{{ Skill: Cleave: deliver a decisive blow to a single target, dealing slashing damage. +150% damage and causes bleeding for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 5 minutes.}}
{{Equipment: Light Chainmail: Chainmail made for beginner soldiers. Provides +2 Constitution and +2 Physical Resistance.}}
I equipped the chainmail and said my goodbyes to the master before leaving the building. I had two more to check out before I was finished within the village of beginnings. Unfortunately, I was stopped at the door of both buildings. One was for Spearmen, and the other was for Axes and Polearms.
I walked the area's perimeter, but there was nothing else to do, so I walked out of the village. I passed through a viscus film at the edge of the area, and on the other side, I saw grassy plains and hills all around me.
Atop my hill, I circled to see what was around me. In the distance was a town, a forest and a few other players standing on similarly sized hills. The sky was a beautiful blue, and the sun felt warm. The calmly blowing wind smelled of salt, suggesting an ocean was close.
I decided to just lay on my back and enjoy the sensations. My chainmail clinked as I moved, and the grass was cool on my back. I was tempted to take a nap on the ground, but I wasn't strong enough to do that. Any wandering creature could kill me quite quickly as I am now.
My first order of business should be to find a spot to start grinding EXP and then head to the town. I opened my character sheet to turn my EXP into Attributes. I increased my Dexterity by 3 points and my Strength by 2 points. With my sword, I now have 8 Strength and 7 Dexterity.
With my newfound confidence putting a spring in my step, I descended the hill toward the town. True exploring can only be done if you have health potions; the last thing I want is to be killed and drop my sword. I don't know the death mechanic in this game, but I'm not willing to test it out unless my sword is safe.
At the bottom of the hill, I encountered my first 'monsters.' Two rabbits were eating shrubs on the ground. They were very cute, but it was a game. Joan made it clear where our food came from, so I had no problem swiftly killing them.
The wounds my sword made on them splattered blood on the ground and my blade, and a few seconds later, they dissolved into smoke and left a few items on the ground.
{{You killed two Medow Hares. You gained 20 EXP and 3 Copper Coins}}
I bent down and picked up the coins. They were half the size of my thumb and were shaped roughly into a circle, only it was more like an octagon. I deposited them in my inventory and searched the area for other creatures.
After 5 minutes of looking around the small valley, I got to kill another duo of rabbits but didn't find anything else. With another two copper, I headed up the next hill.
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After around two hours, I finally arrived at the entrance of the town. Along the way, I ran into a few other players, but we mostly avoided each other; splitting this pitiful loot would be too sad. I got another 33 copper from the 14 rabbits I ran into. Strangely, there wasn't anything else in the area. It must be because we are so close to the town. It's probably related to something in the backstory of the town.
There was a small line outside the gate. There were farmers with carts full of produce, soldiers and other men dressed in leather armor, and a few other players. I got in line behind one of the farmers, and they quickly started a conversation.
"Are you one of those new people who god brought? You sure don't look like you are from around here."
At first, I was confused, but then I realized this was because of my avatar. Being a giant, handsome Viking doesn't seem common in this medieval world.
"Yes, I am. It has been around two hours since I arrived in this world."
"That's so cool! Do you have any plans for what to do within the town? If not, I could use a hand with my stall."
A prompt appeared with a quest.
{{Quest, Good Samaritan. A farmer needs help setting up his stall. Rewards: 1 silver}}
I thought about it, and after a few seconds, I agreed to his request. "Of course, if you can show me around beforehand, I can help you for the day." I didn't have high hopes, but they might have more freedom than expected.
The man brightened up instantly. "I can do that!"
We talked for another 10 minutes, and I learned much about this town called Grassy Greens. It is mainly a travellers' town as it is the last stop between the two major cities. One on the coast is called Salt City due to its monopoly on sea traffic in the area, and the other is Rowan City on the other side of the forest.
The trip through the forest is dangerous, so most of the time, caravans will travel around it; this makes Grassy Greens an essential restocking point. For this reason, it also became a hot spot for merchants, farmers, adventurers and mercenaries.
I was about to ask him what the difference between adventurers and mercenaries was when it was our turn to enter the gate. The City of Grassy Greens had a large stone wall with a wooden gate and a portcullis. There was a squad of armed guards watching the entrance.
Two crossed their spears to block the way while another approached us. "Purpose within the city?"
"Selling wares, and my friend here is one of God's Chosen; he will be helping me today."
"Understood." The guard turned towards me. "Follow the city's rules, and there will be no problems. The entry fee is one silver."
The merchant paid for my entry, and we both entered the city.