia.

“Oho~ so you really did reach “Doomed” village little boy, I’m impressed. I thought for sure that you got killed on the way since we couldn’t mail you at the forest. According to the guys who also got off from the ship, you didn’t register New End as your base as well”

“Yeah, well, nobody told me you got to freakin touch a crystal to register a place as your temporary base Claudia. Enough of that though, I heard from Dug-ahn that you have what’s left of my stuff so could you please hand them over?”

“Sure, HEY YOU PIECES OF SHIT! GET THE LITTLE BOY’S STUFF AND BRING IT OUTSIDE! ............Now then, let’s wait outside shall we little boy” the moment Claudia shouted a bunch of guys who I recognize as Bums 2-10 quickly ran somewhere

It took about 15 minutes before the Bums return carrying a bunch of sacks and tools and laid it down in front of me. Seeing the men approach, I quickly ask Claudia where I can put Skuld so that he won’t get in the way. She stared at Skuld for a bit but then said that to just tie his reins on the shade at the side of the tavern since if he’s put near the other kairiris, he might kill them off. Knowing that Skuld might really do that, I did what Claudia advised. When I return, I see that they’re done getting all my “stuff” so I quickly went to look at what’s left. There was a lot more than what I expected but somehow I already have a dreadful feeling that what I will see will not be good.

“This………………” I see half a sack of potatoes a sack of corn seeds with less than a quarter left and a bunch of other sacks……filled with sand or rocks….

“Before you accuse us of stealing, I will say that we did not replace any of your goods. Even your tools are just made of wood with “Metal Paint” which makes them quite realistic”

“Fuuuuuuuuuuuu………I know……..I already expected this since I found out what the land I bought looks like. I let that bastard Grud by these after all. Just one thing though……you already knew what I bought didn’t you?”

“Yes” Claudia admitted this without a shred of guilt

“……If you knew……why didn’t you say anything?” I didn’t expect Claudia to admit it so easily

“Even if I told you that you bought land that could not grow anything, will you have believed me?”

The answer would be no. It will be a word of someone I just met and I have a viewing crystal that shows what the land I bought “used” to look like as well. Also even if I did somehow believe her, I still would have to see it for myself so I know Claudia isn’t at fault.

“I understand what you want to say, sorry for doubting you Claudia. You also knew early on what my goods are like but you didn’t say anything because you might have thought I wouldn’t have hired your mercenaries anymore huh?”

“Eh? I only saw your stuff when we purged the ants. There’s no way I could have known it before then”

“Hmmm? Didn’t Bum 1 say anything? He did check my wagons before we left so I thought he might have reported to you then” I asked this since I really thought Bum 1 whispered Claudia before we left

“……………………”

“…………………..”

“………………………………..DEEERRRRRIIIIIICKKKKKK!!!” Claudia then went back inside the tavern with a look so scary, her demonic look from before pale in comparison.

I heard loud sounds inside the tavern for a few minutes along with a pitiful cry. After a few minutes everything was silent again and Claudia went back outside. This time though her name is now in red which means she killed someone, which is more than likely a guy named Derrick aka Bum 1

“That shithead, to think he’ll pull something like this without saying anything….I’ll kill him again later”

“Ah big-sis…..it was probably just like what the little boss said so please go easy on him”

“Be quiet or your also dead, I let you guys off since fighting ants there was so unlikely that finding gold on the ground has a higher probability. But to think he didn’t say anything even though he found out about the fake goods…that’s a totally different story”

“Umm Claudia…no need to be too harsh on them, they did their best to protect me after all. It was also thanks to them that I didn’t get killed” I try to say this to Claudia since I feel sorry for these guys

“Haaaaaa…..do you even know your situation right now little boy? You got cheated big time! Your land is worthless and nearly all your goods are just sand and rocks…Haaaaa….never mind…what’s your plan now little boy?”

“…………………………………..I’ll head to the town hall and see what I can do about the contract since it was clearly fraud….but..” Hearing what Claudia said made me feel so down I might as well be hugging the ground

“Let me see that contract of yours…” since Claudia asks to see it, I handed her my copy of the contract

She took the contract from my hands and read it. It took her several minutes to read since it seems that she read it several times. I just waited silently for her verdict, though I already know what she’ll say since I re-read that contract hundreds of times on the way here.

“It’s flawless…sorry to say but you got caught big time, hook, line and sinker. This was made by Roy so there are no weak spots that you might exploit. The contract is written with the implication that if the seller decides to cancel the sale then they will need to pay 20% of the agreed price. This probably made you think it was a good deal….” Claudia gave back the contract after saying this

“I know it’s already pointless....but I still need to go to the town hall and see if I can do something about this.”

I put what’s left of my goods which is just the corn seeds and half a sack of potatoes in my bag. It wasn’t much anymore so I can carry it without a problem. I then ask Claudia where the town hall is and head there with Skuld. After reaching the town hall, I talked to the ones in charge but after reading the contract and deed of sale, they said the exact same thing as Claudia. I dejectedly went back to the tavern and saw Lep-ahn and Dug-ahn there along with the other leoparns.

“Considering the fact that you’re about to cry, their response is probably exactly like mine huh” Claudia says this with a look that says “I told you so”

“Haaaa………exactly” that’s the only thing I could say after a big sigh and slumping in the counter

“…..Little boy, about the job of escorting you to “Doomed” village……since we basically failed the job. You are entitled for a refund….”

“Refund huh…..there’s no need Claudia. I don’t blame them for what happened and they did guard me to the best of their abilities so it’s fine…”

“Oho~ are you sure little boy? If you say that now but ask for a refund later…I won’t pay you anymore y’know”

“Even if I ask for a refund, you won’t be able to pay me anyways so it’s fine either way. Also the village’s name is Darsheen, why do you call it “Doomed” anyway?”

“Grahahahaha What hyumen Riyen said is true. You cannot return what you do not have Claudia grahahahah…”

“*Tsk*......I guess I owe you one then little…Riyen. Also right…it’s called Darsheen…sorry about that, since most of the players here called it “Doomed” after the ants ravaged the place…the name kinda stuck”

“I see……” I guess that’s what I’ll call that place as well if I was here when that happened but since that’s the Elder’s village, I can’t seem to want to call it that..

“What do you intend to do now hyumen Riyen? Living here will be harsh considering how weak you are, also the ship is now long gone so returning will be difficult”

“………………..”

“We heard from Lep-ahn that you registered Darsheen village as your base. That’s too bad, if you didn’t then you could have returned to Versailles just by dying since you didn’t register New End before you left”

Now that Claudia mentioned it, it was one way to return to Versailles but that would mean I'll have to leave Ollie here. Since that’s no longer possible, I will have to try and make do with that barren land. Unfortunately, I don’t have many tools left rather than the ones I put in my inventory before, also, the starter crops that I planned to use is now severely limited. Grandpa said that all difficulties are challenges I need to overcome to be a better Farmer…haaaaaaa…..but the bar is too high; it’s like doing a high jump over a mountain, and if you manage it, there are crocodiles at the bottom when you fall...haaaaaa…..it’s impossible but I can’t give up…

“I don’t have any choice but to give it a try…I'm gonna need new supplies but I only have 220k gold left. I need to make the most of my money now but there isn’t much I could use here for farming….”

“Hmmm….so you’re a Farmer….since I owe you little Riyen, I’ll try and help. Rather than thinking of farming, you should make sure to be able to live in this place first. You will need to buy a lot of basic stuff before you can even start farming, so come with me to the market tomorrow and we’ll buy the stuff you need and don't worry, you'll be safe here for the night”

“Hoh~ you are quite lucky hyumen Riyen, it is not every day that Claudia will personally help. Your lodging is also set. So Lep-ahn, you and your clansmen can stay with us for the night, we have a lot to talk about since we barely see each other” Seeing that everything is fine, Dug-ahn starts to leave the tavern

“Hyumen, since you intend to return to the village, we will wait for you to get ready so we can travel together. We will stay with Dug-ahn until it is time to leave so you do not need to rush” Lep-ahn also leaves followed by the other three leoparns

I talked with Claudia for a while more and then logged off. It was safe inside the tavern so I have no worries about getting attacked there. I browsed the web until it was morning in Royal Road for info on Vermillion but still came up with nothing so I just logged back in. Once I was online, Claudia quickly pulled me towards the marketplace followed by five other mercenaries. There we bought lots of basic necessities that I’ll supposedly need. We also bought wood, but the price for wood is shocking! It was at least 5x of what wood should cost in Versailles. Claudia explained that since most forests and jungles are now gone, wood became quite expensive.Claudia said to buy enough wood to build a small cabin so that's what I did. Afterwards we finally bought stuff needed for farming, but it was limited to buying seeds. I also saw some live “chickens” for sale that costs 1500g each. Claudia said that it was probably not a good idea to buy them since they barely have any meat and are quite a handful to raise, but I still bought 4 of them. It took all day to buy all the stuff since Claudia dragged me from place to place to haggle like a demon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It took 210k gold to buy all the stuff which can only be called a “steal”. Though Claudia said she could’ve gotten the price lower, but I didn’t mind since now I was certain of the stuff I bought. It’s been 2 days now since I was here in New End and now that I have everything I’ll probably need, it was time to head back to Darsheen village. I was quite surprised to hear that she’ll be sending some mercenaries with me to help carry all the stuff, but I was even more surprised when I saw 30 of them at the exit of New End. Claudia said it was because they’re also heading out for their regular “hunts” though I heard from Dug-ahn that it was because their pride was deeply hurt at failing a simple job. With such a large group safety isn’t a problem anymore and with leoparns, we didn’t bother avoiding monsters anymore and just moved straight. The journey over-all took only four days since we’re all riding kairiris, the leoparns are equally fast and could keep up with the kairiris. After reaching the village, Lep-ahn and I head straight to the Elder’s tent while the mercenaries went to find a suitable place to tend the kairiris.

“Elder, we have returned” says Lep-ahn to the Elder who’s standing just outside the tent. It seemed to me that she knew when we’re coming back or maybe she just likes to stand there. Lep-ahn also reported that the ants have already been wiped out by Dug-ahn and his people

"Nnnn.....good work Lep-ahn"

“Elder…I’ve managed to complete the journey without any incident all thanks to your help…Also how’s Ollie doing?” I quickly inquire about how Ollie is doing after greeting the Elder

“Nnnn…that is good to know also Ollie is doing fine young hyuuumen. He is already able to walk around now though I recommend further rest for your horse”

“I see. Elder, I’ve also decided to stay in Darsheen village to try and farm the land I bought, hence I would like to ask for your permission to stay”

“Nnnn…..you wish to work the land…it will be harsh job to do young hyuuumen….you are also welcome to stay in the village, you will need make a suitable place to live first…” the elder easily accepted me in the village since she was a good old turtle. She was also thinking of a place for me to stay but I already have plans for that.

“About that Elder, you see………..”

I then told her my plans for the time being. With Lep-ahn’s help I manage to scout a suitable location to make my cabin. It wasn’t too far from the village so it was still within the guardian crystal’s protection. It was also a good distance from the river so I decided it was the perfect location to start farming. After deciding the location, we started building the cabin. I said “we” because it seems that Claudia already ordered them to help with building it and also an architect was with the group. The Elder also sent some beast people help though I already said we got enough people already. All in all, with 39 people, 30 mercs and 9 beast people working and with a good architect it took just 12 hours to make a cabin and even a small tool shed was added as well. The people that helped refused to take any payment as well. The mercs said that if they did then it’s the “Death Sentence” for them while the beast people didn’t take any money with a reason “the Elder asks us so we helped”. I decided to just use 5k gold to buy food from the traders in the village and have everyone eat instead. Hearing this, the Elder couldn’t refuse anymore and just said that she will ask others to prepare all the food which I was glad to accept since I don’t know how to cook at all. It ended up being a small feast that the entire village also joined in. Since there are at least 400 people in the village plus 30 mercenaries, I was afraid that we won’t have enough food but it turns out that every villager brought something to share so everyone was satisfied. After the feast, everyone was happy and went to their own tents to sleep, while the mercs camped just outside the village since they will need to leave early. I ended up staying at the Elder’s tent again but in the end I was happy with the result. Krium was also there so he took Skuld back after I said my thanks to both him and Skuld.

~~~~~~~~~~~THE PRESENT~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Haaaaaaaaaaa……….it seems sighing has become a habit ever since I arrived here in Vermillion…I even said that once I manage to grow crops, I’ll treat everyone to a feast again….but it seems it will likely never happen now….haaaaaaaaaa”

Thinking about how proudly I said that, can only make me sigh yet again. Nothing ever went right for me ever since I reached this place. Every single day is a hard battle for survival and I got killed twice already from my own stupidity and if I didn’t learn valuable skills from Lep-ahn…..I might have died dozens of times already….

~~~The day after the feast~~~

I decided to cut loose the “chickens” that I bought. They’re called “Bony Feathered Chickens” and they’re level 20 with 3 stars on their names meaning they’re considered V3 monsters. In their description when I identified them, it said that you need to be very careful with them since they are very hard to control…now that was an understatement…thinking that a farmer that can’t handle a chicken is no farmer at all, I cut the ropes binding their legs. They were quite “docile” so I didn’t think they were dangerous at all…that was a bad move...the moment they were free, they instantly showed what they're truly like. Conclusion, the chickens killed me. Good thing Ollie was still with the elder otherwise they might have killed Ollie as well

~~~Another time~~~

After reviving, I cursed for a time, well a long time inside my cabin. I tried finding the chickens but they were long gone. Since I couldn’t do anything, I decided to try and work the land. It took me two days of plowing the land with my hoe until I could try planting some potatoes. I decided to start with potatoes since they are pretty easy to work with. The next day I checked the place where I planted the potatoes and saw several holes in the area. I quickly dug the potatoes I planted and saw they’re all gone. I also saw the culprit that most likely ate the potatoes. I stared for a bit and I identified the little buggers as “Needle Haired Mole Rats”, another V3 monster this little shits have levels from 28-35 but since they look so small I tried to hit them with my hoe. Another bad move since they killed me in seconds. Considering my level is just 6 it was an obvious outcome.

~~~Another time~~~

I was getting nowhere planting since every time I try, the mole rats kept showing up. They were too “weak” for the guardian crystal to repel and ever since they tasted my potatoes, it seems they decided to live there. Getting frustrated by this, I went back to the village to ask Lep-ahn on how to deal with those critters. After I told Lep-ahn my problem, he just looked at me without saying anything. The three leoparn brothers on the other hand laughed out loud when they heard I got taken out by mole rats. Lep-ahn silenced them but I could see the tips of his mouth move up as well. He then took a jar filled with white powder and went with me to where the mole rats are. He then taught me the basic “Trapping Skill” which was just digging a small hole in the ground putting some “Hariya” beans in; sprinkle it with the white powder then waiting. Soon enough the mole rats started appearing and ate the beans, after about five seconds of eating, they suddenly dropped like rocks. Lep-ahn said that they’re just paralyzed and would move again in an hour, he then handed me the jar and left. Once Lep-ahn was gone…..I started bashing the paralyzed mole rats with my hoe while laughing! I did this for a while and raised my level to 30 easily

~~~Another time~~~

I ran out of water so I decided to make another run to the river. I never encountered anything before so once again I was pretty careless. Nearing the river I saw something that wasn’t there before. It was like a long piece of earth but when I stared at it for a bit, its info was revealed it said “Crokdile” it was also a V3 monster. I instantly knew it was the monster equivalent to the crocodile. I carefully approach the river in a distance I consider far enough when the Crokdile’s eyes suddenly opened and it stared at me. Seeing that there was quite a distance I somehow felt a bit safe. I was almost at the river when the Crokdile suddenly dashed towards me. I was shocked for a second by its speed and I instantly realized I was in danger so I ran back as fast as possible. I was nearly caught when it suddenly just stopped, seeing the monster slowly walking away still wasn’t enough to ease my worry so I ran back to Lep-ahn once again. When he heard me this time, he immediately took his hunting gear and told me to lead the way. We were still quite far away when he stopped me, and said that he’ll take care of it so I should just wait here. For the first time, I actually saw him with a full smile and his eyes are that of a true predator which scared me a bit. It didn’t take him long to come back while dragging the body of the Crokdile and telling me good job spotting it. It seems Crokdiles are rare game that provides excellent meat so everyone in the village will be happy. I also got a piece of the meat and the Crokdile’s skin. Lep-ahn then teaches me the “Stalking” skill which saved my life lots of times.

~~~A week back~~~

Ollie ended up getting sick. He’s been helping me with working the barren land with injuries so him getting sick was just a matter of time. He just suddenly collapsed inside the cabin one day and that freaked me out so much I ran back to the Elder. The Elder, after hearing what I said, gathered several urns and then we headed to my cabin as fast as possible. She then examined Ollie and said that his injuries are infected and he got a disease. When I looked at Ollie’s stats window, I quickly saw his health dropping and a disease state at high. I nearly panicked when the Elder hit me in the head and told me to remain calm. She took out several urns and immediately applied what’s inside them to Ollie’s injuries. She also mixed the contents of the urn to some water and made Ollie drink them and then left while saying she will be back in the morning. The Elder went back and forth for three days until she was certain that Ollie is now stable. I thanked her again and again but she just hit me in the head again and said to be careful next time since Ollie is already pretty old.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Haaaaaaaa…….seriously…..nothing has ever gone my way. At least my level is now 36 but my farming skill is still basic level 1…..I’m going forward in the wrong direction here….haaaaaa…..Status Info open!”

Status Window[quart=Name,Type]Riyen,Neutral[/quart]

[quart=Level,Class]36,Farmer[/quart]

[quart=Health,Mana]3300,660[/quart]

[quart=Title,Patron God]N/A,Freya[/quart]

[quart=Strength,Agility]234,127[/quart]

[quart=Vitality,Stamina]176,250[/quart]

[quart=Intelligence,Wisdom]56,20[/quart]

[quart=Art,Faith]124,25[/quart]

[quart=Luck,Magic Resistance]10,15[/quart]

[quart=Offense,Defense]187,134[/quart]Skills

- Farming Basic Lvl 1 23.17%

- Herding Basic Lvl 1 1.2%

- Animal Husbandry Basic Lvl 1 1%

- Veterinary Basic Lvl 4 67%

- Riding Intermediate Lvl 1 56.23%

- Trapping Basic Lvl 3 6.23%

- Stalking Basic Lvl 4 2.3%

- Pathfinding Basic Lvl 7 0.34%

- Blunt Weapon Mastery Basic Lvl 5 14.89%

“Haaaaaaaa…………a lot of my skills have been levelling a lot, all except farming related ones….should I switch to a hunter for now? Lep-ahn said he’ll teach me if I want to……..” Thinking about it for a few minutes, I decided to just continue being a farmer. I started playing to be a farmer after all so changing jobs wouldn’t help me accomplish anything.

“Right…I need to start a fire to warm the place for Ollie….since I’ll be out longer I should put in enough “firewood” ”

Having your own place helps protect you from the elements but it doesn’t give you absolute protection. The nights at Vermillion are especially harsh since there are almost no trees around the place to block the strong winds. The “firewood” I’m using isn’t actually made of wood…it’s made by certain beasts after eating soil and rocks underground. From that, you can easily guess that it’s “shit” made from earth. It burns for a long time and doesn’t have a nasty smell so it’s alright to use. I also threw in the stick I found as extra firewood. After making sure everything is done, I head to the bed and log-off

~~~~~~~~~~~

I got off of my VR capsule and headed to the kitchen to fix some food for myself. I saw the phone’s light blinking so I figure the “usual” person must have left stupid messages again. After eating, I was about to head back to my room when I saw something near the door. On the floor near my door I saw a piece of paper so I picked it up. On the paper a few short words are written. “Your mom asked me to remind you to go to school and to make sure you do your homework”… that was all that’s written on it.

“Seriously….when will that girl ever learn to use a phone? She’s in college already so learning how to use modern technology should be her first priority….”

That girl also doesn’t need to keep reminding me to do my homework. I logged off early today so I could finish all my homework that piled up. Going to school is another matter though. I’ll continue with just the bare minimum of 2 days a week for that. I crumpled that paper and threw it in the trash and headed back to my room without checking the message on the phone. It took 6 gruelling hours to finish all my homework and it was late in the night when I manage to finish everything. I didn’t bother with dinner so I just slept after sending my finished homework to school via the internet

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I only slept for about 4 hours before waking up. I quickly did all the necessary stuff like eating and going to the bathroom so I could log back in to Royal Road as soon as possible. It was over 12 hours since I last logged in so 2 days must have passed by already. I made sure to put enough food and water for Ollie for 2 days so there should be no problems but I moved quickly anyways.

*In Royal Road, whenever you log out, you will leave behind a virtual body so it is imperative that you ensure you log off in a safe place. Your virtual body will only disappear if you get killed or haven’t log back in for a week or longer. This also makes caring for pets quite difficult since they’ll die of hunger or thirst if you’re out for long periods of time*

Logging back in, I quickly check my surroundings. Ollie seems to be alright and there is still some food left but no water. I refilled the bucket while patting Ollie’s head. After putting extra food for Ollie, I decide to head out. Before I could head for the door, I notice something odd at the fireplace. I checked it out and see that the Black stick that I threw in as extra firewood didn’t burn at all. I was quite sure it was in the middle of the flames so I didn’t get why it didn’t turn to charcoal. I tried identifying it again but I still failed so I decided to bring it along to the blacksmith along with my “headless” hoe. I’m now starting to suspect that this wood isn’t wood at all and it’s really the reason why my hoe broke but I’m still finding it hard to believe wood can shatter steel. After patting Ollie again, I head for the door and went out. I reached my tool shed and took out my broken hoe then head to the village.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have the hoe on my left hand and the Black stick on my right while I walked inside the village. I decided to head for the Elder first to say my greetings. The Elder was standing in front of her tent this time as well. I was just about to greet her when the most shocking thing since I got attacked by the ants suddenly happened. The Elder suddenly ran towards me with shocking speed, and yes she a Tortoise ran. I found out that the Elder wasn’t a turtle but a land Tortoise, anyway, I was utterly shocked when I saw her ran towards me and I just stared at her with my mouth wide open.

“Nnnnnnn………young hyuuumen…that thing in your hand…could it be?” It seems the Elder was quite interested with my broken hoe, so much that she had to run towards me.

“O-oh…my hoe suddenly shattered so I was umm headed for Tusk the village blacksmith”

“Nnnnn? No not that hyuuumen…I mean that Black stick in your right hand. Can you hand it to me for a moment?” It seems what interests the Elder wasn’t the broken hoe but the Black stick. I have no idea why so I just handed her the Black stick.

The moment she got the stick in her hand, she quickly ran back inside her tent which left me just standing there not knowing what to do. After a few minutes, I finally decided to follow the Elder and enter the tent. I saw the Elder starting a fire at the tent’s fireplace. It was located at the center of the tent much like in my cabin. There was a hole at the top where smoke can exit so there was no danger of suffocating. After she started the fire, she made sure to make it pretty big and then put the Black stick in the middle of the raging fire. I was about to say that the Elder wasted quite a bit of fuel but I stopped when the Elder grabbed the end of the stick that wasn’t in the fire and took it back out. The stick was clearly on fire, but after a while the fire went out and in its place was symbols or maybe words inscribed in the stick.

“………………..Nnnnn it truly is…………one of the three legacies of the “Great God”…….young hyuuumen…where did you find this?” the Elder asks me this question while still staring at the words inscribed in the Black stick.

“Huh? I-I found it while I was plowing my land Elder, my hoe just shattered and I found that on the ground….what is that anyway?” I was startled by the Elder’s question since I was also staring at the stick

“Nnnnn………nnnahahahahhah to think the ancient stories will come true…and it was not beast people but a young hyuuumen who actually found it….no….it appeared to…..truly interesting” The Elder was now staring at me with very serious eyes while saying stuff I have no idea about.

“Nnnn…..but it seems to be incomplete…..I see, so completing this will be your trial….hyuuumen.....Riyen, will you go and find the missing piece of the “Great God’s” legacy?”

*Ding!!*

Quest: Find the missing piece

You have found one of the “Great God’s” legacies, a Black stick. It is missing a piece so the Elder have requested you to find the missing piece so that the treasured item can be completed. If you complete this task then you will be well regarded by the Elder and the villagers of Darsheen.

Requirements: Must have found the Black stick, in good relation with the Elder

Rewards: You will be given ownership of the Treasured item and other rewards will be given upon completion, The villagers will think better of you and consider you as one of them

Failure: Intimacy with the Elder and the villagers will drop significantly

Quest Difficulty: C

Do you wish to accept: YES/NO

(Accepted, cannot be refused)

“Ha? It auto accepted?” I just got my first quest here and it’s a C rank…I couldn’t even refuse the quest if I wanted to. The Elder gave the stick back to me and now I can see where it was missing something. It also seems that I can identify it now while the markings are still present

“Identify!”

Black Stick

Attack: 10-20

Durability: ???/???

Requirements: Must know how to swing a stick

A Black stick that the Elder claims to be a treasure from the “Great God” it’s not known what type of wood it was made of but its hardness is proven since it can shatter steel. There are inscriptions written but you do not have the knowledge to read them. It seems there is something you need to attach at the end of the Black stick

“EH? It can shatter steel? Does this mean this stupid stick was really the reason my precious hoe was destroyed?!” After reading the description, I find out that it really was the reason that my steel hoe was now in pieces. I would have pounded the ground with this stupid stick if only the Elder wasn’t looking

“Elder………I would like to do this quest……unfortunately there is a small matter of me not knowing where this missing piece is. I just accidentally found this stick so I have no clue where to even start looking” I was hoping that the Elder wouldn’t put too much hope in me completing this so I quickly give her a reason for the fact that the quest will be “delayed” indefinitely

“Nnnn…..there is no need to worry about that young hyuuumen….we “Elders” have the knowledge to locate the hidden treasures so long as “clues” to its whereabouts are present….” The Elder then went further back into the tent. She came back moments later carrying a small box made of stone.

“Nnnn….let us see where the missing piece is located…..the ashes of the past Elders shall help us”

She then opened the stone box and inside are ashes and a necklace. The Elder grabbed a handful of ash and threw it at the fire. The fire suddenly made quite a nice lightshow changing colors from red to blue then white and finally it turned black.

Nnnn…..Now then young hyuuumen, put your hand in the fire. It will show you the location of the missing piece of the “Great God’s” Legacy….do not be afraid I believe it should not be hot…probably”

“……………Um can I refuse?” Seeing the Elder’s piercing stare I resolved myself to put my hand in the Black colored flames.

Interestingly enough, it really wasn’t hot. It was actually pretty cold and I could feel something pricking my hands. It didn’t hurt, just a bit uncomfortable, so I bear with it. After a while that weird feeling disappeared so I removed my hand from the fire. I didn’t get any knowledge whatsoever so I looked at the Elder, not knowing what to do next.

“Nnnn….it will show a location…so it will make sense if you look at something that shows locations does it not?”

Of course…why didn’t I think of that? Stupidity should have a limit….anyways I decided to have a look so I brought out my map. After a simple hand gesture I was now looking at the map of the Vermillion continent and I see nothing changed.

“Elder…..there’s nothing….please look at it yourself” I showed the Elder the generated map since I can’t spot anything different from it.

“Nnnn….indeed there is no indication of where to even start looking……….young hyuuumen...is this your only map?” After looking at the map intensely, the Elder suddenly asks if I have another map which of course I have…

I quickly switched map to that of Versailles. In there I finally see a small blinking dot. I was glad that there’s a solid location to search but now a huge problem occurs. It’s on another continent and the ship won’t be back anytime soon. I of course tell this to the Elder and she ended up thinking for a while. After seemingly making up her mind, she quickly called for someone.

“Nnnnn…..SORUD! Come here quickly!” the Elder loudly called for her great grandson Sorud

Since the Elder was still staring at me, I wasn’t able leave at all. I tried to excuse myself several times but all she said was “Nnn...Just wait there” it took nearly 20 minutes for Sorud to finally arrive.

“Elder MA……. I am here, what is it that you ask me for?”

“Nnnn….What took you so long Sorud, I did say to come here quickly”

“Elder Ma….we are the torthose clan….we are not exactly known for our speed….”

“Nnnn….Sorud….with that attitude, how will you expect to be an Elder? We shall talk about this later…go and blow Rak’s horn….”

“……….Elder Ma……why do we need to call that annoying bird? If it is something you need then Lep-ahn should be more than sufficient to do it”

“Nnnn…unfortunately Lep-ahn does not fly nor is capable of carrying someone and swimming across the the ocean…so just blow the horn Sorud this is very important”

“……….I will obey Elder Ma….but we will pay greatly for this…those birds are a selfish bunch and will ask a lot for compensation even for simple work” Sorud was still complaining a lot but still went outside the tent to obey the Elder’s order

After another 20 minutes or so, we heard a loud sound telling us that the “Rak’s Horn” was used by Sorud. The Elder then told me to follow her outside. We headed for the center of the village and stayed there. It seems the Elder is waiting for “birds” to come; Lep-ahn also arrived at the center of the village though he didn’t look happy at all. Since we were waiting for birds, I scanned the skies and after a while I saw 3 dots in the distance. They were getting closer and closer, and then, they finally landed imposingly in the open space in the middle of the village. These 3 birds are big, really big. The one in the middle is actually even bigger than Skuld. Let’s say a regular horse can reach 4-5 feet, and a warhorse can grow up to 7 feet in height. Kairiris are bigger since a regular size is already 7 feet and Skuld is at a staggering 9 feet. These birds are easily at 8 feet while the one in the middle is probably 12 feet or more! That’s how big these birds are.

“Elder….Turth-ahn. You have summoned us, and we have answered your call. Tell me, what it that you want from us?” says the bird in the middle

“Nnnn….Rak-ahn…It is good that you have come. I want you to take this hyuuumen to the continent of Versailles at the other side of the ocean”

“Hoh~ Take a hyumen to another continent? I am afraid I cannot do that. Times are tough, and we can barely get any food for ourselves so traveling such a distance have no merit for us” says the bird called Rak-ahn

“Nnnn….You must do this! Look this is one of the legacies of the “Great God”! the stories of old have finally come true! You cannot refuse this task Rak-ahn” the Elder suddenly grabbed the Black stick and showed it to Rak-ahn

Every villager present was surprised when the Elder said that the bird has to take me to Versailles continent. But that was nothing compared to when she told Rak-ahn, that the Black stick is one of the legacies of this “Great God” of theirs. Everyone seemed to have stopped breathing altogether. Even the large bird seemed quite shocked but only for a moment since he quickly regained his composure.

“Elder….I respect you and the old stories of us Enilians, but all you have there is nothing but a stick. I see no use for it other than to scratch my back krawkakakak…............I am afraid I will have to refuse Elder since I gain nothing from doing this”

“Krawkakakakak” x2

“Nnnn…..you dare disrespect our ancient tradition? We are tasked to help anyone who finds the hidden legacies….Rak-ahn, you forget who we owe for everything" the Elder is clearly not happy with the bird’s answer, and the villagers aren’t too happy with the birds’ attitudes

“Rak-ahn…..stop making excuses like a shy maiden….you are too old and too ugly for it. Say what you want in exchange for taking the hyumen so we can finish this talk already” Sorud suddenly speaks out with great timing. A fight could have started if not for Sorud’s interjection. Lep-ahn is especially looking really fierce

“*Snort*……hmmmm, fine, we will take the hyumen to the other continent for……..100 kilos of meat. Nothing more” The bird Rak-ahn suddenly declares an outrageous amount of meat

Now that I’m living here in Vermillion, I can now finally understand how important meat is. “Hariya” beans are what the people in Vermillion regularly eat. Every single sentient being in Vermillion are omnivores but that doesn’t mean they like eating beans. Beast people that are past “carnivores” in particular prefer eating meat. It’s just that they can’t compete with the ants since those bugs eat nearly everything and leave behind almost nothing left. The Crokdile that Lep-ahn caught was pretty big as well but it only gave us about 20k kilos of meat and we(I) haven’t encountered another one again.

“Nnn……..Lep-ahn” The Elder gave Lep-ahn a look inquiring if they can afford to pay

“……………If it is your will then we will follow Elder” Lep-ahn after meeting the gaze of the elder says this. He looked at Rak-ahn once and then left along with several leoparns

Lep-ahn and the rest returned a short while later carrying several bags containing large quantities of meat. They brought 3 bags made of fur and then dropped it in front of Rak-ahn. A lot of the villagers are clearly not happy but none of them voiced a complain

“Hrmmmm….I hope you choke on them, you greedy birds”

“Krawkakakaka! Even if we did, we will still eat all of them Sorud so you need not worry of any leftovers…Krawakakakak” Rak-ahn says this while greedily looking at all the meat

“Nnnn….now that you have your payment...you will have to take the hyuuumen wherever he needs to Rak-ahn”

“Hmmm….very well Elder, I will have someone take him..…….”

“Nnnn…no Rak-ahn…"You” will take him yourself…..and also bring him back here after he finds the missing piece of the “Great God’s” legacy. If you refuse then you can go and I will find someone else to take him” The Elder didn’t let Rak-ahn finish and firmly states her conditions for this agreement.

“…………..Very well…………Each of you carry a bag and return to our clan…tell everyone to not eat the meat until I return, do you understand?” Rak-ahn takes a bag and tells the other 2 to carry the rest back. The two birds nodded their heads vigorously and flew away each carrying a bag of meat

“So Elder, will you now tell me where I have to take the hyumen? Or do I have to just drop him once we reach the other continent?”

“Nnn…..you just need to follow the young hyuuumen’s instructions since he has the map. It may take several days Rak-ahn so you better be prepared. Now, young hyuuumen…follow me so we can prepare for the journey” the Elder then heads back to her tent so I followed her

Haaaaaaa…..is it just me or do I seem to travel a lot ever since reaching Vermillion? I sure hope this quest is worth it. I couldn’t even say anything while the Elder and the bird were talking since the atmosphere was so tense. It was also weird for the normally silent Lep-ahn to be so aggressive towards those birds. We reached the Elder’s tent while I was thinking of this, and as soon as we entered, the Elder once again moved at a fast pace. She grabbed this and that and puts them in a bag. After it seems that the Elder got everything she needs, she then gives me that bag. It seems this time; the Elder also was the one to pack the stuff that I need just like the last time I left.

“Um, Elder…is it really necessary to go through all this?” I really don’t know what to think anymore. I went to the village just to get my hoe fixed but things suddenly turned into this just because of a Black stick

“Nnnn….if it were up to me, I would have sent Lep-ahn with you young hyuuumen or another warrior to guard you. Sadly…..Rak-ahn will not allow that….and Lep-ahn might try to attack Rak-ahn as well…..I am sorry to burden you with all this young hyuuumen but this is your trial and no one else…..also...take this with you, it will guide you” the Elder then handed me the Necklace that was inside the box.

*Ding!!*

You have obtained an item!

“Hmmm…Item info, necklace”

Clan Torthose’s Necklace of Knowledge (Unique)

+50 Intelligence

+300 mana

+10% mana regen

Durability: 60/60

Special Options: A ray of light will appear and guide you to what you seek. Usable once a day for 1 hour

A necklace of the Torthose clan, it possesses ancient knowledge from the Torthose clan. It has the special ability to lead it’s wearer to where he wishes to go or find what he seeks. It can also be used to find your way again if you get lost

Wow! My very first unique item! Its options were also great and its special effect is definitely to kill for!

“Nnnn….now that you have everything you will need….it is best that you leave immediately” the Elder now starts to head back to where the bird Rak-ahn is.

“I guess there’s no other choice but to go through with this….Elder…since I might be gone for a while, please take care of Ollie once again…” Since that I will definitely will be gone for a while…I have to ask someone to take care of Ollie

“Nnnn……no need to worry about Ollie, I am sure Sorud will take good care of him while you are gone. He seems to have gotten quite attached to your horse” The Elder gave me the reply that I expected so I can put my all now into finishing this quest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Finally...you have made me wait so much that I already ate some of the meat….So hyumen, I am quite familiar with Versailles so tell me…where exactly do we have to go?” Rak-ahn knowing anything about Versailles was a surprised. Makes me wonder why he knows so much but that’s another matter so I just opened my map again and showed him the location

“Rosenhiem…..we’re heading for Rosenhiem kingdom” Yep….it seems that missing piece is somewhere in Rosenhiem so that’s where we’re heading

To be continued…….