The Mystery Of The Forgotten Medallion (1)

"Recycling?"

He clicked Yes.

The metal plate lit up, and then disappeared.

A second later, a new window appeared in front of the Atlas.

[ Item received: Metal Shavings x5]

Ren frowned: – Did you... break it down into materials?

Atlas examined the resources he had received and suddenly smiled.

–It looks like it.

Now everything was getting more interesting.He wasn't just collecting junk. He extracted useful things from it.

Which means…Somewhere in this world, there were objects that no one noticed.

And if he finds them first, he can get unique resources that others don't even know about. Atlas continued to collect items.

Grass, rocks, and remnants of equipment are common game trash.But now he knew it wasn't just junk.

Every object found could turn into something useful.

Ren suddenly looked at the game time: – Listen, I'm probably going to bed already. It's getting late, we need to wrap up

And with that, he quit the game. Atlas, too, was already sleepy, he felt that he needed to rest.

"Well, I'll sleep and come back tomorrow, I won't have anything to do anyway."

He saved himself in the game and came out, took off his helmet, he opened the refrigerator and drank water and ate a couple of bananas. Then suddenly his phone

rang –Who is calling at this time?! – He picked up the phone, it was his father.

– Hi, how was that game? – I don't know yet, I caught a bug, and I accidentally chose the "Rabbit" race, now I run and collect garbage.

There was silence on the phone for a moment... and then a loud laugh rang out: – Atlas, a former Special Forces soldier, is now a rabbit and collects garbage, ahahahaha!

– Oh, that's it, I'm switching off, I need to sleep! – Then he fell on the bed and fell asleep, dreaming of little bunnies jumping over the fence: – Atlas frowned very much so that he could dream of something else, but rabbits and bunnies did not leave his head ... so he fell asleep.

***

The next day, Atlas was already collecting garbage with a calm soul.

[ Collected items: 9/10 ]

There was only one left.And then his ability illuminated something in the ground again.

Atlas frowned. It wasn't just trash.

Deeper in the ground, almost hidden among the roots, a strange object glittered.He bent down and began to dig.

A few seconds later, an old, worn metal medallion appeared in his paws.

The system blinked.

[ Hidden object found: Tarnished Medallion ]

[ Rarity: ??? ]

[ Features: cannot be disassembled, cannot be sold ]

"Can't be sold?"

Atlas took a picture of the object and sent it to Ran, while waiting, the guy appeared in front of the rabbit out of nowhere: – What is it?

Atlas turned the locket over in his paws. Worn surface, worn pattern…But as soon as he touched the center, the system reacted instantly.

[The unique quest has been activated! ]

[ "The Secret Of The Forgotten Artifact"]

Atlas froze: – A unique Quest?

Ren narrowed his eyes. Now that's interesting.

Atlas looked at the locket and felt that he had just stumbled upon something really worthwhile.

Now it remained to figure out what exactly. Atlas was in no hurry. This locket was clearly something important. There were no usual hints with him, as with other subjects. It wasn't passed on or sold like everything else.

And something told him that the answer to his questions was somewhere nearby.

– Go to the village. Ren said, noticing his thoughtfulness: –There's probably someone there who can tell you something, but I have things to do in real life, I'm sorry.

Atlas nodded and put the locket in his backpack, but it was throbbing strangely. It was almost as if the locket itself was trying to guide him somewhere.When they reached the nearest village, Atlas immediately noticed her appearance. It was a place for beginners—lots of squares, merchants, and a few small shops. But there wasn't the same dynamic as in the more dangerous parts of the world.

In one corner, not far from the central square, there was an old woman selling strange herbs and amulets. She looked rather milky, with haggard eyes, but at the same time her muted gaze was full of knowledge.

Atlas felt that she might know something important about his find.

– What do you need, young man?– She asked as they approached.

–I found this.–Atlas said, taking out a locket and placing it on the counter.

The old woman stroked it with her fingers: – Honey, give me some gold and I'll tell you.

Her face broke into a smile where all her gold teeth were visible. Atlas had 3 gold coins so far, for his first task of collecting ordinary trash, he decided to get one gold coin and give it to her.

–Wow... you probably don't know what you're holding in your hands. It's not just an amulet. Her eyes shone as she spoke, It's an ancient relic. A part of a lost civilization, whose trace has long disappeared from this world. This medallion was the key to ancient knowledge.

Atlas muffled his breathing: – What kind of civilization?

The old lady squinted, as if trying to decide whether to share it. Well, you still have to pay for it. Atlas looked at her rudely and gave her a second coin from his inventory. : –You're so greedy!

– You're on the verge of something great. If you want to continue, you will need to find the other three pieces of this relic. You will not be able to complete the quest until you collect all the items. But I warn you, you're not the only one looking for them.

Atlas realized that this would not be an easy task.

–Where can I find them?

The old woman sighed, getting up heavily: – I'm an old lady, they give me salaries, oh.

–You have gold teeth!Where do you want more gold! –Atlas was very angry, but he gave her the last coin.

– Find the story. It is hidden in the old ruins in the east. That's where you'll find the first tracks. But be careful, young man. You're not the only one who's on the lookout. Lots of players or non-players may be on the lookout too.

Atlas looked at the locket again.He was no longer just an object. It was the beginning of the road.

The beginning of a great adventure.Atlas did not hesitate.

He put the medallion in his bag, carefully examined the ancient relic one last time, and felt his heart beating faster. This was his first true quest in this game, and he was going to complete it.Calling the mountain animal with him, Atlas set off in the direction of the eastern ruins, which the old woman had told him about.

The world of the game, like reality, was subject to changing landscapes and unexpected twists. Many players may have crossed paths with this place before, but now it has become part of his personal history.

The road was long and deserted, surrounded by bleak hills and sparse trees. In the distance, one could already see the dark silhouettes of ruined buildings, resembling old fortresses or civilizations long abandoned.

// To be continued, please like and save