The air is virtual. My lungs are virtual. The world around me is virtual. I know all this, but I take in a long, drawn breath after the long pause where I totally forgot to breathe. My eyes dart from buildings to people to the streets to more buildings and more people. I live in a large city and understand sensory overload, but this is something else. This is a new world, with thousands of new things to experience. I let myself wander around the streets of Kes Rentas, walking slowly and taking in everything. It smells like dirt, rust, and a myriad of bodily oders. It smells like an old city, like ones found in Europe, but much older. The majority of people milling about are human or mainly human, with a good mix of Elves and Dwarves. There are some Halflings, some Gnomes, and few Faunus. I don't see any Inferni, Celestials, Giants, or Half-Orcs this early in the day, but that might change later.

There is the unmistakable low noise of chatter, like a rustling of many leaves. Trying to pick out specific conversations would be as futile as picking out which leaf is making which noise. Sometimes, though, with a loud or distinct enough voice you catch snippits.

"…pay me enough to go east of the city. Its way too dangerous…"

"…to Carneus, the God of the kitchen, that you can find the best grilled food in the city at the Blue Oak Stand…"

"…No! I would never date any guy that attends the academy! Stuck up…"

"…how much for that sword?! I could've found it for half…"

"…the newest style in Coronus…"

I find the stand that specializes in grilled meat on a stick. There are a few options and I settle on wolf. I take a bite before sitting at a communal table. Wolves must be abundant enough to be sold as food here. Or they're just delicious!

[Buff gained! SP Regen +1 per second for the next 40 minutes]

And it cost me five copper, leaving me with twenty in my storage. Maybe I can try cooking it out there on the road. I observe my Heads Up Display while I continue eating. There's a small, skinny red HP bar, blue MP bar, and yellow SP bar. Below them, is a tiny translucent plus sign which I assume is the food buff.

I summon my menus and browse through the player options. The screen isn't transparent enough to walk and view at the same time so I'm glad I'm spared the embarrassment of messing that up in front of others. There's a map option and I check it out.

A map of Kes Rentas appears before me. Its a sprawling city with imposing stone walls surrounding it. I zoom out and it pulls back to show a tinier, less detailed

version of Kes Rentas in the middle of a large clearing and that clearing surrounded by woods. To the west, there is a mountain range. To the south, there are fields for farming and scattered huts. To the east, the forest is pushing back against the clearing. Everything else is black out, like an ocean of shadows.

I finish up breakfast and find a place for my empty skewer. Back to wandering. Earlier, I noticed on the map where the barracks, academy, and guild are, but I'm not interested in them. I find a stern looking guard eyeing a suspicious group of people and clear my throat. "Pardon, sir. Would you be able to tell me what lies to the east of the city?"

He sneers at me and with a voice tempered by constant yelling he growls, "Gypsies, the lot of them. You must be one of the new Travellers if'n you don't know about them. What's yer interest in them, then?"

Damn, I was hoping for a dungeon. "Oh, well, I was just hoping for a good place to train."

He scoffs, "I heard you lot were reckless. Why dont you join the military? You could really help us out in our war effort."

That sounds like a quest line I don't want to be a part of, I'm not trying to save the world.

"I'll think about it. What about equipment and supplies? Where can I pick some up?"

"I'll just mark it on your map, it'd take too much time to sit and jaw about it." I bring it up and as he touched parts of it he leaves behind two little green dots.

"Thank you sir, you've been most helpful. Have you tried the wolf at the Blue Oak Stand?"

"Not yet, heard its good." I pass him five copper coins and he arches his eyebrow at me.

"Lunch is on me."

[Reputation +75 with Reginald Coals]

[Reputation increased to Acquainted]

"I like you, Traveler, call me Reggie. I'll be seeing you. Gotta catch up to those other Travellers that just joined the thieves guild…" his steps are hurried, but not a full run.

Did he just power walk away from me? Wait, those people were players? I couldn't even tell the difference between them and the NPCs. Anyway, I head over to the closest green dot. I put the map away and a little transparent, gold arrow appears a little lower than the center of my vision. I follow it to Mika's Item Shop.

While walking I look up how the reputation system works. In its most broken down form it's just a way to show how the NPCs will treat you. From the lowest grade to highest, you're Hated, Despised, Distrusted, Neutral, Aquainted, Liked, Respected, Loved, and finally Worshipped. The tiers are based on a point system, but they can be misleading. Just like real people with differing personalities, the way the NPCs are going to act on each level will vary greatly.

I almost shoulder a half-elf walking out of the store but move a half step over just in time. He glances down at me, then at something above me. It must be my name because I see his too. It's Richter!

"Dude!" we fist bump, "You look exactly the same in game!"

I rub my face, "I know. I ran out of time doing everything else in the designer."

I give a light laugh but he practically guffaws, "I know, right! I think if I didn't pick Half-Elf I'd look the same too! You joining any of the big groups?"

I shake my head, "Nah. I don't really get along with organizations like that. What about you?"

"I'm thinking about the thieves guild. Seems like the best place to gain some XP, money, and rare items."

"True. You heading there now?"

"Not yet. They only accept recruits at level 5. So, now I'm going west to level up."

"Nice. Alright, good luck, Richter."

"You too, dude."

"Oh! Add me to your friend list?"

"Hell yeah!"

We exchange info and his name becomes the first on my list. We part ways and I enter the store. The smell is like a mix of cleaning products, herbs, and fruit. I know they don't use the first thing, but its what comes to my mind from such a strong aroma.

A gruff, older woman's voice snaps me out of my thoughts, "Stupid Travellers, breaking my bottles!"

I look at the source, sweeping glass off the floor, "Do you need a hand, Miss?" She snaps up and looks at me in confusion. With her short stature and light, grey stubble I can see she's of dwarven descent.

"You? Wanna help me?" the words come at me more as a threat than a question.

"Only if you'd let me?" I respond, unsure of what I was supposed to say.

Her stare can melt ice, but it breaks into a short laugh, "I like you, boy. Not many would give old Mika a hand, only demands and complaints."

[Reputation +5 with Mika Rainbarrel]

[Reputation increased to Neutral]

Just neutral? Where was I before that? "I got this mess here under control, but if'n yer willing to help I got a task for you."

[Minor Quest Received: Make a delivery

[Deliver some potions for Mika to a secret location.

[Reward: 30XP, 15C, 1*Minor Health Potion]

"And where am I going with this?" I ask scratching my head.

"Bring up your map, you half-wit immortal." I do so and she points to a spot on my map far to the east of the city in the middle of the woods. Even zooming in, all I see is forest.

"But there's nothing there?"

"Exactly. Now, don't go telling no one you got a quest from me. Elsewise, I'll be swamped with idiots looking for a handout." She shows me a small crate of potions and I store it in my bracelet. Mika grabs something from behind the counter, "Here, I'll give you this now so you can survive the trip. Once you complete your quest you'll automatically be given your reward." She hands me the small glass bottle of red liquid.

[You received 1*Minor Health Potion]

From its description I see that it heals 20HP. Nice! And a Quest that gives a third of the XP I need to level up? Great!

"Alright, is there anything else I need to know before I go?"

"Just tell 'em old Mika sent you. Do well, and we can keep in touch!" She winks her eye and I suppress a shudder. Some guys dig Dwarves, but not this guy. "It'll be a couple days travel, at least, and the monsters you'll face might not pose a challange one on one, but don't let them gang up on you."

"You think I can get any equipment or anything for fifteen bronze?" Her face scrunches up with disgust, "It's all I have left!"

Shes shakes her head, “Yer best bet is to kill some monsters, sell some loot, and save up for something good. I highly doubt you'll find any more Quests at your level in this city anyway." I feel my face twist with a question but she beat me to it, "Analyze Feat. It helps me in making my consumables and such. It works a little on people, too. Now, get outta here. Travel during the day and try to hide at night, not all the monsters sleep at night. Good luck, traveler." I say my thanks and head out.

I make my way to the east gate and my steps slow as I cross the threshold. I can see the woods from this distance and they cast an imposing view. I take a deep breath to calm my nerves, "Alright, let's get this adventure started!"

No sooner did those words escape my lips than a Half-Orc player rushes past me, holding a hand-and-a-half sword high above their head. They swing the sword like a mad man, running towards a large boar rooting the trees at the border of the clearing. I keep up a walking pace, watching the whole scene play out.

The boar notices him way before they can confront each other and charges in reply. They make contact at the exact same moment, the sword barely digging into the boar's thick hide and the boar's large tusk impaling the player's torso. I hear a grunt and gurgle as the player rears back his sword for another blow.

"Power Strike!" His sword shimmers a pale yellow as he splits the boar in half. It dies, lingering for only a few seconds; the game's clean up system clears it away leaving behind a small pouch with a small, floating screen above it. The brash fighter grasps his wound and shuffles away without checking the pouch. Really? I approach the pouch and try to access the menu.

It works!

[You received 1* boar's hide, 2* boar meat]

Hey, another man's trash, right? I hear the half-orc fighting something deeper in the woods. He croaks out half of his skill's name before grunting in pain. A victorious howl follows his silence. Poor guy. He just lost most of the XP he got from the boar. I originally intended to move as silently as I could through the woods, but without a stealth skill, I'd probably be better off being more observant.

There are no pre-treaded paths so my pace is leisurely through the brush and trees. I spot a bright red plant, the same color as the health potion and wonder, withdrawing the dagger from my bracelet. It reminds me of a large mint plant, but red. I slice off a few leaves the size of my palm, leaving the plant some so it can be replenished.

[You received: 3* Red Herb]

[Level up! Alchemist +1]

I'm shocked. Another Artisan Class right of the bat? Was it because of the way I did it? Well, if it's not broke, don't fix it! A trickle of information drips into my head concerning the herbs. It takes a lot of these Red Herbs in order to make a potion, but I'm not sure of anything else specifically except the leaves do a bit of healing themselves. With the next Red Herb plant I do the same, but there isn't an extra notification.

[Received: 4* Red Herb]

I try not to keep my head down searching for the plants, even though it's become a sort of game. I would like to know if I can level up Alchemy again by picking plants, but I'm pretty sure I would have to pick a ton. I glance down and up again, catching a boar stopping in its tracks to stare at me.

"Hello lunch," I grin, the boar charging me through its clearing. I yell out, "Critical Stab!" Simultaneously, I side step it and jab at it's midsection with the dagger.

[You deal 20 pierce damage!]

The boar is visibly weakened by the attack, limping an uneasy u-turn. My Stamina is spent (3/13SP) and I have to wait 8 seconds before it starts to regenerate. I lunge forward and drive the dagger into its ear before it can make a complete turn.

[Vital spot! You deal 16 pierce damage]

[You defeated: Forest Boar

[You received: 3XP]

What the…? Three? 3XP? That's it? I would have to grind about forty of these boars to reach level 2! Is that why we're given a year to reach level 100? This is going to be a long and crazy road if I can't grind for XP. Wait, Mika's quest gives me 30XP and it's classified as a Minor Quest. That's grossly disproportionate!

Or is it on purpose? Maybe this way we have to interact with the world they created. Guess I'm going to have to get more quests to find out. I pick up some more meat and another hide. Alright, maybe a few more and I'll break for lunch.

Several hours later, my twelfth boar lay evaporating at my feet, its loot bag contents added to my inventory.

[Warning: Storage Bracelet at 90% capacity]

Oops. I guess the boar hides and meat take up a lot of space. They don't always drop such trophies and sometimes they drop tusks, of which I currently I have three. I find a nice little clearing and set up a small fire pit, half sunk in the dirt. I throw in some sticks and tinder. Using my skill to create a spark, the pit easily caught fire and I let the sticks burn for a while. I skewer some pieces of the boar and jam the empty end into the dirt, letting the meat hang over the fire. The sun is already starting to set and I'm only at (42/100XP) for the next level.

I wonder how everyone else is doing. I wonder where Dawn is and what she's up to. I check my in game clock and realize that even though it's almost been a full day here, its only been six hours IRL. Just before I can grab one of the sticks, I jerk my hand back and watch a sharp, yellow set of fangs clamp down on my dinner, tearing it apart with rapid shakes of its grey maw. I was wondering when one of these things would show up.

I draw my dagger and whisper, "Critical Stab" causing it to glow yellow.