First Encounter with a Player

Xin didn't want to stay idly at home since it made him think of unhappy thoughts –– mostly about Meilyn.

He needed to occupy himself with a lot of things to take off his mind from reality.

Guildbane offered such escapism, and its timing couldn't be any more perfect.

Xin logged back into the game, realizing that he didn't have a weapon. It dawned on him that he had been wandering the dangerous shores without any means of defense.

It wasn't a necessity before since Triton mostly killed the beasts around even before they could attack him.

However, Xin knew he couldn't rely on Triton indefinitely, so he made the decision to purchase both a staff and a sword, unsure of which would be more suitable since he hadn't chosen a class yet.

Additionally, he acquired a simple [Fire] spell to add to his arsenal. He put it on his 1-tier slot since it was the only slot opened right now with his level.

Also, he took note that he only had two available 1-tier slots open in each skill and spell.

With his preparations complete, Lord Schrodinger ventured out of town.

The second thing he did was to forage outside of town and began his quest of dominating the NPCs and acquiring their rare items. He decided to start with the NPCs on the shore and gradually make his way toward the town, ensuring that he wouldn't miss anyone.

Though it would take some time, Lord Schrodinger was determined to get it done. If he set his mind on something, he would achieve it no matter what it took.

He wasn't in a rush anyway.

What mattered most to him at the moment was collecting rare items and earning enough money to free them from debt. Xin understood the dangers of debt and how it could spiral out of control with accumulating interest, eventually becoming unmanageable.

Xin didn't dream of becoming insanely wealthy. He just wanted their old life back, a simple life inside their modest home, where they could enjoy three meals a day and afford everything they needed to live comfortably.

However, when Xin returned to the same spot where he had previously found rare herbs, he discovered that they were not there. He tried again, but only the usual notification appeared on his screen, indicating a time delay before he could forage the spot again.

[164: 57: 40 Time remaining before you could forage this spot]

That's odd.

Xin consulted his [Library] and confirmed that rare materials had a minimum respawn time of one week, depending on their rarity.

". . ." Great.

Xin shrugged. Oh, well. No use in dwelling on it. If he couldn't forage on the same spot, then he would go to another spot and try his luck.

Xin did just that and went to the area that he hadn't foraged before while maxing his [Relationship Level] with every NPC he came by.

He even noticed Triton but decided not to interrupt the busy trainer and the newcomers who were seeking guidance from him.

Xin guessed that the island didn't run out of newbies like him everyday. The shore was populated with other players engaged in various activities, such as foraging and grinding.

Xin went about his own business, immersed in his tasks when he suddenly heard a scream coming from nearby.

Intrigued, he turned his gaze toward the source of the commotion and was surprised to see a young woman with long pink hair. She had fair, white skin and a small, charming face. She was donned in a red robe; her eyes were blazing red, as well, as she shouted at him with her piercing voice.

"Hey! You! Yes, you! Help me!"

Xin glanced behind the woman and spotted a Level 10 Giant Vulture attacking her. Although she was Level 11, she seemed unable to defeat the creature, and her health points were diminishing with each [Claw] attack coming from above.

Observing her attire and casting motions, Xin deduced that she was a mage and likely had low Constitution (CONS).

"Help me!" Skylark pleaded desperately, her eyes welling up with tears.

Typically, a man would come to the aid of a damsel in distress, especially a beautiful one. However, Xin opted not to get involved in the battle. Instead, he moved to the other side, allowing the lady to pass unobstructed.

Skylark was appalled by the turn of events. The man refused to help her, even with her pleading expression. As a Level 15 player, he should have come to her aid. Didn't he recognize her? She had made sure her in-game appearance matched her real-life face, so everyone would know who she was.

Filled with anger and frustration for brushing her off, Skylark pursued him, completely forgetting about the Giant Vulture chasing her.

On the other hand, Xin was perplexed as to why the woman was still after him. He couldn't understand her motives for chasing him.

"Why are you running away?! Why won't you help me?" Skylark shouted in frustration.

"Can you ask for help from another player?" Why does it have to be him?

Xin sighed, growing irritated with the persistent girl. Her presence was interfering with his foraging and NPC domination.

The more he denied her, the more she became more determined to make him yield to her demands.

"I said . . ." Skylark raised her staff, which began to emit a red glow. "SAVE ME, YOU IDIOT!" a fireball burst forth from her staff and went directly at Xin.

Swiftly dodging the attack with a well-timed sidestep, Xin managed to avoid the fireball. But there were still more incoming.

Xin couldn't understand why she was wasting her mana on attacking him instead of using it against the Vulture. He pondered her motives, puzzled by her relentless pursuit.

In the newbie islands, player-versus-player combat was still disabled, meaning she couldn't harm him or steal his belongings. So Xin couldn't understand why she was singling him out when she wouldn't gain anything from it.

Nonetheless, her actions were starting to annoy him.

Xin skidded to a stop and faced the woman.

Skylark was taken aback by the sudden stop, and as it seemed like she was about to collide into his arms, Xin swiftly sidestepped, causing her to fall and end up face-first in the dirt.