5 A Superman Dream (1/2)
After running around the village, Jiang Fei was finally done with the quests. From the beginning, Jiang Fei had been walking about with a full set of the weakest tier equipment. The quests had rewarded with him a few better alternatives. While hunting, he had managed to procure a pair of Gray grade lower pants. Even so, it barely helped -- it better served a trash can. At that moment, Jiang Fei had already managed to equip a full set of White tier equipment. It was still weak, but it was significantly better than a full set of Gray tier equipment.
When he returned to the village to submit the quest, he was Level 4. By the time he completed all the quests available, he had gained enough experience points to reach Level 6. However… It did not seem like he would be ”graduating” from the Beginner's Village anytime soon.
”Ding! Attention, players. The server will shut down in 30 minutes. Please prepare yourself before the allotted time. Today's session is about to come to an end!”
Dawn Break was brilliant in a way that its servers only ran for 8 hours a day. That was a full 24 hours of gameplay while players still got a full 8 hours of sleep! It did not disrupt one's daily lifestyle, allowing one to function normally while enjoying this virtual heaven in their uninterrupted sleep! A new lifestyle!
”Time for me to return to the village and log out.”
Jiang Fei started his journey back to the Beginner's Village. Along the way, he opened his inventory window and started organizing his items.
”Hmm… So let's throw these to the ring as leveling fodder (TL NOTE: items to be sacrificed). It has to be food, or else it would not work. Random ETC items would be gone and still won't contribute to the ring's level. I should sell them to NPCs.”
He organized the items, one at a time, scrutinizing each of them. One particularly item caught his attention. A bottle containing clear, red liquid.
”Hey hey… There's a red potion here. I don't think I would be using them, anytime soon. Monsters in the Beginner's Village are just too weak. Best put them in the blue slots. Don't want the ring gulping them down!”
…
”Ding! Attention players. The server will shut down in 30 seconds. Please make proper preparations before the server disconnects! Today's session is about to come to an end!”
As Jiang Fei was just finished tidying his inventory and tossing trash at the NPC, the system called out again.
”*Shiiing*”
After the same white light flashed by, Jiang Fei found himself lying flat on his bed. Everything had returned to normal.
”Was I dreaming, or was I really playing the game?”
Jiang Fei scratched his head as he asked himself the same question when he had first entered the game. He lifted his hands up and gazed upon the silvery metal around his finger.
*Woosh*
A faint, white light flashed from the ring.
”What the-!”
Jiang Fei bolted upright, fully alert.
”It is a dream! It has to be!”
Baffled by what just happened, Jiang Fei could not think of any other explanation. When the light flashed, he had clearly felt the contents of the ring's inventory! It felt just like he had in the game!
Jiang Fei reached to his thighs hesitantly.
”This better work!” cried Jiang Fei as he pinched himself hard.
”OWWWWWW!”
It worked. He was not dreaming. Definitely not dreaming. The pain was hell on earth. Wait, why would he even subject himself to such pain? Why the heck did he apply that much force...
”Sh*t! Damn! This is real! This is real!”
He could only accept the reality that had been shoved right in his face. The ring was with him, and he knew that the ring's inventory was real! The only difference here was how the game had separated it into two -- red and blue. In reality, he could only access the 18 blue slots. One of those slots contained the small red potion.
”Ah Fei? What's wrong?”
A concerned voice rang from outside Jiang Fei's room. It was his mother.