15. Bertram's Letter

Unable to answer the question, Xu Lei decided to just ignore what happened and focus on the mission. He started by opening his quest journal, and a semi-translucent, blue window appeared before him. It was split into two sections; the smaller one displayed the quest name, while the bigger section showed the quest description. The first entry was [Delivery of documents], and the second was titled [Bertram's Letter].

Without bothering to read the description, Xu Lei noticed a more intriguing fragment at the bottom of the window - Rewards. The section displayed an icon with '+10 EXP', and a button called 'Retrieve' next to it. He used it without hesitation, and [+10 EXP] appeared in his peripheral view, quickly drifting away.

Xu Lei then checked the next quest, where he saw an icon with '+50 EXP'. However, the button to retrieve it was inactive, making him sigh in disappointment. He closed the window and started walking, his mind already formulating a plan. His first priority was to get a weapon, so he opened the newly acquired map. But as soon as he did, it vanished, and a new window opened before him.

"So that's how it works," he mumbled to himself.

The entire city of Initium was displayed on the screen - a massive circle with two smaller circles inside. The first one marked the outer city walls with military infrastructure behind them. The second circle showed the reach of the inner city walls, and behind them were the six districts. These included the districts of temples, scholars, workers, guilds, residences, and the military.

The last circle showed the walls around the city center, where all the nobles resided. As Xu Lei studied the map, he couldn't help but be impressed by the attention to detail.

Using the map to guide himself, Xu Lei swiftly made his way to the district of workers where all the shops were located. After browsing through a few locations, he found one with weapons and purchased a sword despite the high price. With his pockets lighter by 30 gold coins, he headed straight to the southern gate. The journey took a while due to the city's size.

On his way, he passed through the district of guilds and marveled at the impressive buildings erected by the players. Some structures were extravagant and unique, while others were simple and modest. Xu Lei realized that the older and more established guilds had more luxurious headquarters compared to the new and struggling ones. Lost in his thoughts, he envisioned his future guild and its potential headquarters.

As he reached the residential district, Xu Lei had hoped to catch a glimpse of the lavish lifestyles of the wealthiest players who could afford their land. However, to his disappointment, most buildings belonged to NPCs and had a dull, repetitive appearance.

Feeling let down, he thought to himself, "Surely players wouldn't choose such uninspiring structures. They would go for something more eye-catching."

But soon he noticed that players were crowding around the peculiar short towers he had seen earlier in the district of scholars. Finally, he stumbled upon a small group of them, who seemed to be discussing the topic. One was explaining the concept to the others.

"So you don't actually buy a house in the city. You buy a piece of land that is drifting in space around the continent, just like the five continents, but smaller. They give you a key, and you can open a portal in one of those towers to reach your land," he informed.

'So that's how it works…' Xu Lei thought to himself as he continued his walk, his mind buzzing with newfound knowledge of the game mechanics. Suddenly, his attention was drawn to something more spectacular. In a part of the district, he spotted massive portals, each surrounded by guards who demanded permits from anyone who approached them. No one seemed to have the necessary document.

There were four portals in total, and each appeared to lead to a different land. 'Probably they lead to the four other continents,' Xu Lei thought to himself, his curiosity piqued.

After that, he focused on reaching the southern gate, which took him some time. Beyond the city stretched a lovely green land, with grass that looked so vibrant that it made him wonder if it was real. The sky above was a stunning shade of blue, with only an endless expanse stretching to the horizon, with a single broad path in the middle. Few players and NPCs were traveling along this road, but those who were seemed to be minding their own business. Everybody was on foot.

'Too bad. I hoped to see some mounts', went through his head as he joined them, walking towards his destination.

From time to time, he would open the map window to get a better sense of how far he had to go. During one such occasion, he noticed a player fighting a horned rabbit in an open field. The player cut it down with ease, then began to skin it. 'Probably a newbie like me. I might be doing the same thing soon,' he thought, observing the stranger.

Moments later, he spotted the tops of the tree crowns on the horizon and knew he had reached the Xiaoxi Forest. Soon after, he was able to see it in its full glory. The trees, while not towering in height, were nonetheless fascinating. Each one appeared to be partially uprooted, with its roots exposed and writhing on the ground like snakes. The trunks were smooth but covered by a green bloom, while the crowns were not particularly unusual.

Xu Lei had expected the forest to be clearer, being so close to the city, but it was very thick and dense. Just a few meters in and it was already getting very dark, giving off a spooky vibe. 'I have the light element, so I should be fine in there,' he deemed, pulling out his brand-new sword.

It looked sturdy, but simple, with a broad, short blade and a decent handguard.

Armed with a weapon, he headed straight in, activating his element to brighten the path. The light helped him stumble less on all the roots, but he still had trouble keeping his balance. It was impossible not to look under one's feet unless one wished to slam into the forest litter with one's face, which made keeping track of the direction quite hard.

'I could get lost in here if I'm not careful,' Xu Lei began to worry when, after looking behind his shoulder, he barely could see the place he had entered the woods. With this thought, he began leaving marks on the trees and kept pressing on.

He didn't spot it, but his ears caught the shimmer of water, allowing him to pick the correct direction, which eventually led him to a stream crossing through the forest. It had only taken him half an hour of wandering around.

The water was shallow and rather narrow, so he deemed he would be able to jump over it. Doing a good run-up before jumping, he was able to reach the other side, but the uneven ground made him lose his footing and slam his face into the roots. The sword came flying from his hand. "[-10 HP]," showed in his peripheral vision, quickly drifting around.

He picked himself up, massaging his chin, then looked around for the blade. It was lying patiently slightly beyond his arm's reach. He picked it up, then began looking for the rock formation that Bertram had mentioned, but the thickness of the forest made it impossible. All he could see were the tree trunks covered in the thick green bloom and more annoying roots.

The darkness of the forest was punctuated by the occasional ray of sunlight filtering through the dense canopy. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth. Every so often, a small creature scurried across his path, leaving behind the sound of twigs snapping and leaves rustling. Xu Lei couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and wonder as he took in the beauty of the forest around him.

There was also a bit of anxiety and anger mixed in. After all, he couldn't find what he was looking for, and time was passing, leading to the inevitable moment when he would be forced to log off.

It took him around half an hour more of looking around to locate the single tall piece of stone Bertram had described - thick at the base and sharp at the top, protruding from the ground. It was dark and covered with moss in places.

He circled the stone and eventually spotted the narrow entrance to the cave underneath it. It was just a gap between the stone and the ground, and he had to slide through. Using more of his element, he illuminated the cave properly.

Just like the old man said, it was shallow, enough for three people if they squeezed in tightly. It was colder than the air outside and had a heavy smell of rotting vegetation. Glancing around with the light, Xu Lei spotted something: a leather bag lying between loose stones on the floor.

He approached it and opened it carefully, hoping to find the letter inside. It did contain it, so he pulled out a yellow envelope with a red wax seal, then threw it back in the bag back, as he decided to take the whole thing and put it in his inventory. After crawling out of the cave, he started going back, following his tracks and the marks he left on tree trunks.

Eventually, he left the Xiaoxi Forest. Getting back to the city was just a formality, although a bit frustrating one. 'It was supposed to be a quick fetch quest, and I wasted so much time already... The alarm is going to go off soon, and I will have to go to work,' he sighed in his mind.

He crossed the gate without trouble, directing his footsteps toward the district of scholars when he suddenly felt somebody grabbing his arm. It was the familiar black-haired girl with thick glasses. One of the town clerks he had seen in the waiting room. She matched his walking speed and wrapped her arms around his biceps, pressing his whole limb tightly against her chest.

Xu Lei's cheeks blushed as he opened his mouth to say something. "Mister Bertram sent me to retrieve the letter from you," she spoke before he could squeeze anything out of his throat.

"He told me to bring it directly to him," Xu Lei argued.

His words made her sigh. "Hundred gold," she said bluntly. Her eyes showed determination, which made the player worry about what would happen if he refused.

Xu Lei pondered his options. 'What should I do?' He asked himself. 'I knew this quest was something more... I think I'll follow it to the end.'

"No, thank you..." he replied, trying to free his hand. She only squeezed tighter, making him feel even more awkward.

"You know that women don't like stubborn men?" she asked, then smiled at him. "I like you, so please don't ruin it."

"N-no," he stuttered. His words made her sigh, and the grip on his arm loosened.

"Two hundred," she said, her expression turning blank. There was no smile on her lips anymore.

"I told you, no," he said, slowly getting angry, which could be heard in his tone of voice.

"Five hundred!" she squeezed through her tightly gritted teeth, showing that she was actually angry.

"I made a deal with Mister Bertram. I'm a man of my word," he said, trying hard to make the anger vanish from his voice, to sound calmer and more in control.

"You are making me do things I would rather not do..." she declared.

Then, he felt a slight pinch on his stomach, followed by the cold of metal pressing on his skin. She was holding a knife to his belly, but despite that, she kept walking, dragging him along, to make it look like nothing was happening.

Xu Lei raised his free hand, fingers spread wide, to calm the situation down. It was only an excuse, though, to assume a more favorable posture, which allowed him to summon his element and a flash of bright light blinded the woman. She groaned, expressing the pain she could feel in her eyes. Her grip loosened even more, which the player immediately used, pulling his hand out of her grasp.

Not wasting even a second, he bolted at full speed towards the district of scholars.