Chapter 24 - Hunting

After backing up my data at the Restoration Point I decided to stroll through Spawn Alley. I was wary of Collective Security’s threat–I was being watched. How? By whom or what? When? I had no idea. But maybe there was a way I could send a signal to Antisoc. Nonchalant. Subtle. Discrete. Get some sort of message across. I had unfinished business with them.

Was that the spot? The yokocho was empty, the neon sign switched off. It was as if somebody drained the color from the entire hole-in-the-wall establishment. Even the small red curtain in the back was as drab as days old dried blood. No customers. No fish-gutting chef.

Sigh.

Nobody home. After I was detained and questioned by ColSec, Antisoc might have gotten spooked. Either that or they rotated points of contact just as frequently as they moved headquarters / manifested their pocket server instances. Would I ever hear from them again?

If ColSec really was keeping tabs on me, I couldn’t just go asking around about the group they designated as terrorists. Public enemy number one. And it would sure be suspicious for me to be calling and searching around The Commons for an imaginary grinning cat. I briefly thought of browsing the Supply Depot for a nostalgia can of tuna.

Here kitty, kitty.

No, the most natural thing for a Volunteer to do is take on another task. That is what the system wanted and expected from me. Fulfill my contract. Hunt the monsters. And as it stood, I was in desperate need of Crypt. Down to my last 100, stashed in the chip in the back of my head. Another task might take the heat off me and put some pretty polly in my pocket. Two birds, one stone.

Two birds. I thought of Rook.

Ah, no use in daydreaming. I pushed the thought away.

I could only hope that Antisoc was watching me just as thoroughly as ColSec. Then they should know that I did not betray them. Nor would I. But again, the words of that faceless Surveillance, anti-Terrorism, Apprehension, Security, and Investigations officer ran through my head. ‘Collective Security is prepared to richly reward any Volunteer possessing information about this terrorist organization.’

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

No. No, no, no. I pushed that thought down too. The system stole my memory. I wouldn’t sell out other Volunteers for a reward, no matter how rich… right? I didn’t have the processing power to unravel this right now. I had to put my head down and keep going. Another bounty.

I left Spawn Alley (again, my name for the place) and walked to the Task Assignment Boards, keeping my eyes open for Camel or any other familiar Volunteer or feline faces on that way. No such luck. But I did arrive unscathed and found the boards available for use.

I stepped up, scanned the code on my right wrist under the red indicator light, and watched the available bounties swim across the multi-screen display. Recalling the Round Table’s hot spot concept, I was curious to see if any bounties would be listed in New Dresden, specifically the Warehouse District, but did not immediately notice any.

As I looked over the opportunities I reflected on my capabilities. I had progressed in my statistical categories, acquired modest weapons and armor, fused a data card onto a skill slot, and upgraded my ranged weapon with some fire damage. I had witnessed and participated in my fair share of violence, but so far I only had two completed bounties, or tasks, in my history.

[TASKS

* Remove Clurichaun from Private Residence in Royal Heights (Complete / Paid Out)

* Remove Hellhounds from MAR Station Service Tunnels (Complete / Paid Out)]

Three common Hellhounds split between Camel and myself. And a rare Clurichaun I narrowly managed on my own. Did I feel up for soloing an invasive entity of {uncommon} frequency? Not a group or a swarm, but just one? Two options stood out.

[Task Assignment: Remove Minotaur from Grand Central Park in Eden West]

[Task Assignment: Remove Jiangshi from Elysian Spires Financial District]

I accessed both Tasks in turn to read more details, the selected bounty filling the screen before me.

[Task Assignment: Remove Minotaur from Grand Central Park in Eden West

One {uncommon} Minotaur has been detected in the hedge maze within Grand Central Park in Eden West.

Task Completion Award: 3,000 Crypt

Do you accept this Task?]

I was familiar with the concept of a Minotaur, but off the top of my head I had no idea what a Jiangshi was.

[Task Assignment: Remove Jiangshi from Elysian Spires Financial District

One {uncommon} Jiangshi has been detected at the Universal Cryptocurrency Credit Exchange in the Financial District of Elysian Spires.

Task Completion Award: 2,000 Crypt

Bonus: 2,000 Crypt for eliminating target entity before the next cycle

Do you accept this Task?]

Both were uncommon frequency single targets. Exactly what I was looking for. I needed to make a decision before one or the other task was snatched by a different Volunteer.