Once we stepped into the city, a small wave of intimidation washed over me.

Just as I’d feared, the place was packed with players in advanced starter gear, most of them flaunting weapons you only earned after clearing a dungeon or two. Thankfully, Eldertree Haven wasn’t a PvP zone, so we could breathe easy without worrying about getting attacked out of the blue.

Alex, who had practically memorized the map before we logged in, led the way toward an NPC he claimed would give us a starter quest “worth our time,” as he put it.

As we walked, I took in the buildings and the landscape, unable to hide my awe. The whole game was stitched together from bits of mythology across different cultures, but Eldertree Haven was straight out of ancient Celtic lore. An entire village built around a colossal, magical tree. Small huts dotted the area, some housing NPCs, others empty but beautifully crafted all the same.

The tree itself towered in the distance, but even from where we stood, it obscured the skyline. A massive oak, easily a hundred feet tall, its thick branches stretched wide like protective arms over the village. I’d been so caught up in eyeing the competition that I hadn’t even noticed it at first.

We wove through the crowded streets, brushing past players left and right. I recognized a few usernames. Four guys from our school waved us down for a quick “hey” before hurrying off again. Others didn’t bother approaching; they just watched us from a distance, studying us the way a lion sizes up a gazelle.

I pointed it out to Alex and Jack, but both shrugged it off. Honestly, I couldn’t blame them. We were better than all of them put together, and we all knew it. But I still couldn’t shrug off the feeling that something bad was going to happen soon.

“We’re here,” Alex announced, stopping in front of a hut with a small wooden sign hanging right above the door.

“Oakshield Covenant” I read aloud, my face scrunching up in confusion as I realized where Alex had taken us. “You brought us to Aine’s guild?”

“Best way to get started,” he reminded me, already heading inside.

I looked to Jack for support, but she just shrugged, following Alex in. Grumbling to myself, I followed them.

The interior was larger than I had thought. It was dimly lit with torches propped on the walls around. Several items were put on display on pedestals all over the place. There were a few players inside as well, lounging on chairs that stood near what I assumed to be the ‘help desk’. At the other side stood a chubby man in a patterned tunic top and a long dark robe hanging from his shoulders. He looked bored as he stared at us, watching us approach.

He was Aine, the NPC that ran the guild.

I was against going to him simply because I had wanted us to farm dungeons. Coming to a guild meant we would have to work with other people. They dispatched players in teams on five, rather than three to efficiently clear quests with minimal loss. That would mean less xp for us as the rewards would be shared round equally.

“Welcome to the Oakshield Covenant,” Aine said, his voice as dull as he looked. “What can I do for you?”

“We’d like a quest,” Alex said.

Aine stared at him for a few seconds, before holding out his right hand and opening his palm. A loud ring echoed around the room as a curled-up scroll shimmered to life in his hand.

“You are required to have a team of five in order to take this.” Aine looked over at us. “You are only three.”

“We’ll get the remaining two on our way to the quest location,” Alex replied confidently.

“You are required to have a team of five in order to take this,” Aine repeated, staring blankly into Alex’s eyes. “You are only three.”

Scoffing, I crossed my arms. “I don’t know what you expected man.”

Alex ignored me and snatched the scroll out of Aine’s hand. The NPC looked down slowly, then looked up with the same blank stare. “Great luck to you, Ascendants.”

Then he went back to aimlessly staring at the entrance of the hut, not even fazed that his instructions had been ignored.

“How?” My mouth had fallen open the second Alex had grabbed the scroll. I had expected resistance from the NPC.

“One of the beta testers said you could take certain quests without the full party,” he explained. “This one’s the easiest of the bunch.”

Jack chuckled. “You really did your research.”

“Someone had to do it,” Alex shrugged. “Now, let’s see what we have.”

He unfurled the scroll, revealing the contents on the inside. Jack and I hurdled on either side of him, straining our heads to see what the scroll held.

{To any willing adventurer, creatures within Whispering Hollow have grown restless. The Forest Spriggans and Shadow Hounds show signs of a spreading corruption.}

{Objectives-Gather 30 Heartbark Shards and 30 Shadowfangs.}

{Return to Aine of the Oakshield Covenant once you have completed your task.}

{Rewards-Gold, Guild Points and experience points.}

{Accept} {Decline}

Alex tapped on accept and the scroll began crumbling away, one last message appearing on its surface.

{May the grove guide you.}

We heard a loud chime as it vanished completely, followed by a blinking light on our respective hands. Both the map and quest icons had fresh notifications for us.

“Sounds pretty simple,” Jack said. “We’ll need to get weapons first though.”

“We’re broke?” I reminded her. “I don’t recall anything about in-game loan options.”

“Oh.”

Alex placed his hands on our shoulders. “And that, my friends, is what we have our fists for.”

“Are you crazy?” I brushed his hand off me. “Those are level ten mobs. We’re level one.”

“They have low health. Besides, this is a good way to passively increase our stats.”

“Punching them with my bare hands does sound satisfying,” Jack mused. “Sure, why not.”

I let out a sigh, realizing both of them were already locked in. “Alright then, I figure you have an idea on how we won’t die?”

Alex grinned, his eyes glinting with mischief. “Of course I do.”