Free Web NovelChapter 26: Chapter 26- Off to the City.
Shen and Leo finally reached Ironhaven.
The two of them headed to the inn and logged out.
Leo found himself back in his smithy.
It had been two days since he had logged out. He smelled like absolute shit.
Growwwlll..!
He was starving.
But the foul odor coming from his own body nearly made him vomit. He rushed to the shower. It took him nearly two hours to scrub away the stench.
After cleaning up, he quickly went to find something to eat. He opened his refrigerator and checked inside.
Nothing.....
He looked for the bread and rolls he brought previously, but they had already gone bad.
With a sigh, he grabbed his wallet and phone then rushed out of the house.
He headed to the nearest diner and ordered a proper meal. He hadn’t eaten anything for two days and was hungry as hell.
He wolfed down plate after plate, eventually finishing what could have fed nearly ten people.
Even he didn’t know he could eat that much.
As he leaned back in his chair, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
There are no signs of malnutrition or any other health problems despite spending two days immersed in the game.
I don’t feel sick.
I don’t feel weak.
In fact, I feel as though I had just enjoyed a long, refreshing sleep.
Other than the overwhelming hunger, nothing seemed wrong.
After finishing his meal, he wandered around town for a while before making his way home.
Every black car he saw made him anxious.
He couldn’t help wondering if the group of investors was still tailing him.
His paranoia got the better of him, and he circled the area two more times, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. After finding nothing unusual, he finally headed home.
Damn... I’m getting paranoid. Should I buy a gun or something?
He paused.
Something clicked in his mind.
Let’s see if I can find something on the dark web.
He sat down at his desk and pulled the laptop out from under a stack of old textbooks. It hadn’t been touched since he graduated.
He’d used the dark web before — not for anything illegal, just to track down an obscure engine part he and a classmate needed for a mechanical engineering project that no supplier in the country stocked. It wasn’t something he was proud of exactly, but it wasn’t some criminal underworld stuff either, not the way movies made it out to be.
Mostly it was forums, marketplaces, and people selling things that were hard to find through normal channels — sometimes because they were rare, sometimes because they weren’t strictly legal.
He wasn’t going to think too hard about which category this fell into.
If those investors really were still watching him, he wanted something more reassuring than a kitchen knife.
It took some digging to find a listing that looked legitimate rather than like an obvious scam — a seller with enough reviews and transaction history to seem real. He placed an order for the cheapest option available, paid in the currency the site required, and got a confirmation that it would arrive within the day, addressed like an ordinary package.
He closed that tab and, out of habit, he kept scrolling.
Most of what came up was the usual mix of junk and shock content people warned you about — nothing he lingered on. Most of the content looked shady, some obvious scams.
Then one video thumbnail caught his eye: grainy footage, night-vision quality, of a man surrounded by several others in what looked like an alley.
He clicked on it.
The men were beating the one in the middle. Then, halfway through, the victim’s body lit up — not like an explosion, more like something igniting from the inside out. Flame poured off him in a wave, and the men around him staggered back, some of them clearly on fire.
Leo watched it twice.
It looked exactly like a skill activation. The same kind of effect he’d seen from his own sword.
He almost dismissed it as fake — the dark web was full of doctored footage, people faking anything for views or shock value — but something about the way the fire moved didn’t sit right with him. It didn’t behave like CGI. It behaved like game particle effects.
He bookmarked the page before closing the laptop, telling himself he’d look into it later.
Right now, there was something else nagging at him. He felt like he had excess energy in his body.
"Let’s try working out," he muttered.
Leo started with a few stretches before dropping into a plank position for push-ups.
To his surprise, he was actually able to do them.
He completed thirty-seven push-ups on his first attempt.
"What the fuck?"
"How did I suddenly become so... healthy? Strong? Whatever this is."
"I couldn’t even do more than five push-ups before, and now I can do thirty-seven in one sitting."
"Let’s try something else."
He moved on to sit-ups.
Then squats. freewebnoveℓ.com
Both were far easier than he remembered.
Sure, he had built some strength from swinging a hammer as a blacksmith, but this was far beyond normal.
"Damn... did lying around for two days somehow save up all my energy or something?"
Curious, he put on his running shoes and headed outside.
He ran as fast as he could.
Only after nearly two kilometers did he finally begin to run out of breath.
"I used to be gasping for air just running from the diner to the shop."
He nodded to himself.
"Well... I should keep working out in real life too."
After testing his stamina and overall physical condition, he checked the news.
Nothing major had happened.
The only noticeable change was that people were becoming increasingly anxious.
Many players had been immersed in the game for days, neglecting the real world entirely.
Some hardcore gamers were grinding day and night.
More than twenty players had already left their beginner towns.
"Guess I should make my way to the city too."
"I need to complete my class advancement quest, or I’ll be stuck like Shen. Even hunting won’t give me any more experience."
"CONNECT."
Leo logged back into the game.
The familiar wooden walls of the inn greeted him once again.
He checked to see if Shen was online.
He wasn’t.
Leo left him a message.
"I’m heading to the city first. I’ll try to complete my class advancement quest. Send me a message when you log in."
With that, Leo set off toward the city.
There were no teleportation gates in the beginner village.
Players either had to walk or ride in a merchant caravan traveling to the city.
Leo chose to tag along with a merchant caravan.
The journey would take roughly two hours.
After finding a merchant caravan heading toward the city, he accepted the escort mission.
....
The merchant caravan slowly moved out of Iron haven.
Four wagons loaded with ore, lumber, and sacks of grain creaked along the dirt road. Around them marched eight people, hired guards and mercenaries clad in worn leather armor. Their expressions remained vigilant as they scanned the surrounding forest.
Leo sat near the rear wagon, watching the scenery pass by.
This was his first time leaving the beginner region.
The world suddenly felt much larger than he had imagined.
Rolling hills stretched endlessly into the distance while ancient forests blanketed the mountains. Birds circled overhead, and every now and then a monster could be spotted wandering far from the road.
Most of them ignored the caravan.
Not all.
"Everyone stay alert!" one of the guards shouted.
A scout came sprinting from the front of the convoy.
"Goblins! Around twenty of them!"
The merchants immediately pulled the wagons into a defensive circle.
The guards drew their weapons.
Leo instinctively reached for the ember touched sword hanging from his waist.
A system notification appeared.
[Escort Mission Updated]
Protect the caravan. Prevent the loss of any wagon.
"So this is how escort missions work.."
The bushes rustled.
One...
Two...
Then dozens of small green figures burst out of the forest.
"Goblins!"
The monsters charged with crude spears and rusty blades.
The guards met them head-on.
Steel clashed.
Screams echoed through the trees.
Leo rushed toward the nearest goblin. The creature lunged first with crude spear made of stone and wood aimed directly at his chest. Instead of panicking, his body moved with practiced step.
The spear missed.
[Forge fire Strike]
His ember touched sword ignited with flames.
Swish..
[-96 damage]
Critical Hit!
Goblin Raider defeated.
Leo blinked.
"...That was easier than I expected."
Another goblin jumped onto his back.
Before it could stab him, Leo grabbed it by the arm and threw it over his shoulder.
The monster hit the ground hard.
A second swing ended the fight.
The nearby guards stared at him.
"Kid... are you really just a beginner?"
Leo didn’t answer just smiled.
His strength seemed far beyond what they had been two days ago.
Suddenly...
A deafening howl echoed through the forest.
The battlefield fell silent.
Even the goblins stopped attacking.
The ground trembled.
Heavy footsteps approached from deeper within the woods.
The guards’ captain’s face turned pale.
"No..."
"It can’t be..."
Branches snapped like twigs.
A creature nearly three meters tall emerged from the trees.
Unlike the goblins, it wore iron armor stitched together from countless stolen pieces. A massive axe rested on its shoulder, stained with dried blood.
Its glowing red eye fixed itself on the caravan.
[Field Boss Detected]
[Goblin Warlord - Level 35]
The system window flashed crimson.
[Warning.]
[Survival probability: 3.8%.]
Leo slowly tightened his grip around his sword.
"...Well."
"This is going to be a problem."
I should run.
But his feet didn’t move.
The guards were panicking. The merchants were screaming. If he fled, they would die.
The Goblin Warlord let out another roar that shook the surrounding forest.
The goblins’ morale instantly soared.
They charged once more, fighting with renewed ferocity.
The captain of the guards gritted his teeth.
"Form a defensive line! Protect the wagons! Don’t let them break through!"
The guards immediately obeyed.
Leo knew it would be too much difficult for him to defeat something twenty levels above him.
He wasn’t stupid enough to try.
Instead, he focused on the ordinary goblins that slipped through the defensive line.
One darted toward a merchant carrying supplies.
Leo intercepted it with a swing of his sword.
Swish..!
The goblin’s skull was cleaved apart.
Another rushed toward the horses.
He kicked it away before slashing it across its chest and finished it after piercing its heart.
[Goblin Raider — DEFEATED x2]
The experience bar didn’t move.
Right...
He had already reached the level cap for his current class. But the Exp will accumulate.
Still, completing the escort mission was reward enough.
The Warlord finally moved, closing the distance in a few heavy strides. The captain met it head-on, longsword raised, and the impact sent him skidding backward, blood at the corner of his mouth.
Leo saw an opening while the thing’s attention was on the captain and took it — a fast strike across the back of its knee, more to test the armor than anything else.
[-42 damage]
The Warlord barely reacted. It rounded on him with a snarl, axe already swinging, and Leo threw himself sideways just in time to avoid losing an arm.
"Damn, That was close." He scrambled back, putting distance between them. That wasn’t a fight he could win, not today.
Thwip.
An arrow buried itself in the Warlord’s shoulder. Then another.
Three figures dropped from the treeline in dark green cloaks marked with Ironhaven’s crest.
"City Rangers!" one of the merchants shouted, relief cracking through his voice.
The lead ranger, silver hair pulled back tight, was already nocking a second arrow. "Captain, keep it busy. We’ll bring it down."
The fight turned fast after that. The rangers picked apart every opening the Warlord gave them, arrows finding gaps in the joints of its armor, while the captain pressed the advantage and opened a deep gash across its thigh. The creature staggered, realized the numbers had shifted against it, and let out a sharp whistle. The remaining goblins scattered into the trees. The Warlord followed a moment later, vanishing into the undergrowth as fast as it had come.
Silence settled back over the clearing.
The captain lowered his sword, breathing hard, and laughed — short, bitter, relieved. "We survived."
The merchants cheered. A couple of the guards just sat down where they stood.
[Mission Complete!]
[Escort the Merchant Caravan]
Reward: Reputation with Ironhaven Merchants increased.
5 Silver Coins.
Merchant Favor Token x1.
Leo accepted it, glancing at the token’s description — something about merchants being more willing to negotiate prices for anyone holding one.
Not bad for a job that had nearly gone sideways.
The captain walked over as the caravan started reforming. "You fought well for someone who hasn’t even advanced yet."
"Did what I could," Leo said.
"You’re headed for Graystone?"
"That’s the plan."
"Then hurry and complete your advancement. Staying in a beginner class for too long will only hold you back."
"I plan to."
The caravan resumed its journey after a short break.
This time, everyone remained far more alert.
Fortunately, no more monsters attacked.
The road gradually widened.
More travelers began appearing.
Some caravans traveled toward Ironhaven while others headed for the city.
Players became increasingly common as well.
Leo saw parties of warriors covered in monster blood.
A group of robed mages discussed spell combinations while walking beside the road.
Several archers compared newly acquired bows.
Everyone seemed busy preparing for whatever awaited them beyond the beginner stage.
"So I’m not the only one rushing to advance."
Hours passed.
Eventually, the dense forest gave way to vast farmlands.
Fields of golden wheat stretched across the plains.
Windmills slowly turned in the afternoon breeze.
Stone farmhouses dotted the landscape.
In the distance...
Walls.
Massive gray stone walls rose into the sky.
Watchtowers stood every few hundred meters.
Colorful banners fluttered from their peaks.
A river flowed alongside the city’s western wall, crossed by an enormous stone bridge crowded with wagons and travelers.
The merchants beside Leo smiled proudly.
"Graystone City."
Even from several kilometers away, it dwarfed Ironhaven.
"This..."
Leo muttered.
"...is only the first city?"
The scale completely exceeded his expectations.
As the caravan approached the entrance, the crowd became thicker.
Hundreds of players lined up before the main gate. freewebnøvel.com
NPC merchants argued over taxes.
Knights inspected every wagon entering the city.
A huge notice board had been erected beside the gate.
Dozens of quests were pinned to it.
The gate itself was nearly thirty meters tall.
Above it hung a massive stone plaque.
Welcome to Graystone City.
The caravan was waved through after a brief inspection.
As Leo crossed beneath the towering gate, another familiar chime echoed in his ears.
You have entered Graystone City.
