[NR] Lonely Travellers - Chapter 522

When Courtney logged back in, she didn’t look happy.

Rosha, “What did you find out? Is it Jason’s fault?”

Courtney raises an eyebrow, “Why in the world would it be Jason’s fault?”

Jason shrugs, “While you were away we realized that when we separated to head to the dungeon, you two saw a few people traveling while I saw no one actually traveling. Sure, there was the whole demon thing, but that wasn’t actually people traveling around.”

Courtney shakes her head, “No, because even before we all joined up as a group, me and Rosha basically didn’t meet anyone while traveling. The only time any of us has really passed people on the road is when Rosha was on that trade caravan with the cultist dwarf and a few while heading to the dungeon.”

Rosha, “So, are we all cursed or something?”

Courtney, “Not cursed, at least not in the sense of having an actual curse placed on us. Rather, we actually kinda sorta accepted a challenge of sorts? Maybe.”

Rosha, “Maybe!?”

Courtney shrugs, “We could just be unlucky while also traveling on already low traffic roads.”

Rosha shakes her head, “So what’s the challenge?”

Courtney, “Well, challenge is a little too defined of a word for what we’re facing. The facts of the matter are that the System is arranging things so that we don’t receive any help while traveling. Or at least as little help as it can manage without going too overboard.

“As for who to blame? Well, if you remember the last time any of us really saw any sort of traffic on the roads? Yeah, that dwarf cultist did something to us. With us in this case, meaning the party. After all, he was still a part of the party for a while there.”

Rosha, “So to fix this we just have to disband and remake the party?”

Courtney shakes her head, “We gained it by being a part of the party, but if we left the party, we will still have it. In fact, I doubt the dwarf even realized they passed it onto us. For a cultist wanting to move around mostly unseen, this is perfect. If I had to guess, he probably activated it for himself without realizing it would spill over onto us.”

Rosha nods, “Sounds like him. Now, what is it?”

Courtney makes a face, “Eh, I said challenge, but originally it would have been called an option or setting. Now, it is hard to believe, but at one point NeoRealm existed, but wasn’t globe spanning like it is right now. Kind of weird, but that’s history for you.

“Anyway, back when it first came out they needed a bunch of stuff to get people to play in the first place. One problem they came up against was a bunch of people who didn’t really want to play with others. They wanted a single player game and there was enough people making that suggestion that the original devs somehow convinced the System to make a form of pseudo single player experience.

“It was called ‘The Challenge of the Lonely Traveller’. There were a few other modes in a similar vein back then and for the most part, they’re all gone now. No one is even really sure which ones still exist, mostly because in their own way, each was powerful.

“Of course, we don’t need stuff like that now and the System has been trying to claw these modes back since the beginning. However, as far as various researchers can figure, as long as at least one player is still using a mode, the System can’t remove them. Thus, here we are being included in one of them.”

Jason, “So what’s this ‘Lonely Traveller’ thing do?”

Courtney shrugs, “Makes your game lonely. Now, if we went down a main road that people have to travel to get between two points, we would still meet up with a bunch of people. As it is, the only people we’ll meet are those who absolutely need to take this path.”

Rosha, “But why didn’t we know about this? You would think we’d get a message about it or that it would pop up in our status.”

Courtney, “When the System removed the ability to toggle the modes from the options, it also wiped any alerts about it from the messaging system. It was very much a hack job to begin with and even the System wasn’t able to fix things. Either you allow people to toggle the modes on or you no one can see when they’re affected by them.”

Jason, “Wait! If you can’t toggle them on, how do people still have them? Well, I guess that could be put down to longevity. I guess I’m really asking how people can still toggle the modes on?”

Courtney, “The System is not just in control of the world, but a part of the world. Through examining those who still had the modes enabled, some groups figured out various rituals and rites which would turn the mode on for you. I’m guessing the cultist boy’s family paid someone to induct him.”

Jason, “Fair enough. Now what is the benefit? You said they could be powerful.”

Courtney shrugs, “I said ‘could’, not are or is. Though you are probably benefiting the most from it right now. Since the point of it was to simulate a single player game, it has bonuses to allow an easier time doing stuff on your own. Not to put you down, but you advanced your farming awfully fast.”

Rosha smiles, “That means we’re about to get a lot of use out of it! After all, building our own little base on the edge of the Deep Wilds fits the bill! Though I have to ask, how do we turn it off?”

Courtney shrugs again, “The same way that cultist did it in the first place.”

Jason laughs, “Paying someone to do stuff for you is always the easier way. Though about my farming skills, I’m not some noob. I figure even without this, I could advance easily enough. Mystical herbs are a cheat for skills like that and I even have a couple discovery and knowledge bonuses based on them.”