The first rays of dawn filtered through the windows of Silverleaf Village, casting a warm glow over Felix’s room. He stretched, feeling the familiar weight of his gear resting beside him. Today marked the beginning of Day 3 in Sol Online, and he had plans.

  He powered up his wrist device and connected to the guild chat. The interface glowed to life, and he quickly found Aric’s name highlighted among his contacts.

  “Morning, Felix!” Aric’s voice came through, lively despite the early hour. “How’s the grind treating you?”

  Felix leaned back against the wall, a grin forming. “Can’t complain. Just finished rescuing a scout and took out a mini-boss yesterday. How about you guys?”

  “Pretty good! We’ve been hitting quests hard,” Aric replied. “But we need to talk about that Guild Token you found.”

  Felix nodded even though Aric couldn’t see him. The token had dropped from one of the bandits during their last encounter, and it held significant value within the game—especially for guilds looking to enhance their reputation or unlock exclusive content.

  “I’m thinking about trading it,” Felix said, his mind racing with possibilities. “You know I’m not really planning on joining a guild again.”

  Aric’s tone shifted slightly, more serious now. “I get that. But it could really benefit Phoenix Reborn if we used it right. We could expand our resources or even get access to higher-tier quests earlier.”

  Felix weighed his options; he appreciated what Phoenix Reborn had done for him in the past but still felt tethered to his decision to play solo.

  “I’ll trade it to you,” Felix finally said, making up his mind. “Just let me know what you can offer in return.”

  A pause lingered on the line before Aric replied enthusiastically, “Great! We have some materials stockpiled that would be perfect for your build—plus some potions we crafted during our runs. I think we can come up with a fair deal.”

  “Sounds good,” Felix agreed as he stood up and began gathering his gear for the day ahead.

  Felix made his way to the village square, ready to trade the Guild Token with Aric. As he stepped outside, the sun shone brightly, illuminating the bustling activity of Silverleaf Village. Players and NPCs mingled, each focused on their tasks as notifications popped up around them.

  “Let’s see what today brings,” he muttered, adjusting his gear. He tapped his wrist device, pulling up the stream feed while walking toward the marketplace. The comments section was alive with activity.

  “Can’t believe he saved that scout!” one user typed.

  “Lix is on fire! What’s next?” another chimed in.

  Felix smiled at the feedback, a rush of adrenaline coursing through him as he read through the messages. He glanced up just in time to catch sight of a nearby notice board flashing new quests and global updates.

  “Looks like I’m not the only one keeping busy,” he murmured, continuing his path toward Aric's location.

  He reached the guild area where several members had gathered for a strategy meeting. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement and urgency as they discussed their plans for leveling up before the impending trials.

  “Felix!” Aric called out as he approached. “You’re just in time! We need to go over our next moves.”

  Felix nodded but couldn’t shake off a sense of unease about what was happening outside their virtual world. The news reports had been bleak lately; each broadcast filled with images of chaos and uncertainty as governments scrambled to regain control amidst rising panic.

  “It’s crazy out there,” one guild member said, gesturing toward a nearby screen displaying breaking news headlines. “They’re forcing people back to work, like everything’s normal again.”

  Felix paused, watching footage of protesters clashing with police in various cities. The government’s push for stability appeared misguided given the looming threat from the pyramids and impending asteroid impact.

  The screen flickered again, showing a government official addressing reporters: “We urge citizens to resume their normal routines while preparing for any potential threats from extraterrestrial technology.”

  “They really think it’ll help?” Felix whispered to Caroline, his voice barely audible above the din of anxious chatter, as she concentrated on filtering through the barrage of live updates on his wrist device.

  “Looks like they want business as usual,” she replied quietly. “Yet it seems like a countdown to disaster..”

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  A chill ran down Felix's spine at her words, feeling how disconnected reality was from their adventures within Sol Online.

  His thoughts drifted back to the guild meeting as he read more stream comments urging him to tackle bigger challenges soon. But deep down, uncertainty nagged at him—could he truly focus on this game while chaos unfolded in the real world?

  * * *

  Felix approached Aric, who stood beside a makeshift trading table covered with various items—potions, materials, and a few shiny trinkets that caught the light.

  “Ready to make the exchange?” Felix asked, glancing at the Guild Token in his hand.

  Aric nodded enthusiastically. “Absolutely. I’ve got some health potions and crafting materials that will be perfect for your build.” He rifled through a bag and pulled out a few vials filled with glowing liquid and several shimmering pieces of ore.

  Felix examined the potions, noting their potency. “These look great. What do you think is a fair trade for the token?”

  “Considering what you found, how about three of these health potions and five rare ores? They’ll help you level up your gear faster,” Aric proposed.

  “Deal,” Felix replied, handing over the Guild Token. He felt a rush of satisfaction as he watched Aric tuck it away safely.

  “Just be careful out there, alright? The world’s getting wilder,” Aric warned, his brow furrowing slightly.

  “I will,” Felix assured him before turning to survey the bustling village square again.

  As he turned away from Aric, the scout trainer approached him with a look of determination on her face. “Lix! Thank you again for saving me back there. I owe you one.”

  “You don’t have to thank me,” Felix said with a shrug. “Just doing my job.”

  “No really! You helped me get back here safely. In fact,” she continued, her eyes brightening, “I need your help again. The mayor has been looking for someone to tackle some urgent tasks related to security in the village.”

  Felix raised an eyebrow. “What kind of tasks?”

  “The bandit situation has escalated beyond just our encounters in the forest; they’re planning something bigger. The mayor needs someone reliable—someone like you—to investigate further,” she explained.

  Felix nodded thoughtfully; this could be an opportunity to gain more experience and resources. “Alright then, I’ll go speak to the mayor.”

  The scout trainer smiled appreciatively. “Thank you! Head over to his office; he’ll fill you in on the details.”

  With that encouragement fueling him forward, Felix made his way toward the mayor's office at the center of Silverleaf Village, ready to learn what awaited him next.

  Felix entered the mayor’s office, a modest building adorned with rustic decorations and a large wooden desk at its center. The mayor, an elderly man with a bushy white beard and keen eyes, looked up from a pile of papers.

  “Ah, Felix! Just the person I wanted to see,” the mayor said, a smile breaking across his face. “We have urgent matters at hand.”

  Felix stepped forward, curiosity piqued. “What’s going on?”

  The mayor leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone. “Reports have come in from the neighboring town of Willowdale. They’re experiencing increased bandit activity and strange sightings in the woods nearby. We need someone to investigate these claims and report back.”

  “I’m on it,” Felix replied without hesitation. “What’s my objective?”

  “Travel to Willowdale, gather information about the bandit raids, and ensure the safety of the townsfolk there. You might also want to look into those strange sightings—could be related,” the mayor instructed.

  A notification popped up in Felix's HUD:

  Quest Accepted: Investigate Willowdale

  Objective: Travel to Willowdale and gather intel on bandit activity and strange sightings.

  “Sounds like a plan,” Felix said, ready for another challenge.

  As he prepared to leave, another message flashed across his HUD:

  Congratulations! You have completed the Tutorial Zone! You can now gain XP from quests and combat!

  Current XP: 18/200 (toward Level 11)

  Felix felt a surge of excitement at this revelation. Completing the tutorial meant he could finally start progressing toward his next level. With each quest ahead of him, he felt motivated to tackle new challenges and explore more of Sol Online’s vast world.

  “Good luck out there!” the mayor called as Felix turned to exit.

  “Thanks!” Felix replied over his shoulder as he stepped back into Silverleaf Village’s bustling atmosphere, determination coursing through him as he made his way toward Willowdale.

  Felix set off toward Willowdale, the familiar path winding through lush trees and vibrant underbrush. As he walked, eager to engage Caroline.

  “Caroline, do you have any updates?” he inquired, scanning his surroundings for any threats.

  “yes, Felix,” her voice responded. “what do you need?”

  “I wanted to follow up on that skill: Precision Shot ability you mentioned before. How is that developing?”

  “Ah, yes! I’ve been working on it diligently,” she replied, a hint of enthusiasm creeping into her tone. “Precision Shot is designed to enhance your aim and damage output significantly when you’re stationary and focused.”

  Felix nodded to himself. “So, it’s a buff for sniping? How do I activate it?”

  “It’ll require some practice,” Caroline explained. “When you take a moment to steady your breath and line up your shot, the skill will automatically engage if you’ve trained enough. It essentially slows down time for you briefly, allowing for an accurate hit—just like in your training sessions.”

  “Sounds useful,” Felix remarked, imagining how it would feel to have an edge in combat. “But what about cooldowns? How often can I use it?”

  “It has a short cooldown period after each use—around thirty seconds—so you’ll need to pick your shots wisely,” Caroline informed him. “You won’t want to waste it on anything less than a prime target.”

  Felix felt a rush of anticipation at the thought of having such a powerful skill at his disposal. “I can definitely see how this could change the way I approach combat.”

  “Exactly! Just remember that it works best when you’re using your sniper rifle or when aiming from cover,” Caroline added.

  As they continued their conversation, Felix focused on the landscape around him—the sun filtering through leaves above created patterns on the ground that shifted with each gentle breeze.

  “You know,” he said after a moment of silence, “it feels good to be out here again. Just me and nature... and an impending quest.”

  “I get that,” Caroline replied thoughtfully. “Being out in the field is different from being cooped up in Silverleaf Village all day.”

  Felix smiled as he took another step forward; he could feel excitement bubbling within him as they drew closer to Willowdale and whatever challenges awaited them there.