Complete Private Providence Meeting Abnormal Individuals

[Ueno Mizuki]

Most of the time the outfit you'll be wearing in combat will also be what you'll be wearing outside of combat when you're adventuring. (She pointed at the bandits.) Threats can appear out of nowhere, giving you little time to prepare.

The fact that MAI was arguing this point did make Mizuki wonder what kind of person the female sitting opposite of her really was. She was making valid points, but most people would start out with the idea that they'd prefer to keep themselves covered.

It might be that as a magia you don't have to worry as much about it as other races: I don't really know whether your... bits are the same as us biological types. (She paused for a moment before continuing.) I just find pants more convenient.

Her ears twitched as she heard the sound of droplets hitting the roof of the wagon, indicating that the weather was changing. Looking out from her seated position she saw the grey clouds overhead begin to unload their contents, leaving the bandits on the sled quite distraught as they had no coverage. Mizuki considered creating a roof for them, but since they were already moving she shook her head. Not like the bandits deserved much sympathy anyway.

Instead, she nodded as MAI answered her question.

Makes sense. Anything you'd be particularly interested in? (She placed a hand on her chest.) I'm quite knowledgeable about the parts of this world that we Travelers have explored so far, so I could act as your guide. If you want me to, that is.

Her tail thumped against the wooden floor of the wagon's interior once before halting its movements, the luna wolf keeping her mismatched eyes on MAI as she awaited the magia's response.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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The Magia had to simply shake her head. She was far too unfamiliar with this world to have any kind of specific goal or even destination in mind, which was why she was headed to the presumably largest settlement she could discern about. Sounded like a good place to start.

"General directions. Anything necessary to play this game."

She figured that since TerraSphere was often talked about as an MMO, it must have had at least a few spots that were important to the community and functioned as gathering hubs. Or perhaps locations that newbies should stay away from as those zones were meant for high-leveled players.

"Haven't been playing for long, so I don't have much to go on. I only gathered the basics about how to play."

Clearly, she figured out a bit more than just the basics, given how well she was already controlling her masteries, but unfortunately, that knowledge did not extend to the rest that this world had to offer.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki let out a short hum as MAI stated that she was too inexperienced with Terrasphere to have any specific interests. While it was true that she'd need to learn more about the world before she could pick something to focus on she might be treating Terrasphere as more similar to other MMORPGs than it really was.

I can do that as well, but there aren't really many rules. (She looked out of the wagon.) Aside from the basics which you've already learned, this world really is a lot like ours. There isn't really an overarching storyline, or a goal all Travelers strive for: everyone just does their own thing.

She was choosing her words carefully, not only because she herself believed that this virtual world should be treated as more than just a game, but also because the merchant might be listening in. To indicate this she first looked at MAI, then indicated her head towards the front of the wagon before continuing.

If there's a universal trend amongst Travelers it's that we're all eager to learn more about this world and be part of it. For that purpose most of us join one of the four big factions that have opened their doors to Travelers. The Lion Arms want to enlist our help in keeping both Travelers and Landers safe, the Adventurers Guild receives requests from the people which members can then complete for a reward, the Explorers Guild focuses on exploring the unknown, and the Magical Institute of Theory is where all the scholars and researchers go.

But to reiterate, there isn't really a goal to work towards, so what you need to learn depends a lot on why you joined this world.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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The Magia nodded a few times.

"Mm, I've heard something like that before. But since I'm not very social at all, I'm not particularly interested in pursuing large groups like that."

It basically seemed like joining up with a guild. Which would, in turn mean obligations... and obligations were rarely fun. Especially when playing this game was wholly different from just sitting in a comfy chair at one's desk and sipping hot chocolate while complaining about how bullshit that boss' one-shot mechanic is.

"Geographical information will be enough. Though, probably best while also directly shown rather than just told."

In other words, she needed a more practical guide, rather than a one-time teacher. Although the beast girl did already suggest filling that very role, it almost seemed dubious that she would do so simply from the kindness of her own heart.

"I am also too poor to really pay you for any of those services."

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki shook her head as MAI declined the idea of joining a faction on the basis that she wasn't a very social person.

Not every faction puts a lot of focus on social interaction. Lion Arms and the Magical Institute of Theory are probably the most cohesive, but the Adventurers Guild and the Explorers League mostly let members do their own thing. (She shrugged.) Of course, it's up to you, but there's benefits to joining a faction, as well as adding contacts. Long-distance communication is only possible between contacts, so most Travelers end up adding other Travelers they encounter just in case.

Well, if MAI really had no interest in social activities she might not be interested in all of that anyway, although Mizuki suspected that if the female magia was that introverted she might end up not finding Terrasphere very enjoyable. While one could gain a lot out of exploring this world on their own, it was undeniable that many of the most interesting experiences required you to work together and team up with others.

She nodded as the discussion shifted slightly, to the idea that MAI would need someone to show her the areas that were currently available to Travelers. Although she blinked when the purple-haired girl mentioned not being able to pay Mizuki, a suggestion which utterly confused her. After several seconds she shook her head once more.

I might not have been clear about this, but I wasn't suggesting that you pay me for it. I'm offering to journey together with you because I think it'd be more enjoyable than just hunting bandits on my own.

It was quite normal for people in MMORPGs to team up and play the game together, and while Mizuki didn't think Terrasphere was anything like other MMORPGs some trends could still be very similar. Most Travelers, she found, ended up forming bonds with a couple of other Travelers they'd spend a lot of time together with.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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MAI had plenty of chances to look Mizuki over from head to toe, and she did so. Not to mention, she was able to witness how she dealt with the bandits and how she used her masteries.

"You're not new."

That was the simple conclusion from those observations. And the one thing that it meant was - why would Mizuki want to find someone new to journey with? Surely she already had plenty of acquaintances, possibly even in one of the aforementioned four major factions.

That said, she was very much aware that such a weak argument would not make the wolf girl just turn around and retract her offer.

"Mm... but if you don't mind, then I suppose it would be rude of me not to accept. I'll try not to hold you back too much."

She was well aware that as a newbie, her actions could easily infuriate someone far more experienced if she didn't try hard enough. After all, people on the internet never had much patience.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki tilted her head as MAI inspected her, the female magia not even bothering to hide it. The statement that came after made her eyebrows rise, primarily because she wasn't sure what the other Traveler was insinuating.

I've been around for longer than most, so I know a bit more about this world than most as well. (One of her ears flicked as she corrected herself.) Although there's some really smart people out there who've been picking things up a lot faster than I expected.

Cleo certainly had gotten the hang of things a lot faster than Mizuki did back in the day. Granted, she would be the first to admit that the redhead was a lot smarter than her.

However, MAI was willing to accept her company now that she'd made it clear she'd offered for them to journey together rather than her acting as a professional guide, so Mizuki pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind as she instead smiled, her tail hitting the floor twice.

I wouldn't worry too much about that. This world is complex, so being smart with how you use your skills is a lot more important than the raw power you can put behind them.

Of course, just agreeing to travel together didn't tackle the original question of what MAI really wanted to do.

Once we're in town we can do some research on the various regions to get an idea of which one would interest you the most.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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Being smart, huh? People liked to praise the girl as being smart, but she never particularly felt like being all that clever herself. Average at best, often outsmarted by most people. Which was part of why she hated PvP in games... thankfully it didn't seem like that was a big aspect of TerraSphere. At least so far. Although there was a reason why she was mostly hiding away from other players right now.

"Got it. Sounds good enough."

If she could at least get a list of available locations and a brief explanation as to how each one is, then maybe she wouldn't be so terribly lost. Of course, it was somewhat difficult to even imagine finding the motivation to explore somewhere she didn't know. It would have been so much more convenient if someone just dragged her along on their own adventure. But it didn't feel like Mizuki was someone who would do that.

@Ueno Mizuki