by Japtem
'Well, though there's no reason to come back twice to a village such as this one, it doesn't really matter much...'
Ark looked through the village with indifferent eyes. Even in a dilapidated village, thankfully the oasis of travelers, the General Store, existed.
'What a relief.'
Ark blew out a sigh while looking through the contents inside his bag.
He had concentrated on hunting without rest for several days. In addition, he had gathered all the food ingredients he could get his hands on. Thanks to that, his bag was packed full of japtem to the point where there were no empty spaces. Although his bag space was expanded slightly because of his job-changed, and most of the items he had were stacked up because he hunted in the same area, he still had to throw away a few items due to lack of bag space.
At last, after arriving at the village, he recalled the items he'd thrown away and tears obscured his vision.
'Waah, if I'd just brought all that, it would've made another 6 gold.'
6 gold meant 60,000 won (~$60).
He had thrown away 60,000 won on the ground and left.
If he recalled the scene of the six cabbage leaves that he adored flapping as they fluttered away, he felt like he was about to go crazy.
[T/N: The cabbage leaves are referring to won bills, and there are six of them because in Korea, there's a bill for 10,000 won. Therefore, there are 6 bills for 60,000 won.]
'At least it's a relief there's a village here.'
He feared imagining how much more loss he would've had to endure if there wasn't one.
'Since I have to travel across mountains, I don't know when I'll encounter a village again. I should depart after completely organizing my bag here and grabbing only what I need.'
When Ark entered the store, the owner had a surprised expression.
"Eh? Are you... a stranger?"
"Yes, I am."
"For a stranger to come find our village... I cannot fathom how long it has been."
Ark thought of something polite to say and got to the point right away.
"I will sell all of this."
The store owner glanced at the items and said shortly, "Alright. I'll give you 10 gold for all of it."
"What?" Ark doubted his ears.
"Did you say 10 gold?"
"That's right, is there something wrong?"
"Aren't the items filling up the entire bag? To say its 10 gold without even looking properly? They aren't some kind of junk, so how can you set the price by the weight of the bag?"
"I can tell even with a rough look. Where's the good in higher numbers? There's nothing worth using, so clubs and animal hides like these don't make money." The store owner spoke in a blunt tone.
Goods easily acquired in the area were sold for considerably cheaper price than the market price. But was that all? Because Ark had overused the Magic Restoration skill to raise the proficiency on the decent equipment, the max durability of every last one of them was 1. Items with 1 durability were recyclable items that weren't even worth a few coppers. He couldn't complain even if the price was set by weight like junk.
Even so...
'It's five days. I hunted for five days without rest and all for just 10 gold?'
On top of that, Ark had used up one deluxe repair toolbox while hunting because he couldn't even consider touching his Magic equipment with beginner Magic Restoration yet.
In the end that meant he'd spent 15 gold on repair fee. Wasn't it a 5 gold deficit rather than a profit? If he nitpicked the break-even point, he had to receive at least 20 gold for the numbers to be right.
But for it to be 10 gold instead of 20 gold!
'Aack, for the result of hunting like crazy to be a deficit...'
It wrung his heart.
Ark sold the mantle and warrior equipment not long ago, bringing a fortune of 7,000,000 won (~$7,000) into his hands. But the reason those items were expensive was because they were much harder to acquire. He'd have nothing more to wish for if that kind of good luck kept up, but reality wasn't that easy.
Rather than hoping for a jackpot, it was a little more realistic to systematically collect money through japtem, and the majority of users did use such method in order to save money. For a user, 1 gold was a colossal fortune.
But a deficit? Was it a sound that could even be possible?
Ark made his most servile expression and pleaded, "Can't you please pay me a little more?"
"So you acknowledge the fact that it honestly doesn't reach the market price. However, I'm planning to clear the store soon and leave the village. To be honest, even if I purchase goods right now, it'll only become baggage, you see. If you don't want to sell, don't; I'll have no regrets."
It didn't work, as expected. Since it was a village he'd come to for the first time, intimacy was 0. Haggling was impossible from the beginning.
If it was a store in Jackson Castle where he'd accumulated intimacy through trades, he would've received at least 10~20 percent more. If you considered the market value with the rarity value on top of that, he'd be able to receive over 2 times more. But he couldn't just take his baggage and return to Jackson to get 10 more gold either.
Ark held in his tears and nodded.
"I understand. Please take care of all of it."
"You thought well. You should know too, but since there's no village in the area... huh! N-no way? Isn't this Grizzly Gnoll's leather?"
"So you do recognize it."
Ark pricked his ears, quickly approached, and repeatedly rubbed his hands together.
"That's the leather of a monster I defeated with enormous difficulty. The bastards were so strong, every time I fought them one by one, I really had to overcome a life-or-death crisis. Honestly it's nothing short of being a miracle that I've survived till now. Isn't it a bit too much to buy this leather that I earned with such suffering by weight? Ah, since you said you were thinking of clearing the store, I do not hope for much either. I just ask that you think of my pains, so a little more..."
"Are you saying you defeated it?"
"Of course."
"Th-then are you perhaps saying you've crossed the Argus Mountains?"
"Yes, I didn't know the road so I crossed the mountains. Why do you ask?"
"That's surprising. Although those guys don't travel alone.... for you to cross over such a place with your solitary strength. It seems you're a more impressive adventurer than I thought. Perhaps..."
The store owner stared at Ark with newfound eyes.
"If it's true that you defeated the Gnolls, I'll purchase your goods for 20 gold."
"Re-really?"
"In return, won't you listen to my request?"
Ark's mouth stretched to his ears.
'An NPC's request! In other words, it's a quest!'
He was so happy he could die with just receiving more, but for him to give even a quest!
This village was still a place users didn't know. In other words, a quest no one knew about. The reward aside, simply the fact that he had discovered a quest such as this made his heart leap.
Ark quickly nodded his head and the store owner continued with a serious expression.
"Actually, this village is a village still unknown to the outside, and was set up by several pioneers. Though it's just a barren place situated at the foot of a mountain, it was judged that if the village was developed and roads were made, there was a possibility for it could grow as a relay point between Jackson and commercial cities."
The store owner's name was Galen, he was one among the first pioneers. Galen continued with a miserable voice.
"Everything was satisfactory in the beginning. We did worry because there were a lot of monsters, but we had a noble leader by the name of Lancel. He was a mercenary with a lot of experience, so most monsters weren't even a match. We united with him as the center and completed the village. I still can't forget the emotions people had then. Everyone else was so happy, they wept tears."
"But the village
looked like it had no vitality."
"That's right, all of it was because of the Gnoll bastards."
"The Gnolls?"
"Originally there weren't Gnolls in this area, but the Gnolls immigrated here as a group from somewhere. Then, they situated themselves in a cave deep within the mountains as their center. So the dream of fostering the village as a relay point for trade by making roads in the area crumbled apart. Rather, the Gnolls' raids made us tremble in fear every day."
"Did you not think of trying to ask for help?"
"Of course we thought about it. However, this is a village with only a dozen people who put their lives on the line and developed it. We couldn't afford to hire many mercenaries or the like. And Lancel was still alive and well then."
"He was alive and well....?"
Galen shook his head with a dark expression.
"Lancel was a truly noble warrior. He repulsed the Gnolls raiding the village multiple times. However, Lancel, who judged himself as someone who couldn't save the village, believed he had to gather the village residents, find the cave personally, and settle the matter with the Gnolls. We also believed if it was Lancel, he could definitely do it, so we didn't doubt. But there was a trap even Lancel hadn't foreseen waiting for him inside the cave."
"A trap?"
"I don't know whether the Gnolls were raising them, but there was an enormous number of snakes inside the cave. It was a number enough to be labeled as disgusting. In the end, we were hit by the surprise attacks of the Gnolls and the snakes, and we were driven out. But Lancel didn't give up until the end. He went inside and fought bravely. For several hours, there were resounding roars which shook the cave. However... our heroic Lancel did not return."
"He was a noble person."
"Yes, he was a warrior more valiant than anyone."
Galen let out a sigh.
"In any case, after what had happened, the residents left the village one by one. They can't be blamed. They witnessed a horrible swarm of snakes, and even their leader Lancel died, so they must have lost the courage to go on. Although it's a village we established with hard work, it was not more precious than their lives. I've endured and came this far, but I was thinking that any longer would be too much."
"Will it do if I clear out the Gnolls' cave for you?"
"Wi-will you help?"
"Of course I will. I am an adventurer, after all. How could I ignore this?"
"I've said this earlier, but I can't give many rewards."
"I know. Since it's something where I have to put my life on the line, it would be a lie to say I don't want any reward, but I never help to hope for a large reward. It's fine if you just give me your whole-hearted sincerity."
Ark insinuated the meaning of asking for the maximum of what could be given.
Gnoll was a good monster to hunt at his current level.
Since it was mostly a party monster, he received a lot of experience from them too. If he was going to hunt it anyways, of course it was better to get a quest and hunt it.
This was exactly what it meant to kill two birds with one stone.
Galen, who had no reason to know this kind of intention, spoke with a deeply moved expression,
"Thank you. Then let's do this. If you defeat Gnolls inside the cave and bring me their leather, I'll pay 20 silver for each one. And if by any possibility you defeat all the Gnolls in the cave and bring peace to the village, I give you another 10 gold as compensation to your success. Of course, it's probably not enough of a reward compared to the danger, but that's the most I can do."
"How many Gnolls are there?"
"We don't know well either. However, we think there are probably about one hundred."
'20 silvers for each one! One hundred of them is 20 gold!'
Ark vaguely heard the sound of jingling coins in his ear. It was definitely not an ample compensation, but it wasn't that small a reward either. Level 40 monster leather normally sold for about 5 silvers in stores. But Galen had offered 4 times that price. Given it was a mountain village quest, it was a preposterous offer.
'If you add the success compensation 10 gold on top of that, it's not a small amount of money!'
"I'm sorry, but I can't give you compensation concerning the snakes. Can I entrust it to you nevertheless?"
"Do not worry and entrust it to me. It's certain I was guided to this place in order to do this job."
Ark clasped Galen's hands firmly as he replied with an expression brimming with confidence.
With a simultaneous thu-thu-thump a quest window popped up.
Pioneer Village Lancel's Misfortune
You have discovered a pioneer village still unknown to the world at the end of your long journey.
As a village made after several years of effort by pioneers who followed the admired mercenary leader Lancel, it was named 'Lancel' after the name of their leader. They wished for Lancel to flourish as a relay point between Jackson and commercial cities.
But as a group of Gnolls lead numerous snakes and settled in a nearby cave, all their efforts had gone to waste. The residents put their lives on the line and organized a punitive expedition. However, the village's hero, Lancel, was the sole sacrifice.
Most of the despairing villagers have left the village, and now only total desolation is left in the village. Nevertheless, Galen wants to somehow save the village, so he has requested you to subjugate the Gnolls. Galen has promised a bounty of 20 silvers per Gnoll leather, and a 10 gold compensation for your successful subjugation. You must defeat the Gnolls and save Lancel Village from despair.
Difficulty: C
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Hatchling
'Found it!'
He saw the cave entrance through the overgrown forest.
When he received the quest in Lancel, the location was displayed on his map. It wasn't far from the village. Ark left Lancel after organizing his bags and arrived at the destination in only an hour. Two Gnolls were standing guard at the entrance of the cave. They were slightly different from the Gnolls he had hunted until now as they were wearing shabby leather armor. It was likely they were about 1 or 2 levels higher than him. But he had hunted Gnolls until he was sick of it. Though their levels were slightly higher, they weren't a match for Ark.
"Grrrr, isn't there some kind of smell?"
"Sniff, sniff. I was thinking the same thing."
"It smells like a human... Are there still humans lingering nearby?"
"Let's catch him and make him into a sacrifice."
Perhaps because they had dog heads, Gnolls had a keen sense of smell.
The Gnolls raised their spears and, with their noses quivering, approached Ark's location.
At that moment, Ark jumped out from behind the bushes.
"You bitches are the sacrifice. Bat, go!"
Bat shot towards the Gnolls like an arrow that had been loosed from a bow. With a *pa-thump* sound, the Gnoll who had been struck on the bridge of its nose tumbled to the ground. The other Gnoll was alarmed and thrust its spear towards Bat.
But the Bat who had his summon cancelled and then recast was already sitting on Ark's shoulder.
"Eyes of the Cat! There isn't time. We're going with plan A!"
Ark, Skull, and Bat sprang forward in a flash and concentrated their attack on the stumbling Gnoll.
They had become familiar with Gnolls through battles, so predicting their movements was easy.
Even before the Gnoll moved, Ark made evasive movements and let loose a chain of sword attacks. As a critical hit and co-op attack bonus erupted in succession, the Gnoll died before it was able to properly thrust its spear even once.
The Gnoll staggered and charged in, but instead it received several counterattacks, lost 80 percent of its health, and ran away terrified. The Gnoll was consumed by fear and ran away frightened. But Bat rushed forward to block its path, and when Skull tore into its leg, it fell to the ground again.
Double critical chance!
The Gnoll received a strike to the heart and disappeared with a moan.
As the Gnoll disappeared it dropped a leather.
"Huhuhu, it's too easy, and this is 20 Silvers a piece?"
A smile spread across Ark's lips as he held on to two pieces of leather.
20 Silver a piece, so it was an item worth 2,000 Won (~$2). He was literally picking up bills that had fallen to the ground, how could he not be happy?
"Master, those eyes are creepy."
"Shut up, what do you know? One of these leathers can become a full sushi roll! That's an entire meal."
"Sushi roll? What's that?"
"It's nothing. Cut the small talk and do the recon well," Ark snorted as he entered the cave.
When he stepped foot in the cave, an information window popped up with a booming roar.
Ghastly Snake Lair
At the edge of the Argus Mountains, you have found a cave emanating a ghastly aura. The chilling aura you can feel from the cold blood flowing through these reptiles and an eerie smell permeates the entire cave. The noise of dogs barking can be heard from the depths of the cave, and slithering sounds are flowing from the small holes drilled everywhere.
There is no way to guess how many Gnolls and Snakes are inhabiting the cave. If you are someone with the wisdom to avoid danger, you will never enter this cave.
You have discovered an undiscovered dungeon. Because this is a newly found discovery, if you register your discovery in the Hall of Fame, you can gain an additional 700 experience and 50 Fame.
Would you like to register it?
"Registration refused."
Of course, Ark had absolutely no intention to share the information.
After refusing the registration, he entered the cave and found himself in darkness.
He would have hated it in the past, but presently Ark was a Dark Walker.
The dark was Ark's irreplaceable weapon and armor. Outside when it turned night time, Gnolls' stats rose by 30 percent. As a result, even though Ark's stats also rose, Gnolls were still stronger.
But right now it was daytime. So only Ark was strengthened from the cave's darkness. His strength was replenished and he felt his five senses becoming extremely sharp. Also, using 'Stealth' in the darkness would further improve Ark's chance of survival.