Chapter 12

"Player: Skuna's death has been confirmed."

"Respawn point confirmed—transferring to the Starting City."

"Current level 21—despawn penalty is 6 hours."

"Please refer to the help for detailed information on penalties."

Before I knew it, I was standing in the grassland where I had been during the initial setup, with announcements ringing out one after another.

The moment I heard them all, I was sent to the fountain square of the Starting City, just like during the initial setup.

"Aaaaaah... It wasn't a complete victory... Phew..."

From silence to noise. I had no energy to stand, so I sat down on the edge of the fountain and exhaled.

A sense of satisfaction and fulfillment filled my body.

It was one of the most pleasant experiences I've had in my life.

This world is amazing.

I understand what Rin-chan was talking about.

In this world, I can live freely.

As the adrenaline that had been secreted in large amounts began to wear off and my excitement cooled down, I slowly exhaled and stood up.

"Oh, I was still broadcasting..."

I had been away during the respawn, but I suddenly remembered the recording crystal that had been floating nearby.

When I opened the comment board, which I had somehow closed, a deluge of comments was flowing, far more than I could keep up with.

As I idly watched the continuous stream of comments, my eyes caught another number.

12,307 concurrent users.

"12,000 people!?"

"Grass"

"Grass"

"Good reaction"

"At first, there were only about 100 people"

"I saw Skuna-chan's brave figure~"

"Where did the previous sternness go?"

"Like a different person"

"There's a theory that Skuna-chan has a split personality"

"Combat AI-equipped player"

"About to be wiped out"

Seeing me stunned, the comment board was filled with all sorts of comments.

After all, 12,000 people is unbelievable.

As the comments said, there were only about 100 people at first.

Well, the number is decreasing rapidly right now.

"Wait, it's been an hour and a half!"

Looking at the time displayed in the menu, I realized that it was already past 8:30, even though I had started the battle around 7:00.

Is it okay for everyone to watch this live stream from the morning on a holiday?

I'm happy, though.

Oh, right, I managed to defeat the Red Wolf before I died.

The announcement had come through, so I should confirm it properly.

"Sorry, but I'm going to check the results, so I'll be quiet for a moment."

"Sure, go ahead"

"Tell us later (mutter)"

"No way"

"The current wolf is called a Named Boss Monster"

"Checking the rewards is a blissful time"

Named Boss Monster?

I don't understand, but it was definitely much stronger than the other monsters around the Starting City.

It was like the lord of the southern plain.

By the way, the listener who explained the durability mentioned it was a boss monster. I had forgotten because I immediately entered combat.

Anyway, I'll check the results one by one.

---

Title: Pride of the Red Wolf

Given to those who have defeated the lone red wolf, Aria. Increases the favor of NPCs in the Starting City and surrounding areas, as well as some NPCs in other areas.

Title: Named Boss Hunter

Given to those who have defeated a Named Boss Monster. Increases the favor of some NPCs.

Title: Challenger of the Strong

Given to those who have defeated a monster 10 levels higher than themselves without forming a party.

---

First, the titles. The reasons for acquiring them all made sense.

First, the Pride of the Red Wolf. It seems to increase the favor of NPCs, which is a very vague value.

The same goes for the Named Boss Hunter.

I think there must be some advantage in quests or something through NPCs. It feels like I might be able to take on some rare quests.

The Challenger of the Strong seems to have no meaning beyond the flavor text. Well, a 10-level difference is significant, so it's reasonable.

Next, the accessory: Proof of a Solo Defeater of a Named Boss.

---

Item: Proof of a Solo Defeater of a Named Boss

Category: Accessory

Effect: A necklace made of orichalcum given by the gods for solo defeating a Named Boss Monster. Increases the favor and trust of some NPCs significantly.

---

This item also has an effect of improving the impression of NPCs.

With so many overlapping effects, I'm curious about how it will be handled.

At least, it doesn't say it will decrease, so there should be no negative effects.

If there's no downside to having it, it wouldn't be bad to wear it.

By the way, it's a necklace made of orichalcum, but it looks like a small orichalcum plate connected by a metal chain, not much different from a regular necklace at first glance.

What is orichalcum, anyway?

While it's a standard metal in games, it feels mysterious to hold it in my hands.

In this game, it looks like a bluish-white metal.

Putting orichalcum aside, I'll check the skills next.

---

Famished Wolf Skill

Category: Rare

Cooldown: 24 hours

During skill activation, consumes 1% HP every 3 seconds.

During activation, increases Strength and Agility by 50% and decreases Durability and Magic Defense by 50%.

Invalidates all recovery effects during activation and doubles the damage from continuous damage over time (poison, bleeding, heat, etc.).

If you die during activation, the despawn penalty time is doubled.

Activation Keyword: "Devour the hunger, fangs of the wolf king"

Deactivation Keyword: "My hunger is sated"

*This skill does not have a proficiency level.

---

"What is this?"

In one word, it's extreme.

The Famished Wolf skill is a very specialized enhancement skill.

In exchange for a significant boost, it comes with significant drawbacks.

I understand the HP consumption. The Red Wolf used a similar skill at the end, though it wasn't the same skill.

It's fine that the defense becomes weaker as the Strength and Agility increase.

However, the other drawbacks seem a bit excessive.

In essence, it's saying, "If you want to use this, you need to dodge all attacks and prepare for slip damage." The 2x despawn penalty during activation is quite impactful.

There's also a somewhat otaku-like phrase setting.

High risk, high return.

However, it does fit my combat style well.

Personally, this Famished Wolf skill alone might be a satisfying reward.

Then, there's the named item: Soul of the Lone Red Wolf, Aria.

The notation, which seems to be a victory bonus, makes my heart race a little.

---

Item: Soul of the Lone Red Wolf, Aria

Rarity: Named

A soul containing the power of the red wolf, Aria, which is rarely left behind.

Can be used to create weapons and armor, and items created using this item will have a forced rarity of Named.

*Items with a rarity of Named cannot be transferred to other players but can be lent through a contract.

---

"Hmm..."

This is a very difficult item to judge.

Rarity: Named. I've never heard of such a thing.

According to the official website, item rarities are Common, High Common, Rare, High Rare, Epic, and Legendary, six levels in total.

However, there is also a PM, or Player-Made, notation.

This is to distinguish between drops and to prove that the item is a product.

For example, a player-made weapon, regardless of its strength, will be marked as PM.

(Rarity: Named isn't mentioned on the official site, but from the item description, it doesn't mean it can only drop once, right?)

I pondered this in my head, hesitating to say it out loud.

The Soul of the Lone Red Wolf, Aria, is described as dropping "rarely."

I don't have a clear understanding of Named Boss Monsters, but it seems that if you "farm" them, you can get them.

If that's the case, it's possible that other players have obtained items with a rarity of Named.

If I were asked if I want to fight such a strong monster over and over again, I would be at a loss for words, but it seems unlikely that this kind of item can only be obtained by one player.

If it were a reward for a top-tier event in the game, it might be different, but it's impossible for a mere boss monster drop to be a "one-of-a-kind" item.

Recalling the announcement, it seemed to mention something like "first defeat bonus."

I'm not sure if it was the first defeat bonus for the Red Wolf Aria in the game or the first defeat bonus for a Named Boss Monster for me personally.

However, the fact that I obtained an item that is described as dropping "rarely" in one go suggests a high possibility of some other kind of luck.

(I'll ask Rin-chan, or look for player guides. There should be some information.)

Regretting that I had only seen the abbreviated guides from the official site, I decided to rely on Rin-chan when in trouble.

"Wow, there are a lot of pure red wolf materials... Looking closely, I've also leveled up by 7 levels. Wow, I've gained about 30 stat points in addition to the level-up points..."

Since there was nothing to lose by muttering, I let out a sigh, tired of being silent.

The increased stat points are probably due to the bonus mentioned in the announcement. Unique boss monsters might give stat points when defeated.

30 points is equivalent to 6 levels, which is quite a lot.

I'll hold off on the red wolf materials for now.

I want to use the Soul of the Lone Red Wolf, Aria, to create equipment, but I'll check with Rin-chan first.

"Right, I should also check the despawn penalty."

"Is there a despawn penalty?"

"Yes, there is."

"Beginners have a shorter penalty."

"Wow."

"This game has a relatively lenient despawn penalty."

Picking up the comments on my almost muttering, I opened the help menu to check the despawn penalty.

The information I found about the despawn penalty wasn't too complicated.

The despawn penalty is basically 6 hours.

The content is simple: all stats are halved, and you cannot gain experience points during the penalty.

That's all.

You don't lose half your money or have items or experience points taken away just because you died.

The practical damage is that you lose the incentive to go out into the field.

In some games, you lose items, drop levels, and lose money when you die.

In that sense, the despawn penalty in this game is relatively lenient, as the comments said.

Moreover, beginners below level 20 have their despawn penalty reduced to 1 hour!

I'm level 21, so it's 6 hours for me!

Well, I unintentionally achieved my leveling goal with ease, so I think it's fine to take a 6-hour break.

After checking all the results, I decided to log out and talk to Rin-chan because of the despawn penalty.

She said she would broadcast in the afternoon, so it's still before 9:00, and she should be watching my broadcast.

"Since I have a 6-hour despawn penalty, I'm going to log out to do some research. I'll also buy some items, so I'll resume the broadcast around 1:00 PM."

"Well, that can't be helped."

"It was a sudden boss battle."

"It was like a movie."

"Good thing I woke up early."

"Looking forward to the results report later."

"Can't wait."

"Thank you for watching from the early morning. Good job, everyone."

"Good job"

"Good job"

"Good job"

"Good night"

After reading some of the comments, I pressed the logout button in the menu, felt the familiar floating sensation, and left the digital world.