Shocking News! The Blacksmith's Pants Can Actually Be Pulled Down!
WildcatSlayer: You won't believe this, but the blacksmith didn't just get mad—he broke my leg! I've never seen an NPC this lifelike!
Attached image: [Picture]
See that? See that?!
[Movement Speed -99%]
Have you all learned nothing?!
Floor 1: Why can't I see the image?!
—OP: Try refreshing.
Floor 2: Learned it, learned it! I'll try tomorrow. It's the blacksmith on the rightmost street, yeah?
—OP: Yup, that's him. Bushy beard, can't miss him.
Shu Tu: Off-topic, but does a broken leg really tank your movement speed that much?
—OP: Not exactly. I got too excited and asked him to do it again. He broke my other leg. You don't need to copy that part.
Floor 4: Adding to this—don't touch the guard's armor at the spawn point. He's super protective of it. One touch, and he'll bash you with his shield. Look—[Picture]
[Concussion: All Attributes -1, Lasts 3 Days]
Floor 5: Oh, and don't even look at his armor. He'll glare at you the entire time you're in town, from registration to departure. I'm starting to think that guard's got some mental issues.
Floor 6: One more thing—don't call him poor or point out cracks in his armor. He'll shield-bash you. Floor 4 already showed you, so I won't bother uploading.
Floor 7: I overheard him asking the registrar for leave. Said he's going home to fix his armor.
Floor 8: No wonder there was only one guard left when I logged in.
Floor 9: Does anyone know the official email? I need to file a complaint! The rogue mentor's got a violent streak! Every time I go in, she kicks me! What did I do wrong?!
…
This thread was blazing hot, racking up 17 pages overnight.
Yu Yu scrolled through it, mildly stunned. The guard could actually shield-bash people? Good thing she'd slipped away quickly. But seriously, the NPCs in Eternal Darkness were too dynamic, weren't they?
This game was destined to explode at launch!
Savoring a few more pages, Yu Yu finally exited the thread. A glance at the clock showed it was only 4 a.m.
She'd spent the whole night outwitting bugs in-game. Just as she was about to take down their nest, the game flagged her for mental fatigue and forcibly logged her out.
Oddly, though, she felt energized after logging off—brimming with vitality, like she'd slept a full night.
Honestly, she'd never woken up this early before.
It was summer, and the sky outside was already tinged with dawn's light. She pushed open the window, breathed in the crisp morning air, and felt her mood lift.
Pure bliss.
Though, the fog seemed a bit thick.
Yu Yu popped open a packet of instant noodles, settled by the window, and played some music on her computer. Sipping hot water, she ate while browsing.
Her phone screen lit up.
A quick glance: [Orange Fog Warning].
She swiped it away and kept scrolling the forum.
The official Eternal Night website was barren, so players had built their own forum. It wasn't crowded, but the activity was electric.
[@Official: I wasn't even tired! Why'd you boot me? One more night, and I could've reached Silver Moon City!]
Yu Yu chuckled. Looked like everyone got kicked.
[@Official: I died! I don't even know how!]
She scrolled past, only to see the same poster fire off another thread almost instantly—
[@Official: Are you serious?! Three days to log back in after dying? I'm filing a complaint!!]
Curious, Yu Yu clicked in. [True or fake? What's the death penalty?]
The OP replied almost immediately: [I don't know! I DON'T KNOW! I can't log in! It gave me a countdown—three days if I counted right!!]
The thread shot to the top, and amid the crowd's astonishment, the OP's rage only grew. They stormed off to email a complaint.
Yu Yu pondered for a moment, then exited to keep browsing.
[(Sneaky Shot) I saw a gorgeous NPC flying in the sky while heading to the North Gate. She was riding a super cool giant black wolf.]
Yu Yu checked the poster's ID—it was the same one who'd tried trekking to Silver Moon City before getting kicked. Clicking in, she saw the wolf. It was cool—sleek black fur with a silvery-white mane at its chest, white ears, and matching paws…
Yu Yu typed: [No offense, but doesn't it kinda look like a husky?]
OP: [Stunned.jpg]
Floor 3: [LOL I'm dying! Who's the goofball riding a husky to travel?!]
Yu Yu slipped away, her work done, her legacy secure. Finishing her noodles, she set the bowl aside and stared at her bank balance for a moment. Then she glanced at the calendar.
August 4th.
Sigh.
After days of nothing but instant of noodles, Yu Yu was starting to feel physically repulsed by the sight of them. Her stomach churned at the thought. She missed fried chicken legs. Missed pork rib soup. Missed eggplant with minced meat. Missed…
Carrying that quiet resentment, she washed her bowl, changed clothes, and got ready for work. Glancing at her cramped rental apartment, she slapped her cheeks, psyching herself up.
Back to the game tonight. Let's do this!
Her new job was unremarkable, referred by an old friend. Yu Yu wasn't much of a talker, and her first day passed without incident. Back home, she logged in. The bug corpses were still scattered on the ground.
After nearly clearing out the bug nest, Yu Yu had shifted her position. Now perched on a pile of rocks near the nest, she kept watch. She'd wiped out all the smaller bugs, leaving a carpet of their bodies across the ground. But the massive millstone-sized bug hadn't budged. No matter how she tried to lure it, it stayed put.
She glanced at her single-digit HP and crouched on the rocks, glaring at the nest with bitter determination.
Should I just set it on fire?
Self-Ignition wasn't an option, but she could drill wood for a spark!
…Moments later, Yu Yu returned.
She'd borrowed a torch from the city gate. She'd return it after. Eyeing the idle giant bug, she arranged the bug corpses in a neat line, forming a path straight to the nest. From her bug-slaying spree, she'd learned their senses were dull and their aggro range short. She could afford to be bold. The nest was dry, filled with bug silk—perfect kindling. And with the torch's power…
Sure enough, the bug corpses ignited. Yu Yu began chanting Gust. The wind fanned the flames! Watching the fire snake toward the nest, Yu Yu felt an unexpected thrill. In her last game, she'd topped the warlock leaderboards, but it had never felt this satisfying.
These bugs loved dry environments, and Self-Ignition had worked so smoothly—she'd guessed they'd burn well. Now, she was proven right. They burned beautifully.
She sat on the rocks, the breeze cool against her skin, watching the giant bug in the nest. The silvery silk threads caught fire, glowing vivid red. The nest came alive, and with the rocks' arrangement, it looked like a blazing lotus—fierce and breathtaking.
The giant bug didn't flee. It spun in circles, desperately trying to douse the flames. Yu Yu chanted Gust again, adding her own flair: "East wind, aid me."
The bug's health bar was massive. She could only sit and watch it tick down slowly. Flipping open her log, she checked the details. Burn damage every three seconds, 11 HP per tick. Eight ticks in, and it still wasn't dead. Glancing at its health bar, it was still over half full.
Yu Yu's brow furrowed. With this much HP, could a melee player her level even survive it?
She'd spent hours on the forum that morning. Other classes' HP wasn't much higher than hers—12 or 13 on average, 30 at most. Wasn't this bug's health pool absurd?
[Exterminate Pests (Part 1): Kill 10 Worker Bugs (Completed)]
Checking her quest, she confirmed it was done. The small bugs were indeed worker bugs.
Weird…
At that moment, the giant bug collapsed with a thunderous crash. Tendrils of smoke curled upward. Yu Yu waited until the flames died out before hopping down from the rocks.
The air reeked of char, thick and acrid. Pinching her nose, she scanned the area. Soon, she spotted two blackened blades on the ground.
[Guard Bug's Tooth Knife (Material)]
Quality: Common
Attack: 1–3
Durability: 100/100
Yu Yu froze. "…Did the fire burn the loot too?"
Careless!
Still unwilling to give up, she rummaged around and felt a slight relief.
[Decayed Ironwood Shortbow]
Quality: Inferior
Attack: 3–7
Durability: 49/50
Weight: 6
Requirement: Strength 4
[Rusted Short Dagger]
Quality: Inferior
Attack: 2–5
Durability: 39/50
Weight: 1.5
Requirement: None
"…Guess these didn't burn."
In the end, Yu Yu pocketed the tooth knife, slung the shortbow and dagger over her back, and headed back to town.
She'd completed her quest and even leveled up.
[Yu]
Status: Townsperson
Class: Apprentice Spellcaster
Level: 2 (277/500)
Money: 0 Gold, -6 Silver, 0 Copper
Reputation: 0
Glancing at her experience, Yu Yu noted how tough leveling was in this game. Day two, and she'd only hit level 2.
[You've reached Level 2: +1 Base Attribute Point, +1 Skill Point, +1 Passive Skill Point, Gained Passive 'Language & Writing (Allen Peninsula)']
Only now did she have time to study her stat allocation. With no guides to follow, she was on her own. Her stats were skewed—high Spirit and Will, but average everywhere else. After some thought, she dumped her point into Spirit. Now at 10 Spirit and 7 Will, the rest remained unremarkable. Passing the city gate, she slotted the torch back into place and mulled over her passives.
The options were plentiful: Spell Identification 1, Language & Writing (Regional), Focus, Insight, Use Magic Device, Potion Brewing, Basic Weapon Mastery, Spell Specialization, Nightingale Meditation.
Her eyes lit up at Spell Specialization, and she dove in. Only to back out, disappointed. It required focusing on a single spell she already knew, but all she had were cantrips. After some deliberation, she narrowed it down to Focus, Insight, and Nightingale Meditation.
Her first passive was critical. She couldn't rush it. At the Magic Hall to turn in her quest, Yu Yu was surprised to see a familiar face behind the counter—the same disposable NPC who'd registered her at the start.
Reusing NPCs? Why's the dev team so stingy with names?
"Hello, I'm here to turn in a quest."
"It's you," the black-robed woman looked up. "Which quest?"
She actually remembered Yu Yu.
"Exterminate Pests (Part 1)."
The woman tapped her fingers, and Yu Yu's quest marked complete. [Experience +100, Silver Coins +2, Academy Points +100, Gained 0-Circle Spell 'Magic Ember']
Yu Yu's funds climbed to -4 silver. Progress.
The woman eyed her, casually asking, "Do you outsiders really enjoy pulling down the blacksmith's pants?"
Yu Yu blinked. "…No way. Don't spread rumors. I've never touched anyone's pants."
The woman nodded. "The blacksmith was furious today. Broke a ton of legs. You outsiders were literally lining up to yank his pants. Poor Senior Ka'an's got a headache. He's posting a warning at the gate tomorrow."
Yu Yu: "…"
The outsider reputation was in tatters.
"Who's Senior Ka'an?"
"The town's Archon," the woman said. "The town's finances are a mess, so a lot of tasks get outsourced to us. You think the Academy cares about the Grand Archon's inspections otherwise?"
She seemed genuinely friendly. Yu Yu leaned on the counter, chatting. "What's your name? I heard the guard asked you for leave to fix his armor. Is that true?"
"I'm Yun Lun, second-year at the Academy, junior spellcaster." Still no name tag above her head. "Yeah, you outsiders are brutal. Why're you so obsessed with his armor? He had no choice but to go home and patch it. His next shift's in two days—you can check on him then."
Yun Lun muttered, "He remembers you, by the way. You were the first to call his armor busted. He thinks you started it all."
Yu Yu: "…" No need to hold a grudge.
"Here, pick one." Yun Lun gestured to the quest board. "I'd go with planting black-tailed redheart grass. It's time-consuming but safe. Plant it, goof off, then come back to harvest."
The Academy wasn't a player hotspot yet. Only a handful of task-runners like Yu Yu passed through, leaving her plenty of time to chat with Yun Lun and soak up info. She took Yun Lun's advice and accepted the planting quest. The bug extermination follow-up was gone.
Apparently, the Grand Archon had arrived in Crescent Town yesterday, chewed out the town Archon, and canceled the bug-killing quests.
The Grand Archon even met with the aggrieved blacksmith, listening to his half-hour rant about the outsiders' lunacy. Still, Yu Yu sold her loot and decided to hunt more bugs. Experience, skill proficiency, and loot—she wasn't passing those up. She set up a stall in the spawn point's plaza, laying out her goods.
Two tooth knives, a short dagger, and a shortbow—all useless to her. The game didn't restrict weapons, but Yu Yu was hopeless with a bow. She'd tried en route and couldn't aim to save her life. She wondered how veteran archers fared in this game. Her Acid Ray had veered off-target plenty yesterday—she doubted even pros could hit anything.
She was likely the first to set up a stall. The moment her items hit the ground, a crowd gathered.
"How much? I'll take it all!"
Yu Yu: "Tooth knife, 2 silver each. Dagger, 3 silver. Shortbow, 4 silver."
She was 4 silver in debt—couldn't sell cheap. Besides, no one else was selling yet.
Mainly, she knew players were broke this early in the game, or she'd have priced higher.
"Sis, I'm broke. Can you knock a silver off the tooth knife?"
Yu Yu gave him a look, momentarily speechless.
"Bow and dagger for 6 silver, deal?"
Yu Yu's instincts kicked in, snapping out of her daze. "Deal. Money first, then goods."
A pale woman in hemp robes pushed through the crowd. "You're pretty good. What's your class?"
Yu Yu pocketed six shiny silver coins. "Spellcaster."
"Spellcaster's tough to unlock. My friend tried but got rejected—low Spirit," she said, twirling the dagger with a grin. "Add me as a friend?"
Yu Yu agreed, glancing at her ID—
[7788]. …Unique, to say the least.
7788 grabbed the dagger and shortbow and left. Soon, one tooth knife sold, netting Yu Yu 8 silver. After paying her debt, she had 4 left.
The broke guy was still squatting by her stall, staring at her with pitiful puppy eyes.
Yu Yu squinted back, silent.
Finally, he caved. "Fine, you win. 1 silver, plus 100 bucks IRL. Deal?"
Yu Yu's face lit up. "Done."
"Bank details."
He left with the tooth knife, and Yu Yu packed up.
Not a bad haul: 9 silver, 100 bucks, plus the quest's 2 silver, a new spell, and experience. A total win.
Combat quests were definitely the way to go.
Could farming rake in this much?
Yu Yu headed to the Academy to plant her field, then planned to hit the library.
Yun Lun had mentioned her lack of basic knowledge and suggested some reading.
The library's first floor cost 10 Academy Points to enter. Good thing she had enough.
[Common Knowledge for Spellcasters (7th Compilation)]
After planting, Yu Yu entered the library and opened the beautifully bound thick book.
[Spells are generally divided into eight schools: Evocation, Necromancy, Conjuration, Elemental, Enchantment, Illusion, Transmutation, and Universal…]