Chapter 12: Light and Shades.

"We can never truly see the end of our actions. Thus, we have the opportunity to spread the sunshine to the far side of the world with some little, sincere acts of kindness. We may never see where a simple smile or a kind word may end up, because they create ripples of smiles and kindness that may extend way beyond what our eyes could see. So, smile and be kind, for you may never know where in the world it will be truly needed."

Chapter 12: Light and Shades.

"Hello, Aries757, are you a newcomer?"

"Yes, Amelia117, and I just died for the tenth time, will you help me?"

"More than what you can dream, I'll take you to the famous hospital at the gate of Prontera. Come, follow me. I know the good Priest personally."

"Wow! Thank you so much, you never knew how much this means to me…" 

"Been there myself, and Ben rescued me just in the nick of time." Amy said. "I was just waiting for him to go online and he will be there for sure."

That was when I met the famous couple of Prontera, Amy and Ben. True enough, we found Ben surrounded by beginners whom he was healing and re-equipping. Yes. you heard me right. They are providing equipment to the newcomers who came to be revitalized after they died and respawned. When Ben saw Amy, he immediately apologized to the players around him and walked towards us. 

"There you are!" Ben said, "How are you? You're good?"

"Yah. But he is not." Amy referred to me. "I saw him just fresh from respawn point. He has died several times already. He's literally down and out."

"Full of courage but less stats." Ben sized me up. "Much as we had been when we started here, he, he. Worry no more. We will take care of you, I still have some set here. You got some potions, Amy? Trade him some." 

They gave me a full set of armor, shield and a sword. They also gave me some potion and some zeny! After giving me full health and buffs, Amy told me not to venture too far and be content with killing low level monsters until I get to level 10. They gave me some pointers to better survival like computing damage, attack, defense, and vitality stats. They told me to take ample time off from fighting and the usage of the usual escape routes.

I was about to give up, and suffer again. I was a bullied kid. I suffered from bullying early on in my childhood. Some of the village children usually take turns bullying me because I am smaller than kids of my age. Even before kindergarten, I had already suffered years of bullying. Then, when I was in fourth grade, I heard about the online world of Ragnarok. It is a world where kids like me can have a new life that is different from reality. Thus, I asked for some money from my father and bought a second hand desktop computer. Luckily, the basic computer specs are enough to run the game. 

I downloaded the game and patiently went through the process of downloading the game patch and creating my character. I tried to level up fast by fighting as much as I can but I ended up dying and losing more than I could tolerate. I became so distraught because I cannot accept that even in this online world, I am still a weak loser. I was about to give up when Amy approached me. When she asked me to go with her to the gate of Prontera, I never hesitated, what else do I have to lose? But they gave me more than what I ever wanted and lifted me from despair!

Because of them, I regained my trust in humanity. I regained my will to fight. I asked them if I could have them as friends but they politely declined. They just said that they are easy to find as they are always at Prontera. As they turned to help other players, I shot a prayer of thanks to the Lord above and smiled. I swore to pay their kindness forward. We may never know, I may be able to find my own partner, much like the couple. Oh, how I admire them!

So I started approaching other newly respawned newcomers and helped them by leading them to the couple's "hospital". I made it a point to lead them away from the dungeons and towards the gate of Prontera, and ask them to be patient and wait to be treated by Ben.

But I never expected to be noticed by the Game Moderators. Then one of the Game Moderators gave me a good guy badge and buffs. They gave me some items too!!! This made me so happy that I gave some to other players too! So , I thought, what if I could create a party that would help people! We could do so much more! So, I asked some people to be my friends so that we could make a clan later. Then, hopefully a high lever player would volunteer to be our clan leader. I will be so happy! 

And now, our little clan is slowly growing! We already have seventeen members, mostly newcomers but soon, we will be stronger and stronger. We have raid teams and healers of our own and we are planning to make another hospital in Murrock! Establishing hospitals in towns and cities of Ragnarok will be our primary goal. If we can do that, I will be definitely happy!

Several of our members had already been given the good guy badge by the Game Moderators! It boosted our already high morale! We are so happy about it and we celebrated our six months since we're established. And it all started with a weakling that was me.

If there was a single biggest defining moment in my life, that was when Amy and Ben changed me from being a weakling to a crusader! Because of them, I realized how it is to be cared for and to care for others. When it was my time to help somebody else, it was so definitive. It changed who I was to who I could become! I was given the opportunity to pay their goodness forward! What more, I could multiply myself by inviting people to join my group.

"We have the opportunity to make other people, especially the newcomers, enjoy more of the game. Goodness can be replicated by simple acts that we can do to random people that we may be able to reach each moment." I inspired my clansmen. "There is a big impact that a single kind act can do. You may never know where your kind act will end up."

"Are you ready to make a difference"

"Yes!!!" fifteen players around me shouted in unison!

Of the million players in Ragnarok, fifteen players and me may not be much, but we can definitely start doing something. If two players can change my attitude in the game, we can do so much better. 

Then, the moderators knew about it and gave good guy badges to all my clansmen! We were overjoyed! Some of the clans asked to join our clan and our members grew by leaps and bounds. When I asked the clans to gather around Amy and Ben at the gate of Prontera. They were so happy and surprised at the extent of the little kindness that they did.

The people were so happy that many players began massive donations to newcomers. There was a great celebration of kindness during that day! There was even a massive respawn of bonus monsters and outpouring of rare items! Ragnarok world experienced a great boom in player population and newcomer traffic!

I really felt so fulfilled about what we achieved. We started as weak players but we ended up stronger together. Many players were almost giving up who found their purpose once again. There is no one that can ever do this alone, but I was so happy that I had been a part of the great celebration of kindness in the world of Ragnarok Online. 

There is no such thing as a small act of kindness. There had been so many times that we had been kind and we're being kind in return. It becomes a lifestyle and slowly becomes our identity. The more we do kindness, the more it becomes easier and natural. 

Oftentimes, people will be hesitant at first to relate to others, they may be skeptical to be open to other players unless they are friends in real life. There are those who are not very friendly or approachable who were changed by the atmosphere of kindness that had been prevalent around us. There were new players who sought us as soon as they arrived. They are so happy to be part of our parties that would spread kindness and happiness. Change happened because we are open to the idea of kindness.