Two cloaked figures walked through a muddy path. They were circled by a thick forest, blocking most of the sunlight, making the atmosphere creepy.
"Are you certain the mayor is your friend?" Alex asked, doubt stamped on his face.
Shade was a mysterious and impressive figure, but he did not look like someone with many friends, especially someone like the mayor of a big city. Alex was a little skeptical at first but decided to trust his master. He did not have any other choice…
With his PK name, it would be impossible to enter the city. The guards, which were pretty powerful at that stage of the game, would kill him at sight. There was a way to diminish his PK level: killing monsters in the wild, but it would take a long time.
Alex wished to use his advantage of reaching the city before anyone else, so losing time was not an option. He had to trust Shade.
They walked for twelve hours non-stop. Many monsters came from the nearby woods to attack them, but Shade instantly killed them without breaking a sweat. Whenever Alex saw him move, he was sure their levels were worlds apart.
With Shade killing the monsters, Alex lost some EXP, but he wasn't pissed about it. He wished the most to reach the city as quickly as possible, and with Shade killing everything in less than one second, that would certainly speed things up!
Then, a massive wall came into their view! It was made of pure stone, going so high Alex could only see the top of some buildings, those with many floors. Unlike in medieval cities, a regular wall wasn't the only thing protecting the city.
A blueish transparent barrier was around it, granting a sturdier form of protection against physical and magical attacks. Not only that, but the guards were high-leveled! Alex could see up to twenty levels above his, and the guards were strictly at level 30.
Two guards unsheathed their swords the moment they saw Alex. It was a common approach when seeing a player with a red name tag.
Alex looked to his side, seeing Shade's calm expression. That relieved him, but the sight of two powerful guards coming straight at him for his head wasn't relaxing. Dying there would make him lose levels and return to the starting village.
Shade took the lead, saying, "I am an old friend of Mayor Sebastian. Could you bring him here to talk? Tell him it's Shade."
"But what about this young man beside you?" one of the guards asked with clear killing intent.
"It's my disciple. Attack him, and I will kill everyone inside your city and wipe it off the map."
The guards laughed at it, but after noticing Shade's severe face and unfathomable aura, they retreated a few steps.
"What are you waiting for?" one of the guards said to the other, "Go speak with the Mayor, now!"
Alex and Shade stood there without moving, waiting for the Mayor to come. It did not take long. An older man with a long white beard flew above the city's wall. He wore a long blue robe and had rounded glasses on.
When Mayor Sebastian saw Shade, he smiled but also had a face of disbelief, "Shade! I can't believe you are here! I thought these guards were tricking me or something."
Alex stared at both men and just like Shade, it was impossible to see the level above Sebastian's head.
[Sebastian]
[Level: ???]
[Dangerous Enemy, retreat]
Sebastian flew down, stopping right in front of Shade. "What brings you here?" he asked.
"I finally have a disciple," Shade said, placing his hand on Alex's shoulder, "but the training was kind of hard, and the guards wouldn't allow him to enter."
The Mayor stared at Alex, recognizing his PK status. Alex did not know what would happen next, but to his surprise, Sebastian gladly helped him.
"Don't worry about it," Sebastian said, "I will tell everyone to treat him like a noble."
[New Title Acquired]
[Mayor's Close Friend]
[Description: You'll be treated as a noble inside the city of Crystal, meaning the guards won't attack you if you attack other players or enter the town with a PK name. It will also give you many other perks!]
[+5 to all stats.]
Alex read the title he got and couldn't believe his eyes. That was a fantastic title, allowing him to enter the city with his current PK status and giving him many other perks. It also increased his base attributes by 5, which was massive!
The titles inside the game did not need to be applied or something. It was already working for Alex!
"Come, you two. Let me show you the city."
Mayor Sebastian and Shade were friends long ago, but it had been a while since the two met, so Sebastian had many things to say and show him. Alex accompanied them as well, walking through the busy city streets.
Plenty of NPCs were there, including soldiers, merchants, citizens, mercenaries, and many others. Alex looked at all of them with different eyes. He saw them as potential quest-givers!
Several quests were inside the game, and the developers said the game created new quests without their interference. Not a single player would be unable to get decent quests, but there was no denying that the first players to uncover some of the game's mysteries would get more opportunities.
As they were walking and exploring the city, an announcement appeared before the eyes of every player, Alex included. It was a reminder of the successful path he was taking.
[System announcement]
[A player unlocked the first major city]
[Player nickname: Shadowborn]
"Oh, right, Shadowborn," Sebastian said, facing Alex, "If you're Shade's apprentice, then you surely have a lot of stealthy tricks under your sleeves."
"Perhaps. Is there something Mayor Sebastian wants?"
The old geezer laughed, "You get straight to the point like your master. There's something I wish for you. Do you mind a private chat?"
[New Quest]
[Mayor's Sebastian Request]
[Rank: A]