Chapter 4: Elven Stranger
Standing before Derek was a young woman wearing what seemed to be light leather hunting gear. Strung with a bow and holding a bowl of water, she kneels down and hands it to Derek with disdain. He happily accepts the bowl and starts chugging the water down.
* Thirst level low. Recovering... *
[Sire, it appears that the subject of interest is a female hunting elf. In the land of Aeras, there are many different races, occupations, and affinities. A moment, as I bring up her specifications.]
* Name: ERROR, Rank: ERROR, Class: Shadowdancer. Classified Information. To unlock information, please upgrade your Z.E.D. or discover data in Aeras. *
[Unfortunately, this is all the information I can provide. The system momentarily bugged out due to the... sheer force that was inflicted upon it.]
Derek didn't hear Z.E.D. at all. What his eyes laid upon was probably the most beautiful human, no, elf, he had ever seen in his life. Dashing bronze hair flowed with the wind as her eyes twinkled into the bright sky. Her skin looked as soft as feathers. There were no other words to describe her.
"Fair maiden, have you come to offer salvation?" From his perspective, he has been cleansed with holy water, and his scars, gashes, and even bleeding stopped. What was most noteworthy was the maiden worthy to be called queen who laid in front of him. This is it. This is paradise. Derek was completely mesmerized. Suddenly, an idea pops into his head.
"Z.E.D., how does the romance system work in this world?" Derek smiles greedily. He wasn't going to pass this chance up. In his previous life, at his academy? The drop-out, the grade repeater, and the class clown? No girls would dare go near him.
But being offered this second chance, getting reincarnated, and sitting up completely alone with this goddess? This was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
[Unfortunately, Sire, you do not have the necessary requirements to begin any relationship. You must first upgrade your system to Z.E.D. - 1 or higher. Additionally, you lack money, reputation, tiers--]
Z.E.D. continued to go down the list.
[At your current status, the probability of being with this woman is less than 0%.]
"Are you kidding me? I'm actually less than 0%?"
[Based on my calculations, the chances of her rejecting your hand is an astounding 163%, which would statistically equate to-]
"Okay, okay, I get it. What were you saying about upgrading the system to Z.E.D.-1? Is it necessary?"
[The module you are currently utilizing is the basic Z model. Upgrading to Tier 1 unlocks many different benefits, including, but not limited to, relationships/friendships.]
As Derek and the system rambled on, the stranger looked at him in disbelief. What laid in front of her was a complete babbling idiot! She had no idea why she used even a sliver of energy to save this excuse of a person.
The elf rolled her eyes but made sure the man drank the water. It didn't seem worth her time, but this person was extremely dehydrated, not to mention his insides were spewing out. If she had been a few minutes late, he would've died. She would have to end her hunting early today and ration back at the camp.
"So, half-blood. What brings you to the boundaries of the Faras Forest?" The elf wore a tiresome face as Derek tipped his head back to finish the last droplet of water. The stranger was waiting for answer once again, but Derek was still lost in his own world.
"So you're saying I also have to go through the first nine tiers or something?"
[To successfully utilize the romance system, a minimum rank of Tier 1 Bishop is recommended, which can be achieved once you bypass the first nine tiers of your current rank, Regent. It is also advised that the user explores personally and acquire value and benefits through individual ability.]
Derek kind of understood. He deduced that you shouldn't overly rely on the system, as it may not always have the right answer or the most efficient capability for a problem.
"Hey!" The elf barks, causing Derek to finally snap out of his trance and fumble back into reality. "I'm asking you a question, you know."
"Who are you?"
"Not even a thank you?" The elf let out a smirk.
"Look who's talking, half-blood. I'm the one that saved you from nearly dying. You're lucky I was nearby; had I not been hunting during that night, you would've been torn limb by limb to the beasts that reside here."
As she continued talking, another point of interest popped up. Faras Forest. Derek needed to know what that was and what exactly was going on.
"Z.E.D., where am I?"
[This is the Faras Forest. It is known for the terrifying beasts that lurk at night, and is also a very popular hunting ground for many people as beast bounties can be claimed here. It's proximity to the kingdom of Geros and high diversity in biological species has invited many strong-willed hunters to earn coin and fame.]
* Archive Updated. *
Interesting. There seems to be a stable economy here that stretches towards many different occupations, with the most intriguing being the beast bounties.
"Z.E.D., what are beast bounties?"
[A beast bounty is a daily or weekly reward given out to skillful hunters who manage to complete their hunt. It is a contract that can be found out on various hunting boards throughout the kingdom.]
Derek nodded and turned back to the elf. She should be able to help him find a way to the closest kingdom and learn more about this world. Derek peered into his balance and saw fifty odd-shaped copper-colored coins. He didn't know the value of it, but it would be a good idea to make more.
Derek turned to the elven stranger once more.
"Well, thanks for saving me. Name's Der... Vars." He let out a cheeky smile as he lifts his hand up. That was a close one!
The elf tilted her head in confusion, but only for a second. She grabs Derek's hand and shakes it firmly.
"Kiren."
She slowly helps Derek up. "So, Kiren. What exactly happened while I was out?"
"You collapsed in the middle of the forest not to far from the border, and from the looks of it, it seemed like you were trying to escape from something or someone." Kiren gestures at the poison-tipped arrow, now wiped clean, that was laying against her bag.
Derek was about the explain his situation when Kiren butted in again. "You were probably running from the dwarven guards, right? Paired with the dwarven poison arrow lodged in your back and Nihialist patrol guards that have issued out a search warrant, it shouldn't be too hard to figure out."
Derek became anxious. Would she send me back past the border towards the dwarves? He had to know.
"Z.E.D. what's the relationship between elves and dwarves?"
[Elves and dwarves have maintained a neutral stance for centuries; mainly, they tend not to bother each other. This female elf will likely not give you to the dwarves, as she has no reason to.]
Derek's tension subsided when Kiren placed a hand on his back. "Relax, I won't take you back to the dwarves. Although if there was a hefty bounty on your head, it would be a different story..." Derek immediately panicked and slowly inched away from her grasp.
Kiren let out a small giggle. "I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" Derek was stunned by her smile. It seemed like there was at least a speck of humanity inside her. "But since I helped you out, it is now your turn to help us."
Derek didn't know what she meant by that and asked Z.E.D. once more. "What would she need help in?"
[Sire, I do not know either. However, the fastest way to understand would be to first reach the kingdom of Geros. There is a lot of experience to be gained there.]
A questline popped up.
Quest: Journey to the Geros Kingdom! Unlocked. Accept / Decline? Reward: 100 Aers, Side Quest Branching Unlocked]
Derek immediately accepts the quest. Derek also wondered what the intricacies of questing were. "Z.E.D., can you tell me more about questing?"
[Quests are tasks the system or the people in the land of Aeras provide for you. It is your initial source of coin and experience, but they are many other ways too.]
[There are two types of quests. Normal Quests and Event Quests. Normal Quests are your main and side quests. It offers a set amount of experience and necessary for completion to continue your journey. The main quest will always be visible and ready to be taken on, but side quests must be discovered all around the world.]
[Event quests, on the other hand, are random occurrences in the world. The people of Aeras call it a natural disaster, but in fact, it is an event based task that can range from saving humans to killing large rare beasts with others. These events have large rewards, but you have to be at the right place at the right time to begin. The likelihood of participating in these event quests can be further optimized through learning a city's political climate, a town's lore, or a village's ancient history, just to name a few.]
This was some very important information, Derek thought. As long as he went out to explore and followed the system, he would get stronger in no time. But first, he had to find out why Vars was here and what his purpose was. All he knew was that his reincarnation was a criminal.
"How many days has it been? Where are we now? I know I was escaping the kingdom of Nihial, but I have no idea where I was going." Derek peered around his surroundings. Miles and miles around, only wildlife could be spotted.
Kiren's warm-hearted smile quickly turned into a look of confusion. "You're joking, aren't you?"
Derek's dazed and aloof face continued to linger. Kiren could barely stifle in a chuckle before she bellowed in laughter. "You truly are an idiot, Mister Vars."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Zerediah
Zerediah How do you guys like Kiren?
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