Carnelian

[UPDATE PATCH

- Players can now message internationally

- First NPC Admin added: The Saintess

- Increase in beginner quests

- Various bug fixes

- Various game elements balanced]

Huh.

I opened up my inventory and sighed as I looked at my various titles and stats. Some of them had been slightly 'balanced,' but luckily nothing drastic. The biggest change was that my mask was now no longer a 'growth' item. It was now forever stuck at Level 1.

Looks like my dreams of becoming an NPC have been dashed.

"Various game elements balanced... Basically just telling me that I've been nerfed..." I scoffed. "It sort of does make sense since they're trying to close the gap between the first batch of players and the new batch...I guess my level is also a bit high compared to other rankers...."

I once again sighed as I stretched and stood up from my desk.

Yup, desk. The villagers had actually created me an office on the top floor of the town center.

I have to admit, their construction speed is insane.

I quite like the design too. A very spacious and open circular room. I could even look out the window and see past the buildings to the outer walls (which were still currently under construction). The sun was hanging high up in the sky, causing the building roofs to glisten under the light.

Looking down at the town square and watching a few children play around, I found myself smiling.

As expected, NPCs are way better than real players.

"Little Leader!"

A sudden crash behind me made me jump up and turn towards the door.

"Who the-.....? What are you doing?" I asked the old man who was sprawled on the ground unmoving.

"...Whit...Stop playing dead."

"Psh. You're so boring. Shouldn't you be worried about me instead?" Whit grumbled as he climbed back up to his feet.

"I don't see why I should. Why're you here?"

Whit's eyes lit up and he quickly ran up and grasped my shoulders.

"Name!"

I subtly stepped back and brushed his hands off. "Hm? Name? You've finally forgotten even your own name? Sooner than I expected."

"Of the town! Town name! We haven't thought of one yet, we still call this place 'the village' which is lame!"

I tilted my head as I pondered his sudden declaration. A name for this town?

"...Do we really need one?"

""Of course!"" Two voices called out together.

I turned my head to the door once again and saw Vanir leaning against the door frame. I raised an eyebrow when I saw him.

Why do people keep coming into my office uninvited?

"Ahem. I heard a commotion and came up to check..." He drawled. "But yes, I agree with Whit. Our town will need a name to become official. We can't just be called 'The Village' forever."

I hummed in agreement and rubbed my chin.

I've never been great at naming things...

I quietly gazed out at the children who were still running around. Their laughter flowed and sounded like bells. I also spotted many adults, their parents assumingly, standing under the shade from the buildings and happily chatting while keeping an eye on their kids.

Peace and quiet.

A weird feeling grew in my chest as I continued to watch. It was an ordinary day, but for some reason, it felt so precious. Nobody was fighting, gossiping, or crying. How long has it been since I've relaxed like this?

This town was honestly the first place I've enjoyed being in Sapphire...and even Earth in a long time. A sincerely warm and joyful place...

Ah! Got it.

"Let's name it Carnelian."

"...Carn...Carn-what? What does that mean?"

"A gemstone. Lingering warmth and joy. Motivation, encouragement, leadership, courage," I recited from memory. "Some people believe that wearing it helps timid people become bold and eloquent. It was also worn by ancient warriors around their necks to help them defeat their enemies. Once it was even believed to prevent plagues and illnesses."

"Whew...you sure know your rocks!" Whit whistled while Vanir rolled his eyes. "Let's go with that then! Carn...lia?"

"Carnelian."

"Ah, yes. Carnelian. A fine name was chosen by our fine Little Town Leader!"

Now that his business was done Whit excitedly left the room, most likely to spread the news of the town's new name. Only Vanir stayed back and continued to stare at me.

"Need something?"

He continued to stare. "How did you think of the name?"

I sheepishly laughed. "I've always liked gemstones. Plus, Zircon is also named after a gemstone so I thought, why not? I think Carnelian is pretty fitting for this town, for us."

Vanir simply nodded before turning and walking downstairs.

Well, that was a bit awkward.

I took another glance out the window and started chuckling when I saw Whit scratching his head trying to remember and teach the kids what Carnelian meant.

__________________________________________

[Lynx hacking?]

[Lynx's impossible leveling speed]

[The secret behind the first ranker's level?]

I couldn't help from laughing out loud while scrolling through the Sapphire forums on my phone.

I'm hacking? Is it even possible to hack a VR game run by an AI? Hahaha.

As I continued to giggle to myself, Toku leaned over the back of the couch I was slouched on and peeked at my phone.

"Looking at the forums? Aren't you going to go to sleep?"

I shook my head and continued scrolling. "I'll sleep later. The forums are hilarious."

"...Hilarious? Aren't the posts basically all just about the same thing? Lynx this, Lynx that...Honestly even I'm curious how his level is rising so fast. Does he have an insane grinding speed, have some special quest, or has he found a way to efficiently kill higher-leveled mobs? Although leveling for lower levels has indeed become a bit easier, it's still at a reasonable pace."

Uh. Well, I sure don't know. Maybe Lynx somehow managed to get a bunch of high-leveled NPCs to grind for him through a special quest...

Kai and my father walked through the front door as Toku was speaking and overheard his mutterings. My dad glanced at me briefly before nodding his head at Toku.

"Indeed, Lynx is giving me quite the headache."

Oops.