Ashes of the Fallen

After a bit of a jog to the town square where everyone was gathered, I wasn't too surprised to see large crowds mingling about. A bustling quest hub with people looking for groups was a natural occurrence out here. Especially since the Call to Arms basically advertised this specific locale to the entire northern region.

This was, after all, the lowest level beginner dungeon available to those in the North and possibly the only one within a few hundred miles. There were probably other dungeons out there, but they had yet to be discovered. The appeal of a beginner dungeon was something else, too.

One dungeon floor plus the two quests per could easily net someone enough experience to advance a character level or two. Figure with a decent group you could clear a floor in an hour or so, and that was about as fast as one could hope to level.

The constant fighting was also a boon to progressing proficiency, since you could really focus on one aspect and through repeated use, essentially power level your skills. There really weren't many options for those trying to raise their proficiency in holy magic outside of group scenarios.

And on the other hand, I wasn't going to mindlessly shoot lightning into the sky.

It just didn't work after a while, what with diminishing returns and all.

You needed a target, and to actually do something with it. I could hunt rabbits with [Lightning Bolt] for a month but I couldn’t expect great progress.

Granted there would still be some progress, just not much.

The game did try to balance realistic progression with some minor standard gaming restrictions, which was a necessary evil and a nice touch in the end.

The only real drawback to dungeon grinding was the monotony of it all, but if you had a good group of people that you enjoyed spending your time with you were essentially set. That reminded me though, that I needed a few things before I could return to the grind.

The most important and essential item, was a mask of some sort.

Wading through the crowd, I finally found a clothing store that was advertising items such as fur coats and one-size-fits-all leather jerkins outside of the store front and figured it couldn't hurt to take a gander.

I mainly needed a piece of cloth that I could wrap around my face.

Something as simple as a bandana would do, really.

Entering the store, I soon found myself waist deep in an assortment of piled clothes of various shades and sizes. Along the walls were racks with numerous jackets and coats, and slightly off to the side of the door was a small counter, with a sales clerk hiding curiously behind it.

Somehow, I was the only person inside the shop.

Of all the people roaming the streets, none of them had taken an interest in the goods for sale in these smaller shops that littered the town. It was a bit of a surprise but it made sense in a way. I figured most players didn't have a lot money to spend at the moment, so it did little good to waste time perusing a store.

The game was still relatively new anyways, and people were just now experiencing their first dungeon. The blacksmith and bowyer were busy, as were the proficiency trainers and the trade post.

That was expected, though.

If I was a crafter ahead of the times, I could have made a fortune.

There were at least one or two crafters attempting to ply their trade. Though they were largely inexperienced they were certainly on the right track.

Well, I had larger goals in mind and my NPCs would bear the brunt of the labor in the long run while I reaped the rewards. Not to say that I was or would take advantage of them. I believed in fair profit for all involved even if they were just limited artificial intelligences.

Yeah, I wanted a happy town, not one filled with corruption.

There's enough corruption in a person's daily life anyhow, no reason for people to bring it with them inside the game, where most of us come to escape from our reality.

"Ah, hello there," I said to break the silence as I eyed the goods messily spread throughout the store. As I nodded at the man behind the counter, he cleared his throat before acknowledging my presence.

"What can I do ye for?" he asked kindly with a hint of sadness to his voice.

"I'm looking for a mask," I replied slowly, so as not to appear impertinent. "Or, something that can at least be used like a mask, preferably a cloth of some sort so that I can breathe a bit better in the dungeon."

The man looked depressed but feigned a smile as he turned his gaze to a corner of the store. He was clearly an NPC but it was rather strange to see such clear emotions on him. Well, I couldn't really be bothered by it, as there were more pressing needs than the emotions of a random NPC.

"Hmm, yes, we have something like that," replied the clerk while pointing to a spot in the store. "Check over there, I believe you'll find what you're looking for in a small pile behind that large one with the blue coat on top, just over there in the corner."