Chapter Five

*Player can now choose to leave the beginner town.*

*Accept or reject?*

Lionel didn't hesitate in choosing the latter.

"Reject."

*Player can now remain in the beginner town until another quest is completed.*

The farm girl who'd been hiding watching the combat between Lionel and the Voltsting bee emerged from her hiding place.

She stared at the creature still hovering in the air warily.

"Why didn't you leave?" Lionel was surprised to still see her there, he'd assumed she already escaped.

"You saved my life, so I must repay you. I promised to give you everything I possess," She quickly handed him her farm basket, "This is everything I own, I live in the small hut at the other side of town, the village folks don't like me, so I live in seclusion. Though I don't own much, that basket contains everything I have in this world, I'm sure you'll find somethings useful."

Lionel looked down into the farm basket, there were a few ordinary looking farm tools, and a lot of small sized bottles that contained potions. There were healing potions and most for poison detoxification. He knew the value of poison detox potions, they cost lots of gold coins in the other towns outside the beginner town.

However Lionel handed the basket back to her, "This is everything you have, I can't take it from you. I didn't save you so you could repay me."

The farm girl refused to take the basket, "But I'd given you my word, I can't take it back."

Lionel sighed, the beginner town was a medieval world, honor and promises were of utmost importance. "Then take it as a gift from me. You've given it to me, and now I'm returning it as a gift. You can sell the potions to get by so you won't have to come into the forest to farm all alone."

"But that..." The girl was about to protest again but Lionel quickly placed the basket into her arms. She stopped her words then smiled gratefully, "Thank you, I will forever be indebted to you."

Lionel nodded, "I have to go, do you know your way back to the village from here."

The girl gave a curt nod, "I do, I've been coming into this forest for years now."

Lionel nodded, "Then I wish you a safe return." He flicked his game wrist band and the Voltsting bee disappeared into his inventory.

He heard the girl gasp as the bee disappeared from it's spot, but he knew she would soon forget it, she was an NPC after all.

Just when he was about to walk away the girl called after him, "Wait!"

Lionel stopped and turned around with a questioning look.

"May I ask where you're headed?" The girl asked curiously.

"To the tunnel of despair." He replied not finding anything wrong with telling her about his destination.

"No one goes to the tunnel of despair, it is a place filled with great peril brave warrior."

"I have a mission there, so I must go."

The girl silently studied Lionel's face for a few seconds before she nodded in understanding, "I have no doubts that you will emerge alive."

Lionel was surprised that she didn't seem to consider him mad for going to the place fraught with so much danger, "Thank you." He replied appreciatively, "I'll take my leave."

"Wait!" She called once again as he was leaving, when he turned she smiled, "I owe you my life, if we were to ever cross paths again, I will surely repay your kindness. May I know your name brave warrior?"

"Lione." He subconsciously uttered his real name to her instead of his gaming username, however since she was an NPC, he didn't think about it too much.

"You can call me Lilith, I hope to see you again Lione. Farewell."

"Farewell Lilith."

Lionel turned around and began walking away, this time she didn't stop him, however when he'd walked a few steps away he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

'Lilith the Black Witch!'

His eyes suddenly shone with realization as he recalled that she'd mentioned that she lived in a small hut at the edge of the forest.

Lionel immediately turned around but the spot the girl had been standing was empty, it was as if she had disappeared into thin air. He scanned the surroundings but there was no sign of her at all.

In his past life there had been a very powerful black witch in level sixty of the game rumored to hunt and kill players. Her history had been revealed as a village girl ostracized by everyone else for her dark powers, her parents had died at her hands so the villagers threw her out, she was said to have lived on the hill for years swearing never to use her powers ever again even in the face of death until she encountered a player whom she'd fallen in love with but he had deceived her, using her for her abilities to concoct high grade potions in order to gain money.

The black witch was said to have been enraged, and unleashed her powers for the first time in years, the player who'd cheated her had escaped and she vowed to kill him, she began a killing spree on the players. She was said to use her beauty to seduce them until she'd take their lives.

"Could that farm girl be...?" Lionel muttered with a frown as he watched the spot she'd been standing but had now seemed to vanish with a thoughtful look. After some time, he shrugged turning towards his path he walked away.

It soon got dark, but he still hadn't reached the edge of the forest yet. A shuffling sound of leaves suddenly reached his ears, he stopped in his tracks narrowing his eyes towards a certain direction behind him.

"Will you come out now and tell me why you've been following me or do I have to drag you out?"

Lionel looked behind him towards a dense clutter of overgrown weeds, he could faintly make out the shadow hiding behind the clutter of weeds.

"How could you tell I've been following you? I knew it wasn't a bad idea to follow you, you're quite a skilled player despite being a human." When the person hiding behind the clutter of weeds revealed himself, Lionel was slightly surprised to see that it was the orc guy that he'd met in the market.

"Why have you been following me?" Lionel had felt the presence of someone following him right from the village, however he didn't pay them any attention assuming it was someone who wanted to come find trouble with him seeing that he was just a human, perhaps they might have thought to fight him and loot some coins. Lionel had kept his guard up for whenever the person was ready to attack. Even while he was fighting the bees he'd felt the person's presence hiding but he'd ignored him.

The guy looked at Lionel with determination in his eyes as he declared, "I want to form a party with you."