Desire (Mogma) - Chapter 21

After leaving Heuk Seolhyang’s house, Ajin headed straight to Sake’s House walking briskly trying to organize his thoughts.

Flesh Martial Arts.

It is questionable whether Heuk Seolhyang will be worth the price, but she must be great enough as she was confident about it. She’s an absolute master who calls herself a “golden one” and she acclaimed that she spent 20 years trying to invent a whole new level of martial arts…

‘If you can get it, you can grow up in a leap and bounds.’

He felt that he was lacking his method to attack. Power and speed may be replaced by Heavenly Demon Arts, but his body type just can’t take it.

Long term combat is possible while combining energy drain, but he doesn’t know how to eventually attack and avoid attacks at the same time. However, the attack technique has no choice but to focus on coping with the situation. He believes in his fighting sense and aim. He hasn’t felt much trouble about it yet though. But he felt fed up with previous virtual reality games.

He thought that it was not enough. Heuk Seolhyang warned him that his fighting techniques would make him end up struggling when facing an opponent overwhelmingly stronger than Ajin. If he ever meets an opponent who can cope with his moves, it will affect Ajin’s side, and lose miserably.

‘I’ve been mimicking the attacks I remember so far but…’

He still lacks depth. Even in the Heavenly Demon Arts when replenishing his power and speed, he still cannot boost his energy. The previous game’s martial arts skills were all about leaving the body to the system throughout. Thinking about the skills, he wanted to aim for the place he wanted and unfold. So with the assistance of the system, he grew his skills under some circumstances. Now that the skills are not properly mastered and the system cannot be subsidized, it is impossible to achieve its original power.

But what if he was thought through flesh? Flesh Martial Arts is an art itself, but it is not considered to be part of martial arts entirely. Ajin couldn’t understand exactly what it was, but it would certainly help him. The sparring practice incident with her would certainly change if he would get her to teach him the acceleration movement of qi, and the expansion of his senses just as Heuk Seolhyang said to him.

‘—Who am I gonna talk about these things?’

As for the reason why she had Flesh Martial Arts, she said that it was to use to avenge those who dropped her in this world. He wondered if this is also part of the storyline. Ajin’s eyes narrowed down. First is the game too unkind for a user. While the player is in the game, the game forces the users to feel this game is real and not as a game. To acquire an item, one must skin the monster and cut the meat. Many other things are just like reality. In other words, everything is real except for their avatar.

It’s as if an avatar was thrown into a real world, and not a game.

“Hey, you’re a player, aren’t you?”

Someone suddenly spoke to him. Ajin stopped walking and looked at the girl looking at her. It was a woman with bright blue eyes.

“Yes, are you too?”

Is she a foreign player? ‘First’ is a virtual game that was created for the first time in the world, and from the very beginning, servers have been integrated into one without dividing into countries. They may be confident in the world that can embrace countless players across the country or pride in the server it runs into. What’s clear is that it has come as a great attraction for game players around the world.

Since virtual reality has been created, a chat system using the avatars, if not because of this large online RPG game, has already been completed. There is no language barrier, as they are speaking through brain waves, and the doctors said it is known as the wind of consciousness, and language. It has become a sure way of communication rather than having a translator for a conscious avatar, and dialogue.

‘No, maybe it’s just a Western version of Avatar.’

Avatar’s customization is free, wherein Blacks can be White, and Asians can be Black. Gender is limited due to the large gap between reality and the game, but the outer appearance itself can be perfectly controlled from the tip of the fingers until the genitals.

“Yes. My name is Daisy. Level 21.”

‘That’s average.’

Five days have passed since the beta test began as of today. Luke, who was 20 by the time of the second day, was fourth in the ranking. There were many overlapping levels, but it was clear that level 20 was the fourth highest. But it changes over time. Luke’s level is now 28. While it can’t be helped that his level of growth increases, Luke raised his level by 8 in three days, and his ranking remained at 4th place. When he checked, Asela’s level was in Level 26.

‘Total averages, 20.’

But Ajin’s level is still 16. He’s even below the average.

He is also at the bottom of the ranking. As Ajin looked at Daisy, she looked at the two people staring at her from afar.

They’re players, too.

There were still quite a few players left in the village. The problem is that the level of quests given in this village falls short of their level. So instead of interacting with the NPC and taking quests, the player is making their hoard and repeating the hunt. It is not yet enough to challenge the wild forest monster, but players are growing up from hunting silver wolves that swarm by a party.

“Is there anything I can do for you?”

Ajin asked while smiling faintly. Daisy approached Ajin with a big nod when he said that.

“Hey, if you’re free or don’t have a party yet, why don’t you join us?”

‘As expected, that’s what it was.’

Ajin was not surprised.

Although there are many players left in the village, the number is only around 50. About 50 out of 1,500 players were thrown into the game first. And other players have already left the town. Silver wolves are said to give quite a good amount of experience, but there is no reason to stay in the starting village in a limited time beta service. Perhaps, most players had already moved their bases. They probably have crossed into the Silent Forest and headed to the port city, just like Luke and Asela’s parties had done, or maybe towards the end or beyond the Forest of Pain, Forest of Forgetfulness, or the Cliff of Indigo.

In the end, about 50 players are hunting in the wild forest.

“Well, I don’t belong to any party, but I am at a low level.”

He wasn’t lying on that part. Ajin scratched his head with a smile filled with embarrassment. He decided to take a step back. At that moment, Daisy said something with glittering eyes.

“Ah, I know about you. You’re Ajin right?”

How the hell does she know my name? Ajin hesitated for a bit. Daisy shook her hand and continued to talk while she saw Ajin’s expression.

“Oh, I’m sorry. The vigilante Hans mentioned you to me, so I did a little bit of research in the rankings. Your level…is 16 is what I heard?”

That fucking bastard. As Ajin recalled Hans’ face, which had a lot of freckles, he clenched his fist. That bastard was always nodding until his crutch on fine days, but his mouth is just so talkative. Come to think of it, Sake knew about Ajin, saying he had heard about Runia, from Hans. He attests that someday, he’ll put a stone in that talkative mouth.  Ajin clicked his tongue discreetly.

“You know my level and you still recommended party play. I’m sure I’m at the bottom of the list.”

“Well that’s true, but the level doesn’t matter in this game, doesn’t it? Master Hans said that you have hunted a lot of blue wolves. The blue wolf level is 15. But given your skill level, you’re able to defeat blue wolf before level 16.”

She’s quite the smart girl. Ajin eyed her as he looked at Daisy and explained her side while fidgeting her fingers. It was true that levels didn’t matter for this game. The most important thing is the skill level. Depending on how high they are and how skilled they are, with their basic competence, they may hunt a stronger monster other than themselves.

“I think Ajin’s skill level will be helpful enough. Even if you’re at the bottom of the ranking, I think you’re the standard for hunting in our party.”

“—What are we hunting?”

“Silver wolves.”

Daisy answered Ajin’s question with a cheerful smile. Is that so? Unlike red and blue wolves that roam around all alone and attack players, silver wolves that are inhabitant in the deepest part of the woods, they go in packs. The same goes for hunting. To play solo, he has no choice but to face several wolves all at once.

So being in a party plays gives you a chance to be in the limelight. This is natural in PC MMORPG games before virtual reality games were introduced. The purpose is to be able to unite players in dealing with a large number of monsters or to hunt powerful monsters. Is what they call Party Play. Of course, unlike a solo play, which monopolizes experiences, as the experience gained in catching one monster is less than solo play because it would be distributed among party members.

But it’ll be faster. It’s like hitting a monster that needs to be captured for a long time when one is in solo play. But of course, it’s faster and efficient.

“We have one tanker, one healer, and one dealer in our party.”

Just as she said, Daisy beckoned back. She approached a man and a woman watching from afar. One man who had heavy-looking plate mail, and he wore a large shield behind his back. That’s a typical tanker. And the next one is a woman with a thin robe and a short wand. Dealer or is that a healer?

“The one on the left side is the tanker. The one next to him is Rina who is the healer. And I’m the dealer.”

Daisy explained with a big smile on her face. Haguro greeted and Rina curled her hair while looking around. Ajin waited for Daisy’s words as she continued talking.

“What we are looking for is a dealer and a tanker. I think the healer will be covered by Rina, but she is not good enough, so I’m going to recruit more. Haguro is playing for the tanker role, but it will be a little hard for him because there are so many wolves.”

Daisy scratched her head with a bitter smile on her face. Ajin waited for Daisy to say something without saying anything.

“So either you get a tanker or…or I’m thinking of getting another dealer for faster hunting. You’re a dealer, aren’t you?”

“—Yes.”

“Then why don’t you join our party? I’ve heard from Hans that you’ve been hunting alone in the woods. Dealing with a blue wolf can be done by solo playing, but it’s going to be hard when it comes to silver wolves.”

That’s what Ajin had in mind. Soloing is easy because even the blue wolf goes alone, but silver wolves that are roaming around in groups, are too much to deal with all alone. If he overdoes it, it would be possible, but will he be able to get as much experience as he wants with that much effort?

“Okay then.”

There is no reason for him to refuse. Ajin nodded and approved it. Daisy smiled brightly.

“Really?”

“Yes, but… I don’t think I can hunt right now. I don’t think it’ll be possible until 18:00 in-game time, don’t you mind that?”

“Ah, yeah. It doesn’t matter. You don’t mind it, right everyone?”

She answered and Daisy asked Haguro and Rina who was behind her. The two exchanged glances for a moment and nodded.

“That’s alright. Shall I send you a friend request?”

“Yes, please.”

Daisy smiled broadly and nodded her head. Ajin raised his finger to manipulate the screen and made a friend request. He sent Daisy a friend request and she accepted it immediately.

‘You are my first friend in this game.’

At the same time, it is only a relationship that is woven for mutual understanding. Ajin looked at Daisy’s name that had a green light on.

“Then, call me later, at 18:00 or I’ll wait for you in front of the fountain.”

“Yes, please do as you please. Is there anything urgent you have to do?”

“Yes, it’s a little bit about business…”

He doesn’t have to talk about the quest that he is doing. He didn’t even expect that he would be going for a quest. Ajin smiled like a good human, hiding his suspicious smile at the back of his head.

“Yes, sir! See you later, then.”

Daisy bowed her head to Ajin and he also bowed his head. Then he moved on and headed towards Sake’s house.

‘It’s time to start working.’

Preparation is not very necessary as the intimacy already had been formed. The problem is the tactic. It’s important to know what to do. Ajin smiled as he was seeing Sake’s house getting closer.

‘It’s important to clean up the mess.’

As he checked some of his plans he had formulated, Ajin giggled.