The front page was full of similar new posts, all of them mentioned (Update).
'What's going on?'
The smartphone rang.
"Hey, Ikky! Did you hear that?!" Josh asked right after they got connected.
'This reminds me of recent something..' Ikky shook his head.
"What is it now?" he asked waiting for his friend to answer this situation, and probably even more than needed.
"There is going to be a new update!" Josh said excitedly.
"Really? So soon? The game is out only for what, 3-4 days at best? Isn't it too soon?" asked Ikky.
"Yes, exactly! However, it's just a small upgrade, involving some interface updates," Josh started to explain.
And so Ikky learned that the new update will include several missing features, such as a Friend list, Private messages, and long time awaiting Guild features, there was also additional information about some interfaces able to access internet information from inside of the game, which Ikky found unnecessary and honestly thoughts that it was kind of destroying the fantasy-like atmosphere.
"So once the update is done, we can finally write each other in the game?" Ikky asked.
"Not only that! By the way, what level are you at now? I managed to get close to level 7, just before I got disconnected by safe feature," complained Josh.
"..." Ikky wasn't sure if he should lie to his friend or not, but in the end, he decided to tell the truth, since the Friend list might as well show the level of friends.
"I just finished some hidden quest and leveled up from level 6 to level 8" he revealed.
"W-What?! How, Where, tell me about the quest!" Josh kept asking, insisting on the answer even when Ikky told him, that it was probably a one-time event.
In the end, Josh decided to stop begging for the answer as he felt, that the topic somehow changed his friend's mood.
"The servers should go offline around 10 pm until 6 am, I'm going to sleep now so I can play the whole day tomorrow. Oh, by the way, I heard if you take a break after 7-8 hours of play, for approximately 1 hour, then you can continue to play for another several hours until the deep sleep is triggered. Anyway, see you at the game! I will send you a Friend request when I log in since I know your game ID, See ya man!" said Josh.
"See you later," said his farewell Ikky and canceled the call.
'There is no reason to play for one hour, I might as well go and sleep normally for once.' and so he did, dreaming of running on never-ending plains with sun and wind striking his face, yet feeling happy.
***
Ikky woke up at 7 am, refreshed more than ever. He couldn't remember what he was dreaming about, but he was feeling like a newborn baby.
'I think I should skip morning jogging and do it later when I take a break from the game, sounds good.' planned Ikky his today schedule while doing his usual daily exercises.
Ikky made up his mind and went downstairs to have breakfast.
Mother was already present in the kitchen, and the table was full of food.
Ikky was glad that he can save up a few minutes, which he would spend preparing the food for himself, so he sat at the table.
"Going out for running?" she asked.
"I will go later, I want to play the new VR game," answered Ikky.
She already knew he was playing the game as she entered his room once when he was inside the game. Secretly taking some pictures of her boy wearing an oversized helmet, delighted to show the picture to her neighbors' friends when they meet for their usual one-time-a-month drinking.
"Thank you for the food," thanked Ikky after finishing his breakfast.
'So fast!' thought mother watching her son almost running back to his room.
***
When Ikky logged into the game, he was first welcomed by several windows visible in his field of view, every single one of them explaining new features, which were updated with maintenance.
With this in mind, Ikky opened the Friend list and saw one pending request.
[#dragoner - has sent you an invitation for a Friend request]
"..." Ikky sighed.
'Why is his naming sense always so bad,' he thought when he pressed the Accept button.
It didn't even take ten seconds after accepting the invitation and a voice chat already rang.
"Hey man!" said dragoner.
"Why did you name yourself like that?" asked Ikky.
"C'mon man, it's a game about dragons, I'm a dragoner!"
"Sure, I refuse to call you that," shook Ikky his head.
"No! You have to!" said Josh and continued,
"Where do we meet?" he asked.
"Do you know if there is any shop selling skill books?" Ikky asked.
"I do know, but,...they are extremely expensive."
"How much?" asked Ikky.
"Around 50 silvers per one," said Josh.
"Alright, let's meet at the center of the town, there is a small fountain, I will be there in a few minutes." Ikky canceled the voice chat and prepared to leave, but then he stopped.
'I should check the loot's from Werewolf now when I'm alone, checking them outside would just attract other players' attention.' thought Ikky and sat back on the bed opening his inventory.
-Rank: Rare / Defense: 10 / HP: 10 / All Stats: +1
-Thanks to the mutated Wolf attribute, this cloak grants the user the special skill Regeneration.
-Regeneration: a passive skill capable of healing 5 HP per 15 seconds even in combat.
-Requirement: Level 6 / Agility: 14(15) / Strength: 14(15) / Stamina: 18(20)
-Requirement: Level 5 / Strength: 14(15) / Stamina: 9(10)
-Leap several meters, can be used as a frontal attack.
-Deals 3 times your base damage, always deal a critical hit.
-Can only leap on the target in a straight line up to 12 yards.
-Cooldown: 15 second
'3 times damage with guaranteed critical seems strong, but the limitation to leap only at the target doesn't seem too good. I guess the option to leap anywhere would be too overpowered.'
If it would leap in any direction Ikky would learn it right away, but for now, he couldn't see any use of the skill, except for having it as an extra charge skill, which seems unnecessary when he had a bow.
But at least he got an additional item to equip.
[Werewolf furry cloak equipped]
***
Ikky ran to the fountain.
"Sorry I'm late," he said to Josh.
"Where have you been, I'm waiting here for several minutes already, what a waste of experience!"
"Sorry, I had some trash loot and I had to sell it before we go anywhere, especially before we go to the skill shop." apologized Ikky.
"We are going to a skill shop? I told you it's expensive, there is no way you have enough silver to buy anything, even if you sold a few trash loot!" laughed Josh.
"I just want to take a look around, you know check what kind of skills we will get later in the game." smiled awkwardly Ikky.
"Alright, I feel like it's a waste of experience, but it's close so we can stop by, come."
When Ikky entered the skill shop he noticed how empty it actually was, except for 2 more people and a vendor there was nobody else.
Ikky saw a defeated look on the face of those two players as they were leaving the shop,
"Hello, are you here to buy or look around?" asked the seller in boredom standing behind the shelf and resting his head on one hand.
So many people came to look for skills, yet nobody bought anything
'Cheap bastards, it's just a few silver, how am I suppose to make living,' he thought no longer paying attention to new customers.
"Where can I find skills usable with a bow?" Ikky asked the man behind the shelf.
'This bastard thinks he can even ask me for guidance? Without answering my question?! He will definitely just look around and then leave!' the seller's face got extremely ugly and he was about to let out some of the steam built in the past days for not selling anything.
"I guarantee you, that if the price is reasonable and if I like the skill, I will definitely buy it," said Ikky with confidence in his eyes.
Such confidence took the seller aback.
'So young, yet releasing such aura..!'
"Over there," said the seller, pointing at one of the corners of the shop.
"Thank you," answered Ikky and left to check the skills.
After arriving at the bookshelves he already expected it, but couldn't help but let out a sigh.
'Really expensive..,'