Chapter 8 - I Didn't Know That (1)

I had to ride the wagon for what felt like over ten hours to reach the Northwest Forest.

It was pretty much hell. The ride quality was one thing, but the game company hadn't included a skip function at all.

Moreover, for the sake of my damn pride, I had adopted an uncomfortable posture—arms crossed, legs crossed, and eyes closed.

Thinking we would arrive soon, I ended up traveling for hours in that exact same position without a second thought.

Thanks to that, I thought I had entered the Room of Spirit and Time.

Seeing the sun setting now that we had arrived, it obviously only took about two or three hours in reality, but it felt like ten? Try adding +n hours and it would still be believable. That should give you a rough idea.

However, I endured those harsh conditions to the very end, surprising even myself.

Of course, it was less a victory of patience and more just sheer spite. When it felt like an hour had passed, I held on because the hour I had endured would be a waste, and when it felt like two hours, I held on because those two hours would be a waste.

Anyway, it was the same when I got off. I couldn't show even a hint of discomfort, if only because the time I spent enduring it would be a waste.

Thus, I earned stares bordering on awe, which was at least a small comfort. Only a comfort.

Deep Sea Pearl, you bastards...

* * *

I checked the quest window with a rotten expression.

「Tikone Village」

「❖ The Danger Lurking in the Northwest Forest

∎ Search for the demon hidden in the Northwest Forest」

It was a simple description, but since my entire body ached as if I had been beaten, even this text rubbed me the wrong way.

Damn it, I take back what I said about the game not failing even with a garbage transportation system. The N-hour travel time is one thing, but the ride quality is like this?

If they don't patch this, the game is guaranteed to fail. Even a longtime fan like me wanted to quit, so most newbies would definitely rage-quit!

"Um, my lord..."

I eventually straightened my back a little while pretending to rest my sword on my shoulder—it was so long that I had to take it out of its sheath when sitting. I had gritted my teeth and pretended to be fine because wasting my effort would be a shame, but I couldn't take it anymore.

*CRACK! * I heard the sound of my back giving out.

"Was your journey comfortable... hehe."

I scrunched my face further at that sound and glanced over. The wagon driver was rubbing his hands together while looking at me. It was obvious he was expecting a tip.

"What kind of answer are you expecting?"

*'Why me, of all people?' * There was no need for such thoughts. I had given a pretty hefty tip to the boy who found the driver before we left, after all.

So it wasn't strange at all for the driver, who had witnessed that, to get his hopes up. It wasn't strange, but...

"I have paid the price for the service you provided. Perhaps even more."

'Is he even human, wanting a tip after that garbage ride quality? He's a damn thief.'

I had no intention of giving him one to begin with, but after suffering through that time of endurance, I had absolutely no desire to pay anything extra. I aggressively hardened my expression.

"If you have no other business, piss off."

Just in case, I also tightened my grip. As my left hand cracked, the driver let out a yelp and ran away.

'Serves him right.'

I let out a light snort and turned around. When I took a step forward, the people around me slowly backed away for some reason.

'Given the timing, it doesn't seem like a coincidence... Intimidating the driver must have been a bit too effective. Did adding my genuine feelings to it have an impact?'

"Haa."

'I didn't intend for it, but it's not a scene that goes against my concept.'

I cracked my neck just enough to avoid ruining my image and moved forward. My objective was to cross the village and enter the forest visible in the distance.

"T-There are no inns in that direction...!"

Around that time, someone courageous called out to me. It wasn't exactly advice I had asked for, but I was truly grateful for the thought itself.

"There really aren't any..."

However, it's an unwritten rule that playable characters are perfectly fine even without sleep. That was entirely separate from the existence of a sleep function.

Therefore, I had no intention of stopping by an inn to sleep. If I got tired, I could just switch to sleep mode, but why bother when I could still hold out?

'If I was going to sleep faithfully every night, why would I even play a full-dive VR?'

Any mental energy I drained while enduring the wagon ride would be replenished by doing something like hunting. I was exhausted from boredom, not because I was actually physically fatigued.

"If you are planning to enter the forest, I advise against it."

'But the people here are so nice. We're total strangers, yet they're stepping up to show concern for me.'

"Demons have been appearing."

'But so what? Right now, I'm not a prickly city guy... I'm a cold, arrogant bastard.'

I walked right past him without giving him a single glance. The man flared up, veins popping on his neck.

"I told you demons have been appearing! And you want to enter a forest like that not during the day, but at night?!"

I slowed my steps just a fraction at that.

"Day or night, what does it matter?"

'Usually, monsters at night are stronger than during the day. Sometimes they balance things out by increasing their HP pools or bumping up their attack power.'

"If I were to lose to the scum crawling out of hell simply because it's night, that would be the real issue."

'But even so, it's whatever. In a game centered around hunting, they rarely make the difficulty gap between the two that extreme.'

'On top of that, with the attack power of my pre-order weapon, it should at least work on mid-game mobs. Is there any way I couldn't take down a single early-game night monster with this?'

I reached that conclusion through my long years of gaming experience. And I stepped toward the darkening forest.

The dense woods, which did not let in even a speck of light, swallowed my body whole.

* * *

"In truth, when I first heard there was a 700,000 Gal bounty on the demon's head, I thought the amount was a bit exaggerated."

A woman smashed her mace down onto the body of a goblin blocking her path.

Her red hair, loosely tied and draped over one shoulder, was so crimson that it was impossible to tell whether blood had splattered on it or not.

"It's only natural you felt that way. The number of known victims isn't that high, after all."

A well-built old man walked along the path the woman had cleared. Beneath his white hair lay not an ordinary human face, but one resembling a lion. The soft white fur growing on it gave him an elegant and refined aura.

"Still... I think I was too short-sighted. Even if they aren't attacked directly, taking away their livelihood is just another way of killing people."

"Simply realizing that is enough. After all, haven't you just stepped out of the temple to learn about the world?"

At the old man's words, the woman slightly furrowed her brow. It was out of dissatisfaction with herself, as well as a hint of anger toward the current situation that showed no signs of resolving.

"For the sake of the young lambs, we must quickly uproot the evil moving in the shadows, yet it simply will not show itself."

"That is likely why the bounty has grown so much. Do not be hasty. When your mind is rushed, even things that should work out often don't."

"I know. But..."

She ended up sighing at the existence of the demon, which hadn't appeared even after wandering for days.

She felt truly frustrated. She hadn't expected things to turn out like this when she first left the temple after receiving a revelation. The outside world she was experiencing for the first time was so complex and difficult.

There was no set schedule and no fixed answers. She had to judge, decide, and move forward entirely on her own.

"Haa... As you said, Archmage, acting like this won't make the evil reveal itself. I will get a grip and sweep through the forest once more."

"A wise decision."

The woman crushed another goblin that leaped out with her mace, steadying her resolve.

"... This dense demonic energy!"

As if answering her, a thick malice—one she had never felt while roaming the forest up until now—brushed against her senses.

"Archmage!"

"Yes, I felt it too. You go on ahead, Inquisitor."

"Pardon me!"

Leaving the old man to gather his staff behind her, the woman sprinted toward the source of the demonic energy in one breath.

"I've found you, demon!"

Standing at the end of her path was a man with a lantern hung at his waist, carrying a massive sword on his shoulder.

Viscous demonic energy was oozing from his right hand, which appeared to be clad in a gauntlet.

"To think a human would dare betray the gods!"

At the sight, she could hold back even less.

For a human to harbor demonic energy in their body. Such a thing was impossible unless they had made a pact with a demon. It meant he had turned his back on the gods and betrayed humanity.

"In the name of the gods, I will execute you!"

She would absolutely never let this traitor, who deserved execution, escape alive.

She gripped her shield tightly and infused holy power into her mace.

"...?"

Suddenly, when his gloomy eye—the one not covered by an eyepatch—locked gazes with her.

CLANG!

The sword and mace clashed.

* * *

「Detect │ Singling out the enemy is the foundation of combat. You become able to perceive hostility.

Effect: Provides a target mark on the nearest hostile target when they approach within 10 meters.」

Since it was hard to see demons at night, I had just leveled up the 'Detect' skill from the lifestyle skill tree. I purely trusted the description saying it would mark any hostile targets within a 10-meter radius.

「A hostile target exists within a 10-meter radius.」

"...?"

'But to think I'd get to use the Detect skill I just unlocked right away.'

"To think a human would dare betray the gods!"

'The target wasn't even the demon I wanted. It was a person.'

"In the name of the gods, I will execute you!"

Barely suppressing my bewilderment, I swung my two-hander. I knew full well that blocking a mace with a sword was a surefire way to ruin the blade, but I had no other option right now.

CLANG!

Judging by the sound, a 'Perfect Parry' had at least been triggered.

It was a defensive skill that nullified 100% of damage when deflecting a weapon at the exact right timing, unlike a regular 'Parry' which only negated 90%.

Thanks to that, I could hide my panic and quickly transition into my next stance. It was a preparation to respond no matter when the next attack came.

"Are you from the Order?"

'At the same time, I wracked my brain.'

'The opponent who appeared... Based on her shouting about the name of the gods and the white light lingering at the tip of her mace, she definitely looks like a priest-class.'

'Seeing how she isn't moving like a slug despite wearing plate armor and a shield, her level must be pretty high too.'

"Yes, and I have come to execute you."

'But figuring out her identity like that only made me more bewildered. Why would a priest... target me?'

'Given that no new quest or update notification popped up, it doesn't seem like an event or a story beat.'

'Then is she a field boss? But to call her a field boss, her design completely clashes with the map. Isn't a priest guarding a forest a bit of a weird setup? It's not like there's any related backstory for it either.'

'Then is it a story or an event after all? There wasn't anything like this in the original, but I have no idea about the remake, so I can't even guess. I'm totally dumbfounded.'

"The Order I know consists of those who bestow good deeds and mercy in the name of the gods, but seeing you today, it seems that isn't always the case. Not when you wield violence so blindly."

'Hmm. Still, since she's here, should I just enjoy it? It's not like I'm playing a concept fanatic just to sneak around and survive.'

"A mere demon dares speak of violence!"

'On a separate note, listening to her dialogue, it was clear that the focus of our conversation was completely off.'

'Why is she screaming "demon" at a perfectly normal human?'

'Did she somehow mistake me for a demon? Based on what, exactly?'

'What on earth do I have that's related to demons...'

'I don't even have any cursed items on me... wait...?'

'Uh...'

'Don't tell me... my right arm?'

"...!"

'The realization hit me in an instant, and it was the instinct of a concept fanatic that caused my expression to freeze over coldly.'

'Of course, my setting was that I wore a gauntlet because I hated seeing the arm possessed by a demon. The concept was that I detested demons, yet simultaneously agonized, wondering, "Am I still human?" as I looked at the demon dwelling in my arm.'

'And a character like that gets called a demon by a priest? Hey, isn't that a surefire trigger button?! I would absolutely lose my mind!'

"Do not call me a demon, fanatic!"

'I absolutely can't let that slide. I need to scream at the top of my lungs with the veins in my neck bulging!'

'My self-esteem is already at absolute minimum, wandering without knowing if I'm even human—how could I just gloss over this!'

"How dare you, a traitor who fell to evil!"

'The fact that the enemy was a higher level than me and had a class advantage as a priest? I couldn't care less. In this kind of game, a level gap doesn't definitively determine victory or defeat, and even if I died, I could just try again.'

'To a concept fanatic, even dying is content. Either way, it's fun.'

"Quietly accept your judgment!"

I practiced suppressing the corners of my mouth, which were twitching with excitement, and dodged the priest's mace. Then, holding my sword straight up toward the sky, I performed my designated ritual.

"Victory to my sword, glory to the heavens...!"

"Trying to play the knight, are we!"

'Yeah, I'm playing the knight. But since I'm not a real, formally knighted one, I'm not going to fight nobly, alright?'

I turned off the lantern hanging at my waist and melted into the darkness.

It was because the other side's entire body was glowing from her buff skills, whereas mine was not. Turning off the lantern would narrow my field of vision, but unlike her, I could still track my opponent.

"You cunning...!"

'Just as I thought, the opponent instantly lost her target. On the surface, I held the advantage.'

"I will cut out that tongue and offer it to the gods...!"

'Then shall I show this ambusher a harsh lesson? Though I wonder if my attacks will even go through.'

"Breaker...!"

「Breaker │ Envelops the weapon in mana to perform a powerful magic-attribute downward strike over a wide area in front.

Effect: Consumes 10 Mana. Attacks enemies within the frontal area with 540% damage.」

The offensive skill I had leveled up before Detect, Breaker, added a black effect to my two-hander as it split the night air.