Chapter 4: Solo is never easy.
“For now, I will be doing some information gathering outside of the town walls. I want to make sure that whether or not the game system still works here. So far the notifications are still happening but I don’t know if that is because of this world’s magic or because it is still following the game system” Hayato suddenly told Yuka after putting Ame to sleep.
“Wait: aren’t the [Communication system] and the [Friend system] still running? I also heard that the people can still issue out duels” Yuka was surprised when he told her he wanted to gather more information.
“Of course those still work but what about special boss areas where you can’t teleport to, or the [boundless dungeons] and what of…” Hayato paused and then continued quietly. “What happens to us when we ‘die’?” This part made Yuka go speechless. “I want to at least make sure that there is ‘something’ or ‘somewhere’ we go to when we ‘die’ and I don’t want you two to be the ones to find out firsthand what happens to us when we are killed.”
“Then you are going to kill a person!?” Yuka couldn’t help but scream at him and then quickly covered her mouth. She was glad the room was put under privacy runes or not people would have heard her.
“No, I am not going to kill a person… probably…” Hayato added the last part silently. “First, I am going to find out about the monsters. Whether or not they revive and then the equipment they drop as well as the money they drop which is weird considering this is no longer a game.”
Yuka could only sigh. She was sure her instructor could just go and do it; so why tell her?
“I know it might sound crazy and I might not come back so that is why I am telling you: If I ever die and never get revived like how the game was supposed to do when a player dies; take care of Ame and yourself. If things are progressing as they are now, I doubt even the towns are safe so that is why I want you to take care of her. Her family is not in the game” Hayato meant every word. There was no guarantee that the towns and cities would be safe as they were in the game.
“What about you? What am I supposed to tell her when she wakes up and finds you missing?” Yuka was angry, Hayato knew that but.
“I won’t die. Not until I get you and Ame back to our world. I’m not going to disappear as I did when my family needed me most” after declaring that, Hayato walked towards the window and jumped at the roof across the inn and ran towards the town gates.
==========================
***Hayato***
“This is for the best… I cannot let them go without a good grasp on this world’s mechanics…” Hayato mumbled as he ran from rooftop to rooftop with the base speed of his character. “This seems to be also a problem…”
Hayato felt weaker, slower now that he was inside the world he was in. He could no longer run as fast as he did when he was in the real world and he could barely lift the large boxes when he was asked to. He felt weak and he hated it. He needed to get back the things he lost.
Hayato leapt from the roof and landed on the ground, causing the gate guard to be surprised.
“Who- oh, it’s Hayato. What’s wrong? You seem to be in a hurry.”
It was the same gate guard from the afternoon. He seemed to be there as a guard again or he never moved from the spot.
“Ah, I was just about to go and do a favor for a friend of mine. On a side note: can you tell me more about the monsters around these parts?” Hayato thought it was good that it was still the same gate guard.
“Meaning…?”
“Do they respawn? And what about the equipment they drop?”
“Ah… well to answer your first question: Yes, the monsters respawn or rather: they revive. Unlike humans, the monsters psyche does not end up being severed from the body once it is killed so the reason why killed monsters need to be burnt and buried are because the body can still be used when an unknown specific amount of time elapses. I don’t know how or why so you better ask the professionals on this matter.” The guard explained.
“Then there is also the fact that the monsters drop equipment and gold.” Hayato nodded. “For the equipment: they are equipment that they forge themselves or weapons obtained from killed adventurers. Unlike us [Kismetian adventurers], you guys don’t die. I don’t how or why but every time you adventurer die, you get revived in the nearest church; Meaning that you guys are pretty much deathless. Man… must be nice not having to die…” The gate guard sighed in defeat.
Hayato made a complex face. ‘So players cannot die… but I still can’t prove it now so I will either need to kill someone or wait for someone to get killed. Then there’s also matter about the money…’
“So the money obtained from the monster… where do they come from?” Hayato inquired. Seeing as the guard was willing to tell him what he needed meant that he did not have to go to the capital to ask the sages.
“I don’t know to be honest” the gate guard shrugged. “It has always been like that ever since before you adventurers came by.”
Hayato was surprised. The monsters were already there spitting out money from since before they were there. ‘Wait... since before the adventurers came by?’
“You mean us adventurers weren’t always here?”
“You are one odd adventurer… but yes. My grandfather said that you adventurers only came when his grandfather used to be alive.”
Hayato was sent into his thoughts once more. ‘It must have started since the first time [Kismet online] was launched…’ Hayato bowed to the gate guard.
“Thank you for answering my strange questions. I’ll be going now.” Hayato walked outside the town gates, being sent off by the guard.
“Good luck! And don’t forget about the quest I gave you!”
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“Not good enough… I need proof. Proof that we can’t die or at least a real explanation on how the… wait… could it be that the system simply puts the items and money in our possessions when we kill the monsters?” Hayato stopped just in front of the forest where he went to just a few hours ago.
“I need to find a wolf that drops a claymore…” he declared quietly and went to find the monsters. Hayato entered the dark forests. He was told that the monsters go up by one rank during nighttime. He remembered a little about the ranks of the monsters. The ones he had fought up until a few hours ago were just normal ranks. “Then the next rank must be a savage ranked monster…”
Not long after finishing his sentence, a pack of 6 wolves came out and surrounded him.
[table]Savage gray wolf[tr]
[tr]Type:BeastATK:120
Level:12DEF:80
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
HP1280MP:415
Hayato actually got intimidated slightly there but still took out the long sword on his back. He felt a bit worried since his armor could only pass for clothing due to their low defense. He did not want to die yet. Not after saying those embarrassingly heroic things to Yuka. She wouldn’t let him live it down.
Hayato knew that he should not try the theory of death in this world. It would be too foolish and he did not know what price he would need to pay in order to be revived. He also did not want to try the 'maybe i will be reincarnated into something/somewhere else after being killed' theory.
Hayato did not even needed to think on what to do and tried to activate his skill [wind walk]. He could feel he wind pick up around him before it died out without giving him any effects. His MP bar did not even go down. He couldn't even make a sentence before having to dodge a lunge from one of the [Savage gray wolf].
Like a catalyst; the first lunge triggered the full onslaught of lunges, swipes and bites. Hayato could not even think of a reason as to why his skill did not activate. He Dodged a lunge and a bite from two of the six [savage gray wolf] and barely blocked one from biting his head off with his sword which was ripped away from his arms by the powerful jaws of the monster.
Kicking the [Savage gray wolf] away, Hayato began to run past the wolves towards a better and brighter place for him to fight the wolves. He ran as he dodged the trees and multiple lunge-attempts at his life. Not so far behind him were the pack of six [Savage gray wolf] who began to howl as they ran after him
You have been struck with Howl but due to heartless title; you have escaped from any debuffs
hayato was grateful that he did not have to go and seeing as one of the wolves was trying to lunge at him again, He turned around and moved his tails forwards and pierced the wolf with all nine of his tails without missing any important organ including the brain.
You have gained 1250EXP!
you have obtained:
1x [Wof dagger]
Hayato breathed in and then began running again. Just killing one needed him to exert most of his strength. How was he going to kill them all before he ran out of stamina?
The wolves did not stop to mourn their fallen comrade but they did go into a frenzy making them [Enraged Savage gray wolves]. They became faster and Hayato could tell that their attacks increased if the hole at the side of the tree was any indication.
not only were there 5 [enraged savage gray wold] after him. "Illusions are tricks on the minds and hearts... Imagine them. Imagine splitting them up..." Hayato chanted under his breath and two clones appeared behind him and began to diverge from his path.
The wolves began chased after them in teams of two except for the leader who was still chasing after him. It did not get deceived by the illusions and even tried to call back its comrades. Seeing as it was just a one on one situation: Hayato made a sudden U-turn and used his tails as spears to try and impale the wolf.
Although he did not kill it instantly; he managed to gauge out one of its eyes. The [Savage gray wolf] howled and like it was nothing: dispelled his illusions and gave away his position to the other misguided wolves.
Hayato could only feel annoyance at the largest [savage gray wolf] in front of him. It knew that it can dispell illusions and used it to its advantage. Feeling as if he was played, Hayato channeled his annoyance into illusions of blue fox fire and made the floating blue orbs of fire circle the boss with high speed. 'Confuse it and do not let it rejoin the others...' he thought to himself and sprinted forwards.
Just as he was about to make the large wolf enter his attack zone, he had to jump back as two wolves blocked his way. He wanted to add more space between him and the wolves, the last two blocked his retreat. He had miscalculated. He did not grasp their real speed or not he would have not tried to use the fox fire illusion.
The four illusion free [Savage gray wolf] howled and dispelled his illusions. They might be enraged monsters in a frenzy but they still utilized their intelligence and logic. He hated that.
He took a deep breath and began to calm his panicking heart. 'Calm down and try to visualize it again... as fast as the wind... as free as the wind...' Hayato chanted in his mind. He needed to try out the first skill he got. He did not imagine himself being wrapped in wind but turning into the wind itself.
Seeing the male closing his eyes, the wolves lunged at him with their fangs bared and claws shown.
Time moved slowly as the wolves slowly moved closer and closer. Hayato's body glowed a dim white before it disappeared.
Hayato saw the movements of the wolves even more clearly than he ever did and moved his body to evade the oncoming attacks. (matrix~) Hayato sidestepped the first wolf and delivered a punch to the side of its head before spinning to avoid another two of the wolves. As he twirled, he used his tails as a sort of spear that shot out from his body and impaling them in the thighs and lungs.
His counter-attack did not stop there and he continued to use the spinning motion as a momentum and kicked the fourth [Enraged Savage gray wolf] on the neck and breaking it if the crunching sound did not signify it. If the last wolf did not manage to spin its body out of his tail's trajectory, he would have killed them all.
You have gained 5000 EXP!
you have obtained:
1x wolf Belt
1x Unidentified boots
2x Unidentified rings
The last wolf tried to escape but a dagger thrown by Hayato which sealed its movement gave it no chance at escaping. Hayato slowly approached the [Enraged Savage gray wolf] and pierced the remaining three legs into place with his tails.
The wolf probably sensed the killing intent radiated by the [Foxling] in front of it and reverted into a normal [Savage gray wolf].
“Oh~ you seem to be pretty smart for a wolf” Hayato commented as the wolf merely growled and barked at him. “You seem to be still fighting even in your state….” The canine simply growled at him. “No worries: you’ll be useful even in your death…” Hayato used the last remaining tail to pierce the [Savage gray wolf] in the chest right at the heart; thus ending its life swiftly.
You have gained 1250 EXP!
You have leveled up!
You have obtained:
2x unidentified blades
“After all… You are just here to test out my theories~” Hayato made a cynical grin as he dislodged his [novice dagger] from the leg of the wolf and began his work at dismantling the wolf and burning it before burying it into the ground after procuring all of the materials off of its body.
-End of Chapter-