Almost all mobs in Eternity were enemies whose purpose was to be battled and defeated by players. When they encountered players, they would attack and try to kill them.
Shuutarou recalled what that message said about pain settings being permanently on and revival having been disabled. His life flashed before his eyes, and he collapsed to the ground from overwhelming fear.
✦ ✦ ✦
The first area players landed in after making their characters, the great city of Allistras, was thrown into pandemonium.
About 350,000 players were trapped in the game, and 90 percent of them were in Allistras.
The streets were full of people crying, moping dejectedly, losing all hope, or shouting angrily. Some players even turned violent. Nobody had the presence of mind to wonder about the eerie color of the sky or the wyvern that had appeared above the city.
“Please remain calm!”
Those who were still clinging to faint hope stopped in their tracks, turning toward the young man whose voice had boomed across the plaza. A group of knights in clunky dark-gray armor was standing on a podium. In the middle of the group was a youth with greige hair. He introduced himself as Wataru, leader of the biggest PvE guild in Eternity.
“The most common monsters in the vicinity are demi-rats, which attack in groups! Demi-wolves are rare, but they attack by ambushing prey! Please don’t venture out of the city unless you’re well prepared!”
People looked at him with apprehension, nervousness, and even hostility as he carried on speaking with conviction.
“Gold is the currency in Eternity, and each player starts with a thousand gold! A single night’s stay at an inn costs fifty gold! You can buy food from the general store and defensive equipment from the armory! Monsters don’t enter cities, towns, or villages, which have guards at the entrances!”
Some newbies stopped to listen, while others, who had no idea why this guy was making a public speech, jeered at him. Not put off by this in the least, Wataru continued:
“We don’t know this world very well yet, and ignorance is the enemy of survival! We’re all stuck here, and we don’t know for how long, but remember that in the city, you’re safe!”
Now those who had experienced pain in the game from tripping up or yelling at the top of their lungs were listening to him, too. By then, very few players still thought the message from the Mother AI was a prank.
Wataru’s words of reassurance stopped the rioters, who tearfully clung to their friends, trying to console one another, as they eagerly awaited to hear what else the knight had to say.
“We’ve been playing Eternity since the closed beta. It’s not much, but we can pay for a week’s worth of food and accommodation for all of you! We’ll keep peace in the city and provide help as needed! When you feel ready, you’re welcome to join our hunts of the monsters nearby to learn how to make money and survive in the game!”
Wataru became a beacon of hope to many. While he couldn’t set them free, he offered them some comfort at least.
He took a deep breath, his speech near its conclusion.
“Do not give in to despair! My guild, Crest, will share with you everything we know about the game’s mechanics, design, and survival skills!”
Given the circumstances, it came as no surprise that Wataru’s speech wasn’t met with applause, but his words got through to many. Older players who lacked game knowledge didn’t fully understand what he was talking about, but they got the gist—that this composed, strong young man had a plan.
Wataru managed to calm the tens of thousands of players gathered at the plaza. His resolve was communicated from one player to another, sweeping through the masses like a wave, quickly nipping any outbursts in the bud.
✦ ✦ ✦
Shuutarou woke up in a nice, clean bed. The bed linens were a crisp white, soft to the touch, and had a faintly sweet floral scent.
Where am I…?
The first things he saw when he sat up: a man with skin burned to charcoal, a skeleton dressed in rags, a deathly pale, beautiful girl, and a mummy hanging around in the room, which was spacious and dark. In one corner was a decorative display of sorts, made up of swords, armor, staves, and garments, most of which had black stains of them. It was a chilling sight.
Shuutarou yelped pathetically, and all the monsters in the room turned to stare at him. He could see the MOB tag above each of them. Then he heard a familiar voice.
“Leave him.”
Immediately, the monsters moved to one corner of the room, where they neatly lined up and knelt, like subjects before their monarch.
From the shadows emerged the white-haired girl Shuutarou had met earlier. Relieved to see her, Shuutarou opened his mouth to speak, but he shut his mouth and swallowed audibly when he saw what she was holding.
In her hand was a giant ax.
“Um…,” Shuutarou began, gathering up his courage.
THWACK!
The ax swooped down like comet cutting through a dark sky, going through Shuutarou’s body and smashing the bed and even the wall behind it. Shuutarou stared, not understanding what had just happened, as feathers from the down comforter flitted through the air.
“Physical attacks don’t work, either. Elroad’s theory might be correct,” the girl muttered to herself as she approached.
A primal fear roused Shuutarou from his shock, prompting him to leap out of the hole the ax had busted in the wall.
“Whoa—”
He’d been inside a tall building. That same moment, he heard the bricks knocked out of the wall hitting the ground. Even without looking, Shuutarou realized that it was a crazy big drop.
This was a giant castle on top of a vast floating island, lined with cliffs that disappeared into darkness below. Smaller floating islands formed a staircase leading to a locked gate.
For a split second, Shuutarou was suspended in midair, but then somebody grabbed his collar and pulled him back into the room. He turned and looked straight into the eyes of the white-haired girl.
“Dullahan, take this gentleman to the innermost chamber.”
A headless knight hoisted him up. Shuutarou didn’t resist; he simply let the monster carry him away.