A Level Zero's Struggle (Part one)
Soon the two arrived at the doors of a building. The guy had told him this was where you registered for a level token and starting as a Zero officially.
"I am called Linwin by the way," He spoke, gesturing towards Qiao to follow him.
"I am Qiao Tai. Thank you for helping me." Qiao replied sincerely.
Linwin just waved his hands and entered the building. He went forward towards a desk and said, "Here to register this guy"
The man sitting behind the desk scrutinized both the youths. He was here to register the new zeroes and assign them tokens.
"Did you buy the chap book for general information?" the man lazily lifted up his head and asked Qiao. He could tell the one speaking to him was already registered with the guild.
Before Qiao could say that he did not buy any chap book, Linwin patted his shoulder, "He did because I told him to not bother the senior with petty questions," he chuckled and gestured Qiao to remain quiet.
Understanding his signal, Qiao decided to keep it to himself.
After some formalities, he brought Qiao away from the desk.
The date of registration and rules of the guilds were written in the chap book so the man did not bother to remind. Only some trivial information at best.
Inside his head, he knew that a zero was meant to remain zero, unless he encountered a special encounter or had good luck allowing him to level up to level one. But even then a level one needed few years to reach next level depending on the feasibility and availabilities of the opportunities. Only those that were born with natural talents could have a chance to go further up. Majority of them never rose up higher than level two.
Zeroes were really considered trash as they were only fit to be used by others as bait. And this fact alone made it tough for them to level up.
The man was sure about the future of this youth, so it did not matter whether he bothered to tell him the rules and information or not.
There were three scenarios that would occur the guy thought. First he might be killed being used as bait, second he might offend someone, third if he was able to remain alive for a year or so, he would abandon the hunting and would become a luggage dog from some trader.
The guy at the desk stopped thinking about this and went back to what he was doing earlier.
....
"Why did you stop me from answering?" Qiao asked puzzled.
Since they were away from the desk now, the senior could not hear them now.
"I stopped you because of a simple reason. In the excuse of chap book, he would have asked you to pay the price for it and if you could not, then you can forget getting registered. Do you have any money with you?" he gestured with his eyes as if trying to teach a blank person.
Qiao understood immediately and thanked him again. This guy was truly helping him until now
"So how will be able to know about the general information?" Qiao asked with relaxed expressions.
"No need to worry, I have borrowed it from a kind old hunter, he went back in the downtown when he thought that he could level up no more. He lent me his chap book at that time," the youth put his hand under his sleeves and brought out an old chap book. From the look of it, this book had seen a lot more and survived a long time.
Qiao opened it. But he could not understand the text.
"Haha, how did I forget that you are also poor. Then how could you possibly read what is written in it, pity me, let me help you with it," the youth slapped on his thigh and laughed almost bringing tears in the eyes, It was not easy to call himself poor and accept all the circumstances through which a poor was forced to go. But it was better when someone else was with you too.
He looked at the expressions pasted all over the face of the newbie Qiao, and immediately understood.
Qiao felt a really moved.
He could not believe that there could be someone with such a clear and sincere heart. As far as Qiao considered about himself, he was never this sincere to anyone except his younger brother.
He had never bothered to think the other side of life.
With his fixed routine, after getting up early, he would have prepared breakfast for his younger brother and himself and then get ready for university and during the breaks he did some odd online jobs.
After coming home, he would spend half an hour with his brother and would go back for part time job, returning late night. He would see his younger brother was fast asleep. Then he would play some games and ranted his frustration over the gamers and finally at mid night would fell asleep. This was his full day routine and he never bothered to add up anything good or brought change in it until now.
"You again lost in your thoughts, what is it with you always drifting into some parallel space? Something bothering you?" Linwin finally asked.
"Nothing, I was just missing my family," Qiao weirdly smiled.
"Also I am really thankful for your help Linwin," Qiao patted his shoulders, both were of same age and currently at the zero level.
Inside his head, Qiao gritted and make a promise to himself that he would definitely face whatever comes in his way and level up, Only then could he meet his family.
"Bro I have only told you some of the more common stuff. Other half of the information that I have can only be shown and experienced and not understood by just listening to once. So, don't be so quick at thanking me." Linwin chuckled.