A Life Anew

Matthew opened his eyes to the beautiful scenery of Kales Plains, feeling a nostalgic sensation wash over him. The wind rustled the grassy fields, the chirping of cicadas filled the air, and the scent of fresh flowers carried on the breeze. Gazing at the starry night sky, he took a deep breath and sighed, taking in the beauty of it all.

Suddenly, the peaceful serenity was shattered by the sound of swords clashing as players fought against the gray wolves that roamed the area. Archers fired arrows, sorcerers cast spells, and lancers charged with their spears, while others waited for the next wave of wolves to respawn. With each kill, the players gained experience points and gold coins.

As more and more players logged into the game, the starting area became increasingly crowded. Matthew knew that if he wanted to complete the first main quest, he would have to act quickly. He cracked his knuckles and neck, preparing himself for the challenge ahead.

He pushed his way through the throngs of players until he reached the quest giver, an NPC named Phales who was surrounded by a sea of people. Matthew slipped through the crowd until he finally reached Phales.

"May the light of the Goddess Ciel bless upon you—" the NPC began.

"Skip," Matthew interrupted, eager to save time. He quickly obtained his quest.

The quest was simple: he had to kill five gray wolves that were threatening farms throughout the Kares Plains. The rewards were tempting: 180 experience points and 400 gold. But completing the quest was easier said than done.

Matthew scanned the area and saw that thirty gray wolves were being spawned every fifteen seconds to cope with the player demand. With 80 players in the starting point and more logging in by the minute, the competition for kills was fierce.

He could have taken the easy route and stolen kills from other players, but he knew that would have consequences. Instead, he calculated the variables available to him: the position of the players, their classes, their level 1 skill damage, their range, casting time, and behavior.

Fifteen seconds later, twenty gray wolves appeared in the landscape, and the players rushed towards them, eager to take them down. Matthew remained calm and focused, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

He locked onto a target, a gray wolf in the middle of the pack. His hand glowed orange as he waved it through the air, drawing circles as the pages of his spellbook flipped furiously. A warrior and sorcerer class rushed towards the wolf he had targeted. The warrior used an instant cast skill called "Ferocious Strike," dealing 87 damage on the gray wolf, then followed it up with a slash that reduced another 10 HP.

The sorcerer class player began chanting the "Firebolt" skill, starting its 1.5 seconds casting time. But the warrior made a crucial mistake by using "Ferocious Strike" too early. It was the only skill of the warrior that could deal tons of damage. Now, it was on a two-second cooldown, and the sorcerer was already halfway through the casting time. Matthew saw his chance and activated his "Firebolt" skill 0.5 seconds earlier than the woman sorcerer, securing the kill.

The wolf howled in anguish

before turning into a particle of light.

"Gray wolf: 1/5," the notification popped up in Matthew's vision.

The warrior class player's jaw dropped in surprise, and the sorcerer who was about to complete the casting time of her "Firebolt" ended abruptly when the wolf suddenly disappeared.

"Who the heck did that?!" the warrior roared, turning his head around exasperatedly, trying to find the culprit.

Matthew immediately turned around and looked up at the sky, pretending to be oblivious to the situation.

"Wow...that's a beautiful sky!" Matthew put on an act, acting like a total noob in the game.

The moment he felt that no one was staring daggers at him, Matthew turned around and looked for another target.

Just like how he did it to the newbies, Matthew waited patiently for the pack to arrive and stole a kill as he could.

"Gray wolf: 2/5," the notification appeared again.

"Gray wolf: 3/5."

"Gray wolf: 4/5."

"Gray wolf: 5/5."

With the final kill, Matthew's experience points increased by 50 each time.

[Experience points needed to reach level 2: 250/400]

[Objective complete: Report back to Phales to get your reward.]

Matthew walked back to Phales to complete his mission.

"Oh…you're already back, Espector!" Phales said and continued. "So, have you done the work I gave you?"

Matthew pressed the dialogue tab that read "Killed them, just as you asked."

"Nice work! Here are your gold coins. Don't spend it all at once."

Confirming it, a flashy neon light surrounded Matthew.

[Mission completed: Gray Wolf Hunt]

[Your level has risen to 2!]

Matthew left the moment he got his reward and made his way to the next area where he'll take his next quest. For now, his objective is to reach level 5 to unlock the hidden dungeon within [Melona Island], the name of the starting map of Seraphs, where he is currently now.

And in that hidden dungeon, a great award awaits.

It's going to be exhilarating.