Chapter 10

Support.

Running. Searching. It was all that mattered to me; but no matter how egoistic my goal was, help was always needed. The support proportioned by my friends was irreplaceable; yet, as always, it didn't last. I had shunned it away in a single moment, thinking it would protect them.

Detaching myself from almost everyone and everything, it had been more than a month since I faced my nemesis; yet since that day, I haven't been able to locate him or get a single trace of his whereabouts. Dwelling in dungeons and sub-dungeons for days, I was determined to find that single player. And with my selfish act of leaving behind newly found friends, the loneliness had been growing.

However, even in these circumstances, a light of hope emerged; a line of support. And from a place where not even I thought it would come, it appeared. Right before me, I had no option but to accept; and who wouldn't, as it would undoubtedly be of great help.

[You need to come back, please, tell us what's wrong]

[Chris…we're worried about you. I know you're searching for something, but could you at least tell us what it is?]

[Are Ray and Axel in this with you? What is going on? If you don't come back, we'll have to go look for you. Even against your own will]

Messages. My finger ran down thru all of them; for some reason. It was a split-second decision that lead me to this; alone in an unsafe "Safe Zone" in the [White Woodland] on the thirtieth floor. With the front line being around the fortieth floor, it had been a long time since I was out on the field alone. However, it was much more extreme this time; with constant messages from everyone, I couldn't help but to feel it even more.

What am I doing? ….was it really the best choice? ….

And if I were to return to them, I if had the chance, I needed to tie the loose ends. And no matter how long or what it took, I had to ensure their survival. They, those dear friends of mine; they had to get out of this game alive. And even if I had to kill, I would fulfill that dream.

"I'm…sorry, but you can't follow me…this is the path I chose, and now I must follow it to the end. Maybe, if I'm lucky, it might cross with yours once more…"

Closing the message box on the [Message/Chat] category, I headed for the [Friend/Guild] icon. With only eight friends, it was a shame to have to eliminate more than half; but it was necessary. As much as it hurt, all ties needed to be severed in order to protect them.

"…Thanks again…well meet soon…"

And with the [Remove] option, five of them were permanently gone from my list. With only three remaining, Agil, Sasha and Yulier; I had removed five and also lost five others.

Four of those comrades taken the same day, I never knew what had happened to the other one.

"…Right…what ever happened to you…? [Coper]?"

November 6, 2022

The frantic screaming and shocked faces all reached me. Desperate looks and tears flowing out of many players eyes; it was a disastrous scene. Yet one player caught my vision; a single presence of calmness in the confusing scene. And also, the only familiar face I knew; someone I had seen on the fields just before the horrid announcement. And just as calm as I was, he had a look deep in his eyes, filled with thought but at the same time with a touch of joy. His slightly long brown hair and childish appearance made me suggest his age around fourteen; but as young as he was, he kept it together in the ensuing chaos.

Like if he had already been here, he ran out, with steadiness. Thinking his self-preservation and apparent knowledge of the place would come in handy, I soon followed. Not thinking it over, I called out as soon as we were out of the rampaging crowd.

"Hey! Wait! May I ask you something?!"

With my sudden cry, he stopped, perplexed at my request. His rage filled eyes didn't hold anything back, yet his innocent look covered up perfectly his apparent emotion.

"Who are you, and what do you want?"

"You seem to know your way around, and you were so calm back there. And after what just happened, I think I…no we should to stick with others if we want to survive…"

"With others…like with other people? …"

"Yeah! I mean, if you want, we could form a party. I don't know much about gaming, but I learn fast. And I thought maybe, you might know more…"

His anger-filled eyes cooled down, showing a much more relaxed look. His thoughtful, yet doubtful face evidenced his struggle to choose.

"Look, I'm a former Beta Tester, so that means that I'm a Solo Player. I can't have people around just giving me trouble"

Hurmm…a very proud and confident little kid…yet I can't let his opportunity go…

"Come on, please…I said I could learn fast…or how about we meet up another day? What do you say?"

Still doubting me, it seemed he was struggling to keep it together and not run off, leaving me behind.

"Alright, fine…but I would prefer it if you stay here, in Starting City. I'm headed towards [Horunka Village], but I will return. How about we meet here tomorrow or the next day? By then I think I might be able to show you some tricks…"

His grim face turning into a more joyful one, it seemed he accepted to teach me. After all, he was a Beta Tester, and they knew many things about the game, even things that regular player's didn't.

"Great! Thanks man! I promise I'll level up some more!"

"Good, you're going to need it. And I should advise you run and get a spot on the fields, because they'll fill up soon"

"Yeah, I had that same thought…I'm Cuautzin by the way"

"Cu…yeah, it'll be better if you just send me a [Friend Request]. I'm Coper, and I should warn you, foreigners sometimes aren't welcome, so it might be good to hide your identity for a while…"

"…O-ok…I think I could work that out somehow…thanks…for the advice"

"Yeah, no problem…but you should get going now…"

"Right! So, you'll message me when you're around?"

"Yes…just be patient…Oh, and one more thing: ….don't trust Beta Testers…"

Don't trust Beta Testers? …But you're one…

Not fully mediating on his last warning, I prepared to head off. Making my first friend on the worst day possible, it somehow made it less painful.

"Alright! Till next time!"

"You never did message me…guess you just couldn't truly survive…"

Before closing the window, I checked the time. I was supposed to rest a few hours and get some sleep, but instead, I dosed off.

Damn! I lost precious time on thinking of the past…I could've advanced even more…

"Alright…Let's go! …"

Rising without much determination, I was still too tired to set off, but I needed all the training and practice as possible of I were to strengthen myself. Two weeks straight with only four hours of sleep daily had made their toll, but I knew that long as my real body didn't strain, it was in my mind; and with the correct discipline, it could do grand things.

Stepping out of the Safe Area, a chill wind blew, making me shiver. But no matter how cold it was, I somehow enjoyed it; it was something about low temperatures that I desired, as they kept me more awake. And with most the other players probably avoiding cold weather, it was the perfect place to set up a temporary base, contrary to the games towns, as they had more players; players that could be potential watchers to my enemy.

And with the added feature of a lush snow-covered forest sight and the beauty that comes with, it was THE place. Yet there was little time to contemplate the horizon, as each second gone by was the opportunity to gain levels. Nonetheless, my level was fifty-five, quite high considering the current front line on the fortieth floor.

Alright…let's see…four hours of hunting, then we'll set off to town…see if there is news…

Returning to pack the leftover dried meat from my short meal, the cooking utensils, remaining supplies and revising my equipment, I headed out. The almost portal-type invisible shield protecting the Safe Area enveloped me once more in a faint flash as I passed thru it. And without hesitation, I headed out.

Moving downhill on the snowy surface was uneasy, but with enough practice, I had come to master the terrain. However, the only thing that wasn't constant was mobs lurking and spawning instantly thru-out the forest.

That's odd…not even a single one has appeared…

Lifting my arm to reach my sword, I prepared for any sudden attack, as it was too quiet; and it was times like these that mobs attack more frequently. Staying quiet, a distinct faint sound resounded. Like the flapping of wings, it grew near and with more intensity. Its shadow also appearing, it landed meters from me; and with small steps, it began to close in.

…What…is it? Why isn't it attacking? …

Flap!

Spreading its wings with force, it wailed out a sharp cry, scaring me as I dropped onto my back. Large golden-brown feather covered its entire body. A bright yellow beak and large dark eyes set on its head, ready to strike. Focusing my sight on it, the system assisted and the details grew exponentially.

An eagle!? How come I've never seen one before!? …

Closing its wings, with more than a meter across, its sharp eyes observed me from afar. With a rather curious look, it even tilted its head and beaked out another sound, as if expecting something from me.

[There's a young girl who tamed a [Feathery Dragon] not long ago. She said she offered it food and was able to tame it, though no one else has been able to tame one as well]

Suddenly remembering a rumor that circulated thru the mid-level players, I began to wonder about the possibility, but nonetheless acting, I slowly took out a piece of the leftover dried meat I had stored; doing so calmly, I stretched out my arm in order to lure it in.

Drawing in near, my heartbeat didn't change, staying steady; evidencing that I wasn't nervous. And with the same focus, it took the food. Slicing it apart with its beak, it seemed to enjoy the quick meal I prepared.

…So…what now? …

Ping!

The sound of a window appearing rejoiced in my ears. And exactly that, a small-sized screen appeared in front of me; alerting me of the situation. But this time it wasn't a level-up alert, it was a system request.

[Congratulations! [Gilded Eagle] tamed! Accept? Y/N]

"So you're a Gilded Eagle, huh? …Well of course!"

Touching the blue-colored approval icon, a new window appeared, making another request.

[Name tamed beast? Y/N]

"…Name? …well, let's see…what could be an epic name for you? …"

Alright, it's a golden eagle…how…about…Aquila? ...No, too…simple…Hey! That's a constellation isn't it? There's a double star in it, but what was it called…Altar? …No…[Altair]! Yeah!

"Yeah…I like that name…Altair…"

Pressing the same icon once more, I typed in my new companion´s name. And with the disappearance of the window, the process was done; I had tamed a beast. Quickly pulling down with my fingers, the main window appeared, and with further inspection, I noticed I had gained a new skill: [Familiar Communication].

"Alright Altair, seems we'll be traveling together from now on…and I appreciate the support you'll give me…but now, let's see what you can do…of course, we'll start with an easy prey! …"

Taking off as if it understood me, it slowly sored, staying close as I began to walk.