Stone Dragon

Croaks, cracks, pops, and snaps echoed across the Northern Greatwood.

Summer gave way to winter quickly here. The temperature change was so sudden, so brutal, only the toughest animals could survive. Frantic migrations began months before the first pads of snow.

This was the reason Peter climbed five meters high on an oldroot's branch. The first migrations had begun.

Less than half an hour ago, he'd bested a goblin thief, fled a demonic summon, and escaped a pack of migrating wolves.

His first hurtle, the goblin thief, had been tricky to start. However, as their skirmish progressed, it became apparent that its stamina was lacking. Because of this, Peter finished it with relative ease.

He sincerely hoped Neto could stand his own against that demon, but his success was of little importance compared to Peter's.

If Peter didn't complete this alpha-test, he would surely die.

He began thinking about the day leading up to this.

At first, Peter was skeptical of the Bio-tech corporation [SUN]. Its representative, Relin, was even less trustworthy. The only reason he considered their contract was Relin's in-person visit to deliver it. That, and he had nothing to lose.

SUN promised to cure Peter's cancer if he completed a few tasks in their virtual world. This obviously seemed... well, too good to be true. After all, a doctor diagnosed him as terminally ill. But, after seeing this world, how vivid it was, the technology that must have gone into creating it... Peter had a chance to see his little sister grow up.

The checklist was rather simple: Slay one enemy, find your way to the starting zone, and sign up at the adventurers' guild. Unfortunately, there was no deal if Peter didn't complete these tasks on his first attempt. He'd already completed the hardest-sounding one: Slay an enemy, but finding his way to the starting zone also proved to be difficult.

Peter surveyed his loot.

The goblin had no money, but a shiny fragment of turquoise ore caught his eye. His system hadn't been able to identify the object, so Peter's MMO instincts were telling him it was a rare drop.

Perhaps he could sell it to rent a room for the night. It was around five pounds, and just barely fit within the inside pocket of his tracksuit.

Peter also toted a new weapon: the goblin's short sword (and sheath) - which was much too large for the thing, anyway.

As the sun drifted behind a distant horizon, so did Peter's patience. The forest seemed devoid of its earlier noise. He could even see the hint of artificial light on the horizon.

'That must be the starter town.' Peter thought, shuffling down from his vantage point.

He plopped into the dirt with grace.

After a two-hour hike, Peter arrived, drenched in sweat. He was still full of adrenaline, but sleep was on his mind.

The 'starter town' turned out to be an ancient city, nestled like a stone dragon above the surrounding woods.

After passing a sign which read [Nornenheim], Peter came face-to-face with the city's walls. There seemed to be chaotic nightlife behind those behemoth stones. Medleys of color poured over the top of the wall, along with cheering and music.

'A festival?' Peter asked himself.

Despite the impressive city, something far more interesting attracted Peter's attention:

STARS!

He'd never seen such a clarity in the night sky...

Traveling clouds revealed a harvest moon, opening like the eye of the universe among a sea of diamonds.

Peter popped out of the woods, stumbling onto a nearby road absent mindedly.

"Oy! What were you doing out there?" nearby wall-guard called out.

"Shut up, İliç. The captain'l find out you've been drinkin again." a second immediately snapped.

Though Peter couldn't see the second guard at first, he noticed 'İliç' glaring at the moon. An armored figure waved him closer from the wall's patrol plate.

"You better get in before we close this damn thing, yeah? Nowhere'n the continent is more dangerous after that..."

Peter gave 'second guard' his best attempt at a smile, then hurriedly ducked into Nornenheim. That was easy.

'Why were those guards carelessly getting drunk on duty?'

Peter's answer lay behind the wall.

One tremendous street seemed to bisect Nornenheim, filled with many shops ranging from blacksmiths to street food.

The second thing Peter noticed was an intoxicating smell... Sweat, alcohol, cooked meat, incense, and tobacco hung in the air. People lined up as far as the eye could see: dancing, eating, and bartering like wild animals. They performed each activity with astounding ferocity.

Everyone was drunk, dressed for battle, and treating that night like there wouldn't be another.

'So this's the reason those guards can relax, huh...' Peter mumbled.

Nornenheim was a city of warriors, mercenaries, and well-protected businesses.

Assistants ran back and forth, fetching raw materials for artisans, delivering water to hotels, and offering black-market services. A fight was happening on his far-right. A bouncer from a local bar was dragging someone out.

From almost every residence, frantic moans and bumps added to the already deafening noise. Some suspiciously well-dressed entrepreneurs came out of a filthy alley only a few paces away. Even the children here played without supervision.

All-in-all, Peter's first impression of this city was... mischief.

He headed towards the largest building in what looked to be the center of Nornenheim. [Raincloud] Adventurer Hall.

Peter had enough experience with MMOs to know this meant the [Raincloud] was likely in charge of this city and the surrounding territory. How far was this guild's reach?

'No matter...'

Peter's last task was to find a place to spend the night. A shame none of those goblins had money in their loot.

'Well, that mage might've...'