The Underlying Myths

[A/N: Unedited. More chapters coming today. Don't forget to vote!]

"...."

Seth remained speechless. He was one step away from committing murder, but he kept a smile on his face as he addressed this trio.

"Out of the three of you, who holds the biggest brain?" He asked seriously.

"It's me!" The one on the right wasted no time replying.

The man on the left interrupted passionately. "No, it's me!"

Hearing this, the other two men kept silent as they thought.

Soon, the middle man opened his mouth slowly and revealed, "Third bro, it is not you. Don't you remember you failed your grade 3 maths?"

"....it was just Grade 3 maths, Big bro," countered the third brother.

The second brother corrected, "...and Grade 4 Maths, Grade 5 Maths, And Grade 6 Maths…"

"Fine. Fine. I won't argue!" The third brother took a step back and covered his blushing face.

Meanwhile, Seth looked horrified, to say the least.

Just one question sparked something he didn't want to hear?

The eldest brother bumped his chest and went forward. "Bros. I got this. Leave it to me."

Changing the tone of his voice, he spoke to Seth. "Young man. I, Senior White Knight, am the smartest person you have ever seen."

"Oh.." Seth voiced his utter speechlessness.

He thought to himself. 'What sort of name is that? Can I kill these idiots?'

Seth said."Ok, s–sir. You say you are a traveller, right?"

"Yes."

"Can't you sense when your fellow traveller is in the vicinity?"

"Uhmm… we never thought of that. Second bro, can we do that?"

The second brother took a while before replying. "The system mentioned some kind of reaction that occurs when two travellers meet. I think it works only on physical contact."

Seth smiled. "Perfect!"

In the eyes of the trio, his figure blurred for a second. In the next second, he appeared in front of the eldest brother and landed an ecstatic slap on his face.

*Bam!*

"F*cking players. Thinking you can scam me. F*ck!"

Seth didn't feel emptied. Using his left hand, he hit the eldest brother once again.

"Tell me when you feel the reaction."

The eldest brother was unrecognizable. His face swelled up like a cartoon figure. No matter how many times Seth looked, he couldn't see the eldest brother's eyes.

They were hidden deep beneath the swellings.

Seth smiled, feeling satisfied. "Can you feel the reaction now?"

"Yes. I can feel it!" the eldest brother shouted.

Upon hearing this, the second brother scratched his head and said, "So, you are one of us. This is really awkward. Welcome, fellow traveler. We are–"

Seth barked, "Don't f*cking bullshit me. I don't care if you are players like me. All I want to know is where is the goddamn shy essence? Or was your claim a lie?"

"Ehh… about that, we know where you can get shy essence." The eldest brother stood up from the ground and answered.

His eyes beamed as he asked. "So, what is your username?"

"Rhazien."

"Your username is Rhazien?" The eldest brother quizzically asked.

"Yes. Do you have a problem with it?"

"No. Not at all. I was just surprised. Hehehe, let's go this way. There is a tree that secretes shy essence. I marked it."

The trio and Seth advanced in a particular direction. On their way, the eldest brother couldn't help but ask.

"How has your experience been so far?"

"Good... I guess. It gives a more painful pleasure vibe. How about you?" Seth replied.

"Oh, it is wonderful. We are in a freaking fantasy world, filled with elves and monsters! How cool is that?"

Seth smiled. He did not know how to respond to the passionate tone of the eldest brother. "Did you complete your first quest?"

"Yes. I was lucky to have spawned at a location close to Lostvale. I came across a bunch of elves who saved my life. My brothers were more unfortunate. Third brother died a couple of times. He finally picked the right avatar that gave him the speed he needed to escape. Second brother hid beneath a ravine for three days until an adventurer saved him."

Upon having a fruitful conversation with the band of brothers, Seth became knowledgeable about the system.

As it turns out, he missed out a lot!

Players had the ability to choose their avatar. Their options were based on the synchronization rate with their available avatars. There was also a roulette device that let them pick an avatar at random. If they were lucky, they would get an exquisite avatar. If they weren't, they would be stuck with the average human avatar.

In the case of the three brothers, they were that unlucky!

As they trod the forest, they conversed with each other. Soon, their conversation reached a fun part.

"What do you know about this world?" Seth asked, hoping his question would lead somewhere.

"Nothing much. Only stories the adventurers tell me. What about you?" The eldest brother asked.

"I know about the eternal night and the elves' involvement in the event. "

The eldest brother gingerly smiled. "You don't know much, then. Alright, I shall help a brother here."

His face suddenly looked punchable in Seth's eyes.

The eldest brother continued. "You see. This world has an established timeline. Four Epochs all together. In the Third Epoch, there was a man of unparalleled might. A mere wave of his hand could part the seas. His eyes could pierce into the planes of existence. And his words were akin to the hymns of gods since he was anointed by the divine entities. "

"It was said that the man was of no origin. He came silently like a guardian angel and protected the world from whatever danger came its way. Occasionally, he would look at the sky and reminisce about his home that laid beyond the stars. This man had no name and could only be addressed by a single title. The Adventure King."

Seth repeated the last sentence he heard. "The Adventure King?"

"Yes, Rhazien. The adventure king was the first recorded traveller in Lycroft!"