It was a struggle, but I finally made it. The town’s entrance was right before my eyes. It had a huge gate and the walls surrounding the town was long. It looked like a pretty standard town, nothing too fancy, but had enough going on. I stepped foot into town only to be stopped by the two guards at the entrance.

I looked to the guard on my left.

NPC Guard Darion

Then looked to the guard on my right.

NPC Guard John

“Excuse me sir, do you have an entrance pass?” Guard Darion turned towards me and asked.

“...entrance pass?” I looked at him with a dumbfounded face. I waved my hands and checked my inventory if I had anything of that sort listed. Nothing that resembled a pass appeared in my inventory.

“Sorry...doesn’t look like I have one.” I said while laughing nervously. “I’m just trying to get started in this game...”

The guards looked at each other, then Guard Darion looked at me. “Sorry to say this, but you need a pass to enter.”

“I just started! How am I supposed to have gotten a pass already?” I placed my hands on his shoulders as I pleaded with him.

“You’re supposed to have gotten it from Camille after completing her [Tutorial Quest].” Guard John said as he pulled me away from Guard Darion.

“...” I once again fell to my knees, this time in shock. I looked back up at the guards with tears in my eyes.

“It’s not that big of deal, you can just head back and get the pass.” Both of them motioned me away from the gate.

I let out a long sigh with a disgruntled look on my face. I just want to play the game, but all I’ve ended up just doing was pretty much run around in circles. As I reluctantly walked back to the starting point, I saw Camille up ahead.

“Camilleeeeeeee” I moaned out in disappointment. “Where’s my entrance pass to the town?” I pointed back to the town, “the guards said you were supposed to give me one...after completing the [Tutorial Quest]?”

Camille lifted up her finger and placed it under her chin as she thought about it. She made a fist and placed it in her other hand as a sign that she had come to a realization.

“That’s right...is Guard Darion there right now?”

I nodded.

She went into her pocket and took out a piece of paper. She then scribbled some things on the paper and handed it to me.

“Wait, this is a physical object. Aren’t you supposed to wave your hand and have the item appear in my inventory?”

She giggled.

“Don’t worry that’ll be fine.” She looked at me straight in the eyes while giving a serious smile. “Be. Absolutely sure. To give that, to Guard Darion.”

I looked back at the paper then looked at her again. I was a little nervous to how serious her request was.

“So I just hand this to Guard Darion and then the quest will be over?”

She nodded her head.

“...okay” A little confused at the simplicity of the request I started my way back to town, but before I left I turned to Camille one last time.

“Now is there anything that I need to know before leaving again? I swear I won’t skip your dialogue and I’ll be sure to read everything carefully.”

“As long as you’ve learned from your mistakes.”

I felt like I was just conned by the game in someway, but my excitement to finally start the game after completing this quest overshadowed that.

I finally reached the gates again.

“Did you get the entrance pass?”

I rummaged through my pockets and took out the paper Camille gave me. I handed it over to Guard Darion.

He inspected the paper.

Guard John then made his way over and looked at the paper too.

“Is this...” Guard John looked at Guard Darion in surprise. “I didn’t know you two...” A smile slowly grew on Guard John’s face while Guard Darion’s face slowly grew red.

I slowly raised my hand in the air. “Umm...does this mean I completed the quest?”

Both the guards nodded.

I waited a bit to see if a notification would appear telling me that I’ve completed the quest, but nothing came up. I checked my inventory to see if I missed it, but nothing was there either.

That Camille.....

“Uhh...I didn’t receive an entrance pass...”

“Don’t worry this’ll count as the entrance pass.” Guard Darion looked at me. “Thanks again friend.”

Guard Darion turned to Guard John to continue on their conversation.

“Yeah...I started talking to her just recently.” Guard Darion smiled.

“You dogggg.” Guard John playfully punched Guard Darion in the arm. “When are you going to call her?”

“Call her?” I interjected into their conversation.

Guard John looked at me and gave me a wink.

At this point I was slightly confused.

“Can I ask what that paper I gave you was?”

Both the guards looked at each other then looked back at me.

“Wait you mean, you didn’t notice?”

Guard Darion turned the paper around and showed it to me. I stared at it hard. It was just a buncha...numbers...oh. my. god. A blank expression covered my face. My mouth slowly opened.

“A-are you saying...I just wingmanned you her number?”

Both the guards nodded.

“The entrance pass is just her phone number?!”

The guards nodded again, then slowly turned their backs towards me.

“Hey for some reason, I feel really bad for this guy.”

“Same, I feel like he’s been through a lot.”

They nodded in agreement then turned back around towards me.

“Hey man...” both the guards reached out towards me, “we’re here for you.”

They ended up consoling me. I slowly gathered my composure.

“Wait does that mean every player who completes the [Tutorial Quest] is just handing you her number?”

The guards shook their heads

“Well...to be precise, you didn’t actually do the [Tutorial Quest]...” Guard Darion scratched his head and shrugged, “but the reward is a good enough of a replacement for the entrance pass.”

“...”

._.

I wore a wearied face.

Ughhh...I’m over it...

As long as I get into town, it doesn’t really matter.

The guards patted me on the back as I entered the town.

“Good luck!” both the guards shouted as they waved at me.

Beginner's Town

A sigh of relief escaped my mouth.

I finally made it into town.

Excited as I was, I couldn’t help but feel as though I took one step forward, but three steps back.

END