The streets of Stokbon were becoming more easy to navigate the longer the young elf let herself wander. Her eyes were brightly gleaming as she glanced every which way. With no real destination set out for her, she couldn't help wondering what she wanted to do. It was a free-for-all, this world- but what was one to do with such freedom? Stretching her arms, she let out a soft sigh before patting the hilt of her trusted katana, hidden in it's sheath but never fully out of sight or mind. Her hair tickled her arms as she felt it curl up against her flesh when they swung, one arm after the other keeping up with her feet at a brisk, nonchalant pace. There were plenty of people, but not many she knew. What was so fun about playing alone? With slight frustration, she stopped in her tracks and began to look around, sitting in a small open area that lead to a few different roads. The clean square of sorts wasn't too busy, but it had plenty of people in it. Watching some kids play, watching elderly men and women wander to and fro- it wasn't so bad being stationary. "Still, it'd be nice if I had something to do..." Her words were mumbled under a gentle breath. Still, she smiled. Surely something fun would come to her today, too. @Verity
While he managed to learn how to teleport from one city to another, he was still lost at what to do next. And due to his trust issues, he was not the type to trust any players around him. Because of this, he walked around the capital in an attempt to find an NPC that might help him how to play this game since he thought that they are just data and might be easier to talk to. But with many shops and buildings around him, Verity was completely overwhelmed by all of them and just ended up looking around out of frustration and confusion. @Solaria
A man with a hint of anger in his eyes caught the young woman's attention. His dark hair matched what she thought could count as a brooding appearance, the irritation that she felt a bit in herself much more clear on his face than her own. It was human nature to help one another, even if she wasn't human, right? With a few quick steps towards him, she pat his shoulder with an idle grin, enjoying the idea of finally having someone in town worth talking to. "You seem pretty lost, if I may say so. Are you trying to decide what to do too?"
Well, just what he needed right now, another player annoying him. Sure, he was completely overwhelmed by this virtual world, but his cautious thoughts just made him annoyed at another player's appearance when she asked to him. "None of your business." With those words, he attempted to leave the girl, yet he still groaned out of frustration about his current situation.
She tried not to laugh, but it was quite difficult. His mannerisms just felt like the suited him perfectly, and it was almost scary that way! "Perhaps not, but it's natural to want to help one another isn't it? Besides, I'm in the midst of debating what to do too. So I can kind of relate. For an MMO, this game is kind of...too free-for-all, sometimes." Stretching herself, her limber form felt invigorated. Finally, someone to relate to about this issue. "There was a minor tutorial, but this game is like real life. I came here to take a break from reality, not relive it."
He groaned at this when he turned around to see the elf-like girl in front of him. While he did agree that this game allowed him to take a break from his job and it has no real goal of this game, he didn't like the fact he has to deal with strangers in a VRMMO. "If I wanted to. But I'm not desperate and I can try to play this game without your help."
:"Oh? Isn't it less fun by yourself? Even someone who likes solemnity in the real world can enjoy company here without real consequence, you know." She didn't break eye contact even if she could tell that he'd wish it in a heartbeat. She merely stared at him, watching him closely for a way to edge her way into his fold, no matter how short it may be. "If you're going to be lost anyway, at least working together can help figure out the way."
Now she was just making him more irritated just by talking to him. Even if she offered to let her help, his stubborn-minded thoughts made him think otherwise, especially that he has limited time playing this game. He then sighed before he focused on the elf-like girl. "Look. No offense to you, but I'm not here making new friends like you. And even if you help, you may just be a nuisance. So just leave me alone and go back to what you are doing. I can figure this game out from an NPC or by myself."
"Well, the NPCs don't tend to like us 'adventurer's' much, especially at the start," Solaria mused, thinking back to her early days. "Some of them blame us for their problems. But...If you're that adamant about it, I can tell you that the shop over there-" She pointed with her long arm, a slender finger keeping the direction in check. It was pointing at a general store of some sort. "Is run by an NPC who's a lot nicer to us adventurers than most others in the town. At least, he's always nice to me. Quite helpful, too."
"Really? Is that part of those NPC's programming or something?" He didn't play any video games in the past. Yet he wondered if it's part of the NPC's programming or as part of the story. And while she directed him to an NPC that might help him, he grew suspicious at her words, whether if it's real or just a way to throw him off. "Is that really true? If it's not, I'm not going to waste my time over it."
It probably was, but she couldn't be sure. Normally, in games she'd played, the NPCs were always helpful and liked the players. This place was certainly more distinct with it's...Could it be called racism? Probably. "It's what I've seen so far. The only people that help players tends to be other players. There are some nice NPCs, but they're hard to find. It can be a real pain."
He actually frowned at what she said. If it was true, then he may have a hard time learning more about the game and may end up in virtual death. But if he gave in to what she said, he might find himself getting trapped or worst. "A real pain, huh? It might be less worry if that email gave me a manual or a wiki site to this." Verity then sighed to this, knowing that he will hate himself for this. "And you know where this NPC is?"
"Yeah, the one I told you about you mean? He runs that general store and doubles as an aide for information. But...Yeah, the wiki and manual are really hard to find. I think you can find one manual written by users on the zero channel. Do you know how to get there?" Swiftly, she found herself walking a few feet away, her back to the man as she did so. Turning her head, she smiled towards him. "C'mon, let's go see that guy for now. He's really good at helping out, and sometimes he has quests, too. Or knows where to find some."
Still regretting his decision to follow her, Verity groaned at this as he prepared to do so. "That depends. Is it a website? Plus, do you even know where this general store is?" He walking a fine line on trusting a stranger. Yet with the rarity of a wiki and a game manual is completely hard to find, he doesn't have a choice unless he wanted to play the game with a high risk of a lack of knowledge of its mechanics. Also, he doesn't even know if this girl was not actually a girl in real life. He did encounter some news about people pretending a fake person on social media.
The girl tried to explain the zero channel the best she could. It was, after all, hidden from society- only those who played Terrasphere could know about it, as it was apparently made for the players, or by them. Honestly, Solaria hadn't paid much attention to the info when she looked at it. After explaining the channel, she opened the door to a slightly unmarked general store. Inside, there were a wide variety of things- potions, knickknacks, snacks- basically anything you'd find in a normal convenience store, only set in an old-time feel. "I've got a guy who needs to ask you stuff, Albis." Smiling, Solaria took a small glance at the strange man once more. "He's a brooder, but he seems like a good guy. Take good care of him." She moved to open the door, not actually having business there. "It was nice meeting you, mister. Make sure you do your best here. It's its own reality, after all. Living to the fullest is natural, isn't it?"
