I look at their interfaces. There are five people in the group, and they each have a D hovering above their names. They're all above level fifty, and with their straight backs and unforgiving expressions, it looks like they own the building.

"You look clueless," another one says, a guy with electric blue hair styled into a quiff. "We're from Dragoon. Your rival guild."

This is too much animosity for one week. I rest my back against the booth, trying to ignore them. I turn my attention to the glass, overlooking the hill toward a grassy oasis. I remind myself that bullies won't last long if I show them that they've no effect on me. I just have to pretend. This will be over soon enough.

"Hey," the guy continues. "You must have a hearing problem. I said that I'm from your rival guild."

I sip my soda. When I look back, I still receive all five stares from the members of Dragoon.

I imagine that Aileen's here with me. She always gives me the confidence to speak out. "I'm from Mysteriously. But give me a break, it's only my third day playing."

"How did a bard like you even get into a top guild?" This time, it's a girl who sneers at me. She has violet hair and striking blue eyes. She looks around my age.

I decide to go the over-confident route. Maybe that will scare them away. "I guess I proved myself pretty quickly. I beat Olivia Park in a duel."

The blue-haired guy lets out a bark of laughter. "Don't tell me that a newb like you beat the Olivia."

Woah, these guys respect Olivia at least. I can use that to my advantage. "Yup. I landed a strike on her. That was the deal for entering the guild."

"Nathan has gone nuts," says a different member—a freckled boy with red hair. "I can't believe he's letting in new players who probably don't know the difference between a mage and a priest."

My cheeks must go red. But I can't give up now. I'm tired of being thrown around and disrespected. "I do know the difference. And Nathan told me himself that he values me being a bard in his guild."

The last to speak are a set of twins, a brother and sister with the same sharp jaw and pronounced cheekbones. "Yup. He's gone nuts," says the boy.

The girl sniffles. "This boy Josiah thinks he's going to take over the world. How delusional."

The door to the tavern swings open. Olivia Park stands there with a solemn expression. She glances once at the Dragoon table. Then she glances at me, probably sensing my frustration. "Is something going on here?" she asks.

Miraculously, the Dragoon table ignores her and turns back to their beers and potatoes. I give her a thankful smile. She comes my way, sitting on the opposite side of the booth. When the NPC approaches her, she orders a soda too.

She's beautiful, carrying a grace with her while her tight rogue outfit shows off her defined muscles. I can't believe I landed a hit on her. Well, I did cheat a bit by throwing my harp at her. She gives me a tight smile. I know that it takes effort from her.

"Sorry," she says. "When you join a guild like ours, you're definitely bound to make some immediate opponents."

She speaks quietly, reminding me of Aileen when I first met her. "Thank you for saving me. It looks like you're quite respected in Starlia."

Olivia tilts her head. "Not really. I guess I just look intimidating."

I appreciate her dry humor. "You are probably the best rogue I've seen yet."

She shakes her head, shrugging her shoulders. "You haven't even traveled to the other continents yet. There are plenty of rogues in the same caliber."

"But still," I say. "You're the second-in-command for Mysteriously. That has to count for something."

She sips her soda carefully when it comes. It fizzles against her lips when she pulls the cup away, but somehow she makes it look sophisticated. "It counts enough."

"How did you end up becoming second in command?" I ask her.

She pauses. When she speaks, her voice isn't proud—more matter-of-fact. "I beat Nathan in a duel."

"Oh my gosh!" I can't imagine Nathan losing to anyone. "That must've been a monumental moment in the game."

Olivia purses her lips. "Not really."

"Why not?" I ask.

She sighs, cooling a hand against the condensation of her glass. "Because it took me ten tries to beat him. I only won on my tenth attempt."

I almost choke on my soda. "Really? He beat you nine times?"

Olivia comes close to a smile. I can tell that it's a rarity for her. "Yes. And he almost won the tenth match too. I beat him just barely."

"I can't see Nathan losing," I say. "But at the same time, I can't imagine you losing either. You could've slashed down me and Aileen at any time during our match."

She shrugs, returning to her trained and serious expression. "I guess I could've."

I lean closer, trying my best to break her shell. "Do you have any tips for me to level fast?"

She nurses her drink for a long time. For a while, I think that she won't answer me. Then, she stands abruptly, resting one hand against the dagger sheathed near her belt. "Follow me."

Olivia Park says that she doesn't have a pet. A waste of my gold is what she says when I mention it. We run on foot away from Rug's Path. She buffs both of us with an ability called "agility," which increases both of our movement speeds. The world rushes past me as I run, and my feet and body feel lighter.

We pass the field with the rabbits. On the way, Olivia summons throwing daggers in her hand with "kunai" and launches them toward the mobs in our way. The rabbits disappear immediately upon impact. Olivia has mastered her aim, and she never misses one out of all the knives she throws.

We come across a large lake, where a waterfall crashes into from a cliff. We must be a few miles away from the closest town. It's completely isolated here, not a player to be found. With the rushing water and healthy breeze, I feel like I've stumbled upon an oasis. It's peaceful here. The crystal-clear water trickles before me. The surrounding forest—full of life—buzzes with insects, and animals brush across the grass.

"This is where I trained when I was a little ahead of your level," Olivia says. "I was maybe around level thirty."

"Level thirty?" I gulp. "I'm only level fifteen."

"Doesn't matter," Olivia says, curtly. "I'll be doing the killing. All you have to do is sit back and support me from the sidelines."

"I want to do some of the dirty work too, though." I give a hesitant smile.

Olivia shakes her head. "It's too dangerous for you. Besides, you're a bard. You do the best when you're supporting from behind."

"Okay." I take a deep breath, trying to center myself. "So what do you want me to do?"

She points to the lake, which looks peaceful enough to jump in and swim. I wonder what virtual water would feel like on my body.... "Do you see that lake? Project your voice and sing in that direction. See what happens next."

I suddenly feel shy. Olivia hearing me sing? It's like doing a presentation in front of the popular kid at school. I wonder what she'd think about my painful voice. No matter, I can't let her down now. She took time from her day to show me a good place to train. I can't just chicken out now.

I open my mouth. "Sing." Then, I launch into a melody from a popular pop song, from singer Orianna Jewel. Embarrassing, but her song came to mind first. I regret choosing the bard class. I feel like Olivia will burst into laughter at any moment.

But she keeps a straight face. And as I sing, the strangest thing I've ever witnessed happens. The water bubbles on the surface. Piranhas, dozens of them, float to the top upon hearing my song. They have lazy eyes, foaming at their mouths. Blue and red scales cover their huge bodies. Around the size of basketballs. They reveal their sets of teeth, sharp and deadly. I'm glad I didn't act on my impulse earlier to swim in the lake.

"Knivestorm," Olivia says.

Dozens of knives form in the air above the lake. They resemble the kunai Olivia threw earlier, but the blades are thinner and the handles are gold instead of red. Suddenly, the storm of knives descends upon the monsters. Olivia kills the piranhas instantly. They melt to shiny dust in the water.

250 exp gained from your ally!

Level 16 reached!

"Oh my goodness!" I gasp after the display of this spectacular rogue ability. "That was amazing. It felt like I was in an action movie just now."

Olivia barely lets one side of her mouth upturn. I'm beginning to appreciate her attempts at smiling. It's kind of endearing. I reward myself by cheering her up, when she normally owns such a serious character.

I repeat the same move a few times. I sing, and once the piranhas float to the surface, Olivia kills them with her knivestorm ability. I gain so much experience that it's dizzying. My heart rushes each time I gain experience. I feel like I'm cheating the game in some way. But if Olivia thinks it's fine....

Level 20 reached!

"It's time for your job advancement," Olivia says. "You'll have to go through a test with Maria James."

Do you celebrate Turkey Day? If so, I hope you had an amazing one. 

As we head into December, I'm reflecting on everything that happened this year. One major thing was starting to post Secrets of Starlia. Do you have any milestones you're looking back on this year, Wattpad-related or otherwise?