---
{Update in progress}
{10% … 20% … 50% …}
{100%}
{Update complete}
{The netherworld expansion has been added}
{Welcome back. The world of Trestya has been awaiting you}
---
Stretching my arms with a long yawn, I opened my eyes.
Man, that must've been a long nap.
Getting out of bed, I took for a walk to get my body moving.
Walking around town, it didn't take long to take notice of a something.
Isn't there more people than normal?
Even for a low-level area, this town didn't usually have this much traffic.
More and more People were coming from the teleportation portal.
As they walked by, I caught some of their talk.
"hey, it's been a while! Are you also here to see the new expansion?"
"Isn't everyone? This is the biggest update since forever"
Update? No wonder I slept for so long.
With a thought and a slight hand gesture, a black screen appeared.
---
{News}
The Netherworld expansion has finally been added!!!
We know you have been waiting for this expansion forever, and it's finally here!
We have been waiting for this as long as you have, if not more.
New weapons, new enemies, new areas. You name it, we have it!
Join with your friends and explore the Netherworld together. Beware, new opportunities come with danger!!
---
There was such a thing?
The news panel kept going on about a bunch more patch notes and what's not. Nothing important.
'Hmm, should I explore the new area? But my level is too low for that…'
Once again, with a thought and a gesture, a black window popped up.
---
{stats}
Name: Leo.
Job: NPC.
LVL: 0
XP: 0/100
STR: 1
INT: 1
AGI: 1
VIT: 1
---
'I didn't really need to level up before, so I didn't bother with it. I guess I have to do something about it now.'
It's about time I start moving anyway.
'My stats really are pitiful though. What can I even do with these stats?'
If I try to hunt, I'd be the prey instead.
As I was lost in thought, that's when it happened.
A player started walking towards me.
"Hi, hello. Do you have a quest? Anything you might need done?"
Although he might sound sincere, like he really wants to help and means well, he isn't.
I have seen this type before, greed clear in his eyes.
"Hello adventurer. Welcome to our little town." With a voice as robotic as possible, I spoke.
"Man, it's a dud. No quest. Why were you added, if you don't even have a quest?" grumbling as he left, he walked away.
Yes, I got nothing for you. So, don't bother me.
Players, I swear.
'I may be an NPC, but can you not?'
That aside, I need to start planning.
A new region was added, there is no time to waste.
Different from the players, I have my own objectives.
I need to go the netherworld.
While I was lost in thought, unbeknownst to me, someone was approaching me.
Only when she got right up to me, did I look up and realize.
"Hello! Are you new in town? I'm pretty sure I know everyone here"
A girl, a player, came up to me.
Another one? I just got rid of the other guy…
Hmm? Did she say she knows everyone? Is she referring to the NPCs?
"Well, it might also be from an update I missed. It has been some time…"
Rather than talking to me, she seems to be murmuring to herself.
Who is this girl? Was this little town her base?
Although I call it a town, it really just a village.
There's nothing here, aside from an inn, a few villagers and an old blacksmith.
Not a single reason for a player to stay in this place.
In all the time I have been here, none stayed here more than a few days.
"Hello adventurer. Welcome to our little town."
Once again, I put on my usual act.
"I wasn't expecting a quest, but shouldn't your lines be longer than that?"
Aren't you the problem thought? You shouldn't ask all these questions.
"Anyway, I got a game to play. See you later!"
'Amy… she's an odd one.'
....
With all the players all around, I decided to head back.
My current place of stay was none other than the inn.
Of course, I can't just steal one of the rooms.
I stood behind the bar and dinner at the ground floor.
While pretending to work here, which I obviously don't, I got back to planning.
My end goal aside, at the moment, I need to get to the netherworld.
There are a few problems.
For starters, my level is too low.
Given that it's a new area, it must be extremely high level. I need to raise my level first.
The second issue is that I can't travel around normally.
I am not a player, but an NPC.
If a random NPC started walking around as he pleases, it would bring me all kinds of troubles.
With just these 2 points, I am struggling to find solutions.
But that isn't even the worst of it.
I don't even know how to go there.
Even the players are still trying to find out, let alone me.
Who knows how long that'd take? And even then, it's not like they'd come tell me.
Truly, I cannot see a way forward.
Annoyingly enough, simply standing here and thinking it over and over again isn't going to fix my problems.
I need to do something.
'But what?'
Thinking I'm not getting anywhere with this, I pour myself a drink.
As a stood behind the bar counter, I simply took a mug out of the cupboard.
Turned around, and started pouring in from one of the kegs on the wall.
Just as I was about to take a sip of my beer, our eyes met.
It's the girl from before, the odd one.
She's just standing there, staring at me.
'When did she get there? How did I not hear her?'
Though many questions flashed through my mind, I ignored all of them.
After all, the alarm in my head drowned all of them out.
'What will I do?'
She saw me. She saw me do the impossible.
'I messed up.'
I screwed up, big time.
You see, normally, when a player asks the bartender for a drink, it would just spawn out of thin air.
Of course, why would they waste budget on a beer pouring animations?
So, following that logic, every player knows that these kegs on the wall are just for decorations. Background props essentially.
Yet here I am, actually using them.
Basically, she saw me do the impossible.
Me, Mr. NPC.
"Uh, are you drinking that?"
Hmm?
"To think they added an animation while I was away… But, why did they make the NPCs drink?"
Again, she's talking to herself.
An odd one indeed.
I'm not complaining, this works in my favor.
"Hello mam, what would you like?"
NPC more: on.
"Mam? I'm not that old though? Oh, just give me a cola."
As she finished talking, a cola can metalized on the counter.
"I wanted to see the animation again… does it only work for NPCs? Weird game design."
By the way, there is no one else in here but the 2 of us. No players or other NPCs.
That's why I acted so casual and got myself a drink. I thought I was alone in here.
On another note, the drinks are free.
Not only that, even if it's alcohol, you can't get drunk on it.
Well, kinda. You can, it's just in game drunk. You'll be fully aware of it the whole time, and if you log off, it will be gone.
So yeah, fake drunk.
Her choice of cola seems to be a personal preference.
As she enjoyed her drink, it looked like an idea struck her.
"Hey, do you, by any chance, know how to get to the netherworld?"
Unlucky for you, I'm also looking for it.
I was going to just say no.
But then, the most unbelievable thing happened.
A black screen appeared.
{Quest activated}
What?
---
{Quest: Where you must go.}
Quest giver: Leo
Details: Leo need to go to the netherworld. He is unable to go on his own, the dangers are too many. Help him with his quest, as he needs. Further details can be directly acquired from him. Do your best, and don't get lost on the way.
Reward: Unknow.
Duration: Unlimited.
Failure condition: The death of Leo.
Failure Penalty: Yet to be determent.
Do you accept? (Y/N)
---
Again, what?
A quest? Me? I had a quest? Since when?
And how did I not know about this??
More importantly, how did she trigger my quest?
I thought she'd say yes right away. But I am wrong.
To my surprise Amy, hasn't accepted the quest yet.
Players don't normally hastate, why would you say no to a free quest?
The look in her eyes seem, almost, regretful.
I wonder what did she experience to look like that…
After what I'm guessing is a moment of contemplation, she makes pick.
{Quest accepted}
{Setting up a party}
{Party set up done. Party name has been set}
{Warning: party cannot be canceled or modified until the related quest is finished}
"I knew they'd pull something; these quests are always like this…"
She sounds tired of this.
Excuse me, but have you done this before? For me, all of this is new?
I haven't seen anything like this before.
The quest details and conditions are weird enough on their own.
And now this weird party set up?
Looking as if she was fiddling with the system window, I opened my own in secret.
---
{Party: Descenders}
Party leader: Leo.
Party members: Amy.
---
Although a party was set up, the system seems to be malfunction.
I cannot open Amy's stats, which you normally can in parties.
Also, the party screen is locked, nothing works on it.
"Okay…? I guess this isn't too bad? It's just this, I can manage. I will look more into it tomorrow, I'm too tired now."
She looks at me again, smiles and says.
"Good night."
Light engulfs her, and just like that, she's gone.
"good night."
Though all kinds of weird things happened today, I can say one thing.
I am sure, this isn't just a simply quest.
I don't know how the system works, or if the Devs are involved.
We will have to wait and see to know for certain.
I have a feeling me and Amy will be going on a long journey.
What this world is planning for us is unknown.
For the days ahead, I started preparing.