Chapter 7: Off to The Low Danger Zone
As Nith and Kyouka emerged from the underground road's threshold, they were momentarily blinded by the sun. A fresh breeze brushed past their noses, and the sounds of harmless animals scampering between the tall trees on either side welcomed them back to the outside world.
The gravel road ahead extended toward the main thoroughfare accessible to everyone. Once the duo stepped onto it, the vista of the countryside unfolded before their eyes, with wooden cottages and farms stretching out behind them. Commoners were hard at work, sweating under the sun.
It was here that Kyouka's store would fit best. It would still stand out due to its larger size and upper floors, but it was nonetheless the ideal place for her business.
When Nith pointed this out to her, she laughed and said it would be much easier for poor people to come to the main street than for nobles to walk all the way out here.
He couldn't argue with that.
"About time you told me where your stuff is!" Kyouka said once they had passed the border of the countryside and entered the wilderness.
She had a backpack slung over her shoulder, filled with necessities for surviving in the wild: potions, food, a tent, spare clothes, and something she had to keep hidden from Nith at all costs. Those were the essentials for this one-day adventure.
In contrast, Nith wore a simple black shirt and pants, carrying nothing else. The way he walked hunched beside Kyouka, with his hands in his pockets and his natural expression that of an irritable man forced out of his basement, made him look like someone disgruntled by the world.
The contrast between them might have amused many, but it was clear to anyone who looked that there was a good rapport between them. Because of this, no one troubled the duo.
Nith harrumphed and raised his hand toward Kyouka. "Here we go. The first surprise of today."
[You have invited Kyouka ******** to your party.]
As the status message sprang into view, Kyouka jumped back, startled. She stared at the invitation with wide eyes, looking like an adorable scientist who had just witnessed a miracle.
It couldn't really be called a miracle, but the skill to manipulate the status system beyond its standard capabilities was close to a miraculous ability.
[Kyouka has joined your party.]
[You're able to see each other's status.]
[You can see Kyouka's location on the minimap.]
[Would you like to bless Kyouka with your minimap's skill? (The party member will be able to use it as long as she's in the party.)]
[Yes.]
[Kyouka is now able to use the minimap and help you expand it!]
"What in the world is this?" Kyouka muttered as the minimap appeared in the corner of her vision.
So far, the minimap didn't have much content on it. Other than the road the duo had taken to get to their current location and everything else they had seen with their eyes, the rest of the map remained pitch-black, waiting to be explored.
However, this feature had more potential than it seemed at first glance.
Kyouka noticed foreign entities on the minimap. They were other people on the road, passing by and moving ahead. She saw them both with her eyes and on the minimap.
Nith, however, glanced behind and saw another group approaching. This group also appeared on their minimap!
Beside the minimap, two avatars representing Nith and Kyouka could be seen. Green dots on them indicated that their lives weren't in danger. Yellow warned of injuries and blood loss, while a red dot signified life-threatening injuries. Black represented death, which Nith hoped never to see.
In a nutshell, they now had the ability to monitor each other's status.
'I can't ask for more,' Nith thought. 'This is a very useful skill that enables better cooperation and higher productivity. Things we might miss with our eyes alone should also pop up on the minimap.'
"Hey, Nith!" Kyouka pushed her face so close to his that their noses brushed. "You're so awesome! Do you know that people with abilities to alter or expand the status system are highly sought after by everyone?! You could even earn a noble title! Ah, I was so shocked, but now I'm so hyped for you!"
Nith grimaced.
His bitter expression caused Kyouka to back away a few steps.
She didn't know that Nith had been born into a noble house and had been kicked out of the main house until he decided to leave on his own to start a new life. He had never told her, but the thought of becoming a noble again turned his stomach.
"I don't know what the future holds. I'm not leaving your store anytime soon—at least for the next few weeks," Nith said, unknowingly making Kyouka's heart skip a beat. "I have SSS skills, so I need to rank up to make them stronger or use other titles to draw more power from them, right?"
"Yes," Kyouka nodded, her eyes sparkling.
Nith closed his eyes but could still see her face in his mind as he thought aloud. "Which means I need to focus on three paths: becoming stronger, poisons, and medicine."
Kyouka clenched her fists and threw them up in excitement, causing Nith's attention to be momentarily stolen by certain bouncing details.
"Potions are the best medicine!" she screamed, smiling.
"Yeah, they're the best," Nith replied sarcastically, despite his mind being preoccupied with something else.
Two hours later, the forest around them changed. Their destination unfolded before them—The Low Danger Zone, known as Swamp Islands.
"Wait, you haven't told me where your stuff is!" Kyouka exclaimed.
"I have it in my inventory," Nith replied. "A spatial storage of sorts."
"…I'm jealous now," Kyouka pouted, puffing out her cheeks.
Nith sneered. "Feels good."