Gale town : behind an old statue
Ravindra watched the beggar in silence.
The wind stirred the edge of the man's hood, lifting it just enough to glimpse a chin mottled with grime and shadow. Still, he didn't move.
"Do you need any help?" Ravindra asked, his voice low. Not the bright, performative tone players used when haggling or quest-chasing, but something closer to real.
No response.
A minute passed. Then another.
In most parts of the world, five minutes was a long time. In this town—in this place—it felt like eternity measured in dust. A player ran by in the distance, armor clanking, trailing sparkles and a trailing voice shouting something about "drop rates." Ravindra didn't turn.
He waited.
Ravindra knew now—time was precious.
The game had begun. Again.
All around the town, players ran wild, like mad dogs chasing scraps. Sprinting to the smithy, shouting at vendors, jumping endlessly as if that made their character faster.
But not here. Not in this quiet place.
He was taking a gamble. He knew that. Whether the post still existed—or had ever existed—he couldn't confirm. No forums mentioned it. No guides. No logs.
But Ravindra had something they didn't.
Fifteen years.
Fifteen years in this world. He knows this is a big gamble but his intuition tells this beggar is not simple .That the post which he saw in previous life which was deleted in a short time is real.
The beggar never moved. Never looked. Never spoke.
But this time—this time was different.
He didn't glance up, no. Not even when Ravindra asked if he needed help. But Ravindra saw it—the way the corner of his mouth twitched, ever so slightly. The shift in his breathing.
If it were anyone else, they wouldn't notice.
But Ravindra was not anyone else.
He had spent years watching pixels lie and tell the truth.
He could read an NPC like a living man.
The beggar was waiting.
Not idly. Not randomly. He was waiting—for someone specific. For a moment. For a trigger.
And maybe, just maybe… Ravindra had found it.
Ten minutes passed.
Not in game time. Not with any loading screen or blinking timer. Just—real time.
Ten minutes of wind and dust. Of distant footsteps echoing from the square.
Ravindra didn't move. Neither did the beggar.
It felt less like waiting, and more like being judged.
Then, without warning, the beggar spoke.
"How long will you watch me?"
The voice was dry, cracked at the edges—like something pulled from beneath centuries of silence.
Ravindra tilted his head slightly, but did not step forward.
"As long as it takes," he said.
A flicker of movement beneath the hood—an eye narrowing, a shift of breath.
"You think patience is proof of worth?" the beggar asked.
"No," Ravindra replied. "But impatience proves the opposite."
For a heartbeat, the beggar said nothing. Then a quiet chuckle escaped him—thin and broken, but real.
He turned his face slightly, just enough for one dim, hollow eye to catch Ravindra's gaze.
You are not like other chosen ones who run wild without any particular goal.
"They chase rewards. You wait for meaning."
"I was told to wait here," he continued. "To see if any chosen one would stop... and stay. Wait here—without shouting, without demands. Without questions."
His voice was softer now, but steadier. More real.
"They always ask—What's the reward? Where do I go? What do I get? You asked none of those."
From deep within his robes, he pulled a small, iron token. Square and dark, etched with a faint symbol that shimmered for only a heartbeat before fading.
"This is for you," he said. "And only you."
A soft chime rang in Ravindra's ear
Special Quest: Ashes of the First Echo
Stage 1: Starwind Cave
Objective:
Travel to Starwind Cave, hidden deep within the Star Forest.
Investigate the cave and uncover the source of the lingering mystery.
Clear any hostile presence preventing the truth from surfacing.
Details:
The Star Forest is a place whispered about but rarely visited—where the light filters through the trees like scattered shards of glass.
At its heart lies Starwind Cave, a hollow forgotten by most, rumored to hold remnants of the lost First Echo.
Few have ventured inside, and fewer have returned.
Note:
No quest markers will guide you. You must rely on your knowledge and instincts.
Beware the shadows—some threats here are unlike anything you have faced before.
The beggar's voice dropped to a whisper, heavy with something like sorrow—or maybe warning.
"I hope you can solve the mystery in the cave," he said, eyes locked on Ravindra's. "Many town men have gone there to investigate… but none have returned. All are dead."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle like dust.
"The shadows inside are not like the usual foes. They cling to memory—and to life."
Ravindra tightened his grip on the token, the strange symbol still faintly shimmering in the dim light.
"If you fail..." the beggar's voice faltered, "then the echo will be lost forever."
Ravindra nodded slowly, the weight of the quest pressing on his shoulders.
"I'll see it through," he promised.
The beggar's lips curled into a faint, almost sad smile.
"After you complete the task… I will appear there."
Before Ravindra could ask where or how, the beggar's figure began to blur—like a reflection disturbed by ripples in a pond.
Within moments, he vanished entirely.
Ravindra's eyes widened, staring at the empty space beneath the ruined statue.
Ravindra didn't hesitate. Without looking back, he turned sharply and strode away from the ruined statue.
Behind him, the spot where the beggar had sat began to shimmer.
A soft golden light blossomed—warm and pulsing, like a heartbeat made visible.
Players nearby stopped in their tracks, whispering and pointing.
"Did you see that? A golden light just appeared where the beggar was!"
"Yeah, that means someone just got a special quest! It's gotta be one of the veterans.
Man that person is lucky he got a special quest right away .
The argument grew louder, players jostling for attention as they speculated and tried to guess who the lucky recipient was.
Some pulled out their maps, others checked their quest logs repeatedly, hoping for a sign that the special quest had come to them.
But no one else had received it.
The golden light dimmed and vanished, leaving behind nothing but the fading whispers and a growing sense of awe.
Meanwhile, chaos erupted across the town.
Players flooded the central square, voices raised in speculation, frustration, and excitement.
After a few minutes the town was in a mess whereas Ravindra the culprit is walking towards town underground .
Ravindra on the way to town underground was thinking the star wind cave has monsters of level 2 and 3 and it is the perfect location to grind if i prepared required items and went .
In previous life he knew a player named Blazing boy who solved star wind cave using special items after the game reached 1 month. This tactic is used to clear star wind caves. Many players regretted missing this tactic .
Ok now we must go to the town underground and get the items .