[The 'Herdsman of Las Vegas' offers you a proposal.]
I knew about the Herdsman of Las Vegas. Other than being the Guardian of Michelle, the 'Gold Pyramid', the Herdsman of Las Vegas was a Guardian who greatly enjoyed 'gambling'.
'I heard he made a lot of cracked wagers.'
Attractive proposals that a Player would be hard-pressed to resist.
'But the only one who survived that wager and succeeded… was Michelle.'
That was why his only 'successful' contractee was Michelle.
'It will definitely be an appealing, hard-to-resist proposal.'
That proposal unfolded.
[If you clear the special hidden piece, the 'Unknown Forest', within 3 days, he will grant you 100,000 Coins.]
Such a massive quantity of Coins would make even a dead man perk up. Guardian sponsorships were limited to 100, 200, or maybe 300 Coins, at most. But now, he was offering a whopping 100,000 Coins. In the Player world, it was pretty much like a lottery jackpot.
[Accept the quest 'Clear within 3 days'?]
Upon closer inspection, it was actually a little fraudulent. He only waved the sweet reward I would get upon succeeding and didn't tell me what the penalty would be if I failed. You'd be setting yourself up for bankruptcy if you were blinded by that 100,000 Coin sum.
"Senia. What happens if I fail this quest?"
"I will share the quest information at the Player's request."
For some reason, I had the feeling that Senia was a little relieved.
"If you cannot clear within three days…"
Senia's wingtips trembled, something that seemed to happen an awful lot these days.
'What's making her act like that?' I wondered what was making her so shocked.
"Then when it becomes time to choose a Guardian, you must unconditionally choose the 'Herdsman of Las Vegas' as your contracted Guardian."
For a moment, I was also rendered speechless.
'That's the penalty? Just that?'
A staggering 100,000 Coins was on the line.
'The penalty is only that?'
It was an enormous reward that could never have existed in the beginner period, and even if it did, it probably shouldn't. But the penalty was merely 'choose me'.
'Actually, someone on the level of the Herdsman of Las Vegas… wouldn't be a bad choice.'
He was the Guardian of that famous Gold Pyramid, Michelle, wasn't he? A Guardian like the 'Herdsman of Las Vegas' would cement a foundation that would potentially allow me to grow into the world's top Ranker. The scale of the current gamble was proof of that. He was a dependable Guardian who was willing to throw himself into developing a Player once he made up his mind to do so.
'Three days.'
"Player Kim Hyukjin, will you accept the quest?" asked Senia.
I contemplated for a moment.
'The Herdsman of Las Vegas.'
He was a Guardian who didn't skimp on supporting the Player he treasured. I thought about it a little more. But even after thinking about it some more, my answer was the same.
"No. I cannot accept this quest."
[The 'Herdsman of Las Vegas' is curious about what you are thinking.]
The Herdsman of Las Vegas didn't express disappointment, only his curiosity. He was definitely no petty bastard.
As expressionless as ever, Senia said, "May I ask why?"
Because the Herdsman of Las Vegas was a Guardian who loved gambling to an excessive degree. Michelle was lucky enough to succeed such a gamble, but I wasn't the type to enjoy gambling.
'More than anything, I…'
Had no need to gamble. With my knowledge of the future, I was able to 'invest' in the unlikely. But when it came to things that weren't just unlikely, but almost impossible, there was no need to 'gamble' on that low, low chance of things working out.
'It's more than enough to just invest.'
With that in mind, taking on a high risk, high return gamble wasn't very wise.
So the question was, how should I put it? I had to express my thoughts in a way that least offended a so-called named Guardian like the Herdsman of Las Vegas. At the same time, I had to be able to win over other Guardians who were currently watching this all unfold very intently.
"Placing a bet is something one does when you have a chance of victory."
"Was the proposal made by the Herdsman of Las Vegas one that was impossible to complete?"
"No. That's not the case."
Clearing within three days? It was possible.
"But I can't orchestrate the probability. At least not in the current field."
I still lacked too much information.
"I want to be the one who orchestrates the probability and makes a situation where I can win. Only idiots would let themselves be blinded by the tantalizing reward and bet without any information."
It was the kind of disposition the Herdsman of Las Vegas liked. Michelle had also said something like this. Gambling was a fight of probability, but she, the Player, would create that probability so that she would have a slightly higher chance to succeed. She said people who bet without preparation were idiots.
"That's why I refused. A gamble entrusted to luck alone is no different from throwing the game."
I didn't know if that answer would satisfy the Herdsman. Notices came in.
[The 'Herdsman of Las Vegas' is satisfied by your response.]
[The 'Herdsman of Las Vegas' respects your thinking.]
Other notices came in as well.
[A great number of anonymous Guardians are impressed by your response.]
Even though they saw the same situation and heard the same things, the reactions of the Guardians were mixed.
[A great number of anonymous Guardians ridicule you.]
I could understand why they would ridicule me. I was still only level 29. To them, I was like a flickering candlelight they could extinguish with a single puff of their lips. Someone so weak refused the proposal of the Herdsman of Las Vegas of all Guardians, saying they would bet while orchestrating the probability. They were big words spoken with a great deal of bravado.
'Laugh all you want.'
The day when the Guardians could no longer ridicule me would come. I would see to that.
I moved east. Starting from the westernmost village, which the letter had called 'Dott', I went to 'Dante' in the east.
While doing so, I had to prepare food.
Splurt!
I jumped on the back of a wild boar as big as me and thrust my dagger.
Squeaaaaal!
The boar's name was 'Fanged Boar'. It was about level 25, but it had a pretty volatile temperament.
[Fanged Boar has been killed.]
[EXP acquired.]
[17 Coins acquired.]
It gave way less Coins than other monsters of the same level, but it had its own virtues that made it worth killing.
['Fruit Bundle' acquired.]
I had to admit it was a little strange. I had never heard of Fanged Boars dropping 'Fruit Bundles'. Normally, they didn't.
'Maybe it's a hidden piece put in to allow a Player to survive?'
I brushed it aside for now, but it was a bit strange. In any case, I hunted a few more Fanged Boars.
['Fruit Bundle' acquired.]
In the process, I was able to procure a little more information.
'They're not wary of their surroundings.'
Normally, 'Fanged Boars' were monsters that were watchful of their surroundings, especially if there were 'beast monsters' in the vicinity.
'From the traces left on the trees, there are definitely beast monsters around here.'
But despite that, these boars weren't wary. That meant the beast monsters were weak, or that they didn't attack Fanged Boars.
'Those traces are definitely… from a Red Tiger. There are Red Tigers around, but they don't attack the Fanged Boars?'
That was indeed very peculiar. The weird gaze I could feel with Eye of Perception also bothered me. It could even be that the 'Master of the Forest' was watching me right now.
'That's…'
There was no doubt about it. As I was walking along the forest floor, I discovered a trap made of rope, a snare designed to catch animals using a rope and net. It was enchanted with very basic 'capture magic'.
'What?'
In this field, in which a very small village of forest dwellers existed, there was an artifact? And an enchanted artifact, no less?
They used an artifact to hunt animals? As basic as the magic was, enchanted items were expensive. It was absolutely not an item a tiny village in a forest would use.
'Something's going on.'
As I thought, there was more to this place than the eye suggested. I couldn't say what exactly it was, but it was definitely strange. There was a high chance I was missing something right now.
I stowed the snare in my Inventory. Then, I continued to move east, and eventually, I found the easternmost village, 'Dante'.
The same notices I had heard in the westernmost village came in.
[Entering the 'Razed Village 2 of Forest Dwellers'.]
[Entering a 'Safe Zone'.]
I combed through the village. Like the other village, there was a fairly intact shack with a clickable set of drawers inside. When I opened it, I found a piece of paper with words on it, just like before.
Dear Old Man Dudia,
This is a letter sent from the easternmost village Dante to the westernmost village Dott. Old Man Dudia. We need a sacrifice. The Master of the Forest demanded an offering from us. But you know as well as me. The restriction of this forest. So I am very troubled. Oh, right. The offering for the Master of the Forest is…
'The restriction of the forest?'
I had no idea what that could be.
'An offering for the Master of the Forest…'
What I could be sure of was that this place had some kind of restriction, had a 'Master of the Forest', and the villagers needed an 'offering' for the Master of the Forest.
'If you can't make an offering to the Master of the Forest…'
It might be that I would also be annihilated, like these villagers. Then where in the world was I supposed to find the Master of the Forest? I left the shack and walked around the village. In this village reduced to ruins, there were only burned down shacks…
…and a well in the center of the village.
'Huh?'
Eye of Perception told me that something was in the well. I approached it. The inside was dark, and I couldn't see anything.
'Someone's inside.'
They were barely breathing, their presence so faint that they could die at any moment.
'It's probably not a Player.'
Which meant it was an NPC. An NPC that might give me a huge hint to clearing this place.
'I have to take them out.'
According to what I felt through Eye of Perception, the person inside the well was one hair away from death. There was no time to waste.
'I can do it.'
My careful exploration on the way here was a big help. I thought this rope trap enchanted with capture magic was strange. For such an out-of-place object to exist here meant that it would be helpful in clearing the dungeon. It was good I'd surveyed my surroundings thoroughly, even though that was a little more time-consuming.
[Use the 'Snare'?]
I tossed the enchanted snare into the well.
[Capture was successful.]
I hauled up the snare. Eye of Perception told me it was unmistakably a person. Before long, I saw her— a woman with extremely long hair and clothing that had become rags. She was markedly emaciated, like she hadn't eaten in a long time. For now, I poured a Constitution Potion and Cure Potion into her mouth.
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