Grinding time

– I think this is the place. – I commented.

–You think? – Sol retorted. – You've been playing this game for years and you have no idea where the city's mission center is?

– Give me a break. It's been years since I've been to this city. Besides, the infrastructure is completely different. It's like a brand new city.

The mission center is the place to find missions and collect rewards for completed missions. Due to the high volume of players, it's also a great place to form groups or, in our case, gather information.

– Hi, how are you? – I greeted the receptionist. – I have some questions, could you help me?

– Of course, if you're looking to undertake missions, you need to be affiliated with the adventurers' guild, so that we can keep a record of available activities and completed missions by each adventurer. This way we can prevent fraud and ensure you are rewarded correctly for each mission.

– No, that's not it. I'd like to know if you can give me information about a mage named Alcair.

– I'm sorry, but we don't share sensitive information about other adventurers.

– Can't you tell me anything about her?

– I can say that she is very competent!

– Yeah… That doesn't help much…

– This was your big idea? – Sol asked.

– Do you have a better one? – I retorted.

– I do have! How about you not lose contact with someone so important?!

– I haven't lost contact with her!

– Oh, okay, sorry. I forgot you're an idiot who's never even had contact with her, in the first place! What would it have cost you to get her phone number?

– If we spent the whole day together inside Incaminalia, why would I need her number to talk to her?

– You're an idiot! Any normal person would do that!

In the midst of our discussion, the brightly lit room suddenly darkened, like a cloudy sky just before it starts to rain. Then, what felt like a heavy metal cable with a texture more like sandpaper touched my shoulder twice. When I turned, I realized it was a finger belonging to an adventurer large enough to serve as a meeting point for a group. It was covered in a mucous substance that I presumed to be slime. He, like us, didn't seem very happy to be there.

– Gentlemen, are you going to be much longer? – The giant adventurer asked us in a monotone. – You're holding up the line.

– Hold on a second, big guy. We're in the middle of something important. – Sol replied, then turned to me. – Why don't you ask where she is? It'll be easier that way.

– What part of "no sensitive information" didn't you understand?

– I don't know... Maybe the part that explains why you didn't get her number!

Once again, the two pats on the shoulder were repeated. And the expression on the adventurer's face remained unchanged. The slime hunt must have been complicated for him.

– Gentlemen, are you going to be much longer? – the big man asked again, in the same lifeless tone.

– We already said that we're in the middle of something important! – Sol replied.

– Let me think… I guess our best option, for now, is to focus on leveling up. We're not going to achieve much here.

As we were leaving the line, Sol turned toward the big adventurer.

– Hey big guy, next time put on some deodorant. You stink like slime!

Although his expression remained the same, I'm almost certain I saw the enormous adventurer's eyes well up with tears. To try and comfort him a little, I greeted him with two pats on the back and we left.

– So, what's the big idea, genius?

– Near this city there is a forest that divides the region. It is known for its high population density of creatures. That's why this city is so populated. You can find creatures of all levels here, as well as equipment.

The forest in question was Fluoenir. A forest known for its vast quantity of spirits and basic minerals. The perfect place for those who don't yet possess anything to call as equipment.

– Stay alert. – I commented. – The area might be for beginners, but that doesn't mean it's going to be easy. Letting your guard down is something you can't do here. Remember that there's no respawn. InIncaminália, if you lose, you lose everything and go back to square one. That's the kind of realism the game offers.

– Needless to say. Finally, some action. I'm curious to find out what the battle system in this game is like.

Notification: || Arboreal rabbit Level 5 appeared. ||

Tree rabbits are a wild species of creature, specialized in the forest, with a high appearance rate. But despite their high numbers, they are almost never a source of experience for players due to their high speed and ability to climb trees, as well as move between them. This makes them almost impossible to capture. On the other hand, for those with a high agility rate, they become walking bags of XP.

– I'll go after him! – I said as I ran. – Since I'm a Ladino, I can catch him with my speed. In your case, I recommend going to the swamp to farm the heavy frogs.

– Wait a minute! Are you really going to leave me behind?

– Yes! – I replied, already far from Sol.

The rabbit leaped swiftly from tree trunk to tree trunk, like a ball bouncing off a wall. My speed was high for someone literally at level one. But it was nothing compared to that rabbit's. As I chased it, I was able to readjust to the game's combat system. The ability to generate propulsion, the coordination, the reaction time… Part of what I found incredible about that game. I could tell how much I missed that world through the electrifying feeling of euphoria that spread through my body and intensified as I chased that rabbit.

– This isn't going to work. But I have an idea to catch you. I don't need to be faster than you. Just smarter!║| Throught steps! |║

Eventually, I cornered the rabbit towards a cliff at the foot of a mountain that served as the entrance to the ore caves. With no other options to escape, the rabbit's only remaining choice was to confront me.

– It's over for you!

I launched an attack with the standard starting dagger, which is given as a basic item to the players, and hit the rabbit squarely.

– Phew!... You were hard to get, buddy.

|| Arboreal rabbit eliminated || \\286 experience points\\

– Wow!... A single rabbit provided all that experience?

Notification: ||Arboreal rabbit Level 8 appeared. ||

– More experience!

As more and more rabbits appeared, I became more immersed in the confrontation. It was like a state of trance. A feeling that nothing can stop you.

– Isn't there anything here to make me move? – Sol asked, trapped in the swampy terrain.

Further away he could hear a grunting noise.

– Where is this coming from?

He decided to pick up a stone from the ground and throw it towards the noise he heard. In doing so, he hit something that, thanks to the impact, lost its camouflage properties. And what he hit was a heavy frog.

– Oh, how wonderful! A frog that can become invisible!

Heavy frogs hunt using the swamp's properties. Similar to tree rabbits, they can leap from tree to tree to escape the swamp's slowing effect while luring their prey to the best hunting spots.

– You think I can't move?! – Sol said as the frog lunged at him.║| Light Cut! |║

A flash of light emanated from Sol's sword, passing straight through the heavy frog, striking the tree behind it and generating a small shockwave. The frog, in turn, fell in front of Sol in two halves that disintegrated.

|| Heavy frog eliminated || \\88 experience points\\

– Was that all? It wasn't even warm enough to get warm…

What Sol didn't yet know was that these frogs don't hunt alone. They hunt in packs. With the shockwave that spread, dozens of other frogs were exposed. All waiting for the best moment to attack.

– This has got to be a joke… You know what, come on in! I want to see what you're capable of!

As the battle for Sol intensified, my battle with the rabbits was drawing to a close.

– Look, I managed to reach level fifteen! – I said. – You guys really give a good experience. I also got some new skills.

New title:║| Slow and steady ! |║ +10% agility

New side mission:║| Hunting tree rabbits 0/1000 |║

– Hunting creatures now grants titles? That's new… And now I have an extra mission. Hmm… You can see things have changed quite a bit around here since the calamity. The only problem is that this isn't where you usually show up. Why are there so many of you here? Could this also be a change in the creatures' behavior?

Notification: || Drakoterral Level 60 appeared. ||

– I think I know now why there are so many rabbits where they shouldn't be…