The day started very busily in the crowded center of the city. Members of Bushido, alongside me and William, were preparing to head out to the city center. They had a single cart, just like us. I didn't take mine, since all our equipment could easily fit on Will's. I just picked the basic stuff, pudao, knife, and the shitty backpack I made a long time ago, filled with a few empty bottles.
I filled them with water, then bought some provisions, torches, and other necessary stuff. With that, I was ready to go.
- Peter-san - Nobuo greeted me. - We are ready to go.
- Morning. Us too - I glanced at Will, who just nodded in silence.
- Good. Let's go then.
In this manner, we headed out as a group of around thirty people. I had no idea if all of them were members of Adachi's group. Their attire varied a bit. Some were wearing traditional Japanese attire down to straw shoes. Had katanas, wakizashis, sometimes naginatas. Other rocked more common style with just leather armors, swords or spears. Some even had shields.
Nobuo caught me looking at people and quickly explained:
- There are some people we allowed to join. All very honorable and trustworthy.
- I was just curious about the difference in appearance.
He chuckled a bit.
- Bushido is not about looks, but about honor. We are not cosplayers, but warriors.
- I know. I know.
His words made me feel like a fool. Of course, they were warriors. It was me who grew to underestimate other people just because of some losers that had to find a scapegoat to vent on because of their miserable lives.
- I heard you got attacked yesterday - Nobuo continued.
Those words grabbed Will's attention, as he looked at me with a mix of curiosity and worry painted all over his face.
- Just some asshole that got beaten by Nadia tried to get his revenge on me. Poisoned needle, nothing I just couldn't deal with ease.
- But you didn't catch him I heard.
- No.
- Then you should warn your women. He could target her.
- Fuck. Could you do me a favor, and send somebody? I can't really get close to Velvet Lotus because of Aisha.
Nobuo laughed shortly.
- Do not worry friend. Hatta and I dealt with this problem already, yesterday. That person was caught and warned. Hatta overreacted a bit, thinking the former leader of Wuxia, Blue, could be behind it, but I managed to calm him. Still, we broke three of that man's fingers.
- Thank you.
- You should thank Hatta not me. He even assigned some of his men to watch over the poor guy.
- I definitely will.
We continued still talking, but more about less important things.
Bushido cut the way for us to the wolves den, and we then continued on our own. After few hours we finally made it all the way to the silver door and took a moment to rest.
- I don't want to tell you what to do Peter, but you should never let that guy who tried to kill you just go - Will started out of nowhere, sitting on the floor with a piece of bread in his hands.
I couldn't really see his face in the dim light provided by the torch haphazardly tied to one of his cart's handles.
- Yeah, I know... Yesterday I wanted to use it to make them feel like I'm invincible, but today... It was just stupid.
- Yeah.
- But what else should I do? Kill the guy?
- No, but break his legs or something for sure.
- Maybe that's a solution, but still, he could return and try again. Or just change targets to somebody I care for.
- Yeah, I know. It's starting to become a real shitshow. Maybe we really need to start taking radical reactions. Aisha is really pulling our legs here.
- We need to figure out how to make peace with her after Blue is gone.
- Yes, definitely. But it will be hard. Even if we manage to do it cleanly, she is gonna suspect you.
- I know. Maybe I should fuck off to Uhm's? Leave this place for good.
- Yeah... That's never gonna happen Peter. Let's be honest here. None of us can just ignore the stuff we can do with the device. Did you actually know that nobody is signing up to live with the Uhm's? I asked Hatta about it recently. Zero people signed up to leave. None. Nada.
I chuckled a bit. I could actually understand all of them. The potential the sapling was giving us seemed limitless.
- By the way. I noticed something about newcomers - Will continued. - They all look really fucking good. They are using points to improve their looks. can you believe it?
- What's wrong with that?
- Nothing, but would you waste your first points to get prettier, when you could actually get stronger, and make earning more way easier? If you have a lot, then you can dump them into your jawline, or nose.
I just nodded. I really agreed with him, but also were not really interested in this pointless talk. Will didn't feel discouraged about my silence and kept ranting. Eventually, though he shut up, and some more time later our break ended.
I guess we were both nervous about the upcoming fight, just dealt with it in different ways. I preferred silence while he had to talk.
We entered the boss room, and the fight started soon after. It was a bloodbath just like before, but this time we didn't get caught off guard as much as previously. Still, the werewolf was a heavy hitter, so we had to pay a lot of attention to dodging. Every our hit healed almost immediately, so it all turned into a war of attrition pretty damn soon.
The floor yet again got drenched in blood, but the boss eventually fell. This time Will actually had a position to finish him with the final blow, but he didn't, so the fight continued for couple more minutes, until I eventually got my shot, and cut the werewolf's head off.
That was actually the only way of killing it we knew about.
Very tired, we slowly made our way outside, just to meet with Bushido, patiently waiting for us by the entrance to the cave.
- I guess the fight was bad - started Nobuo, looking at both of us.
We were drenched in sweat, but no blood, since it all turned to smoke, alongside the boss. I was pulling the cart but just stopped a few steps in front of Adachi.
- You guessed correctly - Will answered.
- Is the boss that strong? How does it look?
- It's a fucking werewolf - I said - And it's very strong. It would kill all of you guys. No offense.
- None taken. I know very well how strong you are Peter-san.
- We both are more or less the same - I pointed briefly at Will with my thumb. - And we are having a really hard time. That thing can heal just as fast as we can damage it, so we have to tire it down. Make it bleed. Then wait for an opportunity to do one finishing blow.
Nobuo nodded slowly.
- I'll remember that, and use it when we finally get strong enough to hunt for such a big pray.
- You do. You do - Will said, passing by him, and patting him on the shoulder slightly.
Adachi smiled.
- Let's head back.
On that command, I grabbed the handles of the cart and started walking. A few hours later, we were back at the city center, selling our score. I only got 188 crystals, and the boss one ended this time in Will's hands. I left myself three of those and sold the rest for 46 250 points.
Then I browsed thru my classes to check if I can find any fancy combination with the summoner one. One particularly grabbed my attention, because again, it was a mix of the special class I bought. A Shadow Baron class.
To get it, and not lose any points I had to get 10 more class points, for a total of 11. I really wanted this one, or the Shadow soldier, just out of curiosity. There was also a potential of them being very useful in the assassination of Blue. I quickly made up my mind.
I left the device after getting some food, to allow the others to do some shopping and went to talk with Nobuo.
- Hey, could you do me a favor?
- Of course - he answered almost immediately. - But be reasonable Peter-san.
- I just need somebody to get this to Nadia - I showed the three crystals. - I can't really go there without annoying Aisha. I'll buy you a beer, or a bottle of sake.
He smiled a bit.
- It's fine. I was gonna go there anyway. My men need a bit of a break, and there is no better place than Velvet Lotus.
- That's probably because it's the only place.
He laughed. I gave him the crystals, and we parted ways. A quick exchange of words with Will about tomorrow's hunt, and I was on my way home.
The day came to an end with 356 961 points remaining on my account.
The day started very busily in the crowded center of the city. Members of Bushido, alongside me and William, were preparing to head out to the city center. They had a single cart, just like us. I didn't take mine, since all our equipment could easily fit on Will's. I just picked the basic stuff, pudao, knife, and the shitty backpack I made a long time ago, filled with a few empty bottles.
I filled them with water, then bought some provisions, torches, and other necessary stuff. With that, I was ready to go.
- Peter-san - Nobuo greeted me. - We are ready to go.
- Morning. Us too - I glanced at Will, who just nodded in silence.
- Good. Let's go then.
In this manner, we headed out as a group of around thirty people. I had no idea if all of them were members of Adachi's group. Their attire varied a bit. Some were wearing traditional Japanese attire down to straw shoes. Had katanas, wakizashis, sometimes naginatas. Other rocked more common style with just leather armors, swords or spears. Some even had shields.
Nobuo caught me looking at people and quickly explained:
- There are some people we allowed to join. All very honorable and trustworthy.
- I was just curious about the difference in appearance.
He chuckled a bit.
- Bushido is not about looks, but about honor. We are not cosplayers, but warriors.
- I know. I know.
His words made me feel like a fool. Of course, they were warriors. It was me who grew to underestimate other people just because of some losers that had to find a scapegoat to vent on because of their miserable lives.
- I heard you got attacked yesterday - Nobuo continued.
Those words grabbed Will's attention, as he looked at me with a mix of curiosity and worry painted all over his face.
- Just some asshole that got beaten by Nadia tried to get his revenge on me. Poisoned needle, nothing I just couldn't deal with ease.
- But you didn't catch him I heard.
- No.
- Then you should warn your women. He could target her.
- Fuck. Could you do me a favor, and send somebody? I can't really get close to Velvet Lotus because of Aisha.
Nobuo laughed shortly.
- Do not worry friend. Hatta and I dealt with this problem already, yesterday. That person was caught and warned. Hatta overreacted a bit, thinking the former leader of Wuxia, Blue, could be behind it, but I managed to calm him. Still, we broke three of that man's fingers.
- Thank you.
- You should thank Hatta not me. He even assigned some of his men to watch over the poor guy.
- I definitely will.
We continued still talking, but more about less important things.
Bushido cut the way for us to the wolves den, and we then continued on our own. After few hours we finally made it all the way to the silver door and took a moment to rest.
- I don't want to tell you what to do Peter, but you should never let that guy who tried to kill you just go - Will started out of nowhere, sitting on the floor with a piece of bread in his hands.
I couldn't really see his face in the dim light provided by the torch haphazardly tied to one of his cart's handles.
- Yeah, I know... Yesterday I wanted to use it to make them feel like I'm invincible, but today... It was just stupid.
- Yeah.
- But what else should I do? Kill the guy?
- No, but break his legs or something for sure.
- Maybe that's a solution, but still, he could return and try again. Or just change targets to somebody I care for.
- Yeah, I know. It's starting to become a real shitshow. Maybe we really need to start taking radical reactions. Aisha is really pulling our legs here.
- We need to figure out how to make peace with her after Blue is gone.
- Yes, definitely. But it will be hard. Even if we manage to do it cleanly, she is gonna suspect you.
- I know. Maybe I should fuck off to Uhm's? Leave this place for good.
- Yeah... That's never gonna happen Peter. Let's be honest here. None of us can just ignore the stuff we can do with the device. Did you actually know that nobody is signing up to live with the Uhm's? I asked Hatta about it recently. Zero people signed up to leave. None. Nada.
I chuckled a bit. I could actually understand all of them. The potential the sapling was giving us seemed limitless.
- By the way. I noticed something about newcomers - Will continued. - They all look really fucking good. They are using points to improve their looks. can you believe it?
- What's wrong with that?
- Nothing, but would you waste your first points to get prettier, when you could actually get stronger, and make earning more way easier? If you have a lot, then you can dump them into your jawline, or nose.
I just nodded. I really agreed with him, but also were not really interested in this pointless talk. Will didn't feel discouraged about my silence and kept ranting. Eventually, though he shut up, and some more time later our break ended.
I guess we were both nervous about the upcoming fight, just dealt with it in different ways. I preferred silence while he had to talk.
We entered the boss room, and the fight started soon after. It was a bloodbath just like before, but this time we didn't get caught off guard as much as previously. Still, the werewolf was a heavy hitter, so we had to pay a lot of attention to dodging. Every our hit healed almost immediately, so it all turned into a war of attrition pretty damn soon.
The floor yet again got drenched in blood, but the boss eventually fell. This time Will actually had a position to finish him with the final blow, but he didn't, so the fight continued for couple more minutes, until I eventually got my shot, and cut the werewolf's head off.
That was actually the only way of killing it we knew about.
Very tired, we slowly made our way outside, just to meet with Bushido, patiently waiting for us by the entrance to the cave.
- I guess the fight was bad - started Nobuo, looking at both of us.
We were drenched in sweat, but no blood, since it all turned to smoke, alongside the boss. I was pulling the cart but just stopped a few steps in front of Adachi.
- You guessed correctly - Will answered.
- Is the boss that strong? How does it look?
- It's a fucking werewolf - I said - And it's very strong. It would kill all of you guys. No offense.
- None taken. I know very well how strong you are Peter-san.
- We both are more or less the same - I pointed briefly at Will with my thumb. - And we are having a really hard time. That thing can heal just as fast as we can damage it, so we have to tire it down. Make it bleed. Then wait for an opportunity to do one finishing blow.
Nobuo nodded slowly.
- I'll remember that, and use it when we finally get strong enough to hunt for such a big pray.
- You do. You do - Will said, passing by him, and patting him on the shoulder slightly.
Adachi smiled.
- Let's head back.
On that command, I grabbed the handles of the cart and started walking. A few hours later, we were back at the city center, selling our score. I only got 188 crystals, and the boss one ended this time in Will's hands. I left myself three of those and sold the rest for 46 250 points.
Then I browsed thru my classes to check if I can find any fancy combination with the summoner one. One particularly grabbed my attention, because again, it was a mix of the special class I bought. A Shadow Baron class.
To get it, and not lose any points I had to get 10 more class points, for a total of 11. I really wanted this one, or the Shadow soldier, just out of curiosity. There was also a potential of them being very useful in the assassination of Blue. I quickly made up my mind.
I left the device after getting some food, to allow the others to do some shopping and went to talk with Nobuo.
- Hey, could you do me a favor?
- Of course - he answered almost immediately. - But be reasonable Peter-san.
- I just need somebody to get this to Nadia - I showed the three crystals. - I can't really go there without annoying Aisha. I'll buy you a beer, or a bottle of sake.
He smiled a bit.
- It's fine. I was gonna go there anyway. My men need a bit of a break, and there is no better place than Velvet Lotus.
- That's probably because it's the only place.
He laughed. I gave him the crystals, and we parted ways. A quick exchange of words with Will about tomorrow's hunt, and I was on my way home.
The day came to an end with 356 961 points remaining on my account.
