The experience gained from the tavernkeeper's quest allowed Ragnar to jump from level 1 to 3. This progress increased his health, mana, and energy by a small amount.

  All the 10 points he gained from the level-ups were still waiting to be allocated between the five basic attributes:

  Strength increased the physical damage caused, but it was also useful for performing tasks that required physical effort.

  Agility increased attack and movement speed.

  Constitution made the avatar more resilient, increasing their hit points, physical and magical defense, as well as resistance to special effects such as poisoning and stunning.

  Magic Power increased the damage and effects of spells, as well as allowing interaction with magical objects if the user had enough points.

  Finally, there was Magic Talent, which reduced mana consumption and spell casting time. For magical classes, this was just as important an attribute as the previous one.

  Already having in mind the type of druid he wanted to be, Ragnar opened the menu with his avatar's information and invested all 10 points into Strength.

  Such a distribution would hardly be carried out by a traditional player, as it was common knowledge, including among the great experts of New Avalon, that the druid was a strictly magical class and, therefore, no points should be spent on any attribute other than Magic Power or Magic Talent.

  Little did they know there was a reason for doing this.

  Investing in strength in the first levels would increase physical damage and allow the use of better weapons at the beginning of the adventure, drastically increasing the avatar's power, as no class starts with a high enough amount of mana and mana regeneration to finish off a powerful enemy using only magic.

  Furthermore, some points in Strength were required for wizards and sorcerers to use high-level staff.

  Ragnar looked at Skiff, who was shaking his head, his short, spiky blond hair barely moving. Realizing he was being watched, Skiff asked, “What’re you going to do now?”

  The druid looked to the left, then to the right and only then replied, “I’m going to do the quest available in this city.”

  “Cool…”

  The hunter's suggestive tone made Ragnar add, “Wanna come along?”

  Skiff nodded in excitement. Ragnar created a group and invited his friend to join so they could complete quests together and share the experience points they earned.

  In the following hours they searched the city for opportunities.

  The first quest came from an exhausted hunter in the lush fields outside Bremer. He asked the two to hunt fifty wild rabbits, which ultimately pissed Skiff off, as he missed half his shots during the hunt due to the animal’s small size and agility.

  Despite being an experienced player and knowing professional hunters who rarely missed a shot, Ragnar didn't reprimand him, knowing how difficult it was to master archery in New Avalon Online. Instead, he gradually gave him tips on how to improve his accuracy.

  “Skiff, try to release the arrow after the rabbit jumps, when it’s about to land on the ground, that way you'll be able to predict its position, and it won't have time to react to your shot.”

  Skiff closed his eyes and took in the hint while around him dozens of players were also hunting in that area.

  “I understand,” he said as he prepared to fire another shot.

  A white rabbit leaped about fifteen meters in front of him. Skiff aimed where he thought it would land, then released the arrow. The little animal's paws touched the grass, its eyes turned to the hunter, but too late, for the next instant the arrow pierced its side, killing it instantly.

  Skiff leaped and shouted in celebration, drawing the attention of the players within a hundred meters. Despite the ridiculousness he'd made of himself, he ignored the disapproving looks and prepared for the next kill.

  “Very good,” Ragnar admitted, not expecting his friend to get it right the first time.

  In total, it took them twenty minutes to kill the rest of the rabbits, and when they were done, they returned to town and reported the success of their mission to the exhausted hunter.

  ***

  Ragnar and Skiff continued completing the quests they found around the city of Bremer. They reached level 5, and as planned, Ragnar invested 5 more points into Strength, while the remaining 5 were distributed between Magic Power and Magic Talent.

  Around noon, they sat on a wooden bench in the central square to discuss what they should do next.

  Eventually, Skiff asked, "Do you want to go now to the sanctuary that woman mentioned?"

  "I need it," Ragnar replied. "It's too good an opportunity to pass up. Normally, it would take days for a druid to gain access to a sanctuary. There, I'll be able to purchase high-quality equipment, rare items, spells, and, who knows, perhaps another special quest."

  "Can I come along?" Skiff asked, scratching the back of his neck. "It's just... I'm curious about this sanctuary."

  “You can, but I don't know if they'll accept someone who isn't a druid.”

  “Seriously? Oh, fuck it, I'll wait for you outside.”

  “It's up to you…,” said Ragnar, somewhat perplexed by his friend's lack of direction.

  They got up from the bench and walked to a tent in the central square. Ragnar bought 24 packets of Purple Herb seeds for 2 rubros each. Next, they stopped at an adventurer's tent where they purchased a map of the region for 30 rubros. The vendor wanted to charge 46, but Ragnar bargained until he lowered the price to a reasonable price.

  Once the shopping was done, Ragnar told Skiff that he was going to plant the seeds in his flowerbed in the city's Community Garden.

  The place was outside, near the city wall. The druid walked carefully until he found his plot. The planting process was quite similar to real-life: Ragnar dug a hole, placed the seeds inside and covered it with soil.

  With the cultivation underway, he returned to the central square and found Skiff, but ended up discovering that his friend had bought a dozen overpriced potions, and when they went to get satisfaction from the seller, the scoundrel had already disappeared.

  The merchant at the next stall, a little old man, seeing the disappointment on their faces, told them what he saw: “The boy who was there took down the tent and ran away.”

  “What a town,” Ragnar grumbled.

  Somewhat disappointed, the two left the city and headed west, to the Sanctuary of Lilies.

  ***

  Ragnar and Skiff were halfway there when they agreed to take a break to replenish their energy points. They sat on the grass beside the road, where they could see the Bremer Walls looming on the horizon.

  The fire Skiff had built crackled, spreading the aroma of the roasting skewered meat.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  "It's ready," said the hunter, who then tasted the meat and confirmed its quality. "It's not great, but it's reasonable."

  "I don't mind the taste, but rather the amount of energy it will replenish." Ragnar took a small bite. "Not bad. I wish this could actually fill the stomach."

  “Can you imagine? This could help families living in poverty.”

  "It would still be easier to bring them real food. Have you ever imagined how much it would cost to buy virtual reality headsets for all the poor people around the world?"

  "Yeah. Not to mention the electricity bill they'd have to pay." Skiff took the last bite of his skewer. "Wouldn't we get to the sanctuary faster if we just ran straight there?"

  Ragnar shook his head. "If we do that, our energy will run out quickly. It's better to maintain the pace we've kept so far. It strikes the ideal balance between speed and energy conservation."

  "You're pretty smart for a rookie. All I know about energy is that when it runs out, we can be disarmed."

  “That's one of the worst things that can happen in battle.”

  "Not that that's likely to happen to you, since you don't even have a weapon. I still wonder why you didn't accept my idea of buying a staff from one of the shops in town. We made a lot of money on that top-secret mission."

  "I agree it was a lot of money, but I don't want to waste it on regular gear when I can transform into a bear to fight. But I promise you, I’ll pick up a weapon as soon as we get to the sanctuary. They'll have better gear for my class there, and at a lower price since I'm a new member of the Druidic Circle."

  Skiff let out a derisive snort. “I just hope that for the rest of the journey we don’t encounter any strong creatures. Otherwise, all your philosophy will be useless when you’re cornered by a giant fire-breathing rooster.”

  "If that really happens, I'll transform into a bear and run away with my increased agility. While you, armed with that beautiful level 3 bow, will die heroically in battle."

  Skiff cracked a smile, quickly changing the subject. “Do you have a favorite weapon or fighting style?”

  “Hammers” Ragnar answered without hesitation.

  “That's not a druid's weapon, but who am I to contradict you, sir know-it-all…”

  “Screw you.”

  They approached the woods and found the trailhead, but before they could venture forth, a notification across Ragnar's field of vision. He opened it; the sender was unknown, but the contents were familiar.

  It was difficult, but we managed to track down your new avatar. Pay close attention; you need to learn the Will-o'-the-Wisp spell. We'll be waiting for you at coordinates: X 1500; Y 300; Z 700. Come alone, or don't come at all.

  "Is everything okay?" Skiff asked, seeing that his friend seemed distracted. "You've been staring at the forest for a while"

  Ragnar stopped thinking about the message.

  “What? What did you say?”

  “Did something happen?”

  "No, it was nothing." The druid took a deep breath. "Ready to enter the forest?"

  ***

  The Sanctuary of Lilies had no walls. Instead, it had tall trees whose branches entangled with those of the nearest trees, creating a natural wall around the sanctuary.

  The pair walked slowly over the fallen reddish leaves until they stopped in front of a large arch protected by two sentries who, upon seeing them, drew their scimitars and blocked their path.

  "Halt!" warned the sentry to their right. "You are approaching the entrance to the Sanctuary of Lilies. State your intentions before entering the sacred grounds of Idun Vidar."

  Ragnar took a deep breath and thought: it's time for role-play .

  "My name is Ragnar, a novice druid. I'm here to deliver a letter of recommendation to one of the Protectors. The letter is signed in the name of the Baroness of Bremer." He gestured to the sentries the paper written by Merwin.

  "A recommendation from her?" the sentry on the left asked. "You are authorized to enter, but your friend must remain outside." The two women sheathed their scimitars and made way for Ragnar to pass.

  The druid thanked them and walked towards the entrance, but before crossing the arch, he looked back and laughed when he saw Skiff sticking out his tongue and middle finger.

  “See you later,” he said, waving to his hunter friend.

  “Screw you.”

  Once inside, Ragnar was amazed. The sanctuary was a spectacle of nature. Elves, fairies, dryads, and beastkin conversed, studied, trained, and enjoyed each other's company in the open.

  Buildings were scattered throughout, at ground level, on tree trunks, and even on the thickest branches of the tallest trees. The landscape was enhanced by the beauty of the birds, butterflies, and winged serpents flitting back and forth, proving that the saying "God doesn't give wings to snakes" didn't apply here.

  Ragnar approached a sentry and asked, "Where can I find one of the Sanctuary Protectors? I need to submit a letter of recommendation."

  The sentry, an elf warrior carrying a spear, replied, "You can find her in the palace. To do so, you'll have to cross the bridge over the Lake of Tranquility. Just follow the Ant Trail. It's that way." She used her spear to point the way.

  “Right… Palace, bridge over lake, and ant trail. Understood, thank you very much.”

  The sentry bowed slightly in politeness.

  The indicated path was a trail whose sides were swarming with ants going back and forth. At the end of the trail, the ants continued into the forest, while to the right, a bridge stretched over a lake of shimmering green water. But the elven warrior failed to mention that an entire neighborhood floated above a lake.

  "What is this place?" Ragnar wondered quietly, awestruck, for the sanctuary was larger than many of the villages he had visited during his heyday in New Avalon.

  When he stopped in the center of the lake, he came upon a figure of primordial beauty, a druidess in light, greenish armor whose metal plates resembled oak leaves.

  Ragnar knew very little about druid culture, but he assumed this was the attire of the Protectors of the Sanctuary. He approached and identified in her the feline features of a hybrid race, a half-lynx.

  “My most sincere regards, Protector,” he said in a respectful tone.

  She turned her face to the side, her lynx tail curled around her waist.

  “Young druid, how can I help you?”

  Ragnar offered the letter of recommendation written by the baroness. The Protector reached out, took the paper, and read it.

  "Very impressive. I'm glad to see someone as young as you already proving yourself." She placed her right hand on Ragnar’s head and began stroking his tousled black hair. “Ragnar, welcome to the Bremer Druidic Circle.”

  He had to restrain himself from jumping in joy in front of the Protector, as he received a good weapon and clothing for his level, as well as experience, money, and, most importantly, the title of Sentinel, which would earn him respect from the local druids.

  When the Protector leaned back against the bridge railing, staring at the green water of the lake, Ragnar asked, “Do you know any druids who can teach me new spells and abilities?”

  “How about myself?”

  “Perfect. Then please teach me how to summon Will-o'-the-Wisp and Lightning Bolt.”

  “That will cost you 50 rubros in total.”

  Ragnar completed the transaction by opening the trade window. After confirming the amount and the skills to be learned, the Protector placed a hand on his head and muttered an incantation.

  “Make good use of what you have been taught.”

  Ragnar bowed in respect and turned to begin his walk back to the entrance of the sanctuary, but was stopped by the Protector herself.

  “Wait!”

  Ragnar stopped, looked over his shoulder, and heard her plea.

  “May I request your help?”

  “I'm all ears,” he replied with a greedy smile.

  “If you were recommended by Merwin… then perhaps… you can help me find out what happened to the druids who were sent to the Serpents’ Den.”

  "Serpents’ Den?" Ragnar shuddered at the mere name of the place.

  “That's right. We sent a group to collect orchid specter, a rare plant with a high level of extra-perceptual qualities. But since they left, we haven't heard a word from them.”

  Ragnar was even disheartened to see that this special mission didn't offer any special rewards like the others. His streak seemed to have ended, so it was time to return to reality.

  “I accept,” he said.

  “Thank you. I will be praying for success in your journey.”

  He said goodbye and left.

  ***

  Outside the shrine, Ragnar opened his inventory and equipped the items he'd been rewarded. The sentry uniform, a light leather armor that overlaid his green tunic. He was so pleased that he no longer looked like a hippie caricature.

  The combination of thick layers of leather over his tunic made him believe himself a protector of nature. To top it off, he equipped the Willow Spear, which would provide him with the physical and magical damage needed to fight and cast spells more effectively.

  In addition to the equipment he received as a member of the Druidic Circle, he also stopped to purchase some items from the sanctuary's shops, located in the little houses floating over the Lake of Tranquility. In total, he purchased:

  With the preparations done, Ragnar left the sanctuary and looked for Skiff outside.

  His friend was playing with a pair of raccoons.

  “Be careful, they are more dangerous than they look.”

  Skiff turned around with a question on the tip of his tongue. “Where’s our next adventure?”

  And Ragnar replied, “The Serpents' Den.”