“23?!” exclaimed a shocked Hue. “What about you, Ayaka?”
“Oh, me?”
An arrogant smile formed on Ayaka’s face.
“I’m level 20. How’s that, you peasant! I’m 17 levels above you! How does that make you feel? Probably insignificant, useless, worthless!” she threw insults at Hue, each feeling like a dagger in his heart.
“Enough already, Ayaka! Stop being so mean to him!”
… The highest level NPC I’ve met in our city was only level 15! And she was almost treated as a goddess!
“Doesn’t that mean… I’m wasting your time ? You could fight stronger monsters and progress faster…”
“That’s exactly rig-”
“Oh, hardly!” Yuriko interrupted. “It’s only a game, after all. We’re here to have fun and enjoy the time spent with each other.”
Game! That’s the same word that strange voice said! My gut feeling was right. They know a lot more than NPCs do. How come I haven’t heard these words before though? ?! Player Noise! That must be it. I turned into a Player and because of that, I can now understand the Player Noise!
“I wouldn’t call being almost killed `fun` though…” responded Hue reminiscing about his first boss encounter.
“Well, it certainly isn’t fun losing all of your progress… But! You don’t have to be obsessed about leveling up either!” Yuriko’s eyes lit up with a fiery passion.
Losing all of your progress? That’s an interesting way of saying `dying`...
“Hah! Only losers get killed! And I bet you’ll die soon enough, Hugh Craphue! Huahahha!”
Craphue?! That’s it. I’m catching a murder charge… Just kidding. No way I’d do such a thing, not even to this oxygen parasite.
Hue’s murderous thoughts came to an end when a new quest arrived.
↬ Quest: Skill Book - Find the Skill Book and bring it to the librarian. 0 / 1.
?! Well… that’s a ****ing joke. Getting one of my own quests…
The girls noticed Hue’s gloomy expression.
“See what you did, Ayaka? Seriously!” asked a furious Yuriko.
“That’s what he deserves! No, that’s not even enoug-”
“I’m serious! Apologize or I’m not going to be your friend anymore!” she shouted.
Hmm… Trouble in paradise, Ayaka? That’s a perfect punishment for you.
He faced Ayaka so Yuriko’s field of vision could not catch the creepy grin he showed to his frenemy, awaiting for the apology.
“Tsk. I’m sorry.” she said under her breath. Hue definitely heard her.
“What’s that? I didn’t hear you, Ayaka.” Hue paused slightly between words.
She stared at him with murderous intent.
“I A-M S-O-R-R-Y” said the girl, clearly not wanting to repeat the phrase again.
Gulp.
I’ll probably regret that later… He thought as he swallowed nothingness.
“Good! Now that we’re all friends again, how about we-”
“Sorry to interrupt you, but I’m meeting with another friend…” Hue paused.
“...again. I’m really sorry to keep ditching you girls!”
Before Yuriko could say another word, Hue was gone. Of course, this was nothing but his go-to excuse whenever he had something else to do. This time, he wanted to complete his Player quest.
✤✤✤
It should be around here…
Hue’s hand reached deep inside the hole of a tree stump, searching for something. Once his arm was fully swallowed by the tree, Hue grew worried.
“Dammit! Where is it? It should be here…”
This is where I used to hide the Book of Skills for Players to find… Did the other me give up on his duties? What’s going on through his head?! I mean, my head? Ahh, this is so annoying. Does it count as murder if I kill the other me? Or is it suicide? But I’d still be alive…
“Hello there! Do you remember me, perhaps?”
Hue heard his favorite voice. Was he dreaming? Just to be sure, he turned around.
His face instantly recognized the familiar slim figure.
“Anna!” shouted Hue, nearly attempting a hug.
No… can’t do that. She doesn’t know who I am right now…
“I still don’t understand. How do you know my name? Care to explain?”
“Uh…”
“Uh… ?”
“I saw you talking to the librarian once, and he- he mentioned your name!” he said with a doubtful tone.
“Hmmmmm….. ” New lines and folds began appearing on her face as she was thinking. Her eyesight narrowed, as she attempted to catch every bit of move indicating Hue’s honesty.
****. She’s really good at catching lies… Especially coming from me…
“Mhm. I see…”
She definitely knows I’m lying…
“Well, in that case, how have you been doing?”
“Huh?”
She believed me?!
“You’ve been doing `huh`, huh? That doesn’t sound too exciting!” she teased Hue, bumping shoulder to shoulder.
Damn it! I missed her constant teasing so, so much…
A tear began forming in the corner of his left eye, which he quickly swept away.
“Got something in your eyes? Perhaps some dirt, since you seem to enjoy having your face on the ground?”
“Uh… Yeah, dirt, you’re right… I was just searching for something inside this tree…”
“What exactly?” asked a suspicious Anna.
Shit. Shit. Shit. I forgot I told her this is my hiding spot for the Skill Book when I used to work as a librarian. No Player could find the book hidden here, unless it was a coincidence. One of my quests as the librarian NPC was to hide it and then the Player would get hints from NPCs all around the city… But… that’s only if you were a Player! She, even not knowing me as Hue Nightworth, thinks I’m an NPC! Even though she doesn’t know me as Hue Nightworth, she thinks I’m an NPC! What would an NPC benefit from finding the book? Nothing. What should I do… What can I tell her?
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Hue, deeply lost in his contemplating state, failed to realize he was staring intensely at Anna. It was creeping her out.
“Uh… is everything ok?” asked Anna, as she took a step back.
“I’m a raccoon researcher!” shouted Hue.
“.....”
“.....”
“Raccoon… researcher?”
“Raccoon… researcher.” answered an embarrassed Hue, after realizing what he claimed his profession to be.
“Pffftttt. Hahahaha. That’s definitely more interesting than doing `Huh`, for sure!” she broke into laughter.
“Did you know they like to sleep in large tree holes and hollow parts of fallen logs?” added Hue, in an attempt to make his lie more believable.
Thank god the librarian work forces me to read various shit… Never have I imagined in a thousand years, my knowledge of raccoons would be useful.
“No… I certainly didn’t! You know… you remind me of someone… very close to me.”
Hue almost broke into tears. He managed to somehow contain it, but his heart was shattered. He wanted to scream: “That’s because I am that someone! It’s me! It’s Hue! You know me better than myself, and I know you better than yourself!”. But he knew it was pointless, it would only make him appear crazy and push her further away…
….. Damn it. Even dying felt like Heaven compared to this…
“And? Did you find any?”
“..... Not here.”
“I’ll leave you alone in your search for raccoons then, hope you find plenty of them!” she said while leaving Hue’s side, her hands waving goodbye.
“.....”
Come on!!! Hue’s inner self shouted as his physical self’s closed hands performed an act of art to his face. I know it hurts and my heart aches but I need to forget about her, for now. I need to focus. The faster I progress, the faster I’m gonna unravel this mystery and return to normal! Where the hell is that ****ing Skill Book?!?!?!
✤✤✤
Hue’s treasure hunting ambition came to an end, having left the tree stump location. Clues were what he needed and the city’s brewery provided them. His speed, as he rushed to the location, could only be matched by the drunkests of drunks on the first day of their pay cheque.
Players, even though unable to purchase drinks, often gathered here. The place stank of hard liquor and vomit, but for some reason, the atmosphere made some Players attracted to the place. That was not Hue’s reason for going. Rather, the NPC working there, known as Vladimir Romanov, was a shady character everyone avoided in the city. He was unscrupulous to the core. He would sell his own mother for some coins. That was exactly the person Hue was in need of.
“Hey, man. Are you Vladimir?” Hue asked the man sitting across from him.
“Who’s asking?”
“My name’s not important. What’s important is I need a favor.” he said while sliding a piece of paper tissue on the table he was seated at, signed by the blood of countless bar brawls.
Vladimir peaked under the tissue, his face showing a slight interest.
“The beer’s double the price.” promptly returning to cleaning a filthy pint.
Really? He wants 100 nopper for some simple information?! Highway robbery, if I’ve ever seen one…
Hue sighed but obliged, with no other option in sight.
“What type of beer?” said the man in a raspy voice.
“One with a Skill Book attached to it, if possible. Otherwise, some directions.”
“.....”
“.....”
The tension was high. Hue did not know the reason, but it was palpable.
“I’m out of that type…” Hue sighed hearing the words, preparing to leave.
“.....”
“But. And let me be clear. I didn’t sell you this beer, or any other beer. Clear?” Vladimir, who previously made lions look like big scared cats, was now shivering.
Hue was hesitant for a second, but continued: “Yeah…”
“You might find some quality beer at the Skill Shop, late at night, around 3 A.M.”
“... Understood. Have a nice day.”
As he started making his way out of the poorly lit tavern, the man interjected once more.
“Be careful.” The words resonated throughout Hue’s core, a cold sweat appearing on his skin.
✤✤✤
What… was that? I thought he was such a badass, with all the code talk we were doing… Turns out, he’s just a little pussy… Hah! I’ve already died once, I’m not scared of shit anymore! Well… Ayaka’s revenge might be one thing…
Hue, having no other leads, decided to check the Skill Shop building anyway.
The shop’s newly renovated exterior looked unfamiliar to him, being used to the old hazelnut painted walls along with the cobweb filled windows, some shattered partially. Now, a fresh, azure paint was covering the old structure and new generation windows protected the place’s warmth.
Must’ve cost a fortune…
Cling. Clang.
The doorbells announced Hue’s entrance.
Inside, the same story. Instead of the two, almost falling apart, arm chairs, now a leather sofa of a bright violet color was hugging the wall on Hue’s right.
The floor, which he remembered vividly, having almost broken his wrist falling, due to the poorly placed laminate, was now an attention grabber black marble flooring, encrusted with sparkling abalone shells. Hue felt dirty, stepping on such beauty.
The lighting was no different. This average height building was illuminated by a single ceiling lamp. It failed to highlight the place’s corners. Above Hue’s head, a snow white chandelier was now held in place by a bolted piece of wood, illuminating the whole building, perhaps too harshly for Hue’s eyes. Its sheer size made him look like an ant. From the top, it was narrow, like a tree’s trunk. His gaze began lowering, noticing the swiftly increasing size of the chandelier, decorated by a material with both the structure of a tree root and the sharpness and clarity of a snow shard. Once it reached its peak width, it began shrinking to its initial size. In Hue’s eyes, it resembled a perfectly dug out tree, retaining all of its intricate root ramifications, frozen to perfection.
Hue’s eyes moved to the middle of the room. Perhaps the most important object in the shop, the center of attention and the only reason people came to the Skill Shop, was missing. A golden structure matching Hue’s height as an NPC, supported by its three sturdy legs, with the sole purpose of holding a globe shaped metallic mass, The Enchanter. It was nowhere to be found. Instead, a single rectangular carved out piece of laminate, replaced by a lime green metal, polished enough to be sold as a mirror, was in its place.
Confused, Hue looked around for the NPC assigned to the place.
Where is he?!
“Hellooooo… Is anyone here?” asked a mildly creeped out Hue.
Silence.
What’s going on… I’m a Player now, so there should always be an NPC for me to talk to… Even if not *technically* present…
Hue stepped towards what should have been the piece de resistance. With a spark of hesitation, he stepped on the green metal. Lights similar to the building’s outward appearance illuminated Hue’s feet.
⧪ The Enchanter: Would you like to upgrade your Skills?
Yes.
⧪ Calculating possible upgrades and costs…
⧪ Possible Upgrade: Librarian Knowledge (D -> C) - Passive Skill - Skill Growth requires (10 -> 15)% less coins. Cost 3.500 (3.150) nopper (Y/N)
⧪ Possible Upgrade: Money Maker ( B -> A) - Passive Skill - Get (25 -> 1000) copper each day. Cost 100.000 (90.000) copper (Y/N)
⧪ Possible Upgrade: Fireball ( D -> C ) - Active Skill - Shoot a small fireball. Cooldown: (3 -> 2) minutes. Magic weapon required. Cost 2.000 (1.800) copper (Y/N)
Well… at least that works as expected… I’m nowhere near close to buying any of these though… Sadly, I only have 115 copper and 37 nopper left... Shit’s expensive. Just like this ****ing place, how could he afford all of this?
“Sir!” a voice came from behind Hue.
“AAAhh!” Hue jumped.
“I’m sorry to inform you, we’re closing for today.” said the NPC.
“..... It might not be my business, but how can you afford all of this? I don’t even have enough money to upgrade a single skill…”
The NPC, unaware of Hue’s ability to hear both NPC’s programmed speeches as well as their free thoughts, responded.
“If only you’d know, ignorant Player. How could I pass on such a sweet deal? I’m gaining a fortune just by renting my basement! Those fools! What the hell are they even doing there-no, I don’t even care. As long as I get paid, they could even be torturing their wifes down there!”
“I’m sorry to inform you, we’re closing for today.” quickly overshadowed his true thoughts.
Hue clenched his fists and threw a punch, stopping short of hitting its target, the NPC’s forehead. The punch seemed to have intimidated the NPC, so much so that he fell on his behind.
“Ahhh. My shoulder’s been killing me. Gotta stretch, y’know?”
“!” the NPC was too shocked to utter a single word. Did the Player hear what he just said? No… It must’ve been a coincidence.
“Well, if it’s closed, I guess there’s nothing to do about that. Have a good night.” Hue uttered the last two words with disgust.
What a sick piece of shit. Garbage. I wish I could beat the shit out of him- But I have to keep a low profile… for now.
✤✤✤
Hue was located right outside the Skill Shop, behind a nearby rock, his eyes surveying the surroundings like a hawk.
He said 3 A.M. … It’s already thirty minutes past and nobody showed up…
Clung.
A nearby bucket of trash being kicked resonated throughout the quiet, empty street. A woman in her 30s was walking next to a shadowy figure carrying what looked to be a potato sack filled to the brim.
“Shhh. Why’re you making all this noise?! I told you we need to be as discreet as possible.” whispered the woman.
“Then try and help me, lazy witch. This shit’s heavy.”
“Huuh?! Who are you calling a lazy witch, you ungrateful bastard?” she raised her voice.
It must be them… How do they plan to get ins- ?!
Hue’s answer came in before he could finish the question. The shady entourage opened a rust covered basement entrance on the right side of the shop, just in front of him. They quickly vanished into the shadows.
There’s no mistake. It is them. Whoever they may be. And something’s going on for sure! As much as I’d like to sprint the hell out of here… I can’t. I need to investigate…
Hue’s tall figure, just like the ones before him, perished into darkness.