We stepped onto the streets.
The wide streets of the Capital City of Eleanor Kingdom stretched out before us. The city was alive.
Vendors and merchants shouted to passing customers, showing off their goods—fruits, jars of glowing potions, weapons, and bundles of fragrant spices.
The Eleanor Kingdom was enormous, bigger than anything I had ever imagined. Towering buildings lined the streets. High above it all loomed the Royal Palace. Truly, there were wonders everywhere I looked.
"I just love fantasy games!" I exclaimed, unable to hide my excitement.
I opened my Player Status screen and tapped the map button. A holographic map hovered in midair, glowing softly as I searched for lines and markers.
"There's gotta be somewhere here…" I murmured, zooming in until I finally spotted a forest that could be a goblin territory.
The map showed five forests scattered across the kingdom.
"I think we should take the Verdant Forest," Emilia suggested, pointing at the glowing marker on her holographic map.
"Good suggestion," Sebastian said, giving a thumbs-up.
"I think the Verdant Forest isn't too far from the kingdom. It's to the west and full of grassy plains and dense woods," Emilia said.
"Okay," I replied.
We started walking toward the West Gate of the kingdom.
As we approached, the gate guards noticed us and stepped forward.
"We're heading to the Verdant Forest," Sebastian said, pointing west on the map.
The guards exchanged a quick glance, then nodded. "Very well. The gates are open," one of them said, pushing the massive doors aside.
The West Gate creaked open, revealing the road stretching toward the green horizon beyond the city walls.
"So… we're walking all the way to the Verdant Forest?" Sebastian said. "We've been walking through the streets all the way here."
I gave him a small smile.
"Come on. This is just like the online games we always played, right? Adventurers always travel long distances to complete quests before slaying monsters."
"This is a VR MMORPG, Gideon—I mean Malachi. It's different," Sebastian replied sarcastically. "We actually feel tired and exhausted. Nothing like playing on a computer."
Emilia clapped her hands, encouraging us. "We still haven't earned enough gold coins to pay for a wagon or carriage!"
I shook my head and pointed at her. "Exactly."
Sebastian sighed dramatically and plopped down on the road.
Emilia laughed. "Alright, we can take a short break."
We all sat down outside the West Gate. Although we hadn't walked that far, he was just being lazy as always.
But Sebastian was right. We felt a bit exhausted, like it was real, and I was hungry.
I tapped something in front of me, and my Player Status screen popped up. Leaning back, I opened my Inventory. With a small click, it appeared floating in front of me. Inside, there were only a few items:
[Inventory]
▶ Guidebook
▶ Sandwich (5×)
"Look, guys, I found something in my inventory," I said, clicking the sandwich, and it appeared in my hand.
"Hey! Where did you get that?" Sebastian asked, shaking my shoulder.
"Hmm… I just found it in my inventory. I think it's free," I said.
Seeing this, Sebastian and Emilia tapped their own inventories and clicked their sandwiches, which appeared in their hands as well.
"We should dismiss our weapons for now. It's exhausting to carry them all the time," Emilia suggested.
"How?" I asked.
"I only summon talismans. I don't have a weapon," Sebastian said to us.
"I think there's a way to dismiss them," Emilia replied.
[System Tip]
[To unsummon your weapon, open the holographic option and select "Unsummon."]
[To summon it again, visualize your weapon and call it out.]
"Just tap your weapon. A holographic option will display. Click the Unsummon option," I explained, pointing at my weapon as the screen appeared.
A holographic screen also appeared for Emilia. She followed the instructions, and then our weapons shimmered before vanishing.
We picked up our sandwiches and took a bite, savoring the brief moment of peace.
Down the road, a wagon slowly approached, pulled by two horses. An old man guided the reins with steady hands.
Emilia stepped forward and gave him a polite bow. "Good morning, kind sir," she greeted warmly.
The old man looked down at us, raising an eyebrow. "And where might you be headed?" he asked.
"We're heading to the Verdant Forest, sir," Emilia replied.
The man's expression shifted to concern.
"Now, who goes to a place like that? Dark monsters are known to lurk in those woods," he warned.
Sebastian straightened up, puffing out his chest. "Oh, don't worry! We have weapons. We slay monsters," he said proudly.
The old man studied us for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "Alright… just be careful. Mind if I give you a ride?"
"Of course!" Sebastian exclaimed, hopping into the wagon. "Come on, guys!" he called, waving us over.
I felt a little embarrassed, so I signaled him with my hand.
Emilia climbed on as well. They were looking at me, and with no other choice, I joined them, sitting beside Sebastian.
"Come on, it's just a kind NPC offering a ride. This might be part of the game," Sebastian whispered.
And so, our journey toward the Verdant Forest began.
After a short ride, we arrived at the forest.
"Thank you!" we called, waving to the old man who tipped his hat and continued down the road.
"Here it is, guys," I said.
After a long journey along the grassy road, we finally arrived at our destination.
In the distance, the Kingdom of Eleanor stretched far behind us.
[System Notice!]
(Current Location: Edge of Verdant Forest)
We stepped into the forest. A shiver ran down my spine. The forest was alive. Grassy fields stretched between tall trees, and the air buzzed with insects.
Strange rustling sounds mixed with strong gusts of wind.
[You have now entered Verdant Forest]
I shivered, thinking about the monsters that might lurk in the deep woods.
We roamed inside the forest.
"So what does the map say?" I asked Emilia, who was looking at her holographic map.
"I think we are near a place where goblins might be," Emilia replied.
"Guys!" Sebastian suddenly shouted.
"Over here!" he called again, waving us toward him.
We hurried over, pushing through thick bushes, and discovered a wide clearing. A group of goblins was roaming around.
On our side, a rustle of bushes caught our attention.
Suddenly, a horde of goblins spilled out, their eyes glinting with malice.
"Looks like we found the first challenge of the Verdant Forest," I muttered with a smile.
[!] Monster Classification [!]
[Monster: Goblin]
[Rank: E-Class]
Goblins are small, green-skinned humanoids known for their cunning and agility. They hunt in packs, preying on humans and other creatures for survival. Fierce and territorial, they attack swiftly with crude weapons or bare claws. Their sharp senses allow them to detect movement and scent from afar, making them deadly ambushers.
‹ Goblin ›
HP: 50/50
A group of goblins burst from the bushes, green faces twisted in snarls as they raised crude daggers and clubs.
We leapt backward, calling our weapons to our hands. They responded instantly, appearing into existence.
I extended my left hand. Several spectral hands formed from dark energy, coiling around my arm all the way to my hand. With a sharp twist of my fingers, a scythe materialized. I spun it once, readying myself for battle.
Emilia raised her hand slowly. A faint golden glow appeared around her fingers. Soon, small golden musical notes began to swirl around her. She moved her hand gracefully, guiding the notes as they circled in the air around her.
The glowing notes continued to spin faster, gathering together above her palm. Then they combined, shaping themselves into a radiant golden harp that appeared floating in front of her.
Sebastian raised his hand. Dark symbols appeared around his fingers, each glowing with a faint light. One by one, several talismans formed in the air, each marked with strange runes. They floated, slowly spinning in the air as if reacting to his power. Then he reached out and grabbed them.
"It's slaying time!" Sebastian shouted, his eyes gleaming with excitement.