The Corrupted Earring he'd found in the chest provided only limited information, leaving him puzzled about its true nature. Small, ancient runes adorned its surface, their meanings unclear but unmistakably significant.
It seemed his next step would be to seek out someone capable of appraising it. Like many other items, if the system couldn't reveal its full details, only an expert could unlock its true potential. Appraisers were the key to unveiling the mysteries hidden within such artifacts.
Without a second thought, he decided to wear the earring, fully aware of how much it could enhance his strength. However, he also understood the consequences of activating its effect. It would be best to wait for the right moment to use it, when the situation called for it.
With his HP and Fatigue now at 100%, Arsen pressed on with his adventure through the Enchanted Grook Forest. In his mind, reaching level 2 seemed a distant goal, and he knew he would need to gather as many monster cores as possible to make that a reality.
Soon, Arsen began hunting the goblins that roamed the area. Taking them down was far easier now than it had been before. Perhaps it was because he had started to grow more familiar with his body, allowing him to move with greater ease.
In just thirty minutes, he managed to slay ten goblins. With that accomplishment, both of his skills leveled up.
Dash> Shadowstep
Shadowstep – A swift dash that leaves behind a shadowy afterimage or teleports a short distance.
Cooldown 2 minutes.
Stab> Piercing Stab
Skill Name: Piercing Stab
Type: Melee – Single Target
Description:
A swift and precise thrust aimed at weak points in the target's armor. Deals increase critical damage and have a chance to cause Bleed, dealing damage over time for 3 seconds. Cooldown 3 minutes.
Upgrade Effects:
+20% base damage
+15% critical hit chance
30% chance to inflict Bleed for 3s
Slight armor penetration bonus
Arsen smiled as he saw the progress he was making in the game. "This is good," he muttered to himself. "If this keeps up, hunting monsters will get easier."
He glanced at the corner of his screen. "Still at 25%, 75% away from reaching level 2."
Leveling up wasn't easy in this game. Despite having killed a total of eleven monsters, the path to level 2 still seemed distant. He needed to come up with a strategy to farm more efficiently.
While thinking for couple several minutes, he stopped as one person came to his mind.
"Cain."
It was his childhood friend, Cain, who was also addicted to playing games like this. As far as Arsen remembered, Cain had already spent a considerable amount of time in the game, so he likely knew the best spots for hunting monsters.
Arsen was planning to meet up with him, knowing that having someone by his side would make playing World Drivers much easier. But before anything else, he needed to leave this area and head back to Grook's Town.
He hadn't ventured too deep into the forest, wary of the possibility that a stronger monster might be lurking somewhere he couldn't handle. Instead, he headed toward Grook's Town, following the direction marked on his map.
Along the way, monsters approached him, but thanks to his strategy and the new skills he had acquired, he was able to defeat them without any trouble.
A couple of hours had passed when Arsen finally reached Grook's Town. His experience had risen to 42%. His inventory now contained 48 monster cores, along with a variety of ordinary weapons and consumable items.
He logged out of the game and glanced at his phone.
[That's good to hear, Brother. Just add me; my screen name is Kaine. I'm about to log in, so I'll accept your friend request as soon as I see it.]
Copy.
After reading Cain's message, Arsen returned to the game. He had logged out briefly just to confirm that Cain was still using the same screen name—he wasn't sure what might be going through his friend's mind.
Once back in the game, Arsen immediately sent the friend request.
Ring!
Within just a few seconds, Arsen received a call from Cain—he must have recognized Arsen's screen name right away. A smile tugged at Arsen's lips the moment he heard his friend's voice.
"Where the hell are you, Brother Arsen?! Let's party up and grind levels together!"
Cain was bursting with energy. Even though Arsen could hear him clearly, he was still shouting with excitement.
"I'm currently in Grook's Town," Arsen replied nonchalantly.
"What?!" Cain shouted.
"Why? What's wrong?" Arsen asked.
"I'm in Fresno Town!" Cain said, his tone rising in frustration.
Just as Amelia had mentioned, it seemed that players were assigned to different starting towns. Cain went on to explain the situation, and it became clear that Fresno and Grook's Town were quite far apart.
According to Cain's estimation, it would take him around five days to reach Grook's Town—but that was only if he didn't run into monsters along the way. The route was dangerous, and few players had ever attempted the journey due to rumors of powerful creatures lurking between towns.
Cain let out a long sigh, disappointment clear on his face. But what could he do? Traveling that far just to meet up wasn't realistic. On top of that, portals weren't available yet, so the only way to reach another town was on foot.
It couldn't be helped, Arsen couldn't leave Grook's Town for the same reason Cain couldn't leave Fresno.
"So, what should I do now? I need someone to help me level up," Arsen asked, a hint of frustration in his voice.
"It might take a while before we can meet up," Cain admitted. "So... your best option right now is to find someone who can assist you." For some reason, he sounded hesitant, almost guilty, saying it.
Arsen slowly shook his head. "You know that's not possible," he replied quietly, his gaze drifting toward the path he intended to take once their conversation ended.
"I'm just saying, Brother Arsen. And it's the truth—this game's a lot easier if you team up with other players. It takes some of the pressure off," Cain said, trying to reason with him.
But Arsen's expression didn't change. "That option's not for me. I'd rather play this game alone," he replied firmly, his voice calm but resolute.
He glanced toward the path ahead, signaling the end of their talk. "In the meantime, Brother Cain, let's focus on leveling up until the portal becomes available."
Cain nodded. "Let's do that, then," he said, his eyes briefly catching the violet flicker of light coming from Arsen's earring. It was hard to miss, but he chose not to ask about it.
"Goodbye for now, Brother Arsen. I'll go look for a party. Good luck!"
The call ended with those words.
Unfortunately, Arsen's original plan to team up with Cain had fallen through due to circumstances beyond their control. Now, he needed to come up with a new strategy, one that would help him level up faster on his own.
Soon after, Arsen returned to the training grounds he had someone to confront. More specifically, he wanted to hear Rigus explain why he had sent him into such a dangerous place.
"Hey, Velnar! You're back. How was your adventure?" Rigus greeted him with a friendly tone.
"Well, I almost died."
"What?" Rigus's smile faltered.
Arsen didn't hold back. He recounted everything that had happened in Grook's Forest, emphasizing how the Rabbier had nearly killed him.
When Rigus heard the name Rabbier, his expression shifted instantly. He lowered his head and bowed to Arsen.
"I sincerely apologize, Sir Velnar. I never meant to put you in such danger. I had no idea a Rabbier had appeared in that area."
To clarify, the Rabbier was considered one of the strongest monsters in Grook's Forest. Even a trained soldier like Rigus wouldn't be able to defeat it without taking serious damage.
Arsen wasn't truly angry with Rigus—after all, it had been his choice to follow the recommendation. But if making Rigus feel a little guilty could benefit him, then he didn't mind playing along.
"That's fine, Rigus," he said, wearing a calm expression. "I just thought… maybe you were trying to get me killed."
Rigus shook his head frantically, his hands waving in protest. "No, no, no, Sir Velnar! Why would I ever do that to you?" he stammered, voice cracking with panic. "Please, tell me what I can do to earn your forgiveness!"
It's working, Arsen thought to himself.
"No, you don't need to do anything," he said aloud, feigning humility. "It was partly my fault too. I just came here to clear things up."
"How about this, Sir Velnar?" Rigus offered, pulling a folded piece of paper from his pocket and holding it out.
It wasn't an ordinary sheet. In fact, it was one of the official quests usually found on the town hall bulletin board. And getting one wasn't easy, once posted, they were quickly claimed by players or NPCs alike.
"To make amends, I'd like you to take this task," Rigus said. "Complete it, and you'll earn 50 bronze coins."
For NPCs, taking quests from the Townhall was a way to earn money, a simple means of survival in the game world. But for players, it was about more than just currency. Completing quests offered valuable rewards, along with the experience points necessary for leveling up.
[Quest has arrived!]
Eliminate the monster that attacking the Grook's Farm.
Reward(s):
+1 skill profiency
+2 attribute points
+300 Exp
+50 Bronze coins
Would you like to accept the quest?
-
Meanwhile, a group of players hid among the trees, watching a man in a brown robe, a blade hanging from his waist.
"Look at him, Viper," one of them murmured. "That blade looks pretty valuable."
"I can see it. Let's kill him and take all of his items." Said by the man who had a malicious smile on his face.