"Well then Winn, you don't look or act like you're from around here, so if you are really aiming to be an Adventurer guess you coming all this way is proof of that. Looks like I'll be remembering you once you get famous" Her smile left me a little stunned if I'm being honest.
Moments like these make it easy for anyone to forget that they're just A.I., still. For someone with little to no human contact in my daily life, this was definitely something new.
Though RPGs are great precisely because you can play any part, so I don't plan on playing my regular self, not here.
"Well, then I'll be in your care from now on" taking her hand and climbing up onto the carriage.
"Your relationship with this character has improved" For some reason seeing that prompt had me feeling quite flush, but not for long as I prepared myself for what was to come.
It wasn't long before we were heading out of the gates towards a quaint homestead nearby a surprisingly cold lake.
The closer we drew the chiller it felt, with them surprised by the feature of the lake. Bo noted that it's been that way for four days but he wasn't sure why.
With the group having arrived at the house, they introduced themselves with Lucy giving me a heads up on what to expect and even offering the barn for me to rest in.
Sleep in the game always felt weird, in the same way drinking a cup of coffee doesn't give you all that much of a boost over a nap in the real world, sleep in the game doesn't compare to the real thing.
Still, the act offered a temporary resting bonus for your character allowing an increase of 10% to level progression for 12 hours.
Getting woken up by Lucy meant a set of objectives were now available.
Simple Life Quest: Objectives
Plough 300 yards of land. Harvest 50 snow apples. Collect 10 lost sheep. Shear 10 bundles of fleece. Catch 3 fish from the lake.
"There's a lot of work for a simple life" a comment that brought a smile to her as I brushed the hay off me and prepared for the day.
Spending the day toiling in the hot sun made me wish for a boss fight or something to break up the monotony but no such luck.
The only thing to ease the struggle was the prompts of an increasing relationship with the NPCs as I completed task after task.
Shearing the last of the sheep meant the day was already at an end, with only a day left for the completion of the Membership Quest.
I tried to get only the rest I needed, though the day wore me out enough that sleep took me until finally letting go in the early morning.
While waiting for the sun to rise for a new day, I finally started allocating my points.
Having moved into Level 1 through all the work and surprisingly enough interactions.
I finally had enough points to add to strengthen myself.
By the time Lucy called me to help her with the last of the Quest, I felt good to go.
Race: ??. Class: Sword-Wielder Level: 1 HP: 120 MP: 70 Blessing:? Vitality: 14 Strength: 18 Agility: 22 Endurance: 17 Intelligence: 13 Dexterity: 22 Wisdom: 14 Luck: 0
One thing had been bothering me from the moment I left the barn. I noticed that even though I had reached Level 1 I couldn't access my Blessing let alone how to use it and even now I still can't find any description for it.
Blessings are unique traits that are tied to a unique character and are only accessible to them. They cannot be learned, altered, removed or traded.
They are random and as such, no two players can have the same Blessings. However, due to their nature, the appearance of utterly useless and purely unbalanced Blessings is quite common and it's generally the belief that the top players were the ones that managed to get their hands on a broken Blessing.
The only information I could get was that it was a passive-type Blessing.
When we got to the lake, Lucy managed to snap me out of my thoughts by pointing at the unfrozen part of the lake.
We walked over and she passed me a rod, and there we spent most of the morning and afternoon...as the final catch marked an end to the experience.
Getting ready to leave in the late afternoon, Lucy was off some of the fish while I waiting for her to cast and draw the line
While Lucy was starting to pack everything up, I went over to her spot to draw the line she had cast earlier. After the sun had started setting, the number of fish biting was lessening. But happy with everything we had done for the day, it seemed like it might have been time to head back to the homestead
Moving over to grab the fishing rod, it felt as though it was caught on something, taking a bit of force to reel it in, until through grit teeth and a hearty cry, I finally pried it loose from its bounds.
Pulling back, a shiny object landed beside her, catching Lucy's attention after noticing the strange object while the waters suddenly grew colder.
With the shape of something inside the water growing larger and larger at the centre of the lake, the surface was finally breached by an enormous Serpent covered in pale and shimmering snow-coloured scales towering above as the surroundings were covered in a layer of frost.
"That thing! Here?" I was surprised, though I couldn't have been too naïve in thinking some of the parts of the game would stay the same, still, the sight of the Pale Serpent was no joke.
The beast was strong enough to kill a skilled player with relative ease using its passive Frost Effect, let alone its other abilities and attacks, something that was hard to ignore when standing in front of the creature.
The creature spotted its stolen scale. Letting out a blast of cold wind that froze over the rest of the lake before knocking them over. Bracing against the freezing winds, once I looked up I saw a prompt:
"Chromatic Beast: Pale Serpent. Level 12"
"Due to the difference in your level, you are advised against confrontation"
"Pfff. You really think I'd try to fight something like this, seriously why is it even here" I found myself yelling in frustration. But what else could I do? The idea that one of the most dangerous enemies on the continent was now towering over me had my mind racing.
With a hiss of frozen mist, the Serpent turned against them wanting its scale back. Moving over the frozen water, the beast slithered towards Lucy would be too frightened to move.
'Dammit...dammit dammit dammit' protesting against all my reasoning and better judgement, I began sprinting towards her, as I tried to call out to her. If I turned around, I may have a chance to get out of its range and maybe de-aggro it but…
New Quest: Cold and Slow Death
Survive the assault of the Pale Serpent and reach safety.
'Why is one of them here?'
I couldn't understand why the game thought I had a chance against this creature, but holding in my words I moved against it.
Rushing Lucy who still had the scale, the creature cornered her while she stumbled back, knocking over their supplies as she struggled towards the cart. Before the beast slammed its tail between her and the road pushing her back to the lake.
It ignored me, trying to help her, I drew my iron sword though I had my doubts about its durability, as I tried to go for the softest spot, only managing to slash against it as the tough flesh repelled any penetrations.
The edge of the blade sparked each time it met the scales, but I wasn't trying to hurt it. As long as I could get its attention, I knew we may have a chance. Leaping onto its hide and running along it, I could see the beast drawing near to her.
But I also had something else that caught my eye.
With enough tries, I caught its attention as it readied its Frost Breath, I called Lucy to toss me the scale and for her to run back to the farm.
Doing so got her to a safe distance just the beast whipped the cart into splinters as it tried to bite at me. The attack threw her to the wayside while I tried to hide behind the creature's massive body, as the blast of frost shot out of its mouth and showered the entire scene.
In a last-ditch effort, I clutched the scale against the blast…
"You are inflicted with the Frost Effect. You have taken additional damage"
"Frost Effect has affected your overall stats. You will receive a de-buff for a limited time"
Race: ??. Class: Sword-Wielder Level: 1 HP: 60 MP: 70 Blessing:? Vitality: 14(-10) Strength: 18 Agility: 22(-10) Endurance: 17(-10) Intelligence: 13 Dexterity: 22(-10) Wisdom: 14 Luck: 0
While my HP had dropped and my muscles had stiffened and trembled uncontrollably, the cold had washed over me but it hadn't zeroed me out.
Whatever that scale was made of meant I was still alive though I wouldn't be able to take more of those hits, the cracks in running through the scale were proof of that.
When it slithered its head about, I started to rush around it with it thrashing against the ice, I was thankful for the points I put into agility and endurance despite the status effects from its breath I still had the advantage in speed though it won't mean much if I take another hit like that.
Leaping past its gaping mouth, the object of interest presented itself once more.
"That scale must have come from there. That explains why you're so pissed, I'd be too if someone ripped off one of my scales" Sliding beneath its tail that swept over me, slamming into the ice shelf near the banks of the lake.
Each time I drew near to the beast's body, I struck at the same opening.
Cleaving away the flesh little by little until the moment the scale fractured from the cold, I took a chance and plunged the sword deep into the Serpent's wound, bracing the cold of its attack. I drove my blade into its flesh as it continued to thrash around, almost throwing me off, I could only hold on for so long.
Though the moment my eyes met those of the beast, I could tell it was readying another blast. With me being so high up, the fall damage would most certainly kill me.
"No! If you want to kill, you'll have to try harder" Using the last of the strength I could muster I drove the blade into the wound with a powerful kick, sending me flying away from the beast towards the frozen lake when the beast let out its powerful breath attack.
The intense chill washed over its body, with the rime entering the wound and exploding as a massive shard of ice from out of its body.
With the spray of blood showering my freezing body the growing ice was steaming away with the Serpent falling alongside me into the lake, cracking the ice with its gaping mouth.
Lucy returned with her father and cousins shocking everyone around while the sound of the prompt helped to keep my head above water, as they dragged me onto the shore:
Quest Complete: Adventurer Membership
Reward: Bronze Rank and Transport Key
Quest Complete: A Simple Life
Reward: 6 bronze pieces
Quest Complete: A Cold and Slow Death
Rewards:
Rimed Serpent Fangs(x4) Rimed Serpent Scales(x12) Title: The Sword of Winter
"After slaying a Frost Chromatic Beast that is significantly stronger you have developed a taste for battle. You will now gain additional EXP when fighting stronger foes. A bonus will be offered when facing serpentine and draconic foes. With the chance of acquiring a unique skill after slaying a Chromatic Beast of the Frost Affinity"
Skill gained: Frost Effect Level 1(Active: 1-minute cooldown)
"Cool the area around you to freeze your target of Level 5 or weaker. Stronger enemies cannot be frozen"
Skill gained: Frost Resistance Level 1(Passive)
"You now have a greater natural immunity to the Frost Affinity status effect"
Skill gained: Spear of Glacias Level ??(??)
"You must reach Level 12 to access this skill"
Level Up —> Level 6. Derived Class Selection is now available.