10 Beginner Quest
Pete was still reeling from the shock of air travel by horse when the carriage landed on solid ground. The horses clip-clopped to a halt.
Sir Guy pushed the door ajar and led Elaine out first.
"Come, m'boy, Nottingham is here."
Pete exited through the door and walked into an expansive open area.
[ Location: Nottingham Town Center ]
It was the town square of Nottingham, bounded on four sides by mansions and medieval buildings. An eighty-foot tall bronze statue of a man wearing a crown was erected at the center, surrounded by fountains.
"Is that King Richard the Lionheart?" Pete asked.
"The one and only."
You could find a food stall or a merchandise store every twenty-foot square. Petty mages, acrobats, and warriors strolled around showcasing their talents. Tavern music played in the background: a mix of bagpipes, flutes, harps, and drums. Over a thousand people went about their business.
The boy had expected a lifeless medieval town, but Nottingham was colorful and full of life.
As Pete took in the sights and sounds, he spotted a large exclamation mark floating under a fountain near Richard's statue.
'THE CHECKPOINT!' Apparently, nobody else could see it. People passed through it without notice. NPCs. Since Pete was the only player around, only he could see and interact with the mark.
"Sir, I'll be back in a minute," he excused himself.
"Nonsense!" Guy said, holding onto Pete's shoulder. "We'll go straight to the trials!"
The boy squirmed. "Sir, it is nature's call. I must go."
"Oh, very well. You must have had a long journey, and the flying carriage must have wrecked your bladder. We have a few minutes until our luggage is unloaded. Be back by then!"
"Of course," Pete said with a smile and a bow. He quickly slipped behind a crowd and disappeared.
Walking in the bustling crowds of Nottingham, the boy felt his spirits rise. His body was light, full of energy, and his future brimming with possibilities. The beginning of his reincarnation had been dark, but now it was back on track.
Pete smiled at a group of girls who blushed at him. He greeted gentlemen and ladies along his way.
Bam! In his cheery stride, he ran into someone burly.
"Watch it, you bum!" the man cried out. Pete raised his eyes and saw a large, middle-aged man in a uniform. "I'm the head constable of the Sheriff's office! How dare you come in my way?!"
The boy just wanted to get to the exclamation mark as soon as possible. It was right before his eyes, a few feet away. Confrontations and conflicts could wait until he leveled up. "Oh, I'm extremely sorry, sir. I'll be on my way."
The constable grabbed his arm and turned him around. "Where do you think you are going, laddie? I am head constable Knuckle. Answer me!"
"Umm... I am going towards that fountain, sir."
"Oh, no, you are not!" He regarded Pete with his bulging eyes. "Hmmm. I've never seen you around the town before. If you are an outsider, you must report your name and purpose to the Sheriff's office first! Come!"
Knuckle started dragging Pete back, but the boy pulled away, and his grip came loose. Splat! The poor constable tripped and fell face-first into the mud.
The crowd around them laughed at the comical scene.
Knuckle jumped to his feet and unsheathed his sword. "You will answer for this humiliation!"
Pete bit his lip in panic. It was the kind of escalation he had been trying to avoid.
"Take this!" The constable lunged ahead and slashed at the boy.
Pete took an effortless step back. The sword missed him by an entire foot.
Ding!
[ CHECKPOINT REACHED! ]
[ Loading… ]
Inadvertently, he had walked exactly under the red exclamation mark near the fountain. The mark turned green and disappeared.
[ Welcom-- to-- the-- Legenda-- He-- Sy-- ]
[ Error! ]
Crackle! Buzz!
[ Retrying… ]
[ Successful! ]
[ Welcome to the LEGENDARY HERO MEGA SYSTEM ]
[ Reading World Parameters… ]
[ Loading Compatible System… ]
[ Match Found ]
[ Welcome to THE ROBINHOOD SYSTEM ]
[ Location: Nottinghamshire ]
[ Robin Hood: Lvl 1 ]
[ HP: 1000 ]
[ MP: 500 ]
[ Loading Quicksave Data… ]
'Quicksave? But isn't this the first time I have entered this world?"
[ Successful! ]
[ Your Dexterity has increased from 10 to 100 ]
'How does higher dexterity help me?' he wondered.
Knuckle felt ignored and raced at Pete with his sword drawn.
"Fucking outsider!" he screamed.
[ Loading Quest… ]
[ Con the Constable ]
[ Completion Reward: 10💰, Reputation +10 ]
[ Failure Penalty: Lockup for 24 hours ]
[ Failure Title: Offender, Reputation -10 ]
[ ACCEPT? ]
[ YES/ NO ]
'Oh, the first quest has appeared! "All I have to do is defeat this old fart, huh? Piece of cake!"
[[ YES ]]
[ Quest Accepted ]
Knuckle lunged at him with his sword. Exploiting his newfound athletic body, Pete stepped neatly aside and tripped the constable with his foot. The man fell headlong and face-first into the mud.
[ The Constable has been Defeated! ]
'Yes!" the boy exclaimed. "Nailed the first quest! This is too easy!"
[ Con the Constable ] [ Failed! ]
'Failed?' the boy thought, scratching his head. 'But I defeated him, didn't I?'
[ Awarding Penalty… ]
Immediately, a band of guards surrounded him. "Let's grab this miscreant!!" they cried out in chorus.
The crowd gasped and threw glances of disgust at him. Mothers made their children look away. Pete felt as exposed and ugly as he was back in his previous life.
"Who is this outsider?"
"Is he not a loyal subject of King Richard?"
"Is the brat not a friend of the Sheriff?"
"Is he a thief from Sherwood forest?"
"Is the boy from Derby?"
"May the King save us!"
Pete tried to slip away but somehow could not move. Knuckle was on his feet again and had grabbed him by the shoulders. The guards put a black cloth bag over his head, bound his hands and feet in chains, and hauled him away. Everything was happening too fast for Pete to process.
"But I must attend the trials!" the boy complained in vain as his feet dragged across the mud.
He heard Knuckle spit at him. "An outsider like you in the trials? The thought of it is despicable! Vermin!!"
After fifteen minutes of being lugged, Pete felt his body hauled over steps and then across an ice-cold floor. He was shoved roughly and fell hard against a rough, freezing surface.
"Rot there, scum!" one of the guards said and spat at him.
Was he in a prison cell?
"Hey, mister, this is a mistake!" Pete screamed, only to receive a baton blow in the gut. It knocked the wind out of him, and he lay on the floor, writhing and groaning.
'What the fuck is this game?' he raged inside.
Clang! The boy's ears rang as the lockup door shut. He heard the guards walking away, cursing and spitting.
After what seemed hours, Pete heard the cell door open again. Someone removed the black bag from his head. The boy squinted and gasped, relieved to see the light and breathe fresh air again.
"Hey, laddie, you are in serious trouble," Knuckle said grimly. "You messed with the wrong man. I am Head Constable Knuckle. Today, I will be your worst nightmare!"
"Please, this is a mistake, sir! I am not who you think I am!"
Crunch! Pete's head flipped and almost turned around as his jailor slapped him across the face. Pain spread over his jaw like molten metal.
[ PHY DMG ]
[ HP -400 ]
"Aaaaaa!!"
"Shut the fuck up, laddie! And tell me who you are! The sooner you tell me everything, the sooner this can end!"
Pete's head reeled, and acid rose up his throat. Even though Knuckle was not a high-level NPC, his fists were heavy and caused severe damage. "Ughh… mmm… I… I don't know what you are talking about…"
Crack! Knuckle landed another blow across his face, and Pete felt his nose break. A rivulet of flood ran down with a spurt.
[ PHY DMG ]
[ HP -400 ]
He teetered on the edge of consciousness for a moment and came back.
[ Warning! Low HP! ]
