Hunter couldn't afford to be careless. He had to find out the killer's identity before he attacked again.
Still, 3 days had passed since the incident, marking a week since they arrived in this world. There was no progress. He didn't even know where to start looking for clues.
"Man, this is frustrating."
Hunter said, leaning against the large tree.
"Living while constantly worrying about death and the killer."
Schnee sat next to him, nodding. "True. It's like we're back to square one."
They had been trying to find information, but it was difficult.
All they could do was to train their coordination and skill to prepare for the worst. And Hunter had to admit, their progress was by far the fastest.
"You're improving."
"Thank you." Schnee smiled, swinging her spear. "You are too."
Their movements were smoother and more efficient, and they were able to fight without getting in each other's way. They had long gone since fighting Level 20 goblins and now challenging themselves against Level 35 Hobgoblins, bigger and scarier versions than the green monsters.
"Fast Thrust!"
Schnee charged at a group of five monsters, her spear glowing. Her body moved swiftly, the weapon piercing the enemies' bodies.
The Hobgoblins fell to the ground, their life fading away. Unlike players, the monsters' corpses immediately disappeared after dropping Gold coins and items.
"Nice." Hunter commented. He didn't even need his Golem to act as a distraction anymore.
"Thanks." She smirked. "I think we can go and fight Level 75 monsters and level up now. Though, I have to admit that it will be dangerous. We can't get too cocky."
"I know."
They took a short break, eating and drinking. Then, they returned to explore Magic Forest, exiting the sub-area called Hobgoblin Nest.
As they continued to explore, they encountered a group of players. The group consisted of a warrior-looking man, a bowman, and two people wearing robes.
They were chatting about something, but when they noticed Hunter and Schnee, their conversation stopped.
"Hey there."
The warrior-looking man waved, his armor clanking.
"What are you doing here?"
Based on his tone, the other party was clearly wary of Hunter and Schnee. They were also on guard, as if expecting an attack.
"Exploring. What about you?"
"Same. Trying to level up our new guild members." The bowman pointed at the two robed individuals, who waved back.
'A guild.' Hunter secretly noted the new information in his mind. 'They revealed it so we won't mess with them. Just like us, they knew the culprit of Jason's death was another player. Either that or… They suspected us.'
He wasn't surprised. It was natural to be on guard.
"We are just passing through. So, we will leave first."
"Okay. Good luck, and be careful."
The warrior nodded, and Hunter and Schnee left.
Hunter could still feel their gaze behind his back. His sense had been improved recently, so he knew that the others were still cautious.
"Do you think they will follow us?" Schnee whispered, looking around. An excited smile graced her beautiful face.
"Maybe."
"If they do, it will be fun. Right?"
Her voice was full of excitement and bloodlust. It was a bit frightening, but Hunter was used to it. And because he wanted to get used to this world and survive, mercy was something he decided to throw away.
"Let's see how good their skills are."
The two groups split up, their footsteps echoing through the forest.
Hunter and Schnee didn't notice the hooded individual watching them from afar, his red eyes gleaming in the shadows. This Rogue was looking at the two players leaving the forest before returning to his party of four.
"How is it?" The warrior asked.
"They are leaving, just as they said. It seems they aren't the people our guild is looking for."
He explained what he saw, and the others nodded.
"Alright, let's return to the city. Today's search is over."
They started walking, their weapons on their hips.
Although they said they were leveling up their new members, these players actually conducted a scouting mission. Their main objective was to find the killer who killed Jason, the dangerous individual who was killing other players without a reason.
The hooded Rogue was part of the big guild, and they were looking for the killer. However, they had no clue. The trail had gone cold, and no one knew the killer's identity.
One thing they knew was that the killer had someone to help them. That was why they suspected the two players they met earlier, thinking that they were the killers.
Without any result today, they returned to Granary City.
***
When Hunter and Schnee reached the entrance of the forest, the former looked back and sighed in relief.
"It looks like they didn't follow us."
"What a shame. We arrived at the city, and no one followed us. It's a boring day."
Schnee shrugged, looking disappointed.
Hunter didn't want to say anything, but he was happy they didn't encounter any trouble. They passed through a thin barrier of the city that kept monsters out and entered the bustling street. This barrier didn't only keep monsters away, but also prevented fighting.
When one showed hostility and drew their weapons inside the city, the safe area mechanic would activate and the said player would be struck by a lightning bolt.
Therefore, if someone wanted to PK inside the city, they had to find a secret spot and sneak up on their victim.
"Another day passed without anything significant happening." Schnee muttered, looking at the sky. "It's starting to get boring."
"Yeah. It's weird." Hunter said, walking alongside her. "Dirk also didn't have any information for us, so we have to wait for the killer to slip up or find a different clue."
"That's true."
They went to their usual inn and rented their rooms after saying goodbye in the lobby. Schnee said she would just sleep, while he still wanted to drink.
After showering, Hunter sat at the bar and ordered a beer.
The bartender, a middle-aged NPC, nodded and poured him a cup.
"Here."
"Thanks."
As he drank, he thought about the situation.
'Why is it taking so long? It's been a week. There must be a lead or something. I hate living while being afraid of the unknown.'
At that moment, he heard something crash into the tavern.
"What was that?"
The bartender rushed to the door, and Hunter followed him.
Outside, they saw a small figure lying on the ground.
It was a kid.
"Oh no."
Hunter immediately ran to him to see his condition. His inventory was stocked with many HP potions among other things, like bandages.
"Are you okay, kid?"
"Ah! Who are you calling a kid? I'm an adult!"
The small figure, which Hunter just assumed was a child, sat up and yelled. He had a high-pitched voice, but he looked like a man in his late teens, although his figure was short enough to be mistaken as a kid.
"I'm sorry. Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm fine. It's just a scratch."
The boy got up and wiped his clothes. Upon closer inspection, this boy was a player, a Level 50 Warrior. His name was Willy, and he had a sword strapped on his waist.
'Level 50, huh. Not bad. Leveling up is hard in this game, so he must've played for three months or so to reach that level.'
Hunter was curious why the boy had crashed into the tavern. But he didn't want to bother him, so he didn't ask.
"Well, sorry for bothering you. I'll be on my way."
The boy said, running off.
"Hmm."
Hunter shook his head and walked back to the tavern. There were many players with unique builds, so he shouldn't question it.
But still, something felt off. Hunter didn't usually inspect other players' information without their will, but he just did.
'Maybe I am just paranoid. I inspected his status and name just because I remembered about the incident and he also held a sword.'
He went back to the counter and ordered a refill. As he was about to drink, the door opened again. This time, it was a woman.
She was also a player, and she had a red cloak and a hood covering her face. She sat next to him, and the bartender gave her a cup of beer. Hunter took a glance at her before shaking his head.
'Damn, I really shouldn't look at everyone suspiciously.'
She was also an unusual player, but many people were like her since they were forcefully transported into this world. That was why he didn't even bother to inspect her information.
"Hey."
The woman spoke, her voice low and calm.
"What are you looking at?"
"Nothing."
Hunter replied, turning his attention back to his beer. He didn't want to get involved with her, as he was just paranoid.
As he finished his drink, he got up and said goodnight to the bartender. He went to his room and prepared to sleep.
'Maybe I should stop overthinking. Schnee made the correct decision by not being involved with anyone.'
He closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.
Meanwhile, in the bar, the mysterious woman was still drinking, her eyes glued to the entrance.
Her lips curled into a crescent smile as he saw a player enter the bar. He was a Warrior with a sword with a bad complexion, just an average player that could be found everywhere.
The man sat next to her, his expression grim.
"Hey, I'm glad you could make it." She said, "What kind of help do you need?"
Hearing the woman, the man looked around nervously and gulped.
"P-Please take me out of this city. I-I am in danger here."
"Oh, I see. That's not a problem."
The woman's smile widened.
"But it will cost you."