Chapter 4: Party Play

Ain couldn't sleep, suddenly realizing the difficulty of his assigned task had increased exponentially.

Certainly, his original task was to guide a new recruit, take on simple quests, correct any mistakes, and help them upgrade to D-rank.

However, he was now also tasked with keeping an eye on Nick, who was suspected to be a fragment of Chaos, and reporting on the situation.

While he had sometimes imagined having a grand adventure, he hadn't wished for such a high-stakes scenario.

Moreover, he didn't feel any pride or thrill, despite the high risk.

To be honest, Ain didn't think Nick was a fragment of Chaos.

If he were a part of such a grand existence, he should have felt something holy or a great aura, something more sacred, with each word spoken like poetry.

But the Nick that Ain saw now was:

"Yeah, it's just a bad game level~."

He would mock with every breath,

"Do you know that if you set this to all-ages, it will make milk instead of blood?"

He even used hallucination spells on himself.

"Ugh... my hallucination..."

"Why are you like that? Is something wrong? Is someone bullying you?"

"No..."

"I see... Give me a quest. If the reward is appropriate, I'll take care of it."

"I don't need it. Go away."

"Keh... I guess the prerequisites aren't met yet."

But even if Ain felt discouraged, nothing would change, so he tried to maintain a positive attitude.

After all, this was a unique experience he might never have again.

Of course, dying was also an experience he wouldn't have again.

"I don't want such a unique experience...!"

"If you keep this up, I'll just go hunt the Red Fangs alone."

"Ah!"

Nick's words made Ain snap back to reality. In fact, this was also an opportunity to confirm if Nick was indeed a fragment of Chaos.

Nick couldn't possibly handle the Red Fangs alone in his current state. He would surely die.

If he really died, Ain could hide and watch from a distance to see if he resurrected.

But Ain didn't want to do that. Even if Nick was a fragment of Chaos, he had no intention of using someone's life as a means to an end.

"Do you not want to fight with others?"

"No. I usually play alone in any game."

"That must be tough."

"I want to use their strategies."

Naturally, if he already knew how the opponent would attack, the difficulty would drop significantly.

"But how did you know about the Red Fangs, which only appear in this area, making it hard to gather information... Where did you hear that?"

"Inven? Gongka? Gonghome? But I only know that they make a strange sound before attacking."

These names were unfamiliar to Ain. Perhaps they were information guilds in the divine realm, but it seemed Nick didn't know much either.

So, Ain explained the detailed attack patterns, weaknesses, and habits of the boars, and Nick nodded in satisfaction.

"Alright. Let's go hunting together."

"Yes? What? Together?"

"Sure, together."

Ain's voice grew louder at this sudden and absurd suggestion.

"Why should I...?"

"You said it's impossible for you to handle them alone. Besides, you'd benefit from a higher rank, right? Catching these will get you to C-rank."

"I don't have the ambition to upgrade."

"Huh...?"

"...Well, I don't want to upgrade by hurting something. I don't have an opinion on what others do, though."

Nick blinked at Ain's words.

If that's the case, why did you become a mercenary? The unspoken question was clearly visible on his face, but Ain didn't want to explain the reason in detail.

"I know I'm strange."

Ain gave an awkward smile. Being with someone he didn't know made him feel a bit uncomfortable.

As he tried to think of a way to deflect, Nick nodded as if he understood.

"Well, it's possible. If that's your character setting, then that's it."

Even though he didn't understand the meaning, Ain was surprised that someone accepted him so calmly.

The S-rank mercenary he met for the first time, the F-rank mercenary lying in a bar, the villagers, and the new mercenary comrades—all had initially shown interest in his uniqueness.

It was strange to hear this from a fragment of Chaos, who might be the most detached from this world.

"...I don't mind helping. Even if I can help, I'm not sure if it will be useful in battle."

"You don't have a good sense of reaction keywords. You keep changing your mind. Are you helping or not?"

"Um... If there's danger or something special, I'll help you escape."

"You're not planning to wait for an opportunity and then take the loot, are you?"

"I don't understand what you mean, but I guess I should say no."

After some back and forth, they finally reached a compromise with a few conditions.

First, they would attempt to hunt the boars after equipping proper gear. They wouldn't herd multiple boars. Ain would stay in the back and provide support when needed.

"By the way... do NPCs not respawn?"

"Huh?"

"Do you die and stay dead?"

"..."

At that moment, Ain felt a sinking feeling in his chest.

The budding sense of intimacy and emotion quickly withered, replaced by discomfort, fear, and an indescribable feeling.

Nick's innocent voice, asking out of genuine curiosity, was chilling.

"...Yes, we stay dead. Unless someone uses a resurrection spell or turns us into undead."

Ain didn't ask if Nick was a fragment of Chaos. Since Nick used "you guys," it seemed he recognized himself as different, but not in a superior way.

"Is that so? Then you should stay as far away as possible. Run if it gets dangerous."

"Yes..."

Nick and Ain decided to gather the necessary items for preparation. In reality, Nick probably only had a few low-level potions he received when he upgraded to D-rank.

Worried that one hit might finish him off, Ain was surprised when Nick returned with completely different gear.

"Whoa, what is that?"

Over a thick leather armor, high-quality iron plates were attached to allow for better movement.

It didn't seem to be the highest grade, but for a newly D-ranked mercenary, it was an impossible dream.

Was he rich? Seeing Ain's puzzled face, Nick couldn't hide his pride.

"Starter pack. I thought the stats were terrible, but the in-game design is good. Usually, beginner sets are pretty bad."

"Where did you get the money? You looked like you had none."

"I used cash."

"Wait, what kind of relationship do you have with the shopkeeper's daughter? Using it?"

"I have nothing to do with her!"

Realizing that the "cash" Nick was talking about wasn't the shopkeeper's daughter, Ain finally calmed down and finished preparing.

Nick's starter pack included slightly enchanted armor, 10 high-level healing potions, a sturdy iron sword, and a feather.

Ain didn't know what the feather did, but with this gear, catching the Red Fangs didn't seem too difficult.

"Are you ready?"

"Just a moment. I accepted the quest and... Oh, it works with NPCs too. I thought it wouldn't."

"What?"

"We're in a party."

"I've never been in a party with you."

"Ha... This party isn't the kind where you just hang out. Don't you feel a sense of belonging or something special?"

"Did you use some weird mind control spell on me?!"

Nick spent the next 30 minutes trying to clear up the misunderstanding, and Ain finally understood when Nick said, "We're comrades."

***

Nick and Ain easily reached the Red Fangs' habitat. The rabbits didn't attack first, and with their new gear, they easily defeated the wolves.

"I changed the settings. Now it's pearls instead of blood. They look like rabbit droppings."

"I really didn't want to know that."

As they entered a deeper part of the forest, the atmosphere changed. Ain could hear the heavy footsteps of something walking through the grass and branches.

"They're not far. For some reason, only one is separated."

"Amazing, I can't hear anything... But do they attack first?"

"Of course. They have a good sense of smell and are very cautious. They'll charge from a distance if they sense you. Be careful."

Ain, as agreed, stayed a bit away and watched the surroundings, while Nick, with a tense expression, gripped his sword and watched the front.

Tensing up like that would make him stiff. As Ain watched with concern, he sensed a sharp killing intent.

"Moji! To your right!"

"See! There's a red exclamation mark floating there!"

"Okay, be careful!"

Red Fangs. A type of monster that gained greater power after the boar herds drank the Arcatis.

They provide suitable materials for C-rank mercenaries to make equipment and sometimes yield magic stones.

Because of this, mercenary guilds often send groups to hunt them, so they aren't considered extremely strong...

"Grunt..."

"Why are they so scary? Are they nice...?"

"They can't understand you..."

"Who knows. Good pig. Good pig."

"Oink!!"

A nightmare for unlucky D-rank mercenaries who invade their territory.

"Undine! Make that boar slip!"

Ain used a water elemental he had summoned earlier to turn part of the ground into mud, causing the Red Fang to lose its momentum.

Nick, seizing the opportunity, dodged the boar's attack and charged in, but...

"Yelp!"

"Are you trying to fall with it?!"

After that, it was almost like a Nick evasion show. Dodging attacks, falling, and dodging again on the muddy ground.

Some attacks grazed him, but thanks to the armor, he could get up quickly.

"Ugh, I feel like I'm going to vomit. If I vomit here, I'll vomit in the capsule too."

"Be careful!"

When it seemed like a frontal attack was coming, Ain climbed a nearby tree and grabbed Nick. The Red Fang, enraged, attacked more directly.

As time passed, Nick's attacks started to hit the boar effectively, and its movements became noticeably slower.

Just as a strong blow was needed, Nick suddenly looked up.

"Hey... Ain?"

"Yes?"

"A new field quest just appeared. Rescue quest."

"What is that?" As Ain was about to ask,

"AAAAAAH!!"

From deep in the forest, a desperate cry for help echoed, one that anyone would recognize as needing assistance.