Chapter 25: Beginner’s Request 5
Chapter 25: Beginner's Request 5
The Horned Wolf lure that Han Se-ah had created based on online strategies turned out to be more effective than she had anticipated.
The hunt continued until the evening, and they were able to find an additional 5 Horned Wolves. Han Se-ah's luck also resulted in a substantial number of drops.
Drops included rare items like the eyes of the 4 Horned Wolves, which are typically hard to come by. They also obtained 5 horns, usually dropped one at a time, along with a large quantity of hides, fangs, and claws. The rewards far exceeded the short duration of the hunt.
"Out of the 6 wolves, four dropped eyes. We also got five horns."
When considering the earnings from the Golden Foxtail and Cotton Tuft Grass requests, as well as the lowest-grade magic stones, the total would amount to around 70 copper coins.
However, from this Horned Wolf hunt alone, they earned an impressive 6 silver coins and 32 copper coins. If you view it as 632 copper coins, their income had increased nearly ninefold.
Such an increase in earnings for just a one-floor difference was astonishing. It's no wonder that hunting Horned Wolves is seen as the path from being a novice adventurer to gaining recognition as an intermediate adventurer.
Han Se-ah was able to shed her novice status in just three days.
"Hanna! How are you so skilled at casting magic?"
A slightly intoxicated Grace tightly hugged Han Se-ah with her ample bosom. Han Se-ah had skillfully blocked a wolf's charge, then she shattered the its skull with a magic missile.
Grace, too, was able to hit the heart of a Horned Wolf with an arrow after Han Se-ah startled it by zapping its nose with a spark spell.
She had also used the light spell to temporarily blind a charging Horned Wolf, causing it to stumble.
Her ability to apply magic in combat was extraordinary for someone only on their third day.
"We obtained so many drops, all thanks to our fortunate leader!"
"Hey, you're the one who tracked the Horned Wolf, so it's thanks to you as well."
"You're too kind!"
After leaving the tower and dividing the spoils, Grace's earnings amounted to 2 silver coins. After deducting my share and dividing it, I was left with approximately 3 silver coins and 15 copper coins.
When we went herb gathering, our highest earnings were usually around 40-50 copper coins, so our daily income had increased sixfold.
Grace, who had come to the city of adventurers hoping to see me again, came from a poor rural village.
Considering her financial situation, wouldn't Han Se-ah be the most lovable person in the world to her?
If you meet a new colleague at work and your income increases sixfold thanks to them, anyone in the world would like them.
"For our genius witch, Hanna!"
"Oh, sis, please!"
Grace's shout echoed loudly. She leaned her ample chest on the table, swinging her empty glass in the air.
Subtly, the other patrons, who were engrossed in their conversations, turned their attention toward us.
Of course, the employees at the Lucky Scoundrel were beautiful, but they couldn't compare to a 3 Gacha character.
I was sitting quietly at the table, so no one was coming to bother us, but they were all looking in our direction.
"And also our knight!"
"If you call me a knight, people might misunderstand."
"Well, if I call you a knight, then you're a knight!"
She was completely different from when she pretended to be drunk and nestled in my arms last time. She was so lively, witty, and cheerful that it was almost annoying.
Yet, Hanna, with a bright smile, managed to tolerate the clingy Grace.
Feeling content just by watching, I didn't want to interrupt. Hanna, seemingly asking for my help, glanced at me.
I pretended not to notice and turned my attention to the forum.
-??? : Heroes Chronicle is a really challenging game.
-It looks intense on camera.
-Drunk Grace Meme.GIF
-Why is this game rated 19+?
-So, what is Roland's skill?
The most talked-about person was a male streamer. He had been killed by a Horned Wolf and was currently being ridiculed, but no one was mentioning his name.
XXX, ???, and other nicknames like Wolf Food and Dog Food were used to refer to him.
It seems he was someone who closely followed in Han Se-ah's footsteps and is a person with amazing gaming skills.
Of course, the comments were not meant to be serious, but rather, his scream when he died was so amusing that it became a meme.
Among the chaotic posts, I clicked on a title that caught my attention.
-So, what is Roland's skill?
-[Horned Wolf Victim.JPG]
-[Kim Seok-hyun being skewered and rolled by the Horned Wolf.GIF]
Of course, other 4 NPC tanks could easily block a Horned Wolf.
But how did the wolf die when he blocked it using his bare hands?
Why the hell did BB Games make a status window but not a skill window?
He said he made a mistake in adjusting his strength properly, it's just overpowered stats.
Does that even make sense?
Then does the flying goblin make sense?
This game is so stupid, it shows stats but not skills.
You pick based on stars and stats, and then there are gacha rolls again in the skill window. Trash, lol.
Give Seok-hyun a break, lol. That gif is being plastered everywhere.
As the number of viewers increased, so did the number of people using the forum.
There were significantly more comments than last time. Most of the increased comments were making fun of the streamer named Kim Seok-hyun.
The man known as Kim Seok-hyun faced an oncoming wolf with a one-handed sword and a round buckler.
With a low posture, he placed the buckler precisely against the charging horn. However, a mere 30 cm diameter small shield couldn't possibly fend off the charge of a beast.
The horn and shield collided, the wrist bent to the side, the charge didn't stop, and the man was impaled through the abdomen.
To protect the player, the screen turned black as he turned into dust, just like a monster, marking the end of the video clip.
Hmm, so when a player dies, does the game reset to that morning? That's valuable information.
Anyway, it's absurd that the skills are random.
I'm not sure if the players still don't know how to check the NPCs' skills, or if BB Games hasn't patched it, or if they never intend to show it.
What's certain is that neither I, Han Se-ah, nor the viewers watching know what my skills are.
"Roland! Your glass is empty!"
"Hmm?"
While I was leaning on the table, engrossed in the forum, a glass of alcohol was suddenly placed in front of my eyes. Grace, having left a spiritless Han Se-ah, now clung to my side.
Judging by Han Se-ah muttering 'sexual harassment, ban, lawsuit, NPC' among the noisy crowd, it seems the increased viewership has resulted in a lot of inappropriate comments about Grace.
She's so busy the camera is no longer moving.
"Hmm, or do you need a woman by your side for the alcohol to go down? Our lecherous knight."
She was swaying drunkenly, leaning on me, trying to pour me a drink with an empty glass. From the empty glass she held came a sweet yet strong smell of alcohol.
With her thickened wallet, did she order expensive liquor out of curiosity instead of the cheap, bland one?
A lifetime beer and soju drinker drinking 40-proof liquor like beer, of course she would get this drunk.
She pulled a chair next to me and sat down, but her upper body was swaying as if she would fall off the chair. She might have some stability if she put her heavy chest on the table, but she kept raising her glass in her drunken state, which was the problem.
As she raised her glass, her upper body leaned back, and there was no way she could maintain balance while drunk. Wrapping my arm around Grace's waist, who was about to fall backward again, I supported her so she wouldn't fall. Wooden chairs without backrests were uncomfortable at times like these.
"Hanna? If you're drunk too, why don't we all head back to our rooms?"
"Ah, um, what?!"
With my left hand still around Grace's waist, I snapped my right fingers to grab Han Se-ah's attention.
While I didn't mind her drinking to celebrate, I had no intention of dealing with a fully wasted drunk.
If she was moderately drunk, I might considered going back together, but she was too drunk.
"Hanna...? Your glass is empty! What are the employees doing"
Stumbling out of my embrace, Grace turned back to Han Se-ah. Apparently, Grace's drunk tendencies leaned towards hugging anyone and everyone.
Han Se-ah's face, clearly taken aback by such an unabashed display of friendliness, was comically flustered.
But perhaps the alcohol had finally hit, as Grace quieted, her head resting on Han Se-ah's arm.
Han Se-ah quietly placed her drink down.
"Just because we've succeeded in hunting the Horned Wolves doesn't mean we'll immediately go to the 11th floor. We need to stay on the 10th floor for a while, hunt Horned Wolves, and gather materials. Given Grace's condition, we might even need a day of rest."
"Is the 11th floor much more dangerous?"
"It's not just about the danger, but also about establishing our party's reputation. By consistently providing the byproducts of Horned Wolves, we can build a name for ourselves. Once we start receiving personal requests, it will show that we are recognized as intermediate adventurers."
Like how I generously tip with gold coins and present valuable weapons to fans who have shown me kindness, Han Se-ah's party also needs to establish their own reputation.
Right now, they're known more as a novice party fostered by Paladin Roland, rather than as the party of Mage Hanna.
A party of adventurers capable of consistently hunting Horned Wolves would be more reliable than a novice party that has caught the interest of Paladin Roland.
"The reason I gave you the lantern for up to the 10th floor is the same. With my abilities, I could take you directly to the 43rd floor exploration camp. But doing so would make your journey as adventurers meaningless."
This is my opinion as a gamer from my previous life and as a warrior who has been fighting for the past 10 years.
There's no point in skipping ahead and dropping Han Se-ah at the top of the tower like a boosted character. My role should stop at helping them skip the lower floors, and from the 11th floor onwards, they should grow just like everyone else.
Later on, when undiscovered bosses appear in the tower, it will be Player Han Se-ah's role to respond.
"So, while establishing our guild's reputation by hunting Horned Wolves, you should also save the rewards to prepare for buying intermediate adventurer's gear. This applies to Grace's gear and yours, which is second-hand from the guild."
"Will we attract better companions if we make a name for our party by hunting Horned Wolves?"
"Of course. The difference in caliber between those who apply to a party whose main activity is herb gathering and one whose main activity is hunting Horned Wolves is enormous."
Han Se-ah, who had a strong competitive spirit, seemed to have found a goal in my words, her eyes sparkling with determination.
It's fortunate that she didn't insist on some ridiculous plan like starting from the 43rd floor.
***
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