Chapter 8

"Six, seven, eight, nine, ten..."

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

He carefully arranged the rainbow-colored stones on the table, one by one. The glow of the magic stones had captivated me in the game, but since the world became real, it felt even more special.

Combining what I obtained from today's completed request, I now have ten in total. That's the same number as the quests I've cleared.

Silent sighed in exasperation.

"You always do this, Master..."

"The number of magic stones is the most important factor in Abicor."

Ten might seem like a trivial number, but when laid out like this, the impression is different.

In Abyss Calling, without the stones, nothing can be done.

Silent, who knew nothing, sighed in exasperation. Being a familiar is quite a comfortable position.

"Well, if it's fine with you, Master, I don't mind either..."

"I need to work harder to earn more."

"Hmm? Aren't you going to summon?"

"Not yet. Not yet."

Unlike the guaranteed rare summoning stone I initially had, these magic stones do not guarantee the rarity of the summoned familiar. With ten magic stones, I can summon twice, but in Abicor, the lower the rarity, the more types of familiars there are. If I summon normally, I'll only get trash familiars, and I wouldn't dare to enter battle with zero magic stones.

Silent is quite powerful. I can keep fighting for a while without increasing my familiars.

I am a heavy spender. I love summoning more than anything. But because of that, I know very well the hardships of summoning familiars in Abicor.

It's hell. To face it, you need exceptional luck, financial power, or perseverance.

...Well, maybe I could try once.

I shook my head to dispel the thought that had naturally come to mind. How many times have I done the same thing and seen hell?

"Upgrading Silent is much more promising than getting a new familiar."

"Wh-What's wrong, Master!"

Silent let out a shrill cry and started tap-dancing on the table, skillfully avoiding the magic stones while looking up at me.

"Do you have a fever!? For you to praise me... It's impossible!"

"Maybe I should have chosen another 'One-Word Lineage' instead of Silent..."

"!?"

No, even if it's not a 'One-Word Lineage'... Abicor has plenty of powerful familiars.

Well, there's no end to aiming higher, but it wouldn't hurt to seek a bit more silence.

Shocked, Silent froze, and I looked down at him coldly. The graphics are sloppy, and it bothers me.

I carefully wrapped the magic stones in a cloth and put them in a thick leather bag. Just then, the door to the room was opened without a knock, with great force.

Nanashino entered. Her costume was dirty with mud, but it seemed she had completed the request, and her expression was bright.

As soon as our eyes met, she gave me a radiant smile. It was as if her discontented morning had been a lie.

I hesitated about what to say and finally settled on a safe response.

"Welcome back. It seems the quest went well."

"! Yes, I'm back."

§

The girl named Nanashino Aoba is serious.

She looks like an excellent student and doesn't do anything out of the ordinary. She's quick-witted and has a certain level of social skills, but she lacks the courage to reroll and doesn't seem to be particularly independent.

One of the big questions I had when I came to this world was why Nanashino was with me. I was a former Abicor player, so we had something in common, but Nanashino Aoba and Abyss Calling had very little in common.

It's been a week since I came to this world, and I haven't met any other players besides Nanashino.

It might be too early to conclude that there are no other players, but it seems I'll have to deal with this girl for a while.

"You went to the marsh, didn't you?"

"! How did you know?"

"Well, you're covered in mud."

"Ah..."

She seemed to realize it for the first time and shrank back in embarrassment, checking her appearance.

The Ancient City is the first town. Around it, there are many fields and dungeons where monsters live.

Among them, the marsh is one of the easiest fields. Even so, I wouldn't have accepted a delivery quest and gone to the field, but Nanashino had the typical bravery of a beginner. This time, it worked out well.

Nanashino said, almost as if making an excuse.

"There were a lot of monsters... and the Blue Slimes just wouldn't appear..."

"The Dark Rock Cave only has Slimes."

"...Huh?"

A delivery quest is one where you deliver a specific item.

Most of the time, you deliver materials obtained by defeating monsters, but for beginner-level delivery quests, the location to obtain the item is often not specified.

The Dark Rock Cave is the easiest dungeon, designed for the tutorial. It has only one level and only Blue Gel Slimes appear.

In Abicor, there are 'Dungeons' and 'Fields' as stages, but 'Dungeons' are less prone to irregularities compared to the vast 'Fields.' Conversely, monsters in dungeons are often stronger than in fields, but not in the Dark Rock Cave.

It seems Nanashino had never heard of such a place before. She hesitated for a moment and then said in a flustered manner.

"S-Such a place... B-But, I did get the Slime Core!"

"Was the Iris Cavalier strong?"

"Y-Yes! It was really strong!"

Despite her strong words, the familiar didn't move, but it looked somewhat proud.

The early fields are relatively easy. To be honest, if you get a decently strong familiar, you can clear them easily.

The Iris Cavalier is powerful for its rarity. It doesn't have any special abilities in its base form, but it has high attack and defense, making it easy to use. It can handle the Fog Marsh without any problems.

That's what beginners think. They keep accepting quests in the marsh for a while.

But that choice is quite risky. Abicor is full of pitfalls.

I decided to at least give a warning.

"Be careful of rare encounters."

"Rare... encounters?"

"It's a dirty system in Abicor. Sometimes, a powerful monster that you can't beat at your current level appears in the field."

That's a rare encounter. They rarely appear, but when they do, beginners can't win, especially in the Fog Marsh, where there's a crab-like monster.

Nanashino seemed to be taken aback, as if she had never heard of it before.

"A-Are there such things...?"

"They rarely appear in the game, but it's good to know. There's one in every field."

Incidentally, rare materials drop from them, so advanced players often circle the area until they appear.

But they rarely appear when you do that. There were rumors that the appearance rate depended on the player's level. In fact, the appearance rate definitely changed based on the player's level. The developers should die.

Anyway, with a low-level, unevolved Iris Cavalier, there's no way you can win.

At that point, I realized I hadn't given her an important piece of information.

"In Abicor, if a familiar dies, it disappears. Be careful."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

Nanashino tilted her head in confusion.

This girl is a bit slow... She's not much younger than me, but maybe it's a generational gap.

"Once it dies, you can't use it again."

"Huh? Isn't that normal..."

It's not normal.

I've never heard of a social game where characters are permanently lost. After all, in Abicor, familiars are summoned using real money to buy magic stones. Don't underestimate data; powerful familiars can cost tens of thousands to summon.

Losing a well-raised familiar in a moment of carelessness is a nightmare. One of the reasons why Abyss Calling was called a terrible game.

Nanashino, who didn't know the norms of games, looked unsatisfied but eventually nodded.

I don't know if she really understood, but I gave the warning. You can't understand these things until you experience them.

"Well, good job. Why don't you take a shower?"

"Ah... Yes, I will."

She seemed to remember how dirty she was and blushed, heading out of the room.

Just before she left, I remembered something I needed to confirm.

"By the way, did you get any magic stones?"

"Magic stones... Ah, yes. I found them in the Blue Gel Slimes... Do you need them?"

"No, no, I don't need them."

At least she got them from the delivery quest... I felt a bit relieved.

Nanashino looked surprised at my words.

In the game, magic stones couldn't be traded.

Even if I took them from Nanashino, they would be useless.

§

"Phew, Nanashino has been taking on slaying quests recently, but... Blogger is still doing odd jobs."

The guild clerk, who I've become familiar with, looked at me exasperatedly. He's a middle-aged man with a stern face. His name is Gonz.

The summoner chooses which quests to accept, so I shouldn't be blamed, but as a guild clerk, he seems to have something he wants to say to me.

"I've grown up."

Since experiencing slaying quests, Nanashino has stopped following me around.

She still comes with me every three days, but the other two days, she seems to be doing gathering quests. Probably, clearing the marsh quest alone boosted her confidence.

Indeed, the rewards and guild evaluations are much better than doing odd jobs repeatedly, so I can understand her feelings.

At first, Nanashino had a guilty look, but once she realized I wasn't saying anything, she started accepting quests more casually. She even brings me souvenirs sometimes.

"Recently, she's even forming parties and doing well."

"Hmm, Nanashino has good social skills, after all."

She's a bit naive, but she's pretty, and her Cavalier is decently strong. Her personality isn't bad either, so she should be able to form a party. I don't know what happens when she forms a party with NPCs, though.

Actually, I don't understand why she's still following me. She should be used to it by now and able to earn money on her own.

Silent, who was perched on my head as usual, patted my forehead.

"It's not fair to Nanashino. You should make a name for yourself, Master."

"You... When did you become friends with Nanashino?"

What's with the 'Nanashino'?

"She's forming a club for those who have been treated coldly by you."

Stop it. I don't remember treating anyone coldly.

Seeing me being treated by my familiar, Gonz smiled.

"Since you've summoned a familiar that can defeat five people alone, you should start with easy slaying quests. You'll catch up to Nanashino in no time."

"I'm not interested. Just tell me about the odd jobs I haven't done yet."

When did I fall behind Nanashino?

What I seek is not status, wealth, or fame, but magic stones. I need to gather as many stones as possible. Nanashino doesn't matter to me.

Exhaling a tired sigh, Gonz said,

"...Sigh. Well, if you're happy with it, I don't mind. Your reputation is improving because you're taking on odd jobs that no one else wants..."

"I won't take the same request again, so give me a new one."

"Alright, alright."

Odd jobs are safe. They take time, but you get paid.

The only downside is that there aren't many. Well, Abicor isn't a game for doing odd jobs, so that's understandable.

I got a request to clean a ditch and headed to the requester's place.

It seems the people who post odd jobs have been spreading rumors, and recently, when I visit, I often get reactions like, "Ah, you finally came."

At first, Silent was confused, but now he's gotten used to it and completes tasks smoothly, to the point where I'm amazed.

"Master, you're using me... wrong..."

While grumbling, Silent expanded his body to clean the ditch. He's quite eye-catching. He really lacks dignity...

After cleaning for a while, he stretched his arm towards me.

"Here, Master. I found it."

"Ah."

I took the magic stone, which was surprisingly clean for being in a ditch.

It's a game rule, but it's a strange concept. What kind of logic is behind it...?

I've never seen magic stones outside of completing quests, so there must be some indescribable force at work.

I gathered all the trash into a bag. By then, the ditch, which had been murky, was visibly clear.

Thanks to my constant nagging, Silent's work has really improved recently.

"Wow, to clean it this much in such a short time... You really are the one they're talking about—oh!"

The requester started to say something with a smile but stopped. I wonder what kind of reputation I have.

"I'll ask you again."

"Yes."

Well, it would be a waste to take the same request again.

I received proof of completing the quest and returned to the guild. Despite being in a dirty ditch, Silent's body was clean and odorless.

Silent's body isn't made of flesh, so it doesn't get dirty or absorb smells. It's really convenient.

"But, Master, I really want to do a slaying quest soon."

"You're already fighting trash."

"Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch... Ch...