The person who died was a player called Jason, Level 46.
He was a solo player, and his corpse was found lying in the middle of the road near the Magic Forest.
This was a serious issue. It was the first time someone had died, and the town was thrown into chaos.
Hunter and Schnee observed the situation from afar using a telescope. They didn't try to intervene, as they had no clue about what was going on.
The man's death was an eye-opener for the players. They realized that they weren't safe anymore, and the consequences of dying were real.
"Well, damn." Hunter said, shaking his head. "It's really a life or death situation."
Schnee sighed. "Yeah, it's scary. We have to be careful."
Thankfully, they had considered the possibility of death and had stocked up on healing items and ingredients to make them. The stock in the market was limited, and the price had skyrocketed overnight.
Hunter looked at the crowd that had gathered around the body. "Do you think we should investigate the cause of death? Or should we just be careful and ignore the fact that's clearly not a goblin's doing."
Schnee pondered for a moment.
"Let's look into it. If it's an accident, then we can relax. But if it's PK, then..."
Her lips curled into a crescent smile.
"...then we have a real threat to worry about."
Hunter didn't feel too optimistic about the situation. PKing was common in MMO games. It wasn't like this was the first time, but this was a different story. Now killing someone would not result in a temporary death, but in actual death.
It was a scary thought.
They had to investigate this and find the root of the problem. Not for the others, but for their own safety. The question was...
"How?" He muttered, putting the telescope back into his inventory. "We shouldn't be known for investigating this or else we will become the killer's target. That would be troublesome."
Schnee nodded. "Agreed. Let's be discreet and gather information."
They headed back to the inn, formulating a plan.
Their first move was to buy information from a group of information brokers, who sold information to anyone for a price. They were pretty famous back in the game, and they apparently still operated now.
The broker's name was Dirk, and he had a long scar on his face. Hunter had his name saved in his friend list because he had helped the guild back in the day when it was still new.
Dirk was a shady character, but he was reliable.
"Can we trust him?" Schnee asked.
"No, we should still be wary." Hunter said, walking up to the meeting place they agreed after calling Dirk. "But he's a good source of information, so we can use him for now."
"I see."
They found Dirk sitting at a table in a quiet corner of the tavern. When he noticed their presence, he pulled his hood toward a certain direction, gesturing for them to sit in that place instead of the same table as him.
The table had a mirror, so they could see the person's face clearly.
"It's been a long time, Hunter." Dirk said in a distorted voice. "Sorry, but my voice has been like this since I arrived. It's because of my Subclass, Performer. I don't know how to turn it off yet."
"That's fine. It's good to see you again, Dirk." Hunter said, sitting next to Schnee.
"Likewise." He smiled. "So, what brings you here?"
"Information. We need your help."
Dirk nodded. "About this morning?"
The broker knew about the dead player, so they didn't have to explain the situation. It was big news that everyone knew about.
"We want to know the cause of his death." Schnee explained. "Was it a monster or another player? We can't say for sure, so we need information."
"True. This is a serious matter." Dirk said, folding his arms. "Well, I have a few informants, so I can give you a rough idea of what happened. But it will cost you."
Knowing how Dirk worked, Hunter didn't mind about it. But, there was a problem.
"How much?"
"That, I don't know." Dirk said, stroking his chin. "To be honest, there is no market price yet. The market for information is not well established yet, and no one knows how to measure its value. Therefore, it will be a case-by-case basis. We also can't use the one back in the game as a base. This world is different now."
"That's true."
Different worlds meant different rules. Hunter couldn't deny that.
"So, how about we negotiate based on a set amount of gold?" Schnee suggested. "For example, decide how much you want based on how much gold can sustain you. 30 Golds are enough to last for a day, including lodging and three meals. We will base it on that."
"Hmm." Dirk nodded. "I don't see a problem with that. This information is worth 10 days of meals and lodging, then. Which means, it will cost you 300 Golds."
"Is the information that valuable?" Hunter asked, surprised.
"Well, the information is worth a lot in the current situation. So, yes, I would say it's very valuable."
For information, 30 Golds coins weren't that much for Level 80 players. Killing 10 goblins or selling a few wild animals could earn them 30 Gold coins.
But with this information about not reviving after death and the danger of PKing, the Gold coins were now worth more. The danger of collecting them had increased.
Hunter glanced at Schnee, and she nodded.
"Alright. Let's do it."
After they paid, Dirk told them everything he knew.
According to his informant, the death was caused by another player. When they heard that, Hunter and Schnee looked at each other with a serious expression. Tense and anxiety filled the air between them.
"So, a PK, huh." Hunter muttered. "That's not good."
Schnee nodded. "Yes, it's a real problem."
If the problem was a monster, then it was just a matter of hunting it down. But if it was a player, then the situation became much more dangerous.
In this kind of situation when people were desperate and afraid, they were willing to do anything to survive. Even killing another player.
However...
"No, it's not a PK."
Dirk said, his eyes focused on a small notebook in his hand.
"Huh?"
Hunter looked at him, puzzled.
"According to the information, the attack was not deliberate. It was an accident. The player was attacked by a group of monsters, and the damage was fatal. The victim died of blood loss."
"Accident?" Schnee asked.
"Yes, a terrible accident. The victim was unlucky, as the monsters were unusually strong and aggressive. His armor was damaged, and he was unable to run away." Dirk explained, "Panicking, his friend activated a skill, but it hit him instead. And that's how the tragedy happened."
"Wow, that's bad luck." Hunter muttered, rubbing his forehead. "But that still doesn't solve the problem."
"True. The fact that someone died is still a concern." Schnee agreed, leaning back in her chair. "And if that's the case, we can't ignore the fact that there might be other accidents. Or many accidents."
She repeated the accident part while frowning.
"If that's all, please excuse me. I have another client waiting for me." Dirk said, standing up. "Feel free to contact me again if you need information."
He walked away, his figure fading into the distance.
"Now, what do we do?" Hunter asked, folding his arms. "We have this information about this certain 'friend' of the victim. Dirk said it was an accident, but..."
"That can't be the case." Schnee finished Hunter's sentence.
"Maybe Dirk didn't know, but I know better. If this friend really activated his skill, his body would move toward the designated target without exception. Trying to move away will only make an unbalanced move, just like what happened to me."
Hunter nodded.
A Summoner and Mage had it easier to use their skills. Unlike Warrior, Swordsmaster, and Knight who required to move their body, they only needed to point their staff toward the enemy and activate their skill.
Therefore, if the 'friend' used his skill, his body would move toward the monster instead of his friend. Therefore...
"This isn't an accident." Schnee concluded. "It's a PK. The 'friend' intentionally attacked the victim and made it look like an accident."
Hunter frowned.
"Why?"
"Revenge. Money. Fame. Who knows. But we have to be careful and stay alert. Because if the killer is targeting solo players without a guild, then we might be next."
'That's a problem.' Hunter sighed internally, his head throbbed with headache.