NOVEL NEXT 32. Small Fight
Ethan groaned as he regained consciousness. He was back in the Lobby, where he found himself lying face down on the grass. The young man looked around, and surprisingly, no one else was on the grass field where he was now awake.
A holographic screen suddenly appeared as Ethan blinked.
[Congratulations, player. You have completed level 10. First place prize: Special Item slot activation]
[Lobby: OUTSKIRT THE MEDIEVAL]
[Name: Ethan Mannon]
[Age: 22 years]
[Classification: Tank]
[Status: Novice +2]
[Gold: 57,400]
[Armor: Shield Treachery's Iron Bulwark level 25]
[Item: Harpy's Wing, Wizard's Crystal]
[Power: +125]
[Buff: Harpy's Inferno, Wizard's Lumen]
[Special Item: Skip Level +1, Time +2 hours. Albert Inherit Sword's level 2]
Ethan blinked, noticing a 'special item' on the holographic screen before him. The screen disappeared when he blinked again. This was the first time there had been a specific item.
Could it have appeared after reaching a level above ten?
But what made Ethan even more confused was why Albert's sword had become a particular item for him.
Wasn't it against the rules to choose a weapon classification at the beginning and then carry a different weapon? Ethan needed help understanding. But if it was rewarded for winning first, Ethan didn't want to think about it anymore.
"Urgh, my head," Ethan muttered quietly.
He sat up, took a moment to rest, then stood. Ethan looked around, and in the distance, he could see the tops of towers and the walls of a fortress a few hundred meters ahead. Ethan couldn't believe he was back in the Lobby but in a faraway place.
"Outskirt The Medieval. Can't this game be more stable than randomly throwing players wherever it wants?" Ethan complained or somewhat grumbled.
So Ethan made his way back to the center of The Medieval. He was annoyed, but the sight of The Medieval ahead of him made Ethan feel better.
He heard birds chirping, rows of shady trees, a path with damp earth, and the smell of earth. Ethan could not remember the last time he had felt so relaxed.
Upon reaching the front gate of The Medieval, Ethan saw crowds of players in their respective groups. There were new players, probably just finishing the first game. Their faces looked pale, no doubt in shock.
Seeing this, Ethan felt deeply sorry. How could these people be interested in such a terrifying game as OFF LIMIT? Was it true that desperation drove people to recklessly choose to play?
But only some were chosen, right? Ethan pondered.
Ethan wandered around looking for his friends but couldn't find them either in the bar or The Casual. Then he returned to the entrance gate where players entered OFF LIMIT from the real world.
At the entrance to OFF LIMIT, Ethan could hear the noise and the crowd. He hurriedly pushed through the crowd and saw Ulrich about to throw a punch at Dane.
Without thinking, Ethan ran and tackled Ulrich's body, causing the big man to release his grip on Dane's collar.
"What are you doing?!" Ethan glared at Ulrich.
"Ah, so the boy finally shows up. I thought you failed and became a loser," Ulrich chuckled.
Dane was immediately pulled to safety by Chloe and Miriam. Ethan approached Dane to check on him. Dane seemed fine.
"I warned you, if you use violence in the Lobby, you will be penalized!" Miriam threatened.
"Dane, what is going on?" Ethan asked.
However, Dane did not respond to Ethan and instead moved forward to confront Ulrich. Chloe and Miriam quickly restrained the 17-year-old.
"Enough, Dane!" Chloe warned firmly.
"I don't like it when he disrespects women!" Dane shouted loudly.
Ethan's attention shifted between Chloe, Miriam, Dane, and Ulrich. Whatever was going on, it was definitely serious.
"I don't want to make a big deal out of this anymore, Dane. Leave him alone," Chloe continued.
"You'll regret this, Chloe!" Ulrich hissed, half-threatening.
"Oh my, if you had crush to a woman... buy her flowers or something she wants, if you want attention," Miriam scoffed. "Not a barbaric and arrogantly threatening attitude," she continued to Ulrich.
Ulrich paid no attention to Miriam; he promptly left with his followers; the old, the new, and more. The crowd dispersed as Ulrich left.
"So what actually happened?" Ethan asked.
"Ulrich forced Chloe to rejoin his team," Dane replied.
Chloe crossed her arms and glanced at Ethan. "I told him I already had a team."
"Wait a minute..." Ethan's palm went up. "Isn't Ulrich a level below us?"
"I don't know, that barbarian just said that when Chloe reached level 12, she had to join his team," Miriam scoffed. "It would not have raised Dane's temper if he had asked nicely."
Shortly, there was a verbal quarrel between Dane and Ulrich. Because Ulrich was offended when Chloe turned him down. Ulrich said that Chloe was foolish to choose a weak team like Dane, Ethan, and Miriam. As Ulrich reached for Chloe's hand to pull her away, Dane stepped forward.
"And then you came," Dane finished.
"Sorry I was late," Ethan regretted.
"No need to apologize." Chloe smiled. "But Ulrich already knows that I will be staying with you. We'll make a great team, right?"
"We still need a melee as a team," Miriam complained.
"We'll find one later," Dane reassured.
Chloe sighed softly, then looked at her friends. "I have to go now. I'm afraid I'm going to be late for my father's funeral."
The others just looked worried and nodded together.
"Sorry, we can't come with you, Chloe," Miriam said.
There was a bitter smile on Chloe's face. "It's okay, thank you."
Suddenly, Ethan's hand reached for Chloe. "Come on, let's go home."
Chloe's attention shifted to the sword behind Ethan's shield, hanging from his back. "My father's sword. Apparently, you're allowed to carry it?"
Ethan nodded. "Yes. Whether it's a privilege or a glitch, I don't know. But I'll take care of Albert's sword."
Chloe's eyes became teary, and she took Ethan's hand. "Thank you. Shall we go home now, E?"