Zulas

The town seemed quiet to Zulas, or maybe his mind was somewhere else. He wasn't paying attention to anything, he just wanted to get to the 4th floor and get do the quest as soon as possible. The only thing in his mind was giving that woman the news they deserved. Closure... that's what we all need in our lives, Zulas thought as he made his way to the Teleportation Gate. He closed his fists with determination, took a deep breath and stepped up towards the platform in the middle of town. He checked his equipment first before heading to the area indicated by the quest. After he made sure he had what he needed, he yelled the words that would change his life forever in this world. It would be seen if it the change would good or for bad, all that was known is that he wouldn't be the same after it.

He stood atop the platform and looked in the direction of house once last time, "Teleport: Snowfrost Town".

On his way to Urbus, he looked over the quest and the details of it. All that it said was that he needed to go to the 4th floor and explore the forest to the southern edge of the floor. He read that the item will be dropped by a monster inside the forest, that he would have to attract its attention first by killing lesser monsters. It didn't say what the monster was or what he was going to run into on that floor. One thing was clear though, it was made clear that the boy had died and he was just retrieving evidence of his death. 

He looked at the menu for a while as he walked back to town. The way back seemed longer and knowing the bad news in advance made his steps heavier for some reason. Even though they were NPC's they didn't deserve that kind of bad news. A death, even a game death, is not something people, real or not real, should experience.

Zulas turned back to the woman, and saw the tears swelling up in her eyes. Outside, the laughter and chatter that belonged to the daughter and husband could be heard. All he could do was nod towards the woman before she let him go.

"Would you please look for my son? I know that it's been a long time and it's possible that he might be dead already, but please I need to know." - the woman was already in tears when she asked. 

Before Zulas could answer and window popped-up in front of him. 'Accept Quest? Y/N' was displayed on the screen. He realized that no matter how good the system was, it was still a game. The fact that they were bits inside of a bigger machine was evident, and it made it harder for everyone to attach themselves anything in the game. This family had displayed something that felt more than computer generated, but Zulas now wondered if it all was part of Cardinal System's doing. Even so, he felt that strange human feeling from them, one that he had felt before. Whenever he had met other players, the same feeling of uncertainty was inside this woman. The family was one thing, but she was something else entirely.

But again, Zulas had already made the decision before the question was even asked. He pressed the 'Yes' button and continued to walk out of the house. Before he stepped outside, the woman called out to him. "Thank you, adventurer." - was all he heard before leaving the house.

The light of the sun crept inside the room Zulas was in. He opened his eyes, just as the sun's rays hit his face. He noticed that he was laying down on the bed, the sound of birds and animals coming from outside the window. He sat up on the bed and massaged his head to get rid of the awful headache that plagued his head. The memories of what happened the previous night came to him and he stood up quickly, before hearing a familiar voice.

"So, you finally awake?" - the woman's voice interrupted his thoughts. "It's already been half a day." - she chuckled.

Zulas looked puzzled, "Really?"

"Yeah. You've been asleep for a long time." - she said jokingly. Then, her face turned a bit serious for a second. "Are you ok?" - she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine" - was all he said. "Thank you for letting me stay here... and for dinner." - the sincerity could be felt in his voice. He walked out of the room, past the woman when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Please, I have a favor to ask of you." - the woman said. Zulas already knew what the woman was going to ask, and he already knew what his answer was going to be.

The woman turned to Zulas, who had walked to the window of the room and taken a look outside. The moon was high on the sky, he thought it made the ground glow bright due to the moonlight. He then turned towards the woman on the bed, the moon's light shone on her face, her eyes glowed with unparalleled brilliance. There was a pleading look in her eyes, something that Zulas hadn't seen in a long time. He had only seen that look once in his life, but he couldn't remember where. Sudden flashes invaded his mind and made him grab his head in pain. He grunted out in pain, and the woman rushed to his side as he stumbled forwards. Another rush of flashes hit him, this time a bit more clear. He saw different versions of her; in one she was eating an ice scream, in another she was laughing while running around in a park, but in the last one she was crying... and everything went black.

The woman sat down on the bed and looked at the wall. Zulas looked in the direction of the picture she was looking at. The picture showed the family againk, but this time there seemed to be snow falling on the background. A mountain, covered in what Zulas assumed was snow, towered over the family. This time, the family wasn't smiling but they were all sad, except the boy. He had sort of a crudely drawn backpack on his back, and with his available hand he was pointing towards the mountain. Zulas understood what happened but didn't dare to stop the woman from saying so.

"He wanted to explore this world. He knew that there was something else beside what was here." - she said proudly. "He went to a place covered in snow, he said that it was a great place. That in town people talked about it all the time...", her voice broke and looked down.

Zulas just stood there looking at her, not knowing what to do. He took a step forward but the woman, sensing his movement, put a hand up. "I'm fine. It's okay." - she said wiping tears off her face. "It's been years since it happened, but it's still hard."

"I understand." - Zulas said. Although his situation was different, it was similar in the pain they caused. "I lost someone too, a long time ago.", he said looking back at the picture of the family when they were happy. It reminded Zulas a bit about the family he had, and the one he was supposed to have... the one that was taken from him.

Night fell on the second floor, and Zulas prepared to go to bed. Kiyoshi had brought him some sheets and a pillow for him to sleep with. The bedroom he was in belonged to Noko, the walls were lined with drawn pictures. They depicted a family of four, a woman and a man, a long with with a boy and a girl. The whole family held hands and on their faces a smile spread from ear to ear. He saw the same family in other drawings, only with different backgrounds. Some had a mountain in the back, but others, Zulas saw, had a forest or grassland behind them. Zulas traced his hand over the one of the pictures when he heard a voice behind him.

"That was our family a couple of years ago." - the voice of the woman. Zulas detected a bit sadness in her voice. "It was all four of us back then."

"Four of you? Back then?" - Zulas regretted saying right after they left his mouth. He saw a pained expression take over the woman's face. "I'm sorry. I-I...", he started to say.

The woman interrupted him. "It's fine. It was a long time ago." He paused for a second before continuing. "We had a son once but not anymore. He was a traveler, he was always going from place to place." - she smiled as she talked, Zulas thought that it would cause her pain to remember so he didn't understand her smile.

Zulas couldn't help but laugh at Row's comment on leveling up. He followed behind her at a brisk pace, she was almost running towards the entrance of the town. "Slow down, Row. Let's go to the easy areas first." - he called after her. He didn't know if she heard him or not, so he started to jog after her. Even though most of the monsters were fairly easy on this floor, being level one was still tough. 

Zulas was never this excited for anything, so seeing someone as Row walking around and sounding very enthusiastic made him feel different. The idea of somehow obtaining that kind of happiness had never crossed his mind. It had been years since he'd been around that kind of emotion. He had forgotten what it felt to be that happy, what it felt to be in the presence of others who brought him the joy he know felt. That had only happened once in his life, and it was a long time ago. Then, when it left him he didn't know how to cope without it... without her.

In his thinking, he had lost sight of Row. She had already left the town, but he didn't know where she went. "Row! Where are you?" - he shouted hoping that she would respond back.

The woman stood there in silence, but Zulas could feel her gaze. It felt as if she was sizing him up, or deciding whether to believe him or not, he wasn't sure of what she was thinking. He finished with the dishes and turned around to face her. She kept staring at him, but it was a completely different expression from what Zulas had imagined. Her mouth was grinning from ear to ear, "Haha!" - she laughed. "Well, I knew that you were different." 

Zulas, once again, felt embarrassed because of what he had said, "What do you mean different?" - he asked her. In truth, he didn't know what she was talking about. 

"Well, some of the ones that have passed by here, don't see this place as you do." - she explained to him. "The only stop to ask for directions to the nearest dungeon or the best gathering places." - she continued. 

Zulas didn't know what to say, "I don't think I'm that different. I have my reasons for being in this world, as does everyone else." - he managed to say although the woman didn't seem convinced. 

"Ok, then. I believe that we're all done here." - she said looking at the washed dishes but Zulas could tell that it was her way of ending the conversation. "You can stay here for the night if you want. I feel that you're a good person." - she smiled again. "And I won't take no for an answer."

The comment made Zulas stop what he was doing and looked at the woman. Her smile took Zulas by surprise, as he didn't know what to respond. He casually turned back to his task, "What do you mean I'm the only one?" - he asked her.

A couple seconds of silence came next before she answered, "Well, it's just that we've invited other adventurers to eat with us, but they always turn us down. Do you know why that is?".

Zulas was even more surprised by the question, so he thought hard about how to answer the woman's question. "Well, to some of us, this is just a game. To others it has become a way of life." - he explained as simply as he could. "Some adventurers have specific goals in mind, like clearing a game or just playing for fun. Others have found a reason to live here and may even call it home. Although in the end for us, it's a temporary home." - he continued to explain..

At this time he had stopped washing the dishes and looked out a window above the sink. The fields could be seen outside the window, as far as the eye could see. Zulas had never seen a beautiful landscape as this before. To him it was more than a game, but it wasn't a home though. He realized at that time, that it was an escape for him, an escape from all he had suffered in his life... a chance to begin again.

The mother cleared the plates and when into the kitchen before Zulas followed her. The kitchen wasn't much to look at, but it seemed cozy and had enough utensils to make a decent meal. Zulas went over to the kitchen sink, grabbed the plates and started running the water. The mother had gone to her back to the dinning room to gather the rest of the plates. He had started to wash the dishes when she wandered back into the kitchen, "Stop that. You don't have to do that." - she said in her gentle tone.

Zulas didn't know what to say at first. "It's the least I could do. You invited me into your home, so I believe that I should repay that somehow." - was all he could managed to tell her.

She smiled softly at him and sighed, "Alright, fine." - she said and began to help Zulas by drying the dishes. A few minutes passed, laughter could be heard from the dinning room but Zulas just continued his work in silence. The mother broke it first, "So, you're the first adventurer that has ever taken our offer to eat dinner." - were the words that broke that awkward silence.

The food was gone from Zulas's plate in a manner of minutes. After he finished, he could sense the looks coming from around the table. His felt the blood rushed to his face, "S-Sorry." - he said looking down at his plate.

There was a moment of silence before a laugh broke it apart. "Hahaha!" - the old man said. "Don't be sorry, boy. If it's good, there's no shame in enjoying it.". He laughed again and this time, Zulas saw that the whole family had joined in. There was a weird feeling inside the adventurer's chest, a deep ache that wasn't going away. Is this what having a family is like; a mother, a father, and a sister?, he thought as his gaze fell on each of them in turn. 

The farmer went on about his daily life in the farm, how hard it was to do job on his own but that it was worth it. "Honest work, no matter how hard it is, is good work." - he said looking at Zulas with a smile. Zulas didn't know what to do except smile back, to which the man nodded and continued on. The young girl listened to her dad's stories and the mother gathered the plates to bring towards the kitchen.

Zulas nodded as Row's name appeared under his on the top left of his vision. "So, you would need to level up first in order to find good loot in the higher floors." - he stated to his eager party member. "We can start with some easy mobs first, and then move on to the ones that will give a better chance for some loot. Does that sound good?"

He looked at Row, and could see the excitement on her face when he said the word loot. It made him chuckle a bit, but also worry that she might be taking this as an actual game. Well, it's good to have fun but it'd be prudent to remember that if you die in the game, you die in real life. He shook he his head to rid himself of the probable grim expression he had on his face, and smiled down at the girl. 

"If it does, we can head out as soon as you're ready." - he said already knowing what the answer would be.

Zulas looked around at the people gathered before responding to Raze. "I've seen some of the people here, but haven't actually interacted with them." - he said to Raze. His eyes fell on some of the players walking around. He knew that some of them were fighting in the Frontlines, but he wasn't exactly sure who. 

"Yes. I will try to ask her later." - he responded to Raze when he saw Ivory talking with somebody else in the group. "So @Raze, tell me a bit more about this vendetta you have. And why is it you think I can help you? I'm not at a high level right now." - he said. There was a genuine concern in his voice as he spoke because he knew that it must have been a bit difficult for Raze to ask for help. Again, Zulas scanned the crowd just to see what people were up to. He could tell that some were new but others seemed to have known each other for a long time. Is this what you wanted? For me to be like them. I don't know if I can, but I promise you... I'll try.

Zulas saw Letty run towards the boar that he pointed out. She looked very happy as she glanced back at him when she ran. The boar was very low level so he didn't mind that she would be eager to take him on. Still, he ran after her chuckling also and thinking it had been the first time he had actual enjoyed this game. He saw her catch to the boar and engage him in a fight. She dealt a healthy amount of damage to it, but the boar didn't manage to hit her back. Evidence of this was the health bar still full at the top edge of his vision.

Zulas decided that he would only see from up close and not interfere, unless the situation warranted. Although, he did proceed to equip his sword, appearing with a flash at his side, still inside the scabbard. The swordsman stood silently watching the girl exchange blows with her foe, "Good. That was good." - he praised her. Zulas didn't make much of it because he knew that there tougher opponents around, so he kept a watchful eye on their surroundings while Letty dealt with the single boar. It did seem weird that this boar was out here all by himself, but Zulas just shrugged and kept watching the fight. 

Zulas thought for a moment as Row beamed at him. "Well, I hadn't thought of it that way." - he managed to say after a minute pondering over it. "One thing I will say though is that I'll never say no to leveling up."

The young swordsman pulled down his right hand, making the system menu pop up. In it he did a bit of searching, now and then glancing towards Row, and finally found what he was looking for. "How about this?" - he said while he pressed one final button. "Let's make a party and, that way, we can help each other." The window popped up for Zulas with the message 'Invite player?' and he pressed the button that ultimately sent invitation to the girl standing in front of him.

"What do you say?" - he managed to ask the girl with a smile on his face. The prospect of partying up with another player helped Zulas figure out that hanging out with people wasn't that bad. He didn't what the future held for him but one thing was certain, it's all thanks to you.

((Rolling. Will edit once boulder drops to 40 HP))

 ID# 70016 results:

 Battle: 6 (Dmg = 1)

Boulder HP: 47/50

The smell of the aroma got closer, and that's when he saw the steam rising from the food. It approached in mid-air, a woman with long silky hair holding the pot of food in front of her. She looked at Zulas when she came in and beamed at the adventurer, her face much innocent and obviously oblivious to the game. They definitely must be NPC's, he thought. They seemed so real to Zulas, too real to be true but he went along with it. More out of curiosity than pure fascination. 

"Dinner's ready." - the sweet voice of the woman snapped him out of deep thought. She then proceeded to serve the food to her daughter and then the man. Zulas was third, and the plate looked delicious to him. He wondered when was the last time that he had tasted something that looked so appetizing. "Please eat, before it gets cold." - her motherly tone sprung him into action. 

At that moment he didn't know why but it felt a bit alien to him, all this food and family time. Zulas was a stranger to his family, so that's why he probably felt like he did. Or maybe it was his need for human interaction that prompted him to be with these people. He didn't know the answer, and that moment he didn't care. The adventurer attacked the plate in front of him like he hadn't attacked an enemy before.

Zulas wondered what the programming was for these NPC's to behave this way. It seemed peculiar how familiar they seemed, or even how detailed their responses were. He did not know how to react to them, but he followed them inside anyway. "The table has been set." - the man said to the adventurer. "You can sit down. The food will come out soon enough." 

The smell of food hit Zulas and his stomach growled again in anticipation. He looked down at the table, his hands clasped together in front of him. The man let out another hearty laughter, "I don't know who's more hungry, you or Noko."

A shout came from inside deeper into the house, "Hey! My stomach doesn't do that!" - the girl, Noko yelled from inside one of the rooms.

Zulas looked around the house after going in and it seemed like a simple village house. It had the kitchen in the middle of it, with rooms to the side of it and an entryway that led to the kitchen. The succulent smell came from it and Zulas's mouth began to water expectantly, and he realized that he really hadn't eaten anything since the day before.

Zulas looked back looked at the sky, with a hand on his chin. He thought about that for a second before responding, "Yeah, I think you're right. But eventually it has to be done." - was all he could say.

"You have helped in the past, so I will help you." - Zulas stated. He looked forward to the idea of teaming up with Raze once more. He thought that they made a good team, when it was weak monsters. The idea of fighting a much tougher opponent by themselves was something that Zulas had thought about before, but albeit briefly. He accepted that he needed to get a piece of armor before venturing out to fight monsters in higher floors. "Well, the woman that I was talking is definitely a healer. Asking her is one thing, but that she accepts is another... we can send her a message later."

Zulas looked at @Raze for a moment and decided to change the subject. "So... Raze, do you know anybody here?" - was all he could ask the silver haired man. There was nothing that they could both talk about besides the game, so Zulas decided to keep somewhat related to it. Even hardcore players need a break now and then, he thought to himself.

Zulas saw as Letty walked around with excitement, it made him happy on the inside. At least one of us is enjoying the experience, he thought to himself. He didn't want to ruin the mood by being somber or anything that would take her smile away from her. "Of course I'll follow. Lead the way." - he said to the girl.

They reached the edge of the city after a couple of minutes, Letty running ahead of him a couple of times. Thankfully, he didn't loose track of her and even if he did, he could still track her on the Map. The words that came out of her mouth when she pointed her weapon to the outside made him chuckle a bit, but he didn't say anything. He did scan the fields for a bit trying to find a suitable monster for them to defeat. At last, Zulas found one in the distance, a boar that seemed to be by itself. He thought that it would make for an easy target.

"Yeah, I do. We can head over there." - he said pointing to a patch of green grassy field, in a boar seemed to roam wild. "I think that we can start with that." - he said to Letty.

Zulas received the window with the notification of a party request pop up in front of him. He thought for a moment and then accepted the request. The girl kept looking at him expectantly, which made him smile once again. "Ok, we'll do it, but at the first sign of serious danger we'll run away. Ok?" - he asked her. He didn't know why, but something told him to be like that. Something inside of him made him act this way, even though Letty was a stranger to him. Maybe it was a possibility that she was the sister that he never had, but he shook the notion away. 

"It doesn't matter that your breastplate is big. As long as it protects you, it's fine." - he reassured her. "Alright, this is your party. Lead the way.", he said grinning at the girl that kept looking at him with a playful expression.

Zulas looked over at @Ivory Lotus and called out to her, "Thanks for the chat. I hope that I can count on you in the future, if you're not busy that is." - he said hesitantly. "Could I count on your help if I need it? Although you don't have to, if you don't want to." Zulas had never said those words before, well only once in his life. He couldn't believe that they had come out as they did. He finally shook his head and turned his attention to @Raze.

He had a serious look on his that he sort of recognized. He knew that Raze really needed his help if he was asking for it. Zulas had partied with him before and would do so again, as he was aware that Raze was a reliable party member. The silver haired man was a good swordsman, he did jumped into the fray too much for Zulas's liking but it gave Zulas the advantage he needed in battle. This was the reason that they worked sort of good together, Zulas thought.

"Yea, just let me know when and where. I just have to get a new piece of armor; I've already made some offers." - he confirmed Raze. 

((Rolling. Will edit once boulder drops to 40 HP))

 ID# 69977 results:

 Battle: 4 (Miss)

Boulder HP: 48/50