Chapter 786

【 THE FEELING OF CLINGING TO A POWERFUL FIGURE 】

—

Four Seasons had lunch at an elven restaurant called Children of the Forest.

According to Yeye, it was one of the few restaurants in Chosen City operated by elven NPCs, specializing in traditional elven cuisine.

However, it was obvious that the restaurant had also been influenced by the players as the menu featured several familiar dishes and pastries from earth, such as steamed buns, dumplings, and various sweets and baked goods.

Four Seasons specifically tried an elven dish called Pasara.

It was somewhat similar to a fruit and vegetable salad from Earth, though many of the ingredients were completely unfamiliar to him. This included the thick golden sauce drizzled over the top, which emitted a rich fragrance reminiscent of salad dressing.

The dish was sour, sweet, and slightly salty, leaving behind a refreshing aftertaste once eaten.

Honestly, it was quite good.

What he liked most, however, was the specialty Yeye had particularly recommended which was an exceptionally delicious beverage called Elven Flower Tea.

According to Yeye, it was extremely popular within the game and enjoyed widespread acclaim among players.

Not only that, but high-quality Elven Flower Tea could even be sent as an offering to the Goddess in exchange for contribution points.

As a result, many life-oriented players had specifically learned how to make this flower tea, spending their days researching ways to improve its flavor in order to obtain more rewards from the Goddess.

By the time they had finished eating and drinking, nearly an hour had passed in-game. In reality, however, only about fifteen minutes had gone by.

The public beta access slots for Elven Kingdom were usually distributed on weekends, and today was no exception. Therefore, Four Seasons had already prepared himself for two full days of grinding in the game.

Well, considering the game’s accelerated thinking speed feature, that was effectively equivalent to just about a week.

The more he thought about this time difference, the more excited he became.

Setting everything else aside, just being able to play three times longer than in other games was already an incredible feat.

Thus, the three of them formed a party and used Chosen City’s teleportation array to travel directly to Winterhold, located in the northern region of the Elven Forest.

Compared to Chosen City, Winterhold appeared much simpler. The city’s architecture was built primarily from wood and stone, and many of the plants had been magically animated, giving the place a uniquely fantastical atmosphere.

Four Seasons noticed that many areas throughout the city displayed banners bearing a double-headed eagle insignia.

Curious, he asked about them, and Yeye explained that they were the guild banners of the First Legion.

As for the First Legion, it was a major guild on par with Moe Moe Committee and one of the seven great guild organizations on the server.

This city also belonged to them.

Winterhold was visibly smaller than Chosen City and felt somewhat quieter.

Even so, that quietness was only relative.

At least in Four Seasons’ eyes, the city was still quite lively.

In fact, it was far more bustling than the main cities of many modern virtual online games.

Thinking about it, the reason was obvious. Most virtual MMORPGs had large player populations, but they were spread across numerous servers. Elven Kingdom, on the other hand, had only a little over two million players in total, yet everyone existed within the same server.

The game world was simply enormous.

Otherwise, during major festivals, the main cities would probably become unbearably crowded.

When Four Seasons mentioned this observation, both Yeye and Nana burst into laughter and informed him that during the Harvest Festival, exactly the situation he described would occur in Chosen City.

“Harvest Festival?”

Four Seasons asked curiously.

“Heh, it’s a traditional elven holiday, the biggest celebration of the year. Oh, and there’ll be lots of beautiful elven girls performing priestess dances. Their outfits are pretty daring too. It’s amazing! Ow…”

Yeye, who was enthusiastically explaining things to his cousin, was suddenly kicked by Nana.

Watching the two youngsters flirt and bicker right in front of him, Four Seasons felt like a dog covered in flashing neon lights.

The group did not remain in Winterhold for long before heading into the forest outside the city.

Unlike the area around Chosen City, the vegetation here consisted primarily of coniferous trees, pines and cypresses in particular, though there were also many birch trees. The soil was dark, covered by a thick layer of fallen leaves and humus. Despite this, it was not dry, and walking across it felt soft and springy underfoot.

Most of the trees were ancient. Their wrinkled bark was covered in moss, and from time to time the distant calls of birds could be heard.

The entire area looked like a pristine primeval forest.

Perhaps because it was located farther north, the temperature here was considerably much lower than in Chosen City. And even despite wearing the coat his cousin had provided him, Four Seasons still felt somewhat chilly.

What surprised him more was that the two younger players showed absolutely no intention of changing into warmer clothing.

“Aren’t you two cold?”

Four Seasons looked at Yeye and Nana.

The pair smiled.

“We’re Silver-rankers so the cold doesn’t bother us anymore.”

Four Seasons: “…”

Was that a flex?

That had to be a flex, right?!

Following the two “veterans,” Four Seasons continued northwest through the forest.

A winding dirt path stretched ahead, clearly formed by countless travelers walking over it.

“This trail leads to the edge of the Grand Canyon. Ever since the recent announcement revealed more of the game’s storyline, more and more players have been heading there. Especially after the Church of Life organized manpower to build an outpost nearby. Rumor has it that outpost is the initial foundation for a future city.”

Yeye explained.

As he spoke, he glanced at his cousin and grinned.

“Cousin, once we’re done leveling you up, we’ll head over there and take a look. We might even see Big Sister! If we spend the night at the outpost, we can also watch a Legendary spell being cast tomorrow morning.”

“A Legendary Spell?”

“Yeah. According to information our guild obtained internally, assuming nothing unexpected happens, Big Sister Zero will be casting the spell tomorrow to build a bridge connecting the two sides of the canyon.”

The three chatted as they walked, venturing deeper and deeper into the forest.

Gradually, the forest on both sides of the path grew denser and denser, and the surroundings became increasingly quiet. The only sounds that remained were the rustling chirps of insects and the faint, intermittent low growls of unknown creatures echoing from somewhere in the depths of the woods.

“It’s magical beasts. We’ve already entered the heart of the Northern Forest. Be careful, Cousin. Don’t stray too far from us. From here on, we could encounter Silver-rank mobs at any moment. Also… set your EXP gain ratio to one hundred percent.”

Yeye spoke in a low voice.

At the same time, both he and Nana tightened their grips on their weapons, ready to enter battle at a moment’s notice.

Hearing this, Four Seasons’ heart tensed as well.

He moved a little closer to the pair, firmly gripping the crude beginner’s wooden sword in his hand while adjusting his EXP gain settings.

Less than ten minutes later, they encountered a magical beast.

It was a brown bear nearly four meters tall. Its fur gleamed brilliantly, and its massive, muscular body resembled a small mountain.

The moment he saw the gigantic creature, an inexplicable fear rose within Four Seasons. It felt as though some invisible force had frozen his body in place, making it difficult for him to move.

Only after Yeye gave him a pat did he break free from that strange state.

‘What just happened? Why couldn’t I move?’

Four Seasons typed into the party’s chat channel, still shaken.

“That’s a Silver-rank Mountain Giant Bear. Its aura is more than you can handle right now, Cousin.”

Yeye replied.

Then he exchanged a glance with Nana, and the two nodded.

“Cousin, we’re going in. Stay right here and don’t move. Once we’ve beaten it to the point where it can’t fight back, you can finish it off and take the EXP.”

They spoke softly to him.

Four Seasons nodded obediently and crouched down in a patch of tall grass.

Power-leveling a newcomer.

He understood the usual routine.

As soon as he hid himself, the two players immediately sprang into action and charged toward the giant bear.

The battle began instantly.

Four Seasons widened his eyes and gripped the bushes in front of him tightly as he watched with excitement.

The two moved like dancing butterflies, constantly circling the giant bear while launching attack after attack.

The brilliance of combat skills and dazzling magical effects blossomed around them as they darted around the bear ceaselessly, leaving wound after wound across its body.

Enraged, the giant bear let out a furious roar and lunged at them.

The battle that followed was far less difficult than Four Seasons had imagined.

From his perspective, Yeye and Nana handled the fight with complete ease. Rather than struggling, they appeared to be toying with the majestic magical beast.

Their movements were graceful, their skills flashy and spectacular, leaving Four Seasons thoroughly entertained.

Before long, the enormous brown bear, over four meters tall, swayed slightly before collapsing to the ground.

“Cousin! Hurry and finish it off!”

Yeye shouted.

Four Seasons’ spirits immediately lifted.

Leaping out of the bushes, he rushed forward and drew his crude wooden sword. Then he activated the only offensive skill the Goddess had granted him:

[Whirlwind Slash]

A brilliant flash of light erupted.

His blade came down in a powerful strike, landing squarely on the giant bear’s neck.

Unfortunately, it failed to inflict even the slightest amount of damage.

Four Seasons: “…”

“Ah… sorry. I forgot to break its hide first. Looks like the hides of Silver-rank beasts are still too tough for you to penetrate, Cousin.”

Yeye scratched his head and drew his longsword, slicing open the thick hide around the bear’s neck.

Looking at the reddened muscles revealed beneath the parted fur and smelling the strong scent of blood, Four Seasons hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and bringing his sword down.

He had never even killed a chicken before.

Yet here he was, killing a bear in a game.

Splurt…

Blood sprayed everywhere.

The giant bear let out a pained groan, struggled briefly, and then fell completely still.

Then, to Four Seasons’ astonishment, a faint glow emerged from the bear’s enormous body.

A moment later, the massive corpse shattered apart, transforming into countless particles of light that slowly drifted away and vanished.

At the same time, he felt a warm current flow through his limbs.

His experience points began soaring upward, rapidly surpassing the displayed level-up threshold.

A hint of joy appeared in Four Seasons’ heart as he quickly selected the option to level up.

Brilliant radiance enveloped his body, and he felt all five of his senses become noticeably sharper.

At that moment, he reached Level 2.

However, that was not the end.

Four Seasons discovered that his experience bar was still completely full.

His heart surged with excitement as he immediately chose to level up again.

A series of radiant flashes erupted around his body one after another. The light continued until he reached Level 10, only then gradually fading away. It was not that he could no longer level up, but rather that he now needed to undergo a class advancement.

“Well? Leveling is fast when you’re being carried, isn’t it? That was an intermediate Silver-rank magical beast. If we kill a few more, you’ll reach the maximum level of Iron-rank in no time, Cousin! Though first, we’ll need to return to Winterhold and visit the temple for your class advancement. Otherwise, you won’t be able to progress into Iron-rank.”

Yeye said with a grin.

Four Seasons nodded, anticipation written all over his face.

Having powerful people to rely on truly felt wonderful!

༺⟐༻

Time always seemed to pass quickly in games.

Before he knew it, evening had arrived.

The setting sun dyed the horizon blood-red, and beneath its fading light the forest seemed to gain an added sense of age and solemnity. From deep within the woods came the occasional low growl of distant beasts, mysterious and oppressive.

The sky grew darker and deeper, and the first twinkling stars had already begun to appear.

Countless tiny lights rose among the trees, dancing and spinning through the air.

They were luminous fireflies.

Night was approaching.

Walking beside Yeye and Nana, Four Seasons’ presence was vastly stronger than when he had first entered the forest.

Over the course of the afternoon, he had participated in the killing of five Silver-rank magical beasts. He had traveled back and forth to Winterhold twice and had finally advanced into upper Iron-rank, becoming a Level 33 player.

“Let’s call it a day here. It’s getting late. At night, Gold-rank magical beasts wander through the forest. We’re done for if we run into one. We’ll head to the outpost by the canyon and rest for the night. Tomorrow we’ll continue grinding and help you reach the level cap of Iron-rank.”

Yeye said.

Four Seasons nodded gratefully.

“Thank you.”

“Hey, no need to be so formal. We’re family!”

Yeye replied with a laugh.

Their party continued traveling northwest, quickening their pace.

Just as the final trace of sunlight disappeared beyond the forest, they finally emerged from the woodland.

What appeared before them was a magnificent grand canyon, like a colossal scar carved across the earth, splitting the land in two.

On the opposite side of the canyon stretched another expanse of lush forest, faintly visible beneath the moonlight.

On their side, however, stood an enormous construction site.

The entire area was brightly illuminated. Tent after tent had been erected across the site, many of them flying banners bearing different insignia.

Around them players moved constantly back and forth, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

“This is one of the construction sites for the new city. Right now, laying the foundations is a quest issued by the Church of Life, so all the guilds are participating. Later on, though, ownership of the future city will be determined through competition between the guilds.”

“It’s a shame that guilds that already own a city aren’t allowed to compete. Otherwise, our guildmaster would definitely seize control of this place.”

“If nothing unexpected happens, the guild Night Watchers will probably end up winning the ownership rights.”

“Of course, when it comes time for real estate development, our guild’s construction division will definitely be involved.”

“Those tents over there are the temporary outpost. The ones flying black dragon banners belong to our guild. I’ve already spoken with them, so we’ll be staying there tonight.”

“We’ll let our in-game characters get some sleep while we log out and take a break ourselves. It’s about time for lunch in the real world anyway. Then we’ll log back in after two hours. By then it’ll be morning in the game, and we can all go watch Big Sister cast her Legendary Spell!”

Yeye said with a smile.

With that, he led Four Seasons directly toward the tents belonging to the Moe Moe Committee.

The tent was not particularly large, but despite its size, it contained everything they needed.

After greeting several guild members, Yeye helped his cousin settle in. As for Nana, she went to stay in the tent shared by the female members.

Outside, the construction site remained lively and energetic.

It seemed that a bonfire party was underway.

A cool evening breeze swept across the camp, causing the tents to rustle softly. The laughter and cheers from the bonfire drifted through the wind, sometimes clear and sometimes faint.

Lying inside his sleeping bag, Four Seasons could see the glittering stars through a small gap in the tent.

The stars blinked one after another, like the eyes of the heavens themselves.

The river of stars stretched endlessly across the sky, dazzling and mysterious.

As he gazed at the beautiful night sky and listened to the distant laughter gradually fade away, Four Seasons slowly drifted into a deep sleep.