Chapter 10 - Highest Notoriety

Leaving the Dungeon and noticing the Guard, he looked at me unpleasantly.

Hey you prick, I gave you my important item, why did you give me that look instead, huh?!

Is what I wanted to say, but well, I have to finish this quest of mine and start thinking what course of actions next. After all, there's still my father that Gran are talking about, the mission from that Rhino, this Goo from that madam and of course the compensation I will receive from that prepubescent boy. Ahh, I can't think clear. I'm sure Ashasi would take care of it for me even if I'm not around.

Speaking of which, after arriving at the entrance of the City, the 5 cityguard with much darker and much expensive looking armor with adds-on pauldron and red cape, blocked my pathway. . .seriously, how many time I've been blocked for the day!

"You are affiliated with the Tea Shop, correct?"

"Yes? How may I help you?" As his companion is about to put a shackle on my wrists, he then stated: "In accordance to the law, killing human is prohibited, except you have the reason to----"

But I instinctively dodged the other cityguard and sprint out of the city. What the fuck happened!

Moments later, I found out that they stopped pursuing me after a couple of minutes so I take a short of break. Ahh, I can't believe it! I know killing is forbidden but how come it turned out to be this way!?

Ahh, I have to wait here. . .I'm sure Ashashi will find a way.

Is what I thought. . .Unfortunately, five days passed by in a blink of an eye. The ration inside my dimensional pouch is now empty for good, other than the quests from that little girl's mom and a few inedible item like the Bow and arrow from that elf, I have nothing. So I tried hunting edible animals and ate their raw meat and roasts then.

But yuck! They taste horrible if no condiment! Just salt for my tastebuds is enough but I don't have any. Ahh! this is frustrating! I'm getting mad! I can't help but think, how about I destroy that city instead?

Ahh nevermind, its just that, this is the first time I live my life alone outside the civilization I fond of. Even during my soldier days, I've always partnered up with good dexterity lower numbers such as Two Three and Three Eight, ahh damn! I missed eating pork and drinking hot tea!

Now I realized. Did I take my soldier days for granted?

"Pssst Boss, here!" As I've been thinking, a quiet whisper comes from the bush not far away from my current position. Peeking, I saw a recognizable face.

"Boss, its me Akigaia! look!" He said. I know alright! And why are you hiding in the first place?!

After then, he slowly walk towards my direction and reached out at least 5 piece of papers. I'm confused. What is this?

"That is a Quest for Bounty Hunting, I don't know how that works to a people like you but that will help you decrease your Infamy"

people like me!? Huh!? How come a piece of paper can help me decrease my Infamy? I am rather perplexed.

"Just try it, it is worth the shot than you stay forever in this cold desolated place, right? That is one of many way to decrease ones notoriety, and there are two more" So he explained--

So I can actually decrease my Infamy for real? By the way, its his fault why am I in this situation, does he!?

Ahh, at least he's helping me this time. So what is it? I didn't asks as the energy is leaving my body just sitting from my current position. I'm hungry too!

"One is, you can stay in the Cell and live there depends on how many infamy you accumulate after arresting--either that or someone will bail you out. Second is the trial. Although risky, if you passed this trial then all your infamy will reset back zero, but, you runaway before it all starts so the best choice right now is to hunt other people with the same situation as yours"

"You, want me to do the bounty hunting?" This kind of job, I know, but I never try it even once. One is because you have to be a persistent person after accepting such mission and second is, because you made an enemy wherever you go after the mission, you have to venture from town to town and make an adventure on your own. So I reckon its hard for me being one, especially for being too dependent on my comrades and gran

Well, I guess killing while 'bounty hunting' won't cost me than I thought.

"Yes! that's how it works" He said. . .Hearing him, I actually want to test it right now.

Looking at the paper, this are the person whose also the same situation as me like what she mentioned. But why its just a blank paper? Is he messing with me?

"They're the Locusts like us, so its an easy prey for you"

Hmmm Locusts huh, Did he know what it means to be a one now? I'm curious. Though I won't and never accept the fact when they called me an NPC or an aberrant.

"Try tearing one, then" He instructed.

Following, I tore one of the blank papers. And then. . .something bizarre that befalls upon me---to be precise, inside my head, as if someone is painting the map inside out of my control.

There's the red dot and a green dot. The red dot ticks five times before completely dissipated. And as for the green dot, I felt that, it was me.

"Ahh, the hell was that? Something like a map is carving through my mind uncontrollably! What the?" I baffled.

"Hehe, so it works but very different huh, I'll explain then, the thing you saw is what we called an augment reality of a mini-map although unlike us, yours is like that of a memory that flashes through, so what you saw is genuine and its overall terrain from birds eye view. Anyway, what's inside that mini-map is your current position while your target position is the red dot. Got it now? Then, that will refresh every 10 minutes in real time so always keep them in mind. Meaning, you have to mark their position every 10 minutes then kill them in one fell swoop and boom---your infamy will decrease just like that"

The hell? Looks complicated but its very simple. In a sense, all I have to do is--ironically, to kill again to decrease my infamy from killing.

So this is how a bounty hunting works. I couldn't help but to release an ear to ear smile. He he, this is amazing.

But wait. If I have a bounty, isn't it a given that someone will hunt my head too? Why is that? No wait, at one point there are few occasions but they stopped after few attempts.

After asking, he shakes his head. . ."Even if they wanted to, they can't. Your levels is far ahead from us like heaven and earth so its hard even by raiding you, how much more by hunting you alone? After all, bounty hunting is a solo mision"

I see. I understand now. Especially after killing that many people from one time. He also explained that the people I killed is also from the renowned Guild in that City. So its a given that no one ever tried to hunt me.

"That's all I have to say, we'll meet again later, Boss. Its hard even for us to get that many paper of bounty hunting at once, so goodluck, and make sure to kill only with bounty on their head, or your infamy will exponentially increasing instead"

After that, he left. I want to collect the payment but with my current situation? I can't do a single thing. I'm just thankful enough that a ray of hope pulled me out from this misery. Shesh, If he's a woman I might fall in love. He's my saviour from all this mess, ahhh I want to cry.