Chapter 7

‘Quest success! Reach Pura Before Nightfall

You have reached Pura within the time limit and Ai is happy with your progress.

Please take your rewards.

- 65 Coins

- 100 Experience Points

This reward cannot be saved. Do you accept this reward? [Accept]’

“Accept.”

If he hadn’t met and defeated the wolf, he guessed this was when he’d get a notification that he’d leveled up. Now, it mostly felt empty.

Another quest box appeared.

‘Quest: Visit the tower of Pura

Rank: F

Special requirement: Be under level 7 when you enter the first floor.

Visit the first floor in the tower located in Pura and before you reach level 7 and clear it.

Reward: Experience, stay alive

If ignored or failed: Lose your life.

Do you accept this quest?

[Accept]’

Leon swallowed. That didn’t sound good, but he’d aim to climb the tower anyway, so it might be good to have a look around. But before he ventured in there, he’d need to know more and maybe find a party, making it a little less daunting to clear. For someone at a high level, the first few floors would probably be child’s play, but for a beginner like him, it was likely a death trap, or at least that was what he’d been told.

Leon accepted the quest and closed the window. There would be enough time before he had to complete it. Hopefully, he could find some other new players who also had to complete the quest and they could help each other out. But where did one find new players? There didn’t seem to be many around here. In some games, guilds and such would group up to find new players, but that didn’t seem to be the case with Pura. Time to look around.

According to Yung, the players didn’t stay in the tower the whole time, but they cleared it, floor by floor, and as they beat them and got stronger, they got access to the higher floors and could use a teleport to access the levels they’d been on except for the first floor. That meant that most of the people who wanted to try to beat the tower rented a room somewhere in the city.

The houses he passed were one-level houses made of cracked stone and their roofs had partly fallen in. Most of the people milling about in the street were dressed in plain wool or jute rags, and they cast glances at Leon as he walked. They stood huddled in groups and whispered to one another. It wouldn’t be safe to be here after dark. Because of the NooB title, he would be safe from hostile players, but it wouldn’t protect him against hostile NPCs, Non-Playable Characters. He had to delve further into the city, but first, he’d check out the place Yung had told him about. Leon continued down the cobblestone street until he reached an open square plaza and looked around.

Most of the houses here had two levels, but they were still battered and broken in places. One of the houses held a wooden sign with a scale, which was the universal sign for general assortment stores. The building was whole but old and dirt-smattered and had a small wooden veranda with broken railings. According to Yung, this was where all the players from the lower levels went to purchase new weapons and armor until they’d earned enough to purchase better equipment. Leon tried the door, but it was locked. He’d have to wait until tomorrow. He turned to leave and almost walked into an old woman with a gray nest of hair and a dress made of jute.

She stretched out her palms. “Young man, do you have a coin to spare for an old lady?”

‘Will you give the old woman a coin? [Yes] [No] [Ignore]’

Above the text stood his balance of 135 coins. In games he’d played before, gifting something would either give him a bonus or nothing. It was worth a try.

“Yes, sure.”

‘You have given away 1 coin. You are now under the Beggar’s Curse.’

What?

The people in the groups around the square started toward him, stretching out their hands. More joined from the side streets.

“Please, sir, give me a coin,” a boy said. The request was repeated by all. Blue boxes flooded his vision.

Leon backed and hit the door to the store. If he gave them all a coin, he’d be half out of his funds. He sprinted to the side and jumped over the railing, landing on the street. The people had become one big group that ambled toward him. Leon shot away to the closest street and ran past more ramshackle houses, and more people grouped with those who followed him. He passed two more market squares and came to a stone arch guarded by two soldiers wearing metal armor and red vests. Iron helmets concealed their faces, and they held pikes. Leon stopped.

“You’re a new player, aren’t you?” the left one asked. “Don’t worry, Scabs can’t pass through here.”

Leon turned around. The group following him must contain at least two hundred people now, but they all stood still, watching the guards with wary eyes. After a few seconds, they started muttering to each other, and the group dispersed.

“It’s generally not a good idea to gift these beggars with coins. Please keep that in mind, and you’ll do fine. The Beggar’s Curse will lift at midnight, so if you have any business in the Slums, you’d better save it for tomorrow.”

“Thanks.” Leon looked at the people leaving. “How big are the Slums? How many people?”

The right guard chuckled. “Don’t worry. If you decide to try for level ten, you will be able to stay away from there for the rest of your time in Pura. Before that, just choose to ignore them when they approach you.”

“The Slums make up about five percent of the city’s area and hold about two thousand Scabs,” the left guard said. “As Garald here said, soon enough you’ll have no need to visit there again. There are no jobs or housing there.”

That could only mean it wouldn’t take too long to level up. That was good to know. “Two thousand people? So, how many people live here? In Pura?”

Garald shrugged. “It fluctuates. The latest estimation was about four hundred thousand, of which roughly ten percent are players.”

If everyone who died came here, that number sounded pretty low, but forty thousand players were still a lot. Leon’s heart sank. Three of forty thousand had made it to the top of the tower. And that wasn’t counting those who’d died trying for twenty years. He swallowed.

“Thanks.” Leon turned to leave. “Uh… sorry, but could you point out an inn or something? Or where I can rent a place to live?”

The left guard pointed through the gate toward a round fountain in the distance. “Over there, you’ll find the cheapest inn in town. I suggest you sleep there for a few nights before you decide on a more permanent place. It’s not that close to the south gate, but it’s the second closest and good for the purse. Of course, where you stay should depend on if your goal is to try to beat the tower or if you wish to get a job here in the city. There’s no shame in wanting to live a bit longer, even if it’s only until you turn forty.”

The guards nodded at each other.

“Forty?” Leon asked. “What happens then?”

“You disappear,” Garald snapped his fingers, “in a cloud of pixels. So you better make use of the time you have.”

“So that’s what you meant when you said it fluctuates? Players arriving and leaving?”

“Leaving? That’s one way to look at it.” Garald sighed. “You better get going.”

Leon thanked them and continued through the arch. It would feel uneasy to pass through that area again, but he’d have to trust that the system was telling him the truth about the Beggar’s Curse being lifted at midnight, or he’d have to use the wooden sword for a long time.

The houses he passed were better off than in the Slums, but they were still battered. Was the whole city like this? That was hard to imagine. At least no one approached him as he entered the plaza with the fountain. A few people stood around the round base and tossed various things into the water. Then the items disappeared into the depth and appeared at the top level, where they combined and transformed into a silver marble that flushed down to the bottom again. The people picked up their marbles, and when the silver left the water, it transformed into something else. One person got a potion, another some stone-thing, and a third received a small leather pouch.

Leon frowned. “Info on fountain?”

‘Crafting Fountain

Rank: F-E+

In this crafting fountain, you can craft recipes within ranks F to E+. Attempt to craft higher-ranked items will give random results that ranges between the stated ranks.

First-time information: Crafting fountains can be found across all of Pura and other habitable cities. To craft an item, you need a recipe and the required ingredients. Crafting is a skill that can be improved but does not grant experience. Crafted items can be used, equipped, sold, or discarded. The chance of successful crafting is calculated based on your skill and the complexity and rank of the recipe.’

Leon nodded. It was good he could ask the system about things he saw, and not only something he held in his hands. But if crafting didn’t give experience, they must have a chance of delivering good items. He’d give it a go later if he found a recipe. He looked at the people around it. Were those players, too? He’d never heard of NPCs crafting, but they looked so… ordinary.

He continued to the left of the fountain, where black stones sat inserted in the base, spelling ’F-E+.’ So this was where the lower level players hung out. Maybe there was some sort of hierarchy, where the outer part was the Slums, then the low-level player grounds, and it continued forward to better things? That must be why the guards had advised him to stay at the inn before deciding where to live. No use in getting comfortable around the lower ranks if you tried to climb higher. Actually, it made sense. All three survivors of this world had returned rich, and since the beggars asked for coins, that must be how the hierarchy worked.

Leon continued into the plaza and looked around. Several market stalls stood empty, closed for the day, and when Leon stood in the middle, he saw there were five streets leading away from the open space in a star-like pattern. In between the furthest two streets from where he stood was a building that took up the whole space between the roads, and which boasted a sign; ’The Drowned Goblin.’ Why did inns have to have such weird names?

Light shone from more than half of the windows, and through the ground-level windows, Leon noticed there was some kind of dining area. Just thinking about food made his stomach rumble. He hurried over and entered the door.

Inside, the walls were made from timber and sparsely decorated with horns and skulls from different beasts. Right in front stood a desk, behind which a heavy-set woman with a leather apron and short blonde locks scribbled something in a book. Her nose was round and full of freckles. She looked up as Leon approached.

“Ah, if it isn’t a new face. Welcome to The Drowned Goblin. What can I help you with? Food? Lodgings?”

“Both, thanks.”

She chuckled. “Alright, then. One night is ten coins, but we have a special offer for new players where you can stay for a month for one hundred and sixty coins. A real steal! Same goes for dinner and breakfast. Two coins for breakfast, two for dinner, and breakfast and dinner package with the month-long stay are ninety coins, totaling two hundred fifty. This offer is only available until you reach level six or have purchased the bundle once. What will it be?”

“One night, dinner and breakfast. If it’s okay, I’d like to upgrade afterward. I don’t have enough to cover the package right now.” Never mind that he wouldn’t be able to purchase a weapon, even if the inn could take all his coins for downpayment. But would he need to be here for a month to reach level 10? He guessed it depended on if he could survive that long.

“Ah, you’re a new player. Yes, it’s possible to upgrade as long as you have the coin for it and you haven’t reached level six. Depending on what you choose to do, you can also opt for a more permanent residence in the area, but the leases are for a year or more. If you aim to climb the tower, I suggest you start out here for a month before moving further into the city.”

“Thanks.”

‘You have chosen to purchase dinner, a night’s rest, and breakfast for a total of 14 coins. Please confirm. [Confirm] [Cancel]’

“Confirm.” Leon’s balance showed up, decreasing the amount to 120 coins.

“Well, then. Follow me.” The woman walked from behind the desk and continued to the right, where there were wooden stairs leading up into the building. Two corkboards sat fastened to the wall at the base. “This left one, here,” she tapped it with her finger, “is where you and others can put up requests. They can be anything from requesting items to quests, or for forming a party.” She pointed to the second board, which held a map. “Here’s a simplified map of this part of the city. Please take some time to study it.”

Leon stepped forward. The building of the inn was next to the top of the map and described that the two roads adjacent to it led to the rest of the city, and stated the requirement of at least level 10 for a player to be able to pass the guards. Meaning that if he wanted to go further into the city, he’d have to level up at least that much. But what about the quest? It would be impossible to complete if he had to enter the tower before becoming level 7. He’d have to ask about that. In the middle of the map were the Slums and the plaza, and arrows pointing out shops that might be helpful for various things, and below that was the south gate. The environment outside the gate was divided into three sections—the tutorial forest, ranked F, the wheat field, ranked F, and the forest behind it, ranked E. He wondered how those converted to levels. Almost as if she’d heard him, she answered.

“Rank F is recommended for players under level 15, while E is recommended for levels 15 to 30.”

“How high do the levels and ranks go?”

The woman put a hand on her hip and sucked on her lip. “I’m not too sure. The ranks go up to A+, and to deal with those, you have to be level 120 or above. But as for the max level, I don’t know. I think the highest recorded is 151.”

That had to be the group that managed to beat the tower. How long would it take to reach that, if he tried his hardest every day? And then he’d have to think about his fatigue level.

“You said that I can’t move further into the city unless I’m level 10 or higher, so what about the quest?”

“Do you mean to visit the tower in the north?” She tapped her lip with a finger. “Well, if you look here…” She pointed at the far side of the Slums. “There’s the portal that you’ll enter and come out of. But it’s one-use only, so you can’t simply go in and out each day. And of course, you won’t be able to quit the level once you’re in it.”

Leon nodded.

“Now, then!” She clapped her hands once. “Let me show you your room.”

Leon followed her to the last room on the second floor. It was furnished with a single window, a straw bed, a bedstand, and a chest.

“While you stay here, all items stored in the chest will be safe. Of course, when you move out, you have to empty it completely. If any item remains, it will be sold at the market for the inn’s sole benefit, as is custom.”

“And the bathroom?”

She blinked. Then she smiled. “Silly me, I forgot you’re new! All those extra needs you’ve had before, except for eating and sleeping, aren’t needed anymore.”

That’s kind of weird, but he guessed it would be okay. Wonder if the three survivors had a hard time coming back to those things.

“I’ll leave you now. Come downstairs when you’re ready for dinner.”

“Sure, thanks.”

Leon sat on the bed. It wasn’t too comfortable, but it would do. It felt weird he’d have to sleep, but maybe he only needed that to heal and recoup from fatigue? An idea popped into his head.

“System, info on sleep?”

He smiled when the box appeared.

’Sleep

Sleep is a condition that will heal your body of everything except the most severe wounds and cure all ailments except poison. The condition will also replenish your fatigue by 1% per 5 minutes of sleep. If the player sleeps 15% longer than needed to restore fatigue completely, the player will receive the status ’Well Rested’ and will gain a 5% experience boost for three hours while fighting against monsters. The status ’Well Rested’ can only be activated if the player sleeps in a bed.’

That meant he could go to kill monsters non-stop without taking a rest, as long as he kept from getting injured and kept his fatigue in check, right? The level 2 wolf flashed up in his mind. He’d almost gotten killed then. Maybe it would be better to party up with someone. He closed the window and headed downstairs. He would have to start tomorrow, considering the Beggar’s Curse. He also wanted the experience boost. He settled with the choice and entered the dining area.

The plump woman strode over to him with a plate stacked with meat and potatoes, and some sort of light purple liquid in a glass. “Here you go, sweetie. You need to recoup some energy, don’t you?”

“Thanks.”

She left him alone, and he ate. It tasted nice and filled him up quickly. But what purpose did it have if he didn’t have any other needs? To gain health? Maybe. But he should have been properly healed with the status recovery from before, so it didn’t make sense that he had a rumbling stomach. Anyway, it felt nice to have something so familiar. Something he’d done all his life.

Leon stared out the window. The plaza was completely empty and darkness had fallen over the sky. Street lamps lit up the space, leaving it a serene place, even though most of the buildings surrounding the plaza would still need some work. It was a nice place to stay, for the time being. Tonight, all he had to do was to think through what had happened and have a look at the corkboard with requests. Maybe someone searched for a party member.

Leon left the plate to the woman, thanked her for the meal, and pressed his thumb against the corkboard. A window showed up in front of his face, with the options to look at entries, place an entry, or to close the window. He chose the first option, and a total of five entries showed up. Two of them were quests, highlighted in yellow, two were requests for crafting items, highlighted in green, and the last one was a request for a party, highlighted in blue. Leon chose the last one, but closed it after reading the headline, stating the two people were looking for a mage of level 5 or higher. He went back to the options and chose to create an entry. It was 15 coins. Maybe it would be worth it to gain a party, but before he spent the coin, he’d have to take a look at the items in the store and find a way to get more. He opened up the first quest and read it through.

‘A helping hand in the kitchen

Margaret needs someone to help her wash dishes.

Reward: 5 coins per night, from 8 pm until closing time.

Penalty if failed or ignored: Margaret’s friendly demeanor might lessen toward you.

Special: Quest is continuous until the player verbally announces he or she is quitting.

Will you accept this quest? [Accept] [Reject]’

“Reject.” Leon opened up the second quest.

‘Exploration

Smith Hert has requested a player to follow him into the woods for a few hours while he looks for special material.

Rank: F

Time before leaving: 15h 32min

Reward: 50 experience, access to Smith Hert’s services.

Penalty if failed or ignored: You will be unable to use Smith Hert’s services.

Will you accept this quest? [Accept] [Reject]’

“Reject.” If he was going to level up quickly, it didn’t seem like a good choice to bind himself to a task. Maybe after a couple of days, if the quest was still there. He went back to Margaret’s quest. Margaret, was that the woman who had shown him around? Five coins didn’t seem like much, but it covered his dinner and breakfast. He might as well do it for tonight, just to have something at hand. He accepted the quest.

“How nice of you to help,” the woman said.

Leon spun around. She stood with her arms crossed over her bosom.

“Now then, come with me.”