As I stepped into the Orc Forest, I was awestruck.
“Wow.”
It’s been a while, Orc Forest!
The giant trees, with sunlight filtering through their thick leaves. The sunlight dancing inside the forest created a stunning scenery that words couldn’t describe.
A sight you hardly find in South Korea. A unique beauty only visible in the fantasy world of the Continent of Astria.
It felt like I was reliving the emotions I had when I returned to the Continent of Astria.
In ‘Astria Online’, the vast forests that users traverse are mostly hunting grounds or faction battlefields.
But enjoying a view like this is also a way to savor the Continent of Astria.
Of course, I had been active in the Northern Elf Forest up until the last expansion, but this forest’s scenery in the central region of the continent offered a completely different beauty. The types of trees and the growing conditions of the plants vary too.
Honestly, back then, I was too busy leveling up to really take it all in.
Tatatat! Cha-ching!
Swipe!
“Oh.”
I spotted a male user dressed in beginner adventurer clothing. Holding a sword? This guy who looked like a knight was fighting an orc. He was tall, but his face seemed a bit youthful. Probably just a high schooler?
The Orc Forest, this beginner hunting ground, was ridiculously vast. Not just the Orc Forest, but the entire continent is actually a huge area for user activity. Dungeons are tackled through instance fields created for individuals or parties.
While servers are separated by regions like North America, Europe, and Asia, Astria Online doesn’t split the channels. In a way, it’s one big open world. Hunting areas tend to overlap. This game resolves that inconvenience with its vast fields.
They say this game covers the true history of the continent. What could the true history of the continent be? How does the history of other country servers unfold?
Am I leading this continent towards a bright future?
Whaack!
Swipe!
Lost in thought for a moment, the knight friend who was courageously fighting an orc finally took the orc down. The orc collapsed to the ground, spewing out milk, while the knight friend wiped the sweat from his forehead and sheathed his sword.
And then, he looked over here.
“Ha!”
Startled, I jumped a bit and took a moment to calm my racing heart.
Rein, what are you doing? Why are you scared?
He’s just a high schooler, a little newbie.
I’m a fully grown adult woman, a seasoned player.
With a slightly awkward smile, I waved my hand to greet him.
“Ah, hi?”
“Ah! You’re that pretty girl from the advertisement!”
He pointed at me, his expression filled with surprise.
Plus, his face is a bit red. Why?
Tatat.
He took a step closer and awkwardly dismissed my gaze by tapping the tree beside him.
“……?”
“Uh, um. Are you the girl from the advertisement?”
Why isn’t he making eye contact?
And, using informal speech? Girl?
I barely held back my cheeks from puffing up and snapped back.
“Humph, calling me a girl? This game is for adults, right? Wouldn’t you think the person in that ad is obviously an adult?”
“Yikes… Are you an older sister?”
He looked genuinely shocked. Seeing him panic like that, I guess even though he’s tall, he’s still a kid.
“Older sister…? Yeah. I’m your older sister.”
I’ve never heard anyone call me that before.
It’s a nice-sounding word. What a cute kid.
I looked down at him, putting on a confident smile of an adult woman, a dazzling expression.
Friend requests, personal inquiries, and the high schooler kept trying to engage in conversation with me while I brushed him off and wandered around the Orc Forest, observing the newbies.
My purpose for coming here today wasn’t to do power-leveling or bus services. Anyway, with the safety filters in place, hunting would be difficult, and I thought it might be nice to revisit the places I passed through.
And honestly, I wanted to see this kind of spectacle.
Cha-ching, bam! Got it!
“Yah! Hey! You’re drawing aggro to me! Hit harder!”
“You should manage your damage yourself, right!?”
I watched a little party of a fighter girl and a summoner boy face off against a veteran orc.
Wow, the girl’s the tank while the boy’s the ranged dealer?
My eyes sparkled as I hid behind a tree, watching the adorable newcomers hunt.
A grin snuck out of my slightly parted lips.
“Hehe, so cute.”
Are they middle schoolers?
Most of the minors I met today were taller than me. But this little group seems to be about my height. I still haven’t seen any kids smaller than me.
Swack!
Bam!
“Yay~”
The two kids gave a tiny high-five after taking down the veteran orc. Watching them smile behind the tree, I suddenly noticed the field announcement.
[The field boss of the Orc Forest, ‘Orc Gladiator,’ has appeared!]
“Oh.”
I’ve fought this one before.
It gives cute outfits and even the first rare equipment.
“Orc Gladiator!?”
“It’s a field boss! It seems close, let’s hurry! If we’re late, lots of users will flock to it!”
As I watched the two kids rush off, I moved through the trees to follow them.
Creeeak-!
Cacaw!
“Wha!?”
With the roar of the gigantic Orc Gladiator, its huge axe swept through the surroundings. Some newbies collapsed, spilling milk as they were struck by the axe. But most of them elegantly blocked or countered in ways to minimize damage.
The massive field boss, ‘Orc Gladiator,’ is the first giant foe that users starting in Astria Online encounter. It teaches them the key aspects of using skills, countering, and evasive maneuvers, alongside maintaining damage over time. By the time they master taking this one down, they’re qualified to challenge the first elite dungeon, ‘Orc King’s Cave.’
Cacaw! Clang!
Bam! Bam!
Ranged class users maintained their distance, throwing magic, spirits, talismans, and arrows, while fighters and knights learned to block and counter against the orc gladiator’s axe attacks.
While hiding behind a nearby tree and watching them, my eyes caught the sight of a little girl bravely facing off against the Orc Gladiator.
“Oh.”
With her short brown hair and sparkling green eyes, she was wielding her tiny sword with impressive speed.
Clang!
The girl, timing her blocks perfectly against the giant Orc Gladiator’s descending axe, swiftly pulled back her sword and followed up with a thrust.
Bam!
I could clearly see, among all the newbies, the smallest girl was dealing the most damage and maintaining the orc’s aggro.
“Great job.”
And among these kids, she stood out as the cutest.
Sweat glistened on her forehead, and her big green eyes were filled with excitement and determination. And the way she reacted and timed her skill usage in battle was remarkable. It felt like I was looking at my past self as a newbie.
Clang! Bam!
“Ha!”
With fervor, the girl swung her sword as a high-pitched battle cry escaped her small lips.
Oh my, even the battle cries are adorable.
I clasped my hands together, staring at the little brown-haired girl as I silently cheered for her.
You got this, little one!
“Ah!”
Everyone was preoccupied with countering the orc gladiator’s area-wide attack, so they probably didn’t see it. But I was focused on the girl’s movements.
The warrior girl stumbled. Her feet got a bit tangled.
I guess adjusting to this game’s synchronization rate is tough even after playing for several hours.
Slam!
With a chilling thud, the Orc Gladiator’s axe fell toward the wobbling girl. If it hit, she would be severely injured, spilling her milk. Of course, she wouldn’t actually die, but I couldn’t just stand by and watch a cute girl suffer.
I thought to myself that high-level players shouldn’t interfere with newbie hunting. Yet, my body moved on its own.
Wham!
“Huh?”
Before I knew it, I had reached the front of the Orc Gladiator, lightly swinging Astaroth. The Orc Gladiator looked confused as it lost its grip on the axe.
“Ugh!”
But that was just for a moment. Weaponless, the Orc Gladiator furiously charged at me with its body.
I ducked under the punch that came flying at me and scratched my head.
“Uh, sorry about that.”
I felt bad for the Orc Gladiator, as well as the newbies.
“Wow! You’re super strong!”
“Who are you? That’s a veteran player! Aren’t you the one from the advertisement? They say you’re a total pro!”
“Yikes! Can I call you ‘older sister’? Oh my gosh, you’re so pretty… I mean, you’re beautiful!”
Newbies swarmed around me.
The little kids sparkled as they gazed at me, some with flushed faces trying to engage in conversation. There were friends around my height, but as the smaller one in this crowd, I felt completely engulfed.
“Ah, haha.”
I laughed awkwardly as I took a step back.
From a bit farther away, I spotted the small brown-haired girl bowing her head and disappearing into the forest.
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