The Third Fragment Of The Medallion (2)

Atlas decided to follow his feelings. He walked in the direction where the ground was beginning to light up slightly through the rays filtering through the trees. He knew that there was something important behind that light.

A few minutes later, deep into the forest, he came across a small clearing where light filtered through the thick branches of trees, casting strange, crisscrossing shadows on the ground. Atlas felt that everything here seemed to be frozen, as if in anticipation.

After looking carefully, he noticed that there were several large leaves on the ground next to the stone, gathered in a small pile. They weren't just left here by nature–someone had obviously placed them. And in the center of this pile is another fragment of the medallion.

He picked it up carefully. The third fragment was in his hands. Now, the entire medallion has been collected.

[Fragment received: "Part of the medallion (3/3)"]

Atlas stood in the middle of the forest, clutching the last fragment of the medallion. All he had to do was put the pieces back together. He turned around and looked at his air shark, which was watching him intently at that moment, as if realizing the importance of the moment.

The old hunter's words flashed through the back of his mind, her voice still ringing in his ears.

Atlas wasn't sure what these parts of the medallion meant, but now one thing was clear to him–this was the key, and perhaps the last part of his journey at this moment.

He put the three fragments of the medallion into each other. The medallion immediately glowed, sparkling light enveloped his fingers, and he felt this energy seeping into his body. Atlas closed his eyes, trying to stay on his feet until the light grew more intense.

When the third part of the medallion took its place, there was a soft click in the air. The mechanism inside the artifact worked, and the three fragments merged into one, forming a worn medallion, dotted with old scratches and cracks.

Atlas clutched it in his paws, feeling the rough surface. The medallion was surprisingly heavy, as if it contained the history of many centuries. But before he could examine it more closely, a system notification flashed in front of his eyes:

[Congratulations! You have completed a Unique Quest for Beginners – "Three parts of one".]

[New ways to improve are open.]

Atlas blinked. – What do you mean, "new ways"?

He expected to receive some kind of reward, but the notification did not disappear, as if pushing him to the next step.

At that moment, an aerial shark lazily flew by, its smooth bluish body flashing in the light of the setting sun. She seemed to sense something strange about the object–she froze, then slowly swam around it, studying it.

Atlas ran his finger over the ancient symbols on the surface of the medallion.Symbols… They looked like an old language that wasn't in the game's database. An ordinary player would not be able to understand its meaning, but the system immediately highlighted a new icon in the interface:

[Additional Scavenger profession feature activated!]

[You have gained the ability: "Exploring Lost Artifacts."]

- What?

Atlas frowned. He was waiting for new weapons, armor, whatever–but not another incomprehensible ability. He called up the skill description:

["Exploring Lost Artifacts" – allows the owner of the "Scavenger" profession to interact with ancient objects and reveal their hidden properties.]

–...Well, at least something.

Atlas muttered, putting the medallion back into his inventory.

Looking around, he realized that there was nothing else to do in the forest. The sun was sinking below the horizon, and with it, a slight coolness appeared in the air. Stone pillars cast long shadows, and somewhere in the distance, the cry of a nocturnal predator could be heard.

It's time to get back to the city.

Atlas looked at his shark, which was circling slowly over his head, as if waiting for an order. He sighed, opened the map, and marked the nearest safe path.

[The goal has been updated: Return to the city of novices – Cast and find new information about the medallion.]

Most likely, the old lady who gave him this quest knew something else. But that's a matter for tomorrow. Atlas needed to rest now.

He opened the system menu and clicked "Exit the game".

As soon as Atlas took off his VR helmet, he was greeted by the dim light of the apartment. The room was quiet, except for the drizzle outside, drumming on the glass in lazy drops.

He slowly rubbed his hand over his face, feeling tired. How long has he been in the game? The timer on the screen showed almost six o'clock, but it felt like a lot more time had passed.

Atlas got up from his chair, stretched, and headed for the kitchen. I took a bottle of water out of the fridge and took a couple of sips. The taste of reality is not too intense, but... real.

A new message from the game was flashing on the phone. He turned on the screen – the number was not saved.

"You're Atlas, right? I need to talk to you about the game."

Atlas froze.

Someone knew about him. But who?

And why?

The number was unfamiliar. He read the message again, then slowly put the water bottle on the table.

How does this person know his nickname?

Flanard Ford Online was a giant world with millions of players, and despite the rarity of the "Scavenger" profession, he did not shine in the ratings and did not contact anyone directly. Unless…

The old lady?

She was an NPC, but what if there was someone real behind her? Or is it related to that quest and the medallion?

Don't get yourself worked up.

"I'm sorry," – he muttered.

The logical thing to do was to ignore the message. But the inner anxiety still prompted: It's worth at least finding out who it is.

"Who are you?" He replied quickly.

A long silence. Ten seconds. Fifteen. Then a new message popped up on the screen:

"Not here. A private message in the game. Tomorrow at 14:00. The city of Dra'Myr, the Copper Bison tavern."

The city of Dra'Myr? This place was far away from his current location in the game. More importantly, someone wants to meet him there, not in reality.

Atlas ran his finger thoughtfully over the screen. It could just be someone's prank. Or another player who wants to buy something valuable from him.

But why did he feel like it was more than that?

Damn. Okay, he'll decide in the morning.

He turned off the screen, exhaled, and went into the shower. The water quickly washed away the tension, but there were still questions in my head.

Who is it? What does this have to do with the locket? And most importantly, doesn't his profession of "Scavenger" involve him in something much more than just a random quest?

***

The next day. Log in to the game.

As soon as Atlas activated the capsule, the world of reality dissolved, giving way to the familiar loading screen saver.

A soft dive, a white flash, and he was back in the game.

He opened his eyes. There was a familiar city all around, stone–paved streets, lanterns, cozy houses, and the smell of fried meat from the market was in the air.

The air shark was already circling overhead, as if it didn't understand why he was coming out at all.

–I'm here, I'm here.– Atlas muttered, moving away from the exit point.

//To be continued, please like and save