MMORPG: REBORN MARK ADVENTURE IN ONLINE GAME

After 12 real-life hours (equivalent to one in-game day), Raven finally returned to Viles Town from the treacherous Forgotten Trail. Unlike the rest of the players, who were still fumbling through beginner quests, he had just completed a Unique Quest—one that no one else had even discovered yet.

As he walked through the streets, he noticed something:

Most players were still Level 1, running back and forth between quest NPCs.

A few of the more dedicated elites had managed to hit Level 2, standing out with slightly better gear.

But he was the only Level 3 player in the entire town.

The weight of that realization sank in. He wasn't just ahead—he was far ahead.

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The Forgotten Trail – A Unique Questline

Unlike the standard quests available to new players, Forgotten Trail was a hidden, solo questline triggered by accident—or by the sharpest of players.

Raven remembered the conversation clearly. Unlike the other players who ignored the beggar, he had stopped—not out of pity, but out of curiosity. Something about the man's presence felt off, like he didn't quite belong in the town.

The beggar hadn't asked for money. Instead, he had asked a question.

> "Tell me, traveler—what is more valuable? Gold, power, or knowledge?"

Most players would have answered gold or power. But Raven had hesitated, thinking deeper.

> "Knowledge," he had said finally. "Because with the right knowledge, you can gain the other two."

The beggar had smiled, eyes glinting in the dim alleyway.

> "A wise answer. Then let me give you knowledge in return—the past lingers where no feet dare tread. Seek the door that does not open."

And then, just like that, the beggar had vanished.

No logout animation. No NPC walking away. One second he was there, the next he was gone, as if he had never existed.

Raven had searched for him afterward, even asked around, but no one else had seen him. The NPC wasn't part of any known questline.

Now, standing in the same alley where they had spoken, Raven found nothing but empty crates and discarded trash.

He's really gone.

But the beggar's words still echoed in his mind. Twelve lie hidden in the shadows.

If he wanted to find the next Forgotten Trail, he had to figure out where the next keeper was.

Garrett hadn't always been a gatekeeper.

When Mortal Online first launched, he was just another street thug lurking in the alleyways, preying on clueless Level 1 players who had just created their characters. His favorite tactic? Ambushing fresh spawns, demanding a few copper, and beating them down if they refused.

Raven had been one of his first targets.

But unlike most, Raven had escaped.

Back then, with nothing but starter gear and no real combat skills, he had relied on pure instinct—dodging, weaving, and sprinting away before Garrett could land a clean hit. Most players weren't that lucky. They either paid up or got knocked out and sent back to the respawn point.

But then things changed.

At some point, Garrett stopped lurking in the alleys and moved to the town gates. Now, instead of robbing a few unlucky players at a time, he had set up a full-blown toll system.

And worse? He had raised his price.

What used to be a few copper coins had turned into twenty copper—a ridiculous amount for new players. Most couldn't afford it, meaning they were trapped in Viles Town, stuck grinding beginner quests while Garrett got rich.

Raven leaned against a wall, watching the scene unfold.

This isn't just about money. Something else is going on here.

Garrett was keeping people inside.

But why?

Raven didn't realize it, but Garrett wasn't just running a shakedown—he was waiting for him.

The day Raven had escaped that first ambush, Garrett's reputation among the town's thugs had taken a serious hit. Word had spread fast: some newbie slipped through his fingers. For a guy like Garrett, whose entire persona was built on being an unbeatable enforcer, that was a humiliation he couldn't afford.

At first, he had tried to track Raven down in the alleys, but the town was too crowded. Too chaotic. And Raven was too slippery.

So Garrett changed tactics.

He stopped hunting players one by one and took control of the town gates instead.

At first, it was just about making money, but deep down, Garrett had a bigger reason:

He was waiting.

Waiting for that one player who had humiliated him.

Waiting for Raven to walk through the gates.

So he could get his revenge.

Raven smirked as he leaned against the wall, watching Garrett shake down another group of frustrated players.

In his past life, this situation had played out very differently.

Back then, it wasn't a solo player like him who took Garrett down—it was a third-rate guild called Blood Riders.

Garrett had made the mistake of robbing one of their members, thinking they were just another weak newbie. But instead of taking the loss, Blood Riders returned in force. Twenty of them, all barely Level 2, had surrounded Garrett and brought him down through sheer numbers.

They won—but they paid the price.

Seven of their members died in the fight, and because of the town's early-game mechanics, that meant lost experience, broken gear, and a huge setback. It should have been a victory.

But what happened next shook the entire town.

With Garrett gone, a new thug took his place—his older brother, a Level 5 menace with far more brutal tactics. Unlike Garrett, who at least had a system to his robbery, this guy was a mad dog.

He didn't demand money.

He just attacked everyone he saw.

Players flooded the forums, furious at Blood Riders for breaking the game balance. But no one dared to fight them. Blood Riders was a player-hunting guild, a group that thrived on making enemies. If someone crossed them, they wouldn't stop at just killing in-game characters—they'd make their target's life miserable.

That meant no one challenged them.

The result? Viles Town became a nightmare for new players.

And now, Raven had a choice.

If he killed Garrett here and now, history might repeat itself.

But if he found another way, he could change the course of the game entirely.