Gerry, aka Grey, found himself at a resurrection altar in a nearby town where he had died in an explosion. At least, that's what he read in the wikis and guides. However, he seemed to be in another place entirely. He had spawned in a village with cracks running through its buildings, situated in a snowy plain. He had no proper clothing for such a cold environment, and the chill bit at him sharply. Grey approached a villager and asked about the area. The villager mentioned that there were a few adventurers wandering about, but no players had been seen in the area.
He made his way to a nearby inn to ask more about the town. An NPC there gave him winter clothes. The inn had a cozy atmosphere, despite the few people inside. It gave off a warmth that only a family could create.
The town was poor, as it belonged to a kingdom that had long abandoned it. The NPCs here seemed almost as advanced as real humans, living like ordinary people in another world.
Grey wandered through the village, and, luckily, the village chief had a question mark above his head, indicating a quest. Grey opened his quest window and saw that another quest had appeared, but its details were hidden behind question marks. It seemed he had to fulfill a certain condition before the details were revealed.
His quest involved clearing some slimes and collecting their cores to help repair the town's barrier. If he wished, he could also collect mana stones from stronger monsters for an additional reward.
Apparently, towns in this world were surrounded by barriers to protect them from outside monsters. These barriers could only be replenished using mana stones, which were dropped by monsters when killed.
Grey roamed the village, hoping to find the slimes. Soon enough, he spotted a group of blue, bouncing slimes. Slimes tended to gather in groups, usually between 12 and 20. Occasionally, rare groups of 20 to 49 slimes appeared, and defeating them would cause a rare golden slime to spawn, which had significantly higher attack damage. The slimes ranged in level from 2 to 5.
Grey summoned the newbie's knife given to him by the village chief. It boosted his agility by 2 and attack damage by 4. He charged toward the slimes, ready to fight.
Grey jumped into the snow and rolled around, securing three slimes. The slimes elongated their bodies to attack, and some bounced toward him as they attempted to strike.
"You killed a Lvl 3 slime. Exp earned: 7. You can't level up!"
"You killed a Lvl 2 slime. Exp earned: 4. You can't level up!"
"You killed a Lvl 3 slime. Exp earned: 10. You can't level up!"
It seemed Grey truly couldn't level up anymore and would remain at level 1. However, he was determined to succeed in this game.
After a while, Grey had killed 24 slimes. He obtained a rare drop, the Slime's Necklace, which increased his Vitality by 2.
Killing a hundred slimes might have been easy, but finding them took a toll on Grey's mind. Swinging his knife repeatedly had increased his strength by 1. It seemed there was hope after all. He had learned from the wikis that conditions like these allowed players to increase their stats by repetitive actions, although it became more difficult as you progressed. This method was only effective at lower levels.
Evading a hundred enemy attacks could increase agility by 1 as well, but after that, it would take 200 attacks to gain another point, and the same applied to other stats. The increase in difficulty would double with every achievement.
As time passed, Grey managed to gather the 100 mana stones required for the quest. The reward would be 100 XP, a map of the area, 20 copper coins, 5 loaves of bread, and a gate pass from the kingdom.
"It seems the village chief is quite generous to adventurers with such rewards," Grey thought.
"My stamina's depleting faster than I thought. I'll stop farming mana stones and head back to the village," Grey muttered, reluctantly deciding to leave the area.
As he walked back to the village, recovering his stamina, he stumbled upon a gate.
In Earthisia, gates appeared randomly. While there were natural monsters outside, gates provided a special challenge for players. NPCs couldn't see the gates. Dungeons also existed, but anyone could enter them. Gates were extremely rare, appearing only once in about ten thousand tries.
Grey entered the gate, following the afterglow. The surroundings were dark at first, but mana lights soon began to illuminate the area. He found himself in a large cave, where trees grew and the sound of running water could be heard.
"This game really defies expectations on every level," Grey exclaimed excitedly.
A whistling sound came from nearby bushes, signaling an enemy's approach. Grey quickly hid in another bush and erased his tracks.
Two level 5 goblins emerged, followed by four level 3 wild boars. They seemed to be fleeing from something large. A thud echoed, like a mini earthquake. A giant figure appeared: a level 12 ogre chasing the goblins.
"It looks like there are many forces around the gate, and they're hostile to each other," Grey concluded. He formulated a plan.
He decided to lure the ogre to an establishment built by the goblins.
A quest appeared before Grey:
Quest: (can be repeated)
Eliminate 100 Goblins
Eliminate 150 Wild Boars
Eliminate 10 Ogres
Eliminate 1 Goblin Shaman
Rewards: 5 Middle-Rank Mana Stones, 2 Silver, 50 Copper Coins, Tukatu's Necklace (Rare).
"Looks like the rewards from Gates are really generous. No wonder they're so rare," Grey happily accepted the quest.
Not far from the river, two giant ogres, level 12 and 13, were eating wild boars. Grey picked up a stone and threw it at them, taunting them as he gave them the middle finger. The ogres stood up and angrily threw the boars' corpses at him. Now, he had to find the goblin village.
After running and dodging, Grey climbed a tree and saw smoke in the distance. He now knew where the village was. The ogres were closing in, so he climbed down and headed toward the goblins.
Two goblins were guarding the entrance. Grey taunted them, and it worked. One goblin ran inside, likely to call for reinforcements. The ogres were getting closer, so Grey hid in the mud he'd prepared. The goblin reinforcements arrived, and the two forces began to fight.
The ogres swung their massive tree clubs, eliminating four goblins. Grey had a theory and decided to test it. He threw stones at the goblins about to be hit by the ogres, and it worked—he gained XP, and his quest updated.
Quest: (can be repeated)
Eliminate 1/100 Goblins
Eliminate 8/150 Wild Boars
Eliminate 0/10 Ogres
Eliminate 0/1 Goblin Shaman
Rewards: 5 Middle-Rank Mana Stones, 2 Silver, 50 Copper Coins, Tukatu's Necklace (Rare).
The fight was going to take longer than he thought. He wanted to lure more ogres into the village, but something ominous caught his attention. A goblin, taller than the others, wearing a voodoo mask and carrying a staff made of bones, appeared.
It muttered something, and Grey realized it was preparing a spell. He threw stones at the ogres, drawing their attention. A giant black fireball shot toward the ogres, incinerating them. Only ashes remained.
The shaman assigned new guards to the village before returning home. It looked like things were more dangerous than he had anticipated, but nothing would stop him from grinding. He retrieved the mana stones from the ogres and stored them in his inventory.
As Grey prepared to lure the ogres to the village, a warning flashed before him:
Warning! Outside interference has been detected!
Would you like to log out?Yes / No
Grey clicked "Yes" and logged out. As he removed his helmet, his sister Lila appeared.
"Big brother, our dinner is ready. I've already eaten, so you can eat after you play. I have to study now," Lila said with a hint of complaint.
"Sure, my cute little sister. I'll finish my mission before eating," Gerry replied, putting his helmet back on.
Grey logged back in and resumed his plan, making his quest much easier.
Quest: (can be repeated)
Eliminate 89/100 Goblins
Eliminate 136/150 Wild Boars
Eliminate 7/10 Ogres
Eliminate 0/1 Goblin Shaman
Rewards: 5 Middle-Rank Mana Stones, 2 Silver, 50 Copper Coins, Tukatu's Necklace (Rare).
"A few more times, and I'll be done with the quest. But how can I defeat this Shaman?" Grey wondered.
After defeating 100 goblins, a message appeared:
Achievement Unlocked: Goblin Slayer
Effect: +2 Hostility with Goblins.
Grey grinned, though the increase in hostility made his next hunts more dangerous. The goblins now attacked with greater coordination. But the rewards didn't stop there:
Barely Acknowledged by the Ancient One
Effect: +20 to all stats.
Quest Unlocked: Trials by the Ancient One
Objective: Slay 100 Goblin Shamans.
Reward: A privilege granted only to the cursed. (Unique to 1 player.)
The quest description was vague, but its significance was clear. The Ancient One, the mysterious entity tied to Grey's curse, seemed to hold a particular disdain for goblins—or perhaps this was part of a larger plan. Whatever the privilege was, only one player in all of Earthisia could claim it.
Now, only the goblin shaman remained. Grey had to come up with a plan to defeat this boss.
The quest description was vague, but its significance was clear. The Ancient One, the enigmatic entity tied to Grey's curse, seemed to harbor a particular hatred for goblins or it was a condition for something that greater. Whatever the privilege was, it was unique and only one player in all of Earthisia could claim it.
And soon, only the goblin shaman remained in his quest, He had to came up of a plan to defeat the boss.
Grey's excitement was palpable as he turned his attention back to the goblin shaman boss. The Shaman, wearing its voodoo mask with crude tribal robes and wielding a glowing staff, seemed even more imposing now. Grey approached cautiously, staying out of its line of sight. It was now a fight that he couldn't afford to lose
Grey crouched behind a jagged boulder near the center of the gate, his sharp eyes locked onto the Goblin Shaman. The creature stood tall for a goblin, its staff glowing ominously with a green light. Around its gnarled neck hung bone trinkets that jingled softly in the wind. The eerie chanting of the Shaman filled the air, its guttural tones vibrating with malice.
The Shaman raised its staff, summoning a faint black mist that swirled around it. Grey's grip tightened on his dagger. This wasn't an ordinary goblin. Its aura alone felt suffocating, and Grey could feel the malice radiating from the creature.
With a deep breath, he sprinted forward.
Grey darted toward the Shaman, zigzagging to avoid detection. As he closed the distance, the Shaman's chanting stopped abruptly, and its glowing red eyes locked onto him.
"Graahhh!" it bellowed, slamming its staff into the ground. A shockwave of green energy rippled outward, forcing Grey to dive to the side. The wave obliterated the spot he had just been in, leaving charred earth behind.
Grey rolled to his feet and charged again. This time, he feinted left before leaping right, his dagger flashing in the dim light. He slashed at the Shaman's side, landing a shallow cut. The creature hissed in pain but didn't falter.
Raising its staff high, the Shaman conjured a **black fireball**, its surface rippling with trapped, anguished faces. Grey's heart pounded as the fireball hovered menacingly above the Shaman's head.
The Shaman hurled the fireball with a guttural roar. Grey barely had time to react as the projectile screamed toward him, the ghostly faces within wailing in torment. He dived to the ground, feeling the heat sear past his back as the fireball smashed into a nearby tree, disintegrating it into ash.
The explosion sent a wave of scorching wind that knocked Grey off balance. The smell of burning wood and death filled the air, and for a moment, Grey's vision blurred.
The Shaman pressed its advantage, charging forward with surprising speed. Grey rolled to his feet just in time to see the staff descending toward him. He raised his dagger, deflecting the blow, but the force sent him skidding backward.
Grey knew he couldn't win in a prolonged exchange. The Shaman's firepower and endurance far outmatched his own. He needed to exploit its patterns and weaknesses.
As the Shaman prepared another fireball, Grey dashed forward, closing the gap before the spell could fully form. He slashed upward, aiming for the creature's arm. The blade connected, and the Shaman howled as its concentration broke, the half-formed fireball dissipating into smoke.
Grey didn't stop. He ducked under a wild swing of the staff and stabbed at the Shaman's leg. The blade bit deep, and the creature staggered, green blood seeping from its wounds.
But the Shaman wasn't finished.
With a snarl, the Shaman slammed its staff into the ground. A glowing green sigil spread beneath its feet, and two spectral goblins rose from the earth. Their translucent forms flickered like dying flames, but their weapons looked solid enough.
Grey cursed under his breath. "Of course it can summon."
The spectral goblins lunged at him in unison. Grey ducked and weaved between their attacks, his dagger flashing as he slashed at their incorporeal bodies. They dissolved after a few strikes, but their presence had bought the Shaman time.
The creature raised its staff again, and Grey's stomach sank as another black fireball formed, this one even larger than before.
The fireball screamed as it launched, the anguished faces within twisting in silent agony. Grey sprinted, zigzagging to avoid the blast. At the last second, he leaped into the air, the fireball detonating behind him. The force hurled him forward, and he hit the ground hard, rolling to absorb the impact.
His HP bar had dropped dangerously low. One more hit like that, and he'd be finished.
The Shaman approached, confident in its victory. It raised its staff for a finishing blow, but Grey wasn't done yet.
Using the last of his stamina, he sprang to his feet and lunged forward. The Shaman swung its staff in a wide arc, but Grey ducked under it and drove his dagger into the creature's chest.
The Shaman roared, its glowing eyes dimming as it staggered backward. Grey twisted the blade and pulled it free, green blood spraying across the ground. The creature collapsed to its knees, its staff clattering to the ground.
Grey didn't hesitate. He circled around the weakened Shaman and plunged his dagger into the back of its neck. The creature let out one final, guttural scream before its body dissolved into particles of light.
A notification window appeared before him:
Boss Respawn Time: 2 Hours.
Grey collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. His hands were trembling, and his body ached from the strain. But he couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. He had done it, he had slain the Shaman.
As the adrenaline faded, Grey's mind turned to the challenge ahead. He would have to kill the Shaman 99 more times to complete the quest. It would be grueling, but if he had proven one thing today, it was that he could rise to any challenge.
With a weary sigh, Grey made his way back to the gate's starting point, ready to rest and plan his next move.
Gerry logged out, he went to the kitchen to eat what his sister's cooked for him, it was an egg omelette.
He was excited, only 99 more times to defeat the Shaman and he will be awarded by some mysterious privilege. Tomorrow, he will grind in that gate. He can't leave the gate because it will disappear forever. It was already midnight after finishing his meal.
He had to take his sleep first.