The Legend

10. More than a Few Dollar [I]

After logging off his synchronization, Ryan tiptoed out of the bedroom and went to the bathroom to urinate. He then noticed that his parents' bedroom was quiet; they were clearly still fast asleep.

Back in his bedroom, he took out his phone and called his boss to ask for leave, claiming that he was sick, seriously ill, and had to be hospitalized for a period of time.

Initially, Ryan's supervisor was unwilling to grant him leave, but upon hearing that he was hospitalized, he reluctantly agreed and approved ten days of leave. However, he then pressed Ryan for details about his illness. Ryan explained that he had acute appendicitis and needed surgery. The supervisor didn't press further, telling him to recover quickly and return to work by the end of the month.

Ryan was extremely happy, took off his clothes, went to bed, and fell fast asleep. He dreamed that he was showing off his skills in the game, eventually becoming the number one male warrior in the world, invincible, killing countless enemies, deeply admired by millions of people, and winning the hearts of countless beauties.

He was just twenty years old this year. He dropped out of high school before graduating because his family was poor and his grades were bad. Since he wasn't studying, he had to work to earn money. He was already seventeen at the time, so he learned to drive from his father, who himself was a driver.

Later, he got his driver's license. Then, his father used his connections to get him a job as a delivery driver for a large state-owned enterprise, earning a monthly salary of over five hundred dollar.

Ryan was a young man without great ambitions, who thought his life would just be like this, but unexpectedly, an online game changed his fate.

"Ryan, it's already eight o'clock, why aren't you up yet?" Ryan's mother, Sharon, knocked on the bedroom door and called to Ryan.

Ryan was sound asleep when he was woken up. He glanced at the time and saw it was still a few minutes before eight o'clock. But to get away with it, he had to pretend to be in a hurry, quickly put on his clothes, and get out of bed, saying, "Oh, I'm up."

"Get up, go and wash your face and come eat quickly."

"Okay, mum."

A short while later, Ryan got dressed, opened the door, and saw a simple meal laid out on the table. His father had already gone to work, and his mother was cleaning up the kitchen.

"Mom, I'm leaving." Ryan pretended that he didn't have time to eat and left as soon as he opened the door.

"Hey... Ryan, eat your food before you go." Sharon chased after him.

Ryan had already hurried downstairs, saying without turning his head, "I can't, mum. I'm going to be late."

"Why didn't you wake up early? Buy some food on the way then."

"Ok, mum." Ryan went downstairs, ran around the city center, and returned home around ten o'clock. 

Sharon was a full housewife. As soon as she saw Ryan return, she asked him what happened. Ryan started to lie, saying that the company's production had recently decreased, and many drivers had been given leave. He was among the first to be laid off and would not return to work until the end of the month.

Sharon believed him and told Ryan to rest at home for a few days.

Ryan was secretly delighted, went back to his bedroom, and fell into a deep sleep, continuing his dream.

At noon, Sharon called Ryan out for lunch, but Ryan mumbled that he wasn't hungry. Sharon didn't press him. Actually, she felt sorry for him and didn't want him to suffer working outside at such a young age, but their family's financial situation was poor, so there was nothing she could do.

At five o'clock in the afternoon, Ryan woke up, went out of his bedroom and ate something quickly. At this time, his father, Zach, came home and asked Ryan why he was home from get off work so early. 

Ryan continued to lie, and his father did not suspect anything.

After dinner, Ryan returned to his bedroom, put on his synchronization patches, and logged in. A flash of white light, and he appeared in the town square. 

As soon as he logged in, he heard that the level 2 main city had officially opened, and players who had reached level 20 could head there to begin a new adventure.

He was only level 16. He thought to himself that he needed to level up quickly. Once the level 2 main city was opened, the leveling speed of those high-level players would be even faster.

At this time, the number of players in Eric Town had decreased by about one-third, and most players were still struggling between levels 18 and 19.

Ryan opened the attribute panel and glanced at his own attributes.

Game Name: Unholy Saint

Level: 16

Class: Berserker

Health: 950

Attack: 25-97

Defense: 28-65

Strength: 39

Intelligence: 0

Physical condition: 0

Agility: 12

Reputation: 1

Luck: 1

All resistances: 0

Attribute Enhancement: 0

Ryan was secretly worried. Where could he level up? He couldn't go to the Dark Demon Palace for the time being. If he went there again, he would easily be recognized by the players who went back to fight the boss yesterday, and that would get him into trouble.

At that moment, a voice message came from Ember Dragon: "Brother Ryan, did you just log on?"

Ryan laughed and said, "Yes."

"We're on the second floor of the Demon Palace, are you coming?"

"Oh, I don't want to go."

"Hmm...." Ember Dragon remained silent.

"Brother Dharma Emperor, what level are you at?"

"Ember Fox and I are level 19, and Ember Tiger is level 18."

Wow, that's fast.

"I've been grinding on the second floor of the Demon Palace all day. I'm trying to reach level 20 tonight."

"Wow. Your clan, Ember, are you all professional gamers before now?"

"We're a studio."

"Just the three of you?"

"No, there are still quite a few others, but we're not in the same starting village."

"Oh." Ryan pondered for a moment, thinking that all studios gamers were quite powerful, and this one must be no exception. It seemed that his two mage-related items had found a market. So he asked, "Ember Dragon, how much can a level 20 blue mage skill book sell for?"

Ember Dragon immediately became interested upon hearing this, "If you're selling for gold coins, you'll get at least a thousand. If you're selling for silver, you'll get at least ten thousand."

"..." Ryan was surprised because he didn't expect it to sell for so much money.

"However, it also depends on what kind of mage uses it. Frost mage's weapons aren't very valuable because most frost mage skills are single-target. Elemental weapons, on the other hand, are much more valuable, similar to what I just said." He paused, then asked, "Why are you asking this?"

Ryan smiled a few times and said, "Yesterday I got an elemental magic book and a level 20 blue elemental magic wand, but I haven't found a buyer yet."

Ryan deliberately left his sentence unfinished. If he had said it completely, it would have seemed as if he intended to sell the skill book and wand to Ember Dragon and his group. In that case, the price would be uncertain.

"Really? A magic wand and a skill book? Can I take a look?" Emperor Dragon City, Ice Snow, and Ember Tiger were all elemental mages.

"Okay, then."

"Hmm, if they're really good stuff, I'll buy them."

"No problem, I'll even sell them to you at a friendly price."

And so, Ember Dragon returned to the city.