Chapter 2:
An entire week has passed since New Roads! announcement. The specialized magazine's sites and channels had been buzzing themselves to gather and diffuse the maximum amount of intel.
As for me, I had screened the Official website, in search of any useful piece of information.
The list of The Path players who would receive the Golden packs had been published at the promised time, my avatar registered as the Varrand Guild Leader had been one of them. When I connected myself to my "The Path" account I found a message from the GM (Game Master), in other words, RetroGame Corporation, inviting me to pass by their firm's building to set up my account and receive my Golden Pack.
Today was the day I was supposed to go get it. I excitedly left the office and drove to a building surrounded by cameras and journalists. As soon as I approached the front gate they started questioning me about New Roads. I then presented myself to a muscular man in a black suit. After announcing my online game name and providing my identity through a printed version of the invitation mail I was allowed to enter the hall. A woman of approximately my age came to me and asked me to follow her I was led to an upper floor room filled with the same metallic coffin. There I was given a box slightly bigger than a football. As I opened it I found an onyx and gold colored helmet a small New Roads! game cartridge and a second one with the words Golden Pack written on it. Following the women's instructions, I inserted the game on the left side of the helmet and the pack on the right linked the helmet to the inside of the coffins via the connection cable and lied down in the rectangular metallic box.
"New Roads! Connect!"
The sensations in my body went numb as I was floating in a totally blank dimension. In front of me, sensory checks approvals flashed than a login window popped up.
I just had to think of creating a new account for the window to change, four avatars showed in front of me each of them similar in their facial appearance. One was a Human. The second a tall Elf making the dwarf next to it seem even smaller. At the last one was a Beastman.
Without hesitating he choose the Human, then a myriad of adjustments was proposed to him. The color of his skin, eyes, hair, size of his nose, eyebrows, facial hair, lips and eye shapes, haircut, cheeks.
At the end of his avatar was an average height man with waist long ebony hair tied in a tress, dark eyes, no beard, and thin delicate eyebrows. His skin was tanned, a few scars marking his arms and toned torso. His lips were slightly curved to look like he was smiling and his eyes looked like he was intensely looking ahead.
All in all his character looked like a man in his twenties who had to spend most of his life under the sun doing physical labor.
I then chose his online name, Ben Varrand, his starting point as the Braeen Kingdom and validated his avatar.
An information window popped up as the character faded away.
"You are in the possession of a Golden Pack, would you like to install it? Warning this pack can only be used once and will only affect your avatar stats."
I didn't wait to accept the installation and soon I was done with my character creation and automatically logged out.
As I got out I once again saw the woman from earlier.
"Congratulation on creating your avatar. From now on as long as you use this game cartridge you will be able to play. You will be playing for free during the three months of starting your first connection, after this, you will have to pay $19.99 of the monthly fee. The extra stats and items from the pack will already be distributed at the start of your game. Do you have any questions?"
I quickly said no and we both went back to the lobby, the helmet in the black box in my hands. I left the building rapidly and went home directly. As soon as I arrived I started reading the game manual, memorizing every little information.
My sister found me browsing the internet for info about the Braeen Kingdom. There was still two months before the launch of the game but I was already waiting for it.
"What about The Path? You spent so much time on your characters, it would be a waste to simply let them go."
Annie's comment raised a problem, indeed my avatars would surely go to waste if I didn't do something. I finally decided on selling them. I started by posting an official announcement at my Guild wall about me switching to New Roads!, permanently transferred the guild leadership to one of the competent other players and finally quit the guild in all of its characters. He then connected himself to his auction account and put his avatars to sell along with their equipment. The auction was set to go on all week.
I held three days before curiosity won, my favorite character was $1,365 when the lesser developed one of the six was at $673. I was dumbfounded as at the best I would get $60 for a good piece of equipment. And it was only the beginning of the third day!
By the end of the week, I sold them for more than $3,000 the avatar along with the 2,000 worth of spare equipment! Finally, I transitioned my in-game money to real life cash. I ended up richer by $22,740 and 74 cents.
More than a whole year of office work...by far!
Enough to pay rent for two years!
A few phone calls to my bank and signed papers later and the money was wired to my account.
Once this was over only one month was left to wait.
I was so impatient that my sister was getting annoyed.
While I was wearing out my sister's nerves the rest of the world, especially in America, was discovered on a daily basis newly installed first connection coffins in cyber coffee's shop, game centers, and even game shops. As RetroGame had ensured the coffins could be used for regular playing too, small commerce had no second thought to install a couple of them for the big day.
Those who had already received their headgear had prepared their avatar while others were still awaiting their packages.
Finally, the launch date came at At 12:55, I was ready, gear on my head connected to the Internet. The TV was on, showing the long waiting lines in front of the games centers and shops. When it finally turned 1 PM, I excitedly shouted.
"New Roads! Connection!"
Just like at the creation of his character his surroundings went blank, a series of senses check went on, he was asked for his password and then he was in the game.
The sudden change from sitting to standing slightly disoriented me but as soon as I got my bearings back I started moving my new envelope. It's both familiar with its identical height and width and different through its lightness. I took a few hesitant steps before frankly walking. Around me, other players were was walking confidently: betas.
Since no one could leave the city before reaching level eight I will have all the time I want to admire the city.
I decided to walk around the square, waiting for an NPC to approach me and give me my first quest. It didn't take long for an elderly woman to come, asking me to look for a lost knitting set. it was hidden under a small stone bank under an apple tree. When I went to give it back the old lady gave me a Sweet Red Apple, my first cooking ingredient.
This was followed by a girl looking for her mother in the middle of the busy market, a smithy needing a delivery boy and a flower lady asking for assistance at her stand.
By the end of the first in-game day, I was level 4, had finished 4 quests of a level, 106 bronze coins, and had risen my familiarity with the citizens up to 5%.
Since my character Fatigue stat was high and all shops were closed and citizens home for the night I was about to go to sleep in an inn and connect back later when the sun would rise when a group of players silently went into a parallel street.
Betas.
I followed them, curious. They led me to a small Training Hall linked to several Combat Guilds. Since players couldn't change their profession until level 15 and form their Guilds only at the Royal Castle, guild halls of were no interests to players as of right now.
Still, I followed them inside.
One after the other they talked to the guild trainer, smooth-talking him until he would allow them to train at night in the guild hall.
Once the last one entered an adjacent room I went to the NPC and started a conversation.
"Hello. You seem to be an experienced swordsman. How I envy you, able to travel the world thanks to your blade. If only I could do this too."
"Thank you, boy. It is nice to meet someone who understands the worth of a sword other than to wound. Are you interested in learning the sword?"
"I would love to, sir. Do you think someone would be kind enough to teach me?"
"If you prove yourself to me, I would."
"Really?"
"Yes"
"How should I prove myself?"
"You need to show me your perseverance, good heart, and your smarts. Once you have I shall teach you the basics of swordsmanship.
"I understand sir"
I left him, and just like the betas before me entered the next room.
Wooden mannequins and swords were aligned in the room.
The Betas didn't pay attention to me, most likely believing I was one of them.
Mimicking them, I took a practice wooden sword and started beating the target mannequins. The sword was heavy and each time I hit the mannequin I felt it vibrate in my hand. After only twenty minutes I was drenched in sweat, I was about to put down my Bokken when a window popped up.
"Through constant exercising your strength, endurance and dexterity stats have risen by 1."
A stat increase without leveling, choosing a Path or a Job!
This was golden information I had gotten! My spirit was instantly fired up and I continued beating the scarecrow until the sun rose. I took the time to eat my apple and drink some water at a fountain after leaving the guild hall and going to the marketplace.
As I passed in front of the flower stand from yesterday, the lady called me.
"Young man! It is good that I could find you. I know I've already asked for a lot but I need a favor."
"Of course, anything for you. Tell me what troubles you."
"It is my husband, every night he comes back exhausted from his work at the bakery. Would you be kind enough to assist him?"
"You can count on me, ma'am. Where could I find your husband?"
"His shop is close to the east gate. You cannot miss it, it is between a butcher and a small tower."
You have accepted the quest 'Help the flower's lady husband at the East Gate Bakery
Go to the East Gate Bakery and assist the flower's lady husband the best you can.
Quest restriction: Must be friendly with the flower lady
Quest rewards: bread loaves, flower's seeds
Quest failure: If the flower's lady husband is exhausted by the end of the day.
Quest difficulty: E
An E Mission Quest! Up to now, I had only done F class requests. Yes! I went directly to the bakery where I found a hunched down man working on a loaf of bread paste. The bakery was warm and smelled nice yet no clients came in. It wasn't difficult to know why: the tower next to it was alright with strange and worrying lights and howling's and growls came from its depth.
"What the..."
"Yes, what can I do for you?"
"Hi, yes. Your wife sent me to assist you."
"Did she now? Very well I trust her judgment. Can you cook?"
"No, sir."
"Fine, then I will teach you. Come here."
I neared the man and he directed me as into making the second loaf of bread. As I was mixing it a window popped up.
"You have produced a loaf of bread."
"Thanks to a professional cooker you can now follow the Path of a Baker, do you accept?"
"No"
"Do you wish to follow the Path of a Cook?"
"Yes"
"Do you wish to set the Path of a Cook as your Primary Path?"
"No"
"Do you wish to set the Path of a Cook as a Secondary Path?"
"You have chosen your first Secondary Path."
"A Secondary Path's related Skills will have a 15% Experience Penalty."
By choosing the Cook Path you have learned:
- Cooking Skill: Permits the player to cook for himself or others using various ingredients. The better the cooking skill and the ingredients the better the effects of the recipe. Beginner 1 (3%)
- Gathering Skill: Allows you to forge the flora for cooking ingredients. Beginner 1 (0%)
- Butcher's Touch (passive skill): As you loot animal you will gather more meats, pelts, and bones. (Can be coupled with tailoring, smithing, and sculpting). Beginner 1 (0%)
"Through the learning of a new Path, all your stats have increased by 5."
I was satisfied to have learned the skill, it would be useful during long travels and I wouldn't have to spend my small economies on food either. The skills learning process was easy, find a professional and get him to show you the basics. However, the number of skills available for learning was limited. Skills greatly influenced the jobs you would be able to choose from once at level 15. You had a primary professional skill which would set your class if you took magic at your primary skill you could become a mage or priest if you choose a combat-related skill you could become a warrior or swordsman if you have chosen a handcraft related skill you could become an Artisan. The secondary profession skills were there to help you specialize in a specific branch of your job. For example, players who had chosen a combat-related skill as primary could become a knight by adding horse riding or heavy armor to their secondary skills or become an assassin by learning stealth attacks and hand to hand combat, choosing the right professional skills was essential for your character to build.
I continued helping the baker for an hour, yet his mood and energy were getting worse by the minute. Finally, it became obvious that I was about to fail the quest: helping the man bake was not to "assist him the best I could."
I excused myself and went to the source of the problem: the tower. I politely knocked on the door. For a second all the noise stopped and I knew I was on the right track. The old wooden door of the tower opened on an equally decrepit man.
A wizard, I thought.
"Yes?"
"Greetings, sir. My name is Ben, I work at the bakery next door."
"What do you want?"
"Are you aware that from your tower comes a torturous growl."
"You...you can hear it?"
"Well...yes."
The door opened wider and the man suddenly pulled me inside the tower. He then started to observe me as if I was a rare specimen.
"Hum...what is going on?"
"You do have a gift for nature, boy."
"I do?"
"Yes, that's why you can hear the screams. What about the light?"
"Oh, greenish and creepy?"
"Aha!"
"Is it bad I can see it?"
"No, boy. It just means I was right. Have you ever had any instruction in any magic?"
"No, sir."
"Hum...Then did you spend a long amount of time in contact with nature?"
I thought about it for a while but the only answer that came to me was the flower shop followed by the wooden sword.
"Well boy, you are now free to come here and access the tower's library. I am sure it would help you greatly. Come see me if you want me to teach you a magic branch, but you have to tell me which one you want to learn."
Even though it did not help solve the noise problem, I still spent the rest of my time reading about the different kinds of magic. There was the usual kind in games such as the healing one in the hands of priests, the buffing one in light magic, the debuffing ones in dark magic, there was also necromancy, pyrotechnic, cryotechnic, wind and earth elementalist, spirits seers and finally the Druidique Magik.
It was a mixture of healing, buffing and debuffing and spirit magic all wrapped up in one. I did not remember hearing about Druids on the official website but it was good to support magic for any character so I decided to go see the old man again.
"I have decided to follow the Path of a Druid."
"Do you, now? Very well I shall teach you the basic of the Druid's magik. Come here, boy..."
You have started on the Path of a Druids.
Through it you have learned new Skills:
- Herborism: You can pick regents to make potions in the wild flora. Cooking skill increased by 5%. Beginner 1 (0%) (passive)
- Nature Understanding: By observing nature's fundamentally you will increase your bond with nature itself and therefore your magiks. All white and healing magik increase their capacity by 5%. Beginner 1 (0%) (passive)
- Spirits Understanding: By observing the spirits and mythical life forms you increase you're understanding them and therefore your basic Magik abilities increase. Art of communication increase by 5%. Beginner 1 (0%).
Art of Communication: You are now proficient in communication with people. Familiarity increase by 20% with Humans and Dwarfs. Beginner 1 (0%).
Inner Breathing: Through meditation and deep breathing it is possible to readjust your inner natural energy and accelerate your healing process. An increase of health regeneration by 5% through deep breathing. Beginner 1 (0%).
"Do you wish to set the Druid's Path as primary?"
"No"
"Do you wish to set the Druid's Path as secondary?"
"Yes"
"Through the learning of a new Path, all your stats increase by 5 points."
I was content with the Druids magik beginner skills and the cooking skill I had gotten they would make for healing and group buffing. Still, from my reading on the official site, I knew I would need to be more careful: a regular player had the right to a primary profession skill and three secondary ones, thanks to my Golden Pack I had an extra one. I still had to get three other professional skills before I could get a job at level 15. The profession skills were there to support your character build choosing random profession skills would get you nowhere later in the game. After thinking further I settled myself into getting a combat-related skill as my primary and another one as a secondary. That would leave me with one last free skill slot.
I was wondering if the trainer at the guild hall would agree to teach me more than swordsmanship when I realized I had gotten lost. I found myself in the tower's cellar, it took me less than a second to understand that something had attracted me here. The floor was made of big heavy flat stones which had been covered in dirt. Whatever had led me here was in the dirt and I started digging. It didn't take me long to understand that the stone floor was engraved with a strange sign. It took me several minutes to unearth it but I quickly understood that the design was the source of the agonizing howling. As soon as I touched it the same green that emanated from the tower enveloped me. As I stood back up I saw a massive black furred wolf standing in front of me.
You have discovered the Ancient Rune of the Wolf.
You have obtained 10 fame points.
Through your discovery, you have created the Ancient Runes knowledge stat.
Stats point distribution is impossible.
You can increase your Ancient Runes Knowledge through the study of Ancient Runes or their discovery.
By touching an Ancient Rune you have allowed the spirit trapped within to appear in this realm.
Through your Nature Understanding and Spirit Understanding skill you are able to communicate with then Wolf Spirit seems to be in a lot of pain and is bearing its fangs only to defend himself.
Maybe you should try to be gentle with him.
Doing what the system was telling me I searched my pouch for a piece of dried meat. It was one of the basic foods available to newbies. The feral beast kept growling a bit seeing I wasn't trying to hurt him took a step forward, sniffing the threat. In one mouthful it gulped it down and I took another one out of my pouch. I kept feeding the Wolf until all my meat was gone. By that time the imposing canine was lazily laying next to me, relaxing under my hand's touch. Slowly the Ancient Rune glow faded and the black pup returned to the spirit world.
You have won the friendship of the Ancient Celtic Wolf Deity.
Familiarity with all canine based beastman/women rose by 50% throughout the world.
The skill Spirit of the Wolf is now part of your Druid Magik. It allows you to shapeshift into a wolf until you cancel the skill. While in wolf form a part of your equipment and skills won't be available and the characteristics of a Wolf will be applied to your avatar stats and skills.
Consumes: 150 mana
Beginner 1 (0%)
Through the obtention of a rare skill, all your stats rise by 10 points and you gain 10 fame points.
Your Nature Understanding has risen to beginner 2 (36%).
Your Spirit Understanding has risen to beginner 2 (12%).
I couldn't believe it. I wasn't even level 5 that I had obtained a rare skill and risen all my stats by at least 15 points. Looking solely at my stats others would think that I was at least level twelve (12)!
I left the tower in high spirits to find the flower woman's husband just outside waiting for me.
"Thank you! I do not know what you did but I don't hear those howls anymore. Now I can finally relax. Here take this as my thanks, I know it is only a little but it is all I have."
The man gave me a dozen loaves of bread in thanks. An information window informed me I had completed the quest. My level rose by 1 and I obtained 20 fame points.
As I was putting the bread in my backpack I realized something.
"Sir, when did you start healing those howls?"
"Hum? I guess it was less than a week ago. I had gone to those old ruins in the forest, there was a strange inscription in an old wall since then I've been lots of strange things but none as deranging and mind wreaking as the ones from the tower."
"Could you please tell me where those ruins are?"
"Well... since you managed those howls just fine I guess it would be safe if it's you... here is a map of Braeen with the ruins marked. Be careful those woods are not safe."
"Thank you, sir."
You have obtained your first map, intelligence rises by 2.
You now have access to a map. Every time you discover a place through your explorations it will be added to your map. When you hear or read about a place its location will be approximately indicated to you.
You can equip your map to have it as a quick reach however the rain and battles can wear it down or destroy it.
If a card is destroyed you will have to replace it however only visited places will be remarked.
You have learned of the emplacement of another Ancient Rune. Its location will blink green on your map.
After eating half a bread I went to the training hall and resumed my training. Weirdly enough none of yesterday's beta players were present tonight. Just like before I beat the training mannequin all night long. When the sun came up my avatar was on the verge of collapsing.
As I was laying on the floor the NPC trainer came to me and sat next to me and handed me a water gourd.
Gourds were one of the first items players brought as they were essential for traveling. This one was more voluminous and of better leather quality than the ones available at the town shops.
"Drink. You need it?"
"Thank you, sir."
"I have never seen someone so devoted to his training. Is your will to discover the world that intense?"
"It's not just discovering it, I also wish to leave my trace in it."
"How so?"
"That I do not know yet."
"Hum... Tell me, what would happen if you were separated from your sword?"
"I would be vulnerable to any attacks?"
"True. Would you like to remedial this?"
"Can I?"
"I can train you to become a weapons master."
"What is that?"
"Simply saying you would be able to you use any kind of weapons with no penalties whatsoever."
"Is that even possible?"
"Yes."
I took a moment to think about it. It was the ultimate weapons skill, no wonder the betas came here.
"I accept!"
"Good, then come back tomorrow night here and I will teach you the basics of all the weapons available."
"Yes, teacher."
I quickly left the training hall to go to sleep in an inn.
As soon as I was disconnected I started searching for additional info on Weapons Master, Ancient Ruins, Druid Magiks and the forest outside of the starting city.
The wood was filled with simple hunting game like rabbits, rams, and foxes. Occasionally bears and wolves would appear but nothing I would have to be afraid of once I reach level 8 and could go out of the city.
After my researches, I made sure to eat something and reconnected myself. I still had my day before the end of the weekend and I intended to fully use it.
I had decided to set Weapon Mastery as a Secondary Skill because my teacher kept repeating that the use of force should always come last, which kinda made me think that he was grooming me for a particular job.
For the next three in-game days, I spent my nights at the training hall, learning then raising my weapon mastery skill and my days at the tower, in the old man's library, soaking up as much knowledge as I could.
By the end of the weekend my character stat window read this:
Name: Ben Varrant
Race: Human
Profession: None
Level: 6
Strength: 36
Toughness: 31
Endurance: 41
Vitality: 34
Speed: 33
Dexterity: 39
Intelligence: 49
Ancient Rune Knowledge: 22
Luck: 35
Fame: 40
You still have 25 stat points to distribute.
Primary Skills:
Secondary Skills:
- Butcher's Touch: Beginner 1 (0%).
Meat, pelts, and bones loot increase by 5%.
- Nature's Growth: Beginner 1 (0%).
Plant-based loot increase by 5%.
- Inner Breathing: Beginner 4 (71%).
Health recovery speed by 5%.
- Weapons Mastery: Beginner 3 (27%).
All weapons can be wielded without penalties. Attack speed increase by 3%.
- Art of Communication: Beginner 1 (45%).
Familiarity with Humans and Dwarf increase by 5%.
- Nature Understanding: Beginner 2 (36%).
Familiarity with wildlife increase by 5%.
- Spirit Understanding: Beginner 2 (12%).
Familiarity with Spirits increases by 5%.
- Spirit of the Wolf: Beginner 1 (0%).
The player turns into a wolf.
To understand the skill further along you have to use it.
- Herborism: Beginner 1 (0%).
You can brew potions and alcohol.
- Cooking: Beginner 1 (0%).
You can cook.
Only two days have passed since the launch of New Roads! yet my Stats were already at the level of a tenth (10) level player when I was at level six (6).
I could not imagine how much the betas had improved.