A Place Beyond the Boundaries

Lucas submerged himself in the pond of Ping An Village, hoping to wake up in a different world when he opened his eyes again.

"Bring me back to where I came from, please…" he prayed.

He blinked his eyes open and was greeted by cranes flying in the clear blue skies above. No, this pond wasn't a portal that linked between the two worlds. Not giving up hope, he attempted 'drowning' himself in various water bodies in the virtual world, but he always woke up in the same realm he had transmigrated to.

[Warning! You are exceeding the boundaries of the map! Please return or you'll be transported to the nearest Safety Zone.]

Floating aimlessly, he was reaching the horizons of the sea. Like all other games, DOJ wasn't an infinite world. Every place on the map, be it a mountain, city, or sect, had boundaries. Any player who tried to fly, swim, or run beyond it would be transported back to the nearest Safety Zone.

"Boundaries…" the word triggered some memories. He remembered reading something about the boundaries of the game.

The easter egg!

During the first anniversary of DOJ, Reborn Factory, the company behind the game, released news about an easter egg hidden in the game - a secret map that was located beyond the usual boundaries. Many players tried looking for it but none succeeded, not even a veteran like Lucas. Soon, people stopped hunting for it because it wasn't revealed if there were any prizes for finding it. Not to mention the clues to accessing the hidden location were rather cryptic:

"Where a new day is born, the one who holds the key will receive the greatest blessings.

The secret to finding the key lies in a battle with the sages."

When the easter egg was first released, everyone had their own interpretation of the hints. There were more than a dozen NPC sages in DOJ that can be defeated in dungeons and quests. Despite the many speculations about which sage it was, most players agreed the hints meant that one needed to defeat a certain sage to receive the key, and bring it to a place which symbolized the beginning of a new day. After countless trials, many began to complain if the easter egg even existed. Nobody was sure about how to receive the key or where they needed to go should they receive it.

It was the only thing Lucas hadn't figured out about the game. Could this easter egg hold the key to leaving this world? Maybe there was some hidden magical portal or something. Whatever it was, the only way to know was to find it. Consolidating his thoughts, he finally stopped trying to 'kill' himself in hope of leaving this world. He made his way to the nearby plains and reviewed the lists of dungeons, side quests, and every other minor task in the game.

"Sage of Healing, sage of the White Mountains…" Lucas went through bosses of various missions. Given his current state - a level 10 newbie with mediocre equipment, it was impossible to defeat any of the sages. Moreover, he needed a team of human players, without bots. If he wanted any chance to find the easter egg, he had to put together a team he could trust.

No, a team wouldn't do. He needed friends. Friends who would be willing to accompany him to do the stupidest of things with no questions asked.

Making friends was never his forte. Rather, he had the special ability to repel people around him. Being a newbie added bonus points to that ability.

It's not every day that you can look for a friend simply by chatting up someone in the game. Judging from the conversation that took place in the public chat, this server seemed to be filled with idiots. To make friends, he had to drop the lone warrior personality he adopted in the past.

Although he wasn't sure what lies on the secret map, anything was worth trying. There was only one path ahead of him - becoming stronger, defeating sages, and making some friends. Reaching Level 20 would allow him to join a clan and maybe, he'd be able to get acquainted with the people inside.

[Lucien Cavalier, remember to complete your daily missions. They'll help you become a stronger hero!]

"Stupid system, " he said. "Can't you say something more useful instead of repeating the usual?"

He wasn't exactly in the mood of doing the usual daily mission routine now but began it half-heartedly. There was no time to lose to become stronger. Every experience point, every Silver Leaf he earned was important. The quicker he levelled up, the higher his chances of finding a way out of here.