CH 003

"Perhaps you should come out now," said the tall girl, hugging the little girl tightly. Alex was startled by the sudden command. He cautiously took his steps while calming his breath. He noticed that the girl relaxed the moment she saw him.

"Do I know you? My name is Alex." he asked, noting her strange behavior. The girl had pure white hair and wore light blue clothes that looked more like a sleeping dress. Her eyes were almond-shaped, and her long hair was tied into two separate strands falling on either side of her face.

She didn't reply. Instead, she looked at the little girl and murmured something in her ear. "thank you big sister. Here you can have what you ask." The little girl gave something . Then she quickly ran off into the forest.

"There is a Mail feature," she said after making sure the little girl had run away to safety. Alex looked confused.

"What mail? You mean the one in the settings panel?" he asked. She nodded.

He opened his status panel to see a mail notification in his inbox.

+++++++

Name : Alex Zephyrous;

Level : 1;

Hp : 80/100;

Atk : 5, Def : 5;

Agi : 5, End : 5;

Stat points : 4;

Blessing : Gluttony >;

+Forum + Mail(19489) + Settings +

+++++++

"What the hell? There are 20k mails in my inbox," he exclaimed, sighing. "Why is there so much mail? How am I supposed to read this?"

"I will explain everything for now. Come with me," she said and started to walk forward.

"Why should I come with you? I mean, I don't even know where I am, and you are there asking me to look at my mail," he said, not moving an inch. "Also, why did you want me to look at my mail?"

"Listen to me. I know you are lost inside this jungle. That's the same with me. Come with me; I know how to exit this jungle," she said and continued to walk. The rustle of leaves filled their silence. Alex had no choice but to follow her.

***

As they walked, the sight of a town with lots of people came into view. The town looked like a generic RPG town, mostly consisting of cobblestone houses and a cathedral. As they got closer, the voices and details of the village became clearer.

The town was surrounded by a low cobblestone wall, aged and moss-covered, adding to the medieval charm. The pathway leading into the town was uneven, with patches of grass poking through the worn stones. The houses were constructed from a combination of timber and stone, with thatched or shingled roofs. Many had small gardens with herbs and flowers blooming, giving the town a vibrant, lively feel.

In the center of the town stood a large, imposing church made of gray stone. Its tall steeple reached towards the sky, and stained glass windows depicted scenes of saints and mythical creatures. The church bells rang, signaling the hour, their melodic tones echoing through the town.

Near the church was a well, its stone sides worn smooth by years of use. Villagers gathered around it, drawing water and chatting about their daily lives. A wooden bucket creaked as it was lowered into the depths, and the sound of splashing water could be heard as it was pulled back up.

A stable stood not far from the well, the scent of hay and horses filling the air. Several horses neighed and stamped their hooves, their glossy coats shining in the sunlight. Stable boys bustled about, tending to the animals and preparing them for the day's work.

The marketplace was a hive of activity. Stalls lined the cobblestone streets, their colorful awnings flapping in the gentle breeze. Merchants called out their wares, selling everything from fresh produce and baked goods to weapons, armor, and magical trinkets. The air was filled with the mingling scents of fresh bread, roasted meat, and fragrant herbs.

"Hey, thanks for helping me. What is your name? I forgot to ask you since your face was really unwelcoming," Alex said, scratching his chin and putting on a goofy smile.

"My name is Yinlin. I know that you want to leave me, but I have a proposal for you," Yinlin said, not caring about his remark. Alex nodded and listened.

"Now that the village is nearby, I have something to ask you. Would it be possible for you to stay with me? I will let you have the loot, and we can divide the mora fifty-fifty. I have already sent you the proposal in your mail," she said with her smooth voice. Alex wasn't in the mood to look at the mail right now, so he thought about it hard.

"No, actually, you look like Chinese. I don't want to get into the 'I am high and almighty, you are poor and shitty' drama, so I think I'm good. Since the status panel looked like Facebook, could it be possible to add you as a friend?" he asked, opening his status panel to find more than 60k people had sent him mails. He went inside and saw the delete all button at the bottom of the mailbox, which he clicked without hesitation.

"Alright, you can add friends in the Forum tab. But still, think about it. I am willing to give you all the loot. What about 70-30 in mora? I would have said for you to keep all the money, but I need some amount for personal stuff," she said. Alex didn't understand why this woman would volunteer herself to be a free slave.

"Now that I think about it, the god being said something about finishing the Hell Tower. If it's like Call of Duty, then I'm into it. Let's do one thing. Let's fight in the Hell Tower and see if we are compatible," he said, not knowing what he was getting into.

Lin looked alarmed. 'So that's why he got the first clear. I used to think that he knew about the MMORPG genre. So he fought in the tower without knowing that it was a dungeon. I need to relay this information to Matpat,' she giggled slightly. "I see you are dumb as ever. Well, if we want to fight in the Tower of Hell, we need some equipment like a dagger." She then opened her pouch, showing around ten copper coins. "I have 10 mora, I got it after killing the boar. Let's buy a dagger for you, and let's go to the dungeon."

"what do you mean by dumb as ever." he asked, looking at the number of people hoarding the village. "What is going on here?"

Lin walked without replying. As soon as they reached the entrance of the town, which was crowded by people, they stopped. At the entrance of the gate was a group of people blocking the path. They all wore shabby clothes, some holding wooden sticks and makeshift weapons. Their faces were dirty, and they had the hardened look of people used to hardship.

"No matter how many times you people ask, we can't let you through without paying the toll. It's 30 mora per person. That's the rule of this town," said a villager who was with a guard. The guard was wearing knight armor, which gleamed in the sunlight. He had a sword in his holster and a stern expression on his face, his hand resting on the hilt of his weapon.

"Great, just what we needed," Alex muttered. "Do we even have enough to pay the toll? you have 10 i have nothing."

Lin sighed and shook her head. "We need to find another way in. Follow me."