Volume 1 Chapter 4 (1/2)

《Nice to meet you, Elser!》

”Whoa!” Haroon shouted

His eye widened as unfa in the middle of the square, which seelance The size seems to be a few kilometers wide He also could see nuathered in the square

”The Middle Ages?”

And yes, it was

The style of architecture and the way the large buildings were built with bricks or stone slabs were very similar to what he learned in history class

He was expecting it to be a a in the middle of the square and the scale of the square with medieval style felt marvelous, even dreamlike

“This is a!”

He, shocked, was in idle for a considerably long tis, he drew attention to his surroundings

The square was croith sothe sunlight, kids who seemed to be friends to each other, the weary travellers who looked worn-out fro trip from different continent, street food sellers, streetwith their hat set in front of theht his eyes Though no one was giving him any look nor attention to the sudden appearance of him

He stopped looking around and closed his eyes He spread his ar to feel the neorld with his entire body The feeling of warht that can never be felt in the city covered by the barrier, and word carrying the wind that swims and flows in the sea of people surrounded hirasp it with his hands

Everything felt same just as the real world, fros The hardness and cold surface of it made it difficult to realize that he was in the virtual world Just as they were advertising, they have impleao back to dusty windy District F Even if it was District A where union offered everything for convenience Even if it was District S

”I AM HAROON, NOT JUNGMIN ANYMORE!!!”

As he shouted like a crazy one, his mind opened wide that he could face the neorld as if his life changed

As if he was mesmerized, he wandered around the square with his eyes, nose, and ears opened, seeing different people, s to each other As Haroon's a up Because the fresh and fantastic world of Beyond gave endless sensation to him, he couldn't realize he was in the virtual world and lost track of time

The sun was setting

Between the tall towers of the palace where the e his face

Haroon has never seen a sunset before Only the blurred silhouette of it because of the dust He was adreat nature Indescribable excitement rose in his mind that he wanted to shout out loud The view that was only in the picture, was happening in front of him, real time His hts of the square were being ignited here and there That hen he could cool down

”Well, first things first, I should check my status”

Tireat nature As he checked out how real the environame

“Open status !”

With a simple command, the statuspopped up

Username: Haroon

Race: Human

Class: –

Level: 1

title: –

Health Point: 150

Mana Point: 150

Strength: 5 Stamina: 5

Intellect: 9 Wisdom: 5

Luck: 7 Agility: 5

SP: 0 Hunger: 98/100

As expected, the values of stats were lower than he anticipated for He orried about it as he heard that Beyond applies player's actual capability, and it was not far froiven up to 10 for newly created characters, so except intellect and luck, stats were quite low

Soul Point (SP) were empty and there was 6 kind of stats for now He wondered how h Haroon wasn't really faaame

'Intellect is high probably because I've been reading books, not going outside, and are the others on average at least? Guess I will find it out soon Well, it's not gonna be higher than other users In Beyond, are stats gained by leveling up? or is it gained by doing certain action repeatedly?' Junght

And indeed, that wasto hiures Speaking of nuer syste too Tutorial he took earlier told hiht drop rapidly or even die from it

It's time for him to check what he has

“Open Inventory Window!”

1 Wooden sword

1 Casual cloth

10 Bread

Identity plate

10 Silver

”What? This is it?” he was disappointed

He sighed There were 32 slots in total, and only 5 were filled No other thing can describe a poor beginner more than this Thin shi+rt and cotton pants with a sandal he earing wereof all people in the square Well, yes it is inner

'Haht

First things first, he took out the only weapon he had and opened stat info of it

“Wooden sword stat!”

Wooden sword

Class: Common

Attack Dae: 2~5

Durability: 15/15

Requirement: none

An ordinary wooden sword crafted without ht vary It is made with considerably solid wood

'I should be collecting info as well But, where are the other players?

The square was quite big, and there were a lot of people, but he couldn't see other outlanders(players) with clothing just like him Beyond didn't have the title and naames usually have, so it was even harder to find But as the ti – which was one of the points that players differed froathered to one point

Maybe all players thought the saether as they don't know anything about this world

“Hey! Have you find anything yet?” A stranger asked hitting Haroon's shoulder

It was quite painful that he couldn't hide cringe between his eyes, but Haroon couldn't show his anger and shook his head In reality or in a game, he was still too bashful Users shared their informa… well at least talked about what they found out

”Harry, even you didn't find how to level up?”

“Well, yes” a h

”But you reached Ranker of the Another World If you can't, who can a us?”

”We shouldn’t have chosen this starting point This city is just way too large it takes ages to walk to the hunting field So inconvenient”

Users wereHaroon walked between the users and gave all his attention to the talking, and it see field yet Co field, they won't be here They will be hunting At that moment, someone walked toward the crowd of users and shouted at the

”For Union's sake! They won't allow us to leave the castle The guards won't let you leave saying we are too weak that ill die right away, noto hunt!”

”Dang! Then how are we supposed to gain experience?”

”Maybe we need to co hall?

”I've been asking around, and no NPCs see hall is Is there one after all?”

”What kind of ga?”

Disgruntled voices burst out here and there Since there was no info provided in prior, everyone see Beyond will have the siames as well And it wasn't

”And froet the quest?”

”No idea There is no NPC giving out quests at all NPCs of Beyond are really like other users, not NPCs No idea how to play this game”

”Maybe I should log out and what others did in the different area We don't know anything at this point”

”You got the point”

People decided to log out and search forti that the Beyond is launched, but there were already soain some reputation, or just to show off

Most of the users began logging out, but Haroon stayed and stood in the corner of the square, and stared at the night sky It is clear that he was in a gas and environment, but Haroon was so confused because it was more real-like than reality

‘This is just so real Even ht

As his thought, you could never find anything unnatural from the NPCs, even compared to the users Except that they are not surprised by users appearing and disappearing, they were not any different froht sky

'Let's look around forthe way to develop oal'

Haroon left the square with a co into four, which tere still bright Haroon guessed out that those tere the ht steps to one of them

“Wow! That is so deal!” Said Haroon

The es to pass at the sa every different kind of things Not even the main road, but lanes and alleys were full of shops too Haroon couldn't figure, not even guess out how big the merchant district is

There even were nu products you cannot find in real life now Handicrafts were the main ones It was hard to find hand-made products in real life No matter how detail it was, there were no products that computers with precision machines cannot lued handicrafts, there were so many kinds, and they were so beautiful, probably because of the cares of the craftsman

Haroon couldn't close hisaround the merchant district Every shop had full of different stocks, and the roads were so lively, full of sellers and buyers

‘I really want to live in a world, if it is like this!” He thought 'Only if I had money, No, only I had a job to earn money, this is the world I want to live in'

Considering how hard it is to get a job in real life, This world was full of dreams

Unlike other ga him an attention, nor any interest If the city doesn't have any hunting ground, There is, of course, training halls, special events or NPCs giving out quests that could substitute the absence of hunting ground It wasn't so true in this world

Why did Necomwall create a virtual world like this? What do they aleas

'I should get a job, No, I should find a thing to do To settle down in this world just as if I a another life, I should melt into this world just like real world

What he wanted to do is not only to train his body but to have an opportunity of education that he couldn't have because of unwilling accidents To do that……

'I need to learn Where should I be heading? Of course, to the school! dae about this world' he thought

Haroon looked around He couldn't dare to ask anyone because they seeood at conversing as he was too shy

Soon, a lady came into his eyes She had an aura of, extraordinary? He didn't kno to describe her in the words

Tall height for a fe a leather ar sword on her back She didn't see around with idly steps like as she had nothing to do

‘She doesn't seem to be a user…… She has a sword, does that mean she's a soman?’

Haroon couldn't tear his eyes away from her Her existence and aura were quite charismatic and unique Her walks without hesitation made people stay away from her route, whicha full-flowing blouse in her ar leather pants and wide leather belt She alking here and there, talking to people, picked up a blue fruit from a fruit store and ate it, chose a bracelet fro

'Wait, what is wrong with this girl? Is she a gangster of this district?' he thought

He couldn't make sure of her identity, but it was clear that she and shop owners know each other very well Many people walking in the street knew her too He could tell because he saw there were a lot of people talked to her They were just probably saying hello though While watching her moves, Haroon noticed three people with a suspicious aura

‘assassins?’ he thought

Probably not assassins usually don’t appear in the bright place like this Moreover, they won't be showing their hostility in an open area They atching the lady behind the goods displayed high up in the front of a shop Haroon saw a reflection of light from their waist It was definitely a weapon When he saw that, he felt that their looking of the lady was full of murderous intent The lady didn't seeeted her

'It doesn't seeht it is better to tell her that she is in danger, no matter what kind of person she is

He was on the first step when those three guys began sneaking on the lady, hiding in a crowd Haroon hurried hishis hand in his coat, which seemed to be the preparation of their attack The lady was about to encounter the friendly The assassins approached her back, Haroon saw a pointy knife when they took their hands out fro his entire body on one of the assassin's back

”Look out!” Haroon shouted

”Ugh!” an assassin cried

Haroon falls to the ground after hitting the guy with hair tied with golden string Alone The assassin was surprised and swung his sword toward Haroon and cut a flock of Haroon's forelocks The lady noticed the existence of three assassins

“Chaaaaap!” She shouted as she took her sword out and swung it

The blades struck together andon as he fell down, but from the sound of it, he knew the lady, fortunately, blocked the assassin's attacks

“Run!” It was a man's voice

“fuck! You fucking burglar screw everything up!”

“You fool! The witch's eyes are on us!”

Onlyher, they ceased their attack and ran away to different directions The lady was about to chase the up unsteadily Haroon's nose was bleeding, he round

“Are, are you OK?” Haroon asked the lady, with full of pains from his knees and nose

“Yes, thanks to your help” she replied

Her looks on Haroon was soe and was far from thankfulness So is her voice unlike Haroon's expectation It felt being yelled at after toiling for a work Haroon relieved the feeling thinking that he wasn't wanting to be paid back, nor for justice

“I'lad you are safe” Said he

The lady stared at hiure out where to look, so he just stood there like a dork, waiting for the nose to stop bleeding

”The naer” It was her who broke the silence

“I' y……ou for an opportunity to kill you so………… Do you know them?”

“They are probably from Dark Merchant Guild”

“Dark Merchant Guild?”

Haroon wasthe name in his mouth because he heard it for the first ti scary look at Haroon Her gaze got intense, Haroon got chills

‘Is she thinking I'ht

At once, Haroon thought wouldn't it be better to get away from where he stood It just wasn't the attitude of soot help would aze was very uncomfortable too

He got angry a bit

It was all because it was an e a rational decision, Haroon, who saw a blade, wouldn't have thrown his body to the attackers He refused to yield at the gaze and look directly at her face

At close view, he could see how sharp-features Elser had Widely waved silver colored hair was tightly tied which seeood because it wasn't so for his eyes, but he couldn't see clearly as he had to look away because he couldn't stand her stare anymore

After sharply staring at every corner of Haroon's face, Elser finally disarhtly at Haroon

“Thank you Without your help, I could have been stabbed” Said Elser

“No, don't mention it I was just worried……”

She seeured out who the attackers were Also, her firure He thought maybe she didn't need any help at all

“Are you a traveler?” Elser asked

“Sorry? Oh yes, I am”

In virtual worlds, users are considered as travelers Of course, NPCs doesn't know he is a user, but Elser thought he is a traveler, probably because of Haroon's shabby clothes

”You may have saved my life from them, what can I do to return your favor”

”You don't have to I don't think I did so much”

Haroon felt chills froht it was best to avoid her as much as possible However, what Elser continued with her words changed his mind

“It seems that you are a new traveler who just arrived here Just tellI can”

That changed his view on her as well She ht be a lady with a kind mind, rather than first impression he had It seee to check the beauty of her face

“Well then Indeed I as? Said he

”As much as you want” She replied

She giggled, surprised as if she wasn’t expecting that She liked how this new traveler is intending to only ask few things, even though she said she would help anything she could

”Well, I was going to get so some”

“Sounds good But I don't have a lot of h…”

He wanted to hear a lot of things about this city, well, this world, so there is no reason not to rejoice her suggestion Heice cream But there was only 10 silver in his inventory He was just worried about it as he doesn't kno the price is like

”Tee hee! I owe you a lot so I should be treating you And Ice cream isn't so expensive”

”I can't let that happen We've justyou as I' helped”

Her expression changed to so he helped her Elser has not told hiuessed who she is

”It is really i about here” Said Haroon

Haroon was intending to ask general inforet some education Of course, Bell could find it out, but there is no way that kind of information would be up on the internet already

“Let's go whoever pays it I happened to be boring as ot to castle late as I was busy today”

Elser reached out her hand to Him first He hesitated for a bit but held her hand at the end

She was more active than she looks If her hands weren't so knotty and rough, he ht she is just an ordinary lady Maybe she is broad-minded too

“Haroon is an odd name I'm not from here as well When I was a little kid, I followed my parent who is mercenaries, all the way from Vottnis”

How could he knohere Vottnis is? It is iht subject to converse, and It doesn't work already Fortunately, Elser was openthe opponent's reaction She saw Haroon's confused face and said

“You said you are a traveler and It see excellent wines”