I wanted to test my skill and see if I could make the little Horned Rabbits become my minion. But there were other players present.
I guess I'd test it out later when I'm alone.
How do you turn one to become your minion anyway?
That's unfair. Shouldn't I at least have something for my effort?
. . . I ignored it and continued grinding, but the monsters were beginning to get scarce after a while of engaging with the players. Their respawn rate was much slower than I expected.
[Received Rabbits Meat x2]
[Received Rabbits Fur x2]
[Received Wolfs Fangs x2]
Another items?
I was grinding for an hour already in the plain grasslands, and still no sign of that gil.
I was sure my ATP was high, and my LCK was above the rest, but why didn't I receive any money from my loot?
". . ." And you didn't bother to tell me this until an hour later?
". . ." Forget it.
Though my ATP was high, I wasn't confident that it would be enough against the monsters in the forest, especially since I couldn't get any EXP outside of the system's influence.
What if a sudden boss appeared? I'd be dead before I even knew it.
I ignored it and mused to myself. I wonder how much these items cost if I sell them in the village? Knowing the high value of things, I expected the items to be expensive to match the living cost.
----
"I'll give you 5 gil for that two furs."
". . ." I totally wasn't expecting that.
"Well, do you wanna sell it?" asked the man with goatee and goat horns, who was managing a rundown shop.
I sighed. "Yes."
It was better than no gil at all.
All in all, I got like 20 gil from my loot. One hour of grinding and just 20 gil?
I would really sleep in the grassland or the forest at this rate. That is, if I was lucky to get some sleep with all the monsters that I had to be wary about, creeping at me in the night.
Come to think of it. Could monsters and beasts attack players inside villages and towns?
That was reassuring.
The sun was still high up, I bet past twelve, and I was hungry as hell.
Maybe I should have cooked that rabbit meat over fire?
But I didn't know how to cook without a lighter or a match, and I didn't have a fire spell.
Hmm . . . maybe I should copy a fire magic when I had a chance. But that 10% chance success rate and -100MP was worrying.
". . ." I skimmed my jawline, thinking.
I guess it was better than nothing.
My goal was to feed my stomach, or it would kill me with hunger.
With that in mind, I gave up on staying in a rundown inn and submitted to my fate of sleeping in the forest or the grass plain. I just wish that no monster would crept on me when I sleep, which I knew was just wishful thinking on my part.
I came to the grass plain again, not because it was safe and the monsters weren't high level and all . . .
<+100 Evil Points rewarded to Host for his first time lying>
Oh, look. There's already a person who was practicing her fire magic . . . wait . . . is that . . .
Soarsie!
I couldn't believe it. I thought I was dreaming as I approached her in steady steps. I was afraid if I ran, she'd disappear.
Why hadn't I spotted her before? Was it because there were many people and we missed each other? I didn't know where the other players were, but a majority of them took off elsewhere.
However, that was no longer important. She was here now –– within my reach.
I still remembered the first day that we've met like it was just yesterday. Every time I gazed at her long pink hair and bright blue eyes, I was reminded of how lucky I was. Even to this day, I still couldn't believe that someone as beautiful as her was my girlfriend.
"Soar–!"
"You're getting good at it," said a man.
My attention flickered to a guy who approached her. When I came too, Soarsie was not alone. She was with another cute girl with short green hair and a handsome man with short dark hair and dark eyes.
"Thanks." Soarsie beamed a dimpled smile. "Though I got to say that it would take a while for me to get used to this."
"Soarsie," I muttered, and they all looked at me.
I felt awkward all of a sudden.
Soarsie's face registered a shock. "Cross!"
My name on her lips felt like heaven, and I released the breath I held and went to her. I wanted to hug her, but I didn't know if it was appropriate with all the pair of eyes looking my way.
"Someone you know?" the guy asked.
Soarsie nodded and held my hand. "This is Cross. My boyfriend."
All my fears and anxiety were cleared at her declaration. My heart felt so full.
"Cross. I never expected to see you again. Thank God you're okay." She wrapped her hands around my waist, and I felt contented with rubbing my hand on her hair.
"Yeah. Me too. I'm so glad that you're safe as well."
Soarsie let go of me and introduced me to the others. "Guys, this is Cross. Cross this is Jane and Luke."
I nodded and shook Luke's hand when he offered it. At least they were friendly. "Are you guys acquainted?"
Soarsie shook her head. "No. We formed a group because it's much safer that way."
Of course, that was the safer course. But since I had a weird system with me that forced me to become evil, I thought that I'd just be a danger to my companions. Not to mention that I had to lie about my stats and class and all the other stuff when I was in a group.
Soarsie's blue eyes then turned wary and slightly frightened as she sized me. "What about you?"
I retold what happened to me but excluded the system. I'd tell Soarsie about it later when we're alone for safe measures.
"Is that so?" Jane pinched her chin. "So you're planning goblin extermination to get a letter to enter towns?"
I nodded. "I'm also planning on grinding since I'm out of gil."
"Who knew that the cost of living here was so high?" Luke's face was bothered.
I told them that it was expensive but didn't say the exact amount since it might differ from me because of the system.
"What are we going to do?" Soarsie asked.
It was the first time that I saw her face wrinkled in worry. She was always optimistic. We've both had the exact circumstances of feeding our family at a young age and giving up our education to support our siblings.
We met at a convenience store at work before I moved to the construction site for a much higher salary because I planned to save and settle with her.
"I think the best and safer course for now is to get that quest for the letter and grind together," suggested Luke. He then looked me in the eyes. "Maybe there are other quests in the village as well? And Maybe the 1000 gil is for the room, and we could chip in for the night?"
The others' faces brightened. Luke was indeed a leader material.
When they asked how much was the inn, I pretended that I had forgotten but gave them the exact number as an estimate.
"I'm sorry," I said, "I didn't ask if it's per person. And as for the quests, I planned to ask the other inhabitants after getting the letter. I was too excited for my first quest that I ran straight here."
I only hope that my lie was believable. I was never good at lying. Soarsie might have noticed the subtle clues, but I bet Jane and Luke didn't.
. . . I hope.
I couldn't tell them that I was afraid I might be kicked to death with my low relationship level with the inhabitants. That was why I hadn't talked to them.
Some things were best left unsaid.
"Let just hope it's the room," sighed Jane.
"If worse comes to worst, we could just sleep in here and take turns to watch," said Luke
We agreed and went back to Euclid village. Somehow I found myself in a group now, which felt nice. I was happy for once ever since I got here.
Soarsie and I held hands as we told each other what had happened. I was in a jolly mood since I found one of my family this early.
Until the system interrupted my mood, that is.
‖ E V I L S Y S T E M
M A I N Q U E S T ‖
❶ Make Amara Goldstein's fall in love with you and smash her heart to pieces
Rewards:
+100, 000 EXP
❷ Destroy Euclid Village
Rewards:
+50, 000 EXP
Evil Eye
Evil Village Blueprint
S-Grade Token x 1
A-Grade Token x 1
B-Grade Token x 1
❸ Get your First Evil Minion
Rewards:
+10, 000 EXP
❹ Brake up with your girlfriend
Rewards:
+10,000 EXP
Egg (?)
‖ E N D ‖