by Way Woo
Just like the Wild West back in the day, justice was something you grasped with your own two hands.
This guy is strong. But even with this happening, he has yet to understand the truth of this world.
And I’m not about to enlighten him, let alone go along with his demands, because there’s a turtle ship waiting for me.
“You’re naive if you think I’m going to do what you and your friends tell me,” Jake explained, his voice low as to make sure only Liam heard him clearly. “I have nothing to do with the death of that knight and his hangers-on, and I have somewhere else to be right now.”
Because there are things I need to buy, and I simply do not have time for this.
Ironically if Jake had said that out loud, his fellow adventurers would have stopped suspecting him, thinking that he had some kind of mental condition due to his addiction to shopping.
Liam held his stare and saw no hint of deception in the eyes of his fellow adventurer.
Jake turned and left.
The next unfortunate soul who will give me grief about something I didn’t do will be tied up in bubble wrap, thrown in a box and shipped to Timbuktu, I freaking swear.
***
Two predators were currently sizing each other up.
In the grasslands, a man and a leopard were circling each other, waiting for the other to make the first move.
A gust of wind blew the grass to the side.
It was at that moment the leopard chose to make its move.
With its legs propelling it forward, it charged, aiming to bring down the prey before it.
In just two seconds, it had closed two-thirds of the gap, and was now pouncing, its clawed front paws extending outward and its fangs bared.
And as it cleared the ground, the morning sun shone on it, revealing its immense size and its lustrous golden form, the slender muscles on its paws stretching as it lunged.
Fast.
The man this magnificent beast was lunging at looked like he had been in a war zone.
Should have brought a camera for this.
His shirt had been torn off in strips as makeshift bandages around his arms, and the long-healed scratches along his chest spoke of the many battles he had been in.
Yet, the large sword he was wielding looked like a forged piece of midnight.
It could swallow me whole in one bite.
Although the leopard was moving towards him with unparalleled speed, the man seemed to hold the weapon almost casually, waiting for the right time to strike, unafraid of the creature’s gaping mouth and sharp fangs.
But not this time.
It was at the apex of its jump that the man tensed and swung upward, meeting the creature’s jaw with his sword.
A loud clang echoed in the grasslands.
Sparks flew as fang met sword, and with a mighty swing, the sword won out, carving out a chunk of the leopard’s jaw as it passed by, its charge rendered useless.
It got back up and made to charge back again with a roar, but found that it couldn’t move.
Cracks began to form around it, and moments later, the metallic animal collapsed in a pile of golden fragments.
The man walked to where the chunk of the jaw was and picked it up off the ground, turning towards the rapidly-disappearing pile of broken metal that was once a gigantic golden leopard.
He took a look at the fragment, and oddly gave it a bite.
“Hey, this is real gold!” he said to no one after pushing his teeth down on the chunk, his demeanor completely changed from the calm warrior he was a few moments ago. “Wait a minute, I should get points for this! Gold is valuable, you know!”
After taking a moment to look around for other monsters, he pulled up his inventory and placed the gold chunk in it.
Maybe someone here will buy this from me.
And out of the corner of his eye, Jake Smithson could see that the points he had earned for this hunting trip had now come up to 14,500.
Five hundred more, General Yi. Five hundred more and I’m going to bring back your legend.
***
“Do not inform the enemy of my death…“ Jake quoted while on his way to the next part of his mission.
The thought of saving up points just to buy a ship to be able to travel to other places just to hunt was preposterous to most adventurers.
Jake Smithson wasn’t most adventurers.
And as usual, he ignored the stares other adventurers were giving him: either the ones in groups going to various dungeons to hunt, or groups of adventurers in Brino.
Even he could see that Liam was also in a party with other adventurers.
At that moment, though, nothing was more important to Jake than getting to the coast, which was about a fifteen-minute walk away from Brino.
There, he pressed the “Purchase” button that would take him to where he wanted to be.
And as he took his first steps on board the newly-bought Turtle Ship, he could not help but feel that the spirit of the man who made it famous was flowing through him.
He looked to the horizon in anticipation, and the ship set off.
As soon as it did, Jake gave the description of the Turtle Ship a good look.
[Turtle Ship:
A replica of the ship made famous by Admiral Yi Sun-shin, Korean naval general. Has its own crew, automatic navigation, and can be placed in your inventory. Travel to any place by sea with speed, comfort, and style. Its luxurious amenities can be compared even to cruise ships. Hop on a Turtle Ship and sail the high seas... fabulously!]
Well, looks like even the Hero Shop knows about cruise ships, Jake noted as he read the description. The way they word it makes it worth every point I invested in it.
What Jake didn’t know was that he had gone along with the Hero Shop’s plan for him unwittingly. The time he spent hunting monsters and the points they gave just for purchasing this ship?
It was the Hero Shop’s ploy to appeal to Jake’s vanity, and it worked perfectly.
***
Jake was lounging on the deck, sipping on a drink, and had already taken a nap earlier to bring him to his best fighting form upon his arrival on the Island of Delusion.
“Hey nerds, if you could see me now,” he sang as he took another sip. “Arms spread wide on the starboard bow, I will fly this boat to the moon, somehow!”
It was a good thing that he was in such a good mood, because his destination was going to wipe the smile off his face – though he didn’t know that, yet.
But something that came to his mind did cause him some concern.
Jake sighed.
Of all the days for something like that to happen… why today? Also, who killed that sleazy knight and his groupies? I really don’t give a shit if people think I did it, but whoever did it and used me as an excuse? What a fucking loser. I’ll fine-tune that loser’s ass if I ever find out who he or she is.
Like, enough people don’t believe I did it. Or they think so, but they don’t think they can take me out or something.
But if enough of them think I killed Seamus and his party… and they went after me all at once…
…yeah, that would be a waste.
It’s a good thing these adventurers are still looking after themselves. Would be a waste of perfectly good adventurers if someone riled a lot of them to go after me simultaneously.
Nobody’s dumb enough to throw away their lives for that.
Yeah, especially if they think I killed that knight and his pals.
It would be suicide to try.
Still, though.
What the hell is the killer thinking?
There’s going to be stronger monsters than the Werecrocodile coming. No matter the reason, it’s an absolute waste to kill strong adventurers.
What reason could that be, that it would be more important than teaming up against the stronger monsters that are coming? Who stands to gain the most when Seamus and his party are killed?
Not to mention, using me as a scapeg
oat?
It’s crazy.
Haha, Jake thought. Funny I should say that when all I do is kill for points to shop with. But even if they were wounded by the Fantail, it would not have been impossible for them to fight.
To kill a pack of wounded hyenas, you would need to be…
He scoured his brain for the answer.
“Crap,” he said out loud. “I don’t know anyone in Brino except Liam and Seamus, RIP in peace.”
His shoulders fell.
Should have bothered to mingle more instead of worrying about where to get my next shopping fix.
Oh well. I’ll leave this loser to his paranoia. I can always go back to finding the killer once I get my hands on the Cherry Blossom Weapon Art.
When I do, I’m going to be both very powerful, very stylish – and smelling like flowers every time I wield a sword! Finding the killer won’t matter anymore.
That was when a notification from the ship startled him.
[You have marked your target location as the “Island of Delusion”. Do you want to begin the trip? Yes/No]
Crap, I forgot to confirm my destination!
***
Although the death of Seamus and his entourage was a tragedy, it did, however, break the adventurers from the lull that their stronger fellows would always cover for them.
Now, though? Anyone could die.
Power was the only way to survive in this world.
Seamus’s death only served to hammer home that point to them.
Those who were only content to stay behind friendly lines and not focus on improving their level due to their fear of fighting monsters were now shown the relationship of power and survival.
“It’s coming!”
“Get ready!”
“On my mark… attack!”
Due to this, teams of adventurers were assembled, and went forth from the safety of Brino into the wilderness of Nohas itself, hunting in earnest.
If they were not out of the village hunting, these teams were at the village gates, watching for any sign of an incoming attack.
In totality, Seamus’ death made the adventurers of Brino much stronger than if he was alive.
***
“Flaming Wrath Sword Art: Infernal Descent!”
With a single, flaming slash, a monster was carved into two burning pieces, while the monster behind it was incinerated by the fireball generated by the adventurer’s free hand.
The adventurer who performed this otherworldly maneuver stepped back and surveyed the scene.
Liam saw that the party with him was performing admirably.
The adventurers with him weren’t gawking at his skill but working together themselves against the other monsters in the cavern they were hunting in.
And leading the charge was Liam, who not only learned his second skill, but also mastered it in a short amount of time, owing to his fearless nature and innate fighting skill.
When he learned the skill “Fireball” – exactly what it says in the description, but also had an added effect of stopping a target’s movement on hit – he didn’t rest on his laurels and stick to simply pointing his palms at his enemies and throwing the fireball at them.
Part of the reason for his power was his speed in using skills nearly simultaneously: Liam cast the fireball as soon as he used his first technique, the flaming slash. And the more he did it, he found that he could cast the fireball after the sword swing much faster.
Once he was comfortable with using his skills in that way, he had given this particular use of them a name of its own: “Infernal Descent”.
Thanks to this, the other adventurers with Liam’s party were also experimenting with their skills, trying to see if their skills had the same synergy as their leader had.
But Liam wasn’t the only one gaining power at a high rate.
***
Another adventurer had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, showing tremendous growth in his abilities.
It was around the time that the teams were announced that he made his appearance: joining a party and not drawing a lot of attention to himself… except when the time to hunt monsters came along.
He emerged from the shadows, lurking behind monsters, quickly eliminating them with stabs to the neck, and returning to the shadows whence he came with no other monsters the wiser.
When his party was fighting monsters, his efficiency at killing grew immensely due to the other adventurers drawing the monsters’ attention.
He had acquired a skill called “Focused Strike”, and with it, quickly earned a reputation as a skilled killer of monsters.
The skill of his used magic points to double his attack power, and with his ability to pinpoint where to strike a monster for maximum damage, allowed him to kill nearly every monster with a single strike.
Due to this, his growth as an adventurer was nothing short of remarkable.
“You’re the best!”
“Haha, it’s nothing special,” the cloaked man said. “Thanks to all of you drawing their attention, I was able get behind the monsters without a lot of trouble.“
Not only that, he had a natural charisma that let him get along well with others, contrasting with Liam, who was a good leader, but often led more by his deeds rather than through words.
And as the gates of Brino loomed upon them, the cloaked man’s party were bouncing up and down with excitement, although they had just finished another hunt.
“What should we cook for dinner today?”
“Would you like to go and pick some fruit together?”
His charisma combined with his refusal to impose himself on other adventurers like the late Seamus did gave him a sizable following, even from those who were not in his party.
The adventurer wasn’t a show-off with his power, but other adventurers could feel his strength, and he also volunteered to help the weaker adventurers hunt monsters.
“That sounds good!” the man said, nodding at another adventurer’s suggestion for dinner. “That tasted pretty good the last time. So, we’ll call it a day?“
“Of course!“
“We’ll get stronger tomorrow.”
“When I get some supplies, I’ll be of more help!”
The adventurers all enthusiastically addressed the man as they entered Brino, agreeing to meet tomorrow for another monster hunt.
As soon as the crowd of adventurers made it through the front gates, the cloaked man could hear someone call out to him, and when he turned, he could see one of the better-looking female adventurers flash a dazzling smile at him.
“Wait for me,” she shouted, and he slowed down his walk to allow her to catch up, “Emmanuel!”
Episode 16
***
In Nohas, time moves differently.
Jake Smithson found that fact out firsthand when he stepped onto the coast, where the boat he purchased could be used to swim upriver to the Island of Delusion.
From the riverbank to the coast, it was nonstop fighting for him.
The golden leopard he had cut down was just one of many, a nameless, faceless horde of enemies he tore through with a single-minded purpose.
You wouldn’t blame him for taking a nap on his boat and forgetting to set his course due to the trail of dead monsters he carved for roughly half a day the moment he sighted water.
But he took it all in stride, as if the path down the river was paved with yellow bricks, and where the boat finished its destination was where the rainbow ended, with a courier box waiting for him.
It was at the riverbank where he activated the miniature Turtle Ship, whereupon it grew to its actual size when you set its destination.
Again, this was yet another reason for him to take a nap and preen about his latest purchase.
In hindsight, his forgetfulness would be a blessing in disguise, because the perilous route to the Island of Delusion had its own set of surprises to spring on him.
Jake pressed “Yes”, and the boat was on his way.
&n
bsp; And as soon as the Turtle Ship hit the rough waters of the river, he realized something very important.
For all his item purchases and stat gains, he had forgotten one thing: you couldn’t buy sea legs.
The Turtle Ship tipped left and right, front and back, the waves coming from every direction battering the vessel, and within ten minutes, Jake’s face was now colored a very interesting shade of green.
Is this what Nohas calls a river? The high seas during a gods-be-damned typhoon are calmer than this!
If I took the sailboat, I’d be dried up more than a side of beef jerky when I get to the island!
Unbelievable. So much for my Admiral Yi impression when I can barely stand due to these waves!
Fortunately, the Turtle Ship had the amenities needed during voyages like this.
[Anchoring at the Island of Delusion.]
By the time Jake heard the notification, he checked his balance, stood up on wobbly legs, and turned to where the Turtle Ship was holding another bottle of water.
Without further ado, he scrambled off the deck, landed ass-over-teakettle on the shore, and chugged down the water bottle to replace all the fluids he lost during the voyage.
“That was the crappiest roller coaster ride of my whole entire life!” Jake shouted as soon as he tossed the empty bottle back to the Turtle ship.
And as soon as he took a deep breath to calm himself, the Turtle Ship returned to the size of a scale model, where Jake picked up his transport and stashed it in his inventory.
What he saw after turning around and seeing the Island of Delusion for the first time took his breath away.
Close to the shore was a meadow, its trees adorned with flowers of every color between their green leaves, making the clear, cloudless sky stand out even more.
Anyone’s mood would improve by viewing the scenery. While Jake was also impressed with the scenery, something else clicked within his mind as the Island of Delusion loomed over him, waiting to be explored.
“I love the smell of points in the morning… smells like victory.”
***
Jake knew he was close to something when the meadow’s grass thinned out the deeper into the island he went.
He could barely make out a small swatch of green on the horizon when he saw birds fly off in the distance.
