Chapter 8—Like Always

The tracker lead her into an abandoned factory in District F. It had been skinned of its materials from the walls to the roof, leaving gaping holes. If any more were to be pillaged, it would likely collapse the entire hall, drawing a lot of attention. The lack of factory tools inside it told her that the thief wasn’t part of the leading guild in ‘F’.

The good news stopped there. For one, it wasn’t a thief, but thieves. Three people sat in a circle, arguing. Her trail stopped in the center between them where the necklace lay on the ground, right in the open, ready for her to pick it up. But even if she made it to the necklace unseen, once she picked it up, she’d reveal herself to the group. They knew how to guard themselves against a thief that couldn’t be seen. Did they expect her, or were they just overly cautious?

Neither, it seemed, given the heated argument. They still hadn’t decided how to split their windfall, and no one was to be trusted with keeping the necklace on their person. She stalked them out, listening and gathering up any information she could. Watching them made her wonder just how many things had gone wrong up to this point.

She’d failed stealing from Winston, lost her necklace in the process, and it all happened while the natural-grade item appeared, leaving her no chance to compete for it. It was like someone was out to get her, but that obviously wasn’t it. She had been careless. She wouldn’t be a second time.

But as she listened and studied the place her heart sunk heavily as her options dwindled. The spacious, open place left her in dismay. It couldn’t be worse for her in a fight. Repeated ambushing was her greatest asset, but there was nothing to hide behind or lose track of anyone chasing her. That required her first attack to be all the more devastating.

The entire group wasn’t present. Most common group combinations would be as a pair or a squad of five. From what she’d heard, the latter was the case, so she had a choice to make. Attack now, or later? Where was the rest? Should she fight against less, but risk unexpected reinforcements? If someone ambushed her in the middle of the fight, the game was over. Fight them all at once? Three scavengers were already pushing her limits; taking on an entire squad was...

I need help. She hated to reach that conclusion and cursed that Marco was the first that came to mind. Either way, for now, she’d return and rest, then make a few more rounds. Under optimal circumstances, she’d take her time until she had enough information, but that wasn’t possible. The tracker would only last another day until her necklace was no longer considered stolen.

There was no point in wishing for different circumstances. Worst case, she’d have to wing it, somehow. Nothing would stop her from trying.

“Back already?” Marco and a wave of heat greeted her when she came down the stairs. He was still working on dismantling his items. Did he never tire of that? And what witchcraft did he use that his junk piles never decreased?

“Honestly, I expected you to come back with a few broken bones, hooked to an IV of potions, if at all.”

She growled, wondering if she really wanted to ask for his help. He had kept his word, even if she lied to him, doing his part of the deal successfully. That alone already put him highest on her list of contacts, which, to be fair, wasn’t difficult.

“I...” She fumbled for the right words. Asking favors wasn’t exactly one of her strengths.

“No.” He said, and the expression on her face must have looked dumber than she’d ever care to admit.

“Don’t be surprised. I’ve known you for less than a week, but I can guess there is only one reason you’d actually turn back.”

“...What do you want?” She gritted her teeth. She would never do this if she didn’t feel it necessary. The more she thought about it, the worse the situation appeared to her. “Money? I can take on more debt and I’m much more useful than you think. I’ll work longer for you, and I can-”

“Sorry, but no.” He looked into her eyes and she felt her hand tighten into a fist. “None of that was part of our deal, Ms. Teller. I helped you find the item. The rest is up to you.”

She couldn’t say anything. He was correct. He’d done everything she asked of him, even using a priceless tracker. She had no right to expect any more of him. But none of that mattered, if the result wasn’t what she wanted. A nice try wouldn’t cut it. Win. That’s what she had to do, more than ever.

What should she do now? Her thoughts ran through her options as she headed for the exit, and as the knight opened the door for her, she heard him call out to her. Her heart leapt. Did he change his mind?

“Also, I’ll trust you to uphold your part of the deal, regardless of tomorrow’s result.”

“Go to hell!” She snapped, storming out and slamming the trapdoor behind her. She ran through the desolated alley as if chasing after her own echo when she thought she heard something behind her. Stumbling over her legs, she stopped and spun around.

Nothing.

Did she just...? She snickered and looked up at the night-sky. It made her feel so stupid for expecting something. I was just joking. Did she actually hope he’d say that? Ridiculous. Why was she even surprised that Marco acted like anyone else? Like her? Did she ever help someone in need with nothing in return?

No. She wouldn’t. Fine, if finding help wasn’t an option, she would do it herself. Just like she’d always done before, and would continue to do.

Personal Information Name: Jeanne Teller

Level: 1

Class: - Professions: - Full Status Physical Shield: 150/150 Magical Shield: 50/50 HP: 100/100 Mana: 0/0 Energy: 10/10

Buff:

Rested [Lv. 1]

+1 to all Physical Attributes.

Physical Attributes Strength: 10(9)

Intelligence: 11(10) Agility: 9(11) Endurance: 13(12)

Dexterity: 21(20)

Perception: 10(9) Add. Attributes Stealth: 17 Secondary Attributes ... Inventory

1x RBM-745.Class E

1x Greater Potion of Concentration

1x Greater Potion of Tolerance

1x Greater Potion of Accuracy

1x Greater Potion of Endurance

1x Greater Potion of Protection

15x Throwing Knives[common]

5x Pure Copper Needle[common]

...

To others, the equipment she wore looked far above the commoners. Looking at their appearance alone, her several rare-grade items would put her quite high up on the food chain in Junkyard. But there was a catch.

Her journey started three years ago when she acquired her first stealth item. Better stealth allowed her to steal more, and come by better items without others noticing. One thing followed another, and her gains accumulated. But the more she got, the stronger the people she could attract, resulting in her conclusion that she needed more stealth. It was her strategy to stay solo. She never wanted to join a guild. The mere concept of it was a contradiction. A group working together so that a minority of that same group could leave the others behind as they made for the Overworld.

But one day, she met the painful reality of her choice when she got smacked around, leading her to the realization that she’d become good for one thing, and one thing only. Hiding like the rat she was.

To fix the problem, she thought she could gather a second set of equipment. One for fighting. One for stealth. It seemed like an obvious and great idea. She would swap between them, but that had its own flaws.

Those called scavengers hunted for items during the day, vultures during the night. Silly names to match their method of camouflage. It was for the same reason. A second set was not worth it, and they needed every advantage they could get. What use was more luggage and an additional weak point during swapping equipment? Worst of all, it was twice as expensive.

Why invest in two sets when you can invest double in one set? It simply wasn’t efficient. Splitting your resources was something rich people could do. Instead, one should focus on one aspect, and find a squad or guild to make up for your flaws. She still hadn’t come around to starting her second set. It was like a downward spiral to her she couldn’t get out of.

With every item upgrade, she needed more stealth, otherwise she’d became too much of a target. Running around solo, displaying your rare-grade items was bound to end in disaster. In a sense, she’d already given up on the notion of a second equipment, which left her one-trick pony. But one that knew how to kick hard, given the right opportunity.

Jeanne had rested for half a day before making her preparations. Naturally, she hadn’t given Marco all of her savings up front. She spent every remaining pellet of her fortune opting for a few potions she was familiar with, instead of the onetime use items. Most of them required testing and getting yourself used to them, which was as expensive as it sounded. Something for sunrats to use, not her.

Night had fallen, and the entire squad gathered around her necklace. She chose to take them on all at once, instead of having to worry about someone sneaking up on her. She noticed the lack of trust between them created by the necklace. Even if some of them left, they wouldn’t go far. Either way, she didn’t want to think about her chances. She knew she was in over her head, but be it a squad, or an entire guild, if the stars aligned right, she could do it.

She tested the waters, sneaking up on them and learning from their reactions. No trouble there. She’d studied their movement patterns until she was confident enough to avoid any burrowed mines. The group comprised two melees and three ranges. A common roundup if there was a support mixed in. Both melees had a sword on their hip, and one of them had a shield on their back that looked like the lid of a trash bin. The others didn’t carry anything in the open, but she noticed the bulging around the chest area. One of them even carried a holster, and she eventually found the supporter among them. No doubt, that had to her first target.

Nothing showed anything out of the ordinary among the five so far, which was a silver lining. Going for the standard was considered the best option, and for a good reason. But it also made them predictable.

Jeanne looked down at her tools. Her weapons stood ready, and she removed the cloth veiling her face. Failure or success, she wouldn’t need it. She downed the four potions to be used before any battle.

Greater Potion of Concentration, Greater Potion of Protection, Greater Potion of Endurance, and Greater Potion of Tolerance consumed.

Status Effects:

Berserker[Lv. 3]

Pain inhibition increased.

Rested[Lv. 1] --> Rested[Lv. 4]

Concentration increased.

Failed to reduce fatigue. You are rested.

Physical Shield +75

HP +25

Stamina increased.

When the aftertaste settled, she removed the plug of her last potion and put the vial between her teeth. She didn’t swallow it yet. The poison-green liquid had cost her most of her remaining fortune. One of her hands grabbed her iron rod, which she held like she would a dagger. One half of the cylinder fit neatly into her hand while the other half protruded outwards like a blunt, clipped fang.

She crouched down, resting her hand on the ground as its heavy weight put her off-balance. She grabbed a set of throwing knives in her other hand, holding each between her fingers. Readied and armed, she focused back on her targets, taking a deep breath through her nose. She had one chance, and she had to make it count.