Chapter 9.

“Just stay still. I don’t think they have any intention to attack us first.”

“Okay... But explain it to me!”

Quest modified.

Trip to the Capital.

You have realized that the merchant union isn’t as innocent as it seems, nor is it working for the greater good. It is involved in smuggling prohibited items into the capital, for which the police have been tracking them and now have finally ambushed them on their path.

Help the police defeat the actual criminals.

Quest reward: Exp. The capital’s police will be slightly favorable towards you.

Quest will fail if the police force dispatched here, gets wiped out.

“But, how?”

I thought something like this would have happened. Quests can actually change midway.

“The dolls that the merchant was selling, remember?”

“Yeah.”

“They were hollow.”

“So, what?”

“They contained opioids or such a substance inside them.”

“What’s that?”

“Drugs basically.” Though it also has medical purposes. Which is why I was able to get a clue from the way it smelled. I encountered it a few times in the hospital.

I’ll have to give the game devs that. The whole experience is eerily realistic, for a game titled Un-reality. Right down to even how the objects smell.

“So, I realized they were trading something fishy and now that they tried to insist so hard that bandits are attacking them, I became sure that it’s definitely not bandits. There were also some minor suspicious movements on their part, looking back on it.”

Technically, it would have been incorrect to just assume that opioids would be banned in this world. After all this isn’t Earth.

But, they went through all that trouble to hide it inside wooden dolls. Definitely not a coincidence.

“That’s… Wow… I would have never been able to do such impressive deductive work. You’ll be a nice detective.”

Actually, I’d rather not take all the credit for that. The only reason I was able to make all those reasonings was because there was a similar episode in the series Detective Shinichi. Which I really like.

“Regardless. I think it was supposed to go this way- We would help them deal with the bandits now, but before entering the capital the police would attack once more and we’d realize that something suspicious is going on here, maybe by identifying the police or perhaps finally realizing that they’re smuggling prohibited stuff and then we’d get the quest to attack them instead, joining forces with the police.”

In the background, sounds of shouts come from the people fighting at the front of the caravan.

“So, we just reached that part quicker now?” She asks.

“Yeah.”

She lets out a sigh.

“No fighting then.”

“When did I say that?” I ask back, with a smile.

“What do you mean?”

“Of course, now that we realized what was off early, we have another choice.” Taking a pause, I continue.

“Go with the merchants for now and then take advantage of the knowledge we already have. Blackmail them perhaps. Or climb that corporate latter, though I’m leaning towards the former, of course.”

This wouldn’t have been possible if we realized this too late, like how I think it was originally supposed to go.

“I… Like that idea.” She responds with a grin.

“Okay, just beat them into a retreat. We don’t wanna kill them just yet, incase that blacklists us from entering the capital later down the road somehow.”

Though, in some cases holding back is harder than to just kill directly.

“We’re from the police. This merchant caravan is known to carry illegal substances into the capital. We’re here to stop that from happening-”

I stealthily take out Valentine, I’ve seen some videos on how to use a whip, it’s a swing basically, but then you jerk your hand back. “Get ready. Start on my cue.” I whisper to Vera, who responds with a nod.

“Since it looks like you are not a part of the criminals, we ask for your co-”

I swing out Valentine, it, flexible like a rope made of leather, instantly hits the person who was speaking, right in the chest. Who’s standing about 5 meters away. A pretty fine reach.

But there’s a problem, because it’s made of metal pieces like a sword, it doesn’t retract as fast, allowing the other person to get a hold of himself and charge forward with his sword. I should have practiced using this weapon…

I step back to avoid that attack and Vera takes out her weapons. A shield and a spear. Now I kind of get why it was called a guardian class.

A number popped above that guard’s HP bar, though I wasn’t able to see it properly, the bar decreased by a miniscule 3-4% from what I can tell. It should have increased damage because it counted as a sneak attack, but I turned those messages off. The only clue to know that now is the color of the number that pops up.

I whip Valentine out again, hitting that swordsman on the head, but he’s wearing a helmet, which lessens the damage considerably. But the tip of the sword curls around the helmet, pulling it off his head. Wow, that’s quite lucky.

Vera steps in front of me to defend against the charge from the 2 policemen, but the third one is apparently a bowman, he takes out his bow, or a short-bow more accurately, and fires a shot at me.

But somehow while retreating, my foot gets stuck on a rock, making me fall, so the shot misses. But the stone on the ground doesn’t miss and scratches my back.

HP -2

You have lost 10% of your HP, be careful.

What’s with this newly passive-aggressive system? Also, WHAT?! That fall caused me 2 HP damage and that’s 10% of my life?

I quickly get up before the bowman is able to shoot again.

This, this might be bad.

Vera seems to barely be able to handle the 2 others, so I sprint towards the bowman, another shot just barely missing my head because I ducked for running.

I can really only use the one skill that I know. I say “Not Weakness” under my breath, just as the bowman nocks another arrow.

Double-Edge used. (FS -50)

The sprint towards the bowman transforms into a shoulder charge, giving the bowman no time to respond as I crash into him.

You receive recoil damage. HP-10.

You have 60% or less of total HP left now.

It is advised to use any healing now, if possible.

The enemy is stunned for 5 seconds.

The skill was successful. The enemy suffers from shock and is disarmed. Unable to use his weapon for 20 seconds.

Oh wow, I feel slightly dizzy. Or maybe I just think that I should feel that way because my steps are unstable now as I move towards the collapsed bowman to finish him off.

I thrust Valentine into his head as he’s lying down his HP decreases fast as I continue with other short jabs.

Wait, what am I doing? Didn’t I plan to not kill them? It might result in severe problems later. His HP seems to be lower than 1/3rd anyways. Not in fighting condition anymore.

So, stepping over the person who’s continuously shaking his head, trying to perhaps shake the concussion away, I pick up the short-bow that he dropped, putting it in my inventory.

“Ha!”

I hear a distinctly feminine shout come from behind me. Vera is still holding off the 2 others. Both using short swords, giving her the advantage since she’s using a spear and a shield, allowing her to defend from them adequately. Her back is facing towards me, and she’s facing the rear of the caravan, it seems like she moved to this side in order to shield me as I rushed past the ‘front line’ to attack the bowman.

I quickly open the status menu, no time to waste since I have this opportunity for a breather.

Chris Val

Level: 20

HP: 8 of 20

MP: 40 of 40

FS: 110 of 160

Hit: 2-35 (Valentine equipped.)

Str: 25

Con: 1

Int: 4

Res: 3

Spd: 22

Crit: 3

Mov Spd: 100%

Luk: 42

…Show Details… (Currently unavailable.)

Ah, that explains quite a lot. The significant damage that I caused should be because of the strength, and the speed with which I was able to move was a little bit faster than previously, but my highest stat is Luck? Indeed, it really isn’t clear about what exactly it does.

So, the lowest stat being Constitution makes the attack be ‘Double-Edge’ or a body slam/shoulder charge. And it makes me suffer from recoil damage. It stuns the enemy and can disarm them too.

I’ll have to keep the movement in mind so that I’m able to use it again the next time my weakest stat is Constitution. Instead of having to call out the skill name which can take time.

Also, intriguing is that my Constitution may be 1 but my HP is 20, I think before my constitution was 11 and HP 110, so they don’t have a direct relation, at least not as simple as 1 Con is 10 HP.

These Stat details or hidden stats are starting to get more and more interesting…

As I’m able to get a break from the fight a little bit and calm my breathing down, I notice Vera start to get a little tired while fighting. I can see through the party menu that her HP has dropped to just a little more than a third or about 40%.

HP has been regenerated.

You now have 11 of 20 HP.

HP will regenerate slowly but not past 51% while in combat.

Oh? It’s already at 11? I suppose it was that fast because of how little HP I had in the first place.

Now I could use Double-Edge once more. But that’ll put me at a lot of risk. They can just attack me and kill me in one shot.

A teammate’s HP has dropped below 30%.

Immediate action is advised.

Oh well, there isn’t much time to overthink it now.

I take my weapon in hand and start moving towards one of the swordsman, trying to sneak to not let them notice me. But of course, it doesn’t work, since they were alert in the fight and keeping an eye on me the entire time. I start sprinting and just as I pass Vera, I change my movements according to how I remember that shoulder tackle was, heading towards one of the swordsmen, who’s off to the side a bit.

Double-Edge used. (FS -50)

I’m a bit locked into the movement, so the other swordsman diverts his attention from attacking Vera and swings towards me. It’s almost like he’s ignoring her, I didn’t expect that. If this attack hits me, death would be certain, I need to dodge it...!

Eccentric used.

Suddenly my movement stops. As if all that momentum just vanished. The slash now that would previously have definitely hit me, is now just slightly in front of me. I try to roll backwards to prevent any chance of it hitting me, while swinging Valentine towards him to fend him off.

Just as I gracefully fall backwards on the ground, I’m able to see a faint silhouette crash into the swordsman I initially wanted to use the tackle against.

You receive recoil damage. HP-10.

You have 10% or less of total HP left now.

It is advised to address that immediately.

The enemy is stunned for 5 seconds.

I wasn't able to use Eccentric before because it doesn't have any movement attached to it, and you need to be in a movement/skill to use it. Saying it takes longer than the time required for the skill itself. But now I get just how useful this can be.

He didn’t suffer from shock like the one from before, but the stun still works and he too falls over, trying to get up but unable to because he’s stunned. But the other swordsman isn’t and attacks towards me again.

I’m not able to defend against it since I can’t move that quick while on the ground. Nor can this whip-like sword block attacks.

It seems like this would be it… I instinctively close my eyes.

…

But the attack I expected, doesn’t come.

So, I open my eyes slowly.

What’s visible is the figure of a woman seemingly with a golden aura surrounding her, matching her golden hair that’s moving as if there’s a gentle breeze flowing through it. Her blue eyes staring towards me as if in curiosity over why I’m not grabbing her hand extended towards me, to pull me up from the ground. Her clothes too moving around in an invisible wind, like how I would expect on a holy being descending from the sky.

I get it now what that shopkeeper meant that it was based on angels.

I lift my hand and she grabs it, pulling me up on my feet.

Her smile telling me that I should praise her for the action she just did.

…That was close. I almost fell for her. That would have been troublesome.

I lift my hand again and pat her on the head.

“You did a good job.”

She pouts but doesn’t move her head. Is she enjoying it or something? I was trying to be patronizing but it seems she doesn’t mind it that much.

Well, technically I was the one who did the most work, beating 2 of 3 policemen. So, she can’t really complain. They’re gone now, I suppose they left when they realized they can’t continue to attack.

“Let me see what class you have.”

“…Fine. But you have to show me yours too.”

Vera Marconi has accepted to share her class information with you.

Class: Valkyrie.

Class type: Guardian.

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