**

Albert exited the door of Prontera Sanctuary Church and began walking towards the fountain that's located in the middle of the city. For the time being, Albert ignored the transparent arrow in front of him because he has a list of things that he wants to do before he would actually continue the quest to become an Acolyte. While Albert continued to make a bee line towards the fountain in the middle of the city, Lily followed behind. As the two walked on the paved brick roads of Prontera, Albert wondered why Lily decided to take the Acolyte quest. Maybe it was because he himself decided to take it and she's merely just following him like she has always been or maybe she had an idea of becoming an Acolyte before hand but Albert had just happened to beat her to the punch.

Out of his own curiosity, Albert asked Lily.

"Lily, Why did you decide to choose becoming an Acolyte?"

Lily stopped walking and turned red suddenly.

"Well, I wanted to become an Acolyte ever since I was being raised in the orphanage. Since I'm not very good in fighting, I thought that I would be better taking care of those who will fight in my stead."

A grin appeared in Albert's face.

"You're wrong, Acolytes can be great warriors. It's just people haven't realized their potential as warriors. Instead they are used as healers and they are always behind those who are fighting."

Albert has a completely bizarre idea for becoming an Acolyte. For his own reason for becoming an Acolyte, Albert thought about it strategically. If he was going to travel Midgard, it would be logical to become an Acolyte due to the skills that they posses. Other than being able to heal ones self at any time, Acolytes have various useful skills to buff anyone and dispel any life threatening ailments. The ability to buff someone would allow a player to have instant increase on their statistical attributes of either vitality which increases one's health, agility which increases the speed of one's attack and movement, strength which increases one's physical damage or dexterity which increases one's ability to hit the target. Buffing someone is a type of instant body enhancement for any player. Its very useful in battle but its only temporary. With these temporary boost of statistical attributes, Albert will create a warrior that he calls a Battle Acolyte.

In the game 'Deaths of the Gods', Albert experimented with various classes and with his hours of experimentation, he discovered the Battle Acolytes. These warriors are fast, destructive and with the right combinations unbeatable in player versus player in the game. But in this reality it should be even more powerful with the proper equipment.

Albert and Lily arrived at the fountain in the middle of Prontera city. Each time Albert stood in that area and witnessed the large lively crowd of people attempting to conduct commerce in the free market occurring around the northern half of the fountain, he couldn't help but be in awe. The smell of the air and the feeling of the lingering ambient atmosphere added in his excitement when he's reminded that he's in the world of his favorite game.

The first thing that's on Albert's to do list is to sell all the useless items in his backpack. Once he's done that he headed for the basement door behind the Item shop. The basement of the Item shop is where the door that allowed Albert to travel from his room to the world of 'Deaths of the Gods' and vice versa. Albert walked through the alley behind the Item shop then entered the basement with Lily following him in. Once in the basement, Albert turned to Lily.

"Lily, I'm going to have to ask you to wait here please." Albert asked politely so that Lily would maybe just cooperate with him without any hassle. Then without any hesitations, Lily answered and smiled.

"Okay!"

Albert couldn't help but smile as well when she answered. It was very convenient that she just cooperated instead of arguing. Hopefully when he returns to his world whenever he needs to again, Lily will be as cooperative.

"I'll be back."

Albert then instantly turned around then entered the door that led back into his room. When he arrived in his room, he noticed that everything was still the same. There were no signs of anyone entering his room. Albert looked at the clock on his desk and it was eight o'clock in the evening and it was the same day that he left to go to the world of 'Deaths of the Gods'.

Seeing the clock made Albert realize that there is a time difference between the world but he wasn't completely sure what the time differences was. But while a day had passed in the world of 'Deaths of the Gods', only hours had passed in his original world. Albert continued to ponder and estimate the equivalent of days and hours between the two worlds. But that was something he needed to figure out on another time. Since if the time in the world of 'Deaths of the Gods' ran quicker than in his world, that means that Lily could be waiting in that basement room for hours. Albert quickly ran to the garage and tried to not make any loud noises due to his parents probably sleeping before they go back to work. Once in the garage he grabbed the two remaining aluminum bats and another baseball helmet that was stored in a cubby. Albert then hurriedly carried all of the things that he had grabbed with him towards the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Albert then began scrounging in the fridge to look for any remaining non-perishable items. He also grabbed a bag of apples and oranges then took it to his room. Any items that can help with refilling their satiety and health will greatly help him in the quest to become an Acolyte. Then later on once he becomes an Acolyte, he won't need to take anymore food from the fridge. Only maybe for emergency purposes. After packing everything in his backpack with the exception of the baseball bats and baseball helmet which he'll be giving to Lily, Albert entered his closet and returned back to the world of 'Deaths of the Gods'.

Albert opened the door and Lily was there quietly waiting for him to return.

"Are you okay?" Albert asked as he exits out of the door.

Lily blushed when Albert asked.

"I-I'm okay!" She replied with a stutter.

"I have a present for you. Now close your eyes."

Albert slowly removed the Eggshell helmet on Lily's head and replaced it with the baseball helmet that he grabbed from home.

"Now stretch out your hands out towards me."

Once Lily did what Albert commanded, Albert placed one of the aluminum bats on her hands.

"Now open."

Lily's eyes widened.

"Its the same weapon that you use." Lily said in her soft voice.

"It is. Its very strong so you'll have no problem when dealing with any monsters for the meantime."

"Thank you Albert!" Lily's eyes began to water.

"Don't cry." Albert wiped the fluid that ran down Lily's cheeks.

"I'm just so happy."

"We have one more place that we need to go to then we'll be ready to depart."

Albert and Lily left the basement of the Item shop and headed towards the Blacksmith shop. When the two entered the shop, they are greeted by a cheerful old bearded gentleman.

"Ho ho ho! Welcome to my shop! How may I help you?"

To Albert's surprised, the man is dwarven. But then he could be wrong, so Albert decided to ask.

"Excuse me sir, but are you of the dwarven race?"

"Oh yes. I am! I come from Einbronch the capital of the dwarves."

Albert is stumped because in the world of 'Deaths of the Gods' there were no other race other than humans which consist of all the players and None Player Characters (NPC). This means that the world is he's in is similar to the game but at the same time there are various differences. Then he remembered what Father Thomson had said about what had happened centuries after Ragnarok, other races came to Midgard to aid the humans. But if there's a place for the Dwarven race, then there must be a location for the Elven race.

"Why do you ask?" The old man began brushing his beard.

"Oh. Haha I was just curious. Maybe one day i'll see it. That's the reason why I became an Adventurer after all." Albert laughed awkwardly as he made the lie on the spot.

"Ho ho ho. If you do please bring back any treats from Einbronch. I would pay you handsomely. Now what can I help you with?"

"I'd like to have these weapons engraved."

"Just so you know engraving a person's name means it won't be able to be used by anyone else other than the person who's name is engraved on the weapon."

"I do."

"That will be ten silver each."

Albert handed Lily's baseball bat and his own to the blacksmith. When the blacksmith received their weapons, the expression on his face changed.

"These weapons. I have never seen them before."

"Ah they were specially made for us. That's why we want to have them engraved."

The blacksmith continued to inspect the two aluminum bats. The more the old dwarf observed the aluminum bats the more his expression became even more serious. Then after standing there for a minute the black smith looked at Albert.

"Would I be able to meet the craftsman who made these weapons?"

Albert wasn't shocked that the blacksmith became very curious about the baseball bats. That was the reason why he wanted to engrave their names on the bats. Because if these baseball bats were ever stolen or misplaced, no one would be able to use them in combat other than those who's names are engraved on it. Albert quickly made up a lie on the spot to prevent anymore curiosity about the origin of the aluminum bats.

"I apologize but the master craftsman who created these weapons have passed away and he never had any apprentices to carry on his skills."

"Tsk! Shame these are beyond masterpiece weapons." The blacksmith let out a depressing sigh.

"Very well please wait."

Moments later the bearded old man came out from the back of the shop with their baseball bats.

"Here you are. Thank you for waiting."

The blacksmith handed them their weapons. Instantly after receiving his baseball bat, Albert look at its description.

Albert couldn't help but feel like he's cheating due to the overpowering weapon that he has. But it didn't matter because he'll take what ever advantages that he can think off. Having their weapons engraved was the last item on Albert's need to do list. Albert turned his head to Lily and smiled.

"Are you ready to do our very first quest?"

Lily nodded in agreement. As the two began to slowly walk out of the shop, the blacksmith said something in a frantic tone.

"Wait! Please wait!"

Albert turned to face the old dwarf who looked anxious.

"Is there anything wrong?"

"Please listen to my request. I am just a humble blacksmith who has been trying to perfect my skills for decades. In all my life I have never seen such weapons and to just let this opportunity to slip out of my hands would be regrettable. Please If possible, in your spare time would it be possible for me to inspect your weapons a little longer? I would of course pay generously for the time that I have your weapon in my possession."

A grin appeared in Albert's face when the tone of desperation came from the old blacksmith as he offered to pay for the purpose of studying his weapon. To Albert, this is also a golden opportunity to make a large sum of coins which would help him purchase a dimensional storage ring or two. Albert looked at the old blacksmith in the eyes and smiled.

"How generous can you be exactly?"

**