Chapter 3
"Middle Area... and Bones."
"...What fancy-looking boots here. Could you tell me the price of these, Ma'am?"
"Great finding, Lad. Made with tough leather from the Insane Cubs, I'd say… 5,600 Eris."
His knife restoration cost him almost 5 times that! He blinked, glancing at the old lady at the counter. He didn't lie, these boots look fancy. With stretchable strings, so one could wear it easily and warm fur inside so the owner would be comfortable.
Frozen feet wouldn't be a problem in cold temperature regions!
The sole looks tough too, he bet he could walk to the top of a hill through wet dirt without being slipped with these.
"You're sure these only take 5,600 Eris…?"
"What's with that doubtful tone? Are you thinking that I tricked you?"
"N-No, this inexperienced one wouldn't dare. Hehehe…"
"Young people these days… unlike you, I as your Elder wouldn't pull such petty tricks. While you are careless and enjoy life like an unrestrained beast, I, an Elder, always be cautious at what I do."
"If you don't mind, can I ask why?"
"Hmm? Why did you ask?"
"Well, who knows, maybe I could learn a thing or two…"
He showed a slight grin to the old lady, and she just smiled slightly. And with a quiet snicker, she answered.
'If you insist then…'
"Well… I'm old, I knew that, you knew that, everyone knew that. At such an age, death could arrive anytime. And while I'm scared, seeing the new generations achieve great things soothes this old heart. If one day I die, I just hope that I will be remembered as a good person. That's all. If I've done something bad, I fear that I won't have a chance to redeem myself."
"Ah… I see…"
"What do you see?"
"U-Uhh…"
"Tsk, this is why I hate youngsters. They always say something that they don't understand. Be cautious damn it!"
He sheepishly smiled at her before bowing in gratitude, to which she replied with a nod and a disgruntled glance. A few iron coins were placed on the table and he wore the newly bought boots.
Inspecting the coins on the table, the old lady grunted and nodded at him. He nodded back and again, bowed.
"Thank you, Ma'am!"
"Yeah, yeah, you are welcome…"
With calm steps, he walked through the exit and took a breath of fresh air. Unaware of the amused smile the previous old lady shot at him.
'It's been a while since I met a respectful youngling, not since that girl, at least…'
Youngsters these days, they're too arrogant!
Level 20.
People said when an adventurer reaches this level, they could advance to the next level of their class. For instance, Mage to an Intermediate Mage, a Warrior to an Intermediate Warrior, a Vanguard to an Intermediate Vanguard, etc.
The limit has yet to be known, but he heard that the highest ranks in this town are called Arch-Mage and Crusader.
It's odd that it takes 25 levels for him to do it.
Eh… The harder the trial, the better the compensation. That's what he learned from that RPG game. And while he never considers himself as a hard worker, who says that you have to be one to become what you wanted?
Other than being a hard worker, you too have to enjoy the process. And when it comes to enjoying things?
Who could do it better than himself?
And now that he reaches his goal, he feels like it's time for him to 'rank up'.
"A person with Adventurer rank actually managed to rank up… you know, if it was anybody else, I might be surprised. But it's you, Kazuma-san."
"Huh, neat… what's the name of the next rank?"
"...uhh…"
"What's wrong?"
"Because of how weak the Adventurer class is, no one ever considered choosing it. And for such a reason, no one has yet to know what the rank would be presenting for its next degree."
"So, in other words, no one has yet to reach my current level with my rank because of how bad it is?"
"Precisely."
...Well, guess he's right. The harder the trial, the better the compensation. From Luna-san's statement, in other words, he was the first person to ever use Adventurer rank to this extent.
He looks down and stared at the card, and with no hesitation at all, he-
"W-Wait! K-Kazuma-san, if you ranked up, you won't be able to change your class aftermath. Are you sure you wanted to choose it? While other ranks could be upgraded every 20 levels, Adventurer rank only could be upgraded every 25 levels! So I have to ask you one more time, are you sure you wanted to choose the rank you currently attained?"
He glanced at the frantic looking Luna and glanced back at the information the card provided through this world's language. Whilst it is true that he could upgrade his ranks easier if he changed it now, he too is curious about what kind of mystery this Adventurer rank will reveal.
What's the essence of being an Adventurer? It's to discover the unknown and explore as much as they can in their lifetime. It is filled with dangers, trials, obstacles, and mysteries. But it's too filled with rewards.
And as an Adventurer, how could he turn his back to such a thing?
It's ironic because such a job really fits what he intended to do with his life.
If it's not luck, then he doesn't know what it is.
He smiled slightly, giving her a side glance and shook his head.
"I'm thankful for what you've told me, Luna-san. But Adventuring is a part of my life, and in my eyes, adventuring is about discovering the unknown. So when the opportunity presented itself before me, how could I, an Adventurer, back down?"
"...yeah, if you say so…"
Ah, she forgot an aspect about this person before her.
That he is an unorthodox Adventurer.
She didn't give him any personal attention, it's just, everything he did always brought unintentional attention to him. Not only her, probably the adventurers he hung out with would agree with her.
Like, who would ever, ever consider forfeiting what he needs for what he wants? Well, he's a teenager and that's often happened on such a stage. But rather than looking agitated when facing such a decision, he merely showed a slight smile and shrugged his shoulders.
What a carefree person he is!
Honestly, from such a person, she learnt a thing.
That's in life, you gotta do what you like.
He's pretty odd, but a perfect description to define him? No matter how complicated it was to describe him, there's this one catchphrase she believed is perfect to depict him.
And surprisingly, it is so simple and easy to understand.
"Life is a gift, so rather than expecting, anxious, or complaining over it. Why don't you just be grateful to receive such a gift, and enjoy it?"
He placed his index finger on the card, and the card lightened up. A brief moment and the light dimmed down, showing the new information on his card. He observed it for a moment before his lips curved up slightly.
'Huh… Plunderer[1] eh?'
He grasped the card and put it back into the bag. Glancing at the dumbfounded receptionist, he gave her a polite smile and waved his hand.
"Thank you for your assistance, Luna-san!"
And from thereon, he left.
"Eh? EH?! W-Wait! You didn't tell me the rank you got!"
Unfortunately, her voice is out of reach. And with that, she sighed tiredly, placing her head onto the table in a lazy manner.
'An odd fellow.'
"Next, next, let's see… boots? Check. Weapon? Check. Bag? Check. Belt? Check. Hmm… seems like I missed nothing, thankfully."
Standing in front of the door of the room he slept in previously, he looked over himself and nodded in satisfaction. With nothing left behind, he strides through the small hall of the inn and goes down to the base floor through the stairs. He could smell some fragrance of breakfast the inn probably presented.
For paying 250 Eris for a night, the service is sure as hell good.
"Good morning, Esteemed Guest!"
A waiter greeted him, and he nodded back. Sauntering around the dining room, he could see a couple of adventurers lazily sitting on their chairs as they ordered their food through the present waiters and waitresses.
He took a glance at the window and noticed that the sun was still on its way to show its mighty presence to the whole world. The sky is mostly covered in navy blue and the moon still lightly emits its grey light. Stars too, glimmering brightly to decorate the sky. No matter how many times he's been pondering about it, the sky within this world is so mystifying.
He took a seat beside the window and immediately, a waitress appeared before him and bowed politely. And of course, he replied with a nod.
"What do you want to order, Sir?"
"A glass of water and a loaf of bread."
"Is that all?"
"Yes."
She slightly bowed before strides back to other adventurers. And he merely stared at the sky, a sigh escaped and a smile etched itself to his face.
'Let's see, for today, let's go to the South.'
A place where a Treacherous Demon Lord and his army resided. Maybe he could receive a good amount of experience from there. Who knows?
What are Treacherous Demon Lords? From what he heard, they are people who disobeyed the Demon King and rejected peace with humanity. Bringing their followers who agreed with them and made their own territories and opposed both sides. Funnily enough, they were made as one of the main hunting grounds for adventurers from the Middle East and Middle West.
Well, at least they have their purposes. To become Experience.
He snickered.
RAAAGH!
A crackling grunt resonating through the forest, he swiftly turned to the source and rushed towards the direction. Head's in constant turn to examine his surroundings and eyes focused in every direction possible.
Hey, grinding might be fun for him, but that doesn't mean his only purpose is just to have fun. After all, other than enjoying, you too gotta fight.
He leapt through bushes and met the face of a skeleton soldier. Red lights hollowly glimmer from its eye holes, a shield and a sword.
Typical.
With nothing to lose, he stabbed the skull and twisted the short-sword, destroying a fraction of the skull. What follows after is a clean sweep from its crown-head to its chin, demolishing the skull.
A skeleton's weakness always lies in its skull.
He briefly stood there, looking down on the skeletal corpse before glancing to the side, eyes still narrowed and muscles rigid. Gotta be ready for whatever the heck's coming.
Gentle breezes passed by, seeping through his hair and skin, they softly stroked his brown hair. And with that, he turned around and went deeper to the forest.
Now that he has reached Level 27, let's see what lies within this lush forest.
Weapon ready in hand, and skills ready to be launched. He nodded to himself and strides into the forest.
A forest that separates the Outer Area and the Middle Area. Admittedly, this is his first time exploring such a region.
Ah, exploring what has yet to be known, what Adventurers would back down from such a predicament?
"Ah, fuck."
A trail of sweat trailing down his face, and he jumped into a bush. Seems like it hasn't realized yet, as it's turning its head frantically before bolting to the other direction.
He let out a sigh of relief. Damn that was scary.
Who the hell expects themselves to be chased by a freaking cheetah anyway? A skeleton cheetah, to be more precise.
"All of the monsters here are skeletons. As expected of a forest contaminated by the influence of the Treacherous Demon Lord's presence, such a horrid region."
He literally just entered the forest for a quarter-hour, and he was already worn out by the organisms that occupied this dreadful place. And what's made the matter worse is the fact that since entering this forest, that skeletal cheetah is the first monster he encountered. The rest? Bugs, creepy plants, hanging roots, they frequently brush against his skin and clothes, not even giving him a brief moment to recollect himself.
Damn.
'Let's see, my weapon is a short-sword, which is pretty bad for a long quarter fight. Imagine if my weapon is a ranged one, before I even have the chance to utilize it, the monster would ambush me before I even know its location. Especially since my luck is rotten, particularly this time, I feel thankful.'
Admittedly, the best weapon to counter such a monster is a spear, but he's not fond of such a weapon. As they said, one's weapon is a part of one's soul, so if he doesn't like his weapon, how could he utilize it to its maximum potential?
He shook his head, stiffly motioning his body to investigate his surroundings. Now's not the time to complain about his weapon.
'Create Elementals, Bind, Steal, Lurk, and Stealth. Fortunately, I met a helpful acquaintance. If not, I think I wouldn't survive after I step my feet onto the soil of this area.'
While Create Elementals are basic spells that appeared themselves on his card, the other skills are different. They were introduced by an acquaintance of his and he learnt them with her help.
What a weird mechanism, he couldn't help but scoff. The uncertainties shown within this world are so absurd, even such a basic thing like this card which was fundamental to becoming an Adventurer isn't clear yet. The limit, the functions, the consequences… Even though it was a helpful item, its functions are still mostly vague.
Oh well, he should be grateful.
Glancing towards the direction the skeleton cheetah ran off, he lowers himself and slowly strides out of the bushes. Slowly but surely, he briefly checked his surroundings before running off towards the Outer Area.
Maybe this area is still too much for him.
'Ah, in the end, the blacksmith was right, this short-sword is so inefficient. I need a new primary weapon. Short-sword is just a little bit extended than a knife, and more fits towards an assassin.'
And with that, he luckily made it ou-
"Khakaha! I heard a rustle from that bush!"
"Let's check it out, perhaps it could be a valued organism which the lord would appreciate?"
Ah, of course, this shit had to happen.
'Run!'
"Ah! I saw a glimpse!"
"Chase it!"
It seems like it was a pair of skeleton soldiers, their bones produced crackling sounds as they sprinted to chase him. Seriously, the only monster that occupied this forest is all bones!
Even an Undead region isn't this bad. At least, Shamans and Banshees existed there. Jackals, Necromancers, Warlocks… not all of them are made out of skeletons.
He inspected their movements as he ran, well, at least he tried. With the hanging roots, trees and thick bushes on the way, it's really hard to keep his focus on them. He had no other choice but to keep his focus on the road. Anxious that he'd slip because of the roots that stick out.
"A human! Dares trespassed our lord's territory!? You shall suffer!"
...ah, just on time. A vine plant appears in his sight.
Vine plants in this world are not like what exists on Earth. Here, they are tough, like thick ropes. They were treated like threads to make leather armour here! They are so tough the only way to cut them down is using a sharp machete, that kind of weapon.
Weird, huh?
Passing the vine plants, he grasps it swiftly and turns to the left.
'These damn skeletons, why do skeletons in this world have to be so tough?'
Skeletons are strong alright, unless their skulls were completely demolished, they won't back down. So if he used weapons like katana, sword, lance, etc. It wouldn't be effective. Their weaknesses are blunt weapons, such as hammer, mace, and axe.
They exceed his expectations. Tsk, those novels underestimated the hardness of their skulls.
No, no. It's not that the novels were wrong, it's just this world is too messed up.
Fortunately, his short-sword has been upgraded. If not, it wouldn't be strong enough to withstand the impact of hitting the hard skull. But the skeleton back then is weak, not like that ridiculously fast cheetah or these two skeletons.
They wore armours!
"Come he-!"
"Surre-"
Damn right, finally, they talked.
Concentrating is a hard thing to do, mainly if someone simultaneously does two actions. And which actions cost most of your concentration? Of course, it's thinking and talking.
And what happened when your concentration got divided? Obviously-
"Wha- Ackh?!"
"Kuhh-?!"
Your focus on each action will be lacking.
Using the grasped vine, he hurled it upwards and it swirled around a branch. After it falls on the other side of the branch, he pulls it and the tree proceeds to collapse.
'Your fault underestimating my strength!'
Of course, the fallen tree landed on the skeleton soldiers, and by the pressure it generated onto their skulls, cracks promptly appeared on their skulls.
He didn't look back, kept running with all he had to pass this nightmare-ish region. And with a leap, he finally passed it. Noticeably, the pressure of the air here was lighter than what existed in the Middle Area.
He looks up and sighed, shaking his head before looking back at the region he was previously into.
'I need a new weapon.'
He's too overconfident with this mere short-sword. The old lady and the blacksmith were right. Teenagers, indeed tend to get reckless.
'Elders can't be beaten when it comes to their wisdom…'
Well, next destination, Axel!
Boom!
"Wha-"
[1] Plunderer means raider, but I found that it could mean adventurer too, so... why not? Plus, it sounds cool.