[Ding!]
[You have discovered Pernon City]
Eternity Online features a unique mapping system that requires players to visit locations to reveal them on their maps. As Matthew opened his map, he noticed large gray areas, indicating that he hadn't yet explored those regions.
Upon entering the city of Pernon, Matthew found himself amidst a peaceful scene, a stark contrast to the chaos of the Kales Plains. The city bustled with players attending to their own affairs, and the medieval-style architecture, coupled with the attire of players and NPCs, further enhanced the historic atmosphere.
Matthew made his way to the crowded adventurer's guild building, where players were inquiring about quests from the NPC receptionist. He spotted a bulletin board being scrutinized by a group of twenty players, each deep in thought as they assessed its contents. Deciding to take on a quest himself, Matthew noticed that most quests shared similar objectives: exterminate a certain number of monsters, collect their parts as evidence, and return to the adventurer's guild to report and receive rewards.
Selecting a quest from the bulletin board, Matthew approached the receptionist behind the counter. "Hello, I'd like to take this quest," he said, handing her the parchment detailing the quest and initiating a dialogue between player and NPC.
"Right! So…" she checked the contents of the quest. "The name of the quest is 'Goblin's Threat.' Haber's farm, located near Phelona Lake, is facing a crisis as Smallhorn Goblins have completely overrun the area. Haber and his farmhands have fled, leaving their crops in danger of spoiling before they can be harvested. This could result in people going hungry, and more importantly, Haber being unable to pay his grain tax to Meitnerium."
[Quest unlocked: The Smallhorn Goblin's Threat]
[Quest objective: Kill 5 Smallhorn Goblins and obtain Goblin's Horn.]
[Rewards: 2,100 experience points, 800 Gold, and Scout's Shoes]
Matthew nodded in acknowledgement and proceeded to leave the adventurer's guild. Phelona Lake, one of the most beautiful landscapes in Eternity Online, was a mere 500 meters from Pernon.
After a brief walk, he arrived at Phelona Lake.
[Ding!]
[You have discovered Phelona Lake]
At the center of Phelona Lake stood a colossal tree, its bioluminescent prop roots framing it with an ethereal aura. Unfortunately, the picturesque view was marred by the presence of various species of mobs.
Although the scenery evoked a sense of nostalgia, Matthew was not here for sightseeing. He was on a mission to hunt 5 Smallhorn Goblins. These ubiquitous monsters, with their green skin and lanky structures, were easily recognizable by the small horns, no larger than a person's thumb, protruding from their foreheads. They carried blunt and rusty swords, which, despite their appearance, could inflict substantial damage.
Before engaging in combat, Matthew checked his stats.
[Name: Espector
Class: Sorcerer
Level: 2
Experience Points: 430/1,033
Health Points: 162/162
Mana Points: 577/577
Equipment: Beginner's Tunic, Beginner's Leggings, Beginner's Pauldrons, Beginner's Gloves, and Beginner's Shoes.
Weapons: Beginner's Spellbook.
Skill:
Firebolt (mana cost: 40, 1.5 seconds casting time, 2 seconds cooldown) - Inflicts 84 - 247 magical fire damage on a target within 25 meters of you.
Matthew, confident in his knowledge of the monsters' behavior, patterns, damage, and aggro range, opened his spellbook
and prepared to cast a firebolt. With a luminous orange glow emanating from the book, he sent the bolt of flame spiraling towards a Smallhorn Goblin.
-98
A damage indicator appeared above the Smallhorn Goblin's head.
Caught off guard by the sudden impact, the Smallhorn Goblin stumbled and fell into the water. Quickly recovering, it shook off its disorientation and glared at Matthew with murderous intent. Brandishing its rusty sword, the Goblin charged forward.
Matthew retreated, hurling a basic attack in the form of a condensed Aether ball at the Smallhorn Goblin's face, further disorienting it.
The Smallhorn Goblins had a health of 282. So far, Matthew had dealt 138 damage, including the 98 from his Firebolt and the remainder from his basic attack.
Due to his beginner avatar's limited agility, Matthew struggled to maintain distance from the Goblin, which caught up and attempted an overhead slash.
Anticipating the attack, Matthew sidestepped, evading the blade as it slammed into the ground. The Smallhorn Goblin raised its sword again, slashing towards Matthew's stomach. Matthew leaned back, narrowly dodging the blade once more.
Smiling at the Goblin's predictability, Matthew muttered, "My turn..." A blue sphere materialized above his hand, which he promptly hurled at the Goblin's face, followed by a kick that sent it reeling backward.
-20!
-10!
Eternity Online's dynamic game mechanics allowed characters to utilize their hands and feet as weapons, in addition to their primary equipment.
Wasting no time, Matthew cast another Firebolt. The distance created by his kick provided ample space between him and the Goblin. As the bolt of fire struck the Smallhorn Goblin's face, its HP dropped from 144 to 46. Matthew finished it off with three basic attacks.
[Smallhorn Goblins: 1/5]
[You've gained 70 experience points.]
[Health Points: 162/162]
[Mana Points: 497/577]
After dispatching the Goblin, Matthew noticed other players completing the same quest nearby. He quickly looted the dead Smallhorn Goblin, obtaining a Goblin's Horn, before the creature disintegrated into particles of light.
Matthew proceeded to search for more Smallhorn Goblins, aware that the influx of players in the beginner's town would create competition for the same targets. Fortunately, he knew of a prime location unknown to most beginners: Minos Forest, just 20 meters from Phelona Lake.
Upon arrival, he noticed that other players had already discovered the spot. However, their numbers were few, so Matthew hurried to engage the Goblins before more players arrived.
Capitalizing on the monsters' limited and predictable attack patterns, Matthew fought the Smallhorn Goblins one by one.
[Smallhorn Goblins: 2/5]
[You've gained 70 experience points.]
[Smallhorn Goblins: 3/5]
[You've gained 70 experience points.]
[Smallhorn Goblins: 4/5]
[You've gained 70 experience points.]
[Smallhorn Goblins: 5/5]
[You've gained 70 experience points.]
After a grueling battle against the horde of Smallhorn Goblins, Matthew wiped the sweat from his brow and checked his updated stats.
[Name: Espector
Class: Sorcerer
Level: 2
Experience Points: 750/1,033
Health Points: 162/162
Mana Points: 97/577
Equipment: Beginner's Tunic, Beginner's Leggings, Beginner's Pauldrons, Beginner's Gloves, and Beginner's Shoes.
Weapons: Beginner's Spellbook.
[Objective complete! Report back to Adventurer
's Guild to claim your reward.]
Matthew returned to the Adventurer's Guild, placing a cloth sack filled with Goblin's Horns on the counter.
"I see you've finished killing the Smallhorn Goblins," the receptionist said. "We thank you, adventurer, for your deeds. Here's your reward. May the light of Goddess Ciel bless you."
A vibrant neon light enveloped Matthew.
[You've received 2,100 Experience Points, 800 Gold, and Scout's Shoes.]
[Your level has risen to 4!]
[New skills available: Icebolt, Root.]
[Name: Espector
Class: Sorcerer
Level: 4
Experience Points: 2,850/5,234
Health Points: 233/233
Mana Points: 876/876
Equipment: Beginner's Tunic, Beginner's Leggings, Beginner's Pauldrons, Beginner's Gloves, and Scout's Shoes.
Weapons: Beginner's Spellbook.
Skill: Firebolt (mana cost: 40) - Inflicts 84 - 247 magical fire damage on a target within 25 meters of you.]
"So, my level jumped, huh?" Matthew murmured to himself. "One level left to enter the hidden dungeon."
With renewed determination, Matthew accepted another quest from the Adventurer's Guild, confident it would be enough to reach Level 5.
This new quest led him to the outskirts of Pernon City, where a pack of Wild Pernon Boars had been causing trouble for local farmers. The objective was to thin the pack by eliminating ten Wild Pernon Boars and gathering their tusks as proof.
Armed with his upgraded skills and equipment, Matthew ventured forth.