Chapter 150
Chapter 150
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 150
Chapter Title: Newbie
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Entering the Orc Forest, I was moved anew.
"Wow."
It's been a while, Orc Forest!
Sunlight filtered through the dense leaves of the towering trees. The scattered sunbeams within the forest painted lines of light, creating a beautiful scene that words couldn't describe.
A sight hard to find in South Korea, at least. A unique beauty that could only be seen in the forests of the fantasy world, the Astria Continent.
It felt like I was reliving the same feeling I had when I first returned to the Astria Continent.
Most of the vast forests in 'Astria Online' that players traverse are either hunting grounds or faction battlefields.
But enjoying scenery like this was one of the ways to fully savor the Astria Continent.
Of course, I had been active in the Northern Elven Forest until the last expansion pack, but the scenery of this forest in the central part of the continent offered a different kind of beauty. The types of trees were different, as was the environment where the plants grew.
To be honest, I don't think I ever properly looked around back then, being so focused on leveling up.
*Clatter! Clang!*
*Screech!*
"Oh."
A male player dressed in beginner's adventurer gear caught my eye. In his hand was a sword? The boy, who looked like a Swordsman, was fighting an orc. He was tall, but his face looked a bit young. A high schooler at best?
The Orc Forest, this beginner hunting ground, is immensely vast. It wasn't just the Orc Forest; the entire continent used expansive areas as player activity zones. Dungeons were handled through instanced fields generated for individuals or parties.
Astria Online has separate servers for North America, Europe, Asia, and so on, but it doesn't have channels, making it a single open world in a way. Hunting grounds can easily get crowded. The game resolves this inconvenience with its vast fields.
They said the game's progression would overwrite the continent's history. What will the continent's true history become? How are the histories of other national servers unfolding?
Am I guiding this continent toward a bright future?
*Slash!*
*Screeeeech!*
My thoughts were interrupted as the young swordsman, who had been fighting the orc bravely, finally seemed to defeat it. The orc spewed milk and collapsed to the ground, and the swordsman wiped the sweat from his brow before sheathing his sword.
Then, he looked this way.
"Gah!"
I jumped back slightly and calmed my startled heart.
Rain, what are you doing? Why are you scared?
He's just a high schooler, a little newbie.
I'm a respectable adult woman and a veteran player.
With an awkward smile, I gave him a little wave.
"Ah, hi?"
"Oh, it's that pretty girl from the commercial!"
He pointed at me with a surprised expression.
And his face was a little red. Why?
*Step, step.*
He strode up next to me, avoiding my gaze for some reason, and tapped a nearby tree.
"......?"
"Uh, umm. Are you the girl from the commercial?"
Why is he talking without making eye contact?
And, speaking so informally? Calling me a girl?
I barely suppressed the urge to puff up my cheeks and retorted sharply.
"Hmph, a girl? Wasn't this an M-rated game? If someone filmed a commercial back then, wouldn't you think they'd obviously be an adult?"
"Gasp... You're an older sister?"
He looked incredibly shocked. Seeing him so taken aback, it was clear that despite his height, he was still just a kid.
"An older sister...? Yes. I'm an older sister."
I've never been called that before.
It's a word with a nice ring to it. What a cute kid.
I looked up at him and gave him a confident smile, the cool expression of an adult woman.
After shaking off the high school boy, who kept trying to stick to me with friend requests, personal questions, and constant conversation, I wandered through the Orc Forest, observing the newbies.
My purpose for coming here today wasn't to run a power-leveling or carrying business for newbies. It would be hard to hunt with the Safety Filter active anyway, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to revisit the places I'd passed through.
And, I also wanted to watch something like this.
*Clang, thwack! Pow!*
"Hiyah! Hah!"
"Hey, hey! It's got aggro on me! Hit it harder!"
"Aren't you supposed to be managing your own damage output!?"
A girl who looked like a Fighter and a boy who looked like a Spirit Master. The two-person party of little kids was struggling against an elite orc.
My goodness, the girl is the tank and the boy is the ranged dealer?
My eyes sparkling, I hid behind a tree and watched the cute newbies hunt.
A laugh escaped my slightly parted lips without me realizing.
"Hehe, how cute."
Are they middle schoolers?
Most of the underage newbies I met today were taller than me. But this pair was about my height. I haven't seen any kids smaller than me yet.
*Screech!*
*Clap!*
"Yay~"
The boy and girl exchanged an adorable high-five after taking down the elite orc. As I watched them with a smile from behind a tree, I checked the field announcement that suddenly popped up.
[The Orc Forest Field Boss, 'Orc Warrior,' has appeared!]
"Oh."
I remember fighting this one.
It's a field boss that drops cute outfits and your first rare equipment.
"An Orc Warrior!?"
"It's a field boss! Sounds like it's nearby! Let's go, quick! If we're late, a ton of players will swarm the place!"
Watching the two friends scurry off, I also moved between the trees, trailing them.
*Krrsh-!*
*CLANG!*
"Ugh!?"
"Kyaa!"
With a roar from the massive Orc Warrior, the huge axe in its hand swept the area. A few newbies were struck by the axe, spilling milk as they fell. But most skillfully minimized the damage using counters like blocking and parrying.
The 'Orc Warrior,' the first giant field boss that new players of Astria Online encounter, is a friendly punching bag that teaches them to use their counter skills with precise timing, how to dodge, and how to maintain sustained damage. Once you can take this guy down proficiently, you're qualified to challenge the first elite dungeon, the 'Cave of the Orc King.'
*Clang! Clang!*
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
The ranged class players kept their distance, launching magic, spirits, talismans, and arrows from afar, while the Fighter and Swordsman class players were getting a feel for blocking and parrying against the Orc Warrior's axe.
Hiding behind a nearby tree and watching them, my eyes found a small girl fighting confidently at the Orc Warrior's front.
"Oh."
A child with a short, light brown bob and bright, clear green eyes. The sword held in her tiny hands moved swiftly.
*Clang!*
The girl blocked the massive Orc Warrior's axe as it came crashing down on her with perfect timing, then quickly pulled her sword back to use the instant-cast thrust that follows a block.
*Th-th-thunk!*
I could tell for sure. Among the many newbies, the smallest girl was dealing the most damage and holding the Orc Warrior's aggro.
"She's good."
And, among all the kids gathered here, she was by far the cutest.
Beads of sweat flew from her forehead, and her large green eyes were filled with just the right amount of tension and determination. And the outstanding reaction speed and skill timing she showed in battle. A brilliant young swordsman. It felt like I was watching myself as a newbie.
*Clang! Thud!*
"Hah!"
As the girl swung her sword with all her might, a sharp cry burst from her small lips.
My goodness, even her battle cry is cute.
I clasped my hands together, my eyes anxiously rooting for the brown-haired girl's struggle.
Go for it, little one!
"Ah!"
The others were probably too busy dealing with the axe's AoE attack to notice. But I, who was focusing all my attention on the girl's movements, saw it.
The young swordsman stumbled. Her feet had gotten slightly tangled. I guess a few hours of playtime isn't enough to get used to this game's synchronization rate.
*SWOOOOSH!*
Over the stumbling girl's body, the Orc Warrior's axe fell with a menacing whoosh. If I left it alone, the girl would be seriously hurt and spill milk. Of course, she wouldn't actually die, but I couldn't bear to watch a cute girl get hurt.
A veteran shouldn't interfere with newbies' hunts. Even as I thought that, my body moved on its own.
*Crack!*
"Chwik?"
In an instant, I was in front of the Orc Warrior, having lightly swung Astaroth. The Orc Warrior looked bewildered, holding its axe, which had been sliced off at the handle.
"Screeeeech!"
But that was only for a moment. Having lost its weapon, the Orc Warrior flew into a rage and began to attack by ramming with its whole body.
I dodged the Orc Warrior's fist as it flew toward me and scratched my head.
"Ehh, my bad."
I felt very sorry, both to the Orc Warrior and to the newbies.
"Wow! You're super strong!"
"Don't say 'you'! That's a veteran player! She's the one who was in the commercial for this game, right? I heard she's a total pro!"
"Gasp! Older sister? Can I call you that? Oh my gosh, you're so cu—no, I mean, pretty!"
A crowd of newbies gathered around me.
The young players spoke to me, their eyes sparkling or their faces slightly flushed. Some of them were around my height, but being on the shorter side, I was completely swamped by them.
"Ah, haha."
I let out an embarrassed laugh and took a step back.
A short distance away, I caught sight of the small, brown-haired girl bowing her head before disappearing into the woods.