Mysterious Minstrel

Chapter 11

Aileen and I are sitting in chemistry class. The teacher's letting us take a study hall, and he sits behind his desk and occasionally glares at us to confirm we're doing some type of work.

"So let me get this straight," Aileen says. "You agreed to defeat the hog king to get the approval of this random guy?"

"He's not just a random guy," I say, keeping my voice low. "He's the general of Mysteriously. I felt like I was trash when he was looking at me. I need to prove myself."

"The hog king is like... level 35." Aileen takes a breath through her teeth. "How are you going to catch up to that level?"

"I just have to play every day from now," I say. But even as I say these words, I doubt myself. It feels like I've taken up an impossible task. Even Nathan seemed concerned as we sipped our virtual coffee. He tried to talk me out of it, but I remained stubborn.

"I'll help you out," Aileen says. "After classes, we'll head straight to the hogs and get you trained up."

Aileen keeps her promise. After class, we both log into Starlia and head to the same spot where Nathan showed me his ultimate ability. I sing to put the hogs to sleep, and Aileen charges forward to slash them down. I dance to raise her stats. We make a good team. Occasionally, I play my harp to finish off the hogs. I feel like I'm getting stronger. Level 10 reached!

Level 11 reached!

Level 12 reached!

We're kind of on a roll here. "How long did it take for you to reach your level?" I ask Aileen.

Aileen pauses after finishing off two hogs with bonecrush. "Well, I gained two levels when I went training with Mags yesterday. But I'll say, maybe two months of training to get to level 37?"

"That's way more than I anticipated," I groan, leaning against one of the jutting rocks.

"You can do this," Aileen says. "Plus, I think you're strong enough to move to a different training area."

Just when I was getting used to the intensity of these hogs. "Well... if you say so."

Aileen releases Simba, and from there we ride to the town closest to Star Town. Compared to Star Town, the place is a little more than a village. "This place is called Rug's Path. It's kind of an interval between two bigger towns."

I nod, jumping off of Simba. Aileen puts her pet away, and from there we admire the peaceful nature of the town. It's much less populated than Star Town, holding just one basic weaponry and armory, a well and food stand, and one inn available for those who need to rest. There's much more greenery here. The buildings are built from slabs of wood, with no official city square.

"Let's head off to the field," Aileen says. "We'll find some rabbits nearby."

"Rabbits?" I say. "Are you sure they're more dangerous and higher level than the hogs?"

Aileen grimaces. "You'll understand once you see them."

We take off down a hill's decline. We come to a stream and an area with long grass and the occasional fallen log. At first, I experience complete peace. No sign of monsters anywhere. Then... I start to understand why Aileen grimaced.

A rabbit approaches. It locks its red eyes onto me, and foam gathers near its mouth. "You didn't tell me the rabbits were rabid!" I say.

Aileen jumps in front of me, wielding her sword. "Cut!" She brings it down against the monster, and it disappears into the air, like a vapor in the wind.

"I didn't say they were cute," Aileen says. "You can train here until you're level twenty. Then you'll be ready for your first job advancement."

I look at my friend like she's offering me poop on a stick. "Fighting against these things doesn't sound so appealing. What if I get bitten?"