The forest around beginner villages was infested by monsters called Big Rats. They were around 50 cm in size, had pretty strong teeth, and were agile. Normal players would have difficulty dealing with them unless they remembered their movement patterns.
Once they remembered, then Big Rats weren't any problem.
"[Mana Bolt!]"
A blue bolt flew from the tip of Atlas' staff toward a large brown rat running away from him. Ferin suddenly appeared from the bush in that same direction, making the rat stop for a second. That second was the one that decided its face.
"Kiiii!"
The bolt pierced the monster's head directly with a critical hit. Compared to other classes, Mage had higher damage, which was why the monster died immediately.
[Ding! Level 2 Big Rat has been defeated!]
[1x Rat Claw obtained.]
[Congratulations! You have leveled up!]
"Phew." Atlas exhaled in relief as he watched the Big Rat's corpse turn into small hexagons and disappear in the air. "That was the 20th, I believe. Do you get an item, Fer?"
"I got Rat Claw." Ferin answered as she sheathed her sword, "With this, we got 30, no? The drop rate isn't that great. But we leveled up quite a bit."
"Indeed."
They were bound to level up after killing quite a few Big Rats. In fact, they leveled up 3 times.
===
Name: Atlas
Race: Archdevil
Class: Mage [3]
Reputation: 0 [Neutral]
HP: 100%
MP: 110
Stats: [STR: 5] [AGI: 5] [MAG: 11] [VIT: 5]
Free Stat Points: 0
Skills:
– Mana Bolt (Lv 2): Launch a bolt of pure mana at a target. Damage scales with MAG x 1.2 [2 MP, 2.9 seconds cooldown]
Attribute:
– Archdevil: You are the Archdevil, born from the deepest of Hell, to experience the world's pleasure. Being a spawn of magic, you can handle magic better than anyone.
Effect: Magic Effectiveness +5%
Title:
– None
===
He immediately invested all his free points to MAG to increase his MP and magic damage. As for Ferin, she invested her status sparsely between STR, AGI, and VIT, with VIT as her focus by giving it 3 points. She added 2 to STR and 1 to AGI, spending all the 6 free points she got from leveling up.
She did that due to her race's bonus attribute, which increased STR and AGI by 3%. It was a cheat bonus, comparable to his extra 5% magic effectiveness.
Looking at his lover, who stood next to him looking around, Atlas hummed.
"The village should be sparse of people now. How about we get that quest now, Fer?"
"Sure. The time is also perfect. I have enough warm-up and can move like before now."
"Well, let's return then. We will sell all the claws to get that item while we're at it."
***
Returning to the newbie village, Atlas found that the players had left already. Only around a quarter was left, but it wasn't as crowded as before, and people actually had space to walk. He sold the Rat Claws in the shop and got 30 Nar as a result.
Using that money, he bought a jar of honey for 20 Nar, and now he was left with 10 that Ferin held. Many people still looked at them due to how strange they were. The tattoos on Atlas' arms and Ferin's long, silvery bunny ears had attracted much attention.
However, the couple didn't mind them and actually were in a good mood.
"Hehe, we will be able to get that this time. I am a bit excited."
Ferin grabbed his hand and rubbed her cheek against it happily.
"That's right. We will be able to get that item this time. We spent quite a fortune to secure it in the past, but we will get it with our own effort this time. The hidden quest that's only available in a newbie village… To think that we would have a chance to try it."
Hidden quest. Unlike a normal quest, which could be gotten from an NPC in the street with a sign 'help needed,' it was something that could only be accepted when one fulfilled a certain condition. The reward gotten from this hidden quest was usually better than a normal one due to its difficulty.
"That's right. And that item is crucial for my advancement to a second class." Ferin added, a smile blooming on her face. "Where is that NPC, by the way? The west of the village?"
"Yeah, he should be around here," Atlas replied as he looked around.
To the west of the newbie village was a farm area filled with growing wheat that turned yellow and a tall windmill. The NPCs around here dressed like farmers and hunters.
Almost no players visited this area, as the normal quests were concentrated inside the newbie village area. Some also chose to hunt inside the forests to level up.
Only Atlas and Ferin could be seen walking around. They moved toward the only broken windmill in the area.
"That's the place, right?" Ferin pointed at the broken windmill as she separated herself from Atlas.
Nodding, he explained, "If the information from the guy we bought that item from was correct, then there should be an old man inside who works with an old horse."
Having only rough knowledge as a capital was a bit risky, but it was worth the try. The couple reached the broken windmill, and Atlas knocked on the decayed door three times.
"Excuse me!" He raised his voice to make sure the one inside could hear him. "Is there someone inside? I am here to meet with Elder Jie!"
Some NPCs needed a trigger word for them to respond, especially the quest givers. Without them, they wouldn't even appear in front of the player or act pretty arrogant to chase them away.
That was why not many hidden quests were found in Horizon Online back then. Coincidence or knowledge was essential to find it. The latter needed more work to research information between the lines that usually were provided in a few quests.
But Atlas and Ferin could skip all of them and aim at the coincidence using their future knowledge.
After a while, the door was opened with a loud creak, and an old man with graying hair stepped outside. He looked at both of them with scrutinizing eyes. But that changed once the old man saw a jar full of honey in Atlas' hand.
"Is that honey?!" He exclaimed, closing in on Atlas immediately. "Young man, is this jar for me?"
"Yes, elder." Atlas nodded and handed the honey he had bought to the old man, who received it with a big smile.
"Oooh! Thank you, thank you! This is just what I need!" Elder Jie exclaimed, raising the jar in his hands. "Who sent you? Is it that witch, Linda? Or is it that grumpy old man, Gon?"
"It is old man Gon," Atlas answered just as he had planned. "We are asked to bring this honey and exchange it for a stack of silver hay."
"Ah, that old man's favorite. Just wait here. I will get it for you."
After saying that, Elder Jie entered the broken windmill again, leaving them behind. When the old man was gone, Atlas and Ferin looked at each other and grinned. The information was true!
"First stage, clear. We will be able to get the hidden quest."
"Hehe, you're right. We're fortunate that the seller didn't lie to us."