VIII

Chapter 8

It’s been about three days (in-game) since I left the floating castle, and I just made it to the city. Cangue City. It is bustling with activity as I can see that in three short days, players have developed a community here. There are various species her and it’s a little difficult to be a 100 percent certain who is a player or not. Some NPCs who are staff have logos on their outfit, but most don’t. Some players are wearing armor or other gear and carrying weapons, but what about mages that are dressed casually? It’s a mixed bag I won’t be able to sort unless I get close and monitor their behaviour. There are varying species too. I chose devil elf that has human form, but some others didn’t. Some players chose to be weird things like orcs. Some are elves, succubus and so on. But human-looking races seems to be most popular. How do you know if a human with a sword may not be an NPC or a player other than interaction? Splendid world-building if I do say so myself.

[1 hour in the real world = 1 day in-game] But it still feels like a day to the player.

There are many kinds of buildings around but most of them are residential. Looking at the game map, I can see most of the houses clustered in a particular area like it’s forming a kind of residential district. Some players have also formed teams and are living together. I can see many people coming through the main gate and heading in a particular direction. Judging from the map, where they’re going is to an isolated building which is labelled “Real estate office.” Real Estate…should be where people go to buy houses. Let’s go there first. I can settle here for a while and learn some things other players ma have learnt over the past three days.

“Hello.” I greet the person at the counter.

There are NPC guards stationed at the entrance and inside the two-storey building dressed in red robes with the Utopia game symbol on their chest. They are all carrying varying combinations of weapons: Sword and shield, Spear and Shield, Brass Knuckles, and so on. Some are barehanded but I doubt they are that simple.

“Hello Sir, please how may I help you today?” The 5’7 tall girl asks. She has a bust size of about C and has curly green hair with blue eyes and freckles. I don’t know about others, but I think she’s pretty. Can’t be bothered though, she seems to be an NPC since she is also wearing a red robe with the Utopia logo on it.

I don’t say anything as I look around the innards of the building. There is a board with some papers (maybe flyers?) posted on them, various tables with people sitting and waiting for the line to reduce a little are seated.

“Hello Sir, please how may I help you today? Would you like to buy, sell, lease, or rent a building or piece of land?”

The people waiting behind me in line seem to be getting slightly agitated since I’m not saying anything. Yes, I almost forgot there are other people waiting in line behind me.

“Oh. Yes. Sorry. How much is a house?”

“Depending on proximity to the city gates and security posts as well as furnishing and size, the prices vary.”

“What is the cheapest house available?”

“The lowest prices available are buildings costing 1 Utopia coin.” She pulls out some sheets of paper with picture on them.

As I take a look at the houses, they all don’t come with furnishing and are located in the most remote part of the city, far away from the city gates.

“Not these. Please show me some with two floors that have furnishing and are in the business district.”

The city is arranged in a circular manner. Upon entering the city, you are in the residential area (outermost part). As you go deeper into the residential area (heading towards the entre of the circle) the housing gets less remote and improves as more furnished and bigger houses come into sight.

In the middle section, we are greeted with the business district where buildings such as the Real Estate building is located. There are also some three to four storey buildings that can be bought in this section. They are apparently designed for those who will start guilds. Although I don’t know the details, but I am guessing there will be basic requirements for that, and I’m not interested in starting one myself anyway. At least not at the moment.

In the innermost section of the city, which I haven’t ventured into yet, I can see buildings that range from seven to twelve stories. Although I doubt people have started living there, I bet that will be where big guilds and players will reside.

This is apparently the lowest grade of the cities in this game, red, and it is already so interesting.

[City grades from lowest to highest: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Silver, White, Black]

Housing in the business district sounds good since I don’t really know any other players and the important buildings I’d visit from time to time, such as Real Estate and Role Building, are all here for the most part.

“Okay Sir.” She replies without that smile that has been plastered on her face the entire time.

Definitely an NPC. Players can get jobs in-game to earn Utopia coins. I’m a gamer at heart and I know these things. Besides, others behind me seemed to react a little when I asked for a look at buildings in the business district since it’s still quite early in the game to have met the requirements such as people and money, but she didn’t even flinch.

“Here are some of the available buildings meeting your requirements.”

Looking through the houses, all of them cost from 5 to 7 Utopia Coins. Buying houses is better since you gain access for 6 months (game time). No player can permanently own a house from what I can see. Not in this city at least. As for renting, you pay less but for every month. If you pay 2 U coins a month for 6 months, that’s 12 U coins. I’m not looking at rental prices, so I don’t know the details per house but that’s what it seems like.

I buy two buildings. One for 4 U coins (2 floors with basic home furnishing but it is small). Another with four floors with home furnishing and office arrangements costing 7 U coins. Can be used by guilds that will settle in the business (middle) area.

UTOPIA COINS: 12→1

I put up the four-storey building up for lease and take my documents. I have to put them in my ‘Deed slot’ which has a maximum of 4 deeds at my current tier. That reminds me. I’m 1 level away from increasing my tier. After I finish looking through the buildings I just bought, I’ll head out to level up. Hopefully make more U coins too. U coins will play a vital role in making me powerful since you need it to unlock libraries and may also buy skill books with them since skill points are so scarce with gaining only one per level.

Once I’m done ensuring things are in order after leaving the real estate office, I look at my status.

LEVEL: 19

FORM 2: HUMAN-LOOKING

HEIGHT: 5’9

HAIR COLOR: RED

HAIR STYLE: LONG

EYE COLOR: BLUE

BODY TYPE: RECTANGULAR

UTOPIA COINS: 1

[STATS]

STRENGHT: 23

AGILITY: 28

STAMINA: 26/26

DEXTERITY: 38

DURABILITY: 22

INT: 28

IQ: 128 [STATS CANNOT BE ASSIGNED TO THIS]

HP: 100/100 

MP: 95/95

SKILL POINTS: 5

UTOPIA COINS: 1

My tier rankings have never gone up. And from checking from checking information available in the system, I have to go to the Arena which is in the Core of the city. Base pm the map, the arena seems pretty big compared to other buildings. At least two and a half times as wide. As for height and how many floors, I can’t tell from a 2D map. I can’t find details such as how the ranking works but I’m guessing I’ll find out there. First, let’s go up a tier.

To the woods.