|Southern Continental Announcement!

Congratulations!

Player X encountered the First Local Boss Monster in Euclex and successfully slayed it! From this day forth, The Slithering Lord of Lesotte's Norther Pine Woods is no more! Cheer and dance for the feat of this Player.|

Popo's ears twitched, and he jumped out of his bed. In his flurry, he forgot about his familiar Ro, who lay on his chest.

Swoosh Plop

The tiny grey mouse was thrown in the air, drew a beautiful arch, and splashed face-flat on the floor. Its limbs twitched for a second, then slacked. It lay there, prostrated and lifeless, like a furry soft strain.

"Ro! I am so sorry! Are you alive?" Startled, Popo blurted a rushed-up apology. He hurriedly bent down and examined the mouse. It gave off the feeling of gradually ascending to heaven, but its back indiscernibly moved. It was still breathing.

Phew

Popo heaved a sigh of relief and used his sleeve to soak the sweat on his forehead. He was nearly scared to death. Then he reached down and with his forefinger poked Ro's generous butt. "Hey, stop pretending and get up. Don't fool me with your witty small tricks."

Squick!

Ro energetically jumped to its feet, looked back, roared, and bit him. Its teeth were small but sharp and unyielding. They easily punctured the skin and sank in the flesh.

"Ouch! I already said I was sorry!" Popo jerked his hand back and furtively glared at the furious mouse. A drop of bright blood leaked out of his finger and dripped to the ground. It was absorbed in the wooden planks, leaving a darker red splotch.

Squeak! Squeak. Squeaky! Squeak.

Popo's casual attitude made Ro even angrier. It fumed condescendingly, rolled its black eyes, and used one of its forelegs to wave in the air. It expressed its bottled-up feelings, grievances, and desires. It proposed him a deal.

"What? You will only forgive me if I feed you some top-quality meat? You are very dissatisfied with your grains, fruit, and seeds diet. You find the vegetarian lifestyle very unbalanced in nutritional value...

For god's sake, you are a mouse! Those should be your favorites. How did you grow, to become such a picky eater in less than a week? Heh, look at yourself. What unbalanced nutritional value, you are fattening by the second. That buttocks is not made from hitting the gym! You are constantly eating!"

Popo scoffed in exasperation, picked the struggling mouse by the skin on its neck, and threw it on top of the bed. He didn't promise anything and lent a deaf year to its laments and complaints. Then, he sat down and opened the chatter.

|Local Chatroom - Lesotte.

Charlotte: Damn, who slayed a boss monster??? I am still struggling with Horned Rabbits and Hog Pogs!

Ox: First Blood. First Blood. First Blood! Finally, Euclex feels like a game! Slaying monsters, adventuring in the wild, and eating fine foods. This is the norm. I can't stomach any more studies, running from mobs, and sucking up to the natives! Thank you, mysterious Player X. Thank you, for showing me hope!

Raven: Sigh, someone beat me to it. I have been searching for a boss monster for the past two days. But it was to no avail. So it was in the Northern Pine Woods...

Deus eX Machina: Not necessarily. I have been to the said forest before. I didn't find anything out of the ordinary. It is just a gloomy scenic location. The strongest monster I saw was a very plump bear.

Deus eX Machina: I think this Lord will show up only at night. Besides, look at the Lord's designation. The suffix means its domain is limited to the Northern Pine Woods. There must be similar monsters in the other three forests as well. We just haven't encountered them yet.

Charlotte: You are strong enought to slay bears? Can you coach me for cash? Not that I have any...

Deus eX Machina: I ran away...|

"As expected the announcement caused a huge ripple. The chat is bustling despite the late hours..." Popo commented and played with his tail.

At this point of the gameplay, most players would find lodging and log out around sunset. They weren't strong enought to venture out of Lesotte in the guise of the night. It wasn't surprising that no one had stumbled upon the Slithering Lord.

Squeak.

Ro swallowed back its indignations and pulled a nut out of its master's pocket. While eating, it expressed its feelings about the importance of good sleep for the fur. Rest reduced hair loss and improved the fur quality and its shine. It didn't see any problems with the players' habits.

"Seriously, what's wrong with you? Did you join a strange sect behind my back recently? One that preaches of a healthy lifestyle and carefully groomed-up appearance..." Popo ridiculed his silly familliar and looked at the chat.

|NGhP: I am more interested in the rewards. For a First Blood, even Euclex wouldn't be stingy. And who is this expert? Why is he or she hiding and not bathing in fame?

Charlotte: I am depressed. Anyway, staying anonymous is a smart move. I would have done the same, but killing one rabbit is not enought to call for a system announcement...

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Dazzling: Beauty strikes once again.

Distressed Princess: Are you lot talking about me? Yes, I am still searching for a rich, handsome husband!

Ox: What does slaying a boss have to do with one's looks? Go away, Distressed Princess. There are no men for you here. Better try your luck in a dating apply or something.

Distressed Princess: It was merely a whistful thinking of mine. Never mind that, Popo dear, do you perhaps know the mysterious player? I will buy you a biscuit if you give me a clue.|

Seeing his name, Popo rolled up his sleeves, smiled, and typed on the virtual keyboard. He had always been active, sharing miscellaneous information. By now, his name was well known in the chatter and he had formed bonds with a number of players.

|Popo: Unfortunately, I don't. As you probably know, the initial setting of Euclex censores your name for privacy reasons. I don't know if this player forgot to manually switch settings, or deliberately chose to stay hidden.

Popo: If it is the former, they will sooner or later reveal their identity. You can keep one of your eyes open at the forum and chat. And if it is the latter, we can only try to investigate. Player X just slaughtered the Lord. They should still be out and about in the Northern Pine Woods. Perhaps, a brave soul can go there and if fate permits - meet them.

Distressed Princess: Sigh, forget it. A frail beauty like me doesn't dare to go alone in the forest at night. As for why, I will leave it to your imagination...

Raven: Indeed. What Popo said is correct. However, the Northern Pine Woods are fairly large. Even if the night wasn't dangerous, it still would be difficult to locate a lone player.

Popo: I agree. It was just a suggestion. I never said it was a viable one.

Raven: It doesn't matter. One way or another, Player X will be exposed. Slaying a Lord isn't that simple. It's not something you can obtain counting on luck. And when you are strong, it is hard to stay inconspicuous.

Popo: Perhaps.

...|

Next, the chat somehow descended into chaos. Some began spamming their theories and ideas, while others bickered, or bid farewell. On the outside, it was still daytime, and many people were busy. Not everyone could earn money by playing a game.

Popo closed the chat window and slumped on the bed.

Squeak?

Ro came over and nudged him expectantly. It had glanced at the chat and was rather excited.

"No, there won't be a biscuit. I don't know who Player X is. Heh, even if I did I wouldn't have exposed them without benefit."

Squeak! Squeak!

"What are you talking about? Am I so cheap to sell my information for just one tiny biscuit? This is not what I mean by a benefit.

Yes, I'd first try to curry favor with the powerful player. This may lead to future opportunities for me to grasp more profitable resources, data, and clues.

Otherwise, I would trade my insight with someone like Raven. He was a famous guild master in a previous game and his record is good. He is not a despicable fellow. Once he enters a city, he will undoubtedly assemble his guild.

This means that he will be interested in a strong mysterious player. He may directly invite them to join his new guild. You may not know, but manpower is essential for any organization. Powerful players are the lifeblood of a guild. Who wouldn't want to have such subordinates under their lead? Raven may pay a nice price for this information..."

Popo diligently explained, half scolding half educating his silly familliar. That mouse only had food in its head.

Squeak~ Squeak? Ro finished his nut and licked its paws clean. Then it asked curiously.

From its point of view, selling the information about Player X to his or her enemies would earn Popo a much greater profit.

Ro was a social animal, but it still couldn't entirely comprehend the use of skillful allies. To it, friends equaled playthings. They could fool, lick, and bite one another, but it was hard to imagine joining forces to trample a cat. On the other hand, it clearly understood the concept of an enemy. The animal world was cruel as well.

Popo caressed the mouse and scoffed at its words, "What do you take me for? I have a bottom line too. If I have other options, I am willing to reduce some of my profits. I'd rather safeguard my morality and keep my consciousness clean.

Besides, rumors spread fast. When my reputation is blemished, I will find it difficult to close deals. Only thugs and low-lives will be interested in bonding with me. And this bunch doesn't think twice before stabbing their 'allies'. Dealing with them is very stupid and dangerous.

Heh, of course, if Player X is a threat, I will find an opportunity to connect with his or her foes. Then I can earn profit and deal with Player X all at the same time..."

Squeak...

Ro was enlightened and lost interest in the topic. Still, it couldn't help but shiver as it got to know how scheming his master could be. Its fur turned a bit prickly.

Leaving the mouse to itself, Popo closed his eyes, and carefully pondered.

Lesotte isn't that large. I have walked all over the village and have seen most of the inhabitants here - both natives and players. Even if I haven't spoken to this mysterious person, I must have brushed shoulders with them once or twice...

Have I met someone who looked strong enough to face a boss monster? Yes, Raven and Renata do count. But in the chatter, Raven acted oblivious. This means Player X is not him, nor is he or she related to Raven. Or is Raven playing a fool? A form of deception?...

It is unlikely. It doesn't fit his character, nor can he earn anything by wasting his time playing mind games. Yes, Raven and Renata often work in a team. The announcement pointed toward one individual. This indirectly proves that Raven isn't the culprit... Who else could Player X be?...

Suddenly, Popo narrowed his eyes and his heart thumped. He remembered something from just a couple of hours ago. He had met a scarred half-ling that felt very threatening. At the time, Popo and Ro, felt like they were facing their natural predator.

Could it be him? Physically he didn't look strong, but his aura was special. His race is inclined toward spells.

The more Popo thought, the more he felt it was possible.

After 'fleeing' the scene, he covertly inquired a few natives. He didn't dare to ask them directly. Mostly because the half-ling could learn, find it suspicious, and track the clues back. It was dangerous for Popo to expose himself before he understood the man's inclinations. Therefore, he could only beat around the bush, and 'curiously' lead the conversation in his desired direction.

From Anna, Bernard's daughter, he learned that there was a person with a similar appearance, who was called Midnight. He seemed to be a cute and young lad. However, that was pretty much everything. Popo couldn't gleam into the man's secrets.

A cute young lad...Heh, with that aura, I'd rather believe he is a vicious assassin or a slaughterer, rather than a peace-loving mage.

Popo shivered and couldn't help but swipe his gaze all over the room. He was afraid that Midnight was lurking around, ready to rip his tail and use it to strangle him.

Phew

He exhaled and patted his chest, silently musing. If Midnight is indeed Player X then he is still in the forest. And I was prudent enough to not arouse Anna's suspicions. She seems to favor the man, but the scattered-brain her won't remember my indirect questions for long. For now, I am safe.

Damn it. If I knew he was such a scary person, a guy able to slay a Lord monster, I'd have tried to stealthily tail him. Yes, I shouldn't run my tongue and should pay more attention from now on. I will ask less and observe more.

Perhaps, I should consider leaking the news? Hmm, I first need to be certain. I can't sell unconfirmed information...

Popo calmed down and felt slightly excited. Danger and opportunity always came joined at the hip. If his guess was correct, this could lead to expanding his network and earning quite a sizeable profit in due time.