Zectas Volume I: Enigmatic Village of Nanahuatl (35 page)

 

 

"Hmm, I think I know a couple of people who can guide you to the job that you are seeking. People around here call me Nenek. If you would follow me, I can take you to the NPCs who can help you on your path."

 

 

Sierra couldn't believe her luck. Who would've thought that the NPC giving out water could also be a guide?

 

 

"Great! I'm Sierra. Thank you so much. I thought that you were only here to give out water."

 

 

"Well, I don't often leave my post. But there are some individuals such as yourself that spark my interest."

 

 

Nenek guided Sierra out of the beginner's square. Instead of taking her to one of the potions shop. Nenek took her to an Alchemist Shop.

 

 

An ancient old man with a funny wizard hat was standing behind the counter. He looked like he was about to die of boredom.

 

 

"Hello, Zauberer. I've come with a guest. Do you have the time to teach her a few things?"

 

 

"Of course! I'm always free for Nenek and her guests. Come in, come in."

 

 

"No, I won't be staying long. Sierra, you come see me after you're done here."

 

 

Sierra nodded and thanked Nenek as she left. Zauberer then led the way to his laboratory it was filled with flasks and colorful liquids and inexplicable aromas.

 

 

"I'll teach you a really easy trick. Just follow these instructions and make a 'pure' basic healing potion."

 

 

 

 

"Yes, please teach me how to create a potion."

 

 

Sierra was given a quest to mix 20 'pure' basic healing potions. It took her a couple of attempts but after she completed it. She leveled up to level three and got the 20 pieces of basic healing potion for free.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before leaving Zauberer told Sierra that she could mix in the pure healing potions into a flask of distilled water and it would have the same effects as a basic healing potion. Basically, one pure healing potion can make 10 basic healing potions.

 

 

Sierra couldn't believe what she just heard. One basic healing potion costs 50 zecs. Which meant she virtually gained 10,000 zecs just on her first quest.

 

 

She thanked Zauberer and went to find Nenek. She wondered why Nenek's NPC choices were not the same as the other guide's, where they would give the player a list of NPCs to choose from.

 

 

Nenek was waiting for her near the entrance of the beginner's square. Nenek saw Sierra and waved at her. Nenek then told her that she was gonna stay near the entrance of the beginner's square since she needed to give out water to the other NPC guides.

 

 

She gave Sierra instructions on how to locate her second NPC. She was to look for a weapons' master that specializes in maces, near the northern part of the city.

 

 

Nenek taught her how to use the inter-city teleportation circles. These auto-programmed casting circles are powered by energy crystals and will take an individual to any of the four districts in the city.

 

 

Sierra checked all the famous dojos in the northern district. She couldn't find any weapon master that specializes in maces. She stopped by one of the black smith shops to ask for directions.

 

 

The blacksmith didn't know of any weapon master who prefers the mace either. Sierra visited almost all the shops in the northern district the only other place that Sierra hasn't asked was the bakery.

 

 

Sierra entered the bakery but no one was there behind the counter. She heard some commotion in the pantry and decided to try seeing what it was. There she saw an elderly baker beating the dough with his rolling pin. Immediately it hit to her. This must be the weapon master that Nenek was talking about.

 

 

"Excuse me, Sir, Excuse me. I'm a friend of Nenek's. She sent me her looking for a mace weapon master."

 

 

"Ah, hi, weapon master huh? That Nenek, always tends to exaggerate things. I'm just a humble baker. But I do dabble a little bit with the mace. So, you're here to learn the ways of the mace?"

 

 

"I think so. I mean, YES! Yes I am. My name is Sierra."

 

 

"Alright Sierra, come with me. I'm known as Vico, the mad baker. Hehehehe. No, it's really just Vico. Well, come on."

 

 

Vico and Sierra went to the backyard of the bakery. In the backyard there were three training dummies. Vico gave Sierra a mace while he held one of his own.

 

 

"Are you ready to learn the ways of the mace?"

 

 

 

 

"I'm ready! Let's do this."

 

 

The three training dummies' sizes range from small, medium, and large. This would serve as the common monster body types that a player would potentially meet. There he showed Sierra how to use the mace against the three body types. The training dummies' eyes would light up every time Vico would hit a vulnerable spot.

 

 

"Just like that. I believe that you should just feel the mace and let it guide you towards the 'targets of light'. If you can make each dummy light up 100 times. Only then shall I acknowledge your understanding of the mace."

 

 

Sierra took up her beginner's mace and started striking at the locations where she thought Vico struck. The training dummy's eye didn't light up at all. She thought that it would be as easy as her first quest.

 

 

She read from the forums that getting out of a main city can be accomplished in less than 8 hours. But she had already been playing the game for 14 hours now.

 

 

With her satiety bar popping up indicating that it's time for her to eat. She decided to take a break and eat the bread in her backpack.

 

 

Vico offered to show her how to use the mace again while she was resting. This time Vico deliberately slowed down the striking force on each of his attacks and still the training dummy's eyes would light up.

 

 

Sierra tried to analyze what was happening. She was wasting her physical strength when she kept hitting the training dummies with such force. Then she realized that the job that she was aiming for also needed have some sort of mana manipulation.

 

 

After rejuvenating her satiety bar, Sierra took her mace once more but this time she tried pouring some of her mana into the mace. She found that she could only transfer her mana into the mace for about 2 seconds.

 

 

These 2 seconds would just be enough for her use. Carefully, she calculated the timing of the mace's point of impact on the target and released her mana into the mace.

 

 

WHOOOK!

 

 

The small training dummy's eyes lit up. She finally did it. Now she just had to repeat this 299 more times. It took her another 12 hours in order to finish the 300 hits that Vico required of her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

System notification messages were popping out everywhere! Sierra couldn't hold in her excitement. She felt so accomplished. She can't recall the last time she had this much fun.

 

 

She would've finished earlier if it wasn't for her mana running out. She discovered that she was exhausting about 5% of her maximum mana on each attack. Once her mana ran out she would just sit down and day dream that she would soon meet with Smoke. She can't believe how much she's enjoying this game world.

 

 

Finally, she understood why Smoke was so energetic when he spoke about this place. ZECTAS is truly a magical place. Sierra decided that she would devote herself to this game as well.

 

 

Sierra bade her farewell to GrandMaceter Vico. she went to the entrance of the beginner's square once more. But this time Nenek was in front of her table preparing glasses of water for passersby to drink.

 

 

Instead, Nenek was wearing an priestess' adventuring attire. She told Sierra that she would be the last NPC to guide her.

 

 

"Are you ready to experience an actual battle?"

 

 

 

"Yes! Rats, you better run and hide cause Sierra is coming for you!"

 

 

Nenek showed Sierra how to create a party and other functions within the party. All Sierra knew about a party was that you create it with other players and that you share everything with them. Such as food, supplies, loot, and experience.

 

 

The old priestess then took Sierra to the entrance of one of Centeo's sewers. Upon entering a system notification popped up indicating that the suggested level for entering this place would be level 30.

 

 

Sierra was a bit alarmed, because her level was still 12. Nenek saw Sierra's alarmed face. She assured her that she was there to protect her.

 

 

Apprehensively, She followed Nenek into the sewers. Inside the sewers she smelled such an offensive odor. She wondered why the developers thought about adding such a foul smell. Couldn't they have lessened the reality a bit.

 

 

Taking a few steps inside the sewer summoned 10 sewer rats. Because of the monster's 'larger than expected size' Sierra thought that these monsters shouldn't be called sewer rats anymore they should be called sewer dogs.

 

 

Sensing their presence, the sewer rats instinctively started running for them. Sierra was now terrified. She didn't want to experience dying within the game at all. On the other hand the old priestess was as calm as a rock.

 

 

Nenek released a series of small bright lights which aggravated the sewer rats causing them to focus their attention on the old priestess. Sierra panicked and didn't know what to do.

 

 

"Relax, take a deep breath and focus on what needs to be done."

 

 

As the sewer rats were only attacking Nenek, Sierra picked out the sewer rat that was separated from the rest of the rats and struck it with her 'Energy Mace' ability.

 

 

 

+ Attack hit sewer rat. Damage 32.

 

 

- Nenek attacked by sewer rat. She has taken no damage. Health -0

 

- Nenek attacked by sewer rat. She has taken no damage. Health -0

 

- Nenek attacked by sewer rat. She has taken no damage. Health -0

 

- Nenek attacked by sewer rat. She has taken no damage. Health -0

 

 

+ Attack hit sewer rat. Damage 32.

 

 

The sewer rat's lifebar indicated that it had (1,136/1,200 HP)

 

 

"Why is your damage so low? Aren't you already level 12?"

 

 

Sierra was taken aback by Nenek's question. Was this really the right time to be doing this? Shouldn't they be talking about damage calculations in a safer environment?

 

 

"Huh? Yes I am. This is my first time attacking a live monster so I'm not sure why it's this low."

 

 

"Did you invest any of your stat points?"

 

 

"Oh, I completely forgot about those. Where should I put them in?"

 

 

"Well, that really depends on you. If you want to be a full support you would need Intelligence and Vitality. Intelligence so that your Healing Abilities will never run out of mana and Vitality so that you won't die easily. Everyone always targets the Healer first."

 

 

"I see, but what if I want to attack as well? I do need some attacking power since I know I'm still searching for my friend."

 

 

"Then you need to invest on some Strength and a little bit of Dexterity just enough for you to hit the monsters."