"The lore of Yunatea is indeed vast," Freya said thoughtfully, looking up at Leon. "But one central event that stands out is the collapse of the dragon race. They were once the most powerful beings in the land, but now they've been reduced to mere pets for certain races, especially the high-elves."
"Okay, I've seen images on the internet of high elves with dragons by their side, but I never thought about it this deeply before," Leon said, nodding.
"One individual from each race holds a blessing that makes them stand out," Freya explained. "Most of them grow into leaders of their respective races. For example, the Queen of High Elves in the Central Continent is a native Yunatean who holds the blessing of Pride."
"And the previous king of Dissidia Kingdom, who was a sloth Champion?" Leon added. "Yes," Freya confirmed.
She continued. "Alright... so I'm sure such a significant event would be a major plot line in the game. But I'm still not convinced that a plot this crucial would come up so soon, Leon. It might just be the beginning clues to an event that ties back to the fall of the dragon race," Freya pointed out.
"The Trial Domain is only at level 150," Leon mentioned. "For an event of this scale, that seems pretty low, doesn't it?"
"Totally," Freya agreed with a nod. "There are still plenty of super powerful beings in Yunatea that players just can't handle yet. So, I think players getting involved in something this big is still far off. This could just be setting the stage. But hey, anything can happen."
"But Freya," Leon pressed on, "how sure are you that this Trial Domain I'm working on might be connected to all this?"
Freya settled into a chair, crossing her legs. "Well, Leon, Trial Domains are pretty rare. There are lots of accounts of the treasures people have found in them, and most are linked to major lore. That's why I'm hopeful that what you're dealing with might be something significant. You should definitely try to complete the challenges. Who knows, we might uncover something amazing. Also, the story mentioned a woman, didn't it?"
"What does a woman have to do with the reward from the Trial Domain, huh?" Leon asked, puzzled.
Freya giggled at his words. "I mean, who knows what you'll find at the 10th challenge. You might end up fighting the figure mentioned in the story, or something else entirely. You could become part of the major ongoing plot in Immortal Legacy, isn't that amazing?"
"I'll try to complete the Trial," Leon replied. "At the very least, if I clear the domain successfully, I can get a great reward, right?"
Freya laughed and shook her head. "You heard me talk about history with such enthusiasm, but all you care about is your reward."
Leon nodded slowly, a small grin forming on his face. "Yes, I mean, the plot of Immortal Legacy will develop regardless, right? This isn't an issue exclusive to me; millions of Immortal Legacy players have the same responsibility. So if I can reap as many rewards as possible, why not do it?"
"I suppose that makes sense," Freya conceded. "And maybe we can discuss it even further once you've completed the Trial Domain. We'll gather more information from the story fragments."
"Sure."
Leon then stood up and stretched his muscles. "I think I'll go for a jog and then think again about a strategy to tackle my Trial Domain," he said.
Freya smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "To answer your question about defeating the level 150 monster, you could try forcing Polly to speed up her growth," she suggested. "How do I do that?" Leon asked.
"Feed her with Monster Soul Stones," she replied.
Leon thought back to his discussions with Polly. "But she said she didn't need it yet. Will it work quickly?"
Freya chuckled at his response. "I guess Polly just didn't want to eat that expensive item you worked so hard to get."
"What a cute spirit," Leon said with a smile. "Alright, I'll give it a try."
***
A few minutes later, Leon emerged from the hotel dressed in his workout clothes. The day was nearing its end, with dusk about to give way to night. It was the end of September, bringing with it the chilly embrace of autumn. That evening, the air felt noticeably colder than usual. He started running, and his pace is now noticeably quicker after weeks of intense training. The grueling exercises had become a familiar routine for him. Additionally, incorporating nutritious meals into his diet had surprisingly transformed his quality of life for the better. In the past, he would often feel fatigued, weighed down by mental stress. But since acquiring a more stable financial footing and access to gourmet food, he had experienced a remarkable lightness in his thoughts. He found himself smiling more frequently and couldn't help but notice that he looked two years younger. Leon grinned at the thought.
His footsteps splashed through puddles from the previous night's rain as he ran along the sidewalk.
He lightened his steps, his gaze drifting to the large digital billboards adorning the city's buildings. These were dominated by brands leveraging Immortal Legacy as a platform. Prominent players were even being sponsored as brand ambassadors.
And then he saw it...
Leon halted at the sight of a commercial. The ad featured a massive bear battling a horde of monsters with brutal efficiency. The scene then shifted to a teenage girl wielding a sniper, picking off enemies from a distance. It was Kingsley and Melliandra.
The bear was left gasping for breath after taking down so many adversaries. As the sniper girl leaped down to land beside the colossal bear, she tossed him a bottle of water.
"Feeling tired? Drink this. I bet you'll last even longer," she said, chuckling afterward.
The bear clumsily caught the bottle with his huge jaws.
"Thanks, Mel... You've got me pumped. Let's go take down more players..." the bear growled enthusiastically.
So, it turned out to be an energy drink advertisement featuring two members of the Ass Guild. "Kingsley and Melliandra?" Leon mumbled softly to himself, recalling the names from Booba. He remembered Booba mentioning them in Deadbay City. They were apparently on the lookout for Leon.
The combination of a player who could transform into a monstrous creature, taking on the role of a tank, along with a teenage girl who specialized in long-range sniping, seemed quite intriguing. Evidently, the Ass Guild was popular enough for its members to star in advertisements.
He realized that he wouldn't have noticed such details if he weren't directly involved with the guild at the moment.
The more a player gained popularity, the more opportunities like this came their way, along with a steady flow of money. That's why top players in Immortal Legacy were gradually becoming the new celebrities.
"Damn! It looks like relaxing isn't an option for me," he thought to himself.
Determined, Leon began running even faster, aiming to expend all his remaining energy. His goal was to tire himself out completely so he could fall into a deep sleep and be ready to log back into the game the next day. A grin spread across his face at the thought.
After his intense jog, he proceeded to work out in the luxurious gym, swam in the opulent
pool, and ended with a hot bath. Later, he enjoyed dinner and some leisure time with Lily and
Freya, savoring his new surroundings as the evening fell.
The next day, Leon eagerly returned to the most comfortable capsule in the world.
"Welcome to Yunatea."