Chapter 40: wait
"Alright! Everyone gather up. We move now."
The large wooden gates creaked open.
For a brief mont, the outside world ca into view—dark, wide, and quiet.
The group began to move.
Ray just jumped back into the gaming pod. He closed the lid and tapped on the power button.
This ti, much calr, he noticed the red light scanning him from head to toe.
[User registration confird. Logging in...]
A weightless sensation pulled at him, and he found himself floating in the darkness.
Then two massive ZA letters appeared in front of him, glowing with a golden hue.
[Welco to Zenaris Online.]
A bright light engulfed him.
As it faded, he woke inside the empty dungeon core room.
Not even a second later, the little black spirit once again rushed toward him. "Master..."
Already prepared, Adder just took a side step, and the spirit flew past him.
The little spirit shook his head as nothing had happened and flew next to him. "Master, you are already back."
Adder took a deep breath. "Yeah, just send
out of the dungeon."
The little spirit bobbled his head up and down. "Master, the nearby village next to our dungeon is Blackwater Village. Do you want
to transfer you there?"
Adder nodded his head.
Being a dungeon master, before anything, he had to check what type of organization was developing around his dungeon.
Also, he could not gain levels from killing any creatures within his dungeon. For that, he had to kill creatures from the ga world.
"Ok, Master. One more thing, rember you have a 1-week dungeon protection period active. And you cannot go out beyond a certain distance from the dungeon. And..."
Adder waved his hand. "Don’t worry, I already know this stuff. So transfer
now."
"Ok, see you soon, Master."
Xarik dived at him as a bright light engulfed him.
ZAP!
...
A mild breeze hit his face, mixed with a damp soil fragrance, making him smile.
He calmly opened his eyes and looked up at the dark sky full of bright stars.
Unlike the sky of Void Village, this ti, there were a bunch of random cloud clusters that obstructed the light from the stars.
Finally, he turned to look at the quiet village plaza, with all sorts of closed shops around him.
A few of the NPC shop owners were already setting up their shops for the day.
Multiple new players were running around, so even helping the shop owners. Most were in similar rags.
He looked at the horizon as a bit of light had already started to push back the darkness.
Even after playing the ga for so long, the sight of sunrise still srized him.
He was engrossed in the mont when a group of three girls spawned next to him.
The three of them scread in unison.
"Aaaa, we are finally in the ga!"
"Look, the sky is real! It’s just like the internet says..."
"Oh my god, the pollution-free air..."
Adder frowned at this obnoxiously loud bunch. But they were not alone, as most of the new players on the plaza had similar enthusiasm.
He shook his head and simply walked off the spawn point, blending with others.
While walking around, he said, "Player status."
Player Na: Adder
Species: Human/???
Class: Dungeon Master
Subclass: None
Title: Master of Serpent Cave
Level: 1
Health: 100/100
Mana: 100/100
AGL: 5
VIT: 5
INT: 5
STA: 5
STR: 5
DEF: 5
Status: Healthy
Unassigned stat points: 0
He had already equipped the Master of Serpent Cave title. It did not boost his stats, but it was still better than nothing.
As for his stats, it was the standard 5 in each.
He was checking his player status when a notification popped up.
Ding!
[Congratulations, Player Adder, for experiencing the first sunrise within the world of Zenaris.]
Adder turned to the horizon as he saw a bit of sunlight already tearing through the blanket of the dark sky.
Ding!
[Please move to the village gate for the induction ceremony.]
At that very mont, multiple players started running toward the village gate.
Adder followed them at his own pace while ntally preparing himself for the upcoming induction ceremony.
In Zenaris Online, beginner villages were very special in terms of rewards.
A player could gain class-based skills, class enhancents, and even sub-classes through these chain quests.
These rewards were very important for anyone who aspired to be a pro in the ga.
They were almost impossible to get beyond the beginner villages.
As he walked to the village gate, he saw a massive queue of players.
He also rushed to join.
Every morning, all the NPCs in the beginner village gave out these chain quests.
It was kind of interesting because, beyond the beginner villages, there was no real concept of NPCs giving common quests to players.
The NPCs in the ga were smarter than players, and just like outside, each had its own requirents.
In the initial gaming days, these NPCs used to give tasks with vague rewards.
The road outside the village was narrower than expected.
A dirt path stretched ahead, cutting through patches of tall grass and scattered trees. The moonlight barely lit the way, leaving most of the surroundings in shadow.
Hunters took the lead, weapons already drawn.
Adder stayed in the middle, walking at a steady pace.
No one spoke much now.
The energy had changed.
Inside the village, people were loud.
Outside, they beca cautious.
A rustle ca from the grass on the right.
Several hunters instantly stopped.
"Hold."
The group slowed.
A low hiss followed.
Then—
Two small, snake-like creatures slithered out of the grass.
They were thin, barely a ter long, their bodies reflecting a faint green under the moonlight.
"Green fangs," one of the hunters muttered. "Weak. Don’t panic."
The creatures lunged.
One hunter stepped forward and swung his blade.
Puich!
The snake split cleanly in half.
The second one tried to circle around, but another hunter stomped it down before stabbing through its head.
"Keep moving."
No one celebrated. No one stopped.
The bodies were left behind.
Adder glanced at them once before shifting his gaze forward again.
Weak monsters.
But fast.
The group continued.
The road widened slightly as they moved deeper into the forest.
More sounds filled the night now—distant growls, insects, leaves shifting in the wind.
A player beside Adder finally spoke.
"You’re not a hunter?"
Adder shook his head.
"Traveler."
The guy nodded, adjusting the crude shield on his arm. "Good choice. Less risk."
Adder didn’t reply.
Less risk.
Maybe.
But slower growth.
After so ti, the group reached a narrow stretch between two rocky ridges.
The leader raised his hand.
"Stay tight here."
The formation compressed.
Hunters moved closer to the travelers.
The air felt heavier.
Adder’s eyes shifted slightly.
Sothing was off.
Then—
A sharp cry echoed from the front.
"Contact!"
Three shadowy figures dropped from the rocks above.
Wolf-like creatures, larger than the earlier snakes, with glowing yellow eyes.
They didn’t hesitate.
They jumped straight into the front line.
"Block!"
Clang!
One hunter raised his shield just in ti, getting pushed back by the impact.
Another swung wildly, barely grazing one of the beasts.
The third wolf slipped through the gap and rushed toward the middle.
Right toward the travelers.
People panicked.
"Watch out!"
"Behind!"
The wolf lunged.
Adder stepped to the side.
Not backward. Not forward.
Just enough.
The creature passed him by inches.
Before it could turn—
A spear pierced through its side.
One of the hunters had reacted fast enough.
The wolf struggled, then went still.
"Focus!" the leader shouted. "Don’t break formation!"
The remaining two wolves were quickly overwheld.
Within seconds, the fight was over.
But the mood had changed again.
This ti, the silence wasn’t cautious.
It was tense.
They moved faster after that.
No one wanted to stay in that area longer than necessary.
Adder kept his pace steady.
He didn’t speak. Didn’t react.
Just observed.
The hunters weren’t weak.
But they weren’t strong either.
Uncoordinated. Reactive.
Good enough for small threats.
Not for anything bigger.
The forest slowly began to thin.
The path beca clearer.
More signs of movent appeared—wagon tracks, broken branches, even old campfire spots.
Civilization.
One of the players pointed ahead.
"Look!"
In the distance, faint lights flickered.
At first, it looked like stars.
Then slowly, shapes ford.
Walls.
Tall, dark, and solid.
Dulkami City.
Relief spread through the group.
So laughed. So sighed.
Even the hunters relaxed their grip slightly.
"Almost there," the leader said. "Stay together till the gate."
The road widened further as they approached.
More groups appeared from different directions, all converging toward the sa point.
Players. NPC caravans. Guards.
The massive gates of Dulkami stood open, with armored guards stationed on both sides.
Unlike the village, this place felt... structured.
Alive.
The group finally stopped near the entrance.
"Alright," the leader said. "This is where we part ways. Good run."
So people thanked him.
Others walked off imdiately.
Adder stood still for a mont, staring at the city beyond the gate.
This was where the real ga began.
No more beginner safety.
No more controlled environnt.
Just players, factions, and systems.
He stepped forward.
Past the gate.
Into Dulkami City.
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