This chapter took longer to post because I was busy today, but here it is!
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"I think this should be enough… Phew." Said Dale as he stretched his arms
He raised his head and focused back on the church, and he realized that David had his eyes closed.
"David?"
"..."
"Is he sleeping?" He mumbled to himself in a low tone
'Well, if he didn't reply to me immediately, then he is sleeping…'
"Besides, I still have a few things to do on the market."
'For one, I need to wait for the auctions to end, they will last 10 minutes so once that is done and I collect my rewards, there will be no need for me to come back in a long while.'
'And the second thing… Time to buy some consumables…'
'Resko is a pretty remote place, and because of it, there are no shops or places for me to replenish my items unless I have the locals make me some, and I have no idea what sort of items they are capable of making...'
'And using the trade market once costs over 30 Zulls of Iron. It's a lot really, so it's better to just buy everything I need right now.'
'Potions and even food might be interesting… I mean, if some shit happens and the villagers can't work anymore, wouldn't it be quite good to have a large supply of food?'
'I need to think ahead and save myself from possible problems…'
[DING]
[You have received a message from User: Can_You_Feel_My_Heart?!]
"That was fast..."
'What's with this name?… The message is quite short.'
"I hope it's useful this time… The others I read so far weren't useful in the least."
But as Dale read through the message, he smiled.
"I knew it, they approached me first…"
'The large gaming groups wanting to buy my items privately… Let's see their offer.'
Dale knew that people would soon contact him. Not for the sake of complaining or anything, but for the sake of negotiating.
That was the reason why he kept a part of his sets out of the Trade Market.
He was waiting for them to contact him.
"Hm… They want… 5 sets? Lower than I expected… And they are offering me… I see, they want to see what I deem as valuable first."
'The problem is that I don't know if they are honest or not, besides, soon...'
[DING]
[You have received a message from User: Red_Hills]
[DING]
[You have received a message from User: Look at this giraffe!]
[DING]
[You have received a message from User: Neonic]
[DIN…]
"Urg my ears… This is what I get for reactivating the sound notification…" H said as he turned off the sound notification once more
'It hasn't even been 3 minutes since I posted those Auctions and these people are already on my ass… This is a good thing though.'
Dale became serious.
'In these sorts of MMORPGs, Guilds or Clans, AKA. coordinated groups of players tend to take over things very very fast, due to the massive advantage they hold over normal players.'
'No matter how incredible I am, no matter how much of a lead I have, they will catch up to me one day. There is only so much an individual can do.'
'In that case, shouldn't I join a group or make my own? Ha! I just so happen to have no intentions of joining or making my own group, such things can't be made just like that and to be honest, once things grow, politics enter into the fray and it becomes a bother.'
'I was in many groups and Clans throughout my life, and I know very well how intense people can be with gaming…'
'At most, I would make a small gaming group of fewer than 6 players, mostly composed of close friends…'
'My friends from school are playing this game which is good, and my Bros even called me to play with them, but I refused… All because of this.'
'They play this game for the sake of their Clan, and I have no intention of joining it. Especially since it's a company-owned Clan... And I don't really wish to be bossed around.'
'I feel sorry for them and even myself for rejecting them, but it had to be done. Next time we'll play together.'
'This leaves no more candidates to join me… My brother and family? It's a bit odd and… I don't know… Strange? Playing in a fighting game where blood spills on your face with your mom and dad?'
"The only thing I can do for now is to move as fast as I can."
'What is the advantage of a Guild? It's the numbers and their organization. How fast they can get things done. Be it from material acquisition to completing something like a gathering quest.'
'I will use this chance to collect everything I need for my future, so that I can keep myself in front of them Level-wise at the very least.'
'While they are Level 5, I am 17, and by tomorrow I may be even able to reach Level 20… A bit too fast but good nonetheless.'
'If I reach Level 20 first, I'm sure I'll gain an exclusive privilege, and for the Levels after it as well… I am already in a high-quality area, I just need to Level up, complete these quests, get the High-Ranking items, and get better… This is a recipe for success.'
Dale quickly read through the messages, but more and more offers came over time, making Dale feel as if he was making no progress…
...
/15 minutes later…/
The Auction ended and his items were sold, but his inventory was just as full as before.
Dale had a smile on his face as he went through his gains, he refused many deals but he didn't regret it.
No one knew who he was and where he was, so he completely ignored all threats and closed the game menu as he stretched his neck.
"I'll go over everything once I'm home… Wait. It's already over 1 Am… Can I even find a place to sleep?"
Dale face palmed as he realized he committed a mistake.
'I should've dealt with this sooner…'
Although it's true that players have no need to sleep in a VR game, in this sort of high-intensity environment, even if you have an incredible gaming Pod, your brain will still tire itself over time.
So taking short breaks is needed from time to time, and to incentivize that, the game has a feature that gives players bonuses for sleeping and taking good care of their bodies.
Otherwise, normal players would never waste their time sleeping… Most players at least.
There are many out there that use VR technology just so they can sleep more…
Think about it, from 5-7 hours of sleep to 15 and 21 if they have a decent pod, perhaps even more...
Besides, even if he wanted to keep himself awake, Dale had no choice in this sense, as a HardCore player, Dale knew he had to take good care of his character's body, and health.
And so far, there isn't much he can do right now in the middle of the night. The outside is dangerous and he knows little about it, so exploring it isn't an option, while every single NPC is sleeping.
The village isn't that big and the sole Dungeon is clean of any monsters, there isn't much for him to do and Dale was sure the NPCs wouldn't appreciate his efforts if he picks a few more of the mercenary contracts and starts hammering wood in the middle of the night…
"The last thing for me to do is…"
'To get a new Class.'
Dale opened the game menu once more and selected Class change.
[You have met the requirements for a Class Change]
[Beware that Class Change through this method can only be done once]
[Would you like to receive a New Class?]
"Yes."
[A proper Beginner Class shall be selected by analyzing your gameplay]
[Processing…]
A large translucent tree suddenly appeared in front of Dale, the tree had thousands of branches and leaves rising into the sky, or in this case, past the ceiling of the church.
The tree slowly vanished, showing a tiny sprout growing in the dirt…
The sprout grew a bit more and it became a bit bigger.
[Your Class has changed from Fallen Noble to Heavy Spearman]
[Evolution tree of the Skill, Spear Technique has opened]
[Constitution Ratio has changed from 1 to 1.1]
"..."
'Hum… I don't know why, but I was expecting more… Perhaps getting all of these system notifications has messed with my mind a little.'
'Besides, this is not a bad start at all. I didn't gain a new Skill, probably because I already had the Skill, but I gained something else.'
"Might as well go to sleep for now… David, you there?... Still unresponsive."
'I'll talk with him more some other time.'
[Player: DareDevil (Dale Houston) Attainments: Body Reformation; Eclipsed;
Level:17 (87.1%)
Class: Heavy Spearman
Character Status:
Strength: 84(99); Constitution: 84(99); Dexterity: 84(99); Mental Power: 59(74); Reflexes: 59(74); Mana: 34(49)
Skills:
Slot 1-> Spear Technique 2-Star (Neutral)
Slot 2-> Close quarters Combat 0.5-Star (Neutral)
Slot 3-> Stable Emotions 2.5-Star (Passive)
Slot 4-> Spatial Awareness 0-Star (Passive)
Slot 5-> Fighting Spirit 2-Star (Active)
Slot 6-> Miasma Immunity 0-Star (Passive)
Temporary Skills: None
Current Effects:
Aspect of Might -> All Stats +15
Body Reformation -> Natural Healing and Stamina recovery speed have been increased
Constitution Ratio 1.1
Inventory (+)
]
"I went a long way… But it's just the start."
'Without me noticing, my stats are already on the verge of going over 100. What a trip. My Skills improved a little and I gained one more.'
"?... This…"
Dale looked behind him and realized he couldn't keep dragging a long-ass sword around the place. Especially one that kept damaging the ground and was prone to knock things around due to its size and sharpness.
He looked at David and smiled, saying:
"I'll leave it with you for now, better here than anywhere else really." He said in a low tone as he placed the sword behind the altar
After he made sure the sword was properly placed and wouldn't tilt over no matter what, he turned around and left for the Inn.
"..."
After a while, David opened his eyes and gazed at the now empty church, he had a hint of melancholy in his eyes.
"..."
But in the end, he smiled.
"A crazy plan… But I'll help you. That's my job after all."
"It'll be though, and the future seems a tad bit harsh…"
"But this wasn't the worst I've been through. Compared to spending a hundred years on a demon's arse this is heaven."
He closed his eyes and returned to being a statue, waiting for Dale's next visit.
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Notes
I know the chapters have been slow so far, but when the mc comes back his training arc will start and I will start developing this series further.
The foundation of what he needs to do has been set and I think we need to have a proper grasp of how strong he is right now.
Anyway, there is a lot to do.