There are 99 zones within the continent’s borders, the announcer said. Killing a zone boss will unlock benefits to help you survive. Some of these will be crucial if you hope to defeat the final boss.
Continent?
You now have access to your map. Your map will display your current zone, the status of that zone’s boss, and will direct you toward the nearest town and information kiosk.
A large screen appeared to my right. It looked like an old school map you’d find in a classic RPG game. I could make out shapes within the grided screen, but the areas I hadn’t been were fogged over. There were lots of little white triangles on it to mark the surrounding “players.” My triangle was in the center but was gold instead of white. The map had a title at the top boarder that said, “Red Hills.” There was a skull icon next to it. I figured that meant the zone boss was still alive.
Two directional arrows appeared, one on either side of the map. One pointed to a place called “Dune Town” will the other directed me toward an “Information Kiosk.”
Towns will contain various shops and services. These will include craftsmen, smiths, and alchemists who sell valuable equipment. Towns will also provide a place for you to purchase necessary survival supplies, such as food.
My stomach grumbled at that.
Information kiosks will provide you with various tutorials or other useful information about the game. They will also have a roster of all current players and the leaderboard. Simply speak the player’s name at the kiosk, and you will be provided a list of that player’s information.
My pulse quickened at that. If I could find one of these kiosks, could it tell me if Avery was here? And if she was, could it help me find her?
We have one final update to share, but we will deliver that in a day or two. For now, explore, fight, and die horribly. We’ll be back once everyone has got their bearings.
Good luck, and remember to have fun!
The static that’d been buzzing in my ears slowly died, and we stood in the silence for a while, no one sure what to do with the information they’d been given. Well, everyone except for me.
I eyed the arrow pointing toward the kiosk. I had to search for it if there was even a slight chance it could help me find Avery.
While everyone was still wondering what to do with themselves, a new bar appeared below my glitched out MP. It was an XP tracker. Notifications started flashing before my eyes, one after the other. They were dolling out XP for the sand crawler’s I’d killed.
It stopped just before it filled up, but then I got a notification telling me I’d completed a quest. The quest was called “The Glutton and the Ham” and it filled the rest of my bar and then some.
A few other people had notifications giving them XP too, most of them people who helped kill the giant sand crawler. But none of them received XP for completing a quest. Weird.
My level increased from one to two, half the bar to level three filled. A notification appeared telling me I had attribute points to spend. When I mentally activated the notification, a screen appeared detailing my attributes and class.
Mage Lv.2
- Focus: +3
- Arcane: +3
- Mana Regeneration: +5%
Skills and Spells
- Fireball [Lv.1]
- Bubble [Lv.1]
- Grimoire Roulette [Lv.1]
Core Attributes
Strength: 4
Dexterity: 2
Constitution: 6
Perception: 4
Focus: 8
Arcane: 6
Notice: You have (3) attribute points to spend.
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Looks like I’ll get three points each level. I applied all my points to arcane, then inspected my new spell since I hadn’t had the chance to look at it without being rushed.
Bubble Lv.1
Tier: D
MP Cost: 10
Cooldown: 10 minutes
Duration: 30 seconds
Magic Type: Nullification
This spell surrounds you with a protective shell. This shell will pop after receiving any damage from a physical attack, but that attack will be completely nullified.
Warning: This spell cannot negate attacks of Tier C or higher.
Looking at it now, I felt a little less bothered that I’d picked Mage instead of Elementalist. At least this spell could potentially get me out of a tight spot, even if it was limited.
With all the excitement dying down, people started to congregate. Most still looked scared out of their minds, others just looked lost. A few, like Michael and Darren, were trying to organize people.
“What will you do now?” Vinessa asked as she walked up, her daughter beside her.
I could still see everyone’s class names hovering above their heads, but the text was fading, soon to vanish entirely. Vinessa had picked Druid while her daughter was something called a Shadowcaster. Michael was a Squire and Darren was an Archer. Most others had a class I could at least somewhat tell the function of, but there was one guy that’d picked a class called “Flesh Angler.” I had no idea what that was supposed to be.
“I’m going to look for my sister,” I eventually answered. “That kiosk might be able to help me.”
“We’re heading for the town.” She looked around at the scattered and desperate survivors, a deep frown on her face. “Most of us are going, if I had to guess.”
I could see why. There was still over twenty people in the clearing, and most hadn’t had anything to eat or drink. A search party the day before had found some food and water in luggage containers and boxes out in the woods, but that’d gone fast. My own throat was parched, but I could last a while longer. Had to.
“Are you really going to leave us?” Lyra asked.
Something small pinched my chest as I looked into her sad eyes. “I have to,” I said. Then I opened my inventory and pulled my backpack out. “Here,” I said, handing one of my protein bars to Vinessa. “For her.”
“Thank you,” she said, handing the bar off to her daughter. “But are you certain about this? At least with us you won’t be alone.”
I was used to being alone.
But even if I wasn’t, it was clear two groups were forming. Most gathered at one end of the clearing, ready to try for the town. A significantly smaller number formed on the opposite end, these people poised to search for the kiosk.
“I’ll be alright,” I said with much more confidence than I actually felt. “Just make sure to watch that one, okay?” I nodded at Lyra.
“Of course.” Vinessa tugged on Lyra’s arm. The girl started to protest, then she rushed forward and hugged me.
“I don’t want you to go,” she said, squeezing me tighter. She sniffled, tears in her eyes. “Please.”
I gritted my teeth, the urge to go with them almost overpowering. But then I pushed it aside and gave her a hesitant pat on the back. I stepped away as her mother pulled her close.
“I’m sorry,” Vinessa said, Lyra crying into her mother’s sleeve.
Looking at them reminded me of things I’d rather forget, so I turned. “Be safe,” I said before I walked away.
I could hear Lyra struggle with her mother as I headed toward the woods, but it was better this way. People around me had a bad habit of dying. And in this place, I didn’t need any extra distractions.
Doing my best to clear my head, I walked along the forest’s edge. It didn’t take long for me to reach my destination.
This edge of the clearing was stained dark red. Bits of armor and cloth littered the ground, the forest beyond full of broken branches and churned sand. The monsters had left nothing behind. Not even a single strip of flesh or shard of bone punctuated the sand. But then I focused, shapes coming into view.
Boxes.
Despite being devoured in their entirety, it seemed inventory boxes didn’t disappear with their owners. I searched through the horde quickly, finding nothing but empty box after empty box. But that bastard from last night had to be loaded with potions. He’d given me eight, which by his own admission was less than half. But even after I triple checked, none of the inventories had anything inside them.
Maybe they carried him into the woods, then ate him? But I couldn’t see any more bloodstains deeper in. If they carried him off to eat later, they’d gone far. Or maybe he’s still alive. But that wasn’t possible.
Right?
“I heard you’re not coming with us,” Michael said from behind, nearly making me jump.
I was worried he was about to start asking me to go with them, but then he shoved a bundle of clothes into my hands.
“What is this?” I asked, inspecting the blue robe.
He looked a little pale when he spoke. “I found this in my inventory after I woke up. Darren and I have traded items already, so I know people can’t just open your inventory without your consent.” He looked at the boxes on the ground. “Well, while you’re alive at least.”
There were a pair of muddy boots wrapped up in the center of the robe. I realized with a shock they’d belonged to the looter. They’d been sucked off his feet when the creature grabbed him.
“So you have no idea who gave you this?” He nodded, then reached down and pulled a short stick out of his inventory.
“This was in there too,” he said. “Along with a note.”
There was a cold tingle in my gut as the stick extended itself, forming a full-length staff, the tip ending in a white crystal.
“What did the note say?” I asked, chest tight.
Michael hesitated for a second. “I want you to know I’m not making any of this up.” Then he pulled a slip of paper out of his inventory.
I snatched the paper from him, then stared down.
The only thing written on it was a name.
My name.
“What the fuck,” I mumbled.
“Yeah, I know.” Michael glanced over his shoulder. “Freaked me out too.”
I looked at the staff, the robe, realizing who they’d belonged to. “The old man.”
Michael scrunched his eyebrows at that.
I gave him a brief description of the guy, but Michael just looked more and more confused.
“The dude shooting lightning at the sand crawlers? You walked right by him, remember?”
Michael frowned, deep and heavy. “Are you alright?” He said, looking at my eyes, then my lips. “You’re dehydrated, maybe you should—”
“Quit fucking with me,” I said, dropping the robe and stepping closer.
He raised his arms, palms out. “I’m not messing with you. When I got up, that stuff was in my inventory. I don’t know how it got there.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about,” I half yelled. “Yesterday, before the big crawler attacked, did you see an old man beside me or not?”
Michael didn’t say anything.
“Answer me, damn it!”
He looked me right in the eyes, and my heart dropped into my stomach.
“There was no one there but you.”