Broken Hill

The trees grew sparser and the underbrush thicker as Manco and Cordelia moved toward the edge of the forest.

Before long, the air began to fill with the noises of insects, birds, and other nocturnal creatures. The burbling and sloshing of running water could also be heard.

After several more minutes of walking, they exited the forest.

"Let's go up there to get our bearing!" Manco said, gesturing at a small hill in front of them.

A quick climb took them to the top of the hill, where he scanned the area. The area they were now in was a mix between a hilly region and grassland terrain. Stretching as far as the eye could see was a vast expanse of land filled with grasses, flowers, and herbs, broken up by the occasional shrubs, wooded trees, and low, gently sloping hills. To their left, a massive river, identified by the map as the Aegis River, cut across the land and weaved its way between the hills.

A gentle breeze blew towards them, carrying the scent of a variety of flowers and causing the grass and shrubs to gently sway. At a distance, a swarm of fireflies swirled the air. The night was quiet save for the sounds of crickets and the rustling of leaves. On the cloudless sky, the east moon shone brightly, illuminating everything in a faint blue glow.

"It's beautiful!" Cordelia whispered. She stood still, trying to take in everything.

"Eh. It's alright," Manco shrugged indifferently.

He couldn't remember the last time he simply took his time to admire the scenery.

Back when he started playing Epoch of Liberty, he was also captivated by the views. He often caught himself watching the sunsets over the seas or looking at bustling settlements from high vantage points.

Over time, as the game took over his life, he paid less and less attention to the sceneries until they barely registered to him.

Many people play this game for simple pleasures like this: just wandering and enjoying the views. He used to dream of a day where he could do the same without worrying about earning money.

When that dream finally came true, when he had more than he could possibly spend, he'd lost everything else…

"Sorry about that! I was kinda distracted!" Cordelia said, breaking his reverie, "Shall we?"

"It's okay. Let's go!"

Descending the hill, they moved east, parallel to the river. The walk was uneventful. They traveled quickly, unharassed by any creatures.

As they climbed atop another hill, they saw Broken Hill about one kilometer away. The place was next to a bridge crossing Aegis river's narrowest section.

"We're almost there!" Cordelia cheered, then stopped and sniffed the air "Eww! Is that…?"

"Cow manure, yes. They range in this area. C'mon!" Manco replied, "And watch your step!"

Following the cattle trail, they eventually reach Broken Hill.

Across the river lied a solid stone bridge, large enough for three wagons to stand side by side. On the other end of the bridge was a fortified gate made of stone and wood. It was only possible to cross the bridge when the gate was opened. On both sides of the bridge stood high wooden walls with a watch tower every two dozen meters.

"That's not a village!" Cordelia snorted.

"Yes. It's more like a town. But who cares?" Manco shrugged.

They crossed the bridge and approached the gate. After briefly inspecting them, the guards let them in.

Broken Hill was at least four times as large as Mistwood Village. It had a roughly rectangular shape.

Two main streets divided it into four quarters. At the ends of each main street were four main gates. Currently Manco and Cordelia was at the west gate.

The place was quiet mostly. It being early morning, most of the houses and shops were closed with the exception of a few taverns.

*Wham!*

A tavern door burst open and a few drunkards stumbled out. They walked down the street, leaned on each other, then began singing a strange song and giggling every now and then.

"Are your friends still on?" Manco asked Cordelia.

"Let me check. Yes! They're still here!" She fell silent for a moment as she chatted with someone, "They've just been back from hunting. They said they'd meet me in about ten minutes."

"I'm setting my respawn point here. You should do the same. Wanna stop by an inn?"

"Sure!"

Consulting the minimap, Manco directed the both of them to an inn called 'Sleepy Hollow.' It was a small place in a quiet alley, not too distant from the essential facilities but was discreet enough for players who wished for a less noisy place.

They headed inside where each booked a room and set their corresponding respawn spots. After that, they sat at a table and ordered two meals. As the sleepy waitress dragged her feet into the kitchen, Cordelia drank from her water skin while Manco tried the local ale.

"So. Here we are." Manco said, holding out his hand. "Good luck!"

"Eh?" She was surprised, but quickly gathered herself, "Ah, yes. Thank you for accompanying me here, for teaching me the basics of the game. Thank you for everything, basically," after a pause, she added, "except for the part with the vines, of course."

"Haha, of course," he chuckled.

They were silent, each pursuing their own thoughts. Then Cordelia sighed.

"What's wrong?" Manco asked.

"I...," she hesitated, "I probably won't join them."

"You won't? Why?"

"While we were traveling, I thought about it. I played with them for a whole month. It was… unpleasant, to put it mildly. They were yelling at me all the time. And most of the things I picked up were bad habits and incorrect knowledge."

"Did you meet them while playing beta?"

"No, we knew each other in real life."

"You're not close, I take it?"

"Not anymore. We used to live in the same neighborhood and hang out in middle school, before I moved away. I haven't seen them in years."

"Huh, then why'd you guys play together?"

"One of them contacted me and gave me a beta pass."

"Uh, why would they do that, if they don't even like you?" This was getting more confusing by the minute.

"No, it's... complicated. The one contacting me, he was the one I was closest to back then. He still remembered how much I love this kind of games..."

"I see... So you got a plan yet? After this?"

"Umm... Not yet. I guess I'll wander the place, find stuff to do, make new friends. Anything, really! I just want to enjoy this game!"

After a pause, she asked: "What about you? What's your plan?"

"I, uh..." Manco paused as he considered his words. He had a plan for next week, next month, and the next few months even.

But what's his biggest purpose for playing this game? Is he even able to achieve it? Would there be any point to?

He shook his head. Those were questions he didn't want to think of right now.

"What, is it too big of a secret to tell me?" She asked teasingly, "You could just tell me to mind my own business."

"No, I mean... I'm looking for someone. A few someones, actually."

"Your acquaintances?"

"You could say that."

"Are they like mine?"

"I guess…"

"Oh…" her voice trailed off, then she announced, "They're at the south gate. I'm off to see them now!" She stood up, and put a few gold coins down at the table: "My treats! Thanks for everything!"

With that, she ran out the door.

"Keep the change!" Manco said to the waitress, who just brought out two trays filled with food, then ran out after Cordelia.

Keeping to the shadow, he trailed her as she made her way to the south gate.

Outside the gate was a large field, with a forest visible at a distance. Six figures, two females and four males, were standing around Cordelia.

As it was too far away, he couldn't make out what was being said. However, from their gestures and facial expressions, the group of six, especially the girl standing directly in front of Cordelia, was getting increasingly agitated.

Then, without warning, one male player behind Cordelia rushed at her and stabbed both his daggers at her neck. Both attacks connected. Without missing a beat, he unleashed a flurry of stabs and slashes, killing her within seconds.

〔A member in your party, Cordelia, has been killed.〕 As if to clear up any doubts, a notification confirmed what just happened.

"Well, that escalated quickly!" Manco scowled and began looking for a way to approach the group unseen.