Chương 21: Learning About the Internet

"The second plane is one big field with two castles positioned in opposite directions and a large forest in the middle, and you need to defend your castle before the other side breaches your walls and kills your king. Only people who started when you did can participate with you," she explained.

"Oh, so a siege event. Interesting… What about the third?" Maximus questioned.

"The third plane is one massive city where you can stay as long as you want. It's the first plane where people can actually live properly. Some even choose to stay there and never return home. Psychos... Anyway, the goal here is to pick one of the gates in the middle of the city and finish a dungeon behind it. Until you succeed, you cannot proceed further." Rose said simply.

"And as a bonus, I'll let you in on one more piece of info: the fourth and fifth are influenced by your choices on the third plane, so nobody knows what trials you get since they are all different from person to person."

"These trials get more and more interesting, huh? I wonder what type of being made all of this and with what purpose." Maximus mused out loud.

"Darling, that's not something for the likes of us to know. Who cares anyway, as long as I can have fun and live an easy life back home?" She shrugged.

"Well then, if you don't want to keep me company, it's time I went and rested properly. I slept on the floor after all," she chuckled.

"Close the doors once you leave." She sighed and left him alone. He turned around, shaking his head at the young woman who had just left an unknown man in her house, and excused himself, reading the map as he made his way out. This is useful; it shows the fastest path toward the Wildlands and even where strong beasts lie. Maximus noted it down carefully in his mind as he headed back home.

As he returned, Oscar was already up practicing with his spear, just like the first time he'd met him.

"Morning, mate. How did it go?" Oscar shouted, smiling cheerfully.

"Morning, friend. It went… Fine." Maximus said as he cleared his throat slightly.

"You sly dog! Something definitely went down, didn't it? Haha, keep your secrets then, you cheeky bugger. Just know I'm proper proud of you," Oscar roared with laughter before turning back to his training, his spear whistling through the air as he resumed his thrusts. Maximus shook his head with a sigh and went into the house as Felix was just getting up.

"Did you earn enough?" Felix asked.

"Yes. I'll finally be able to buy some armor." Maximus nodded with quiet relief.

"Good, that fool and I also have some tokens saved up. We will prepare. We leave today, then?" Felix pressed.

"We are. I even got a map from Rose, with marked beast locations." Maximus added with a small smile.

"I don't want to know how you paid for that." Felix cracked a faint smile.

"Oh, look at you. Mister Jokester." Maximus cackled, enjoying this rare side of Felix.

"By the way, what's with the rush anyway? Didn't you two spend most of your time at the Resting Bench?" Maximus asked, as he didn't really understand why they were suddenly in such a hurry to level up.

"We did. Foolishly. Edgar pressured us to stay with him and join him on the third plane. So, we took it easy, and look what happened. We would all have died if not for you. That's when we decided to push as much as we can in this little time left." Felix explained.

"I see. It seems that everyone is pushing for the third plane for some reason. Know anything about it?" Maximus asked, hopeful.

"I know the main premise, but not the details. It does seem like there is more to it somehow." Felix said with a quiet exhale.

"Alright, no purpose in worrying about it now. We will learn once we reach it. We need to survive the first two planes first." Maximus said seriously.

"I know that," Felix replied coldly.

"I'll go prepare; you two do what you must. Let's leave when midday strikes." Maximus added and went into his room.

Maximus sat on his bed and opened the Store. He had neither enough for a decent weapon nor enough to buy a full set of gear. I'll go for the gear. My staff is good enough for now. He concluded and opened the Armor tab. He chose the chest armor first and scrolled down until he found a solid leather vest. [Heartwood Vestment (E)] Chest piece crafted from supple, spirit-treated leather reinforced with flexible strips of Heartwood.

Unlike dead timber, Heartwood remains "awake," pulsing in sync with the wearer's heartbeat. In direct sunlight, spirit regeneration increases by 2%. If the skill Barkskin is active, the armor hardens, increasing overall defense by +8% General physical defense is raised by 15%. BT: 5430 This is good, and it's not that expensive. He bought it instantly and strapped it over his hoodie. Sprout jumped and sank its roots into the armor covering Maximus's upper back, taking root and standing proudly.

Maximus burst into laughter, "That's not a plant you need to take control of; it's armor, you silly boy." But Sprout didn't care; it remained rooted, clearly enjoying the spot. Maximus ignored him and then went to check the leg armor. [Greaves of the Gale (E)] These greaves are etched with swirling patterns that mimic wind currents. They are made from the leather of the Gale Doe, known for its strong resistance to electricity and its innate lightning affinity.

Every 25 meters you travel on foot, charge one static rune. Up to three runes can be stored. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. Each charged rune increases the next lightning skill's damage by 5%. After casting a lightning skill, movement speed increases by 9% for a minute. This effect cannot occur more than once every 10 minutes.

The surface of the armor slightly repels mud and water, keeping the wearer light and dry in swampy or rainy terrain. BT: 7, 250 Just who crafted this? Even in my old world, this would be an absolute piece of art. By the stars, imagine the S-rank gear. Maximus gasped as he purchased the greaves, fastening the dark brown armor that shimmered faintly with flowing wind-like runes. He also picked up another simple iron sword and called it a day.

"Well, those tokens just disappeared as fast as I earned them." He shook his head with a chuckle. If only I had my old gear. Well… It's probably been burned to a crisp alongside the Mother. Serves me right for building my home in the forbidden region. He chuckled to himself and went to check on the other two.

Oscar bought a simple F - Rank cuirass and some basic boots, while Felix bought vambraces that increased frost damage and a slightly better silver cuirass than Oscar's. He, after all, had many more tokens than the crazy man who spent most of his on booze. They made their way through the village; Oscar stopped to say goodbye to his friend while Maximus went to check on Rose. For some reason, she was growing on him, and he wanted to politely say farewell.

He left Felix outside her house as he strode through her unlocked doors, shaking his head.

"Rose. It's I, Maximus. I'm leaving the village. Let us meet on the Third Plane if fate wills it so," he said loudly and was about to leave when she ran out of her room in her bra and tight shorts. Maximus paused, his gaze lingering for a moment before he quickly forced it upward to the ceiling.

"Hey, darling, aren't you nice to say your goodbyes?" she teased, her voice dripping with playful mock nobility.

"'If fate wills it so.' Honestly, you sound like a character from a K-drama."

"There is no harm in being civilized," he muttered, still staring at the ceiling.

"It is a trait you might consider adopting."

"Too shy to even look at me? Please, it's nothing you haven't seen on the internet," she mocked.

"Internet?" Maximus's mind whirled. Internet… Inner nets? Is that some kind of weaving technique? But why would I see scarcely clothed women there?

"Ah, yes. The internet," he said, his voice hitching slightly.

"I am… Intimately familiar with its workings." I need to ask Felix about it as soon as I leave. He finally forced his gaze down to meet hers, noticing then that her eyes were bright, striking amber. He hadn't truly paid attention to them before, with everything happening so quickly.

"Anyway, I'll be leaving. I want to reach the City of Beginnings before the time is up. Take care of yourself on the Second Plane, Rose. I… I truly wish you luck," he said honestly.

"City of Beginnings, huh. You really are crazy. I love it! If only I hadn't accepted the position of leader here, but oh well. I'm still stronger than you," she winked, sticking her tongue out playfully.

"I doubt that." he cracked a small smile.

"For your information, I'm level 25. Hah!" she laughed.

"What?! How is that possible?" Maximus questioned.

"Well, being the leader of a village pays, you know. Increases my leveling speed by 30% if I stay here and protect people from the hordes," she said proudly. Damn that Edgar; he didn't mention that boost. He frowned; maybe he could've taken the position for a while. Ah, damn it. It's too late now, regardless. Before he could dwell on it further, Rose stepped forward and pulled him into a tight, sudden hug, her warmth catching him off guard.

"Be safe out there," she whispered, her tone softening for just a moment.

"And don't cheat on me." Maximus stiffened, his hands hovering awkwardly before settling lightly on her back.

"Cheat? We are not bound by anything. I barely know you." He said, shaking his head gently.

"Yeah, yeah," she laughed, pulling away and waving dismissively.

"Like you'd even try. You'll probably spend your entire journey talking to plants and organizing your potions. Now go, before I decide to lock the gates and keep you as a pet." She winked and sent him a kiss. Maximus shook his head, a small, unbidden smile tugging at his lips as he walked toward the door. I have faced gods, breached realms, and navigated the courts of High Kings, he thought, but I have never felt quite so defenseless as I do against the wiles of that woman.

He met up with Felix, and they went to pick up Oscar before he drank himself under the table again. As they walked, Maximus lowered his voice, his expression grave.

"Felix, a question of some delicacy. What manner of sorcery is this 'inner-net'? Rose implied it is a place where one… Finds women?" Hearing this, Felix stopped, staring at his serious face before he burst into the loudest laughter Maximus had ever heard from the man.

"It's the internet, you fool. It's not a place; it's a network. We share everything there. Maps, history, news… And yes… Maximus, more pictures of naked women than you could see in ten lifetimes…" He wiped a tear from his eye.

"Wait until I tell Oscar about this. Hahahah." He continued. A network for sharing... Vulgarities and portraits of the unclothed? Maximus shook his head, his brow furrowed in genuine distaste, though his eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"Oh, my stars. How utterly uncivilized. Though… did you say it contains all your knowledge?"

"You know, your 'amnesia' act is slipping; you might want to rehearse your lines," Felix said as they continued toward the restaurant district.

"I'm not certain what you are speaking of. I cannot know what I've forgotten. And if my speech is different, it's probably affected by my memory loss. It's quite common." Maximus explained. I need to work on my vocabulary more… He decided.

"Sure, sure. Memory loss that lets you craft better potions than anything I've ever seen outside. Whatever, man. As long as you are on our side. One day, you'll be brave enough to tell us the truth. Until then, keep your secrets." Felix said with a shrug. He didn't mind Maximus, or whoever he was; he had already shown he cared, and that was more than even some of his own family ever did.

While Felix kept laughing at Maximus, they finally met up with Oscar, who nearly doubled over when Felix told him what Maximus had asked about.

"Don't sweat it, mate. Once we are back home, I'll get you a premium subscription to OnlySorceress. You will proper love it, you!" Oscar laughed as they left the village and proceeded toward the swamp. Maximus sighed, "I suspect I will regret asking. Now, can we focus? We have a crocodile to hunt, and hopefully, a new companion to tame." They walked for a while until the humid swamp air began to cling to him, forcing him to adjust his gear as it grew uncomfortably sticky.