"Where can I find my ring?"Alex thought.
"I don't know much about the city of Romania... and I'm really hungry. I should've eaten in the Green Zone when I had the chance."
He glanced around.
"Let's check out the quest board."
The E-rank quest board mostly had tasks like hunting creatures below beginner level in the Green Zone or gathering herbs from the same area. Near it, mounted on the wall, was the Yellow Board—D-rank quests were listed there. These included hunting stronger monsters and collecting herbs from the Yellow Zone.
The Yellow Zone lay deeper within the Green Zone and was far more dangerous. Beyond that was the Red Danger Zone, home to B-rank monsters. Further still was the Black Zone—a no-go zone—where A-rank and higher creatures roamed. Unless you were A-rank, survival there was impossible.
The quest boards were color-coded: red for the Red Zone, black for the Black Zone, and so on.
"Let's wait for morning and then head to the Green Zone,"Alex decided.
He sat at a corner table in the lobby, shrouded in darkness. All around, adventurers were sleeping—many clad in armor, some with swords, spears, staves, or other weapons by their side.
Alex had nothing but shabby clothes on him. He rested his head on the table, closing his eyes to get some sleep before sunrise.
After a few hours of rest, Alex woke and went to the E-rank quest board. He took up a few plant-gathering and monster-hunting quests, then left the city.
Entering the forest in the Green Zone, he began searching for plants. One of his targets was the Dusknip Berry, a mystical plant found in shadowy woods and areas rich in dark or wood elemental magic. It bore small, succulent fruits—less than 8mm in diameter—which ripened into a glossy black. Unripe berries were a vibrant green, glowing faintly under moonlight. Its leaves were broad, lobed, and slightly fuzzy.
Green Dusknip Berries, imbued with wood elemental energy, were great for healing. The dark berries were used in advanced medicine.
Alex pulled out the quest paper and checked the rate: one green berry fetched one copper coin, while two black berries fetched the same. He found around ten black berries and a bunch of green ones. Carefully, he picked them and stored them in a cloth sack, then moved toward the river.
Near the river, he found "common water-elemental plants"—hand-sized with chopstick-like blue leaves. Ten of these fetched one copper coin. He picked them first, then decided to try his luck at fishing.
Crafting a makeshift spear from a sharpened stick, Alex caught two fish. He cleaned them thoroughly in the river, then skewered each one and roasted them over a fire. A delicious smell filled the air.
He took a bite.
"Yummy!" Alex shouted.
"Food hits the spot when you're hungry."
He ate both fish, drank river water, and then began searching for the elusive "White Deer"—a creature imbued with ice elemental power, typically found near rivers in the Green Zone. Its heart was extremely valuable, worth around four gold coins, and its meat was highly sought after.
From morning till night, Alex searched without success. As the sun dipped below the horizon, he climbed the tallest tree he could find and rested there.
In the middle of the night, he woke from the cold—steam rising from his mouth. His blue pupils shimmered in the moonlight. That's when he saw it—a "White Deer" approaching the river below.
"So cold... I think that one's D-rank," Alex whispered to himself.
"I have to take it down in one strike before it notices me."
Merging with the shadows, Alex moved closer. As he slipped into the deer's own shadow, the temperature dropped even more. Wasting no time, he struck with both daggers at the creature's neck.
The deer dropped instantly.
He dragged the body near the tree and began removing the heart, slicing through the ribs with his shadow dagger. Once the heart was out, he carefully cleaned the site with water from the river, disposing of the organs nearby.
"I need a proper dagger to butcher the meat," he muttered.
"Shadow daggers won't do."
He slung the deer over his back and began his journey back to the city. By the time sunlight spilled from the eastern horizon, he reached the gates of Romania City.
He made his way to the food stalls—where adventurers sold monster meat and ingredients. An old man with grey hair and a wrinkled face was just opening his stall.