The living room was bathed in gentle morning sunlight, casting a warm glow. Freshly cooked white rice, well-done fried eggs, Vienna sausages, and soybean sprout soup awaited on the dining table. The basic yet homely breakfast was the masterpiece prepared by Ethan. With 15 years of experience, he has fully embraced the role of handling household chores.
"······."
There was no conversation between the father and daughter.
It wasn't a deliberate decision but rather something that happened by chance. In the past, they used to engage in lively conversation, but as they grew older, having enjoyable conversations with her father became awkward. They wondered if it was just them, so they asked their friends, and fortunately, it seemed like this was a typical situation.
"Thank you, Dad."
They had said these words a hundred times in their heart already.
However, for some reason, it was difficult to say them out loud.
It appeared that, once again, the day would draw to a close with the unspoken gratitude lingering on their tongues.
Thinking that way made them sigh.
"I wish Father would initiate the conversation."
Clearly, the soup didn't suit her taste. Ethan already knew that his daughter's palate was picky, but today she seemed particularly displeased with the food. Look at her, hesitating and pretending to eat while taking only a spoonful of soup.
However, it didn't dampen Ethan's mood. Today's breakfast was merely a prelude to the main event. Ethan had a secret card that could improve his relationship with Lily!
"I have something to tell you."
"Yes? Something you want to tell me?"
"Yes."
Ethan put down his spoon.
It instantly caught Lily's attention. Her body tensed up; she felt surprised, almost causing a hiccup to escape.
Why was her father wearing such a resolute expression while saying, "I have something to tell you"?
Did she make a mistake recently?
Or... "Uh, no way..."
A few days ago, a YouTube video caught Lily's attention. She watched it alongside her friend in the classroom. The scene depicted a long-term couple facing a period of stagnation, with the man ultimately breaking up with his girlfriend.
The expression on the actor's face at that moment mirrored the look on her father's face now. He feels sorry for the other person, but after a long time, he mustered the determination and decided to sever his connection for the sake of his own happiness.
-"I've thought about it a lot, and it seems like our fate ends here."
"I've thought about it a lot, and it seems like..."
Ethan made the same facial expression as the male actor in the YouTube video and began to utter the same lines.
Her blood surged through her veins, her heart pounding rapidly within her chest. The weighty question of "Why?" etched deeply in her mind, causing Lily's breathing to become erratic
"From now on, I want to live my own life."
Could it be that such words come out of his lips? Lily tightly closed her eyes. Well, when she thought about it, she questioned why a parent would keep taking care of their daughter just because she's pretty.
At the age of 30, Ethan dedicated his youth to parenthood, sacrificing dating and carefree experiences that others enjoy. She had feared that this day might never come, but now, it finally arrived. There's no use denying it!
"I thought it would be nice to have a hobby like yours, so I started playing Heroes Saga since yesterday."
However, the words that came out of Ethan's mouth were completely unexpected. Lily's eyes, which were closed, widened like startled rabbit eyes. Ethan's fist, which had been observing her reaction, clenched tightly under the table.
'It worked. I've managed to pique her interest.'
Though inwardly delighted, Lily maintained a nonchalant and serene expression on her face. Instead, she lightly smiled and nodded her head.
"Really?"
"It was fun. I visited Maxwell's VR room yesterday and played the game for about three hours. It made me realize again just how far science and technology have advanced. From now on, I plan to drop by during dinner time."
Lily felt a mixture of various emotions welling up within her. First was a profound sense of relief, knowing that her father hadn't abandoned her. Second, she felt a deep appreciation for her father's consideration and love in deciding to share the same hobby to establish a connection with her.
"I-I'll, umm… if you have any questions, feel free to ask me anytime!" Lily's words tumbled out in a rush of excitement. I'll teach you everything I know within my limits. Oh, no, even if I don't know, I'll find answers from various sources and provide you with the information you need! I'll also tell my guild members to help you out, provide items, support you with skill books, and...!"
Lily abruptly closed her mouth after spewing words as if in a frenzy. This had never happened before, but a surge of embarrassment washed over her, causing her face to turn bright red.
"I'm sorry for getting carried away."
Ethan felt slightly afraid that his daughter might think strangely of him, but unlike Lily's concerns, he found her enthusiasm incredibly adorable.
"No, thank you."
"By the way, if you've spent three hours, you must be in Eden now."
"Eden?"
"The beginner zone, Eden Continent. Ah, starting tomorrow, the update will be applied, and you'll receive a support box. You've started at the perfect time! The contents seem to provide fairly decent equipment and skill books for beginners. With those, you'll be able to clear quests easily, I think."
After briefly contemplating, Ethan replied, "I'm not sure about Eden, but I'm currently on the third floor of the tutorial."
"The third floor of the tutorial? Ah... Most people usually skip the tutorial, Dad."
"Why?"
"Even if you skip it, it doesn't hinder your progress in the game at all. Some people play without knowing, but they usually die on the third floor or, at most, make it to the fourth floor... The world record is on the fifth floor. Moreover, even if you clear the tutorial, there are no rewards, no level-ups... You need to level up to increase your abilities. So just skip it."
She seemed sincere.
If what she said was true, then the purpose of doing the tutorial was truly nothing more, nothing less than helping people adapt to the game. People naturally don't want to incur losses. It made sense for people to skip something that doesn't help and only leads to deaths in the tutorial, which would obviously result in losses.
"But didn't your stats increase?"
Upon searching his memory, he remembered seeing a system window indicating that his stats had increased as he progressed up to the third floor of the tutorial. It wasn't a reward for clearing but rather a format that applied the same way improvements occur in the real world when you exercise.
"But what happens if you die?"
"When the message 'Tutorial Clear Failure' appears, you will resurrect in Eden Continent."
"Well then, I'll give it a try until I reach there."
"Well... If that's what you want to do, I won't stop you."
Anyway, now that he was surrounded by goblins on the third floor, he might really end up dying.
At 10 a.m., a signboard was installed in front of the VR room.
It read, "10 hours of charging with 2 hours bonus for the 10th-anniversary update event."
Upon entering the VR room, Maxwell could be seen running around, attending to the guests. The place was packed with people, thanks to the promotional effect of the event.
"You're here."
"Well, you seem busy."
"Don't even mention it. It's been crazy since this morning."
"Should I come another time? I don't want to bother you for no reason."
Instead of replying, Maxwell placed his hands on my shoulders and guided me toward booth number three.
There was no separate display of remaining time on the LED monitor. "
Instead, in that spot, there was a symbol [∞] stuck.
"From today onwards, booth number three is reserved for you. No one else can sit here except for you. So don't even think about going to other VR rooms! And if things go well for you, make sure to fulfill the promise of promoting our store!"
"But how can I do well?"
"You will definitely succeed! Because you're a pro."
"······."
Ignoring the comment, I sit in booth number three. I feel a softness enveloping my whole body as I put on the gear. However, before I could fully put it on, Maxwell approached and spoke, "I forgot to mention yesterday, but you can skip the tutorial."
"I heard that from Lily this morning. But I want to give it a try until I reach there."
"Sure, it's just a waste of time. Well, do as you please. Also, when you log in tomorrow, you'll receive a support box. Remember this. The equipment is a magic wand, and the skill book is Firebolt. I'm telling you this because I'm worried you'll choose a sword. That's the end of the briefing."
"What about melee weapons?"
"No, they're all garbage."
Maxwell's response was very firm as if the words he uttered were undoubtedly true. However, Ethan couldn't help but question it. Why are melee weapons considered garbage? Aren't they excellent weapons to the extent that there's a saying, "The sword is the king of ten thousand soldiers"?
It meant a swordsman should swing their sword or katana towards the head, wrist, and waist, not wield a magic wand and shout, "Firebolt, Icebolt." It's about becoming a true martial artist.
"Maxwell."
"Yeah."
"I understand."
"No, I don't think you understood."
Maxwell washed his face. "Listen carefully. Heroes Saga has two classes. The first is a magician, and the second is a commoner. And within the commoner class are various types like knights, archers, priests, and others. I hope you don't get caught up in some strange sense of superiority and choose to become a commoner with a twisted mindset."
In the world of RPG games, there are many different classes. Some games may favor sword users, while others might excel with archers or shield bearers. However, it is designed to be balanced to a certain extent, providing each class with its unique charm.
But Heroes Saga was different. There were various professions, and the gap between them was colossal. The gap was as immense as the heavens and the earth, akin to the difference between a king and a slave. The mage class reigned supreme, like the sky itself, while all other professions seemed as efficient as an iron dung beetle buried deep underground.
Many users raised objections about this issue to Heroes Soft, but the responses they received were always the same.
1. Thank you for expressing your interest in Heroes Saga.
2. We appreciate your concerns about the balance between the mage and other professions… (omitted).
3. Each profession in Heroes Saga offers unique strengths and challenges
Users raised objections one by one, scrutinizing the repeated macro responses, and even staged aggressive protests with dozens of trucks in front of the company headquarters, but all was in vain. Heroes Soft had no intention of changing its operating policy and responded to all opinions in the same way.
- If you don't like it, quit. Well, of course, that's not an official response.
There are two main reasons why mages are good.
1. Overwhelming long-range capabilities.
2. Overwhelming destructive power.
Then, isn't the archer good too? Yes, the archer is also competent. However, they pale in comparison to mages- average range, average arrow power. Does it make sense for a level 40 archer to be easily defeated by a level 20 mage in a one-on-one battle?
Still, the archer is slightly better. Knights who primarily use swords or spears become roasted meat before they can even reach the mage. Of course, if they engage in close combat from the beginning, the knight may have a chance of winning, but how can a foolish mage allow them to get close?
Of course, you might ask if this only applies to player killing (PK). But hunting grounds are even harsher. Monsters disappear in a firebolt that comes flying from somewhere as soon as they respawn.
Let's say an ignorant player chooses a melee class and puts in their utmost effort to raise it. Nineteen out of twenty end up like soldiers dragged into military training camps, wandering around training grounds, only to shed tears and eventually switch to being a mage. The remaining one doesn't need to be mentioned, but it's a pitiful ending.
Maxwell passionately explained this content for 30 minutes, as if he were a candidate going out for an election and engaging in political campaigns.
"Well, I guess you have to give up on the sword, right?"
"I understand that magic is very powerful."
Maxwell was mistaken. The reason Ethan started Heroes Saga wasn't about which profession was good or bad; that wasn't important. It wasn't about defeating others or gaining superiority over them. It was simply about enjoying a game with his daughter. It was about becoming closer through the experience.
And above all, what moved his heart as a man was the way of the sword.
Swordsmanship is romantic...