A young man stood tall, his messy, spiky dark hair framing a pair of striking crimson eyes. He wore a long-sleeved black tunic trimmed with red along the high collar and cuffs, paired with tailored brown trousers tucked into sturdy, knee-high boots.
Hanging around his neck was a silver amulet featuring a detailed phoenix-head pendant.
"Wow, this looks good." Derek was looking at the new set of clothes he was wearing with a small mirror at the passage of the upper floor.
"These clothes would blend in well. That old man really knows what he’s doing." Derek smiled as he admired the style of the clothes.
"But should I keep the amulet outside? It wouldn’t get recognized by anyone right?"
He thought about it for about twenty seconds then shook his head. "There’s no way anyone would recognize it."
Derek was satisfied with his new look and his idea. After he had finished with the mirror he went back down to the ground floor.
He had batted and cleaned himself. Changed into new clothes and felt fresh and alive. A feeling he hadn’t felt since he entered this world.
"Oh! Where are you going?" The old man asked, noticed Derek at the door.
"Um..."
I have to go and complete the last goal of the daily quest. But I can’t tell him that... Derek thought for a while before coming up with the perfect excuse.
"Well you see. I would like to take a look around more before I go to the capital city. You know, to get familiar with things?"
"That’s right." The old man nodded. "But don’t stay too long like last night."
He bought it.
Derek smiled as he opened the door and slipped outside.
He closed the door behind him and was graced with the busy street once again.
"Goodness, I can’t get used to this place. It is as busy as the last time."
Derek glanced at both sides of the street and murmured. "Now where too? I need a place that is long enough for me to take a ten kilometer run and also draw less attention."
He turned to his left and saw the distant castle spire. He shook his head.
"That wouldn’t do. Perhaps a field? There was a lot in the place where I first woke up. But that is way out of the town. And it takes hours to get there. I am running so I don’t want a long journey."
Derek turned to his right. The direction of the adventure hall. It was the part he was already familiar with and chose to take it.
From what I have gathered so far. This kingdom is divided into five locations. The north, east, west, south and central. All having villages, towns and large major cities. The capital city, where the royal castle, royal academy and other royal families reside is a major city and is located in the central region of the kingdom. Then there’s towns. Valley Town which is where I am currently is the Northern frontier. I don’t know about the others but this kingdom is very vast.
In the game, Chronicles of Aldridge Mages. There was not much explanation and emphasis on the kingdom’s landscape so I wouldn’t have known. But it isn’t as if this world is based on it, right?
There was no way the young man would have known. He had played a game, and after being transported into another world found out that the name of the kingdom and other factors are exactly like the game.
Was he dragged into a game-like world? Even if he was. How come Agatha, his grandmother, knew about it? Was there some kind of connection? Did the developers of Chronicles of Aldridge Mages know about this world?
These were questions that needed answers. But Derek currently had no way of getting them. His only choice was the royal library.
"I had asked the old man a couple questions but he didn’t have all the answers. And it isn’t as if he would know about the game either. It is safe to say that whatever I am looking for is hidden somewhere in that library or anywhere for a fact. Those who attacked my grandmother and tried to take me away knew magic and should have come from this world."
"How then were they able to get into Earth? Was it the same way I was brought here? Grandmother should have known about it. From the looks of it she is also from here, so there must be a connection."
There were obviously dots that needed to be connected. But which dots were the right ones that could give him answers? The young man had no idea.
He had walked for a good number of minutes, nearly an hour when he found himself in an open field just outside of the town.
It was connected to a straight road that led somewhere.
"This is great. There are not many people here. The only thing that passed was a carriage. I can run here."
In this world, humans rely on a few distinct methods of transportation. The first and most common is simple walking.
Another is a hose-drawn carriage. A wheeled vehicle featuring a passenger compartment, steered by a driver seated up front.
Derek found this place fitting since it was connected to the road and had few people.
There was a single tree at one side of the road and the young man took shade under it, against the sun.
He looked at where the road started from, which was a gate-way indicating the end of valley town. This was at his left side, then he turned to his right and saw the road leading down.
"Great. It is more than ten kilometers. My luck was handed to me." Derek removed himself from underneath the tree and went to stand before the road.
He chose not to run on the main road, opting instead for the grassy shoulder. A direct path marked by worn tire tracks wound gently through the vibrant green field, stretching toward lush, distant trees under a clear blue sky.
Derek took his position as the system window hovered before him, then took off on the ten kilometer run. He sped past a row of trees just as two carriages rattled by, one bound for Valley Town, the other leaving it behind.
The system was tracking his distance while he was running and Derek would sometimes glance at it. He stopped when he saw that it was complete.
"Huff. Puff. Huff. That was something." Catching his breath, Derek stood up and glanced at the crimson window, which now displayed a new message.
[Ding! You have completed the daily quest: train to become powerful.]
[Quest completion rewards have arrived.]
[Would you like to check your rewards?]
[ Y / N ]
"What? Reward?" Derek was taken aback after he read the details. "Was there a reward after a quest?"
He stared at the window and replied.
"Yes!"
Almost immediately, the window before him changed and a new information was displayed.
[ Quest Rewards ]
You got rewards
1. => Full Recovery
2. => Attribute Points +3
3. => Random Loot Box
Accept these rewards?
[ Y / N ]
"Accept!"
[ Rewards Granted ]
You may choose any of the rewards below
1. => Full Recovery
2. => Attribute Point +3
3. => Random Loot Box
Derek was barely keeping up, but he was following along.
"I will choose... One, full recovery."
[Reward 1. Full Recovery, selected.]
At that exact moment, a strange feeling engulfed him as all his fatigue, aches, and minor injuries vanished, his body completely restored to its peak condition.
No way!