Following shin with the pack of monsters behind us we headed towards Tsuki no Hokora. The shop was quite famous among the very advanced player's for Shin sold truly rare and top notch gear. As he approached Shin had a look of nostalgia on his face but I just had to ask.
"So Shin you probably sought out your shop first but seeing me you entered a daze didn't you?"
"Yes…. Seeing an old friend and colleague from the game had made me forget my objective temporarily. You are probably the only friend I didn't have to worry about getting killed because you cheat to stay alive ...."
"It's not cheating, it is strategic admin abuse."
Hearing my retort, Shin snorted and abruptly drew his sword swinging at mu3 head. Sharp end first. But the blade hit the side of my head and mask and refused to budge further. Invincibility. Grabbing his sword I looked at him and made the sword resheath itself removing the thing from his hand suddenly. My dead look of asking if he really just did that just earned me a smirk. Fucker. Turning around once more Shin resumed his walk to his home while the pack snickered. FUCKERS. As Shin opened his shop curtains and door I kicked him in the ass into the shop.
The unexpected kick caused him to stumble in and take a handstand. His glare unphasing me as I walked in with the pack taking on more shadowy aspects to not take up space. Fenris the the only real physically there canine right now as she snickered at Shin who got righted once more. Some armor-clad knights that weren't busy were looking at us but I just proceeded to take a seat in the air. [Air Foothold: Rank 10] is useful for casual air sitting. Sitting on the air me and Fenris just watched Shin as two of the armored figures broke off and approached us.
"Apologies, but we're in the middle of something here. Why don't you come back later?"
A young man with some blonde hair and fancy looking armor with useless decorations was the first to approach. He was about as tall as Shin but just a wee bit shorter by three? Inches. However, blonde fuck toy boy had thicker arms and legs compared to shin due to training. I have the same but my muscles are literally more compact, so I'm in between skinny Shin look and Fuck Boys looks. Shin spoke up and got screamed at.
"Did something happen?"
"I'm telling you to get out now!!"
A brown haired hulking young man in the same uselessly flashy armor and a foot taller than Shin shouted at us. Shin looked back at me and from his look he was going to be his usual self so I put a hand on a holster at my waist, a Colt Python Magnum Revolver appearing. Drawing it from the holster quietly I eyed the fancy fuckers as Shin spoke once more.
"It's a problem for me and my friend if we can't get in now."
"Silence! Don't you dare talk back, lowly adventurer!"
"Hey, calm down Ilan!"
Oh so brown hulk is called Ilan? Good to know without using Observe.
Guess this Ilan fellow was irritated by Shin not bulking to his 'authority' as he tried something stupid. He was in the motion of trying to palm strike Shin's solar in order to, I guess, kick him outside. But I drew my gun with rather inhuman speed for average people, even Shin, and fired a shot at his wrist then at his chest. Two blank rounds hit him and he shouted in surprise and pain.
"Woah!"
His wrist snapped as it hung limply and his chest plate was just barely intact. The knight sitting shell shocked on the ground. The blank shot skill and round is not meant to shatter armor. As the rounds disappeared into motes of light. I cocked the hammer back and the next round was a live round. Finger on the trigger I trained it on his head while in my free hand I aimed the Grom at the rest. Shin, looking at the knight, just shook his head before looking back at me with a thankful smile.
Ilan's fall and the sound of gunfire had attracted everyone's attention. Ilan was struggling to comprehend the development as his face was still stuck in a pained expression. Shin looked embarrassed once everyone looked towards us. Fenris and the pack gave a small 'GOTCHA BITCH' kind of howl. Me I just was ready to maim a sorry fucker.
"Kh, damn you!"
Ilan grabbed the hilt of his sword with his still operational hand, when a voice boomed throughout the store. Ilan freezing up at the sound of the voice.
"What is this ruckus!"
Shin looked as if he was sighing internally at how troublesome things got. Poor baby getting some attention, get used to it.
The small crowd inside naturally separated, revealing a single man's figure. The blue eyed, blonde haired young man, wearing of course - uselessly gorgeous armor as well. Why the fuck are you all wearing decorative armor?! The young man glared at Ilan, Shin, the pack, and me from several mel away.
Compared to his previous outbursts and attempted violence, Ilan was deathly quiet now.
Shin mutters something about "Moses?" In a quiet mumble. I just look at the uselessly flashy armor and resist shooting it to hell. It's an affront to effectively fighting.
"I thought I said not to let anyone inside?"
"My deepest apologies, Lord Russt!"
Oh so the man affronting my senses of a soldier with his gaudy tin can is a noble? Wonder exactly how far in standing he would be in the ranks?
Without even sparing another glanced at the injured Ilan who's groveling like a kicked puppy. Russt walked closer to Shin and our group, his eyes declaring "I'm better than you useless peasants!" As he looked down on us.
'Must not shoot pompous asshole, must not shoot his dick off!'
Fenris hearing my interal dialogue fucking lost it as she started chortling. Russt though unaware of any rude thoughts somehow even with a monster LAUGHING HER ASS OFF. Approached before Shin with purposeful heavy, clanging steps, finally standing in front of him.
"....."
"?"
"Bitch…"
Whispering that word quietly as Shin cocked his head to side, his shoulders shaking from silent laughter. Looked at Russt with a puzzled expression in prolonged silence. Just then, brown hulk Ilan yelled. Switching rounds I shot him in the dick with a blank.
"You!! How dare you two just stand there!! You are in lord Russt presence, name yourselves!! Aaghrdb!!"
So that's why Russt is silently glaring at us, he wanted an introduction. He didn't even flinch when I shot his subordinate in the dick. He just kept glaring at us.
"My apologies. My name is Shin, I am a wanderer."
"Not sorry. My name is Kaiser Lockhart, I'm a wandering jackass."
Shin bowed his head thinking something about probably not making enemies. I just holstered my gun after shooting Ilan in the dick again. Russt just seemed to glare harder at me. No respect for me, no respect for you. Plus I can just dev fuckery or memory alter Russt so fuck it.
"Hmph, what poor manners. Not that a wanderer and a barbarian can be expected to be educated."
Letting his dinky little arrogant words bounce off of me I just blankly looked at him. He's really not special to make me bow or anything. Shin seemed relieved about something though.
"Our business is done. Let's go."
Russt started walking away. Shin slid to the left to avoid Russt bumping into him, while I barely moved from my orginal position. The pack hid behind me in the shadows while Fenris snapped at Ilan. Biting the abused knight in the ass making him yelp as he shot up off the ground.
Shin's quick movement's and my earlier attack method did not go unnoticed by the blonde young man and several others, who looked at us suspiciously.
"Tch."
Including Ilan, who clicked his tongue while leaving. One pup hiking a leg at the right time, pissed on his armored greaves before retreating back to the shadows. All of Russt's subordinates followed him out of the store. Only three people, us excluded, remained inside.
"Allow me to apologize for Ilan's uncouthness."
The blonde man that had first approached us when we entered spoke once more. The other two present looked apologetic as well, one gave me a thumbs up though.
"There is no need to, no one has been seriously hurt after all."
"Just scuffed up."
"I am glad to hear you say that. My name is Aldy, Aldy Cheir. If you ever have need of the knights, please contact me."
"I am Shin, I will take you up on your offer, if the occasion arises."
"If the help is available, I'll take that offer."
Shin shook Aldy's outstretched hand while I shook both their hands with my hands. Shin looked at me amused while Cheir chuckled seeing my general attitude. Good he's not got a stick shoved his ass that's on fire.
But really it seemed like the group of armored people were actual knights. Russt and Ilan gave a real shitty impression, but Cheir gave a good one, so not a shared arrogance from these particular knights.
After Aldy left, the remaining two knights bowed slightly to us and exited in tow.
As the knights left, the shop felt more spacious without the damn crowd. The pack turned material again and stretched out with small barks. Looking at the racks that had been previously hidden by the knights we took note of the items. Geez these are shit!
'These weapons are all at best bronze and iron, silver if generous. The armor is leather, bronze, iron, and silver only like fuck. Item wise there is low-grade potions and Ethers, a few status-restoring pills. Not a single damn material in sight either! Horrible!'
While Shin looked dejected at the item levels I felt revolted a bit as Tsuki no Hokora had a reputation! Schnee really let things go in Shin's absence. It's disappointing. As honestly this is all beginners equipment not the good old fuck your shit up equipment.
'I have to agree with you Locky, this all looks like shit I've barfed up.'
With such a state I could tell Shin was worrying about the store's management.
"-- what are you mumbling about all this time, sir?"
"Eh?"
"He's having a stroke of pain."
While Shin made a lame ass response at the sudden approach. The pack all flopped on each other biting each other's ears, Suna watching amusedly. Cute kids.
Shin had been voicing his thoughts while I spoke them to Fenris. Shin's embarrassed grimace was funny though.
Looking towards the voice that had called Shin out, from behind the counter: we spotted an elf with golden eyes. Looking squarely at Shin.
The elf girl had long ears, as all elves do, pointed out of her black lacquer-like hair. Her puzzled glare at Shin was amusing.
Like most elves, a race characterized by being handsome, the girl that gave him the puzzled glare was a rare beauty: ten of ten people would be charmed by her. But I trailed off to imaging a handsome goblin, whose head exploded when it spoke. Heh glorious.
The girl was shorter than Shin as he'll be my height chart because I saw so. She had healthy white skin, her physique was slender as a whole, but she had some nice breasts making themselves known under her robe. Not the biggest I've seen, Tommy's Giga-Amazons had breasts bigger than a person's head. Player's did die by Snu-Snu stun attacks as those monster's flirtingly beat people to death.
Her looks though suggest she is about seventeen or eighteen years old. However, with her race being a long lived species, appearances are deceptive of their actual ages, rarely matching their appearance. So the girl could be like a century or more older and still look like a teenager.
".... I was just looking at what was on sale."
"Really? Because you, and that wolf, probably your masked friend as well, had a pretty strict look in your eyes just now, though.,
"I didn't mean to, though…."
"My standards are high given my experiences and this all made me sad given the shop's history."
"Anyway, that nasty bunch is gone, so may look all you want. How do you know this shop's history? How exactly?"
As the elven girl sat down on a chair behind the counter.
"I used to be a game developer of the game era before the Dusk of Majesty."
"Nasty bunch? The people that were just here? Dusk of Majesty?"
"Yes, they come awfully often, asking when the master will be back. They're really persistent."
"The Dusk of Majesty is the major shift that occurred when every still alive Player left."
From the girls' tone that bunch really came by often; her tone was just drowned exhaustion from how fed up she is with them.
"That's tough… oh, i hadn't introduced myself yet. My name is Shin, as you can see I'm a wanderer."
"Yo, I'm Kaiser Lockhart, a crazy game dev of the old era. The lovely monsters around me are Fenris, Suna, and Suna's children. Nice to meet Schnee's student, you've probably suffered."
"Yes I have….Do you introduce yourselves to all store clerks you meet? You're a real serious type and a real laid back serious type. My name is Tiera Lucent, just call me Tiera. I'm the disciple of the substitute owner of this store and also act as the clerk. If you have items or materials, we'll buy them."
"When on the job, yes it makes a good impression."
"Thank you, I'll remember that. For a band of knights to come so often, though, your master is a pretty person, huh?"
"What are you saying? Tsuki no Hokora's substitute owner, Schnee Raizar, is a name that even kids know. Apparently so does your supposed old era friend."
"Oh, that famous, huh. But… substitute owner?"
"That's what she calls herself. The actual owner is another person, apparently."
"Yeah he's a really weird guy, even went on a mass murder spree of PK's.".
"So there's someone above even such a famous person, huh…"
I didn't miss Shin's twitch at my remarks to his playing stupid. He seemed to have even forgotten Schnee Raizar is HIS SUPPORT CHARACTER! That he seemed to have muttered her name a few times.
"Schnee Raizer, huh… Schnee Raizar, Schnee…. SCHNEE RAIZAR??"
"W-What's gotten into you all of a sudden!?"
"Do you want a cookie for remembering?"
Shin's very sudden yell had taken Tiera by surprise. She stood up without much of a thought, the chair she was in falling backwards with a thud.
"Aah, I'm sorry. I was just surprised. No Kaiser."
The thudding of Tiera's chair had snapped Shin out of his daze. He apologized and looked at me as if I truly insulted him. I could've if I wanted to.
While he thought of his long lost support character I found a bland low ancient Snub Nose revolver and removed it from my inventory as a card.
"Listen there's something I'd like to confirm about your master, can I ask you some questions?"
"Y-Yes if it's something I can answer."
Tiera unconsciously took a step back because of Shin's sudden dead serious tone and behavior.
Shin, however, was too absorbed by whats he's learnt that he paid no heed to her sudden spike of fear.
"This Schnee Raizar… is a High Elf with waist length silver hair. Clear, almost transparent blue eyes. A hundred sixty-six cemel tall, and to top it all a super gorgeous lady, right?"
"Yes, that's right… are you a fan or something?"
Tiera's gaze towards him turned rather cold but Shin was a dense mother fucker in not noticing. Man you've once had a girlfriend! Read the signs!
"No, that's not it. You could say… that we're acquaintances. 'In the game we were store owner and clerk, though.'"
"An acquaintance of master's? Is that really true? Because your friend is more believable…."
Tiera understandably gave Shin a very distrusting look. Funny how she believes I'm one but her master's master playing dumb isn't. Honestly I should eat some popcorn at this little shit show.
"I don't know if she still remembers me, though."
"She probably remembers me well, I tend to leave an impression through my antics."
Shin was aware that he looked and sounded suspicious. I was admittedly suspicious but I've just been very upfront and haven't changed my stance. Shin may be worrying that she's forgotten him though, not likely even as an AI that woman had a thirst.
"Where is Schnee now, by the way? Judging from what you said before, looks like she's been away for a long while."
"I'm curious about that as well since knowing her she would never abandon this place even after five hundred years. It's just too important to her since it's her beloved master's home and I imagine she'd be longing to meet him once more."
"Sorry, but I can't say. I didn't say it to the knights, so why would I tell you? Your friend however… he's been consistent and if he's being truthful, my master may want to meet him."
"... that's right."
Shin looked a bit upset but he hasn't learnt the social structure yet as he's been here barely a day. Patting his slumped shoulders I cackled slightly and mentioned him as a sad puppy.
"If you have a message for her, you can tell me. Taking messages for master is pretty much half of my job anyway."
"Half…? Just how many does she get?"
"They mostly come from the governments or the guilds' top brass. Request, pretty much."
"Understandable for a High Elf that served a High Human."
Tiera sighed looking tired.
That message system likely consisted of asking Schnee for assistance against disasters or monsters. Schnee very likely had no intention of swearing allegiance to any but Shin so she is probably accepting requests guised as messages.
Over the years, that has also probably become a staple known to the public even. So honestly it seemed like there was no real issue if Tiera spoke about it to Shin like she is. Even if he's dropping in for the first time in five hundred years.
"Wow, that's… incredible. I have no other words."
"With power comes gnats buzzing for your allegiance."
Tiera seemed to giggle at my snark about the hidden gripes.
"Master rarely accepts any, though. So, will you leave a message?"
"Yeah, I guess I will."
"I'll leave one as well."
"One message is about ten bronze Jul coins. A thousand Jul."
"Whoa, it's not free…? What's a Jul by the way?"
To save Tiera a headache I slap Shin's shoulder and turn him towards me. Making various Jul coins appear in between my right hands fingers.
"Shin you've been traveling out in the boonies for too long so let a crazy old game dev give you a lesson. These coins between my fingers are Jul's; they've been in circulation for four hundred years. What are you still using?"
By his morphing shell shocked expression he seems to be getting my train of thought. Even my insult of him being a dumbass and not asking more in-depth questions.
"Well, it's this…."
Shin took out a single Geyl from his item box, placing it on the counter.
A round, golden coin around three cemel wide, with an eight-winged dragon carrying a maiden carved in its center.
"... hey, what did you take this out of?"
Tiera looked at Shin incredulously due to him pulling the coin blatantly from his item box in plain sight. Mother fucker why can't you think?!
"What? The item box, what else?"
"Item…. Box…"
"MOTHER FUCKER ARE YOU RETARDED?! WHY ARE YOU ACTING LIKE YOU HAVE YOUR HEAD UP YOUR ASS?! THINK!!"
Tiera seemed to flinch at my screaming but Shin looked sheepish.
"Er… is it that big of a surprise? I mean Kaiser took weapons out of his item box earlier?"
"I did it stealthily because of how rare item boxes in this era are! Do you want to know the shit people have done for or to a person with one?"
"I agree with your friend… people have forcibly recruited or killed item box users for refusing them…"
"? Really now?"
""Why you…""
Tiera's shoulders dropped and I kneed Shin in the stomach violently to vent my frustration.
"In this day and age, only royals and long living species like High Lords, High Elves, and High Pixies, and now I'm guessing the sole High Human can use the item box. It's not something people normally even have. But here I see you, popping out of nowhere, who not only has the item box but can use it, of course I'm surprised. You aren't a member of a royal family somewhere, are you?"
"Not at all. It'd be troublesome for someone like me to be a royal."
"Yeah because your a dense fucker… but same I think it'd be hassle I'd just murder."
While Shin had his world rocked by Tiera's explanation. I looked for a message card in my inventory. Granted its understanding that to him it's a somewhat unexpected situation. As shocker now only special people have a Player's item box.
The "High" part of her explanation though is pretty simple, as it says that person is a superior version of their species. It only became selectable after resurrecting as the same species ten times or more for Player's and Support Character's.
Several species existed in THE NEW GATE that its a whole book worth, but the main seven were Human, Pixie, Beast, Dragnil, Lord, Elf, and Dwarf.
Humans the bland fuckers, Beast half Human half beast, Dragnil half Human half Dragon, Lords half Human half mystical creature, Pixies are fairies, Elfs are pointy eared models, Dwarfs short humans.
"It's pretty normal to me and Kaiser though…."
"What? Normal? Give a break. He I can honestly now believe is a person before the Dusk of Majesty so I accept him having it. You? What's your species anyways? You look like a Human but your magic feels like there's all sorts of things mixed in it, it feels really ambiguous. Elf, Lord, Dragnil, others too… What's up with that?"
"I don't know the answer to that either. Anyway, I'm a High Human as well."
Tiera gave him a look but it's true he is a High Human. Thing about High Humans though is that we're very resistant to status effects and magic was boosted even further than before.
Humans are boringly a balanced race so not many Player's wanted to be a Human. Solo or group like mind Player's weren't really fond of Human as a choice.
But like all species lore in the game Humans had lore for this reason. They absorbed the excess residual ambient mana that it gave them high Status Effect and Magic resistances against negative stuff. Which was high but easily overcame by other races and the right gear, High Human's though broke that limit and became nearly impervious to negative effects.
Of course this should've meant we should've been magic casters' natural enemies even as base Human's. However, lore wise because of our high resistances the trade off was that our other abilities were incomplete.
Humans had conquered the unshakable "WE'RE FUCKING USELESS!" Position as race due to this among the Player's.
Even heavy armored humans attacking from the front letting their resistance do its thing, humans still sucked compared to others. Even against magic users they couldn't compete with magic-oriented spieces such as elves and pixies in MP or INT; in case of a clash of spells, even Lords - another balanced species - would overwhelm them. Humans were only good for meat shields against magic or to scatter status effects, as thieves or hunters.
Humans are thus full of disadvantages. For us however, maxing all our stats made our unique species traits shine brighter. That was something few hardcore Player's or Dev's could say though.
Thinking back on it Shin beat up everyone who mocked humans, I just locked their equipment then curb stomped them. No one mocks me for free.
"High… Human…? You?"
"Yes."
Tiera looked flabbergasted as she met two High Humans today. High Humans are extinct after all.
"But High Humans…. are… extinct… till now…"
"Oh, extinct….? … EXTINCT?!"
Clapping slowly, I look at Shin.
"Congratulations, we're both extinct."
Yeah High Humans went extinct during the Dusk of Majesty.
"Before you say it Shin, Humans still exist just not us."
"Yeah there are still plenty of humans. The knights that were just here were humans too, no?"
"What's the difference?"
"There's a big difference. There were only seven High Humans once, legendary figures who ruled over the four continents. Not even groups of tens of thousands humans could defeat them in battle. Their power was just another level. Yet here you two are and one seems impressive. Six of the seven ruled over the continents though."
"Six people ruled over the continents?"
Shin had a look of something that reminded him of something but I kept quiet so he could get his history lesson. The mans fucking stupid right now and has completely forgotten the message bit.
"Could you tell me a bit more?"
"Most people know about this though… but okay, I'll tell you Shin. In the distant past, around five hundred years ago, High Human's ruled over this continent. They were only six rulers out of the seven, but their power was so overwhelming that other species could not do anything to stop them."
"...."
"Please go on to educate the little lost boy here."
"But one day, their rule suddenly ended."
"Ended?"
"Yes, it ended. Not only the High Humans, but also long living species like High Elves and High Lords, short living species like High Beast and High Dwarves… many royals, elders, heroes and generals, members of all species revered for their strength, disappeared. I had heard that they all disappeared out of the blue. According to master, not only such powerful people, but many others disappeared too. The day they disappeared is now called the "Dusk of Majesty"."
"So when everyone logged out it startled everyone. Fair."
"So that's the Dusk of Majesty… huh."
"All High Humans disappeared that day, that's why they say that they went extinct. There were only seven anyway."
"So Shin, you've likely realized something, right? and the rulers were Rokuten."
Shin was quiet as his guild was famous among the Players, they were also quite destructive. I mean who builds self destruct functions into houses?! Genius but what the fuck?!