"I'm looking for someone."
"Someone?"
"A player named Eldon. He called me here."
Yes, it all revolves around this Eldon. A die-hard gamer in this world called **Deepguard**, he's my friend who rarely leaves his house, holed up there nearly every day. It was his summons that brought me into this bizarre realm.
Thanks to him, I'm dealing with emotional instability and sleep deprivation. Everything is a mess.
"I will definitely find him… and confront him with the truth!"
"Look, Lenny! A butterfly!"
"Are you even listening?!"
Ivy points excitedly at a butterfly, clearly delighted. It really is a carefree existence for her.
"Ah, I'm going ahead!"
"Wait for me!"
I ignored her and moved toward the town, even though I had no intention of going there alone.
But I quickly halted, unable to continue.
Something gelatinous was blocking my path. It made a squeaky noise, clearly trying to intimidate me. Its creepy appearance was more than enough to make me stop in my tracks.
"What the hell is that?!"
"It's a slime. A monster right away."
The blue, translucent gel-like creature seemed to fit the whimsical aesthetic of this game world, looking oddly cute despite being a monster. Its design wasn't grotesque, which made the situation a bit easier for me.
However, this was my first battle with a monster in my life. Even if it was a cute, cartoonish creature, I was still scared.
"This is bad... we're running!"
"Don't worry! If you run from a slime, you'll never level up."
Ivy had a point. Even for a crafting class, I needed to engage in combat to gain experience and level up. This was an RPG; avoiding battles was not an option.
The girl pulled a large needle from her pouch and readied it. It was clearly bigger than the pouch itself, but this was a game—some things just weren't meant to be questioned.
A cute-looking girl is brandishing a weapon, ready to engage in serious combat. For someone like me, who tends to shy away, it's a shocking sight.
"Wait… is she really going to take that thing down?"
"Of course! Here I go!"
She uses a massive needle like a spear, thrusting it into the monster. This game is suitable for all ages, the most wholesome VRMMO there is. The needle doesn't pierce; it simply reduces the monster's HP gauge.
I'm really glad this isn't a hyper-realistic world. If the game depicted blood as vividly as reality, I'd be too faint-hearted to even fight back, probably knocked out cold.
In stark contrast, Ivy is diving headfirst into battle. She's brawling with a slime using basic attacks, as you'd expect in the early game.
"Looks like production classes just don't pack much power… Oh no, did I summon a second one?"
Two slimes appear. It's clear I have to step in; my pride as a man is on the line.
I recall that engineers have a special skill. Now's the time to use it. I focused on the slimes and shouted the skill name.
"Skill: *Invention*!"
'Insufficient materials.'
Why is there an error message? My skill fizzles out.
Insufficient materials? What does that even mean?
"What's going on? Skill [Invent]!"
'Material not available.'
I shout again, but it seems there's still no material. The skill fizzles out completely. Isn't this a game? Shouldn't I be able to whip up something useful in no time? I'm completely lost here.
"What materials do I need?"
"Lenny, I just took them down."
Ivy has effortlessly dispatched two slimes, and her battle is over. In the end, I didn't contribute anything. It's pathetic.
But it's not really my fault. It's the skill. This completely useless skill is to blame.
"What the heck... This skill is worthless..."
"Of course! It's a material-consuming skill. You can't use it without the Ivy item."
I had never heard about needing an Ivy item to use a skill. In fact, I literally hadn't heard about it at all.
Seeing my confusion, Ivy explains using her own skill as an example. "My job, [Magical Cross], consumes one piece of cloth to increase the party's defense. Yours, [Invent], works the same way."
"So, what do I need?"
"Um, since it's a machine, maybe iron or coal?"
Basically, without metal or fuel, I can't create or operate any machines.
It was at that moment that I realized something. No, I had realized something I couldn't ignore.
"Could it be that I can't do anything until I get iron and coal...?"
"Y-yeah, that's about right..."
Thus, the burden known as the Engineer Lenny was born. At the same time, I grasped the meaning behind why this engineer was considered rare. Even for combat, I needed materials, and I could only craft a limited range of machines, not to mention the fact that I was completely immobilized at the beginning. Those who chose this job would probably lose interest and give up along the way. Random selection, what a terrifying fate you've thrust upon me.
"Well, shall I reset...?"
"Not so fast! Are you planning to erase our meeting too?"
"Oh, right! That's the beauty of a game! You can start over!"
"In this world filled with dreams and hope, what a bleak thing to say!"
I hold no respect or attachment to this game. If resetting solves everything, I won't hesitate to do it. It's just a game, after all. I shouldn't get so worked up.
But Ivy, for some reason, was desperate. Perhaps she really didn't want to erase our meeting; she was quite endearing.
"Let's try a little longer. I promise, there will be blessings from the gods someday!"
"Blessings from the gods, huh..."
That reminds me, an NPC woman said something similar. Maybe it's a common catchphrase in this game.
But regardless of catchphrases, I had a larger goal. I couldn't afford to stumble at the beginning.
Ivy, I'm sorry, but it looks like we're going to have to start over...
"Whoa, what is that…?"
The moment I resolved to reset, a powerful gust of wind suddenly swept across the grassland. At the same time, a massive shadow began to loom over us, obscuring the sky, the clouds, and the sun. It was a gigantic iron vessel.
"What is that…?"
"It's a flying Skyship…"
It was a breathtaking sight. With its jet-black exterior and red propellers, it truly looked like a ship soaring through the sky. Logically, it seemed impossible for such a shape to fly, yet the enormous ship passed directly overhead, soaring far into the distance. In that instant, I was reminded that this world was indeed a game.
"I wonder if a mechanic can create something like that when they level up…"
"They can! Absolutely, for sure!"
With the sudden appearance of the giant flying Skyship, our plans to reset were quickly forgotten. Let's just move forward for now and think things through later. After all, there's at least one fool who trusts me.
I had no skills, no expertise, and I was scared of fighting monsters. I was a coward with no connection to cheats, paired with a girl who naively didn't know how to doubt others.
Thus began the grand adventure of two fools.
Wait, is this really going to work out…?
In the VRMMO world of Deepguard, I set off with Ivy, whom I met at the starting point, towards the first city.
To begin with, I must navigate this vast plain if I'm to reach the city. The enemies that emerge are all weaklings, but deep down, I prefer to avoid combat altogether. Crouching low, I scan my surroundings warily as I move forward.
"Lenny, what are you doing?" Ivy questions.
"Can't you see? I'm being cautious…"
I feel like a ninja. To anyone watching, my movements must seem suspicious, but I can't afford to care about that right now. All I want is to avoid a fight.
Perhaps influenced by my antics, Ivy starts mimicking my movements for some reason. "It looks fun, so I'll join you!"
"Alright, let's keep our guard up and move on together."
The two of us scuttle through the grassland. Honestly, we look utterly ridiculous… If we bump into anyone, we'll definitely be seen as strange.
Yet, I have neither skill nor strength to rely on. Even if I'm moving like a cockroach, I'm dead serious about this.
Ivy, twitching suspiciously, shows me the map. "According to this, we're in the Seradon Plain. It seems this vast grassland occupies most of the Green Continent."
"Got it. The first continent is a grassland stage—it's simple and gentle enough to understand."
While traversing the plain, we encounter a few slimes, but the battles end without any trouble. Indeed, slimes are the epitome of weak foes. Even with my lack of prowess, I take them down without breaking a sweat.
The method of combat is simple: I bash the enemy repeatedly with a wrench until they are crushed. The pained sounds of "kyu~" tug at my heart. I'm sorry, but I have to survive too. Please find peace…
"Well, it's just pure physical damage at this point," one companion remarks.
"That can't be helped; I can't use skills right now," I reply.
Under the current circumstances, this feels like a seriously degraded warrior job. To engage in proper combat, I need to level up and acquire new skills, or gather materials like iron. For now, I have no choice but to focus on my physical strength.
Defeating enemies boosts my confidence, and finally, I feel like I can move forward with purpose. It's a rocky start, to say the least.
After walking through the grasslands for a few hours, the scenery begins to shift gradually.
However, something feels off. Before me lies the eerie entrance of a Forest. It certainly doesn't look like a town.
The Forest is thick with sinister trees, and the sky is oddly dim. From within, the sounds of monstrous creatures echo, giving off the impression that it resists anyone attempting to enter. It feels very much like a haunted Forest.
"Hey, the town is this way!" my companion insists.
"Are you sure? This looks more like a Forest than a town… What if it's a Forest masquerading as a town?"
"Oh, no! We'll reach the town once we get through this Forest!"
"Are we meant to pass through here? Recent games really know how to ramp up the excitement right from the start. This definitely doesn't feel like the initial dungeon, but it's clearly a test for us.
They say young people lack courage these days. This must be a message from the developers to challenge us.
"Alright, let's go," I said.
"Yes!" Ivy responded eagerly.
Summoning all my courage, Ivy and I stepped into the Forest. Honestly, it wasn't so much fear as it was an uneasy feeling. The chilling cries of terrifying monsters echoed, and the darkened forest seemed foreboding. My sixth sense screamed that this place was dangerous, urging me to turn back immediately. Maybe we should have prepared ourselves better.
I was about to suggest we retreat when, in that moment, a red shadow leaped out from the trees, blocking our path.
"Wha—! What is that?!"
"It's a slime!" Ivy exclaimed.
The jelly-like creature we had fought in the grasslands— the weakest monster, the slime.
I let out a sigh of relief. For a moment, I thought a horrifying monster had appeared, my heart felt like it was going to burst.
But a slime is no big deal. The only thing that troubled me was its unusual color.
"This one seems to be red," I noted.
"Yes, it is red," Ivy agreed.
I began to think: Why is it red? Could it be a rare slime?
"I get it now. That must be a rare one. If we take it down, maybe we'll get double the experience or something!""
"Are you serious? Now that you mention it, I feel like this slime is way more aggressive than the one from Earlier!"