The Core and the craft.

"What did you get?" Aelya asked beside him.

"A spellbook." Edwyn answered, looking at the loot's description. "it's called [Shield bash] and it's for warrior.

He handed the spellbook over to Aelya and asked a question.

"Now that I think about it, how do we get more spells? Do we need to talk to a class-master?"

"Not in this game. You get spells by killing wild bosses or cleaning dungeons. This way you'll have to clean all the contents if you want to be stronger."

"That's clever from the game-designers. I guess it makes their game longer and more difficult."

Aelya nodded.

"It's also a way to separate people and make them play together. The stronger players will get the stronger spells by cleaning the most difficult dungeons or bosses."

"It makes sense. Even though that's not very kind toward the weaker."

"On the contrary, it obliges the weaker to band together and grow stronger by the time, or join a big guild. A game shouldn't change for his players. This is the player's duty to adapt to the game."

Edwyn took his time to think carefully about it. She got the point and he was a perfect example of this : As a healer, he needed a group to move forward, it could be considered as being weak. However, to clean a difficult content, a group needed him, as Aelya couldn't have killed the boss if he wasn't there to heal her. Aelya was powerful, if she hadn't been there, he wouldn't have found Firwick and he wouldn't have level up that fast. By staying with her, he would become stronger.

"What are the other loots? Hurry up pretty boy, or it will disappear!" She reminded him.

"craft stuffs, I don't know what to do with so you take it. And... a drawing?"

Edwyn gave everything to the young woman and kept the drawing to analyze it.

[Split-skull axe : Drawing.]

Quality : handmade.

Class restriction : Only for warriors/paladins.

requirement :

-100 ingot.

-50 pieces of wood.

-50 furs.

-1 Core.

"Milady Aelya, is it normal if I don't understand any of this indications?!"

The warrior smiled and nodded.

"Don't bother with details and check if there is a Core on the corpse. I'll explain the craft system to you on the way."

"On the way? Where are we going?"

"The Core pretty boy, one thing after another."

Edwyn looked around and found a small and bright object, rond-shaped.

[Firwick's Core. Rare]

He showed the strange object to the young woman, who nodded.

"Perfect, I'll take it too then. Let's leave this forest before the monster pop again."

Aelya led the way and brought them back outside the forest. The journey was much more peaceful, no monster came. Edwyn took the time to admire the scenery. The trees were high and dense, brimming with life and he could even hear the birds singing. The game was so realistic! Aelya, however, looked totally unfazed, her gaze went from side to side, looking for a possible danger.

Edwyn wondered from where she could come. The young woman said earlier that it was her first time on this game, however every move from her gave evidence that she was skilled, very skilled.

If that was the case, why was she alone ? Usually, good players were part of a group, or a guild. In each guild there were players who were specialized in scouting talented people and offering them a place.

Unable to find a good answer, Edwyn decided to gather his courage and directly ask.

"Milady Aelya, why do you choose to play alone?"

Astonished, the young woman looked at him.

"I'm not alone since we are a group pretty boy." She smiled.

"That's not what I meant. You're a talented player, why aren't you in a guild?"

"What would it change if I was in a guild?" She answered with another question.

"You wouldn't be obliged to ask a random player like me to group with me."

Aelya smirked.

"A random player who helped me kill a wild boss with just the two of us. If I was in a guild, I would have down him with a lot of others players, and I wouldn't have get two levels."

"Indeed, but if you were with people of an equal level, you could aim for higher objectives! You could level up faster with a better team."

Aelya came to a halt and turned to look at him straight in the eyes.

"Listen pretty boy, being strong in a game isn't always the final objectif. I have personal goals that I want to achieve, and I want to achieve them by myself, according to my own means."

Understanding that it would have been inappropriate to question her further, Edwyn could only nod.

"Tell me pretty boy, why are you playing alone too? Don't you have friends, or even a girlfriend to play with?" It was her time to ask a question.

Edwyn dropped his head.

"Because...I don't have anyone. I play alone, not by my own will but because I'm alone."

A thin finger beneath his chin made him raise his head to meet a kind and warm smile.

"You're not alone anymore Edwyn, don't forget we are a team now."

Edwyn blinked a few time before realizing the situation. It was the first time she called him by his name! However before he could react, she took a step back and get back to her previous attitude.

"Is that why you choose to play a healer?"

Edwyn nodded.

"I figured out I would be more useful as a healer. People would need my help and I would finally be appreciated."

He didn't know why he confessed it that simply, however it felt good to admit it. He wanted to be important for once. He wanted to be the part of a band, the core of a group, someone people appreciated, would laugh with.

"I can understand how you feel, trust me however, you should never do something for other's opinion. If you act according to everyone's taste or will, you won't be yourself anymore."

It was Edwyn's time to came to a halt and look at her.

"What should I do then?"

"Be yourself and do what you think is right. For now I suggest we go in another area with higher monsters."

Edwyn nodded. Aelya's words were simples, as those you can find everywhere, however maybe because she was the one to said them, they were echoing in his mind.

Maybe it was because she was brimming with confidence, or just because he desperately wanted to believe in her. Whatever, the young boy decided to follow his own will and walked alongside her.