We found ourselves in a huge cavern, with purple light-emitting mushrooms enlightening it.

In the centre, a big lake surrounded by small houses, in big stones simply put one over the others, a little bit like an igloo.

The atmosphere was very different from the one in Offenburg: the sun couldn’t be seen, impossible to say what hour it is; characters present were either undead, then quiet, either occult adepts, then quiet mages.

The feeling of quietness and calm could be sensed, noises reverberated inside the cave, like footsteps, or sometime few disturbing people talking together.

An old man with few long white hair was watching us, under his green question mark.

The quest instructor!

“You two, there, come, I need you…”

“Yes?”

“You came to help the village, isn’t it? If you do as I say, you will be well rewarded.”

It’s at this step that I stopped in Offenburg, because of Gandock.

“Jules, we absolutely need to fulfil these quests, they are easy, quick, and allow us to get the minimum equipment, and also to understand where we are.”

“It’s what I wanted to do. We accept your request, we wish to help the village.”

“It’s a good thing… Go look for 10 luminescent mushrooms each, from outside this cavern. Take the tunnel at the bottom, and bring back what we need to get enlightened!”

Main quest 1: Finish the tutorial / next step. (Peasant)

The village is enlightened with luminescent mushrooms. Like electric bulbs, at a certain moment, they stop working. Go look for new ones so that the village can operate well!

Quest advancement state: 0/10 luminescent mushrooms

Difficulty: G

Reward: +25XP

***

The tunnel was quite dark, simply enlightened from place to place by very small purple mushrooms, too little to be picked.

The ground was uneven, with many little stones on which it’s possible to stumble.

Although it’s so dark, we could see as in full light day because undead have an incredible night vision.

Just as real cats!

In a small crevasse, on the wall, a stronger purple light than the others was emitting intermittently.

“Be cautious, Jules, there are dark slimes that run in. They eat the luminescent muschrooms. They are very weak, but they can fight anyway.”

“Very well, let’s fight! This one won’t eat our mushrooms, isn’t it?”

Too late.

Before we arrived, the light went off, the slime ate it.

A slime?

A gelatinous creature, round, without eyes or ears visible, no nose either, just an opening for the mouth.

This one is completely black and eats mushrooms.

“Scan!”

Black Slime

Health point : 10/10

Well… this scan is not vey useful…

“Attack!”

The slime reacted to my punch by jumping on me.

The impact didn’t hurt, but I moved back anyway.

“Ice shards!”

At the very moment the spell touched the slime, it deflated as a burst balloon, leaking on the ground a black liquid and leaving behind him a purple mushroom.

XP+1

“We get less than with the dummy…”

“That’s why we had to do the tutorial. Take the mushrooms, you are stronger than me.

“And how do I do, I have no bag.”

“Hum… I don’t know, put them in your skirt?”

***

« Scan ! »

Luminescent mushroom

State : 78/100

Scan Level up !

After having used the scan, HP or state of your target will stay over it.

Don’t feel as if you can’t use it again!

Not bad, I didn’t think it would happen.

An occult adept and a zombie with a big bump on the back where walking in the corridor, hunting black slimes and collecting mushrooms.

The mushroom base is sticky, so if I just put it on a part of my body, it won’t fall.

And it’s filled with twenty mushrooms on my back that we came back to the quest instructor.

“Oh, I see you have the mushrooms! Thank you very much! Put them here!”

Quest finished: you brought back the luminescent mushrooms. We will be able to enlighten the place for a little bit longer, here!

+25XP

+1 affinity with undead

+1 affinity with the instructor

+1 in picking

+1 HEA

Congratulations! You finished your first undead quest!

+50XP

+5 affinity with undead

“Truth would be… I’d like you to help once again the community. Can you go get some more luminescent mushrooms, and replace the one that no longer emit?”

“Hey, old pal, how can we transport the mushrooms, and how do we replace them?”

“Hm… I see you don’t have backpack… well, take this.”

You received an old canvas bag.

Capacity : 10L / 1kg

State : 48/100

It’s rather fragile, don’t overuse it!

…this equipment is so decayed...

***

“Do you think we are going to get more interesting quests?”

“Be patient! After having filled a few conditions, you can unlock much better ones! Those that take the time to finish all the quest someone gives usually unlocks some new quests much more difficult!”

“Yes, but right now…”

Right now, we had to: pick mushrooms, replace used mushrooms by new ones, kill some slime that seemed lost and that blocked a corridor, but we don’t know where it goes to, collect algae in the lake, and we are moving stones to fix a house.

“Doing the whole of this helps us understanding how the game works! Picking is a competence for the peasant job; fixing lights is repairing, a handyman job competence; hunting monsters blocking the way is for the hunter job, and as we are moving rocks to fix a house, it’s for the architect job.”

“Yes, yes, anyway… at least, it’s true to say that it’s cool to see the old man happy.”

“True enough, and normally, with the fifth quest, we can unlock new ones more interesting!”

Which was a good thing, we just finished to move the rocks for the second house.

Main quest 1: Finish the tutorial / next step. (Architect)

The village is composed of houses made from big stones. As time passes, rocks fell and it needs some repairs. Just as I say that, there are a few one you can fix!

Quest advancement state: 1/1 stone house

Difficulty: G

Reward: +25XP

It’s time to meet back the instructor.

“Nice! Those houses really needed a renovation! Thank you very much!”

Quest finished: you repaired the houses falling apart. We can put inside again the waxing workshop!

+25XP

+1 affinity with undead

+1 affinity with the instructor

+1 in architect

+1 DEF

“Good! It’s time for me to go to bed! You worked well, guys, see you soon!”

***

As he was saying that, an unexpected event happened.

At about the same time, all the luminescent mushrooms changed from a purple shade to a blue one, quite light.

It’s the day mode in the underworld, in Alter World.

We don’t know what time it is, but for players, at least, it’s possible to know that time passes, and it justifies that NPC close the stores and go to bed…

Going to bed when it’s day outside?

“Undead creatures live during the night, they prefer to sleep during the day. Anyway, it doesn’t change a thing for us, the quest instructor just needs to be woken up!”

“It’s not a problem to wake up a NPC while he’s sleeping?”

“They are here for us, no problem. Look, I will show you.”

And Jean touched the old man shoulder, he jumped.

“Hey! What do you want?”

“You didn’t give us the next quest. Do your job!”

“OK, OK… I give you three quests at once, so do them in the order you wish, and go back when you have finished them. But leave me alone!

Main quest 1: Finish the tutorial / next step. (Archaeologist)

The village has its own shrine for the necros idol. It’s there where you go when you die. Find it!

Quest advancement state: 0/1 shrine found

Difficulty: G

Reward: +25XP

Main quest 1: Finish the tutorial / next step. (Rune engraver)

The village shrine seems more complex than it seems. The name of the one who built it is engraved on it. Find it, and report to the instructor!

Quest advancement state: 0/1 rune deciphered

Difficulty: G

Reward: +25XP

Main quest 1: Finish the tutorial / next step. (Weaver)

There is something lacking on that shrine: a tablecloth. Find one, by any mean!

Quest advancement state: 0/1 tablecloth

Difficulty: G

Reward: +25XP

And the NPC went back to its sleep mode.