'I am sure that the players that defeated the first floor main boss months ago were the same level I was when I fought the epic boss. At that time, I was probably around Level 20, when the first main boss was defeated.'
He thought as he traversed the hot desert. It was probably a coping mechanism.
'I took my time to enjoy myself and immerse myself in this new world if I couldn't log out any time soon. I wanted to do something unique I guess. Something different. There were plenty of those who wanted to be the first to kill the main boss, but few who wanted to explore. I wanted to claim the unclaimed.'
He reasoned why he chose the way of life he did in this game as he walked through the desert. Talking to himself. Perhaps going a little insane.
'Each NPC has a story and each area has a history. I didn't have to rush to defeat the main boss. I could do my own thing and do what I love the most in video games. Exploring and discovering.'
'That doesn't mean I'm cowardly. It takes balls to wander around and explore unexplored regions by players and risk monster battles and other unknown threats. But I enjoy taking risks and overcoming the unknown.' Max continued to think to himself and justify the path he took as a player.
In fact, half of his EXP came from stuff unrelated to fighting monsters.
Of course, fighting and killing monsters can be fun for him.
***
In the end, Max didn't encounter the items was looking for. They weren't from monsters though.
The Awakened arrived at the boundary between the desert and the plains of Renetia. He was close to the town.
On the way here, Max fought several monsters to get used to his increased power, speed and physical capabilities. No player on the first floor can match him now.
He sat down on a rock and summoned a water bottle and a snack from his Inventory.
As he enjoyed himself, he realized he forgot to check out the only drop he received from the hidden main boss monster.
[Ruined Core of the Fallen Titan]
[This item is used as a key to open a gate located in a lonely mountain atop which resides an ancient ruin.]
"Wow. The fuck?"
The player never had something like this.
Max clicked his tongue and closed the menu.
'Now that I remember...'
'There was a story I heard about the disappeareance of mighty warriors. A person called the Maestro approached the strongest warriors in the lands and gave them a mission. Promising glory and great treasures. To obtain a key from a monster that will unlock a vault in his Observatory but everyone who accepted the mission perished. Including the Hero King, who was the Emperor's strongest son. No one knew where they had gone though. And it seemed that no one knew that the Hero King accepted the Maestro's mission.'
Max thought that the Maestro was the person connected to the Titan he had slain and that he informed those who accepted his mission that the core inside the Titan is a key to his vault of great treasure and priceless secrets.
'Shit. I was lucky it was a degenerated version of it.'
It was noon right now. He could feel the energetic rays of the two suns on his skin just like in real life.
Max was sweaty all over and decided to submerge himself in a pond near the road he started walking on towards the town. It was very peaceful. Unique birds unseen in real life sang in the tree above the pond and the water refreshed him completely. He felt rejuvenated and soon continued.
Half an hour passed and there were no hints of a desert anywhere around him. He was surrounded by light green grass and small hills. The player saw Menaris in the distance.
It was still very hot.
Max got to the gate in ten minutes.
"Good afternoon, Max."
"Good afternoon."
He greeted the gate guards. The player knows them from a few quests he did.
Max went through the open gate.
In front of him was a wide, straight road that led to the Lord's estate all the way at the end.
On the sides were stacked houses made of white stone and beautiful terraces with trees and flowers. Shops and people were all around Max
Walls were constructed around the town long ago. A river goes through the middle of the town, supplying everyone with water through pipe systems. Outside the walls, down south, were farms and large fields that supplied the food for the city. They were guarded by knights of the town from monsters. However, rarely were monsters seen anywhere near the town, as mass exterminations happened in the quite distant past, rendering many monsters extinct. At least according to some old NPC.
Max walked for a while and arrived at the more luxurious and expensive part of the town and entered an inn.
Several people that looked like NPCs stared at Max as he walked the streets of Menaris to this inn he was currently in. They were actually players that settled down.
He got in, looked around and spotted his friends at a table.
They looked at each other and laughed.
"You've gotta be kidding me." A green eyed, brown-haired young man laughed. He had a bow on his back and a filles arrow holder. An archer.
His name was Thomas.
"You're insane. Absolutely crazy. But we're proud man." A tall black-haired young man said, smiling. Manuel. He had dark eyes, a hint of eyebags. His hair was medium length.
Neither of them wore armor at this moment, as there is no need for such a thing within the safe city walls.
"Thanks guys. Should've come with me."
"Everyone knows about you now." Manuel responded.
"Let's drink!" Max said.
A gorgeous waitress came to them.
"This one, right here. For all of us." Max pointed at an image that had a line of text next to it.
The global language of this world was the language of the Virtonis Empire. The Empire is the dominant force in this world which every other kingdom and empire pays tribute to.
Even the currency of Virtonis is used everywhere, along with the countries' own currency in their lands.
"Okay." The waitress nodded.
"So guys..."
"Let's hear it." Manuel said.
"I'm probably the strongest first floor player."
"Explain." Thomas responded.
"I got twenty level ups in a row."
"What?!" Thomas' mouth parted.
"You have to be lying. I don't think anyone ever received that much EXP." Manuel said, wide-eyed.
"It's true. And the fact that I was with only one more person helped with the EXP. "
He didn't reveal everything.
"How did you even find it?"
Max explained it to them and then he went to talk to the waitress.
"How have you been?" Max asked.
"Great! There's something...I want you to know."
"Spill it."
She leaned in to whisper.
"I'm pregnant." She said that and formed a wide, beautiful smile of pure joy.
He smiled back.
"Really? That's great!"
Max dated her since he decided to stay at this hotel for a few of weeks. Players can date and even have sex with NPCs.
However, he didn't know about this.
"I'm so happy." She said.
"Me too."
Max has been in this town for more than a month now. It's in the center of several regions that he wanted to explore.
"Give me two names," she said, "one for a boy, and one for a girl."
"Slow down, haha."
The two of them talked and the future father laughed and smiled as he drank juice with her.
'However, I will never come back here again. '
Max fled into his thoughts.
'I won't fall for this trap. This is merely a fake world.'
Night time came and Max went to bed. He will depart for Mareka tomorrow. It's quite far away. The player stared at the world map, at Mareka and the path he would take to it.
'Damn. To the bottom of the world we go.'