Starting from Zero

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"But there\'s nothing here."

We\'re now standing on the very top of the place. There is a square platform, apparently man-made, with a round stone placed on it.

"Is this the treasure?" I walked around the stone, without figuring out anything special about it.

Elfy grabbed Hawk\'s sword. "Move away. Let\'s see it when I break it open."

She just chopped at the stone using that sword almost as big as herself, before I can stop her.

The attack was simply bounced away. The stone isn\'t really hard, a gash was left on the surface.

"It\'s just an ordinary rock."

I got closer again. "Yeah...But why would anyone construct a plat here and just put a useless stone on it? There must be something."

Elfy returned the sword to Hawk and ordered: "Break it. It must be hollow inside."

"Nah let me do it. You will take too long." I asked them to get away a bit. "This kind of job usually belongs to Lucky. Lucky! Get this thing open."

He raised his tail and aimed the spike tip at the stone.

Crash!

Instead of breaking it, Lucky\'s tail lodged into the stone. He tried to free himself, without success.

Then Lucky just began to raise his tail by force. Now the entire stone is lifted off the ground, we saw a stone pillar connected under it. The pillar seems still long below the surface, as Lucky\'s height isn\'t enough to drag it out.

"Hold still." I said. "Rosy, try to get that thing out of the ground."

After a while Rosy emerged at the edge of the platform.

Phantom explained inside my head: "Master, Rosy said the whole structure under us is made from rock, he can\'t get through."

Hawk walked over. "What\'s wrong?"

I pointed at Rosy. "It\'s a whole rock under our feet, and pretty deep too. Rosy can\'t do anything about it. And Lucky isn\'t enough to pull it out either."

"So do we break it or not?"

Elfy already rolled up her sleeves. I dragged her back again.

"Leave that to me. Loong\'er, can you break the pillar?"

"Let me try."

She coiled herself around the pillar and gave it a mighty squeeze. The pillar crumbled into several parts. Lucky also took the chance and smashed his tail into the ground, breaking the stone as well.

"That should do it."

There\'s still about half a meter of the remaining pillar sticking out of the ground. We got no idea how big it is under the surface though.

"Lucky, pull it."

Lucky grabbed the pillar and began to lift it using his superior strength. It went smoothly this time--the bottom part is only about 2 meters long.

"Is that an underground entrance?" We looked at the opening left by the broken pillar.

"Seems so." Hawk agreed.

"So...do we go in?" Elfy suggested.

I summoned the small animal I just caught. "Your name will be [Dart] from now on. Go into the entrance and report what you see."

"But, but do you have to ask the cutey to do the dangerous work?" Elfy looks worried.

I nodded towards the hole. "It\'s narrower than a window. Dart is the only one who can get in without trouble. He\'s level 0 anyway, which means free respawns even if the worst happens. Besides he\'s born to be a scout with that kind of speed."

"Um, okay." Elfy is convinced. She held up Dart in her hands. "Be careful, little one!"

Dart disappeared from our sight in a flash. He came back in just 10 seconds.

Phantom acted as out interpreter again. "...There\'s only one room in there, a really small room. There\'s a chest, bigger than the hole so he doesn\'t know how to get it out."

"I see. Hawk, let\'s get down."

"Um, I can\'t. The entrance is too small for me." He displayed his massive muscles.

"I\'ll do it." Elfy hopped into the hole like a rabbit. Geez, she acts fast.

"Don\'t worry, I\'ll go after her."

From the looks of it my size should just fit through. I still took off all the armors, except helmet, just to be sure.

I carefully slipped down the narrow tunnel...Clap, my helmet is stuck.

Hawk looked down from above. "Ziri, take off your helm too. I\'ll hold it for you."

"Alright."

I reached the bottom and found Elfy standing behind me with a lit candle in her hand.

"...You carry candles with you?"

She handed me another. "No. There\'s a bunch of them lying over there. I don\'t have that kind of strange habit. I do have a lighter on me though." She paused. "Wait, you\'re a girl too? I was wondering why you hide your face all the time. I thought you are not confident in your looks or want to hide your scar or something. Now that\'s quite a-impressive, why would you hide it?"

"Crap... I\'m male! And I wear the mask because people always get the wrong idea!"

"...Really?" Elfy is still doubting me.

"Guaranteed! 100% pure! How about I introduce my girlfriend to you next time?"

"No need. I see your Adam. But seriously, a lot of girls would be jealous of your looks. What kind of creams do you use?"

"Forget it. Where\'s the chest?" Now this is what I came for. I should change the topic too.

Elfy stepped aside a bit, revealing a chest behind her back. "Here."

I touched around the chest. It\'s well worn but still intact.

I pulled at the padlock on it. Nope.

"Do you know how to pick locks?"

"Do I look like a Rogue?"

"Well...I\'ll use my expertise then."

"Expertise?" Elfy curiously leaned near to see how I will open the lock.

I drew my sword and stuck it under the lid. "By force of course."

I pried at the chest with my full strength. "...mmmf! It\'s--pretty--solid--"

I gave the other sword to Elfy. "A little help!"

She found a gap on the surface and began her effort too. But looks like our strength is still not enough.

"Ugh. This is no good." Elfy panted. "Let\'s try something else."

"What-- Oh right, why didn\'t I think about it earlier?"

I put away my swords and lifted the entire chest into my inventory. Thank goodness I can put everything into my bracelet--the chest occupied my full inventory space plus filling up my weight load.

"Now hold my hands."

"What for?" Elfy asked in confusion.

"I\'ll take you out."

"I can get out on my own. The problem is can you get back to the entrance with that weight on you?"

"I\'m not getting out from the entrance."

I took Elfy\'s hand and activated my ring. We appeared above the cave in the next second. "Here we are."

Hawk ran to us. "Who is...? Where\'s Ziri?"

Then he just ran back to the entrance.

"Ziri! Are you alright down there?"

"Hey stop it. I\'m here!"

I took out the chest and began to re-equip my gear. Feels much safer this way.

Hawk stood there, pointing at me while giving out some ambiguous mumbles.

I put the last piece on me and gave him a pat on the head. "Hey you! Wake up. Never seen a handsome before?"

"Handsome? You\'re a beauty!"

"Cut it. Help me get this thing open!" I pointed at the red padlock on the chest.

"It\'s just a lock. Piece o\' cake. Now back off." He raised his giant sword above his head. I quickly moved away.

Ching!

The blade precisely hit the hook but didn\'t break it.

"Sigh. Lucky, can you do something?"

He simply fiddled the chest around his claws like a toy before it completely scattered open.

"Now that\'s my Lucky."

"Ah! Treasures!" Elfy exclaimed when she saw something falling out of the chest.

A bow. A milky white colored ball. A ring and...a bracelet.

The bow is a heavy bow constructed from metal. Its shiny silver body is embedded with various gems. It looks like more like an arkwork than an actual weapon.

"Elfy\'s it is. You\'re the only Archer here."

She picked it up and stroked over it. "Don\'t mind if I do."

"Is it good? "

"Let\'s see, it\'s...an Artifact! The [Elemental Kiss], attack 230-320. Every arrow shot from this bow will carry one or two random magic effects!"

"So, you can be a part-time Magic Archer now?"

"My lucky day!"

"\'Kay. Take a look at the others."

Elfy picked up the white ball."What\'s this? Nothing\'s written on its attributes."

"Huh? Can\'t be." I took it over. "It\'s a companion egg. But I don\'t know what\'s in it. Try to hatch it if you wish. Maybe you can get a really nice companion, or waste a slot. Who knows?"

"I\'ll do it. You don\'t understand how other people want companions so bad. Even Hawk has his Sunshine. It\'s kept together with an Artifact anyway. It can\'t be THAT bad."

She dropped her blood on the egg. The egg shook, then crack! A snow-white pony head looked out of it, before it shook off the remaining egg shells.

It has wings!

"A Pegasus!" Hawk immediately recognized this mythologic creature. "It\'s the king of all flying horses, a legendary pegasus."

I watched it closely. "Is it different from other flying horses? How do you know it\'s THE pegasus?"

"The blue eyes. I saw it somewhere on the forum. Someone also got his hands on one and explained some basic knowledge about the species."

Though this is not any concern for Elfy. She\'s just being happy about the tiny horse.

"Why is it so small?" Elfy looked at the pony which can basically fit inside her palm.

I pointed at Lucky. "He was even smaller when he was just born. Try to level him up a bit. Companions usually reach their full size around level 50 or so. I think Lucky is exception. His growth won\'t stop."

"Good to hear. It will be weird if he stays like this forever. I don\'t really mind though. He\'s adorable! I\'ll call you [Crystal Eyes], because that\'s how your eyes look like!"

The pony hopped around her palm before it jumped onto the ground and cut loose. Yup, that looks an energetic horse to me.

I turned to the remaining drops. First, the ring. A cross is decorated on this ordinary looking ring.

I tried to pick it up and---

"AHH HOT!!"

I threw it away. That thing burns!

"What the heck?"

Hawk carefully poked the ring. Nothing. He held it up, still nothing.

"What\'s this thing?" I asked. Not gonna touch it. The skin on my hand is charred black, and that\'s with the protection of my gauntlet!

Hawk checked around it and even tried to equip it. "I don\'t know... How did that happen?"

"Check the status. I\'m sure there\'s something holy or justice or such. That\'s what will happen if I try to touch these god-damned stuff."

The pain on my hand is getting worse. Owwww.

"Oh you\'re right. The ring gives you 2 points of Luck, and there\'s a bonus to it: Evil Resistance." He chuckled.

"Tsk. I\'m no evil!"

Elfy finished her enthusiasm with the pony and went over to us. "You\'re all black, and with a red name over your head. If anyone\'s evil it\'s you!"

"Ugh, fine!"

I looked at the last piece, the bracelet.

"Aha! Now here\'s a real treasure!" I jumped out of joy.

"What?"

I took off a common bracelet and equipped the new one. "This one\'s mine! You can have all the rest!"

"Come on, what is it?" Hawk took the ring for himself and walked towards me.

I pointed upward. "See my name?"

"No, why?" Then Elfy\'s eyes got wider. "Red named players cannot hide their names...and I can\'t see your name now, which means--"

I displayed the status window.

[The Masking Wheel], Sacred equipment, Luck +1, eliminates any negative effects caused by red name status, effects will return when the bracelet is unequipped. There is a 5% chance to double anyone\'s Evilness when you attack them, ineffective against players with Righteousness or 0 Evilness.

"Wah-hahahay! Finally, I can enter cities! Gonna have some fun! Eeeehehahaw!!"

Elfy and Hawk watched as I laughed out with insanity. Elfy even moved a little behind Hawk\'s back. "Is he broken or something?"

Hawk nodded. "I think so."

I jumped onto Night Shade. "Go! To the city! Now!"

The pair looked at me with doubtful looks. "Calm it. It\'s not like the city will run away."

"You no understand!" I\'m too excited to even speak like normal. "Listen, From day one of the game till now, I only went into cities twice. And that was when the game is still testing itself. There were no people in the city. I never visited any cities after registration is open to everyone!"

"But-- you never resupply your potions and items in cities?"

"At first I lost my way in a forest. Then I fell into some kind of underground dungeon and was trapped inside a quest. For two months! When I finally got out I was already red named. Then that avalanche put a bounty on my head in public. I can\'t even get close to cities."

"Ugh. That sounds really terrible experience." Elfy patted on my shoulder. "We\'ll come with you. We need to change up our gear anyway and maybe sell something we don\'t need."

"Then let\'s go already!"

However, someone shouted behind us before we can move.

"YOU AIN\'T GOING ANYWHERE!"