Starting from Zero – Book Two, Chapter Five

Buying

Following Clark to the second floor of his store there was a small living room. After sitting down on a chair, Clark goes to another room but soon he returns holding a red blood sword. He places the sword in front of me. “This is a long sword that I made when I had finished my apprenticeship. Take a look if you can use it.”

Carefully and quickly I took the sword. Without any decoration on it, the sword was quite standard but what I didn’t know was the reason why the sword was emitting a red glow. Again I look the sword but this time I looked the attributes. Soulkeeper Blood Sucking Sword – Attack 25-40. Attack speed —— Fast. 15% blood sucking. Plus 1 agility. 1% chances of stunning. Indeed, this is a good sword! Especially the fast attack speed as well the blood sucking ability. In 《Zero》 the weapon speed attack is divided into five grades. The best is nimble, then fast and then ordinary, it continues with slow and last, extremely slow. The majority short weapons are ordinary, the long swords are slow. That a long sword has speed is already quite rare even more being fast! Not only this sword is fast it has a blood sucking ability and its ability to absorb is very extraordinary. This sword is really a treasure to the warrior profession! Afraid that I can’t use it I quickly look its requirements! It needs level 29, 370 of strength and lastly 170 of agility. Haha! I can use it. Right now I’m level 29, my strength is 13*29=377 and my agility is 6*29=74. Just recently I had reached both of them, simply my luck is the best!

Clark had thought that because I had stayed silent for a while I couldn’t find any words of comfort for what seemed like an ordinary weapon. “Boy (From the start we were friendly with each other because I’m a high charm character.) don’t be sad if you aren’t able to equip! That was my first attempt in which I was successful and even though the attributes were not bad, it’s a pity that you need great strength so a low level person wouldn’t be able to use it. And a high level person would use a high attack weapon so neither would use it. That’s why nobody takes interest in this weapon. I left it stored as commemorative of my first successful work!”

Just now I had remembered that I had forgot to answer to Clark. Hurriedly I answer him: “Oh! That’s right! I can use it, is indeed very good! How much for this sword?”

Hearing me saying I can use it, Clark happily responds: “I don’t need it any more, it’s going to cost you 7 gold coins. Now you have left 6 gold coins.”

I couldn’t reject either, I was very poor and I needed to buy medicine! Moreover, Clark wasn’t the type of person who would bother about it. At worst he would need only to take care of his business after this.

After I had equipped the sword, once again we were going back to the city to pick a shield. Taking a look at my body I had a variety of clothes and even though they were somewhat out of place, more or less I had my body all equipped. Just when I was looking at myself feeling good, Clark spoke: “All your equipment is rubbish, ah! Black, white and also red. What type of appearance is that?!”

“What are you saying? I still think that this is not so bad! At least I have the basic equipment!”

“You are saying that it’s not so bad? Where is your helmet? Your shoulder pads? You have neither armguards! You are missing a belt, an armor and a cloak! Of six rings you only have one! (In theory in 《Zero》, a person is able to equip ten rings, but only the index finger, middle fingers and ring finger of both hands can have effects. The rest are for decoration!)”

I interrupt him quickly: “I have another ring but I need to appraise it!”

“That is good but even if you have another you need another four more rings, ah! You still lack of an amulet and a bracelet. You can only have two bracelets but they can give you many attributes! Not to mention a head ornament, you don’t have one either?”

I’m confused! Originally I had believed that my equipment was not bad but I didn’t expect to be classified as a beggar!

“Forget about it! Although today I will lose money, I have to equip you, otherwise you will mess my reputation when other souls see you coming out from my store! Take everything off, I will handle your equipment and I’ll see what I can do!” Clark came to me wanting to help me change my clothes.

I ran away quickly: “No, no, no! How I can let you lose your money, I will return again to exchange my clothes when I level up!”

After thinking a bit Clark nodded. “You are right, nowadays everyone level up fast so you will exchange your equipment again in a little time, and that would be very troublesome. Ok! Tell me your basic attributes and I’ll prepare a level 200 Dark Knight set. Although you can level up until the level 1000 but after the level 200, the intensity of leveling up will become slow and steady. During this time you need to speed your leveling process!”

“Thank you very much.” While expressing my thanks, I hand over a copy of my basic attributes to Clark.

Just when I had left the shop, at the side of the door, Yao Wang who was already there hiding for a long time like a gust of wind dragged me. I don’t know from where he draws his great strength while being so thin! At last I found that his store was not so far, it was next to the store of Clark, separated by a few storefronts.

Yao Wang grins while showing me a stack of medicine.”Hehe, let me introduce you these medicines.” Then he takes a black pill. “This is called undead pill and although is black, its effect is miraculous!”

“What effect it have?”

“The main use is the recovering of blood. Each pill can recover 500 and not only that, compared with other places the speed of its effect is twice as fast. How about it? Is a good thing, right?

“It’s not expensive?” I believe firmly that good goods are not cheap without reason.

“Expensive? Certainly is not! If not, for what reason I would call it a bargain! I’m selling every package for one gold coin.”

“What? You want to rob me?” At once I went to the front of the store.

Faster than me, Yao Wang pulls me again inside of the store. “You don’t have to worry! Listen to me, let me finish and you will know that its not expensive!”

“Good. Speak!”

“Ok! First I need to tell you, every pack includes 10 pills. In other words, every pill cost 1 silver coin. But if you buy them in other places, one crimson bottle would cost you a silver coin but even so it will restore you 300 of blood and its speed cannot compare with mine. Yet you can still say that it’s expensive?”

After much said, I was thinking that was not only not expensive, it was really cheap! “It’s not expensive! It’s not expensive!”

After saying with a smile that was not expensive Yao Wang became more joyful. Immediately he bring out a big pile of undead pills saying: “This is a one-time offer, if you buy ten packs I will give you one more free of charge, how about it?”

“But I only have nine gold coins!”

“It doesn’t matter, I had said that I would give you twenty percent off. You just need to give me eight gold coins for the eleven packs!”

“Thank you very much!” I almost did not jump of happiness!

Starting from Zero – Book Two, Chapter Four

Friend of the NPCs

It was already midnight after getting up from a nap .After finishing eating something and going to the toilet, I make the necessary preparations to go online. A white light surrounds me and in the next moment I had appeared inside of an alley. Strange. When it has become so noisy?! Everywhere I look is noisy!

You wouldn’t believe me what I’m seeing! “A ghost” The face of the ghost is of a gentle white haired old man. Nevertheless, his body was semitransparent. And not only he has no legs, from the waist downwards was like a cloud, floating in the sky.

“Eh? Child, why are you here?” The one coming to me shouldn’t be an old man, if not a ghost of an old man.

I shook my head to calm myself a little. This is a game. It should be normal for a ghost to appear inside of the game. After thinking like that, I was no longer afraid. “I lost my way coming here, but when I went offline this morning there was nothing in this place.”

The old man floated towards me. “You’re indeed a rare guest! We lived here for a long time and nothing alive came here.”

I felt more relieved knowing that the old man was friendly. “Why nobody has come here?”

“Ai!” As the old man let a long sigh he said: “As you can see I’m dead, so you can assume why is that.”

“This is the place where souls go to rest?” I asked guessing.

“Although is not correct, at the same time it is not entirely incorrect.” The old man pulled me towards the exit of the alley. Outside on the road was already brimming with people… No… That’s incorrect, they all should be ghosts. Now it looks like a city full of life. “Certainly this is the place where souls gather, but yet, is not the place where the souls go to rest. You should already be aware when you looked at the city’s name on the gate!”

“The Lost City!”

“Correct! We are already dead but because all kinds of reason we are unwilling to rest, this is the place where souls gather. We are lost souls!” The old man who was speaking seemed very broken-hearted.

Quickly I comfort him: “You shouldn’t be sad, here is quite good too, ah!”

Suddenly, the complexion of the old man changed. “Forget about it. You don’t have to listen to my grieves! Follow me.” Taking the lead the old man flies toward one direction. Without any better option I also follow him. Despite being so old like my grandfather he was flying at full speed. Running madly all the way almost I wasn’t able to contain my breath. The place where the old man stopped it was unexpectedly a huge plaza. The old man ran towards a table and climbed on the top. After I went up the old man started yelling: “Come here everyone! Here I have a living friend!”

Almost fainting, this old man was also excited! For worse, soon I was surrounded by a big pile of demons and ghosts. After using my appraising technique I could only scream “Oh my god!” There were 130 souls, 200 globin souls, 230 necromancer knights, 150 undead warriors, and 350 undead priest. Every one of them was in disorder, this was truly a devil paradise! It was  frightening being surrounded by every type of darkness creatures. I saw a dog of three heads as well a great amount of devils!

The old man yelled towards them: “Everyone, look at my side, at my side I have a living friend. For a long time we haven’t received a living creature. Everyone, it’s time to celebrate!”

“Good! Welcome! Welcome!” I was confused! These demons and ghost were really cordial. It’s really different of what I thought earlier! Looking at the monsters celebrating I didn’t know what to do!

As I was standing distracted at last a tall dark warrior walks toward me. “Hi, I’m Clark. I’m the weapon shop owner of this place. You can tell me what equipment you need, I will give you priority for buying in my shop!”

“The shops here are not open for business? Early in the morning I went around the city and I haven’t seen a door open.”

The Dark Warrior laughed “hehehe” very rough. “It’s natural that nobody was around during daytime! We are in the Lost City. There is nobody around early 8 o’clock to the night 6 o’clock besides the guards!”

“I didn’t expect that. Perhaps all of you are unable to view the sunshine?”

“Is not that we can’t, is that we don’t want, that’s all. Look there, over the tower.” A man of high stature but of thin body wearing a black robe came behind me. This guy was really high! Even though my height of 170cm was ordinary but compared with this man I only reached his shoulder!

I look where he is pointing with his hand, there’s a tall tower there. The square tower is a bit like an Obelisk. Although the tower was not black, the color was quite gray. Measuring with view the height should be at least 300 meters or more, and the lateral side should not surpass more than 100 meters. It looked really prominent. At the top of the tower there is a huge diamond frame. The inside of the color of the frame was orange like an the pupil of an eye, it gave a sense of suffocation. But now the pupil contracted into a vertical line and it has closed. I do not know what will be the outcome when it opens its eyes.

“That is the Dark Tower of the Lost City, and on the top of the tower is the Hell’s Eye. It will wake up when the city or the surroundings are attacked. Only when the Hell’s Eyes opens its eyes, all dark organism will not longer comply with the nocturnal rule and not only that, all dark organism will gain bonus, a boost attack and defense of 50%.”

“Wow, so awesome! It’s invencible!”

The man with the robe laughed evilly. “It’s unlikely that we would be invincible, but we would become difficult to face. I haven’t introduced myself yet, ah, I’m the city pharmacy owner. You can call me Yao Wang.” (Yao Wang = Pharmacist/Medicine King)

“The souls also takes medicine?” This system was really strange. Any race could use medicine!

“Why not! I’m telling you, you can’t buy my medicine in all the continent. My medicine is unique and not only is miraculous, is cheap too! And if you come to me, I’ll give you twenty percent off!”

Soon I was surrounded by a pile of NPCs telling me what they sold. Not only they say in monotone that they would give me twenty percent of discount but also they wanted me to take a look to what they were selling. Without any better option I only could follow the group. Following the order in which they spoke to me I followed Clark to his weapon shop. Finally we reached his shop after passing over some streets. I did come here early in the morning but at that time it was still closed.

“How about it? My shop isn’t bad, right?” Clark said proudly.

I looked around inside of the shop, there is quite pile of weapons. The wall and floor of the shop was decorated with wood. There were many NPC buying things on the sales counter. It has really the feeling of a big shop. “Not bad! Is quite beautiful!”

Listening me saying that, Clark became more proud. “How is it? So you want to buy something?”

“I’m sure that I’m buying! My weapon broke yesterday and I have equipment that I cannot equip right now so I need to buy a useful weapon!”

Clark makes a difficult face, so I immediately said: “It doesn’t matter, if you don’t have enough money you can stay owing me.”

“You have no shame saying that!” I bring out all the things on the counter. “You can receive these things. I have three gold coins yet, so if you don’t have enough you can stay owing me. I will come back again!”

Clark looked at the equipment I pulled out: “These things are probably worth 13 gold coins more the three you have with you, a total of 16 gold coins. Follow me!”