“Whoa! What’s a high level player doing here?” Someone whispered on the side with their friends.

“Omg I want to be like him”

“Damn….”

“So cool! Let’s aim to be like him!”

“Is he a warrior?

“Look at that armor!”

“Please nerf!”

With my nose tall, I walk with my straighten back towards the magical shop. With my awareness skill I could hear the noobs nearby chat about someone. I grinned. It felt awesome. I proudly puffed my chest and walked on the soft snow that melted with each step.

Skill nameSkill RankLevelSkill ExperienceAwarenessBeginner420%Increases the chances to detect the abnormality in the surroundingsLeveled up to beginner 4

But soon after I fell on my knees. Touching the cold snow with my bare hands, I shudder with my heavy head down. It wasn’t me they were talking about… It was the general of Winter’s Hold.

“MAKE WAY!” A soldier said, pushing those at front of the large carriage away to the side.

A few seconds later, the troops of soldiers and the carriage vanished around a corner. As I could feel the breeze blow by me with my knees on the snow… Standing up, face burning, I walked towards the magical shop at front of me.

Looking at the girl at front of the counter flustered about my actions. I stood fiercely at front of her that even the snow around me started to melt. Taking out a amulet with the decoration of a royalty I handed it over with both of my hands to the blue haired kawaii girl as I stared towards the snow below me. “Please take it”

“Huh, but… I can’t, I already…. Have...” she stood there confused about what to do.

Skill nameSkill RankLevelSkill ExperienceDeceptiveBeginner351%You have a higher chance to deceive your opponentsDeceptive leveled up to beginner 3

“Take it” I forcefully gave it to her.

Items acquiredUnknown AmuletArmor Type:AmuletPhysical Defense:UnknownDurability:17/20Magical Defense:UnknownUsage restriction:UnknownUnknownUnknown

“Identify it for me, please!”

“Oh…Right… You tease…” she muttered.

“That’ll be 10 silver”

Amount of Money leftTotal: 9 Gold, 46 Silver, 31 Copper

As I watch the cute wizard do her work inside the depth of the store for a while, I rested my chin on my hands with the help of the counter. She soon after went back to the front with the news.

“...”

Huh? Why so quiet… “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t Identify it… The grade is too high, you’ll have to talk with one of my masters in the bigger cities” She said depressed.

“I don’t have any master Identify scrolls either…” She said with a sulk...

HUH? AAhh… This explains why those trio had a unknown amulet… Well at least I increased my skills, heh…

“It’s okay” I felt her warm cheek that could remove any cold.

Her green eyes glimmered towards me… Is that high expectation I see?

“Train to become someone to succeed your masters one day…. And one day you... Wouldn’t need to feel like a cute NOOB”

“SMACK!”

I fell backwards onto the cobblestone with a puddle of water… Trying to reach with my hands… My 10 silvers… The world turned pitch black… I got knocked…

You have been lightly knocked out cold… Wait for 5 minutes ingame or 1 minute if someone places you on the bed.

One minute later...

Staring at the unknown ceiling, I scrubbed my hair. Where am I? Have I been taken hostage? With a heavy feeling lingering on my body, I tried to look around.

Ah, the same style like the wizard’s shop…

Huh, this pleasant fragrance nearby… Where does it come from…

Turning my head to the other side… I could see… “Teddy bear panties…”

“SMACK!”

You have been lightly knocked out cold… Wait for 5 minutes ingame or 1 minute if someone places you on the bed.

One minute later…

Staring at the blue hair at front of the ceiling that made my skin tingle. I could see the green eyes that looked at me flustered.

“I’m sorry! I thought you were around level 30! To think you are level 1 with those kinds of stats”

Huh… Ah, damn.... She identified me with a scroll… It’s vital information you know….

“It’s okay…” I embraced the warm body that soothed my heavy feeling. Forced her to the bed as I laid there with her on top of me, she turned away, face bright red in heat...

I asked “Can I at least have my money back?”

“SMACK!”

Constantly knocked by a much higher level, you have gained the skillKnock out resistance - beginner 1You have a higher chance of not being knocked in battle

“Heh… Thank you...”, pushing her soft body to the right side of the bed. I stood up and waved her goodbye as I walked out to what I believe is the entrance out.

…

Sigh… It’s nearly 16:00… Shouldn’t Douglas be here soon? Argh.. A snowstorm is also coming soon… I can feel the breeze!

As I sat near the guards post next to the gate… I waited as players and npcs passed my vision while I stared at the icy fountain, near the old man’s house.

After a while, a guard blocked my vision.

Huh.. Rude!

“Adventurer, anything I could help you with?”

Oh… Nevermind..

“Ah, not really. I am waiting for my friend to pass by with the wagon so that I can return to the lumber mill.”

“Oh you mean Douglas the Lumberjack? Good news, the wagons that has left had no Douglas on them”

“Really?”

“Yeah, but there was this weird event when someone said Tom & Jerry Go! And it took them a while to move through the gates… I thought they were the new workers hired by Douglas, so we let them pass”

Hmm, suspicious… “Thanks guardsmen! keep up the good work!”

“Heh, anyways, a storm is coming, so be carefull if you head out later if you don’t have a shelter”

“Thanks” Not that I didn’t already know, ehehehe…

Okay… Now I know that someone stole his wagon together with the Oxes… The problem is the hint about the time it took to move through the gates… Were the oxes disobedient or just slow? Or was it because they only listen to their master aka Douglas, which was somehow hidden on the wagon and was forced to tell them to walk or not…

I need more clues… No… I need help.

...

“Knock”, “Knock”, “Knock”

“Shrieking noise of door”

“Oh! If it isn’t the adventurer! Ah nice armor and I have heard good news also!” He smiled with delight.

Interrupting him I said “Yeah, but I also have bad news”

“Oh… uh, come in!”

Sitting on the chair once again with the warm fireplace bathing over me. I glanced at the old man.

“Do you know where Douglas is?”

“Uh… Shouldn’t he be at the lumber mill right now?”

Huh? “ Douglas told me he had to report to the major?”

“What?! This is a first, he usually reports to me and I would report back to the major…”

Ah shit… “Thanks old man, I think I understand the situation now”

“Wait! Do you know what has happened to Douglas?” He said flustered.

“Yeah, he is missing, someone also stole his wagon with the Oxes, he is either outside somewhere or inside the town.”

“What?!” He stood up, angered and made the couch fall over. “I’ll try talk to my superiors, but because of the large troops sent out with the general, I could probably only get them to send a search party inside the town”

“Good enough, I’ll go outside and search for him”

“May he be safe” He prayed.

…