The Grand Duelist

Chapter 8: Beginner Village

A single copper coin equaled a single US Dollar. Ten copper coins equaled a single silver coin, while ten silver coins made up a single gold coin...

In other words, the value of a single gold coin was a hundred dollars. This meant that the five hundred gold coins that Joseph acquired had a tremendous amount when converted to US Dollars.

"Damn, I never thought that earning money was this easy..." Joseph lightly chuckled. He approached a nearby coachman who frowned and said to him: "We don't accept beggars as customers. Please get away from us."

"Oh? You don't accept beggars as customers? What if that beggar had this?" Joseph flicked his wrist and he threw a gold coin towards the coachman. He didn't bother haggling for his time was more precious than a few silver and copper coins.

He must get back into the Beginner Village as fast as possible and raise his levels so that NPCs within these big cities wouldn't be so hostile to him like now.

[Coachman Juander's affinity towards you has increased!]

"I am at your service, sir!" Coachman Juander bowed his head and Joseph felt astonished when he saw the system notification floating before him: "Money can raise an NPC's affinity?" Joseph glanced at Coachman Juander and when he saw the light of greed and delight within the NPC's eyes.

He sighed and thought to himself...

"I think this method only works towards greedy NPCs."

Nevertheless, such a piece of information made Joseph glad. Though his happiness would certainly diminish if he knew that such a method of raising an NPC's affinity with you existed a long time ago.

Joseph enlisted the service of a coachman and he arrived quickly at the Village of Baguhan, or also known as the Beginner Village among the players.

When Joseph arrived at the Beginner Village. He found a lot of players within the area. Not only that, since Victory was a world-renowned game...

Some, if not most of the players within the Beginner Village were foreigners. Others looked like Westerners and Middle Easterners, while some definitely had the blood of Asians within their veins.

Victory boasted of realism. Although one could change how they looked like within the game. Their looks would still somewhat resemble what they looked like in reality. Also, if one was a male in real life. They could only play male characters within Victory.

Joseph swept his gaze around and found some players surrounding an NPC. When one of them inappropriately touched the female NPC. That player suddenly disappeared into thin air, which caused a great amount of shock to his colleagues.

"Hahaha, those stupid bastards. Every NPC is protected by an anti-harassment system. One cannot simply just grab them by the ass and call it a day."

Joseph chuckled, before moving his way towards the Village Chief.

When he arrived at the Village Chief. He opened his [Beginner's Manual] and flipped it to a page that contained some information about how you could coax an NPC on giving you a quest.

Joseph quickly found a line among the dozens of lines listed within the Manual on coaxing an NPC. He approached the Village Chief and said: "Ah~ Village Chief of the Village of Baguhan... I can see that there is something in your mind, are you perhaps willing to share such worries to a stranger like me?"

"Ugh..." Joseph inwardly cringed when he finished the sentence. He didn't really want to say those lines, but since it was recommended within the [Beginner's Manual], saying that it had the highest rate of success. Why would Joseph use other lines that had a higher chance of failing?

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As expected, the Village Chief turned to look at him teary-eyed.

"Ahh, yes... Recently, a bunch of wolves is stalking around the Village and they are taking our livestock whenever we have our backs turned to them. Young man, I can see that you are quite strong. Will you be willing to help an old man like me and protect our village from starvation?"

[Who Let the Wolves Out?]

Quest Difficulty: F

You heard from the Village Chief Rhode that the supply of livestock of the Beginner Village is dwindling due to the fact that wolves are around the area and stalking the village for their livestock. Kill those wolves and ease the Village Chief's worries about food!

Quest Clear Conditions: Kill 0/20 Wolves

Quest Rewards: Experience

Quest Failure: Affinity with the Village Chief will sink to the lowest. You will be mocked by everyone within the Beginner Village. Probability of quest acquisition within the Beginner Village will dramatically reduce.]

Joseph quickly went his way towards the outskirts of the Beginner Village. There he found that dozens of new players were around the area fighting against some stray wolves. Some were even in a party, aggroing every wolf that they found before killing them at once for an explosion of Experience Points.

Joseph couldn't help but smile as he stepped outside the Beginner Village. Ever since he bought the game, this would be the first time that he would get to thoroughly enjoy what the game has to offer. Now that he didn't lack money and wasn't on the verge of getting kicked out from his home...

Joseph could finally play the game and enjoy.

"Yosh! Let's do this shit!"

Not even ten minutes into his playing with the doggos outside the Village...

"Bro, this is our spot. Can you go somewhere else?"

[Author's Note: Spot claiming is pretty popular in MMORPG games. I have also been a victim by that when I was just a newbie in BDO :'( ]

Joseph turned around and took a look at the area. He found that there were several stray wolves within the area and no player had them engaged in a battle.

"Seriously?" Joseph frowned.

He didn't even glance at the player who stood behind him and he just kept on attacking and dodging the attacks of the wolf that he aggroed.

"Wow, you are really a newbie. But in that case, seeing that you're still quite ignorant. I'll be your big brother and teach you some lessons in politeness." The player's voice turned cold and Joseph finally killed the wolf that he aggroed.

"You're going to teach me a lesson? How about I teach joe?" Joseph lightly chuckled and stared at the player with derision.

The player frowned and said: "Joe?"

"Joe mama!" Joseph's figure moved and he thrust his sword at the player when he finished his sentence. Shocked by the sudden escalation of the situation. The player didn't manage to dodge the attack and he was struck at the chest by Joseph.

"You... You stupid beginner..." The player coughed a mouthful of blood. Indicating that Joseph's attack at his chest, near his heart, inflicted some serious damage.

Victory pursued realism as best as it could. Even if a player was Level 1 and you were at Level 1000. If that player managed on piercing your heart, then you would suffer heavy damage.

"I'm stupid? Aren't you the one that's too arrogant? The surrounding area is so empty, yet you insist on kicking me out?"

Joseph coldly replied.

But the player sneered and said: "I am saying that you're stupid since you attacked me first! Now that your name is orange-colored. We will not suffer any consequences when we beat the hell out of you!"

The player jumped backward so that the sword stuck in his chest would come out. Meanwhile, Joseph felt a shiver down his spine as he felt danger coming from behind him. He quickly turned around and raised his sword before his chest, but before he could even block the incoming attack...

The player behind him who retreated backward sneakily attacked Joseph from behind.

[You have suffered 232 damage.]

[You lost more or less half of your Health in an instant, causing shock and stiffness to your body lasting for a second.]

A second of stiffness in a battlefield with numerous enemies equaled death. Joseph wasn't an exception to that rule.

[You suffered a lethal blow!]

[You died!]

When Joseph woke up back at the Central Square of the Beginner Village. He found that he lost every Experience Points that he had accumulated from killing that wolf earlier. Thankfully, new players were protected from item loss and level demotion when dying so Joseph didn't lose any items when he died.

However, the rage within his heart still burned as fierce as ever.

He ran towards the Southern Entrance of the Beginner Village and there he found that a lot of new players were barred from exiting the Village and leveling up.

"Damn those bastards, they are too greedy... Monopolizing the entire leveling area and keeping us away just because they are in a group!"

"Dang it, I can only level-up at this time of the day. I won't have any time for leveling later, so I planned on taking advantage of this break to level myself up, but these bastards..."

"They're hateful! They're too hateful!"

Everyone wildly cursed, but none of them dared to take even half a step outside the Beginner Village for fear of being killed and losing every Experience Points that they had accumulated while they farmed earlier.

Joseph stared at these players and an idea came up in his mind...

He then loudly announced "Guys, how about we group up together and push those bastards away from the area? If we did that then peace would return and we can continue leveling-up at our own pace."

But the players self-mockingly laughed as one of them said: "Those bastards are not a bunch of beginners at all! Especially that bow-wielding guy right there, he's too strong! Even though he doesn't receive any Experience in this area. Just his presence is enough to keep us away from leveling-up..."

Joseph stared at the distance and found a bow-wielding player standing on a tree branch. A mocking smile could be seen on his lips as he stared at every player within the Beginner Village.

Joseph's rage burned even more fiercely than before. He moved deeper into the crowd and he eventually reached the edge of the Beginner Village. But just as he was about to take a step outside. A player caught his hand and prevented him from going outside.

"Don't go..."

Joseph turned around and found that a female fellow player was the one that prevented him from going out.

"Why?" Joseph asked and she pointed at the distance.

Joseph followed her hand and found that the bow-wielding player now had an arrow pointed at him. He reckoned that the player would attack even if he just took a single step outside.

When Joseph saw this.

He finally understood why these players were so scared of going outside...

But he still didn't think that this was enough to make them cower in fear like that. He swept his gaze at the players and said.

"If you guys are too scared to come out and fight, then fine... But don't stop me from fighting for my rights. Every player has their rights. One of those rights is the right to access a leveling area where a player could develop his skills and become stronger..."

"I don't agree that we should cower in fear in front of them just because they are much stronger than us, and what basis do they have on keeping us away from the leveling area?"

"Just because they are stronger? Hmmph, I don't think so! One must remember that there's always a mountain higher than oneself. They must also not forget that they were also a beginner back then..."

"That is why I won't let them continue this farce."

Joseph turned to face the bastards keeping them away from the leveling area before he said: "But if you're gonna ask me why I am going this far?" Joseph smiled and glanced at the people behind him and continued: "It's because I have nothing to lose!"

He finally took a step outside and then..."

Heok!

An arrow accurately struck his heart. The arrow flew in a trajectory that couldn't be seen with a low-leveled player's naked eye.

[You suffered a lethal blow!]

"Guah!" Joseph spat a mouthful of blood and he stared daggers at the player holding a bow at the distance.

"It's either you die, or I die!" He screamed, but then another arrow arrived and struck him right at his forehead. This time, he didn't have the chance to scream for his body turned into light crystals that soon scattered into nothingness.

[You died.]

The players within the Beginner Village all looked at each other before nervously laughing: "Well, I guess... I'll just come back at a later time."

"Yeah right..."

Most of them logged-out of the game and decided that they would just return back later.

Those that logged-out of the game also included the female player that gave Joseph a warning earlier.

[You died from the hands of Ray#2314, a player from the guild Crimson]

Back at the Central Square of the Beginner Village. Joseph stared at the system notification floating in front of him in anger before he opened up the forums.