CHAPTER 1

As soon as the bright light disappeared, Jonas found himself in a very busy place, which just happened to be the front gate of a place. On closer inspection, it looked like the main gate to the village. The cacophony of noises made by many different players who also entered on the same day made Jonas a little awkward. But, the promise of a new life made him quickly forget his awkwardness as he slowly explored the area he spawned in. 

His reason for playing this game was fundamentally different than others. That incident last year had drained all the naivety from his body, leaving behind only a lonely boy who craved for something other than just four walls, a cold bed and a lonely house. He wanted to experience new things to alleviate his boredom and loneliness to some extent. 

Like every other RPG Fantasy game out there, the setting of this game was also based on 18th century Town. The only difference was that in those games, one saw things from a third-person point of view, but due to Full Dive technology; he was able to experience it from first person POV. To Jonas, it was a novel experience. 

“Coll! I can even feel the wind and smell things here!!” his eyes sparkled to the world that laid bare before of him. The crowded market way where all kinds of people, both NPC and players in shiny armors loitering about. Some held swords, some held big magic staffs. Some were dressed from head to toe, leaving nothing but a pair of eyes for others to see… all kinds of people were moving to and fro the place he was walking in. 

[You have arrived at Newbie Village Market.]

[A Free Bonus Quest has been activated]

[Quest 001: Please head to Terka, the tailor to receive a set of clothes for free.]

[Terka, the tailor has seen you walking in those rags you call clothes and took pity on you. As an experienced Tailor that liked to make people look trendy and fit, he couldn’t overlook your blasphemous clothing. Head to his shop on the third street of Newbie Village to receive your first bonus item.]

“Huh!” now that the notification came, he looked down and blushed in embarrassment. The thing he was wearing was nothing but a small pant that looked more like boxers than anything. He had no shirt, no shoes… all bare. 

‘Shit! They should have warned me before sending here…’ Complaining in his heart, Jonas made his way in the third street, the place where he should be getting his free set of clothes. Thankfully, the map to the top right of his field of vision was showing exactly where he should be going, and thus he didn’t have to ask anyone for the way. 

He wasn’t good with people due to his condition…

After a few twists and turns, he finally found the shop he was searching for. Like every shop in the town, a stone-made building greeted him where a middleaged man sitting on a chair on the outside, near the stairs of the shop. As soon as Jonas stepped on the first step, the man stood up abruptly, showing a huge frown on his bearded face. 

“You… what’s that blasphemous thing you are wearing? You call that clothing? Worry not, you have arrived at the right place. I will make you a set of clothes that will turn you into a civilized person rather than some caveman.” After a shriek, Terka, the man went inside the shop while blabbering nonstop. 

As someone who watches game cutscenes even when replaying it, Jonas listened carefully to everything Terka was saying while he followed him inside. But soon, he was surprised at how detailed the developers created each and everything. The NPC Terka’s movements were so lifelike and realistic that for a second, Jonas thought he was conversing with a real-life person rather than a program controlled by an AI. 

‘No wonder this game was acclaimed as an achievement towards mankind as a whole…’ right now, Jonas was exhibiting the same expressions countless players did after entering the game for the first time in their life. 

Ten minutes later, Terka returned with a set of folded clothes in his hands and gave it to him. 

“Changing room is there. Go and change into it, quickly get rid of that…thing… you call clothes. Also, while at it, burn that damn piece to cinders least more eyes are tented by its filth.” Terka sounded like a cultist that couldn’t endure the presence of something their cult forbids. 

There was no need for him to go into the room, the game gave the player more freedom than expected. In this case, one can choose either to equip them all at once or wear them one at a time as normally they would do. 

A bright light later, his worn-out boxers were replaced with a pair of khaki pants with boots of the same color. Set of a white shirt that had frilly sleeves and a necktie. With this set on, anyone would look like an 18th Century peasant or son of a peasant in case of younger guys. Since Jonas was only 14, the clothing he received was meant for young people of his age to wear in that era. 

“I look rather presentable…” Jonas muttered as he stared at himself in the mirror on the opposite to him. Since he had skipped character modification, the game avatar was the same as his own body back on the real world… sans the damaged leg. 

‘Hmm! I just need a top hat and a cane to look like a noble kid from those eras… these DEVs have some unique test if I say so myself.’ Thinking of irrelevant things like this, he went for a special NPC, shopkeeper Lika. 

Before coming to this fantasy world, he had done extensive research on it… he had way too much free time in his hands anyway. He collected various gameplay videos released by different players, guides released by ProGaming companies, and also the official guide that was released a day before the game’s launching. 

He discovered something very interesting, these NPCs, would give out free skills, levels money and even in some cases unique equipment when a certain condition was fulfilled. That condition being…

“Hmm! You look good in these clothes. Now go and burn that piece of filth and scatter its ashes.” Terka showed a smile before pointing his fingers towards the piece of discarded boxers that didn’t go into his inventory the moment he unequipped them. 

[Your wardrobe has impressed Terka. Relationship with him increased by 2 points.]

[Current Relationship status with Terka: a target of pity(2/10)]

[Terka has given you a quest. Go and destroy that piece of clothing and show him the ashes.]

[Quest 002: Burn the pair of boxers you wore and show the ashes to Terka. 

Rewards: +5 Relatinship] 

“The hell wrong with this, Terka? Why is he against that pair of boxers as if his life is depending on it?” grumbling inwardly he grabbed the boxers and went outside to torch it. Just as he was about to do so, he realized he had no lighter or an equivalent to starting the fire, as such he turned around towards Terka and asked: “I don’t have the source to create fire, do you have something that can help me with that?” 

“Hmph! This is a tailor shop. What do you expect? Moreover, I don’t smoke either. If you need something as to create fire, why don’t you go there scratch rocks or something.” Said Terka pointing to a bunch of black rocks laying inconspicuously to the side of his shop and went inside the shop, leaving behind “come to me after you burned that pair of boxers into cinders.” 

“Now I have to scratch rocks like a caveman… wait a minute! Somethings not right here. Isn’t this where he would send me to that variety store to buy a bunch of matchsticks? That video showed it, the same thing happened with that player if I remember correctly. Why did it tell me to scratch rocks?” He quickly fell into confusion as things didn’t match what he had seen on the guide. 

Jonas, or Walker in-game, went to the gathered stones on the corner while holding the peace of boxers in his hands. Grabbing two rocks, he started to scratch them with each other, making noises but no sparks as he had hoped. 

“Pfft! Look someone scratching the rocks to make fire. Lol!” 

“Didn’t he got the quest to go buy the matchstick from the shop? Why is he rubbing rocks like a caveman?” 

“Ah! This mission, huh! This brings back memories…” 

The passing players who saw him doing that, all gave a comment or two, making the poor boy embarrassed beyond belief. Even a normal person would feel shy, not to mention him an antisocial. 

“grr!!” growling in anger, he started to rub the rocks even faster. Even so, he couldn’t see a single spark, no matter how much he rubbed. Finally, just as he was about to give up and be on his way, he saw a tiny spark emerging. 

“Huh!” confused, he did the same movements again, and a spark emerged. As soon as he confirmed this, a smile emerged on his face, ‘I see, so that’s how you have to do it.’ Until now, he was rubbing the rocks like rubbing palms… which didn’t work as expected. 

Now that he did it according to how it should be done, although he realized this accidentally, creating fire was as easy as a walk-in park. In just one try, he was able to lit the boxers in fire and watched in glee as it burned to ashes. Grabbing a tiny speck of ashes, he went into the shop and showed it to the Terka, who was, like before, sitting on the chair with a paper on his face. 

“Here. I have burned it as you have asked.” 

[Quest 002: Complete.]

[Relationship with Terka increased by 5]

[Current Relationship status with Terka: a target of pity(2/10)]

Finally, the beginner's quest ended… or that was what he thought.