Crisp sounds of crumbling leaves filled the air as Cinderbun walked around the clearing.
It was the launch day of Ceres Online the server had just gone live, and he could see various players around him spawning, each of them getting used to the movements of the game.
Cinderbun had played a lot of VRMMOs before, but in this generation, Ceres seemed to have the most potential. After all, it was the only game where all senses were replicated just like in real life. There was even the matter of how 2 hours outside is a day here.
After frolicking around a bit, he could confirm that the features the developers promised were indeed present. He can smell, he can taste his saliva, he can feel his bones creak, obviously he can see and hear too and honestly, he felt weird.
But it didn't matter much to him. He believed he'd get used to it over time. There were more pressing matters at hand.
He wanted to get ahead of everyone else.
For a game with this much potential, and for someone whose dream was to be a professional gamer, he needed to work hard to get ahead. Even if it was just by a little bit, an advantage was still an advantage and he wasn't about to let anyone get ahead of him.
So, he started walking, scanning everything around him and checking what he could interact with.
Seeing his initiative, other players began to follow suit. After all, no one wanted to get left behind.
Meanwhile, Cillian currently wearing his gentleman or formalwear was walking around the entrance of a cave deep in the woods.
He had finished everything that he wanted to do yesterday at Lennitz, he even had extra financial room if he wanted something, although overall he cant help but marvel at his luck.
I got really lucky this time...To think I'd spawn in a place with so many hidden pieces around.
To be fair, all other starting point also has sufficient hidden pieces, however this place is one of the few starting points that has the most accessible one.
With the help of lady luck, he structured his plan based on the resources that had been generously handed to him by a god called RNG.
He figured that mindless players eager to get ahead would rush straight for the exit, while players who were actually interested in exploring and lore would take the time to explore the woods first.
He planned to guide the first player who could find him.
Now we play the waiting game...
On the other side of the woods, however, Cinderbun, after not much effort, easily found the exit. Aside from some berries and mushrooms, he found nothing. He also wasn't the first one to find the exit.
Welp, we lose some, we win some.
It wasn't like he was going to let something small like that get to him, but since he didn't find anything significant on the main path and wasn't the first to find the exit he decided to take a short rest.
He pulled out his menu and opened the forums to check for useful info. As he scrolled through, he carelessly clicked the top thread.
Surprisingly, some players had already found a village.
------
PirateKing: This game is so realistic its ridiculous!! what do you mean you cant let me in the village because i have no identification!?
Cosmicboomer: Fr bro I just saw someone get dragged by the guards because he tried to push his way through.
ttrl: How do I find a village?
PirateKing: just follow the dirth path from the woods
openfly: bruh i got arrested because i accidentally removed my clothes
Carrun: with that name? right.
PirateKing:⌃
openfly: oi.
Cosmicboomer: atleast you got in lmao
ariend: !! NEW INFO !! apparently if you tell the guards that you're a wanderer you will most likely get in, unless you look suspicious you can also get in by bribing the guards if you somehow got enough money with you, though i heard some village doesn't have walls so you can just waltz in
Carrun: nice, thanksies
ariend: apparently us players are called wanderers in this game
PirateKing: I got in! thanks for the info chat
------
After reading some more, Cinderbun closed the forum and decided to follow the dirt path leading to the beginner village.
Back at the inner edge of the woods, Cillian was still loitering around the entrance of the hidden dungeon, letting time pass as he scrolled through the forums.
For some reason, Cillian could browse the forum but couldn't participate in it, which made sense since he wasn't a player. But putting this aside...
"Why isn't anybody coming? Do I actually have to approach the players on my own?!"
No, I have to be patient. After all, no matter how much of a nobody I am in this world, I'm still an NPC. The players should come to me, not the other way around!!
Continuing to bide his time and wait, he resumed his casual forum browsing. Cillian had faith in his plan; after all, the players' curiosity couldn't be underestimated. There would always be those who scoured every nook and cranny of a game, hunting for secrets. Besides, he had already set the bait, so now it was just a matter of patience.
Around the same time, just outside the clearing where new players were continuously spawning, a player named kururin was walking around with a scary aura obsessive even, seemingly searching for something. In her hand was a quest item.
------
Unknown leather parchment - Quest Item
Info: A leather parchment left behind by someone as a clue, it has the word oak inscribe in it.
------
kururin's eyes gleamed with excitement.
A clue! A mystery! A trail to follow!!
She hadn't come into this game blindly. Unlike most players, kururin is meticulous she had researched extensively before diving in. The moment she found out lifelike npcs, she was hooked!
Its basically a realm of infinite possibilities, she has deduced that with careful thinking and right words she could start a quest with just about any npcs!
She mainly plays VRVN and other story driven games so open-world VRMMOs were uncharted territory for her, but that didn't mean she wasn't prepared.
And now, she had her first lead.
As she read the item description for the third time, her mind spun with possibilities. Oak tree… An important location?
Oh, this was good.
She practically vibrated with excitement as she scanned her surroundings. If this was a proper mystery quest, then there had to be more clues nearby.
When she spotted disturbed soil near an oak tree tree, her breath hitched. She knelt, fingers brushing against the earth. And then, slowly, carefully, she began to dig.
"Found it…" she whispered, grinning.
Her adventure had truly begun.