Before Benson could react one of those faces turned and looked and winked at him. Turning Benson ran to the front door grabbing his shepherd crook along the way. Throwing the door open he ran to meet the two peepers.

“Get back you miscreants, I’ll teach ya a lesson on stay farm off my lay for free. In fact I’m feel-n so generous I’ll include a lesson in whoop your-”

“Hello Benson.” A smooth femine spoke caught Benson as he rounded the corner.

Meanwhile Marlow was dealing with problems of his own. He had entered into a world of black except for a swirling misty ball of gray, white, and blue light. He had tried to walk around to inspect the foggy ball, but found that he had no body to move around. Was this a cutscene?

As if on qute, a small dark gray fuzzy ball wiggled it’s way into this weird plane, carving it’s way out of the black horizon. For some reason this caused a great deal of pain. Every time the gray ball grew against the horizon it grew a little bit more. Eventually stopping when it was a quarter of the size of the white orb. It then floated its way over to the orb?

As it came closer Marlow noticed that the gray ball didn’t exude any form of light; it was just like a poorly painted solid colored circle. As the ball came closer Marlow felt another presence with him in the odd plane of existence.

He felt numb as the dark gray ball came closer and closer to the white orb of light. The gray, white, and blue ball then began to circle then orbit the much larger orb. Eventually Marlow noticed that golden string and chunks of quartz crystal fade in from the horizon.

The quartz shattered, breaking apart and began forming rings around each sphere. Meanwhile the string wove into and out of the gray ball and then into the white orb. Eventually stretching itself so thin it left sparkles when you looked at it.

Ritual ‘Soulbinding ceremony’ complete. Opal’s soul is now bound to your soul. As Opal who chose to enter your soul plane she has a few limitations and blessings granted to her. For starters she can now respawn, her spawn point is determined by your spawn point. She can no longer surpass your own level, but may choose to devote any experience she gains to you. Whenever you respawn Opal will feel compelled to rush to your side and whenever Opal respawn you will have a strong urgency to rush to her side, until the two of you are together.

“Caley darlen, you nearly gave this old man a heart attack.”

“Well you never gave us a time to come on over Benson. Also you’ve stopped coming to our weekly meetings, you lazy bum. Is it because you're too busy working the farm or you finally got yourself an apprentice?”

“Well at least my last apprentice doesn’t go wandering off into the wilderness every chance he gets.”

“Hey you leave Robert out of this. He is not my apprentice, just a business partner and unlike your business partners, he’s been around the block a few times and has turned a profit.” The two of them glared at each other waiting for the other to blink. Which was interrupted when they both fell over laughing. As the third member of the group gently tickled them with some elongated feathers, he’d pulled them from his pocket.

“Enough Caley, at least one of us has managed to wrangle one of the travelers into our service. That much more than your relationship with one of them. Good to see you, Benson.”

“Fred, get over you punk.” Benson shouted and embraced the last of the trio.

“How’s the pet shop!”

“Much better now that the zoo’s out of our hair.” They shared a good chuckle at that expense. Eventually taking their conversation inside and bumping into a pale character at the door.

“Ah Marlow, was it a successful ritual or did you chickied go pop.”

“Yes, wait what do you mean by go pop.”

“Good, good, now I want you to take that opportunity and combine those seven skills you got and go outside the walls, and consider the rest of the day off. You’ll find that the price should be covered.”

“What do you mean by go pop? Benson, what do you mean by pop? Benson!”

“Kids these days are good for their muscles, not so much for their brains.” Benson looked back at his two friends, getting a knowing smile from each of them.

“Go on lad you need a day off, the adults here had to get down to brass tacks. Make sure to be back before dark!”

Turning his head to the gate that would let him back into the city. Getting a firm hand on his shoulder and a leash in his hand.

Minutes later he was made the laughing stock of the city as he lent Opal on a leash around town looking for some sort of gate that would take him out of the city and was too embarrassed to ask people for help since they were, well, laughing at him.

Opal, bless her sweet heart, nudged her head up against his leg and began cooing. Petting the three foot fluffy chicken he relented and walked up to a guard and asked how to get out of town. Following the guard's directions, he was out of the city in five minutes flat.

What greeted him was underwhelming. Ordinarily in games the starting area was filled with new players and some weak mobs that engaged in one on one combat. Nope, this world was the total opposite.

Looking around he saw squads of bunnies gang up on single players barely giving them any breathing room. Relentlessly ramming their heads on the under leveled people. Some groups of people just walked on by scaring the fluff balls away.

Checking his person he found no weapons on him, other than Opal. Even then what could a chicken do against five bunnies. Co- could he tame a bunny?

Hold on a minute that sounded really cool! Marlow the bunny… mancer? Or would it be bunny tamer since he was a beast tamer? Bunnymancer did have a nice ring to it.

“Hey get moving traveler, you're attracting the rabbits.”

“Agh, sorry! Come on Opal, let's go.”

Not having any weapon made his stomach turn, how could he fight those things? He only had a chicken that only knew snuggle and peck, sure he felt numb whenever he touched her, but numbness isn’t gonna help take down a bunny, or would it?

Hugging the city wall he walked along it, hoping to try and spot a dropped arrow or something sharp at least. It took a full hour, but he found something: a sewer leading out and away from the city. Not just any sewer with a rocky river bed. Smiling he walked along it until he bent down and picked up a large black shiny rock. Smiling from ear to ear.

Perception check success! Item acquired: Flint. Can be used for crafting flint tools or starting fires. Item rarity exceedingly common.

A sudden screech nearly made him drop the palm sized rock. Twisting around he saw three bunnies charging at him. Opal instinctively ran away causing Marlow to lose his balance and dropping the rock on the shore, chipping it.

Panicking he pulled on Opal’s leash and reached out a hand grabbing the chipped stone he swung it around ahead of schedule missing the nearest rabbit.

Angry Horned Rabbit tackles you for 2 points of damage.

“NOPE NOT AGAIN!” Marlow shouted, smacking the bunny with the rock.

Angry Horned Rabbit x1 defeated Exp: 4

Angry Horned Rabbit tackles you for 2 points of damage x2.

Swinging his rock twice over received an additional eight xp. Rubbing his side he sat up. Vowing to never get close to those things ever again.

“Hello there, you must be new here.” A voice reverberated from the open sewer.

“Hello? How is it there? I mean who is there.”

“I’m good and a little damp from where I am. Do you need some help?”

“Are you human or some kind of weird killer clown?”

“I am very much human and ‘It’ was a wonderful movie.” The voice responded followed by sloshing as a figure drugged her way out of the sewer.

“Hi there I’m Lilith, so what a farm boy like you doing out here with a giant chicken?”

“Hi I’m Marlow, it was my day off and seeing the same building over and over again does kind of get a little boring. So I decided to come see what was going on outside of town.”

“Ah that would explain the lack of equipment at least, so were you trying to use that bird as cannon fodder then?”

“Um no I’m a beast tamer I can turn animals into pets or beasts!”

“Oh? So why start with a chicken then? Why not a more predatory creature like a rat or a snake?”

“I’m recently poor, I may have just spent my first paycheck on combining skills that I need for my class.”

“Mmm, if I were to teach you some combat skills would you be willing to consider joining my guild? We could use a guy with your talents.”

“Sure I’ll think about it, but could we try and hurry it up? I have to be back before dust, otherwise I won’t eat tonight.” Getting a chuckle he received a notification as if he wanted to join a party, he did and got five whole experience points!

“Woah only level one, you really are new here. Let’s make you some weapons, farm boy. What were you planning on using that piece of rock for anyways?”

“I was thinking about a spear, because those bunnies hit hard and I want to hit them before they hit me.”

“Having reach in a fight is always a good idea. Let's go get you a stick and some thatch then, farm boy.”

“Okay green scarf lady.” The two of them shared a giggle as Lilith began to show Marlow the art of primitive weapon making.

“So when I thrust the spear I should let go with this hand to let it slide through?”

“Yep, also remember your sixty forty stance.”

“Is this really necessary?”

“Yes, if you get the basics down now, then you won’t go out there and make mistakes, which could set you much farther back than you originally started.”

“Fine” Marlow grumbled keeping an eye on Opal as she pecked at her new surroundings.

“Also why am I training without the flint?”

“Becuase I wouldn’t want you to accidentally cut your self while still learning. I also started my training with a dull knife too, you know.”

“So can we start fighting monsters?”

“As soon as you get-”

“LILITH! Guess what, I just got two new skills!”

“Oh what are they?”

Skill gained: Spear Mastery (Novice I): Slash, dash cut! It's all the same to you! You gain 1n% when using a spear. where n = to skill level.

Skill gained: PoleArm Mastery (Novice I): Swinging a stick around is pretty good, but now you can do it better! You gain 1n% when handling a staff, spear, or halberd. where n = to skill level.

“Apparently I'm really good at using a spear now?”

“Wonderful, let’s go hunting before you have to get back.” Lilith said picking up Opal’s leash and scratching her chin and then recoiled the instant her hand touched one of her feathers.

“Ouch! That hurt!”

“What hurt?”

“Your chicken, it did something? One second let me check my combat log, that’s weird. ‘Opal, the first companion, drained ten points of mana?’ Marlow, where exactly did you get Opal?”

“Misla Stree yo sh lev NW.”

“What?”

“It's a street I found when I first got here and how I got these scars.”

“Interesting, would you be willing to show me some time later?”

“Of course, but could we get back on track please? We only got a few hours before the sun sets.”

“Sure…”

Lilith, now gently pulling on Opal’s leash, followed Marlow as he charged into the plain. Keeping an eye on the excited farm boy she pondered whether or not to abandon him and take the mana draining chicken with her. If she did he probably wouldn’t show him what ever boon ‘Misla Stree yo sh lev NW’ was. So she watched patiently, encouraging from the side lines. Her guild was about to wage war after all.

Meanwhile Marlow was having a grand old time impaling the angry horned rabbits and batting them out of the air with his long spear. They weren’t hard to hit since they’re white, gray, and brown fur stood out from the green grass.

“Hey Lilith, I have a question for you? Why is the tip of my health bar gray?”

“Oh that, it means you need medical help or magical assistance to get back to full. But you should be good.”

“Thank you!”

“Duck!”

“What there are no ducks OOF-” The wind was knocked out of him as a bunny twice the size of the normal ones slammed into his back. Falling to the ground he dropped his spear and began punching the over sized rabbit.

Three needles appeared on the rabbits side quickly ending the brawl. Getting another hand up he asked another question.

“I thought you used knives?”

“I did, but then I found out that I was better at using needles. Also it looks like you could use some armor, unless you're into getting black and blue.” They both chuckled at that idea.

As the sun set Marlow looked over his gains and was quite pleased with the results. In total he had gotten his spear and polearm master up to level five and gotten a haul of five hundred and thirty eight experience points. Apparently as a tamer he could assign how experience was divided amongst his creatures and himself. He would have gotten to level two if he didn’t split his earnings with Opal.

Speaking of his fluffy companion. The guards of the city were completely fine with letting monsters and animals out of the gates, but letting them back in was a whole different story. Tugging on Opal and tried again to explain to the guards that his giant chicken was not a monster.

“Sir I know that Opal may seem like a monster, but she’s just a little big boned.”

“A little big bone that looks too fake to be real, it must be a monster. I can’t let that fluff monster into our city.”

“Sir, Opal is just a chicken, what harm can she do?”

“What harm can she do! Why I’ll tell you what harm she can do!”

“Boys, please. Let’s think about this logically, it's just a chicken.”

“That no chicken, that's a shaggy wolfman in disguise!”

“Chicken wolfman, whatever you look like a guy who’s a little tight on cash, no? Well I recently came into a load of coins and my bag is certainly getting quite heavy. I mean with everyone moving in bread is up to what four silver now? Also if this was a wolfman how long do you think it would last in a city full of restless, hungry, battle crazed travelers? So what harm could this chicken do?” Lilith smoothly spoke, tossing a sack of coins up into the air over and over again.

The guard looked around, then took the sack and moved aside letting the three of them through. Smiling lilith lent over as soon as they were around the corner.

“He's gonna be so mad when he finds out that most of those coins were copper.” Giggling Marlow led Lilith to the small private farming area designated by the city. Coming to a stop as they reached the gate to the gated community.

“So Farm boy have you given any thought to join my guild, I can promise that we can help you blaze through the levels. Show you various quests, hidden areas, and help get you access to gear you might need!”

“Well so far yes I have had a nice day with you and have you help me and Opal out a ton. Could we meet up tomorrow then? What guild is it called?”

“Oh that’s easy were the Hardcores.”

“OH! That’s ehh pretty cool name. I best get going. I'll see you tomorrow. BYE!”

“Bye farm boy.” Lilith waved goodbye as Marlow ran with his chicken in toe through the gate and down the hill to the only house in sight.

“He knows…” Lilith said as soon as the farm boy passed through the door.

“BENSON! BENSON! WE HAVE A PROBLEM!”

“Marlow great to see ya we have some wonderful news!”

“So you know that gang who beat up a little alchemist and chased me down an alleyway. They found me again!”

“You brought them to our home you baboon! Now they know where you sleep! Did you at least get their name lad.”

“I did, they're called the Hardcores.”

“Oh bother, you really did it this time. To think that I was gonna give you your own field to work in, but this! You got yourself into the fire on this one boy! The Hardcores are ruthless in every sense of the word, a certain number of them don’t even feel pain! They were one of the first guilds in the city and have started numerous gang wars with the guard and other guilds! But when their leader was arrested they went underground and rumor has it that he’s free again!” Benson shouted, snuffing out the candle lights and grabbing spare planks under one arm.

“Good thing I sent the others home else they might have been held hostage when they left. MARLOW grab the hammer we need to board up these windows and go put Opal with the other chickens she’ll be safer there then here with us! Then go to your room. UNITL THOSE HARDCORE THUGS LEAVE US ALONE I WANT YOU TO BE NO WHERE NEAR ME, YOU GOT IT.”

In the distance and beyond the gate four hooded people look out at the flammable farm with lanterns in hand. With the green cloak one unlocking the gate.