Alex kept staring at the game's title screen for a long time. His brain was working at speeds he never knew it could before. But now, it was formulating a plan.
He started building connections between what had happened when his character levelled from 1 to 2 and why there was no response from the ring afterward. The only conclusion he arrived at was that his level 2 character no longer resembled his real-life appearance.
If Alex were to think about it, he is currently a Level 1 human. The appearance of a level 2 character was slightly different.
The level two had slightly more hair, and its body was a bit more balanced - albeit the bottom portion was still thin but not "twiggy."
And so, Alex put the controller down, turned off the console, and started to write down a coherent plan. He wrote what he knew, with the main title of his new plan, "Level Up Zombie."
He first drew all the ways one could level up in the game. The main source of levelling up came from "questing." Where NPC (non-playable characters) would give the main character a quest to hunt or forage for items in return for experience and in-game currency.
The other method was simply farming other humans and monsters. He could go around the virtual world, kill, skin, and cook them to level up. While this method was not super efficient, it had its rewards. Monsters could drop certain items that would either directly benefit the character, or they could be sold or traded to an NPC for other items or in-game currency.
Between the two main ways, it was clear that this would not work in real life. Alex could not run around the city and kill humans to skin, cook, and eat them. That would be cannibalism, and even though Alex was never really one to care for the world, he is not someone who would resort to violence, as long as possible.
But what if Alex hunted animals?
Since Alex's parents passed away, the government moved him to a major city called 'GreenHaven.' Ironic to its name, most, if not all, orphans ended up living in this city.
GreenHaven was a mix of new buildings and old history, sitting right next to a huge, mysterious forest. The city had tall, shiny buildings and old areas with streets made of stones that had been there for a very long time.
Alex's spiraling apartment building was in the midst of an area called 'Old Town', where one can find the majority of orphans living that are sponsored by the government.'
If one were to compare GreenHaven to a region on the Earth's world map, it would be about the size of Europe. As for 'Old Town', it's situated at the edge of GreenHaven, much like how a city on the border of Europe might be close to Asia.
It was the closest residential area to the Forest nearby. Some would accurately speculate that this was done on purpose so that if the forest beasts ever decided to invade the city, the first victims would be those in Old Town, the less fortunate humans.
This forest, known as the Verdant Wilds, was a place full of legends and strange creatures. The trees were very tall, making it dark and shadowy inside. People often talked about monsters and beasts living in the forest. Some brave people went into the forest to explore or hunt, but sometimes they didn't come back.
The city itself was lively and full of activity. It was busy with people during the day and lit up with many lights at night. But no matter how much the city buzzed with life, you could always feel the wild, mysterious forest right next to it.
There was an allure, and for the first time, Alex had started thinking that he should visit this forest and test if his thinking was correct.
Can Alex really level up just like the game? And if so, would the ring reward him with that feeling again? Will the ring respond to the game again if he levelled from level 2 to level 3? There were so many questions in Alex's mind.
In this world, the most skilled and renowned hunters wield special weapons, a symbol of prestige and power. These extraordinary weapons are primarily acquired through two means: alchemy and exploration.
Alchemy and Enchantments:
Alchemy plays a crucial role in weapon crafting. This ancient art passed down through generations, allows hunters to confront the formidable monsters of the Verdant Wilds with enhanced armaments.
Alchemists use mystical runes and potent potions to infuse weapons with elemental powers. A blade might be imbued with flames, an arrow with frost, or a mace with crackling lightning, providing hunters with a vital edge in their perilous quests.
The process requires rare ingredients, often found deep within the forest. These materials, ranging from unique ores to mystical essences, are essential for bestowing weapons with capabilities to harm beasts otherwise impervious to ordinary steel. This ancient craft demands rare components, an extensive understanding of old lore, and the skill to manipulate nature's hidden forces.
Verdant Wilds:
The Verdant Wilds, vast and largely unexplored, hold countless secrets and treasures. Hunters venturing into these depths often discover special ores and materials within the carcasses of defeated awakened beasts.
These beasts occasionally yield valuable resources, such as unique ores or magical substances necessary to create enchanted weapons and armour.
Delving into the remains of these creatures is an unpleasant but often rewarding task. The materials found within are remarkably resilient, unaffected by corrosion and the passage of time as if protected by some divine intervention.
It's as though these treasures are scattered throughout the forest to lure humans into its depths and equip them with means to defend their cities from encroaching dangers.
The allure of these treasures and the mysteries of the Verdant Wilds drive hunters to brave its uncharted territories, always in search of the next remarkable discovery that could turn the tide in their battle against the beasts.