"..."

"..."

"..."

The three of them stood silently as they planned their next moves. The spearman started off the opening gambit.

"Well hyung, we look like we would make a good team."

"Yes but we may need to work on trusting one another just a little more..."

"Hyung, i have an idea, how about we ask one question of each other that the other person will have to answer, to build trust?."

"That's a good idea."

Both of them turned to GimmeGirls and unexpectedly they only had to wait for a minute before he responded.

"I understand... nyaa..."

With a silent look between them, the three of them moved as one, past the busy streets and out of the city proper into the lightly wooded areas surrounding the Mythos. Each of them knew that this conversation would concern many secrets and none of them were willing to let themselves be overheard..

"Hyung, since you're the oldest, you should start off first."

"Ok, let’s talk comfortably. In my society, its common to shorten names when addressing friends, so please don't be insulted and I would not mind it one bit if you guys also shortened my name as well."

After both the spearman and axman had nodded their agreement, Jinyang continued

"Ah Girls, can you tell me how you got your luck that high?"

This was an obvious question that both Jinyang and GimmePower wanted to ask and both paid attention intently.

"It’s easy, nyaa. All you have to do is to flip coins and choose heads or tails. All of them have to come up with the same face. I flip four coins at a time nowadays but I started with two."

GimmeGirls showed how it was done by placing a coin on the second joint of each finger of his left hand, then tossing each coin into the air before catching it using the same finger joint. It was obviously impossible to do without high physical dexterity. Still the technique illuminated how a player could get higher luck and because each coin was a separate instance of probability by itself unlike the number guessing game, you could just add coins to increase the difficulty and thus the stat gain cap.

"That's a good technique. Ah Pow, can you tell me how you managed to get your Vitality that high?"

Instantly GimmeGirls leaned closer to hear the answer as more Vitality was something that he could definitely use.

"Well hyung, it’s all down to spicy cabbage."

"Cabbage? You mean the vegetable?"

"Oh hyung, i think it’s a mistranslation. Can you guys turn off the translation for it?"

"Ok understood. System, turn off translation for phrase spicy cabbage as per last instance of the phrase from GimmePower."

Translation for the phrase spicy cabbage specific to last mentioned instance has been turned off.

"I'm done nyaa..."

"It’s off for me too."

"Hyung, it’s actually all due to kimchi. It’s a sort of fermented cabbage that's a household staple in Korea. I couldn't find it here in game so I made my own and ate it every day. There was no effect for the first game week but then at the end of every week that I regularly ate it at every meal, my vitality started increasing."

Of course GimmePower had not shared his recipe for kimchi and it could not be known for sure if another recipe would have the same effects but still the question had been answered.

"That's very good information to know. Ah Pow, it’s your turn."

"So hyung, how did you increase your Intelligence?"

It was an expected question but it reinforced the fact that GimmePower was not a clueless player. Many players would have fallen into the trap of asking the obvious question of why his Mana was so high but GimmePower had directly asked about his Intelligence and since his Mana was based off on it, it would also indirectly gain the answer of getting Mana up. Still Jinyang was giggling inside as he had already decided to add the trick to raising Intelligence in his review, it would soon be commonly known anyway so overall his profit from the discussion was higher than it seemed.

"Well it’s all down to cards. What I did was..."

After Jinyang had explained the trick with the cards (leaving out any mention of Thorny), both of the other 2 were nodding. The technique was simple and easy and undoubtedly both felt they had gained as much if not more benefit from the information than what they had revealed.

"So Girls seed, how did you get your agility that high?"

"Please wait a moment. I think it’s another mistranslation nyaa."

After they had added in the translation rule, GimmePower repeated his question.

"Girls-ssi, how did you train your agility?"

"I run on tip toe, as in really tip toe nyaa."

From his backpack, he pulled out a pair of pointed shoes. It was a pair of shoes used by ballet dancers called pointe shoes. He allowed both Jinyang and GimmePower to try it out.

"This is horrible, I can't even stand on the pointed end for more than a second without feeling pain."

"Hyung, you're doing better than me, I even took health damage for trying to tip toe using it."

After trying it out, both of them silently looked at GimmeGirls. Both had already asked their allotment of questions but what they were thinking was reflected in their eyes.

"I was a kid, nyaa. My mother made me do it every day for five years, nyaa, not my choice or anything..."

GimmePower silently mimed an action.

"Yes I wore that nyaa. It’s called a dance belt and it’s very commonly used for a lot of ..."

GimmeGirls trailed off as both Jinyang and GimmePower had sombre looks and silently nodded their heads, pity in their eyes. The silence lasted for three minutes before the ex ballet dancer tried changing the surrounding mood

"Errhhhemmm. So Mr. Money, how did you get your Strength up nyaa?"

Jinyang explained how he had repeated the Basic Training Program several times as well as having done a lot of mining. Repeating the program was something the other two had already considered but because of the amount of time needed, being eight real world days per weapon learnt, it was a major time sink. Also since a beginner that had not chosen a class could only learn up to ten skills, using it for weapon skills had seemed like a waste to them. Of course neither of them had Thorny as a major time saving appliance. It was not a groundbreaking discovery.

All the while, Jinyang and GimmePower continued giving the axman looks of sympathy. Unable to directly face their pitying eyes, GimmeGirls looked to the side while continuing his questions.

"Ahem, Mr Power, how did you get your Strength up nyaa?"

Since GimmePower only had 20 Fame, it was not possible that he had gotten his strength through mastering multiple weapons. That was the reason why the other two was very interested in his response.

"Well what I did Girls-ssi, was to hang from the roof of a building first using my hands then later switch to the second joint of the fingers then the finger tips. After that I moved to hanging on one hand, switching hands periodically. If you do it in the afternoon on a metal roof, it gives more stats."

To Jinyang, that would be too torturous. Although he could get Thorny to hang on a roof for him, if it was done in the afternoon, he would still be sweating from the heat and Thorny could not prevent him from experiencing the blistering heat that his fingers would have to endure. Despite the reduced rate of stat gain, Jinyang silently decided to get Thorny to do it in a shady area.

Since everyone had finished asking the questions regarding the game's secrets, it was time to talk about less hidden matters. Jinyang had a burning question he had to ask.

"Ah Girls, why do you keep adding nyaa to your sentences?"

"Well Mr Money, I was playing with a cat and mimicking his mews when a girl came over and told me it sounded cute, so now I keep doing it nyaa. I figure it will attract a girl to talk to me nyaa."

"Wow really Girls-ssi? I may have to do something life that too.... er... woof?"

"Ah Pow, that sounds too unnatural. Also Ah Girls, you don't need to call me mister all the time."

"Ah it’s another mistranslation, turn it off and you'll see, nyaa."

After both had done so, GimmeGirls spoke up

"Money-san, does it sound better now nyaa?"

"Yes it does, very much. Since we're on a team now, I'll reveal to both of you a major quest clue I discovered."

Both of the other 2 instantly perked up their ears. Undoubtedly GimmeMoney was exposing the clue to make use of them and their abilities but for a player that was as good as they were, to resort to telling others rather than taking it on alone, meant the quest was very tough and tough quests meant faster stat growth. None of them had anything important to lose since their skills were all at the beginner level where it was easy to recover any losses and their most valuable possessions were the free weapons given out by doing the Basic Training Program. Stats were never removed by dying so as long as they gained more stats, there would be profit in the adventure. Any good items that would be recovered from the quest would be a bonus.

"Hyung, I don't want to sound unfriendly but the loot division..."

"Ah Pow, don't worry, we'll do it by the numbers and by the book. Any item we find will be treated as equivalent to its gold value as if it had been sold. We'll then divide it by three and anyone can use their portion to 'buy back' the goods that they want. The leftovers we'll just sell for actual gold and divide it."

"Sounds very fair, Money-san nyaa. But the merchant who will determine the price...."

"Since each merchant, NPC or player, will price the goods differently, we'll use a single merchant that we all agree on every time we go back to a town or city to sell things. Fair?"

The other two nodded their agreement to the arrangement.

"Now what happened is that I found an NPC who told me that he had purchased an idol off an adventurer who was the sole survivor of an exploratory team to a giant pyramid in the jungle west of here. The survivor said that there was a mound of gold and silver but the rest were killed by a serpent monster."

"Hyung, there's nothing west but mountains"

"Yes Money-san, from what I researched, we should be at the western boundary of the entire world map."

"Ah my two brothers, it might have been true before the expansion..."

"So hyung, you're saying....

"Yes Ah Pow..."

It had been 3 weeks since the expansion was dropped but there had been no information on anything new being found. Part of the reason was likely that people had hoarded the information they knew but a larger part would probably be that the routes to the new content were difficult to find and travel. Finding a new route to content from the expansion then hoarding that information to profit off as much as possible while it was still exclusive, was on all their minds.

"Money-san, it is very attractive idea but we don't have a healer unless you want to hire one or get another player?"

The frown showed what GimmeGirls felt about either of the 2 options. It was not surprising since hiring an NPC required constant outlays of gold while getting another player meant they would probably need to share exclusive game secrets with the newcomer. They couldn't even try and get the NPC killed near the end of the adventure to loot back the money they had given him because someone had already exploited that early in the game's life which resulted in Unicorn plugging the hole by making the money not appear in the NPC's loot.

It was unlikely also they could find a player who knew about the workings of the game as much as they did and could reciprocate with their own secrets.

"Girls-ssi, I do have the Bandage skill at beginner 3 but it won't help during actual combat."

"Don't worry Ah Girls, I was already planning to learn Healing Magic before we set out."

"Hyung, not that I’m pouring cold water on your idea but I tried to get the priests to teach me healing magic too but they said they would only do so if I become a priest and followed a list of very boring rules. I tried to get a player to teach me but it seems that where NPCs can teach the skill in a few minutes, you need to learn for weeks with a player for a teacher."

"Ah Pow, I know the NPC priests won't easily let go of their secrets but I have a plan and I need both of you to help. In return, we might *all* get to learn healing magic..."

As Jinyang explained his plan, the other two nodded while listening. Later that afternoon, the plan was put into motion.

Jinyang ran into the garden that surrounded the doorway to the temple of Freya. A young man in an acolyte's robe was there sweeping up leaves. Grabbing hold of the young man, Jinyang pleaded.

"Help, there's an injured boy in the alleyway."

"Huh? Oh, please let me get an ordained priest."

Jinyang held on to the man's elbow, preventing him from going inside.

"No there's no time, you have to stabilise his condition before he dies!"

"Err... alright then, please lead me to him."

Jinyang led the innocent acolyte into an alley where he saw a man whose face was hidden by his hooded cloak, holding an axe to the neck of another man kneeling on the ground.

"Wha... What's going on?"

Jinyang turned towards the acolyte, laughing evilly, sounding every bit like an over the top version of a villain.

"Heh heh heh. You will now do as I say. Run and he dies and if you don't teach me healing magic, that man will still die."

"Ahhh, please priest-ssi, help me. Don't let them kill me. I have an eighty year old grandmother and five kids at home waiting for me to bring them food. Please... sob... sob...”

"Do as he says or this man will be holding his own head in his hands and his family will be next, ny... er nevermind"

The entire plot seemed like it was lifted from some C grade movie and the acting was extremely amateurish but the audience proved to be none the wiser.

"You evil man, I’m not teaching you anything!"

"Heh heh heh, if you don't teach me... Think of what I’m going to do to that man with these... I won't even let him die any time soon."

Jinyang took out and laid on the floor a tinderbox, a piece of string, a crowbar, a broken cup, some salt, a paintbrush, a pot of honey and a potato. He grabbed a rat that was lounging nearby and shook the hapless rodent for added effect.

"You sick man, you wouldn't!"

Jinyang had understood early in life that nothing was more frightening than a person's own imagination so you could always expect that in a threatening situation like this, people would come up with the worst scenario that they could think off. He actually had no idea what the acolyte was thinking as personally for him, it looked more like the stuff needed to make a potato dish.

"Yes I will and unless you want to see that man suffer, you will tell me what I want to know."

"...Goddess forgive me, alright I’ll tell you what I know, just let the man return to his family..."

All three leaned forward slightly, even the "hostage", to hear the acolyte's words. After hearing the explanation, a system message popped up in Jinyang's vision

Skill: You learned the skill – Restoration Magic.

"Now will you let the man go?"

Jinyang had been ignoring Thorny ever since he had met the other two players as to respond to it would expose its existence to them. He continued ignoring Thorny and continued with the poorly written script.

"Of course, I am a man of my word. Ah Gir...Gertrude, we have what we need, please release the man. Farewell little priest."

The expression on GimmeGirls face was obviously asking the question of "Gertrude? Really?!?". Jinyang gave a quick jerk of his head and animated facial twitches in response.

"You may have won for now evil one, but one day I will find you and make you pay for your actions!"

"Blah blah blah, whatever!"

Their aim achieved, Jinyang and GimmeGirls retreated into the shadows. GimmePower had to wrap things up and thus stayed behind.

"Thank you kind priest, Freya will bless you! I have to go now to feed my four children."

"Four? I thought it was five?"

"Er...oh the youngest is always missing, so I remember them as err... four."

"Missing? Is that not a cause for concern?? Mayhap I should accompany you back to help you find your child?"

"Ah... it’s not 'missing' missing but more like 'hiding' missing, really it’s no big deal, I always find her hiding in a cupboard or in an old sock drawer. Really trust me..."

"...Alright but here, I only have this, please take it and please bring your children and your grandmother to the temple of Freya if you are in need."

The acolyte placed 17 copper coins into GimmePower's hand.

"Thank you, oh thank you very much, you have made my day a wonderful one."

It was all true, getting free money in addition to learning a skill that normally only priests had access to was excellent for the day's profit. After parting with the priest, the three met back at the area in front of the general store.

"Hyung, that was a wonderful plan you came up with."

"Yes, nyaa. Now we can start the quest."

"Alright, there's still sunlight so let’s get going now."

As the sun began sinking lower into the horizon, the three bundled into the cart and began their westward journey.

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