Nitish opened his eyes and found himself standing in a massive hall.
It was grand—vast, beautifully constructed, and filled with the kind of ancient charm that gave off an almost royal, old-world aura.
"So... this is Beta Town,"he whispered as he stepped out of the hall, taking in his surroundings with a mix of awe and excitement.
All around him, there was a crowd of people roaming freely, but it didn't take long for Nitish to realize that they weren't from his world—not from Earth.They belonged to this new world, and he could tell by the white diamond icon floating above their heads.
In this realm, every "Swargdeshi" (an outsider from Earth) had a colored diamond above their name, while the native residents bore a white diamond.
Looking around, Nitish saw all sorts of people—giant orc-like creatures, goblins barely four feet tall, and other strange beings he couldn't even name.
"Stay sharp, Nitish.This place is a whole different level..."he muttered to himself, now walking more cautiously.
What surprised him, though, was that no one seemed to look at him strangely, like he had originally expected. People simply went about their day, treating him as part of the environment.
Eventually, Nitish found himself entering the main market area.
The scene that greeted him was vibrant and bustling—stalls lined the streets, shopkeepers shouting offers, and a huge variety of goods were on display. Weapons, armor, food, magical items—everything was for sale, and the energy of the place rivaled even the busiest cities back on Earth.
Nitish had already received a starter sword and basic armor from the system earlier.But it didn't take long for him to realize that what he had was absolute junk—the materials were clearly of poor quality, especially compared to the polished and well-crafted items being sold in the shops.
As he was thinking this, he noticed a young man walking toward him.
The guy was slightly taller than Nitish but moved with a kind of unsure, hesitant posture. What caught Nitish's attention, though, was the green diamond hovering above his name.
That meant—he was a Swargdeshi, just like Nitish.
Nitish's eyes lit up in surprise and curiosity as the guy approached him and smiled warmly.
"Hey there, buddy!You're kinda late arriving here.But it's all good—you came just in time.We're about to head out for a hunt,"the boy said cheerfully.
"A hunt? Shouldn't you guys explore the place first before diving into something like that?"Nitish asked, a little surprised.
"Ah, no need to waste time on that.It's just a Beta Town, right?It's meant to give us a taste of the real thing.Why not jump straight into the action and get some combat experience?"the boy replied with a laugh.
"That logic makes no sense...How are you supposed to understand what's going on if you skip the basics?"Nitish thought to himself.But he didn't say anything aloud—arguing with a mule wasn't his idea of fun, and neither was playing guitar for one.
"Anyway, come join us for the hunt.It'll be a blast!I'm Prashant Thakur, by the way."Prashant offered with a wide grin.
"Nah, man... You guys go ahead.I'll stay back and explore a bit.Want to get a feel for the place first."Nitish declined politely.
"Oh, alright...If that's what you prefer...Want me to send you a friend request?"Prashant looked a little disappointed but still hopeful.
Nitish nodded, and the two of them added each other.Nitish had simply used his real name as his in-game username: Nitish.Prashant, on the other hand, had gone with the flashy moniker: Bolt Charge.
They waved each other goodbye and headed in different directions.
Nitish continued wandering through the town, taking note of every detail.
The busy market, the vibrant energy, the constant chatter—in fact, the atmosphere here seemed even more alive than most places on Earth.
People were buying supplies, negotiating prices, laughing, yelling, and living their lives.
These weren't Earthlings, but their emotions were just as human—some were cheerful, some focused, and others lost in their own thoughts.
Nitish observed it all—curious, quiet, and eager.He had no idea what challenges lay ahead.But one thing was certain:
This world was alive... and so was his story.
Nitish was walking through the town, taking everything in with childlike wonder, when suddenly—he accidentally bumped into a girl.
"Ouch!"The girl stumbled backward and fell to the ground with a slight wince.She looked up, her expression annoyed."Can't you watch where you're going? I nearly got hurt."
For a brief moment, her eyes widened as she looked at him more closely.
Nitish was a little startled too. This girl wasn't a fellow player—she was a native of this world.
"Umm... sorry, ma'am—miss—I mean... I didn't see you there,"Nitish stammered, nervously reaching out a hand to help her up.
"Ah, a Swargdeshi, huh?Of course. Makes sense—you look like someone who just woke up in a panic at 1 p.m.,"she replied playfully as she stood up on her own, brushing the dust off her dress.
It was only when Nitish got a proper look at her that he froze.
She was… stunning.
Her light brown hair, tall frame, and razor-sharp features seemed less like something from nature and more like something that challenged it.
"So what, being a Swargdeshi automatically means I'm an idiot?"Nitish replied with a small grin, realizing she wasn't actually mad at him.
"No, no, I didn't mean that,"the girl chuckled."It's just that... you all are so new here, y'know?Totally understandable."
She tilted her head, a teasing smile playing on her lips.
"And I'm guessing you don't see girls this beautiful back in your world every day.So I suppose the collision was inevitable."
Nitish flushed slightly.
"That's not… I mean... it's not like that..."Why did she think he was that easy to fluster?
"Name's Athena.And you are?"
"I'm Nitish."
"Oh, nice. So you just arrived in this world, huh?"
"Yeah, pretty much. Just loaded in today,"Nitish said with a smile.
"Well then, try not to go bumping into everyone here.They might not all be as nice as me.You can respawn, sure—but that doesn't mean you won't feel the pain."
"I'll keep that in mind.By the way, could you tell me more about this place?If you've got time, I mean…"
The two of them had moved to the edge of the sidewalk, right near the spot where they'd collided. As they talked, they began walking side by side.
"Time I have,"Athena said casually,"but… not for free. You'll have to pay me."
"What can I offer?"
"Hmm... how about 3 copper coins?"
When Nitish had joined the game, the system had given him a default 10 copper coins.
According to the in-game currency system:
100 copper = 1 silver coin
100 silver = 1 gold coin
1000 gold = 1 gem coin
Nitish paused briefly to consider.
"Three copper coins… hmm..."He thought for a moment."Alright. Deal."
He handed her three copper coins.
"Good boy! I like you already—you're smart, not stingy,"Athena said with a grin, flipping the coins playfully between her fingers."Now, follow me."