Author's Note: Sorry for long wait! Things are getting back to normal now and I had some free time to write! Please remember I don't have a lot of free time, but will upload where/when I can. Please enjoy!

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Tannin decided to level some more. While he was put out that Lucas left at least he would get some answers. Until then, grinding was his best way to get stronger right now. He explored the neighboring forest for saber cats. He was quite skilled in dodging and counterattacking them by now. Taking them down hardly required any healing items afterward.

He hunted for a few hours, finally reaching the next level. At this time, something unexpected occurred. He was standing over the latest saber cat carcass as the game announced the level up.

Ding!

You have reached level 4! HP +20. MP +15. Your base stats have risen by +1.

Ding!

War Fan of the Conqueror is now level 2! Based on battle history, appropriate attributes and stats have been added.

“Whaaaaat?!”

Tannin looked at the weapon in his hand. It didn't look any different. Only now did he think to look at it's stats.

War Fan of the ConquerorLevel:02Experience00.10%Basic Damage:20Proficiency00.40%Details:Born of purest life energy, it has taken on a will of it's own. It is soul-bound to it's creator.Sharpness:0/0--Bonus:As Hard As Stone[tr]Effect:+20 Defense

What was this? His weapon could level?! This was amazing! Never in an MMO could a weapon level!

Excited, he looked over the stats again. There was experience. It must gain experience during usage. He couldn't compare real changes until he leveled it up again. Considering it took twice as long to level his weapon up compared to himself... it would take a while.

Some stats on it were empty. There was a title system and effect stat too. Maybe it would come at a higher level. Only way to try was to level up!

Tannin felt his blood racing through his veins. He quickly retrieved items from the dead saber cat and stored them away. He ran through the woods, for once ignoring picking plants and looking for another target. He came into a clearing when he heard that familiar crack.

He jumped to the side, dodging the first of the saber cat's swipes. The cat swung along the ground, kicking up moss and dirt. It launched at him in a long jump. He ran at it and slid underneath, catching the cat's belly and slicing it open from front to back. Blood spilled and the cat went down, HP dropping rapidly from a mortal hit.

Tannin had discovered, through countless battles, that the underside of the saber cat was it's weakness. The top of the fur was hard like stone, and unable to be penetrated. Given that the cat never showed it's belly willingly, he had come close to death more than just a few times to learn how to easily kill it. Because of the battles, he now was hardly ever hurt. Even his nearly-severed arm was almost completely healed.

He continued to fight for the next two days. Though he reached level 6, his war fan remained at level 2. He did occasionally see it's exp go up with each kill, but was so minimal that he eventually stopped checking. After fighting for two days, his arm was completely healed.

It was the third day after Lucas left that he found a strangely large tree. Compared to the trees around it, it was at least four times bigger than the rest. It's broad canopy blocked sunlight, preventing any big vegetation from growing underneath. It's trunk was covered thickly in vines. It was tall, towering easily over all the other trees.

“I bet the view is clear from up there.” He squinted at the top, then scanned the tree before getting closer.

He tested the vines, finding them with no thorns. He grabbed a handful and pulled. The vines withstood the weight, hardly moving at all. He dug his feet in and began to climb. The feeling of gravity was there, the first time he noticed.

As he climbed higher, he became aware of many more things perfected inside the game. There was wind that got slightly stronger the higher he climbed. Each detail of each plant he could see was unique. No two vines, pieces of bark, or trees were the same. The world had been created without random generation.

For a game world to be created without using the random generation for world creation, how had this been made possible? The world's greatest super computer couldn't do it on this scale. It was like all the world's artists had designed only a single piece that was then added, resulting in no habitual patterns that could be reproduced.

He reached the canopy top above the other trees with still half the climb to go. He felt clearly the sun on his back, a gentle breeze pushing against him. The leaves rustled and he looked out, seeing a sea of green all around. A little higher and he would have a clear overview.

Enjoying the climb he unknowingly reached the lowest branch. The branch was as thick as a small car. The vines wrapped around it tightly, allowing him to carefully climb up top. As he reached up, he looked down. The ground far below had roots smaller than the thickness of a pencil.

His breath caught in his throat. He felt a shiver across his shoulders and tightened his grip. He pulled himself close to the branch, not daring to stand as he lay flat out on it. He shoved his feet deep into the vines and sat up. He looked out, the view taking the rest of his breath away.

Endless trees everywhere. No hills. No empty areas. No lakes. Just an endless sea of trees all around him. The only notable feature was a small, hard-to-detect part in the trees where the small river carved through.

Behind him was also a sea of trees. However, this was over-shadowed by a massive mountain. The top of the mountain went beyond the clouds above to disappear. The highest parts he could see seemed covered in deep, white snow. The rest was black stone sprinkled with a few trees that were twisted by strong winds over time.

“Awesome.” The view left him almost speechless. There was no way that he could climb down just yet. “This place is awesome!”

Ding!

You are the first to discover the area. As a pioneer, what would you like to name it?

“The Great Forest.” He said it breathlessly.

The immediate zone has been named “The Great Forest”. You are the first to have named a location. Please indicate by point and announce the direction of North.

Tannin pointed quickly to the mountain. “North.”

North has been selected. Each direction has been applied to the region: North, East, South, and West.

Ding!

Your affiliation with the area has been established. You have been awarded a title! You are now also known as 'Founding Guardian'. Note: Titles aren't viewable, but are part of your history. The bigger your actions on the world, the higher ranked your title will be, along with your influence. Bonus Exp awarded.

Ding!

You have reached level 5! HP +20. MP +15. Your base stats have risen by +1.

“This game is awesome!” He practically sang the squealed words of excitement. “Growing titles, weapons that level. What more can there be?” The possibilities left him drooling. He suddenly had the urge to explore and discover more.

“Okay. Time to get down.”

He carefully made his way back down. This was a lot slower than the climb up. One slip and his character would die. Once at the bottom, something popped up near his right hand. He focused on it.

“A quest?!” He read the content carefully.

[tr]Heart of the Great ForestThe Heart of the Great Forest is the oldest tree. It has absorbed the world's natural energies and has become sentient. Recently, a dark force has threatened the forest. The Heart urges you to seek it out.[tr]Difficulty:Unknown[tr]Award:Unknown[tr]Penalty for Failure:Death of the Great Forest

“I can't deny the quest?” He scowled. “The penalty is too high! What kind of game forces a quest?!”

He sighed, knowing that there was no use in complaining to himself. “I should make this a priority.”

He waved the window away. A small icon popped up in the far corner of his vision. He waved at it, seeing the quest window appear again. “At least I can track the quest this way.” He waved it close, pondering. Time to explore.

He returned to the camp near the river. As he approached the camp he heard something rummaging nearby. He quickly sticks to nearby tree roots and equipped his war fan. He quietly got closer, catching the outline of a saber cat devouring the meat he had left out to smoke earlier. It was the first time for him to catch one of the cats off-guard.

He froze. How should he attack? He'd always been on the receiving end of ambush. Set a trap? Use poison? Or rush it straight on?

While he was thinking, the cat finished the meat. It poked around before losing interest and headed towards Tannin. It walked right past him, not seeing him in the least. He sat there, still unsure if he should attack. It was gone for a good while before he moved.

In the camp it had only touched the food. Nothing else seemed to have interested it. If he could figure at a good way to set an ambush himself, he could use bait to lure the cats in. Easy hunting was coming his way. As to which method to use, he would have to think on it.

“Exploring... Where to go first?”

There was the Great Forest around him in all directions. A river to the east. The giant tree called 'The Heart' to his west. Now the mountain to the north. Lucas had come from the south.

There were also other players, but Tannin was the first to be in the Great Forest. From Lucas' information, more players could be found south from camp. He could just follow the river south. However, the north held his interest. The river wound down from the direction of the mountain.

Tannin packed up what he needed, leaving the camp. He followed the river north in the nearby forest. He kept the running water in hearing distance as he hunted cats and plants. As he made his way north he ran into new animals. They ran from him on approach, but it was clear the game had answered his request for more fauna.

He discovered deer, rabbits, owls, crows, and a few other normal beasts. There was a saber cat hunted in between. He came upon a saber cat eating a dead deer. Before he could think on it, he charged it. The cat was surprised, instantly charging to attack. It leaped and swiped. From experience, Tannin slid by it and sliced down it's belly. He looked at it's remains after wards.

“Even ambushing it still got a normal attack response. Just without the attack from behind my back part. A quicker kill, if anything.”

He gathered the loot and harvested goods, continuing on. Besides a few more animals and cats, he came into contact with a monster for the first time. A green body covered with ragged clothing holding a stick. A level 5 goblin. It looked at him dumbly, spit dribbling down it's chin as it screamed at him and finally swung.

Tannin stepped back, bringing up his war fan. The stick and fan collided. The weight of the swing caught him by surprise. The force for such a small monster pushed him back. He was easily thrown off his feet.

Tannin rolled with the momentum, coming up and charging. He dodged a swing, stabbing the war fan at the goblin's chest. The war fan sunk in easily, it's sharp edges cutting deep. A purple-black blood poured out, spreading warmth over his hand as it withdrew. The goblin fell to the ground, clutching it's wound. It squealed a few pants and then lay still.

Tannin shook his hand, wiping the gooey blood off on the ground. Did the game have to be so real in the battles?

“Gross, gross, gross.”

Sure he was a grown man, but he wasn't a murderer. He wasn't one to get into fights in real life at all. He considered himself a nice pacifist. The feeling of blood and crunching bones was new and disgusting to him. He was barely used to animals. Fighting a humanoid was a bit different.

Though the goblin was so ugly he felt only the smallest amount of guilt.

From then on he attacked the goblins the cleanest ways he could think off. Quickly cutting them with just the edge of the fan worked best. He learned a new way to fight as he encountered more goblins, also testing it out on saber cats. He became more efficient as time wore on.