After saying his goodbyes to Mia, Edward, Parker, and the other NPCs he had grown familiar with, Flynn sent Amy a brief message to let her know he was on the move, then stepped into the teleportation array. He had originally considered walking out of the Starter Zone to enjoy the scenery one last time, but practicality won out. There would be time for sentiment later.
Moster was one of the thirty three major towns in the Aenoth District, serving as a central hub for players from dozens of surrounding Starter Zones. Even knowing that, Flynn was unprepared for the sheer scale of it. The moment he emerged from the teleporter and was forced to shoulder his way through a dense mass of players, he felt momentarily disoriented.
The main avenue stretched more than ten meters wide, broad enough for carriages to pass each other comfortably. Instead of modern skyscrapers, the city was lined with sturdy two and three story buildings built of stone and timber, their rooftops rising in uneven layers toward the horizon. Every twenty or thirty meters, a narrow alley branched off, intersecting with others to form a sprawling maze of side streets. Shop signs trimmed with gold and silver leaf swayed overhead, clinking softly in the breeze as merchants shouted for attention.
Horse drawn carriages rolled past at irregular intervals, their iron wheels rattling against cobblestone. Patrols of heavily armored guards marched in formation through the crowd, scanning for trouble. Anyone foolish enough to brawl or steal within city limits would be subdued immediately and dragged to the jail without ceremony.
Amy's warning echoed clearly in Flynn's mind. Under no circumstances engage in PvP inside the city walls. The guards did not negotiate.
Let-There-Be-Light had already been informed of Flynn's arrival and was waiting near the teleportation hub. The moment he spotted him, he hurried over and seized Flynn's hand in an enthusiastic handshake.
"Bro! Finally. You have no idea how miserable we've been these last two days without you."
Flynn laughed. "That bad, huh?"
Not-A-Bystander, who had grouped with Flynn twice before and felt a certain familiarity with him, gave a humorless nod. "It's been brutal. Especially watching Amy grind for a few hours and seeing her experience bar skyrocket. Her efficiency is at least three times ours. Maybe more."
He was not exaggerating. In direct combat, their group performed well enough. The real issue was competition. Every viable grinding location around Moster was swarming with players. Camps were overcrowded, respawn timers were contested, and disputes frequently escalated into skirmishes. Let-There-Be-Light's team was organized and experienced, but even so they had been wiped several times, losing hard earned experience and wasting twenty or thirty minutes on corpse runs each time. Their leveling speed had slowed to a frustrating crawl.
Meanwhile, Amy continued leveling safely under Flynn's guidance before he left, and her casual updates had only deepened their regret. If they had understood just how overcrowded Moster would be, they might have reconsidered rushing ahead.
Even Let-There-Be-Light had underestimated both the game's explosive popularity and the intensity of its player base.
He was visibly restless now. "Since you're here," he said, barely containing himself, "how about we try the dungeon?"
"What about Amy?" Flynn asked. "She probably won't hit fifteen until later tonight."
"It's fine," Let-There-Be-Light replied quickly. "We have other Rangers in the studio. They're not at her level, but they're competent. We can at least test the waters."
His urgency was not without reason. As the leader of a professional studio, Let-There-Be-Light needed visibility. They had built reputations in other games, but Age of Conquest was on a different scale entirely, pulling in an estimated eighty percent of the global gaming population. In a world that vast, their once notable studio was little more than a drop in the ocean.
The Ceylan Ruins might be the lowest level dungeon in the region, but securing the first clear on Hell difficulty would trigger a regional announcement across all of Moster. That kind of exposure could reshape their future.
That was why he had specifically asked Amy to bring Flynn in.
Flynn, however, remained blissfully unaware of the larger strategy. To him, the dungeon was simply a challenge that required preparation. If Amy said it was difficult, he would treat it as such.
He considered the proposal for a moment, then shook his head. "Not yet. I need to visit an NPC first. I might be able to pick up something useful for the ruins."
He was thinking of the Mechanical Doll that had helped him during the fight with Kolut, pulling aggro at a crucial moment and giving him breathing room. His Engineering skill had already reached the Junior cap. All that remained was delivering Edward's letter to Gnomo to unlock new schematics. If he could craft something equally useful, their odds would improve significantly.
Let-There-Be-Light could hardly argue with logic. "Fair enough. How long?"
"Hard to say," Flynn replied with a shrug.
Then he remembered something. "Oh, right. I know an Alchemist. Bitter-Melon. His potions are twenty percent stronger than standard ones. If you're planning to stock up, you should see him. Tell him I sent you."
"Twenty percent?" Not-A-Bystander nearly choked. "That's insane."
It did not sound overwhelming at low levels, but everyone present understood the long term implications. As potion tiers increased, so did their base effects. A twenty percent boost on high level consumables could translate into double digit stat advantages during critical fights.
Let-There-Be-Light clapped Flynn firmly on the shoulder. "You really are full of surprises. With potions like that, our success rate just went up."
"You should consider buying out his inventory or negotiating exclusivity," Flynn added calmly. "Someone like that won't stay unnoticed for long. Your competitors will catch wind eventually."
He quickly connected Bitter-Melon and Let-There-Be-Light through the friends list so they could discuss business directly.
---
Moster's layout was sprawling enough to disorient even players confident in their sense of direction. Its winding alleys lacked names, and many looked deceptively similar. Fortunately, the city guards doubled as guides. Asking for directions placed a red marker directly on a player's map. There was also a carriage service linking the five major districts, which spared players from exhausting cross city treks.
Flynn asked a guard for directions to the Engineering trainer, Gnomo, and then hired a carriage to the South District.
The South District was unmistakably the artisan quarter. The rhythmic clang of hammer on metal echoed through the streets. Forges burned day and night, and the air carried the mixed scent of coal smoke and heated iron. Workshops lined both sides of the road, each specializing in something different. Some smiths crafted heavy armor, others focused on weapon forging, while engineers produced intricate components such as mail scales and mechanical parts.
Gnomo's workshop stood among them.
The moment Flynn stepped inside, he gave a low whistle. "Master Gnomo, you've got quite the collection."
Behind a cluttered workbench stood a bald headed artisan who looked so similar to Edward that Flynn blinked in surprise. If not for the name Gnomo hovering above him, he might have mistaken them for twins. Even their mechanical platform shoes were nearly identical.
Gnomo glanced up and grunted. "Here to study Engineering, are you? Let's see what you're worth."
Flynn calmly produced Edward's letter of recommendation. "Master Edward sends his regards. He believes I'm ready to advance."
Gnomo snorted. "Edward? You've been wasting time with that old fraud? Bah! He's a hack. What could you possibly have learned from him?" He unfolded the letter and scanned it. His expression shifted.
"Well now. He speaks highly of you. Says you passed his trials and you're ready to become a Junior Engineer. The man may be a hack, but he knows talent when he sees it."
From his pocket, Gnomo produced a bronze medallion and tossed it to Flynn. "There. You're officially a Junior Engineer. Don't let it go to your head."
The medallion itself was little more than a symbolic marker, but when Flynn checked his character sheet, he felt a quiet satisfaction. His Engineering profession had advanced from Apprentice to Junior Engineer. His skill progress read 3000 out of 15000, with the 3000 points carried over from his previous rank. That meant he needed another 12000 to reach the next tier.
He glanced around at the shelves, a slow smile spreading across his face. "I like what I'm seeing. Master Edward was right. You've got all the good stuff."
"Damn right I do!" Gnomo replied with pride. He grabbed a rectangular device from a nearby shelf. "This is a Hill-Breaker Charge. Miners use it to blast open mountain veins. You're nowhere near ready for something like this."
He set it down and instead handed Flynn a round, fist sized bomb.
"But this," Gnomo continued, "you can learn."
—
Copper Bomb: Explodes 2 to 5 seconds after activation, dealing 60 to 90 damage to a single target.
Requires Junior Engineer (3000 Skill).
—
Flynn weighed the bomb in his palm, testing its heft. A delayed explosive with respectable early damage. His lips curved in approval.
"I like it. What else have you got for me, Master Gnomo?"
Gnomo grinned wide. "Oh, plenty." He opened his skill list and let Flynn browse.