章 4: The tutorial quest

"The tutorial will now start. We wish you a good time, dear player."

Right after this prompt, Leon's vision went dark.

The very next moment, a heavenly voice, which was as smooth as butter and as melodic as the chirping of birds, resonated in his ears.

"The righteous gods have answered the prayers of their devout followers. They have chosen you as their champion to help their believers overcome their trials and difficulties. You will arrive in the temple of Gods soon. Help the believers there to pass the tutorial."

Immediately after, his surroundings changed.

Leon found himself standing in front of four towering statues, each one easily thirty feet tall.

The first statue depicted a male figure draped in a cloak, with a hood that cast a shadow over his face, obscuring his features. This statue held a large sword in one hand, while his other hand clutched a set of scales. The second statue was of a beautiful nymph with curves in all the right places. This statue wielded a staff entwined with vines and flowers.

The third statue belonged to a fierce figure clad in spiked armor, each protrusion adding to his menacing appearance. This statue gripped a massive spear, poised as if ready to charge into battle at any moment. The final statue was of a woman wearing a robe with a hood drawn over her head, revealing only her eyes. These eyes were crafted with such precision and detail that they felt almost lifelike, and the intent behind the gaze of the statue could be sensed—calm and thoughtful, as if the statue were truly contemplating the world around it. In one hand, the statue held an open book while in the other, it grasped a burning torch.

"Gods. The Righteous gods of Eldoria."

It is mentioned in legend that there were once thousands of gods in the world of Eldoria, but after a period of great turmoil, only six survived. Two of these were evil gods, treading a sinister path that went against the ways of the heavens and was detrimental to the living. Their followers were monstrous beings like orcs and the undead. The other four were the righteous gods who cherished nature and took humans and elves under their wings, helping them to survive and flourish despite the interference of external threats.

These statues that Leon was seeing were of the gods that have helped the Alliance of Light survive and prosper in the face of countless evil.

A noob would've no knowledge of this, but Leon was a veteran player of New World Online. So he knew the real identities of these statues.

The first god, the one with the sword and scales, was Justicar, the God of Justice and Order. The second god, the nymph with the staff, was Elowen, the Goddess of Life and Renewal. The third god, the armored warrior with the spear, was Thalor, the God of War and Valor. The fourth god, the woman with the book and torch, was Astraea, the Goddess of Wisdom and Knowledge.

These gods were not just a backdrop to the world of New World Online; they were integral to the game's storyline from the very beginning and remained relevant until the very end.

The lore of the game was deeply intertwined with these gods.

From the clues Leon had gathered in his previous life, it became clear that it was in the player's best interest to be on their best behavior when interacting with anything related to these gods, especially their statues. The belief was that the gods could see, hear, and even provide aid through their statues. Disrespecting them while in the presence of their statues could have severe consequences, while earning the favor of the gods could lead to powerful blessings and assistance, which would equate to a quick rise in the game.

A thought crossed Leon's mind.

'Since I am in the temple of Gods, the tutorial should be beginning any second now.'

He was standing on a magic circle next to the statues when he heard murmurings behind him. He turned to see a crowd of people gathered at the temple's entrance. They were dressed in fancy white robes with golden embroidery that looked ceremonial. Their faces were alight with awe and amazement, as if they had just witnessed a miracle.

"The gods high above have listened to our prayers! They have summoned a hero to help us!" one of them exclaimed.

"Praise the gods!" another shouted.

Following this, the entire crowd clamored in unison, "Praise the gods!"

From the crowd, a middle aged man wearing the shiniest robe stepped forward. He had long, flowing silver hair and striking violet eyes. His skin was pale, and his expression was one of calm authority. He introduced himself to the newly summoned hero.

"Nice to meet you, Hero. I am Eldric Valenwood, from the city of Dawnspire, and I serve as the High Priest of this temple."

Then he offered his help, "I am here to answer your questions. If you are feeling confused, please feel free to ask me anything."

Eldric was the type of NPC that provided crucial guidance for newcomers. However, Leon had the memory of his previous life.

He already knew all there was to know about the game. He didn't need Eldric's help. Thus, he politely declined his offer.

"Thanks for your offer, but I am in no need of guidance. I know why I am here. Just tell me how I can be of help to your people."

In New World Online, being impolite to NPCs was not recommended. The game had a reputation system that tracked how NPCs perceived each player. Maintaining a high reputation provided various benefits, such as discounts at shops, access to exclusive quests, and the loyalty of NPC followers.

Not to mention, a significant advantage of the reputation system would be unlocked in the game's next version: if a player's reputation reached the maximum level in a certain city, they would gain access to expert skills available only in that city. Expert skills greatly enhanced a character's abilities, making players who had them far stronger than those who didn't.

Without a maxed-out reputation, players wouldn't be able to purchase these skills and would have to rely on other players to get them, which usually end up in them being exploited.

To get ahead in the game, Leon knew he had to max out his reputation with different cities before the next update was released. He had no intention of getting on the bad side of an npc from the alliance of Light unless the situation demanded it.

"Since you know why you are here, I will get straight to the point. Hero from another world, our city is in dire need of help. The imps have overcome the Fairy Queen's protection and have infested the Darkwood Forest. These vile creatures have made life unbearable for not only the hunters and herb gatherers of our city, but also the talented fighters of our city who were using the forest as a training ground to improve their abilities. The city guards have ventured into the woods to deal with them, but the imps are too treacherous, too scheming. Just yesterday, thirteen teams returned injured, and five teams even suffered casualties. Please, venture into the forest and aid our men in getting rid of these imps," Eldric said.

"I will get to it right away," Leon said resolutely.

[System Notification:

You have accepted the quest "Purge the Imps of Darkwood Forest."]

[Quest Objective: Eliminate 20 Imps in Darkwood Forest and assist the city guards in reclaiming the forest.]

[Quest Reward: Completion of the tutorial, 500 XP, 200 Gold, and a talisman of your choice.]

'There's more to the tutorial than this.'

Leon internally smiled.

He knew the developers have included a secret mission with a hefty reward into the tutorial. He knew how to complete it too.

He quickly headed out of the bright and grand temple and entered the forest.

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