Goddammit! Why do you always rope me into several events that involve dealing with your bullies, Lunar?!
But I can't complain and hit that guy for hiding everything about him. If what they said is true, then I know this guy is not trustworthy.
"The
[Because of the treasures, of course! Many historians and adventurers tried to scout there once, but they never succeeded and the forest is locked up for many years due to scary monsters living there,] the man explained. [There are also rumors that if you beat the guardians of the forest, you might earn great riches and power from their treasure room!]
Sounds like a typical [Dungeon] to me. But something isn't sitting with me with the [Quest] description we have so far.
By the looks of it, [Conquer the Ruins] sounds like any other [Quest] name that revolves around ruins. But we're talking about a forest here. So why does the name involve ruins or something? This whole thing contradicts everything I know from the failed run, and Lunar might have a good reason for me to investigate in his stead.
"Really?! Does that include pretty clothes, too?!"
[Uh... Something like that, too,] the man strangely chuckles with sweat on his forehead. [However, there is a catch. If you bring back a certain treasure from the forest, we will let you keep the rest of it from the treasure room. Sounds like a good deal, right?]
I think it's a good deal. But it sounds like it's too good to be true. There is no such thing as an unequal trade in your favor. Something's up with this guy.
"Awesome! Hiromi, let's take it! It sounds like fun!"
I can see her about to tap the [YES] button on her prompt. But I was fast enough to stop her, so I can insert one more question for that jerk.
"Hang on, sis. I want to ask more about the [Dungeon] from that guy."
"Why are you so suspicious, Hiromi?! You know it's not lady-like to refuse a man's request!"
Ugh... You and your stupid... Whatever.
"I only need to confirm a few things from him." I turn to the robed guy. "Does this [Quest] have any casualties so far? You need to go to the [Adventurer's Guild] to ensure proper safety for all adventurers participating in the [Dungeon] raid."
As expected, the man starts to sweat at the mere mention of the guild. [I would love to. But the guild is too busy taking my [Quest] at the moment.]
Busy? How the hell is a guild made for organizing [Quests] for adventurers with a large guild hall fit for all of them supposed to be "busy"?
[As for casualties, you two are the only ones I encountered so far. No one tried to take little ol' me seriously since the [Dungeon] is dangerous for the adventurers to deal with.]
That's all I need to hear. "Then I have one more question to ask you."
I tap [NO] on the prompt and pull Nelli away before she could try tapping her's while pulling out my dagger from my inventory.
"Are you expecting us to say 'yes' after I heard about the [Viper Fangs] guild's failure to traverse that very same forest?!"
I've done it now. I know they didn't say I'm supposed to make them mad, but I can't sit still and let those jerks use us as pawns in their mysterious scheme.
"Hiromi, what's wrong with you?!" Nelli pulls my sleeve while I try pulling her away from that jerk. "First, you're being rude to that guy. Now you're just making death threats! Don't you know it's very un-lady-li-"
[How the h*ll did you know about that?!]
We turn our attention to the robed man, who also pulled out his own dagger.
[Don't tell me you've been conspiring with that traitor?!]
Traitor? I'm guessing he's talking about Lunar since the Vipers kept calling him that.
"You could say that," I answered with a shrug. "You said no one didn't take your [Quest] and yet, I heard that a certain [Guild] got a similar one you tried to offer us. No offense, but I wouldn't accept a favor from a stranger who has ill intentions!"
The robed man grits his teeth before charging towards us.
[You b*st*rd!!!!]
I knew that I would piss him off, but not this much. At this rate, Nelli will end up being caught in the crossfire. I quickly push her away before I block his attack with my dagger.
"I can't believe you, sis! Why did you throw everything away?!" She yelled without even thanking me for the save. "Look! According to this pop-up, I can't say yes to his [Quest] again!"
"It's better this way!" I yelled. "This guy is going to throw us into a dangerous forest without reconsidering our safety! Not only that, they are planning something nefarious with the treasures he mentioned! If he dares to use us as pawns for them, then I'm not playing their dirty game!"
[Tch... You're not only nosy, but you're too smart for your own good!] He breaks the lock and twirls his dagger as he aims it at my gut. [So do us a favor and die!]
Yeesh... And it's all because I exposed his little scam just to gather info and protect my sister? This guy is much pettier than the Vipers! Either way, I doubt I can get anything combat-related out of him with my [Investigate]. I need to end this fight before anyone notices us.
“Servants of Nox, guide me! Let me dive into the darkness to hide myself from my foes!” I let the darkness from the alley gather around my body. "[Blending Shadow]!"
I take a deep breath as the shadows around me merge with my body, and I dissolve into the darker parts of the alleyway.
[D*mm*t! Where did she go?!]
I watch the man desperately try to find me. This [Dark] spell allows me to blend into the shadows and avoid any aggression from monsters and player detection. I can't exactly use this spell for long since I unintentionally left Nelli alone. But I'm not planning to hide here forever. I move around the walls while this guy is busy looking for me. And when his back is turned, I make my move.
"[Hidden Ambush]!"
I jump out of the shadows and quickly stab the bandit's shoulder before he can notice.
[GRAAAGGGHHH!!! You f-]
I stopped his dirty mouth by stabbing him again with another [Bronze Dagger] I kept in hand. "Uh-uh. It's not polite to say words like that," I mockingly scolded.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
[Grrr... I will kill you for this! My men will hunt you and your dainty sister down!] He screamed. [And you know what happens to ladies who defy us!]
Ugh... I don't want to know. I quickly sent out a DM I typed by mental voice, along with my coordinates to Lyco.
Now that's done. All that's left is to drag my sister out of here. She might be the one responsible for my dumb character, but she doesn't know a thing about fighting monsters and enemies!
"Nelli, find Lyco back at the bakery and tell him to get over here quick!" I shouted. "I already sent out a DM, but he needs your help getting here!"
"U-Uh... Right! Don't worry, sis! I'll get help right away!" She starts running away as per my orders. But then, she stops and turns to me. "Uh... Which way is the bakery again?"
Crap! I forgot she doesn't know how to open a mini-map! I tried to tell her what it is. But the man quickly freed himself from my blades and grabbed me by the back of my neck.
[Cocky b*tch. You have a smug way to ambush me like that!] He then raises his dagger towards my neck while tightening his grip on my neck. [I won't be very forgiving of you for defying me.]
Dummy... I respond to his creepy threats with a back kick to his nuts.
[YEAAAAAGGGGHHHH!!!]
Heh... That's no [Low Blow], but I know my way around when it comes to dealing with these jerks and creeps. It's a good thing he's not on par with the veteran players Lunar is facing right now, or moving in this ridiculous dress is the least of my problems.
"[Backstab]!" I let the skill move my body to the man's back and stab him from behind. "And [Flaw Stab]!"
I removed the blade from his back and quickly stabbed it into the back shin of his right leg.
[GRAAAGGGGHHH!! *#(%@! (%#*$(! #(*($@)#!]
Damn... He really is that pissed if he keeps cursing like a sailor. Judging by his [HP], it won't be long until he kicks the bucket. Since he's not willing to give me more information, I should end this before this battle gets too long for me to stop on my own.
"This is sayonara, you creepy b*st*rd." I raise my blade and aim it at his neck. "Hope you will see your friends in h-"
[I don't think that's a wise move, missy.]
Huh? Wait, don't tell me this guy isn't alone?!
When I turn around to see who it is, my eyes widen in horror to see a burly guy grab my sister while I was busy with the fake giver as he puts the sword towards her neck. I can see her eyes tearing up as she tries to struggle out of her kidnapper's arms.
"Nelli!" I call out to her before turning to the burly guy. "Let her go, b*st*rd! Unless you want to see him without a head!"
[Huh. I can say the same with your sister.] To my horror, he moves his blade closer to her neck as it almost cuts through her flesh. [I don't know what your relation with that traitor is, but if you don't let my subordinate go, she might be the one who will walk without one.]
"Please, Hiromi! Do as he says!" Nelli screamed. "I don't want to lose my head while Lunar-sama is still fighting in the event!"
But then, he quickly covers her mouth with his arm as he leans his face closer to hers. [You heard her. Unless you drop your weapon, she will be the one who will be saying "goodbye".]
Dammit... Why did it come to this?! I specifically told her to run, but she ended up being captured anyway! No... If I could have kept an eye on her a bit longer, I would have saved her in time! And by the looks of it, he's too strong for me to defeat at my level. I could just let him kill her since this is only a video game. But she will never forgive me for missing Lunar thanks to the [Death Penalty].
In the end, I drop my dagger and raise my arms.
[Heh... A good choice. Unfortunately, that's the last one you will get.] The burly man sneers at me as I helplessly watch him about to swing his sword at her. [Kill t- ARGH!]
To my shock, I see a large blade sticking out of his chest as it barely slices my sister's head if it wasn't for his tall height. Before I could react to what happened, I saw the burly man unceremoniously fall down on my sister, and behind him, a familiar petite woman appeared with a huge broadsword on her shoulders.
[B-Boss!] The fake giver screamed in horror before turning to the woman. [Who are you and what did you do?!]
[Me? I'm just a random passerby who noticed a damsel in distress and a wannabe assassin.]
"Wannabe"?! Is she referring to me?
[And speaking of which...] The woman then pushes the burly man away from my sister and helps her back up to her feet. [Are you okay, young lass?]
"U-Uh... Thanks, uh, sir?"
Crap... Did she even know her gender from her get-up? Then again, it's pretty hard to tell for her since she's wearing nothing but a tank top, baggy pants, and boots. Plus, the petite woman didn't seem to mind as she chuckled at her answer.
[That's "ma'am" to you. But let's talk about it later. We still have company after all. You should hide somewhere. I'll save your sister.]
"T-Thank you, ma'am!"
To my surprise, Nelli runs off to hide behind one of the trash cans as the petite woman approaches me with a smile. [Well, I didn't expect you to share the gung-ho attitude like that last guy. What's your name again?]
"I-It's Hiromi."
[Heh... And I say it again. Not a good name for a tough assassin. Besides, how can you be a rogue with that frilly dress bringing you down?] The woman chuckled. [If I were my wife right now, she would have given you a full makeover by now. But right now, we have other issues to deal with. One more bandit is coming our way.]
My eyes widen at her proud declaration. "How do you know that?"
[Simple. I just heard it. But enough about that. We need to deal with them fast and finish off that bandit before he calls on his goons for more help.]
I'm almost stunned to see her fight by my side without knowing why we're here in the first place, or the fact that she detected more bandits coming our way with just a sound. I want to know more about her. But I need to focus on finishing this fight before this drags on.
"Alright, ma'am. I trust you!" I pick up my dagger and prepare myself for battle. "I'm counting on your help!"
Alright. It's not the cavalry I'm hoping, but she will have to do. Right now, it's time to deal with these bastards for hurting my sister!
[Hey! What the h*ll is going on here?!] We turn around and see another robed man approaching the now-dead burly man. He then stopped to see the corpse as his eyes widened behind his scarf mask. [No... How could this happen?! Boss...] He then glares at us and takes out his sabre. [Did you ladies do this?! You won't be escaping here alive!]
"I was about to say the same thing." I raised my dagger to prepare my spell. But I realized something. "Wait a minute. What about that fake giver?"
I was expecting her to stay with him. But I watch the blacksmith calmly approach him and smack him from behind with the butt of his sword handle. [Don't worry. He's still alive long enough for questioning. Now let's go!]
I sheepishly chuckle at her forced approach, but it will have to do. This bandit must be a sword wielder, and he doesn't seem to be a magician. Of course, looks can be deceiving. It's better to give him a greeting before going in for a kill.
“Servants of Nox, heed my call! Let me borrow the darkness beneath me!” I let the darkness gather in my right palm. "[Shadow Darts]!"
The shadow transformed into darts as I mentally tossed them at the bandit.
[Heh... Do you think your party tricks work on me?] The bandit takes out a scroll and rips it in half, releasing a large amount of mana around him. [Mana Shield!]
The mana then formed a barrier around him, shielding him from my darts. So this bandit can use items such as spell scrolls in battle, too? Talk about a pain in the ass. Well, this gives us a good reason to eliminate him.
"Ma'am, give me an opening!"
[You got it, lad!] The blacksmith rushes in and starts breaking the shield with her sword.
[Hahaha! Do you expect that big chunk of iron junk can break my shield?] The bandit gloated with a sneer on his face. [I still have a lot more scrolls, so don't waste your breath!]
I'm a bit pissed at this guy. He reminds me too much of Savior and his goons. But when I look at the petite woman, she doesn't display rage on her face. Rather, she's wearing a big grin, enough for me to see her fang-like canines on her teeth.
[Who says this is merely an iron junk?]
She raises her sword one more time, and to my shock, she swings it like a hammer, enough to break through his [Mana Shield].
[W-WHAT?!]
Damn... She wasn't kidding. If you have a high level [Arcana Mastery], you can cast [Mana Shield] tough enough to endure a few physical attacks. But just one swing alone is enough to break the shield into pieces! Or rather, she made a few weak swings before using enough force to break through its cracks. This NPC... She's not a normal one, I'm sure of it.
[You b*tch! Who the h*ll are you?!]
The woman smirked in response. [Me? I'm just a simple blacksmith. As for you, you won't be able to tell the whole tale about me.]
She then nods her head towards the bandit to me. I'm guessing that's her way of signaling me to finish this fight. I'm not intending to prolong this fight anyway, so I'll comply with her request.
“Servants of Nox, heed my call! Let me borrow the darkness beneath me!” I let the darkness gather again in my right palm. If the cooldown remains the same with NPCs when using scrolls, then I can hit him again one more time. "[Shadow Darts]!"
I quickly toss the darts again. This time, he didn't get to pull out his scroll in time to block all of them. This also gives me a chance to stab him through the chest before he can strike back.
[GRAAAGGGHHH!!! D*mm*t!!! Do you think you've won because of that blacksmith's help?!] The bandit shouted. [Once everyone knows about you, they will hunt your allies down until you're the only one left! Your family, your friends, your neighbors, your party, and your guild... They will all be dead before you know it!]
Huh. Big talk for a mere bandit. Then again, there's a chance this comes back to bite me. However, I did refuse that suspicious [Dungeon Quest], and the village blacksmith helped me defeat them. So what's the point of me being paranoid over his warning?
"Glad to hear that." I grin at his threat. "I'll let my friend know about it. Besides, he's actually planning to take you and your entire system down. Hope your goons are ready for their arrival soon."
The bandit's eyes widen once I declare this. [System? Wait, are you s-]
"[Flaw Stab]."
I stab up to his head without hesitation. I wish I could hear more from him. But knowing this NPC, he's not willing to give me the answers I need.
And with that, there is one left.