As the light disappeared, Eric felt his feet hit the ground. Stumbling slightly, he took a few paces forward to steady himself before looking up to take in the surroundings.

Gone was the floating island with its silvery stream, the hill, the wooden huts and the stone tower. In their place was a small village square. The dirt that made up the four small streets which converged to form the square was dark underfoot. A stone well stood st.u.r.dily in the center of the square, the thatched wooden roof painted a vibrant yellow which gleamed in the few loose rays of sunlight that could make it through the overcast sky.

Turning slowly, Eric observed a number of wooden buildings built around the square. Apart from the wooden buildings, there was also one slightly larger building. This building had a plaque in front of it which read: "Tonbura Village Chief's House".

Eric grinned. Village chiefs were notorious for giving out quests to new players. And he just so happened to have been told that he should visit the chief upon arriving. Although now that he was thinking about it, did Fate not have a quest log?

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind that a small emblem of an open journal caught his eye in the bottom left hand corner of his vision. Focusing on it, the emblem suddenly detached and zoomed upwards to fill the upper half of his vision.

[Quest Log]

Deliver your certificate of Militia Training to the chief of a local village.

- Reward: Increased favour with the village.

Visit the Mage Academy in Filoketh.

- Reward: Possible admission to the Mage Academy.

Minimizing the quest log with a quick swipe of his hand, Eric decided that he should focus on the beginner quests for now. They would allow him to quickly build a foundation upon the basics that he'd learned in the tutorial. As he was just about to head to the chief's house, he was struck by a thought. Since there was a quest log, were there more interface options he wasn't aware of?

As if on cue, another blinking symbol appeared next to the quest icon, this one a small exclamation mark. Focusing on it, the symbol soared into his vision; a second later he was bombarded by a flurry of sudden notifications.

[You have learned: Basic Militia Spearmanship!]

[You have learned: Basic Militia Swordsmanship!]

[You have learned: Guard!]

[You have learned: Basic Archery!]

[You have learned: Basic Herbalism!]

[You have learned: Basic Speechcraft!]

[You have learned: Basic Arcane Magic!]

[You have learned: Arcane Strike!]

Arcane Strike: Basic Arcane Magic

Mana Cost: 1 Mana

Casting Time: 1 Second

The most basic form of magic attack. Simply gather the surrounding mana and condense it into a vaguely orb shaped object before shooting it at a foe. As your skill increases the casting time and mana cost can be decreased.

[You have learned: Basic Fire Magic!]

[You have learned: Flame Strike!]

Flame Strike: Basic Fire Magic

Mana Cost: 2 Mana

Casting Time: 1.5 Seconds

The most basic form of fire magic. Simply gather the surrounding mana and condense it into an orb, then convert it to fire mana. As your skill increases the casting time and mana cost can be decreased.

[A modification for Flame Strike has been learned, Flame Strike is now Multi-linked Flame Strike]

[You have learned: Multi-linked Flame Strike!]

Flame Strike modification

At the cost of additional mana adds additional flaming orbs to the spell. This modification has also tied the flame element together resulting in a more concentrated explosion. The mana cost and number of orbs are roughly equal to the number of flame strikes that are linked, squared. It is possible to further improve this skill.

The notifications ran across his vision one after another. It seemed that everything he'd learned upon the tutorial island had been converted into a skill. In addition, he'd also learned some active skills, although they were all modifications of the Arcane Strike spell. It was pretty obvious now why he'd fainted, he thought wryly. Considering that the starting mana pool was only 10 mana. Casting that Multi-Linked Flame Strike and copying it three times would have drained at a minimum 16 mana. If not more. Until he levelled up and gained more mana, this spell would have to be his trump card, Eric mused. Unless it was guaranteed to kill the enemy he could not use Multi-linked Flame Strike or else he would be the one to die once the enemy survived and got to attack his unconscious body.

Closing the skill notifications window, Eric stretched as he pondered his next actions. The tutorial had taken four hours. But with the time dilation that meant only one hour had pa.s.sed in real time, which meant he still had another hour before he had to meet up with his friends to discuss what they'd learned. Another hour meant another four hours in game - that was a lot of time to get some quests done, Eric thought with a grin.

As he was in the middle of these thoughts, a flash of light briefly lit up the square as another player made their entrance, performing the same undignified stumble Eric had upon his own arrival.

'Might as well go meet the chief before other players start to flood the place,' Eric thought, walking over towards the large wooden hall. Pushing open the door, Eric peeked his head inside.

"h.e.l.lo?" He called out cautiously, not wanting to offend the chief by barging in. Just like in the real world, NPC's in Fate did not take kindly to uninvited guests barging into their dwellings. Their etiquette instructor had been quite forward on that point.

"Ah an otherworlder. Are you here to help our poor village?" A voice echoed from the far end of the hall. Opening the door fully, Eric walked in, taking in the features of the room as he did so. The hall was fairly s.p.a.cious and brightly lit with rows of windows on the slanting roof allowing sunlight to stream in. Torches in the walls provided more illumination, with a long table in the middle of the hall looking well polished as it gleamed in the torchlight. Looking closer, Eric realized that these torches were not actually flaming torches as depicted in many fantasy and historical movies, but torches with a gemstone embedded in the end, emitting a dull light that chased the shadows from the floor of the hall.

As his eyes adjusted to the lighting in the hall, Eric could make out a middle aged man dressed in embroidered yet simple clothes, sitting at the end of the table. Just past, the man he could now make out a doorway that must lead deeper in to the building. Turning to the man, Eric gave a respectful salute.

"Erick Kystfyr, I have finished my basic militia training and been given a letter of introduction," he stated, withdrawing the scroll from his bag as he moved forwards.

The man quickly tore open the seal on the letter. After taking a quick glance at the letter, he then nodded, "Good, we need all the help we can get. The monster attacks have been growing more frequent and roaming monsters have become bolder in recent months. While this is standard fare in the months preceding winter, thanks to the recent illness that has swept the village, we need every able hand either manning the walls or helping with the fields. Can I count on you to aid us? As a member of the militia, you will be given a modest pay and provided with lodgings if you agree to stay in Tonbura village. I am the village chief, Flen Ironspear."

Eric nodded his a.s.sent, "I would be honoured to serve as a member of the Tonbura village militia. However, I also need freedom to travel and visit other cities. Am I required to be in Tonbura village at all times if I join the militia?"

Flen shook his head, "No, you will be given a large degree of freedom. All we ask is that you stay within the region. You are not actually joining the Tonbura village militia but the Lunbrengur region militia. As a member of the militia, if you find yourself near a town or village in the region and you see a monster attack you are duty-bound to come to their aid. You may also collect your pay and benefits in any settlement in the region."

Eric nodded his understanding at this. It was a pretty good deal. All he had to do was join the militia and they would fund his development, as well as allowing him to gain favour with local NPC's and even travel the region.

"I would be glad to join the defense against the monstrous scourge that plagues our region. It is every man's duty to ensure that the races of good are not overcome by darkness." He replied to Flen.

Flen's face broke out into a wide smile, "Excellent! I am glad to have such a stalwart fellow join the militia. If you report to the village blacksmith you may choose a brand new weapon from the armoury. Report to the militia barracks for free lodging. Pay is issued on the first day of every second week. The next payday will be in three days. I am glad to make your acquaintance Erick Kystfyr," Flen said, extending his hand. Reaching out, Eric gave the chief a firm handshake.

"Oh right, here's the seal that proves you're a part of the militia: you'll need it to obtain your equipment from the blacksmith." Flen handed Eric a small badge that Eric pinned to the front of his vest before saluting once more.

As he turned to walk out the door, he suddenly turned, "Chief. Are there any tasks I could help out with around the village? My style is to more proactively seek out monsters and hunt them down rather than waiting for them to come to us."

Flen pondered for a moment, "If you ask the militia captain, he should be able to tell you where some minor monsters have been sighted nearby," he replied.

"Thanks, Chief!" Eric saluted once more and then left, pa.s.sing by another player just about to knock on the chief's door. Flashing the player a quick smile, Eric turned and began to walk towards the road where he could spy a curl of smoke rising into the sky. Hopefully that was where the blacksmith resided so that he could obtain a new weapon.