As he walked through the town, Fenix's breath caught in his throat. The scene before him was just as he remembered it, a vibrant blend of medieval fantasy elements that seemed to be influenced by different cultures.
The architecture was diverse, with buildings representing various styles from different historical periods and regions. Fenix marveled at the intricate carvings on the wooden beams of a Nordic-style tavern, while next door, a Japanese tea house exuded a sense of calm simplicity. This inclusivity was intentional, as the game creator wanted players from all backgrounds to feel welcome.
As Fenix ventured further away from the bustling marketplace, he noticed that there were fewer players around. Most of the people wandering the streets were NPCs, easily recognizable by the distinctive nose cuffs they wore.
It was no surprise that there were mostly NPCs, since in the beginner town the experience rate was doubled. After all, it only took a maximum of two hours to reach level 10, maybe three if a person was lazy. After that, players were automatically transported out of the beginner town and could never return.
However, what players didn't realize until much later was that there were numerous secrets hidden within the beginner town, waiting to be discovered. It wasn't until three years had passed that someone finally decided to thoroughly explore every corner and see what wonders it held.
Fenix was surprised that it took so long for someone to take an interest in the place, as he himself would have eagerly explored every inch of this virtual world under different circumstances.
This person uncovered both useful and seemingly useless information about the beginner town, but it was the seemingly useless information that piqued Fenix's curiosity. One such piece of information was that the beginner town served as a training ground for essential skills before venturing out into the main world.
Although these skills could also be obtained elsewhere, it would require traveling to different locations which could take hours or even days depending on the distance. Despite time being accelerated in the game (1 hour in-game equals 30 minutes in reality), it was still more efficient to acquire these skills in the beginner town.
Fenix believed that the lack of information about the beginner town was intentionally set up by the game's creators. It was their way of making the game more realistic, just like in real life where no one holds your hand.
While there are some initial quests to get players started, they mostly involve killing monsters. There are also a few NPCs who give helpful hints on the basic mechanics of the game that give tasks to gather items, skin monsters, water plants, etc.
Players tend to ignore some of these quests once they realize they can earn more experience by just killing monsters on their own. The rewards from completing NPC quests usually pale in comparison to what players can earn by selling dropped items, so they tend to be overlooked.
Fenix shook his head as he thought about all the dumb people who never bothered to explore the beginner town and missed out on its hidden gems. But he wouldn't be like them.
With determination in his stride, he turned down a side street and reached his destination - a small restaurant tucked away in a quiet corner. Outside, a young boy sat on the steps with a worried expression, peering into a basket.
Fenix's lips twitched into a smile before settling back into a serious line. This was the NPC he was looking for.
This boy was the key to a chain quest that would unlock nine cooking-related skills for Fenix. While some of these skills could be learned in the main world, there was one that could only be obtained in the beginner town. Getting that skill would help him a lot on his path to revenge.
Approaching the boy, Fenix asked, "Is everything alright?"
A notification box popped up in front of Fenix's face:
[System: A quest has been triggered. Would you like to proceed?]
Fenix quickly said yes inside his mind and the system prompt disappeared.
The young boy looked at him with tears in his eyes and shook his head.
Fenix's tone was carefully crafted to sound concerned as he asked, "What's the matter?"
The developers went to great lengths to create an immersive gaming experience, including programming the non-player characters with realistic emotions and thoughts. To fully enjoy the game, players had to treat this virtual world as if it were real.
"Today is my mother's birthday. I tried to make her a cake, but I dropped it and it got ruined. Now we don't have any eggs or milk left. I want to make her another cake, but the farm is too far away and my mother would be upset if I went alone." The boy's head hung low, clearly disappointed.
Fenix offered to accompany him, saying, "I can go with you if you'd like."
"You would do that mister? Thank you so much." The boy said, brimming with enthusiasm.
[System: A Quest Has Been Created!]
Ethan's Problem
Quest Description: The birthday cake that Ethan made for his mother has been ruined. He wants to make another one before it is too late. However, he needs eggs and milk. Go with Ethan to his family's farm to collect 5 eggs and 5 bottles of milk.
Reward:
5 EXP
5 bronze coins
Learn:
Egg Gathering
Milking
Some may see egg gathering and milking as unnecessary skills, as you can perform these tasks without them. However they have their benefits.
Having these skills will result in calmer animals, a shorter collection time, and higher quality items. Plus, there is a rare chance of finding a golden egg from chickens, which can be sold to an NPC for 1 million gold.
After they arrived at the farm, the boy took him to the hen house. Maneuvering through the lively flock, Fenix clutched onto his pail and followed the boy to a small shed where they had to chase after the hens and collect their eggs. They then headed to the barn, where the boy patiently showed Fenix how to milk a cow. When they finished, Ethan beamed up at him with gratitude shining in his eyes.
"Thank you so much for helping me, Mister," Ethan said with a bright smile. "I don't know what I would have done without your help."
Smiling, Fenix rubbed the boy's head and replied, "You're welcome."
[System: Quest completed!]
[System: You've gained 5 EXP and 5 bronze coins. You have two new skills. Please check your skill bar for more details.]
Opening his passive skill bar, Fenix checked out his new skills.
Egg Gathering: Improves the quality of eggs and the ability to gather eggs from chickens. Who knows? You just might find a golden egg!
Milking: Improves the speed at which you milk cows and goats and the quality of the milk. Nothing like a fresh glass of milk just squeezed out of the teat of an animal!
"Would you mind helping me with something else, mister?" the boy shyly asked.
"Sure, what do you need?" Fenix asked expectantly.
[System: Quest Triggered!]
YOU ARE READING
Haven Online: Brewing Chaos
FantasíaFenix Brooks' life was forever altered when a freak accident destroyed his chance of becoming a chef. It was only before he died that he learned that the person he thought of as a sister in everything but blood orchestrated everything. Luckily, he w...
