When she opened her eyes, she was lying under the tree. Sleeping nearby were her mother and siblings. It was still dark out, and she wasn’t ready to wake up yet, so she snuggled closer to her mother and fell back asleep.

     “Myrra,” Moria whispered, gently shaking her daughter.

     “Nngh?” she mumbled groggily, looking around. “Morning, Mom,” she said with a yawn.

     “Good morning, sweetie. We were worried when you didn't come back last night. We saw the boar, I'm so proud of you,” she remarked, hugging her daughter. “Have you checked your status?”

     “I haven’t.”

     “Well, do so,” she stated with a smile.

     “Ok, Mommy. Status.” 

 

 

 

     “I leveled up twice,” she declared, jumping up and down excitedly. “I have so many stat points!”

     “Yes, because you’re my daughter, you get an extra three points per level.”

     “Mommy, can I ask you something?”

     “Yes, sweetie?”

     “What do titles do?”

     “Titles give you benefits, and are an indicator of your achievements,” she explained. “The Daughter of Moria title gives you three additional skill points per level, increases the strength of your plant and nature magic, gives you a more favorable reputation with those aligned with nature, and grants a bonus to XP gains.”

     “That's strong,” she said with a look of surprise.

     “You’re the daughter of a goddess," she remarked with a smile.  "Your child of nature title makes animals friendlier. Animals will let you approach and pet them, some beast monsters won't attack first, and it increases XP and power for nature-based skills.

     “Is that why I can pet Mr. Fox?”

     “Indeed, they would normally run from people. Wanderer gives you skills and abilities unique to your kind, and Tree Climber makes it easier to climb trees and prevents you from falling from them. When you get to your first town, you should find someone to teach you the Identify skill. It is instrumental and will allow you to get information about the world.”

     “When am I leaving?” she asked in a small voice. 

     “The Grand Goddess dictated that tomorrow will be the last day of the beginning. After tomorrow, the Wanderers will be allowed to roam free. My baby girl is special, others still haven't fully grasped their class, and you defeated a monster much stronger than you.”

     “Mommy, how important are levels and stats?”

     “They are important, but only as an indicator, not a measure of your power. Like with that monster, if you can strike the right places, you can take down things much larger and stronger. Going for vitals is a good way to deal with more powerful foes.”

     “Are all the wanderers doing stuff like I am?”

     “Because your original world is so different from our own, all the wanderers were sent to someone who can teach them what they need to know to survive. But that's enough questions for now, eat. Your sisters have food waiting.”

     She didn't realize how drained she was. After getting up, she went to the table. The fruit was juicy and filled her with energy. After eating her fill, she returned to the stone clearing and began practicing her magic. 

     “Sissy Myrra,” one of the twins called her. “Come play with us.”

     She abandoned her training and went to play. They were playing a game of tag, and even a few of the animals were playing along, though they just ran around with the girls. It felt good for her to be a normal kid. Despite all the running around, she didn't feel winded or tired. Before she knew it, lunch had come, and she ate again. 

     After lunch, she went to take a bath. The water was refreshing, and other girls were also bathing. She took her time and relaxed in the water, enjoying the feel of it against her skin. After finishing her bath, she got dressed, marveling at how her dress didn't seem to get dirty. She decided to lie with some of her sisters, who were sunning themselves on a nice patch of moss and flowers.

     “Hi, sweetie,” her mom greeted, sitting beside her. “Are you enjoying being a nymph?”

     “Very much so,” she beamed.

     “I’m glad. I don’t get the opportunity to receive new daughters often. So when I do, I cherish them,” as she said this, she pulled Myrra into her lap and hugged her lovingly.

     “Is it always girls?” 

     “Yes, sweetie, I am the mother of dryads and nymphs. The goddess only offers them to girls. And of the few that are offered, not many become my daughters. It takes a special kind of girl. I was happy when she said I would be getting a new daughter. Truthfully, I want to keep you all to myself, but I can’t. The Grand Goddess dictates you must travel the lands. So I must obey. Your promise to visit made me happy. Your sisters and I will miss you terribly.”

     “I'll miss you too, Mommy,” she agreed with a half smile. “These last three days have been my happiest.” Half tempted to stay here in the forest. But she’s playing the game for adventure and thrills. Unlike Earth, this was a new and unexplored land.  

     “Now, I have one last thing to teach you,” she began, her daughter tilting her head in confusion. “Your stats. Agility measures how agile you are and your ability to land blows. Strength dictates what you can equip as well as your carrying capacity. Constitution is how healthy and resistant you are to abnormal status effects. Intelligence allows you to learn magic that is outside your class-specific ones. Wisdom determines how much mana you have and how quickly it regenerates.”

     She nodded, then asked, “Mommy, what does being a Flower Nymph mean?”

     “As one, you have increased power with plant and nature magic. Your skin and hair absorb light, increasing mana regeneration during the day, as well as providing a level of sustenance. You are immune to poison entirely and plants, such as paralyzing Lilly, will never debuff you. You can touch and even harvest them without being paralyzed. Your lifespan is infinite, even if you were to die your physical form would reconstitute here, which gives you the time to reach the highest class levels,” Myrra wondered what her mom meant by this. “And you are a spirit which gives its benefits, the strongest being damage resistance.”

     “Flower Nymphs are so cool. Who wouldn’t want to be one?” she giggled.

     “I don't know, sweetie, but I'm glad you chose to.”

     “I'm glad I did too.” She assumed that the lore was there to fit the game and that the restrictions weren’t as strict as her mother said. After all, she was undoubtedly a boy, and as much as she liked being a girl, the game could read her DNA. Whatever the case may be, she was glad she chose this race.

     “Now, sweetie, you should get plenty of rest tonight; tomorrow is when you will depart for your adventure. Later, we will have a special dinner for you and a party to celebrate.”

     “Really?” she asked excitedly, breaking out of her earlier funk.

     “Yes, some of your older sisters are busy right now gathering. So until they return, why don't you play with your sisters.”

     “Ok, Mommy,” she giggled. She was going to miss her sisters and decided to take the opportunity to spend more time with her family. A few hours of playing later, they had to stop because night approached, and her party was about to start. There were a lot of girls in the forest clearing now, more than she had seen to this point.

     Being the home of the Goddess of nature and plants, it had the highest concentration of spirits such as her. Many came from the edges of the forest, where they preferred to live more solitary lives. They provided a constant vigil of the forest, making it one of the safest places in the world. 

     Some of her sisters produced instruments and played them to the enjoyment of the others. Her sisters had decorated the tree, they had been casting spells earlier, which were now on full display. Small colored orbs were scattered among the branches of the trees, lighting up the entire clearing. There was a lot of singing, dancing, and eating.

     “My daughters,” her mom began, standing on the root of the large tree, “we are celebrating the arrival and departure of our newest family member. The Great Goddess sent her to us as a Wanderer. She will venture forth tomorrow, setting forth on a journey of adventure and discovery,” She gestured to Myrra. “Though our initial time together was shorter than we wanted, she promised to visit and recount tales of her adventure. Though she may be leaving us, she is now and always will be our precious family. Wherever she may go, we will be there in her heart.” She raised a glass in a toast. The others followed suit, drinking to her. 

     Her mother stepped down and walked over. “Are you having fun?” 

     “I am,” she said, “everything is delicious. I didn’t know I had so many sisters.”

     “When you live as long as we do, you tend to have a big family. And not all of your siblings live in this forest,” her mom laughed. “Now go have fun.” 

     Her mom gently nudged her towards the others. She mingled with her siblings, hearing stories and even telling hers about the boar, with only minor embellishments. Several hours later, after she had eaten and drunk her fill. The party began to wind down. Many of her sisters had left already. Giving her well wishes, most giving hugs and some gave small gifts. She put them into her backpack throughout the night. Eventually, the party died out save a few stragglers, and she went to bed, cuddling many of her younger older siblings.

     She woke later than usual, having stayed up late last night enjoying the party. She decided to take stock of her things. Retrieving her backpack, she began to sort through her gifts. Amongst their contents were a myriad of flowers, preserved using plant magic. She placed them in a pile and took stock of her other gifts. There were several healing items and a few mana restoratives made with high-level plant magic.

     One of her sisters gave her an ivy bracelet that significantly increased her health and mana regeneration. She was also given a Flower Rod. Which would enhance her plant and nature magic. There were a few small keepsakes that she tucked away in her backpack before she turned her attention to the flowers. She decided to weave them into a circlet, and after an hour or so it was completed. She placed it on her head and admired how it looked in her hair in a small mirror from amongst her gifts. 

     “That looks amazing on you, sweetie,” her mom remarked from behind her. “Today is your big day. Are you excited?”

     “Very!” she exclaimed, bouncing a little. 

     “Come and join us for a late breakfast. Then you should get ready.”

     She gathered her stuff and joined her mother and sisters. Compared to last night, it felt like a small gathering. They ate and drank, telling more stories and a little about the world. She was instructed to head to a nearby city. There would be other players there. It was one of the hubs for beginners. The rest of the server was now accessible. While sleeping, she seamlessly transitioned to the live game. 

     “I’m going to miss you so much, my precious daughter,” her mom sniffled, hugging her.

     “I’m going to miss you too, Mommy,” she whimpered. “But I promise I’ll come and visit as soon as I can.” 

     “I’ll be looking forward to that,” she remarked, giving Myrra another hug. “You be safe. Make sure to eat enough and practice your spells. Also, more importantly, make a lot of friends.

     “I will, Mommy,” she promised with a smile and another hug.

     “Phyrris will take you to the edge of the forest.”

     “Ready, Sis?” she asked, rubbing Myrra’s head.

     “Yes,” she declared. The two of them set off, her siblings and mother crying as she left. Myrra struggled to hold back her tears. She hadn't expected to get so attached to a video game character. The two girls continued to walk. Neither wanted to break the silence. Myrra took her sister's hand, enjoying the closeness. After about an hour, they came to the edge of the forest.

     “I'm afraid I can't go any further, take care, sis, and be safe,” she announced before handing her a folded piece of paper. “This is a map of the world. We're here.” She pointed to a place on the map, and a small indicator appeared. “If you go nearly straight from here, you’ll run into a road. You can follow that to Weinheim. There you’ll be able to sign up at the Wanderers Union.” She hugged Myrra and then kissed her forehead. “Don’t stay away too long, okay?”

     “Just long enough to get some stories to tell everyone.” She turned and walked away. Sad but eager to start a new adventure.