Chapter 3: Gato

As he sat and waited, Demi had nothing to do. Imara was occupied in the kitchen and left him alone in the living room to lay the table.

Hence, he decided to look at the stats of the default equipment.


[Mass-produced Cotton Tunic] 
Rating: Weak
Durability: Infinite   Defence: 2
Usage Requirements: None.
Item Weight: 1
Description: A cheap, mass-produced shirt.

[Mass-produced Cotton Pants]
Rating: Weak
Durability: Infinite   Defence: 2
Usage Requirements: None.
Item Weight: 1
Description: A cheap, mass-produced pair of pants.

[Mass-produced Leather Boots]
Rating: Weak
Durability: Infinite   Defence: 2
Description: A cheap, mass-produced pair of pants.
Usage Requirements: None.
Item Weight: 1
Description: A cheap, mass-produced pair of boots.


'Truly trash items.' Demi sighed as he closed the equipment screen. 

'It'll get better, surely.' He consoled himself by remembering that it was just the second day of playtime and that he was, surely, being too impatient. In no time at all, he would begin training at the academy. Althought Demi wasn't sure of what it would be like, he was certain that it would bring some significant benefits. 

Since young, he had never played VR games of any kind before. It wasn't that there were no gaming shops near his neighbourhood that were cheap. Rather, the main reason was that there was no one he could go there with. His classmates avoided him like a plague once they knew that he was an orphan. It got worse when he got violent once, after an obnoxious kid from the next class stepped over the line.

'Shit... why am I remembering those things again?'

Demi cursed in his heart as he slammed the table to calm himself down, spreading bits of sawdust on the ground. Just the memory of being despised and ostracized made him seethed with anger and disgust. After taking a few deep breaths, he cooled down his emptions just in time to hear Imara call out to him.

"Demi! Help me bring the food out please."

Soon, the table was filled with all kinds of delicacies. There were pasta, a bowl of sauce that resembled teriyaki, several dishes of leafy greens, and in the middle of it all, a sizeable tray of meat chops.

"Oh, did I cook too much?"

Imara chuckled to herself as she sat down on a chair. 

Ding. Ding. Ding. The jingle of a bell could be heard within the house.

"Ah. That must be my husband." She got up to open the door and seconds later, returned with a tall, well-built man. His eyebrows raised slightly as he noticed Demi sitting at the dining table before sending subtle gaze at his wife.

"Ah, this is Demi. I met him today at the academy and he seemed interested to enroll, so I invited him over to have a chat." 

Hearing the upbeat explanation by his wife and her beaming face, the man smiled softly as he took off his travelling cloak and hung it at a nearby rack. Then, he introduced himself.

"Hi Demi, I'm Gato, the principal of Basten Academy. Welcome to my house."

Demi stood up and shook his hand. Just from that alone, Demi could already tell he was a hardened warrior. His hands were rough with callouses, his grip was steady and his handshake were rhythmic. Uust like Imara, the passage of time had left its marks on his face, and his neat crew-cut hair had grayed. There was a small but prominent scar at the corner of his greying brows.

Standing next to him, Demi felt the man exuded an aura of confident and quiet strength. He had no idea how much this veteran combatant would impact his life in Creation's Cradle.. 

In any case, the good image that Demi was trying to portray to this newcomer was ruined as his stomach growled and grumbled, right at that precise moment. That invited a guffaw and a snort from the elderly male and female

"Well, let's sit down and eat, shall we?" Famished himself, Gato dragged himself at a chair and sat down.

-- 

The dinner was warm and pleasant. While Demi didn't say much since he knew next to nothing about this world, the elderly couple ate, chatted and laughed heartily about the day's affairs. It was a simple dinner, but somehow felt rather meaningfully. Demi didn't realize that the lines of his mouth slowly crawled up as it went on.

Finally, the dinner ended and the couple's full attention fell on him.

"So Demi, you want to enroll in our academy?"

"Yes." Demi nodded firmly at Gato's question.

"Haha. You're in luck. You have the best magician in the whole region to be your teacher." Across the table, Imara glowed bashfully at her husband's affectionate praise. However, her happy expression soon turned crumpled.

"Magic? I want to enroll to learn the sword, actually."

"What? Didn't your eyes shine like lanterns when I mentioned the City Lord? And when showing you the classrooms and magic facilities?"

"But I never said that I want to learn magic..."

"..."

An awkward silence ensued. Looking at the stalemate in the conversation, Gato felt obliged to step in. It appears that his wife's impulsive personality had caused a misunderstanding again. Just as he opened his mouth to speak...

"Wait."

Having said that, Imara got up hastily and went into the room next to a couch. There was the sound of a cupboard door being slammed, and the visibly upset woman soon stormed out, holding something in her hand.

"Here!" She placed it on the table with more force than necessary.

[Tranquility Fruit of Aiden].

"If you decide to enroll, I'll give this to you." 

"..."

"Well?"

Demi was indeed intrigued by the offer. It was a free +2 to Intelligence after all. It would also take up at least a month of his in-game time. For him who simply wanted to explore the vast lands and adventures within the game, this could be a rather fun experience too.

"Sorry, but I still want to learn the sword instead."

"Ugh, what about this?!"

There was only a little resemblance left on Imara's face compared to that gentle and kind elderly at the medical facility.

Biting her teeth hard, she fished out something from her pocket and set it on the table next to the fruit.

"Take a look."

[Nimble Fruit of Torol]
Rarity: Precious
Description: 
Effect: Increases Agility +2. Reduces resistance to 'slow' for 12 hours.
Description: 

Demi's eyes bulged. No, it was more precise to say that they almost popped out of their sockets. Now, he was sorely tempted. While intelligence affected magic damage, defense and max mana, these parameters were more important for a mage. Even in real life, he preferred the blood-boiling sensation of close-combat, after dodging fists and kicks by a hair-breadths before counter-attacking a vital point. The adrenaline produced by the possibility of turning a battle in milliseconds appealed more to Demi than plainly casting spells from afar.

And the agility stats allowed one to do that. It increases attack and movement speed, and evasion probability. 

There was no telling when such an opportunity might appear again. While +2 might not seem like much, Demi believed that all these small gains would add up. There would definitely be fast and efficient levelling grounds to be found in the future, but permanent stats increases? A bloodfest would be an understatement if anyone discovered a hunting ground to farm them.

"Uhk..."

Demi was genuinely at a loss. It was the well thought-out ploy of an old woman to bribe him this way. The wisdom of the ages was indeed powerful....

A triumphant gloat began to manifest on Imara's face. SIt was evident that the draw of the Nimble Fruit was too much for the young man to bear. She could already see a glorious future for her fledgling magic academy.

However, just as Demi gritted his teeth and was going to reject her, the observing Gato spoke up.

"Ah. Demi, how about you just accept her? The old woman would really go lengths for the people and things that matter to her." Sensing his wife's great desire and desperation, he wanted to give her a helping hand.

"But..."

"The next batch of warrior intakes would be in 2 weeks. How about this? I'll teach you some basics on the side in the morning and evening as you learn magic. Then you can have a taste of the way of the sword as well." Even as a young boy, it was true that Gato also dreamt of being a great warrior through learning close-combat. Aside from pleasing his wife, empathy was one of the main reasons he would go out of his way for this young stranger.

At the side, Imara's face blossomed. One at her husband's sacrifice for her sake. She knew how busy he really was with running the school and his other duties. Two for securing her first student.



---

Early next morning, at the old couple's backyard.

Demi yawned widely as he stretched up his hands under the dark brown sky. Even the sun had barely started to rise. Against the cold morning air, he put his hands under his shirt and rubbed his stomach to gain some warmth.

Not long after, Gato stepped out of the house. He saw Demi shivering alone in the open and gave a satisfied smile.

"Excited, are we? Had a good sleep?"

Unused to waking up so early, Demi didn't feel like talking and simply nodded. Right now, he was staying at their place. Imara claimed that it was such that he could conveniently attend morning practice with Gato. But from his own point of view, it was part of the scheming old woman's plan to not let him run away after parting ways with her treasures. But he had to admit, the bed was really comfortable. Even more than the one in his own house.

"Alright. Let's get started. First, loosen your bodies for a while. Then we'll go for a short run." 

After some simple stretches, Gato started jogging along the main road. Demi, half-awake, followed along. By now, the sun was much more visible. Its golden rays shone on the city, and like a growing seedling embracing the sunlight, more and more of the townsfolk could be seen leaving their house. With nothing to occupy his thoughts, he noticed that some of them were doing daily chores and labor. Some were carrying empty buckets; feeding their livestock, tending their crops. Some others were fully-geared, preparing to leave town. It was the sight of a peaceful city.

"Morning, Sir Gato."

"Hey Principal!"

"All the best with training!"

And somehow, all these people, whether young or old, men or women recognized and greeted the old man cordially, like an old friend. In return, Gato greeted each of them with spirited wave or shout. It was obvious judging from their faces that they had deep respect and fondness for this man.

Who exactly is he?

After the 17th person greeted him in their dawn run, Demi innocently commented. And that was the first big mistake he made time in his interaction with him.

"Well, aren't you popular." It was a perfectly harmless comment. However...

"... Let's take it up a notch."

Without warning, Gato changed gear and ran at a speed that made horses look like ponies.

"If you can't even keep up, I have nothing to teach you."

"...!" What the hell is this?!

Demi could swear he saw the old man's ears turn red amidst his graying hair. 



---

In the end, Demi discovered that there was nothing 'short' about their morning run. A lap was easily several miles. Although the pace was initially slow, the old man got faster and faster. In the end, Demi was so out of breathe that he thought the automatic safety log-out would trigger.

Heartlessly leaving him sprawled on the floor, Gato chuckled at the sight and leisurely went in to have a quick shower before heading to work. Even by the time he came out again, Demi was still motionless. And he departed with with a deadly sentence.

"We'll do this every morning."

Demi was pretty sure he passed at least for a little while, lying on the grass patch.

'But well. That felt good.' It had been a long time since he had such an intense workout. Even though this was virtual reality, the in-game stimulus still caused his brain to secrete endorphin. 

Soon, after checking that his stamina bar and 'heartbeat' had resumed to normal, Demi slowly got up and made his way to his new 'home'. He had another forty-five minutes before Imara's magic lessons and wanted to catch a quick power nap.

But, a fragrant smell assaulted his noise as he pulled open the front. A large bowl of brown, thick broth on the dining table was the source of it. There was also a few slices of toast next to it.

Demi smiled at this warm gesture. He never had the habit of eating breakfast, but today, he decided to sit down and take his time. Amidst the snoring sounds of the old lady, Demi had a quiet and satisfying morning in this new world. 

Chapter 2: The First Day

"Ouh!!"

[You have lost 1 HP.]

[You have obtained <Fruit of Aiden>!]

The first sensation Demi had in a long while was that of a bump on his head. 

'Shit, how long was I asleep?!'

When he woke up, the sky was on the cusp on becoming bright again. Demi hurriedly accessed the in-game clock: he had been asleep for more than 18 hours in in-game time! However, in real time, it was only about less than 5 hours. 

By the 22nd century, mankind had uncovered the science behind how humans perceive time. It was similar to how vehicle crash survivors often commented how "my entire life passed by before me" or how athletes who are 'in the zone' described how they could observe every movement the opponent makes. The developers of Creation's Cradle took that concept and implemented it masterfully into the game. Their innovative methodology stretched that perception of time, and hence the time ratio between the game and real life was 4:1. After 4 days of gaming, only 1 day would have passed in real time. This was one of the most addictive characteristic of the game: players can spend a massive amount of time in-game, and it wouldn't affect their work and life at all. However, to prevent any mishaps from being overly-addicted, there is a safety mechanism that requires players to log out once every 12 hours of real time. 

"Damn, I gotta g...."

"Zzz..."

Before even getting up, the natural sleeping gas released by the Tree of Tranquility seeped into Mag. There were all kinds of precious treasures Creation's Cradle. They ranged from consumables that increase stats such as the Tranquility Fruit of Aiden, to weapons, armors, pets, seed, miscellaneous tools and so on. The possibilities are limitless. However, they all had one thing in common: they were not easy to obtain.

One such example is the infinite sleep loop that Demi encountered.

Some time later...

[You have lost 1 HP.]

[You have obtained <Fruit of Aiden>!]

[You have breathed in an excessive amount of the fragrance of the Tree of Tranquility. You have fallen asleep.]

....

[You have lost 1 HP.]

[You have obtained <Fruit of Aiden>!]

[You have breathed in an excessive amount of the fragrance of the Tree of Tranquility. You have fallen asleep.]

...

[You have reached the maximum number of consecutive login hours. You will be forcefully logged out.]

For the umpteenth number of time that day, Dae-suk opened his eyes after an unknown period of time. What greeted him was a system message reflected on the transparent screen of the capsule terminal.

[Time remaining till next login: 29m 37s.]

Piip.

Dae-suk opened the capsule hatch and stood up. The digital clock on the wall showed that 6 hours had passed since he first began playing Creation's Cradle.

"Eh..."

As he attempted to do some simple stretches to loosen his body, Dae-suk found that his body didn't feel stiff at all!

"Wow, what."

The superiority of Innovat3's user-centric design shone through once more. While players lay motionless within the capsule, there were small pressure sensors within that took note of parts of the body which were getting stiff or sore. Based on those readings, nanomachines, smaller than one hundredth of a human hair's width, that were on the lying surface would subtlely massage those parts.

Demi had heard about this technology in the marketing ads for Creation's Cradle before. But experiencing it firsthand, it was a completely different feeling altogether. It was even more comfortable than his bed.

Still, it was a good idea to hydrate himself and go to the loo for the next 6 hours.



---

[Time remaining till next login: 0m 39s.]

"Okay. By now, the sleeping gas loop should be gone right?"

[Login Successful. Welcome to Creation's Cradle!]

Soon, the familiar login screen greeted him. As the front-screen music background sounded in his ears, Demi, or rather Mag, was ready to resume his day-old adventure in the game. Then, just as the bright blue light of the welcome screen faded away, Mag's eyes saw... nothing.

He was wrong. The sleep gas loop continued. Curses couldn't  even burst out of Demi's mouth as he was fast asleep.

...

[You have lost 1 HP.]

[You have obtained...]

[You have breathed in...]

... 

Whenever the duration of 'sleep' was over, Demi had about 5 seconds of consciousness. Each time, he tried to get up and distance himself as far from the tree as possible. However, it was arduous time because of the movement speed debuff that lasted 36 hours.

However, after 10th time, or perhaps the 20th time of whoozing in and out of consciousness, the first thing that Mag saw was no longer the emerald-like clearing, but instead two men dressed in clothes similar to his, carrying a large woven basket on their back. They seemed to be mouthing something excitedly, but Mag didn't have the time to care. He would lose his consciousness any moment now. He only had one chance to get out of this ridiculous predicament.

"PLEASE HELP BRING ME TO TOWN!!!"

A spirited shout, and darkness enveloped his vision once more.



---

It was a lazy afternoon for Gino. At this time of the day, there would be no one visiting the receptionist at all. All the apprentice warriors had went home after morning training, and there were hours till evening training started. As for the townspeople, they would usually come by just before sunset after finishing their labor for the day.

"Well... at least it's peaceful." As one of the poor aspiring warriors who couldn't afford the school fees, the kind principal allowed him to pay it through labor instead. In exchange for doing three afternoon shifts a week, he could continue to attend classes.

With a heart of gratitude, Gino sincerely wanted to do his job well to thank the principal. However, it was a hot and dreary day. Leaning back against the chair, Gino closed his eyes and yawned loudly.

"Hey, Gino."

"...!"

Gino almost fell off the chair at the sudden interruption. His sleepiness immediately vanished as it was a lie as he was jolted awake. Before him was the herb-gathering duo that frequently delivered medicinal herbs for the pharmacy. Thankfully, it wasn't the fierce supervisor, or he .might get an earful for almost dozing off during the job/

"Yes, how can I help you?" 

"You see, we found this guy.."



---

When Demi roused from consciousness, he was esctatic. Finally, the scene that greeted him wasn't that maddening clearing anymore, but instead the interior of a wide house. From the looks of it, it appeared to be some sort of medieval medical ward, given the row of beds neatly arranged several meters next to each other. There was also a chair and a small table to put things next to the bed.

However, what caught Demi's attention wasn't the empty ward. It was the <!> that appeared in the corner of his vision. Based on how he customized the filters for the alerts, the <!> that popped up could only mean something good. And after all the trouble he went through... Demi licked his lips in anticipation and brought out the system log.

[You have obtained <Tranquility Fruit of Aiden>!]

[Item information has been updated.]

[Tranquility Fruit of Aiden]
Rarity: Precious
Effect: Intelligence +2. Reduces resistance to 'sleep' for 12 hours.
Description: A rare fruit that grows on the Aiden Sacred Tree. It contains the essence of the tree and can increase intelligence when consumed. Its growth cycle is unknown, and can only be obtained with luck.

A Precious item! Based on the system guide, during the open beta period, the rating of an item is as followed: Weak, Normal, Rare, and Precious. As for items beyond that, the system guide did not clarify what they were. Demi's eyes lit up at his fortune. It was still his first day of playing the game, and he had already found 2 Precious-rated items. Surely it couldn't be that easy to find them? 

Satisfied, Demi then dismissed the notifications and continued down the log.

[Due to repeated exposure to the pollens of the Sacred Aiden Treant, sleep resistance has increased by 1%.]

The wide grin on Demi's face stretched even further. But the next message turned them into crescent moons.

[Due to repeated action and practice, you have obtained the skill <<Meditation>>.]

[Meditation Lv. 1]
Rarity: Rare
Effect: Increases Mana Regeneration by 3% (passive), 10% (active). Intelligence +2.
Description: Since the ancient times, people have sought to increase the body's natural mana recovery. By concentrating, the flow of mana can be better enhanced and controlled. Intelligence will increase marginally as a result.

"Hehe. Hum. Kehkehkeh. I've gotta try it."

His first skill. With his luck, Demi felt like he was the protagonist of this world. Sitting up against his pillow, he crossed his legs and activated Meditation. Immediately, a thin, blue membrane of light surrounded his body as he closed his eyes. Unfortunately, his Mana bar was full and he couldn't observe the effect of his new skill. Though, before he could do anything else, the sharp thud of footsteps on the wooden floor informed him of an arriving guest. 

Soon, a middle-aged woman walked in. She continued in Demi's direction and stopped beside his bed. The net of wrinkles at the corner of her eyes gave a her an appearance of wisdom. Then, with a gentle epxression on her face, the woman spoke to him. 

"Young man, how do you feel now?"

Despite feeling slightly groggy from the repeated blacking out, his good luck provided him srength and moral support, allowing him to reply much more refreshingly than usual. Also, as a beginner Demi needed to know more about this world.

"I'm fine. What happened and where am I?" 

"Hmm. From what was described to me, it seemed that you had consumed something that made you weak to the pollen of the Aiden Treant. Did you consume a red fruit with goldens treaks by chance?"

"Yeah."

The woman's eyes lit up and gave a look of understanding. 

"Oh, as I thought. It is a fruit that has strengthening properties when consumed. However, based on our records, it only bears fruit on very rare occasions. The conditions for that is unknown. Thankfully, we have already fed you the antidote in time. Otherwise, you might have suffered some severe permanent negative effects."

It was only then that Demi understood that he just dodged a possible bullet. His blessing would have grabbed his ankle instead. this game wasn't as innocent as it appeared. It wasn't the most anticipated game in the last decade for nothing.

"... I see. T-th-th... anks..." It was hard and extremely akward. But somehow, he croaked out these words that was never in his usual vocabulary. 

Somehow, the aged lady seemed to understand Demi's difficulty. She gave him a quiet smile and continued to speak.

"My name is Imara. You are?"

"Demi."

"Well, Demi. This is the City of Basten, and this place is the Basten Training School. And this room is the medical facility of our school."

Training schools? Demi was sure that neither the system guide nor closed beta had such a feature. 

Seeing the quizzical look on his face, Imara gave a more detailed explanation. "Most of the city guards' numbers are filled by our graduates. Occasionally, the children of nobles and the citizens would also enroll their children here."

Right. So something like a dojo or a martial arts school.

"We teach both the sword and also the path of magic. The current captain of the City Guards was also our former student. Currently, the student population is abo-"

".. Teach me."

"Eh?"

Caught in the moment, Demi's thunderous heartbeat rang powerfully in his ears. He didn't notice the twitching corner of Basten's Training School's vice-principal.



---

One of the main feedback received from the players during the closed beta testing is that it took too long for them to adapt to the movement and battle techniques of <<Creation's Cradle>>. In the 23rd century, virtually all of the manual labor had been replaced with machines and robots. Hence most players usually had office-bound jobs. Coupled with the fact that everyone has different aptitude for combat maneuvers, the Training School became one of the implemented solutions to that was the training school.

Players who had problems adapting could spend in-game currency to enroll and take classes, similar to the idea of learning to drive cars. Of course, not all players require that additional support. Some could simply adapt to the learning curve as they fought more battles. Regardless, the marketing department loved the idea and was planning to heavily promote it after the open beta. They felt that it further added to the fantasy experience that separated the virtual world from reality.

And Demi would be the ideal consumer of their advertising campaign. When he heard the word "training school" and "the sword", it roused in him an uncontrollable desire to grow stronger and be a powerhouse in this world. That ambition even surprised his taciturn self, and he threw his reservation to the winds.

Right now, he was sitting at the dining table in Imara's house. After giving him a quick tour of the training school, she had to rush back home to prepare dinner for her husband. Knowing that Demi was a foreigner and had nowhere to go, she graciously invited him to her place.

Chapter 1: Creation's Cradle

The account creation and login process was in the player's consciousness, when he is connected to the capsule. Because it uses a person's brainwaves as a login password, there was no way it could be fabricated.

As expected of a world-leading organization, the entire sequence happened without any glitch or inconvenience. Twenty minutes later, Demi slowly opened his eyes for the first time in <<Creation's Cradle>>.

The first noticeable difference was his clothes. Instead of the slack T-shirt and jeans that he originally wore to the centre, what Dae-suk felt was the rough texture of poorly woven cotton on his skin. 

"Wow..." 

Right now, he was wearing cheap white tunic and a set of thin and long brown pants. On his feet was a pair of leather boots that went as high as his shin, secured by shoelaces that circled snugly around his feet. It was unlike anything he had ever worn before. 

That's right. The current Dae-suk would've been what everyone who played online games called, a 'villager'.

"Status Window."

A blue translucent screen appeared right in front of Demi's vision. It was invisible to anyone else but him.


Player ID: Demi
Level: 1   Class: None <!>
Titles: None

Health: 100/100    Mana: 25/25

Basic Stats
Strength: 5    Agility: 5   Vitality: 5   
Intelligence: 5   Wisdom: 5 
Status Points: 0

Special Stats:
Demonic Force: 0

Weight: 1/50


Dae-suk's status was typical of any beginner. Unlike other games whereby players choose their class right from the start, the design of Creation's Cradle is where everybody starts on the same line and customize their characters as they level. Players are free to invest their stats points according to the characteristic of each class. What makes it truly unique is that the number of available classes are virtually infinite as. This is only possible because classes were not manually designed, but generated automatically by the AI according to the lore and development of the game. And this, in line with the vision of Marlo Inneas, was the biggest draw of the game — a world of infinite possibilities.

Next to <Class> was a <!> icon. Demi tapped it gently with his fingers, and a more detailed description appeared on a separate menu.

[Class Change: Reach Lv 10 and head to the nearest Advancement Tower.]

Prior to getting a Class, all players were essentially sitting ducks. While there were specific skillbooks that were not Class-based, they generally fell short compared to Class-specific ones. There were even quests that were only available to particular classes. In short, playeres had to get a class as soon as possible.

Given the complexity of a game that tried hard to emulate reality, there was a lot of instructions and manuals to read. It was only after almost half an hour of familiarizing himself with these that Dae-suk finally looked up and took note of his surrounding. 

And that was when he truly understood the grand name of Creation's Cradle. 

The clear and cloudless azure sky above...

A vast, endless plains that stretched far into the horizon...

An emerald carpet that clothed the whole landscape...

The ceaseless and resounding humming of the waves breaking against the cliffs. powerful and ceaseless...

This was indeed, a reflection of the magnificence of Earth, of Creation.

"..."

Taking all that in his sight, an indescribable emotion welled up in him. The overwhelming sense of freedom and release did something to Dae-suk's heart and a long-forgotten scene began to play in his mind.

"Son, the key to living free is for a man is to have purpose in life."

"Purpose?"

"Yeah. And enjoy pursuing that purpose, no matter how much life beats you up."

It was of an overseas camping trip that his father brought him to once. He was young then, and couldn't really understand what his father meant. But now, after all the knocks and pains of life, he knew better. 

'Within this world, I'll restart my life. I can't mourn forever.'

It was a short and simple declaration. But with it, Dae-suk's dead eyes gained a new light.

"My name is Demi."

---

'What a beautiful forest.' Demi thought as he travelled in a random direction. The in-game menu wasn't helpful at this juncture, as many parts of it were unexplored and darkened. All it indicated was that he was in the region of Aiden. Specifically, Aiden Forest. As compared to walking under the glaring sun, the shaded forest seemed much more comfortable. Besides, it's a change of scenery for the city boy.

'Even the air smells clean and fresh here.'

Over the last 20 minutes, Demi had caught sight of several small animals of different colours and species: brown, fluffy white, black-spotted, and even an electric blue rabbit-looking creature. But something felt lacking

'Where are the monsters? Is this Neapets??'

Right. It was too peaceful. After doing some preliminary testing, Demi judged his current stats to be about 20% stronger than an average human adult. While Demi was used to fighting other human beings in the real world, his hand itched for a stimulating battle with other non-humanoid monsters. After all, in this world no matter how hard he fought, he wouldn't be injured. Even the sensation of pain would dulled.

'Mm?'

Just as he went past a small creek, Demi discovered an animal trail that seemed to lead deeper into the forest. Based on the width of the trail, it would probably have been made by something at least the size of a large dog. Or a wolf. Jackpot. 

"Here I come." Demi couldn't help grinning happily as he moved quickly along the trail. It's been a long time since he felt so spirited heading into a potential fight. The roots and uneven ground didn't slow him one bit as he peered into the distance, scanning expectantly for any monster hiding in the bushes. After about ten minutes of running however, he had no choice but to halt the hunt. And the reason for it was his lack of stamina.

Creation's Cradle was well-known for its realism. Well, perhaps too realistic. Its cutting edge technology perfectly simulated the human body's accumulation of fatigue. Based on a Lv 1 character's stats, players could at most sprint for roughly ten minutes or so before their stamina gets depleted. This parameter was inserted to increase the difficulty of the game, and also serves as motivation for the players. With enough stamina stats or pots, they would no longer be constrained by their stamina and could fight endlessly.

"Pant... pant... this... damn... game..." 

The cheap cotton clothing that first felt novel to Demi now felt heavy and cumbersome instead. The material wasn't dry-fit, and the sweaty shirt stuck on his skin, making him feel particularly uncomfortable. Furthermore, the poor quality of the beginner shoes also began revealing itself. The soles of his feet hurt from the rocks and pebbles that he inadvertently stepped on.

Thankfully, the trail finally came to an end. The row of trees gave way to a large clearing, and a majestic-looking lone oak tree stood in the middle. It had orange leaves, and gave off a feeling that is different from any other trees in Aiden Forest.

"Is this some kind of special landmark?"

Seeing the comfy shade under the tree, Demi decided to take a short rest there. It should take about a five to ten minutes for his stamina to recover. As he moved his exhausted legs along...

[You have discovered the secret location <Aiden Forest Core>.]

"Hmm? Is there something special about this place?" 

Demi was thrilled. Perhaps there was something special about this place. A treasure of some sort. He began probing and scrutinizing the tree, starting from a spot several metres away from it, followed by its roots and trunk. A few minutes later, he spotted a red fruit the size of his fist, hanging innocently on one of the branches. While it didn't a sound, it seemed to be screaming "Eat me!" to the novice staring intently at it.

Moments later...

"Hehe. My first adventure." 

Demi held the fruit in his hand. Upon closer observation, it looked like an overgrown plum. It's skin wasn't just red as first discovered, but had several patches of gold all over. The impressive visual image made Demi more eager to consume it. When he first made contact with the fruit, a system prompt popped up. 

[Red Fruit]
Rarity: Unknown
Effect: ??? <!>
Description: A red fruit found in Aiden Forest.

Filled with expectation, Demi tapped the <!> prompt.

[Items of unknown origin can be identified by an Appraiser or an Appraisal scroll. Do note that the higher the rating of the item, the less likely it can be identified by said method.]

[It is not recommended to use a consumable or equipment before it is identified.]

'Well, whatever. What can happen?'

As a beginner, Demi had no idea what could happen. In the closed beta, there were players who consumed unidentified items and ingredients. The mildest suffered a temporary debuff. The slightly more unfortunate ones were paralyzed, poisoned and died. The truly unlucky ones lost status points permanently. And that was the closed beta. It was likely that even more severe consequence could occur in the open beta. 

But Demi, who didn't know all this, threw caution to the winds and confidently took a large bite out of the fruit. 

"Delicious!" He couldn't help but exclaim out loud. It was sweet and crunchy, tasting like a crossbreed between a pomelo and a grape. The floral aftertaste was also rather addictive. 

[You have consumed <Tranquility Fruit of Aiden>.]

[Intelligence has increased by 2 points.]

"Haha! I knew it would be fine!" The unexpected windfall made Demi beam ear-to-ear. Based on the system manual, 10 points of stats would be obtained every level up. And now, within the first hour of his login, Demi already gained a permanent stats increase. Of course, he knew that it was probably only a once-off lucky encounter. Still, just like a novice who won his first bet at a casino, this incident still raised his expectations somewhat.

'Where should I go now?'

After the initial exuberance, Demi cooled his head and consulted his map. After deciding where to go, he got up to continue his journey. Or to be more accurate, tried to get up.

"Eh?" There wasn't any strength in his legs.

[You have breathed in an excessive amount of the fragrance of the Tree of Tranquility. You have fallen asleep.]

Without any warning, Demi's eyelids turned as heavy as lead. Falling asleep in the open like this would have made him the perfect snack for the monsters in the forest.

"This... damn... ga-"

Before he could finish his curse, Demi lost his consciousness. Leaning in a cross-legged posture against the trunk of the tree, he looked like a someone on the quest for enlightenment. 



---

As the sky turned from bright blue to the glitter of sunset, two herb-gatherers were chatting with one another on their way home. It had been a hard day of work, but their yield was well worth the effort.

"Hey, look at that." They passed by the clearing where Demi was in a comatose state. "You think he's okay?"

His companion looked in the direction the man pointed at. 

"How commendable, to be seeking the ascetic path at such a young age." His companion nodded in agreement. They saw the peaceful look on Demi's face and his perfect posture, and were inspired. 

"We should focus on our task too!"

"Let's hurry back! Then we can rest early and have strength for tomorrow!"

After years of doing the same routine over and over again, these men recovered the initial passion they had towards botany. Demi had no idea that that night, in a solemn seting, the two of them renewed their desire to become world-famous herb-gatherers.

Chapter 0: Prologue

A picturesque moon, stars and clouds.

A tranquil night, rife with the peaceful sound of crickets.

And a man, standing alone on the balcony, gazing far into the distance, as though he was basking in the serenity of that moment.

However, it couldn't be further from the truth.

The smell of blood. 

The occasional shrieks and screams that pierced through the night.

Pillars of smoke raising from many different parts of the city, further darkening the night sky.

The man, barely visible in the night with his dark-coloured clothing. revealed a pained expression. He repeatedly blinked his eyes at regular intervals, as though hoping that all this was a dream. Alas, he realized that it wasn't one. Sighing deeply, he muttered.

"Status Window."

Player ID: Demi

Level: 265   Class: Dark Blood Knight

Health: 100/100    Mana: 25/25

Basic Stats
Strength: 7    Agility: 14   Vitality: 19   

Intelligence: 22   Wisdom: 15 

Stat Points: 2640

Special Stats:

Demonic Force: 0

Weight: 47/670

"..."

The man was lost for words. His stats was truly amazing, beyond his wildest imagination. In fact, he was by far the undisputed strongest character in the entire game. With it, he could easily dominate the entire continent of Gaiden. For him who desired to find freedom and rebirth through this world, this was the jackpot.

However, none of that bliss and jubilant thoughts entered his mind.

"This accursed strength..."

It came at a great cost. He lost the only place he could call 'home'. Even if this was a virtual world. Even if this was just a 'game'. He could no longer be with the only people he'd call 'loved ones' now.

The man wanted to scream out loud into the disastrous night to express his sorrow and regret. But now was not the time. Staring at his stats, he furiously poured in the 2640 unallocated points.

Now, the prey had become the predator. And they could never escape.

--

Hordes of monsters were running rampant in the city. Chasing shrieking citizens; fighting the city guards. Some with intelligence were even ransacking the now-abandoned buildings and estates.

"Kill! Plunder! Kukukuk! Kikiikik!" 

A black-scaled demon shouted ecstatically as it stabbed its claws into a charging warrior. Despite his metallic armor, the black claws that were tougher than steel pierced through his torso like paper, instantly turning him into motes of light. 

The warrior's partner, who was lurking in the demon's blindspot, took advantage of the opening provided at the cost of his friend's life. Like a thunderbolt, he zero-ed in at the demon's neck, swinging his sword to remove it in one blow.

However.

"Kuhh! Uaggh!" Blood spurted out of his mouth and strength faded from his hands, as his cherished sword dropped onto the ground blade first. He looked down at his chest to see a spear-like object protruding out. 

'Tail...!' Unfortunately, the man couldn't even voice his regret as he turned into motes of light, just as his friend did moments ago. 

"Kuahahahaha! Weak humans! Stop struggling and be our prey!"

The demon was thoroughly intoxicated with the slaughter. In this city, it could massacre and destroy as it wished. None of the humans could put up even a decent amount of resistance. At this rate, it would not be long until it hunted enough humans and reach its next evolution.

"Arr?" 

Amidst the moonlight and smoke, it saw the silhoulette of a man calmly walking in its direction. 

"Kekeke! You're mine!" 

Sensing its next prey, the demon pumped its legs and pounced forward, gaining speed with each push. It didn't want to lose the human to the other shadows that were also frantically heading in the same direction.

In the distance, the man seemed to be saying something as he swung his hands. Then, a dark red light descended, covering even the night sky.

"..!"

Aside from the red light, the demon could no longer see anything else. The world grew strangely silent for it. Its powerful limbs and tail became limp. And soon, its consciousness followed suit.

--

"Dark Red Destruction."

[You have gained 56,914 experience points for slaying a Garglier.]

[You have obtained 249 gold.]

[You have obtained <<Garglier scale>>].

[You have gained 43,785 experience points for slaying a Bozun.]

[You have obtained 249 gold.]

[You have obtained <<Bozun leather>>].

[You have obtained <<Demon Leather Gloves>>.]

[You have gained 69,12....}

{You have obtained...]

[...]

Wherever the man went, more destruction ensured. Buildings that were burnt and damaged by the demons turned into rubble. Trees and shrubs that were set alight by the invasion turned into ashes. More importantly, the demons that were squealing in pleasure as they murdered were now crying out in fear as they were slaughtered one-sidedly. And the death toll continued to rise as more and more demons flocked to where the man was. They all met the same end before that grim red light.

Finally, it was the commander's turn to face the man. Towering over more than 5 metres, its pupilless eyes stared at the variable that murdered its forces. 

"You... dare...!" Lengthy conversations were unnecessary; only rage filled its mind as it swung its arm, thicker than the man's torso, to reduce him to a pile of dust.

"Terror of Death."

"...!"

Its arms were now right above the man's head. Just several centimetres away, and his skull would be squashed like a watermelon. However, the demon couldn't budge at all. All this while, the man didn't move a muscle. With a single skill, he completely paralyzed the high-ranking demon that had high innate resistance to all status ailments.

"Kuh..."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The demon's black wings began quivering violently as the man moved closer and closer. All its sense were screaming out. Then it realized. It was experiencing fear. The basic instinct that originated from a deference higher species. The humans it thought were insects to be trampled were instead looking at them as though the demon as vermin to be exterminated. His red eyes spelled unavoidable death, and it was looming closer and closer...

--

When he was just a step away from the demon commander, the man looked up at the face of the demon. It was an unknown species to him. But based on its humanoid characteristics and intelligence, it was probably one of the elite forces.

Well, all this didn't matter to him. He took out the sword that he received as a present from his beloved mentor and used a skill as he jumped in the air.

"Cleave."

A sword strike that gained momentum as it shot downwards towards its target. Despite being a low-level skill, it was more than enough for the occasion. It was the first sword skill he learnt from him.    

Swish.

It was a clean cut, enough to garner praise from his mentor. Not even a grunt was made by the demon as black blood spurted out, before the corpose shortly vanished into motes of light.

"It's over..."

The man took off his hood and looked around at what remained of the city as dawn approached. He fulfilled his promise to his beloved masters; he had cleared their home of demons. After the night-long battle, whichever demon that didn't perish under his blade hastily scattered for their life.

As the tension of battle faded with the backs of the last receding demon, the tears that never fell no matter what happened in the real world, rolled off seamlessly in this perfectly replicated reality. The man hollered at the top of his lungs in that deserted place, to give some release to the sorrow within his heart.

When his throat finally hurt from the exertion, the man closed his eyes and tried to burn those scenes into his heart. The backbreaking training with the sword. The mind-boggling lectures on magic. The gentle and shrewd natures of both his masters.

The sorrow that overcame him was too great. He would probably never login again. 

But it seemed that this world wouldn't let him go just like that. If there was such a being as God, He appeared to be determined to give him a second life. Just as the man was going to click on the button that allowed him to logout, someone approached him and tapped his shoulder.

"...!"

The person turned up right there before his eyes.

The only one who could give him back everything he lost that night.