Here we go.

Chapter 4 updated.

Enjoy

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CHAPTER 4 - The Vanished Old Man

It's been two days since the Legion recruitment in center plaza. The place now returned to its usual gathering activity.

The amount of players gathering around the fountain is smaller compared to the first day.

'So they're already moving towards the second town. I guess it's about time for me to move as well.'

My search in the past two days bore no result. I didn't find the deadwood, instead I hunted around the beach area.

Maybe someone else already beat it. Since the Legion appeared in this place, it's possible they already hunted it.

Since I already restocked my potion, I wander around the fountain for a bit. I was spying around to see if there's any quest I haven't take yet.

"Goblin Subjugation party here, we need damage dealer."

"Buying animal leather 2 silver each."

"Kobold hunting party, we need tanker."

It's the usual newbie progress. People with leather armor everywhere, party finder and people who is selling low level material.

Some people sent me a party invite, but I refused it.

"Sorry, I'm waiting for a friend."

I'm watching people passing by, selling their items, looking for party until my eyes locked onto the fountain. To be exact, the old man is gone.

'Where is he?'

The old man who always feeding the birds is gone. I look around, but he's nowhere to be found.

Then I noticed something. The breadcrumbs, they're scattered on the road.

I take a look at it closely.

It seems there's a pattern.

I follow the trail made by scattered breadcrumbs. The trail is a simple straight line until I got out of center plaza.

'It splits up!'

The breadcrumbs were spread out in three places. I recall his image in my mind.

'Hmm, the only thing he had was breadcrumbs.'

I'm thinking hard while keeping a lookout for another clue.

'Was there anything else? Splitting road probably means there's a time limit, otherwise I can just go through all three.'

While I still pondering about it, I heard something.

'It sounds like something scratching? No. It's something soft... hairy... furry?'

I closed my eyes and focused my hearing.

*flap... *flap...

'It sounds far and rhythmic?... Up?'

I turn my head to look up. There's a bird circling on the sky!

'Bird! That's right. The old man fed the birds.'

The breadcrumbs were spread out on the road. Naturally I will only search for things that entered my vision and that would be the ground.

'A simple misdirection, but effective!'

I'm amazed at the story developer. Simple idea yet powerful. If my hearing wasn't good, I probably won't notice the birds.

I take the road which has a bird circling around it in the sky. I continue following the trails and birds, whenever I met a fork, I will take the way that has birds flying above it.

I kept following the trail until I arrived near the castle.

'The trail ends here.'

I take a look around to see if there's anything strange or out of place. I'm standing in the middle of the road.

'Strange, it shouldn't end so abruptly. Is there another marker?'

There are no birds around the area and I ran out of clues.

I was just wandering around searching for clues about the old man when a little kid bumped into me.

"Ouch! Stupid traveller! Why are you doing standing in the middle of the road!?"

'This little...'

I was about to teach him a lesson, but something caught my attention.

'It's the old man breadcrumbs bag! So he's the next clue!'

I need to be careful here, can't have him run away from me.

"I'm sorry, are you alright?"

I offered my hand.

He slapped it away.

"Heh! Sorry my ass. Look here, I'm hurt. Pay me some money for medical bills."

I almost laugh hearing that remark. It's like a scene from an old high school movie, bully and the nerd.

After thinking about it, I decided to pay.

"I can give you some money, but I want something valuable in return."

"What are you talking about. Can't you see what I'm wearing? I'm poor as hell!"

"How about that bag?"

"This one? It belongs to Mr. Grimm. I can't give it to you."

'Grimm? Breadcrumbs? Birds?'

I try to sort out my thought.

Grimm, breadcrumbs and birds. What about the boy? The clothes he wore is worn out. It looks like an old farmer's clothes. There's dirt all over his body and some wood flakes can be seen.

'Grimm, breadcrumbs, birds, worn out clothes, wood flakes? ... ... It's Hansel and Gretel! That means witch and gingerbread house!'

I try to come up with a good method to find out the witch cabin / gingerbread house.

'How should I ask him?'

"Hey mister. Are you going to pay or not?"

"Ah. I'm sorry, since I'm hungry, I keep spacing out."

"Listen up mister, you're lucky to meet me. Let me tell you something good, in the south forest, opposite of the beach direction, there's a house with abundant sweets a little bit far from the main road."

'Huh?! Jackpot!'

"Well, thank you. Here's some coin for the information."

I gave him 20 silver coins.

He immediately ran after receiving the money. My quest info updated when the boy is out of my vision.

Tale of the Old Story

Requirement :

* More than 1 week playing time

* Haven't go to another town

* Not in a party

Progress :

* Follow the trails of breadcrumbs. (Cleared)

* Find the house in the woods.

*This is a solo quest. If you join a party, this quest will be counted as failure.

My brain put the information together and reach some conclusion.

'Fight the boss witch? Damn! I need to solo the boss?'

The quest indicates I can't join a party while doing this quest. The probability of fighting the witch is high. Excitement starts building inside me.

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30 minutes later.

I finally found the gingerbread house.

It's truly built from sweets. An intersection of chocolate and ginger colored tiles in the wall. A window made of clear sugar. Candy canes acting as a gate to the house. The roof was made of bread covered in cakes. There're glitters on the roof spot where the sun shines on it.

I kept staring at the magnificent view before me without realizing my drool is coming out.

*Gulp...

'Looking at it like this makes me hungry. Can I eat it?'

I take a deep breath. Sweet scents are overflowing the area. My face become relaxed.

"Aaahhh..."

My mind goes numb, my body is moving towards the house slowly. All I can think about is trying a piece of that house.

"... St.... ! Do... g... th...."

Some kind of noise is filling the air. My sight is focused on the chocolate tile. Some kind of white clothes are flying around, but I pay no heed to it.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Something hit me in the head.

"Ouch! Hmm?!"

I keep blinking my eyes and shaking my head. My gaze turn towards the object that was used to hit me. It's a pebble. Somebody threw a pebble at me, then I noticed some kind of heart symbol below my HP bar.

Charmed

Increase P.Attack by 50%

Reduce Defense to 0

Character will be uncontrollable until you take damage

'Wh... WHAT!'

The charmed status soon disappear. I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Grraaa... just a little bit more and I got him. Stupid ghosts!"

A high pitched voice was heard from inside the house.

The door to the house opened up revealing an old woman with a black robe and a wooden cane. She got a long pointy nose and pimples all over her face. Her long white hair swayed every time she moved.

"I'll just cook you here!"

<>

A bundle of fire was thrown my way.

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A single hit from her <> takes away 21% of my HP.

'Her damage is not high.'

I rolled on the ground and start running. I run towards the forest and hide myself behind a tree.

I cast <> on myself and look at her info.

Rosalina Lv 22

Suddenly a lot of windows pop out.

You've been inflicted with Life Curse

You've been inflicted with Mana Curse

You've been inflicted with Life Drain

You've been inflicted with Physical Drain

'Woah...!'

Life Curse

Unable to regenerate health

Mana Curse

Unable to regenerate mana

Life Drain

Linked with Rosalina

Drain your HP by 2% every 10s

Physical Drain

Linked with Rosalina

Drain your Physical Strength by 1% every 10s

'Isn't this kind of bad?'

Luckily I'm a mage, <> doesn't really affect me much. If it comes to this, I'll rather kill her fast.

<>

Once I finished my buff, I charged <> and search for her.

She's still lurking outside her house. She didn't chase after me to the forest.

"Taste this!"

I run out of my hiding place towards her. She tried to cast some spell, but I activate my <>.

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It took out 1.4% of her HP.

'Whoo, her HP is that high?!'

She finished casting her magic and threw another <> towards me. I roll on the ground and start casting <>. I put the <> between us.

The white clothes are back disturbing the witch.

"Petty ghosts! Want me to burn you?!"

She cast another spell, while I keep throwing <> at her.

<>

She's enveloped by flame. I threw another <>.

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'It healed her!'

Fire magic is now healing her instead of damaging her.

'I still got ICE.'

I cast <>.

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'Whoo, so there's a side effect to it!'

It seems <> allow her to be healed when hit by fire magic and lowered her resistance to ice magic.

Steady but slowly, I reduce her HP bit by bit.

When her HP dropped past 50%, she start charging towards me.

'Shit! I can avoid her <>, but getting hit would be devastating.'

She swings her cane and it graze me near the leg.

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'Just a graze cost me almost 10% HP! A direct hit would be fatal!'

I leap back and keep some distance. I keep throwing <> at her, but she's not getting freeze at all. My mana pool dropped to 23% and my HP bar indicates 57% while her HP is still 37%.

'I can't keep this up!'

Her mana pool is endless, she keeps throwing <> like crazy.

'Is it the end? Can't I win?'

I can't restore mana using potion since I got curse. I can't restore health either. We're on a ball throwing competition with her having unlimited ball and me limited.

The white clothes keep flying and disturbing the witch, but they didn't deal any damage.

"You've got to cut her power off!"

A creepy voice coming from the white clothes.

"How!"

"The necklace! Use the necklace."

"What necklace?"

"My mother's necklace! It's inside the house."

I need to go inside the house, but the white clothes can't really help me pull her away from the house.

'Since I can't drink the potion, let's just use them for my spell.'

I threw the potion near the witch. It creates a puddle.

"Take this!"

I cast <> towards her leg near the puddle.

She froze.

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End of Chapter 4