With that, they begin walking towards the entrance of the city. Scott glances at Gaven who seems to be checking something on his phone.
Interesting… there are even cellphones here. I wonder what they’re mainly for.
“What type are you?” Scott asks, unable to contain his curiosity. For some reason, he feels comfortable talking to Gaven. The latter has a calm, friendly air about him, and the way he speaks is relaxed and assured.
Gaven looks at him, his lips curving into a grin. Scott notes absently in his mind that Gaven seems to like smiling a lot. “Tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine,” he says.
“Usual type,” Scott answers.
Gaven hums, looking thoughtful. “It does suit you,” he drawls. “But being a Usual type is tiring. You’d need to buy high-stat weapons, useful accessories, and collect Guardian stones in order to defeat boss battles.” Then he laughs. “Not as difficult as being an Inventory type, though! It’s hard to earn a lot of money here.”
Scott frowns. “How long have you been playing this game?”
Gaven pauses for a moment. “About a year already, I guess? I don’t keep track of time.” In a swift motion, he snaps his fingers. A small dagger materializes out of nowhere, and Gaven catches it in his hand easily. He turns to Scott with another smile. “I’m a Sword-Magic type, level 30.”
That’s pretty high, Scott thinks as he stares at the small weapon. He must be really good at fighting.
When they reach the entrance, Gaven gestures to the large signboard where a few excited-looking players are lining up.
“That’s the mission roster,” he says. “Just pick the one that resonates with you the most. But remember, you gotta choose carefully. The very first quest you pick will be the foundation for your life here in this game.”
Scott nods. “Got it.”
“Then I’ll be going ahead,” Gaven says pleasantly, patting Scott’s shoulder. “Good luck on your adventure ahead. Maybe we’ll even be seeing each other again soon.”
Scott watches Gaven’s retreating back. He has more questions about the game, but he thinks that it’s best to learn them all himself, after all. Besides, it’s what makes games fun, right?
Hopefully, he’d enjoy this. At home, it’s all darkness, all emptiness. Here, there are many things that interest him, and they prove to be a great distraction from reality.
When his turn is up, Scott stares at the signboard hologram and logs in by placing his palm on the sensor. When the list of beginners’ quests shows up, he scans the titles and the summaries of their contents.
Looking for someone to help me farm… Scott reads in his mind. Help with tending the store… A search for ancient relics in a small temple…
As Scott finds himself on page three, the topmost post catches his eye.
HELP IN RETRIEVING A LOST SWORD IN LAKE NADIS
“The owner of the sword, Harrington, would like to enlist someone’s aid in retrieving the sword he accidentally dropped in one of the largest lakes of Lucis. The player who accepts this quest will first meet with Harrington at the aforementioned lake and undergo an important test.”
Requirements: Level 1, Usual Type/Sword-Magic Type/Inventory Type
Rewards for success: 10,000 coins, Hellfire Fragment x 1
Sounds good. Convenient, too, since the location is within Lucis. Without any hesitation, Scott presses the ‘Accept Quest’ button.
I’m a swimming athlete, after all.
***
Lake Nadis is probably one of the most beautiful places Scott has ever seen. The waters are shimmering in the sunlight, the air is clean, and the meadow surrounding the lake is filled with different kinds of flowers.
There are roses too, Scott notices as he pockets his mini GPS. After accepting the quest, the said device materialized in front of him, discovering that it was showing a hologram map of Lucis. His coordinates were at the center of the town while Lake Nadis was marked at the far-east. Scott then followed the trail until he arrived.
Everything looks realistic yet surreal at the same time, Scott observes, walking towards the north. The air feels real, the grass bumps into my ankles… As he approaches the lake, he stops to kneel down. I wonder… how the waters will feel like?
He’s about to touch the shimmering liquid when he’s suddenly interrupted by a gruff voice yelling at him.
“Hey! You the person who accepted my quest?”
Scott turns his head towards the voice and finds himself staring at a man seemingly in his thirties with spiky black hair and dark-blue eyes. Donning a casual white tank top that shows off his muscled arms and black leg pants that come down to his boots, he looks more like a gym trainer rather than a casual civillian.
Scott stands up and approaches the man. “Yes, sir. My name is Scott Wayland.”
The man looks him up and down as if searching for something. “I see… you sure you’re up for this?”
Scott nods. “Just tell me what I should do.”
“All right. The name’s Harrington. I’m a wandering swordsman from the east,” the man introduces. “During a fight with some crawlers, my sword was thrown into the lake.”
“Have you tried finding it?” Scott asks.
Harrington shakes his head. “I would if I could,” he says bitterly. “But I’m afraid I’m not a good swimmer. I tried once, and I nearly drowned. That sword’s really special to me, so I can’t just let it go.”
Scott glances at the lake. “How deep is it?”
“About 46 meters, I think. Not that deep compared to the other large lakes. It’s fatal for us NPCs, but for you players, it’ll be a cinch depending on your willpower.” Harrington pauses. “Basically, you’ll have your own personal timer to indicate how long you can stay in the water.”
“What does that mean?”
“It depends on how skilled you are in swimming. The game records the personal data you inputted before playing and registers your official records… if you have those.” Harrington folds his arms in front of his chest. “Which is why I’m gonna give you a little test first to see how long you last underwater.”
“That’s a common misconception about swimming,” Scott points out bluntly. “A good swimmer doesn’t hold their breath. It’s all about chest expansion and proper breathing.”
Harrington stares at him, surprised. “You sound like you’re a swimmer,” he says, a bit impressed.
Scott nods, flexing his arms absently. “I’m an athlete back in my world,” he responds quietly. “I’m a swimmer, but lucky for you…” He looks at Harrington with no change in his expression. “…I’m also a freediver.”