Aevum - A VRMMO LitRPG Story Chapter 9: Chapter 9

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Chapter 9 I exited the city gates, and went down a familiar path. It had only been maybe two weeks since I was here for the first time, but I did feel a bit nostalgic. A little ways into the woods, away from the city, was a small clearing in the trees. The first place I really attempted to train my swordsmanship. I set down some of my equipment that I was carrying and began to swing my sword. The new blade felt incredible, and things that used to feel a bit off now had a smoothness to them. It almost felt like I could feel my skill going up as I swung the sword. I focused intensely and the air around me was silent except the crunching snow and the shallow breaths. Fairly quickly after I started, I got a notification. ›One Handed Swordsmanship has increased to level 5‹ My new class buffing my skill experience gain and this sword definitely sped up the process. I don’t necessarily feel like I’m improving that much in terms of my actual technique, but the number is going up so I’m happy. I was hoping something would happen when a skill reached level five like how I got prompted to change my class when I reached character level five, but no such luck. Sitting on a log to rest and pulling out my heating crystal, I pondered what to do next. I didn’t currently have a quest, and I’m not sure how common a quest like the one Crank gave me is, in terms of effort and payout. I recalled the creature I saw deep within the mountains to the north. I couldn’t tell mechanically how much stronger it was compared to me, but I definitely felt it. If I didn’t run, I don’t think I would have stood a chance. But then… why didn’t it chase me? What was that gem that I had seen in the stone? Perhaps, even though it wasn’t a quest, I should be trying to learn more about it. That may be a good idea, but in the event I do figure it out, it won’t matter unless I get stronger. The simplest way to do that is to level up. This is a game after all, so I think it only makes sense to start the process now. It’s time to grind. — — — — The next day, I found Evelyn in the dining area of the inn to ask who her friend at the garrison was. I thought perhaps that they might have a quest or something for clearing out creatures, animals, monsters, etc. Evelyn introduced me to Alex, who was the vice captain of the garrison and head of the outer guard. She stood a few inches taller than me and was definitely built like a fighter. Her hair was cut short and she seemingly had scars from more weapons than I could name. Alex said that the garrison had been investigating that group of hyena-like creatures called proteli and that while they hadn’t found the exact cause, they are pretty sure something is happening in the plains to the south to cause creatures to move so far out of their usual range. With their investigation, they are spread a bit thinner than normal so they aren’t able to do as many of their usual patrols outside the city. I got a notification. ›New Quest: Patrol Duty‹ ›Would you like to accept this quest?‹ After saying my thanks and goodbyes, I found a local butcher shop. It was a small building nestled on a popular street. The owner was a large, burly man behind the counter. He greeted me with some pleasantries. Speaking with the owner, apparently he generally gets his product either through trade from the surrounding towns or through hunting from various local suppliers. But with the increase in activity in the south the trade routes are slower so he’s been in some dire need for more meat of any kind. I got a notification. ›New Quest: The Meat Man‹ ›Would you like to accept this quest?‹ My last stop before setting out was a leather working shop. This one was part of a larger strip of buildings that were all kind of connected. There were various tenants, like craftsmen, tradespeople, basic shops, etc. The one I was looking for was on the second floor, a small collection of rooms nestled in the corner with a view of the street intersection below. The owner was a