Chapter 1: The Present

It has been twelve months since the end of the three-month beta test of AWA, and the end results were far better than anticipated. Almost no bugs were discovered, and the game interface proved revolutionary to the world of Virtual Reality gaming.

As a matter of fact, the net sales of AWA had reached over a billion and were still increasing ever since its official release three months ago. Dream-Gears begun to be mass-manufactured in order to keep up with its sale in the market — thanks to some of the aggressive players who would throw their DGs and break them upon engaging gamer rage.

Strangely, the beta-testers were allowed to continue using their beta accounts even in the official version of the game. While this obviously brought a huge power gap between the new players and the beta testers and a inevitable commotion in the AWA fanbase, RifRits Entertainment gave it no thought. Eventually the commotion settled down, but it still remained a mystery.

The only thing that changed in AWA is the time period of Magicafaria — which is said to be three centuries ahead of the beta-test period. Nobody knows what had happened in those three hundred years.

The top ranks in AWA were mostly occupied by the beta-testers, even after three months. Many of them even formed guilds and mass-recruited new players in order to establish their supremacy over other small guilds. They were far too overpowered for the new players to compete with.

'The beta testers are in a whole different league'

Such was remarked by the VReality — a video game monthly magazine solely devoted to VR games that is published internationally.

Reading this month's issue of the VReality in her kindle was a young hooded girl, who mumbled:

"...Ridiculous."

The girl's room was dimly lit. Things like books and gadgets were scattered around the bed and the floor. And a hill of empty food packets resided in a corner of the room.

"If they have so many things to complain about the game, why don't they just stop playing it?"

She turned off her kindle and threw it on the bed. She got up her chair and brought out her DG from the shelves.

"But a non-competitive player like me doesn't get to say that, I guess. I just play the game in order to escape this reality of mine."

She turned on the console on her table, put on the DG, and started the game 'Another World Adventure'.

"Isn't it enough to just have an alternate reality where you can start your life anew?"

In the game, she woke up from the bed of a room she rented out for her stay in a lodge. She scouted the entire room to look for any signs of trespassing, and fortunately found none.

She got up of her bed, and opened the windows. She assumed it was past noon after noticing the position of the sun shining brightly right above her. Looking at the beautiful clear blue sky, she figured it was a perfect weather to spend time outdoors.

"Ah, today's weather's the best. If only the real world had this kind of weather always."

She opened her wardrobe and changed her normal set of clothes with a purple-white adventurer attire, and locked the door of her room as she left.

"Oh, Tia. I didn't know you were back. Are you heading out?" The manager of the lodge asked as she headed for the front door.

"Yes. I need to collect today's worth of pay, after all." Replied the young girl, and closed the front door after her.

In this virtual world of Magicafaria, the young girl was known as Tia Cezha — an AWA player. Although she was registered under the Adventurer's Guild as an adventurer, she did not play the role of one.

Unlike most adventurers who accept requests listed on the bullet-in board and go explore the world with their party members —

"Oh, I didn't expect you to be late today, Tia."

"Hello boss, and sorry for being late for today's work."

"Well, you're here now, and that's all that matters. Okay everyone, let's start lumberjacking the trees."

— Tia was doing normal labor work almost every day she logged into the game. She would accept random labor-work like masonry, lumber-jacking, etc. whenever she got a chance, and would make a living out of it. Maybe it was because she was brought up in a rich, strict, and protected household that doing random physical works were a new and fun experience for her.

"Good job everyone-! Come and collect your pay for the day." Announced their boss after today's work was done.

Tia headed towards the boss to receive the pay, and thanked him.

"You sure are energetic even after cutting down so many trees, Tia — despite being only the age of thirteen.", said her acquaintance from work, who looked very exhausted.

"You all are just being more relaxed and languid. Put your guts to it, and you won't feel lazy.", replied the young girl. She, on contrast, did not have a single drop of sweat on her.

Tia then headed towards the Adventurer's Guild, located at the centre of the town. She made it a habit to visit the Guild every evening after getting her pay just for eating one of her favorite dishes.

At the Adventurer's Guild, food corner —

"Mmhmm~! Crysberry pies are the best! Ms. Hefa, seconds please!", exclaimed Tia, who was already on her third serving.

Tia called out one of the waitress, Ms. Hefa, who stood ready with a plate.

"I knew you'd ask for one more, so there you go." Said Ms. Hefa as she left another serving of Crysberry pie on Tia's table.

"As expected of big sis' Hefa! You know me so well... Nom,nom"

"It's been almost a month since you've been coming here. Of course I would know your usual by now. Yes, yes, I'm coming!" Said Ms. Hefa, and left to take the next table's orders.

"I like this place. The people here are good and kind-hearted, the food is great, and the existence of magic in this world is just wonderful. Plus there aren't any other players here in this town — makes me feel this town belongs to me only." Wondered Tia, as she took a bite of the fresh Crysberry Pie.

Her train of thoughts was disturbed when he heard a familiar voice from the main entrance of the guild. "Ah, Tia! I knew you'd be here. How did the woodcutting work go?"

This boy here is Kakkah. He's a human of this virtual world, and Tia's first friend in this world who's of the same age as her. Unlike Tia, he would step outside town to hunt for monsters at daytime, and would return back by nightfall to exchange the drop items for money in the Guild.

"It was alright. But it was a little hard figuring out the direction where I wanted to drop the tree. The boss helped me out at the end though, nom" Said Tia as he took the last bite of her crysberry pie, and continued, "How did your hunt for the day went?"

Right after Kakkah finished sitting on the other side of the table, he rose up in an instant.

"Yes, about that! Listen to this, Tia! There weren't any monsters outside the town today — none at all!" Kakkah yelled as he leaned towards her.

"Huh? Are you serious? Those monsters sprawling outside the town spawn almost endlessly every day. Nom, nom" Tia continued to munch on another serving of crysberry pie brought at her table by Ms. Hefa.

"Yes, I'm serious. You can ask the other adventurers here too. That's what we all have been talking about all day since then." Kakkah took out his unexpectedly thin wallet from his satchel, and continued, "Look! If there were monsters outside the town today, my wallet wouldn't look like a dried-up cactus!"

"Ah..." Kakkah brought up a seemingly fair point, and Tia believed his story without any further doubt. "I never thought I would get to see you with a nearly empty wallet. Guess yesterday's penalty match took a much heavier toll on your wallet than I expected." Tia then gestured Ms. Hefa to bring Kakkah's usual meal on the table.

"Well, thanks to it, I'm almost broke now. Wait, I didn't order this."

"It is on me. Consider it thanks for all the things you did for me when I was new in town.", said Tia as she finished her fifth serving of Crysberry pie.

"Yay, Thanks for the meal!" Said Kakkah, and quickly began to eat his fish fry and sandwiches.

While Kakkah was eating, Tia soon finished her food and got up to ask the other adventurers about the absent monsters outside the town. Weirdly enough, what Kakkah said did turn out to be true.

Tia did think of it to be mysterious, but didn't pry any further to the topic. She came back to the table, hoping that it'll all go back to normal in the next day, probably.

"Well then Kakkah, I'll be on my way now to the Weapons Shop. I finally have enough money to buy that crossbow I wanted."

"Oh, isn't the owner of that store rumored to increase the prices of his items in the very last minute?"

"Yes, and I fell victim to him three times already. Sigh, I wonder how he even runs his business."

The Guild Clock began ringing when it hit six o'clock. "Ah, I am running out of time. See you tomorrow then, Kakkah." and off Tia went.

At the Weapons Shop, after sundown —

"What?! Just a week ago, we agreed on keeping the price of the crossbow fixed at forty thousand tyches."

"Well, it's forty-eight thousand tyches now. If you don't have the money on you, leave the shop without making a fuss."

Tia stood in front of the counter table, shocked and disappointed. The shop owner didn't bat an eye on her, and motioned her to exit his shop.

"No wait! This is all wrong! Why would you raise the prices after you agreed to it last week? Is this like a game to you? Is this how you do business with every one of your customers?" Tia lashed out. Her disappointment turned to a fit of rage.

The owner sighed, and a small murmur of laughter was heard from the other adventurers present in the shop.

"Listen, kid. You are aware of the sudden disappearance of monsters outside our town, right?" The owner spoke as if he had said the same thing over and over again today. Tia noticed it, and nodded.

"Do you know what happens when the monsters aren't out there? Bandits start gathering up."

"Yes. What about it?"

"Just like I thought. You really are an amateur when it comes to the real world, kid." The owner said.

"Huh? I don't get it."

"You still don't get it?" One of the adventurers in the shop spoke up with a small burst of laughter. "If the bandits start showing up, then transportation of goods through the forests becomes a lot more difficult."

"With simple and self-indulgent monsters, all it takes is to carry around some monster repellent to prevent them from getting close. Of course the bandits could do the same too, but most of them are too dumb to realize they've walked into the monster's territory already." Another adventurer added.

"Not to mention, transportation gets expensive because you need to hire skilled guards for a safe escort. Bandits can be clever when monsters aren't involved, and can lay traps around for an ambush. I bet the request board in the Adventurer's Guild will be getting plenty of requests regarding bandits if the monsters don't come back." Added another adventurer, as he wiped the hilt of his dagger.

"To sum it up, the owner's worried about his supply of weapons getting halted in the coming days. Not only him, but plenty of others too who get their supplies from the neighboring cities. Without their supplies, they have no choice but to be selective and strict with their items. Mr. Hesub's lucky that he earned quite a fortune in the recent trade fair." Another adventurer added.

"There you have it. Did you get it yet?" The owner asked Tia who stood frozen after hearing the adventurers.

"B-but, the monsters will probably come back by tomo-"

"What makes you think that?"

"Wh-what?" Tia tripped over her tongue when she heard the owner's question.

"I asked what makes you think that? Especially when it's about monsters who literally move according to their instincts? Unless one of the messengers of God whispered in your ears, or a dryad showed up to tell you that the monsters will be casually back by tomorrow, or you have some kind of proof to back up your words, you can never be certain about it."

"I-I just... I just thought so..."

"You just thought, huh? That's what they all say." The owner sat down on his chair, and continued, "Would it kill you to not force your world's standards into our world, you outsider?"

Tia couldn't say anything on it. She realized her inexperience in this virtual fantasy world's matters, and how ignorant she was about it.

"Then... about the crossbow. Are you going to increase it's price further?" Tia spoke softly, almost as if her energy drained away.

"If the situation prolongs..." The owner said.

Tia didn't speak any further. She just gestured to the owner that she'll be leaving, and started walking slowly towards the door with her head down.

"That kid, she really believed the owner.", "Haha, another one goes back home sulking.", "It's been a while since we had an outsider, and she's so trusting, it's almost hilarious!" The other adventurers murmured and poked fun at Tia as she walked. While it was faint, she could hear it clearly — as if they wanted her to know.

"What's going on?" Tia asked herself. "Why is this happening? Why are they snickering at me?"

"Stop. Stop it. This is no different than the real world. This is not how I want to start my life anew! I never wanted to get ridiculed by others ever again! I never wished to be looked down at by others! Why are the adults like this every time?" Thoughts began to storm around Tia's head. Right before she could collapse —

"Hey now. What's with this uneasy atmosphere here?"

— she heard a girl's voice, presumably older than her, coming from the door.

"Are you a customer?" The owner asked the girl.

"Hmm... more or less, I guess." Replied the girl.

Tia tried raising her head so she could look at the girl's face, but to her surprise the girl walked past her towards the counter table already. When she turned around, she noticed that the girl had an oddly large bag with her.

"You don't seem to be from around here. Are you a traveler?"

"Something like that. This is my first travel destination, by the way."

Both the girl and the owner conversed naturally with each other. From Tia's perspective, she found it oppressing. Just a while, she felt humiliated due to her little knowledge of the world, and some new customer showed up who didn't even bother noticing her.

"What do you want to buy? We have all kinds of decent weapon for a girl like you."

"Ah, no. I'm not here to buy. I'm here to sell." The girl said confidently.

Tia noticed that the other adventurers started staring at the unknown girl. She felt like something was about to start in this shop.

"Sorry, girl, but I'm not willing to buy anything right now." The owner stood up from his chair.

"Now, now, don't say that. At least check out what I have on me. Here, one sec." The unknown girl lifted up her huge, heavy bag, and dragged it on top of the counter table. "Phew. Okay, look at this."

The girl opened the bag, and revealed an incredible assortment of magic items. From Tia's perspective, she could barely see what was in the bag, but she certainly saw the owner astonished by it. She couldn't believe the owner would made that face, even in a hundred years.

"I... I have to say, these are some fine quality products. From where did you get these?" The owner oddly sounded interested unlike before.

"Sorry, but I can't say that." The girl chuckled.

Soon, the other adventurers in the shop gathered around the unknown girl, and feasted their eyes on the weapons and equipment in the bag with an amazed expression. Tia too got close to get a peek of what was in the bag, and was shocked upon seeing it.

Everything in the bag looked super strong and authentic. None of them seemed to be old or used in any way. Not to mention, high-grade materials and magic were definitely used in the making of these items.

"Why do I feel like her smile hasn't wavered even a bit since she entered the shop?" Tia asked herself. It was weirdly intimidating to her.

"Selling them all is such a waste. Are you serious about selling these?" The owner questioned.

"Yes." The girl replied.

"You can make a small fortune by selling these in the big cities. Are you really sure about selling these?"

"Yes."

"... You didn't hit you head by accident on your way here, right?"

"Y- No." For a split-second, her smile stiffened.

The owner then took his time picking up some of the items, and appraised them. He was not even halfway done, but he stopped.

"I must say, I still can't believe it. How much did you expect for these anyway, girl?" asked the owner.

"Hmm... Let's see. Based on my little knowledge about them, I expected about..."

Tia was unsure if what the unknown girl said about herself was true or not, but she did know that no one would try selling all those high-tier magic items in a normal weapon shop situated in a remote town like this, if they were knowledgeable about it.

After thinking for a while, the girl said: "... Six hundred and seventy thousand tyches! Or something around that."

Tia didn't even try to hide her shocked expression anymore, but the other adventurers in the shop nodded their heads in agreement, as if the amount of money proposed was fairly rational.

"With that much money, one could even buy a plot of land and build a house." Tia wondered. She also subconsciously remembered that the amount of money she had on her was fifty thousand tyches.

She subtly dropped on the floor, immediately regretting about comparing the money she had with the unknown girl — even if it was thanks to her subconscious.

"Hey girl, are you serious?" The owner asked with a baffled expression.

"Come on mister. I even lessened the possible amount of money for this stuff. Plus, I'd never expect an average shop like this to have that kind of money to even spare." The girl said.

"Wait, what is she talking about? Was it not the actual possible estimate? Then why did the other adventurers nodded their heads in unison?" Tia couldn't help but just continue to ask herself.

"Well, that's true. Normally, these would sell for about a nine hundred thousand tyches. And a small shop like ours can't obviously pay for that." The owner added.

"Nine hundred thousand tyches!? Even the Adventurer's Guild would not possess that much money!!" Tia yelled inside her head.

"Also, I will not lower the amount any further." The girl interrupted the owner before he could have said something.

The owner gave out a sigh, and said, "Well, the deal sounds really good. But sorry, I can't buy all of these."

"Come on, mister. Think again. What will happen when adventurers will hear that this town — no, this shop has powerful weapons like these. Surely they'll swarm here and will be prepared to pay any price for them, and you may just earn more than what you expect. I am only willing to sell these for only six hundred and seventy thousand tyches, but mister — with your merchant skills and experience in the business, I bet you'll be able to sell them for more than a million tyches if you tried!"

"This girl is totally trying to tempt the owner into buying those. Furthermore, more than a million, you say!? Even I have to see that kind of money in the real world!" Tia couldn't help but be overwhelmed by their conversation.

"But even if I wanted to buy all of these, I don't have the money for it." The owner sighed in disappointment.

"Hmm... Then, how about this? Give me that unique-looking crossbow, twenty of those throwing knives, three of those mini-knives, and two of those daggers, and I'll reduce the price to four hundred thousand tyches!" The girl said as she glanced around the shop and pointed at the various items for sale.

"Heh?" Tia was startled upon her crossbow being mentioned.

"Oh. Are you sure about this, girl? The items you listed out do not cost that much."

"It's alright, it's alright. Plus, the people here look eager to purchase the items I have after I exit the shop." Said the girl after she glanced at the other adventurers, including Tia.

Ever since arriving to this town and noticing the unique crossbow in this very shop, Tia was determined to purchase it as her first in-game weapon. Determined to the extent, that she resorted to doing all kinds of manual labor work every day she logged into the game — which she gradually grew fond of.

And all of a sudden, this unknown girl comes in this shop out of nowhere, and decided to purchase the crossbow Tia was hoping to buy all along.

Tia tried to interrupt the two, but she could not think of anything to say. She did not have the energy for it. Helpless, she looked down at the wooden flooring of the shop, and tried her best to stand still.

"Wait. Is it not good if she just buys the crossbow? Then I would not have to continue working for it." Tia mumbled.

The owner agreed to the unknown girl's proposal, and the negotiations came to a close. The transactions went well, and both sides seemed delighted with the outcome.

"And there it goes. Goodbye, crossbow..."

The unknown girl then walked towards Tia, holding the crossbow with her hands instead of keeping it inside the bag along with the rest of her purchase.

Tia thought of walking away quickly, but for some reason her legs felt heavy. She felt like she would embarrass herself further if she tried to do something.

"Um, hello?"

Tia heard the girl speaking, and raised her head. She realized the girl was standing right in-front of her, and immediately stepped back a little.

"Ah, hey. Hi. You wanted this crossbow, right?" The unknown girl asked Tia, who looked incredibly puzzled.

Everyone inside the shop looked at the two girls with curious eyes, except for the owner who was really busy with appraising the magic items one by one.

"Uh- uh- umm..." Not knowing what to answer, Tia muttered.

"Don't worry, don't worry. Here! You can have it." The girl held the crossbow towards Tia, and added, "I don't need any money for it."

"No, no, no, no. You bought the crossbow, s- so it's yours." Tia said, looking away from the girl, with her hands crossed to form an X.

"But I bought it for you."

"Wh- what?" Tia began to look slightly flustered.

The people in the shop chuckled at seeing the funny expressions made by Tia. The owner continued appraising the items, but also bothered to give quick glances at the two girls.

"Like I said. I am giving this crossbow to you, so it's yours now. Think of it as a token of acquaintanceship." The girl said reassuringly.

Tia then slowly extended her arms forward, and accepted the crossbow. She could not believe the crossbow belonged to her now, but she thanked the unknown girl regardless.

"Mm hmm, glad to know you liked it." The girl gave a wide grin. "My name's Rayka. What's yours?"

"Um, T- Tia. Tia Cezha."

"Great! Tia it is, then!"

Both the girls came at what appeared to be the beginning of a small friendship between them. Earlier, the unknown girl seemed knowledgeable and gave an intimidating vibe, but now she seemed kind and cheerful. Tia thought she might be able to get along with her.

"Well then, I'll be go- Uh, what's wrong? Is there something on my face?" Rayka asked Tia, who gazed at her intently.

While Tia did stare at Rayka, to be precise, she stared at her neck. And as of the reason why she was doing so...

"Um, Rayka?"

"Yes?"

While Tia did notice it somewhat when she entered the shop, now as she got to see it up close, she noticed it even better.

"Um, why is your scarf messy?"

Rayka's smile stiffened a bit, again.

[End of Chapter]