The Second Life of Adam Cosmos

Ding!

[You have created a Health Potion (Notable Quality)! You have gained 900 Essence.]

[Apprentice Alchemist proficiency has increased to (47.82%).]

Ding!

[You have created a Stamina Potion (Notable Quality) for the first time! You have gained 1800 Essence.]

[Apprentice Alchemist proficiency has increased to (56.68%).]

Ding!

[You have created a Mana Potion (Notable Quality) for the first time! You have gained 2000 Essence.]

[Apprentice Alchemist proficiency has increased to (64.71%).]

Ding!

[You have created the first poison…]

[You have created the first alchemical grenade…]

[Apprentice Alchemist proficiency has..]

[You are the first player to reach Intermediate rank. The title and achievement…]

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Ding! Ding! Ding!

For the next three days, Adam had been busy crafting potions.

He stopped by at the Mercury Auction House to claim the earnings for the items he put up for sale. He then used some of the money to buy materials up for sale that he could use to store his potions and other alchemical creations.

He would also periodically put up for sale some of the potions he has created in batches so the rest of the player base will have a decent supply in hand for the final stretch of the first quest while, at the same time, he’s earning decent money.

With all the equipment he had intended to sell exhausted, the shop known as My Alchemical Romance is slowly building its reputation as a go-to for potions and other alchemical creations.

He created all sorts of mixtures: healing potions, stamina potions, mana potions, poison flasks, and paralytic mixtures, among others. In the process, he has acquired several titles and achievements.

As a result, his alchemical stock steadily increased, and he became an intermediate-grade alchemist. He also accumulated many Essence from all the potions he created.

Before leaving, he used the essence he acquired to reach Level 60.

Name: Adam

Level: 60

Essence: 1,128 (15,103 essence to reach Level 61)

HP 160/160 (+100)

MP 300/300 (+200)

STATS

Vitality 20

Endurance 30

Willpower 10

Strength 28

Dexterity 14

Perception 15

Intelligence 10

Clarity 6

Harmony 9

Mystery 6

SKILLS:

(Intermediate Alchemist 26.28%) Purify

(Novice Pyromancer 33.78%) Firebolt 4

TRAITS:

Botanist, Toxic Resistance, Flame Resistance, Frost Resistance, Metallurgy

MP Regen +15% (Necklace), HP Regen +10% (Ring)

TITLES:

First Potioneer, First Apprentice, First Notable Crafter, First Notable Alchemist, First Poison Brewer, First Intermediate Alchemist, First Intermediate Crafter

ACHIEVEMENTS:

First Apprentice, Potion with Two Effects, First Poison, Alchemical Grenadier

At this point, Adam has mostly stripped the cavern of whatever ingredients he could use for a potion mixture.

He could either proceed further to try and complete Vetius’ quest or return and head to the Chamber of Sacrifice and make his way out of the Forgotten Temple. But back when Adam reached the cavern, he had long since decided to postpone his Blacksmithing quest in favor of creating potions and completing the first quest.

Normally, he would have been stuck in this place as Vetius sealed the only way back out. Fortunately, Adam can leave the place and return at his convenience.

One of the utility scrolls he acquired in the hidden room is a teleportation scroll. This particular teleportation scroll will allow him to teleport back to the hidden room with the chest mimics. As for returning back to this cavern, he used a consumable item called a Teleportation Tether.

Teleportation Tether

Description: An item used in conjunction with two teleportation scrolls.

Details: The first scroll will function as a regular teleportation scroll and bring you to an array you previously activated. The second teleportation scroll will allow you to return to your previous location. Exercise caution when returning to your previous location as it may not be safe anymore at the time of returning.

The scroll usually only works when trying to get to a teleportation array. Still, this tether would let Adam turn one of his scrolls into a return ticket to the cavern despite the area not having a teleportation array.

This tool is very useful for guild and adventurer teams in the middle of a dungeon raid. They can then use another teleportation scroll to strategically retreat to either recover or re-supply and then return to raiding a dungeon.

Of course, there is a certain level of danger when returning to a place like the cavern. Even if Adam determined it’s safe enough for potion crafting, it may not be the case the next time he returns.

But it’s a risk he’s willing to take. He then tore a teleportation scroll.

Normally, a teleportation scroll would prompt a user to determine his location based on his activated teleportation array. But since Adam had only activated the array in the hidden and summoning rooms, he casually selected the room as his intended destination.

In just a second, he returned to the first location every Lorikan Republic player arrived in. And this time, it is completely dark and deserted.

Adam lit a torch and picked the same passageway that he had gone through before. This time, he intends to clear the first quest and find the exit to the chamber.

He now remembers clearly how to get to the Catacombs from where is. Now, all he needs to do is to pick the opposite direction so that he can find the exit; Adam knew all along where the exit is, he just didn’t feel the need to clear it so soon when there is so much to gain.

The path he is walking on used to be crawling with giant rats and mutated spiders, but players had long since hunted these monsters to death, so the place is clear of any obstacle. The other players are probably either exploring the catacombs for loot or exploring the other parts of the area.

But for Adam, all he needs to do is walk reasonably briskly, and he will reach the exit after about half an hour of walking.

It was then that Adam received the notification he had been anticipating.

Ding!

[Quest: Escape from the Forgotten Temple]

Details: The sacrificial ritual has begun. Head to the Chamber of Sacrifice and secure the necessary sacrifice to unlock the magic seal.

"The players who activated it don't have much time. I need to hurry."

***

In the outer section of the Catacomb, the players’ grinding starts to show the fruits of their hard work. The average level of the Catacomb players is now in the range of 35 to 40.

The Maxima Guild, in particular, has most members’ average level at 43. The weapons they looted in the hidden room and the equipment they bought from the auction have given them an unparalleled edge against their competition.

[You have slain Skeleton Soldier Lvl. 42. You have absorbed 200 Essence.]

Tyler Evergreen had once again cleared a group of skeleton soldiers almost single-handedly. While getting support from his team, he is dishing out nearly all the damage.

His goal is to increase his greatsword proficiency as quickly as possible. And the only way to do so is to fight more enemies.

“Good! At this rate, we will maintain the level advantage over the other guilds,” he said contently.

He instructed every Maxima member to grind into smaller groups to increase their essence gains. And for the past few days, the result has shown itself.

Tyler is now at Level 43 and close to reaching 44, while the elite members of the guild have also crossed Level 40. Meanwhile, the majority of his team has an average level of 38.

And right now, Tyler’s team is deeper into the catacombs than any other group of players. The deeper they get into the catacombs, the higher the enemies' level. But it is here where they can gain the highest yield of essence for leveling up.

His motivation is to become the number-one-ranked Lorikan server.

But despite his advantage as a professional player, there is someone occupying the number one rank in the Lorikan server, a player at level 52.

And it wasn’t just the Lorikan server; no one in the other main servers had reached past level 50.

After Maxima secured the items in the hidden room, they gained a slight advantage over the other players. But it was the equipment sold in the Mercury Auction House that truly set them on a higher proficiency of leveling.

Although it cost a lot, the Maxima management authorized increasing their line of credit to buy as much of the equipment as possible.

He has also personally sent a message to the seller, My Alchemical Romance, both a business proposal and a recruitment offer- however, after 4 days, he has not heard any response.

He is willing to do whatever it takes to become the number one. Non-stop grinding, using real-world resources to buy items, or to recruit individuals with a high salary offer.

Yet it still wasn’t enough.

Even when this player, Adam, seemed stuck at level 52 for the past few days, he himself has only just reached 43 after periodically instructing his small team not to interfere with his own fights.

He couldn’t help but wonder how this guy had leveled so fast and why he suddenly stopped leveling.

Such thoughts were in Tyler’s mind when he finally reached level 44.

‘Yes! I’m getting closer and closer to the top spot!’ Tyler internally exclaimed. He and his team have just dispatched yet another group of undead, and the essence he gained is sufficient to go up another level.

And just as he did so, the top ranker, whose level has mysteriously remained stagnant, also suddenly increased. But unlike Tyler, whose level increased by 1, the top ranker went from 52 to 60! How is this possible?

But before he had the time to react any further, he received a system notification- and clearly, it wasn’t just him who received it.

Ding!

[Quest: Escape from the Forgotten Temple]

Details: The sacrificial ritual has begun. Head to the Chamber of Sacrifice and secure the necessary sacrifice to unlock the magic seal.

He immediately turned to one of his members.

“Aaron, log out and investigate,” ordered Tyler. “Tell everyone to get back to the summoning room. Then we’ll all head together to the chamber.”

As a guild master, Tyler receives periodic updates from his members via routine log-outs. Since the game doesn’t have a messaging system, this is the only way to coordinate over 300 members scattered throughout the temple.

In fact, several of the newer batch of Maxima recruits who just logged in are in the chamber of sacrifice- this is why they know where it is located.

Other guilds have also set a similar protocol, so the chamber's location is known to many at this stage.

At this moment, most of the catacomb players started heading towards the chamber.

***

“Tanks, make sure to hold their aggro!”

Taunt!

Shield Charge!

Shield Bash!

“Clerics, make sure none of our tanks die. If even one of them falls, it will make things even more difficult!”

Heal!

Life Recovery!

Stamina Boost!

“Damage Dealers, go crazy on your targets.

“Archers, target the ones using ranged and magic attacks.”

Shadow Step!

Backstab!

Power Shot!

Pinning Arrow!

“Mages cast your AoEs on the monsters grouped together!”

Fireball!

Frozen Blast!

Razor Wind!

In the Chamber of Sacrifice, there are around a thousand players working together to fend off the swarm of monsters. Various beast and insect-type monsters are coming in seemingly endless drives, trying to devour them.

About half an hour earlier, one of the independent teams investigating the chamber found something noteworthy. In the middle of this massive room, at least 10 times bigger than the summoning room, was an engraving on the floor of what looked to be a magic array.

And then one of their members had inadvertently activated it.

Adam would have identified it as a special summoning array if he had been present. Upon activation, it would summon a horde of monsters that players would need to eliminate to fulfill the requirements of the magic seal.

At first, it was just a few dozen monsters with a low level, so the players were initially excited as it would mean an easy level-up.

But then, more and more monsters arrived. A few more dozen… three hundred… six hundred…

At first, they can handle the arrival of the monsters due to their higher level and superior numbers. But slowly, their expressions began to turn dark.

Two thousand. Three thousand. Four thousand… Five… Six… Seven... Eight… Nine…

The monster’s level slowly but surely catches up to their level until monsters with higher levels than them become common.

Suddenly, a mere one thousand players faced nearly ten thousand monsters. It became immediately clear that they would need to work together when such an overwhelming number of monsters had set their sight on them.

The average level of the players is from level 25 to 35. Meanwhile, the monsters come in much more varied levels of 10s to 40s.

With the leadership of the pro gamers, the players are putting up a decent, if desperate, fight. However, their situation will not last for long if reinforcement does not come soon.

“How long until the rest of our members arrive?”

“Probably within 30 minutes, they just returned from the catacombs after grinding the past few days.”

“I don't think we’ll last that long.”

Indeed, the battle is not going in the favor of the players. While they are organized and putting up a good resistance. The sheer number of monsters is overwhelming the players.

The tanks, in particular, are struggling to maintain the monsters' aggro. Every tank has at least 20 enemies; they’re trying to keep aggro on them with little to no support from a healer. As a result, the tanks are dying faster than the damage dealers can clear the enemies.

The warriors are low on health, and the damage dealers can’t dispatch the enemies fast enough.

But perhaps the most crucial of all are the mage classes. The healers who should be keeping the tanks alive are casting less and less heals, while the spellcasters who should be damaging enemies with their AoE spells are barely contributing to the fight- all because they are running low mana and with no way to replenish it.

While many of them found some potions from exploring the map for the past few days, it simply wasn’t enough to sustain a fight against this number of monsters.

Despite the good start, things are not looking good for the players. Slowly but surely, many players are now holding on either to retreat or wait for reinforcements. Whether professional or independent gamers, none are eager to die. That is why the fight is now to hold on as long as possible so a more effective strategy can be formulated.

In World of Pangea, when a player dies, they will resurrect after 24 real-time hours or 3 in-game days. Plus, they will lose a few levels, a percentage of their class proficiency, and every essence they have accumulated so far. This is a huge setback, especially for a professional gamer.

As the desperate fight went on, the casualty kept on increasing. Slowly but surely, the players start showing signs of fleeing the battlefield.

It was at this moment when a single player joined the fray. This player kept walking forward while the rest of the players were slowly taking steps backward.

Then he started throwing helmets at several players.

“Here, take this and distribute it to your team!”

The players who saw this are understandably confused, at least at first.

“What the fuck is this idiot doing?”

“Hey! If you’re joining the party, why not kill some monsters instead of goofing around!?”

“Huh? What are these-”

“Hey, everyone! The helmet has potions! It’s potions!”

“Hurry up! Give the mana potions to the mages. With these, maybe we can turn things around!”

“Who are you? Which guild are you from?”

The man who supplied them with potions is of course, none other than Adam.