Chapter 91

The next morning, when I logged in, it was quite dark outside.

I couldn't see the stars.

It was 5:00 AM.

I wished it was just cloudy.

It seemed to be drizzling.

A gloomy atmosphere hung in the air.

I'm not good with rain.

Some kind of event was supposed to start today, but I hadn't decided whether to participate.

My priority was to take on requests.

I put on my equipment and went outside, summoning my monsters.

The lineup included Volf, Crescent, Helix, and Obsidian.

I had heard that there were many PK classes around the village of Legias.

I prioritized mobility in my lineup, but it would also be quite advantageous for scouting.

It's really convenient.

And I'm a bit of a coward.

Even if I could counterattack, it wouldn't mean anything if I didn't notice them!

I wanted to avoid being ambushed unilaterally.

I put on a coat to keep off the rain and mounted Crescent.

I used the earth magic spell Dowsing to search for obsidian while moving slowly.

By the time I reached the road, I had picked up two pieces of obsidian.

It was a bit dull.

But it's important, even if it's dull.

There might be other uses besides arrow tips.

As I reached the road, I started to see other players.

There were many parties moving around.

I also encountered a party that was surrounding and hunting a stray horse.

There were clearly some parties that had just started the game.

Looking at this, it seemed that the game was gradually becoming more diverse.

That's a good thing.

It would be boring if the scenery was always the same.

【You have a message from a friend】

I received a message as I entered the village of Legias.

It was from Lambda.

"Currently tracking a PK class party. I might be a bit late. I'll contact you again when it's over."

Hmm.

He's quite diligent even in the morning.

Well, it's a good thing to have prey.

I replied that it was fine to take his time hunting, as I didn't need to worry about time.

The stalls seemed fewer than usual, probably due to the drizzle.

The market stalls were as usual.

Many of them had coats prominently displayed, anticipating the rain.

They looked like plastic umbrellas.

Rick's market stall was the same.

He displayed coats of different sizes.

It seems that merchants think alike.

The key is how to differentiate in such a situation.

In Rick's case, he displayed a full set of equipment on mannequin-like figures.

It was very eye-catching.

It was a clear and effective appeal.

I bought breakfast from Yuka's stall.

I also bought lunch and dinner in advance.

The food here is just better.

"Good morning."

At the back of the stall, Margrid and Ren-Ren were at a table.

That's right.

I had given them each a request to make something.

I might be able to check on the progress.

"Oh, Keith, good morning."

"Good morning, Keith."

Seeing my face, Rick also came to the table.

But there weren't many items that sold well.

Apart from small items, there were only the multicolored wings and the iolite.

There was also barite, but it wouldn't fetch much.

Oh.

I should ask Margrid if I can further enhance it with the iolite.

"Can I further enhance it with the iolite?"

"Probably not."

Is that so?

That's a shame.

But there's some good news.

In front of me were a tsavorite and a blue spinel, set in silver bases.

I'll try to appraise them.

【Material Item】Tsavorite+ Quality C+ Rarity 3 Weight 0+

A green garnet. It is slightly more valuable than red garnets.

Highly transparent ones are popular for spellcasting and can fetch high prices.

It is cut and polished into an oval shape and set in a silver base.

[Custom]

The base is engraved with the rune pattern 'Diamond'.

【Material Item】Blue Spinel+ Quality C Rarity 3 Weight 0+

A translucent mineral with an octahedral crystal structure.

It is cut and polished into a regular octahedron and set in a silver base.

[Custom]

The base is engraved with the rune pattern 'Grid'.

Hmm.

Do the different patterns have meanings?

"The base processing is at the highest level I can currently achieve, which is the diamond shape. It's unclear what effect it will have."

"Can I attach this to my necklace?"

"Of course. I brought it with the intention of you using it."

I took off my leather armor and removed my silver necklace.

Margrid quickly removed the base from the table.

She then arranged the tsavorite in the center, with the blue spinels on either side.

"I can add two more iolites by tomorrow morning. I wonder what will happen?"

The silver necklace handed to me seemed to have a different glow than before.

I'll try to appraise it.

【Decorative Item: Necklace】Silver Necklace+ Quality C+ Rarity 3

M·AP+10 Weight 1 Durability 120

A necklace made of silver beads. It is quite durable for a silver chain.

It is enhanced for spellcasting.

[Custom]

It is reinforced by connecting bases set with tsavorite.

It is reinforced by connecting bases set with blue spinel.

* Reduces MP consumption slightly, slightly increases resistance to status ailments

【Your appraisal skill has leveled up due to your actions!】

Oh!

Reducing MP consumption is quite helpful, even if it's subtle.

Of course, the increase in M·AP is also quite good.

And my appraisal skill has also leveled up.

It's subtle but helpful.

"Can I pick up the cold-weather gear by noon today? Can I come to get it tomorrow morning?"

"That would be better."

"Okay, then I'll come tomorrow morning."

"Sure, I'll show it to you tomorrow morning. Look forward to it!"

"Okay."

I wonder.

Is it okay to look forward to it?

"Can I sell these to you?"

Rick looked over the items on the table.

He was already doing the calculations in his head.

"Ah, I want to take both iolites. Is that okay?"

"I thought you would say that."

Rick handed the iolites to Margrid.

It's probably the right decision.

It won't have a big impact on my earnings, though.

In the end, I didn't have much to sell, but the income was quite substantial.

High-value items are great.

But today, I plan to go to a different map.

Leaving the back of the stall, I hesitated at the entrance to the village of Legias.

Is Lambda still tracking PK classes?

I'm not good at waiting.

Maybe I'll pass the time by hunting in the forest.

I headed towards the forest maze.

There were quite a few other parties moving around.

In this situation, PK classes might not target me.

It's a business that would be problematic if I were seen.

I wandered around a place far off the shortest path, randomly attacking and hunting female silverkeys.

There were no other players around.

Or so I thought.

Volf stopped and started to pay attention to his surroundings.

Obsidian, flying between the trees, also seemed to sense something.

Helix, perched on my left shoulder, was calm.

But her eyes were fixed on a point.

In front of me to the left, there seemed to be a human presence in the shadows of the trees.

There was a path that people could barely pass through in front of it.

Obsidian went to check it out silently.

It was clear that someone was hiding there.

But Volf was also paying attention to other directions.

Was he sensing a smell?

It seemed that the opponent was not alone.

No.

Was I half-surrounded?

The number of people seemed quite large.

There were signs of conflict around me at the same time.

Three places.

Volf seemed to want to move, but I held him back.

What was happening?

From Obsidian's position, it seemed that players were fighting each other.

I couldn't identify them through Obsidian's eyes.

I would have to get closer to confirm.

To the right of me, a one-on-one fight had ended with one player dead on the ground.

The player who killed him moved to another location.

Obsidian is really convenient.

I approached the corpse and identified it.

It was a PK class.

Kuruma Level 8

Thief Corpse Retaliation Allowed

The identification was just in time.

The corpse gradually disappeared in front of me.

I didn't recognize the face.

Several signs of conflict appeared and disappeared.

It was a covert battle.

Through Obsidian's eyes, I could see several corpses lying around.

Soon, the signs of battle disappeared.

Six players appeared in front of me one after another.

They all wore matching leather helmets, so their expressions were hard to see.

No.

One of them removed his helmet to reveal his face.

Oh.

A beautiful woman.

No, that's not the point.

Hō Level 8

Bounty Hunter On Standby

A bounty hunter?

A bounty hunter, I guess.

I couldn't tell what was real and what was a disguise.

I wasn't sure if my "Insight" skill was working.

At least, there was no permission to kill.

I should avoid actions that would escalate the situation.

"I'm sorry for the trouble."

The beautiful woman bowed.

I instinctively returned the bow.

Also, not a single member of this party was unharmed.

Some of them were on the verge of losing their HP bars.

This was the result of the covert battle.

They slowly and silently disappeared from in front of me.

There were other PK classes besides Lambda.

Well, of course there are.

Volf moved forward without lowering his guard.

I checked the shadows of the trees where PK class players were likely hiding.

There was a rope in an unnatural position.

It seemed to be some kind of trap.

Following the rope, I found a net set up on four tree branches.

The net was spread out, almost buried in the ground.

The range was about 5 meters square.

I confirmed the range of the net and cut the rope with a machete.

The net on the ground jumped up.

It was a simple trap.

From my previous position, the base of the tree where the PK class player was hiding was on the extension of the trap.

The alert might have been a way to guide me.

Still, this isn't pest control.

Is such a setup necessary?

The rope and net might be useful for something.

I wonder how they will be handled.

They are loot, but they were set up by PK classes.

Return them?

There's no obligation to return them to PK classes who have respawned.

I'll take them gratefully.

【You have a message from a friend】

Oh.

Has Lambda finished his PK hunt?

"The job here is done. I'm heading back to the village of Legias now."

Hmm.

It would be a problem if we crossed paths.

I should check in real-time.

I can use Telepathy easily.

"Can you hear me? It's Keith."

"Eh?"

"I've already left the village of Legias. Where are you now?"

"Eh? Ah, I'm in the forest maze. I'm in the central room."

"Got it. Stay there and level up. I'll come to you."

After finishing what I needed to say, I cut the telepathy.

It shouldn't take long from here.

I mounted Crescent and used Forest Walk to hurry along.

In the forest maze.

Lambda was fighting a branch golem in the central chamber.

He was toying with it.

It's correct for a speed fighter, but it might take some time.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

He's a refreshing young man as always.

I could tell even with the leather helmet on.

"Did the branch golem take a while?"

"Somewhat."

The branch golem is tough and good for practice.

But it's not suitable for practicing chokeholds.

It doesn't breathe.

"So, how about the PK hunt?"

"I eliminated all the ones in the forest maze. I managed to choke out two of them."

Hmm.

That's a good record.

"Also, I got some information on the direct revenge targets. Chokeholds are useful."

That's more important.

Getting information is crucial.

Also, according to Lambda, the "Torture" skill is quite effective.

When the pain is fixed at 100%, it doesn't get any worse.

But since he got the "Torture" skill, the duration of the pain has been extended.

Did he do it?

Did he experiment?

He's thorough, not slacking off like me.

I also told him about today's plans.

The destination is the N1W1 map.

It's a continuation from yesterday.

I feel bad for the snow apes.

I also told him about encountering the PKK party in the forest.

He seemed to be thinking about something.

No, it seemed he was gathering information.

"Apparently, there are currently six teams hunting PK classes, centered around bounty hunters."

According to Lambda, two teams are active around Legias.

Where did he get this information?

When I asked, there was apparently a bulletin board for PKK classes.

What's that?

There might also be a bulletin board for PK classes.

We passed through the forest maze to the north.

In front of us was a cliff covered in vines.

"Can we pass through here?"

"Of course."

I recalled Crescent and summoned Rig.

There was a reason for this choice.

I hope it works well.

【Your climbing skill has leveled up due to your actions!】

While climbing the vines, my "Climbing" skill leveled up.

Yes, I have the "Climbing" skill.

Lambda climbed faster than me.

Volf was also quite skilled at climbing.

And Rig was even faster than me.

He slipped into the gaps in the vines and moved upwards.

I had anticipated that he would be good at dealing with snakes in the gaps in the vines.

It seems he also has an advantage in movement.

"Should I learn climbing?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Yeah, I'll learn it!"

Lambda seemed to have learned the "Climbing" skill.

It could be useful for ambushing from trees in the forest.

It might also be convenient for tracking PK classes.

While climbing the vines, I left the snakes, frogs, and slugs to my summoned monsters.

The results were good.

However, in the case of slugs, Rig seemed to be absorbed into their bodies, so no items were dropped.

Frogs were completely unaffected by Rig, but they were a bad match for Helix and Obsidian.

We arrived at the fork in the road leading to the mountains and the plateau.

It was quite cold by this point.

"Can you handle the cold?"

"It might be a bit tough."

"Still no 'Cold Resistance' skill?"

"No."

Well, there's no need to rush.

The plateau is also quite cold.

If you keep enduring the cold, you should eventually be able to learn the "Cold Resistance" skill.

First, let's aim for the area portal on this map.

I want to take a break and then continue from yesterday.

Protagonist: Keith

Race: Human Male Race Level 10

Class: Summoner (Summoner) Level 10

Bonus Points Remaining: 8

Set Skills:

Staff Level 8, Strike Level 5, Kick Level 6, Joint Techniques Level 5, Throws Level 5

Dodge Level 6, Block Level 5, Summoning Magic Level 10, Space-Time Magic Level 3

Light Magic Level 5, Wind Magic Level 6, Earth Magic Level 5, Water Magic Level 5

Fire Magic Level 5, Dark Magic Level 5, Ice Magic Level 3, Lightning Magic Level 3

Wood Magic Level 3, Dust Magic Level 3, Melt Magic Level 3, Burn Magic Level 3

Alchemy Level 5, Pharmacist Level 5, Glassworking Level 3, Carpentry Level 4

Coordination Level 8, Appraisal Level 7 (↑1), Identification Level 7, Insight Level 3, Cold Resistance Level 3

Grapple Level 6, Horsemanship Level 6, Precision Operation Level 8, Jump Level 3

Heat Resistance Level 4, Climbing Level 4 (↑1), Dual Wield Level 5, Dissection Level 3

Physical Enhancement Level 3, Mental Enhancement Level 4, Fast Chanting Level 5

Equipment: Kay's Rod ×1, Kay's Tonfas ×2, Anger Pickaxe+ ×2

Silver Necklace+ Snow Leopard Hidden Claw ×1, Swift Tiger Hidden Claw ×2

Wild Horse Leather Armor+ Snow Ape Arm Guards Wild Horse Boots+

Snow Ape Leather Helmet Rampaging Horse Belt+ Backpack Item Box ×2

Items: Skinning Knife, Complete Set of Carpentry Tools

Titles: Disciple of the Old Summoner, Proof of the Forest Guardian, Seeker of Moderation

Spell Catalog

Summoned Monsters:

Volf Gray Wolf Level 1

Crescent Horse Level 5

Helix Hawk Level 5

Obsidian Owl Level 5

Jean Bat Level 5

Jerrick Wood Golem Level 4

Goki Oni Level 4

Senki Beast Ape Level 5

Rig Slime Level 4

Bunraku Wood Puppet Level 3

Companion: Lambda (Real Name: Omega)