Chapter 7

Continuing to hunt until we reached level 10, and somehow managing to level up one more time on our way back, we returned to the starting town. It hadn't even been five hours, so we still had plenty of time to play. However, our item inventory had reached its limit. The inventory, filled with a large amount of wolf materials, had become so heavy that it triggered a status penalty, forcing us to discard some of the cheaper materials on our way back.

The wolf materials seemed to be worth a fair amount of money. After keeping only the materials specified by Rin, I sold the rest to the NPC shop. As a result, my menu card showed a balance of over 30,000 Ilis, a significant amount compared to the initial funds.

"We've saved quite a bit of money."

"Despite everything, wolves are quite profitable. They're much better than boars, which are tough but don't drop much in the way of materials. On the other hand, wolves are far more dangerous."

The "boar" is a common monster that inhabits the northern plains, known for being generally non-aggressive and gentle. They are typically the first combat opponents for beginners. While they can be easily defeated with proper attacks, they can still pose a challenge for first-time players. They are also relatively tough for their level. Rin had mentioned that once you get used to them, they are like punching bags.

Returning to the topic, we were in the eastern district of the town, which is essentially a shopping district. Rows of item shops lined the streets, each filled with players. Although the peak influx of new players had passed, the crowd was still overwhelming, making it dizzying to look at. Indeed, seeing this made me think it would be better to leave the starting town as soon as possible.

"Since we're back in town, let's get some new equipment."

Held by the hand by Rin, who moved through the crowded shopping district with ease, I followed her lead. The place we were taken to was a large building, easily recognizable from a distance.

"This is the starting town's equipment shop. It's like a mixed commercial facility. The first floor has shops for different types of weapons, and the upper floors are for armor. I think it's better to start with armor, even though you might want to look at weapons first. With the flaxen outfit, you won't be able to survive much longer."

"Well, it's not really armor, is it?"

The "flaxen outfit" is the beginner's equipment, known for its incredible durability but offering no defensive bonuses. Durability determines whether an item is damaged, which is different from defense.

"Given the physical stats of the ogre race, there shouldn't be any equipment in the starting town that you can't wear. Just be careful, as the weight of the equipment can apply a penalty to agility if it exceeds a certain threshold."

"Got it. There are no shopkeepers, right?"

"When it gets crowded, there's no time to attend to each player individually. It might seem a bit dull, but it's better to handle it through the system. The unmanned NPC shops are a characteristic of the starting town."

There were a fair number of players choosing equipment, but not as many as in the crowded streets. Looking at the price tags, even the cheaper items cost 2000 Ilis or 3000 Ilis, while the more expensive ones ranged from 5000 Ilis to 8000 Ilis. Since I was level 7 and had hunted wolves to some extent, I didn't have 5000 Ilis, so it made sense that not many players had enough money to buy equipment. The reason for the lack of players was simpler than I thought.

Still, it was convenient that it wasn't crowded, so I decided to carefully examine the armor.

In WLO, armor can be equipped on five parts: head, torso, arms, legs, and feet. There are also accessory slots, but I'll skip those. From my battles with wolves, there was one piece of equipment I particularly wanted: arm armor. More specifically, I wanted gauntlets.

I primarily use hit-and-run and counter tactics, but I want to be able to take hits on my arms and legs and push through. For this, I need gauntlets. I also want greaves for my legs. While I'm interested in torso and head armor, I want to prioritize protecting my limbs, which are the most vulnerable and can serve as a shield.

"The cheapest are the 'tanned leather gauntlets' and 'tanned leather greaves'... "

Each costs 500 Ilis, making them among the cheaper items in the shop. The brown leather didn't seem to be from wolves, but I wasn't sure what the material was. Thinking it might be from boars, I put them back on the shelf, feeling they offered insufficient defense.

"The 'iron plate series.' It's a bit expensive, but this might be good."

They look similar to the 'tanned leather series' but have iron plates sewn in, providing better coverage. The gauntlets and greaves together cost 4000 Ilis, which is four times the price of the tanned leather but still affordable given my funds. I bought these two pieces and equipped them from my menu. While my torso was still vulnerable, I felt my appearance had improved.

"Oh, gauntlets and greaves? They suit you well."

"Thanks. I feel a bit stronger."

Receiving Rin's sincere compliment, I continued to look for the next piece of equipment. The head is important, but I didn't want a full-face helmet. After some deliberation, I chose the 'iron headband,' a simple helmet with iron sewn into a headband. It cost 3000 Ilis.

For the torso and legs, I decided to splurge. I bought the 'chain mail,' which costs 6000 Ilis. The legs, treated as undergarments, didn't offer much in terms of defense, so I bought 'belt-equipped leather pants' with two sheaths for throwing knives, which cost 1500 Ilis. In total, I spent 14,500 Ilis on armor, thanks to the wolf hunting.

"Rin, what do you think?"

"Oh, you chose the chain mail. It's expensive, but I think it's a good choice."

"It's cheaper and lighter than iron armor."

"Since you're not a heavy warrior, it's fine. The headband is nice because it lets your face show. They're popular with girls, despite the cost."

"Full helmets are a bit too much."

"Well, there are also hat-type equipment. You can explore more options in the future."

Indeed, Rin was wearing a hat. She had a light brown, fluffy robe, soft-looking pants, and leather boots. Her arms were equipped with gloves rather than gauntlets, giving her a magician-like appearance that suited her witch's hat. It was a stylish outfit.

"We still have some money left. Let's check out the weapons."

With my new armor, the club on my back stood out. Without any reason to refuse, I followed Rin to the first floor, where the weapon shops were located.

We searched for a shop specializing in blunt weapons. My 'blunt weapon' skill was currently at level 25. It had increased smoothly up to 100, but after that, it only increased gradually. There were no derived skills yet, but I considered waiting to see them before changing. However, I couldn't resist the temptation of the weapon shop.

"Wooden bat, spiked bat, metal bat... why are there three types?"

The bats were slightly thicker than baseball bats but thinner than clubs. The familiar grip was appealing. The metal bat, the most expensive at 2000 Ilis, wasn't bad, but I didn't want to swing a bat in a fantasy world, so I put it back.

Next, I looked at the 'gold club.' This is what ogres are known for.

---

Item: Gold Club

Rarity: Common

Required Strength: 20

Attack Power: +15

Durability: 500/500

Category: Blunt Weapon, One-Handed Mace

A simple gold club. Its durability is outstanding due to its simplicity.

---

The gold club was the same thickness as a club but slightly longer. It had spikes at the end to increase its lethality. As expected, it was made of metal. It wasn't as heavy as it looked, probably because it wasn't solid inside.

The attack power was slightly higher than the metal bat, but it was heavier. The metal bat required a strength of 5. My strength was enough to avoid a penalty to agility, so I decided to buy the gold club for its appearance and durability. It cost 8000 Ilis, and I planned to use it carefully.

"Rin, look! A gold club!"

Seeing me excited about the weapon I had somewhat expected to get as an ogre, Rin smiled in a slightly exasperated way.

"Well, I thought you'd buy it, Skuna. Every ogre who uses blunt weapons buys this. It's strong for its price."

"It's a bit heavy, but it feels right. Also, the durability is incredibly high."

"True, in terms of attack power alone, it's not much different from a 2000 Ilis broadsword. The higher price is due to its exceptional durability."

The club, being initial equipment, had an incredibly high durability of 5000, but the gold club also had a high durability of 500. The metal bat had a durability of 200, which was still quite high. The attack power of the metal bat and the gold club was similar, so the price difference was mainly due to the durability.

Still, both the metal bat and the gold club had moderate attack power compared to other weapons but were much stronger than the club. The fact that they wouldn't break easily made them reliable.

"What do you want to do? Do you want to do more shopping?"

"Hmm, since we've changed our equipment, I want to go hunting."

"You're enthusiastic. Well, I'll show you the tool shop. You'll need potions and other items eventually."

"Wait! I forgot something I wanted to buy."

Just as Rin was about to head to the tool shop, I called out to her and went to a shop selling throwing weapons. Since I had bought the belt-equipped leather pants, I wanted to equip throwing knives. After buying two and attaching them to my belt, I felt more at ease and smiled a little.

After that, we went to the NPC tool shop, bought some thin herbal potions, and set out to hunt again.