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Chapter 14

 

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Translator: Cryus

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『You don’t know… what PK means?』

Mio had been silent until now.
I don’t know why, but it feels as if she’s angry.
Well, I can think of a few things related to PK, but they seem to have anything to do with this game, right?

『You really don’t know?! It’s PK, Pee-Kay!』

『A fielder kicking off against a goalkeeper in soccer.』

『That’s a penalty kick.』

『Or, a superhuman moving an object without touching it.』

『That’s psychokinesis.』

『There are games where you buy expansions that make your character stronger, right?』

『That’s a powerup kit, conceived by a certain game company.』

『I think no one says it anymore, but something to do with pant-』

『I won’t say it!』

Reina is restraining Mio by the arms.
I really don’t know what PK means.

『Fiona, is this guy really okay?』

『I think Keith really is a beginner in games like this? Giedre, I’d like you to explain it to him.』

『I refuse. You’re the one who’s known him for a longer time.』

『Only a day longer.』

Fiona makes a long sigh and begins explaining.

『PK is short for Player-Killer. It also refers to the act of killing other players.』

『You can do that?』

『Some VRMMOs don’t allow it, but AnotherLink Saga Online does.』

Huh, really?
That’s a lot of freedom for a game.
I guess you could say that it’s like a miniature society in the sense that it allows criminal actions.

『It’s easy to become Corrupt when you attempt PK, no matter to what degree.』

『Doing criminal acts will force your job to change to a PK job such as Thief, Outlaw, Swindler, and Assassin! This forced job change is called Corruption!』

『There are some skills you can’t obtain unless you have a PK job, so there are players who voluntarily become Corrupt.』

『Corrupt players have bothersome skills like Camouflage and Disguise! We had a horrible experience in beta too!』

『Personally, I approve of having a small number of PKs. I think it’s necessary to have a moderate sense of urgency in the game.』

Kaya is chiming in.

『That’s exactly why we should make the first move of prevention. I’d like to propose adding another line of defense in order to protect Keith.』

『Kaya, what do you mean specifically?』

『Three of us, Giedre, Fiona, and I, will write about the situation in the item collection forum thread, then proliferate the main thread.』

『What will we write?』

『We’ll give them a clear warning. Then we’ll have each Blacksmith send a circular message through their own intermediaries.』

『Is that okay with you, Fiona?』

『What about you, Giedre? I think it’ll affect your Player’s Guild the most since everyone there is a Blacksmith.』

『I shall put up with it. In any case, we only have 1 of this trinket, so we have no choice.』

The situation looks kind of serious.
They’re acting as if I’m involved in the issue, but honestly I don’t feel that way.
This is troubling.
It’s about the bones.
I didn’t have the chance to speak up, but I’ll say something now.

『Oh, speaking of which, I have a few Snow Ape Bones with me.』

There’s an awkward silence again.
No one is moving an inch.
I wonder why, but it feels like their gazes are piercing right through me.

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「Alright, let’s drink some tea and calm down before continuing the conversation.」

「Ah, half of the conversation we just had is now meaningless.」

We turn off the Whisper function and drink some tea.
Mio looks like her strength is all gone.
Please, don’t complain about me when I can hear you.

「Ahh, so tired…」

「Mio, that’s not funny!」

I’m arranging the items in front of Fiona.
There are 3 Snow Ape Bones, 1 Snow Ape Skin, and the Stone Axe made with Snow Ape Bones.
Fiona is silently watching Giedre and Kaya while looking deep in thought.
In contrast to the other girls, she seems strangely nervous.

「Here’s my suggestion. 2 of the bones will go to Giedre, 1 of them will go to Kaya, and I’ll take one from the Stone Axe.」

「How should we go about it? Even if Keith is going to negotiate directly, it should be safer if you are there to introduce him, Fiona.」

「Even though it’s excessive for avoiding risks, I gave it some thought. But I can’t.」

「Are you really that afraid of getting Karma?」

「Of course. I won’t do it even for EXP. Although it should be fine if I’m the one setting the price.」

「Understood. What about you, Kaya?」

「You’re the one taking it easy. In fact, it’s meaningless if Keith doesn’t want to sell the items in the first place, right?」

Everyone’s staring at me at the same time.
Stop that, it’s scary.

「I’ll sell them. I have no objections with any price you set.」

「Alright, let’s settle it quickly on the forums too. It’s just a matter of an ultra rare item becoming a rare one.」

「Then we’ll forget about setting this hammer to Rental. But since my guild will have 2 hammers, I’m thinking about making one of them a Rental.」

「Giedre, are you fine with that?」

「I don’t mind. I’m the one who suggested it.」

「You can tell us what you really think, you know? You want to keep players with the Blacksmith skill more in check, right?」

「Fiona, my guild isn’t aiming to have a monopoly on Blacksmiths. It’s just necessary in order to provide assistance more efficiently.」

「That’s high-minded of you.」

The way they’re talking to each other seems to bear a lot of hidden meaning.
I wonder if they have a long-standing grudge against each other.
I just wish everyone would get along.

「I think I’m gonna set my hammer to Rental too.」

「Good. We should prevent any cause for unfairness and dissatisfaction.」

Even though it seems that they’re not getting along, they’ve come to an agreement.
I guess it’s good for business.

「Keith, we’re gonna talk about the prices, okay? I want you to sell the bones for 1,200 Dyns each, and the Stone Axe for 1,300 Dyns.」

「Hey, isn’t that too low of a price?」

「Taking the Rarity into calculation, it’s slightly above average.」

「Hey, you’re not trying to set us up and make us gain an unfair advantage, are you?」

Giedre and Kaya look tense.
Is there a problem?

「Just so you know, I could’ve set a different price if I wanted Keith to shoulder the Karma alone, you know? Don’t misjudge me.」

The two of them became silent.
I guess Karma refers to bad deeds.
I’ve never seen that as a status before.

「Agreed?」

「Understood.」

「Yeah.」

The long conversation has finally come to an end.
I’ve obtained 37 silver coins from that transaction.
I put it into the small bag containing the reward that the Adventurer’s Guild gave me earlier.

Giedre and Kaya leave immediately after concluding their business here.

「Yo Keith! It took me a while, but I’ve finished making your armor. I’ll make some slight adjustments, so could you put it on first?」

Saki says that as she’s approaching the stalls. It looks like she’s noticed that something’s off.
She asks hesitantly.

「Hey guys, are you upset because I’m late? I’m sorry.」

「Ah, Saki, that’s not-」

「Saki, finish your business with Keith. We’ll talk after that.」

The armor that Saki has made for me is focused on practicality. It bears little resemblance to Mio’s cutely designed jacket.
It feels loose around the shoulders, so I’m having her make it a little tighter.
All she had to do was adjust the leather string, so it ended quickly.

On the top part of the armor, there’s an asymmetrical design on the left and right sides.
Most of it was made using Wild Rabbit Skin.
The breastplate focuses mostly on covering my chest and back in order to protect my heart area, so it doesn’t cover my entire upper body.
It does cover about 60% of it.
The heart area is reinforced using Evil Ant Shells.

What’s unique about it is that Snow Ape Skin is used for the left shoulder pad. It’s thick enough for Helix to rest on.
Similarly, the Snow Ape Skin is used for my left armguard, so Helix can rest there as well.
Until now, Helix has only been able to stay perched on the top of my rod.
I feel sorry about his lack of freedom.

Both elbow and knee pads are made from Wild Rabbit Skin and covered with Evil Ant Shells, as I requested.
And finally, there’s the open-finger gloves.
They’re also made from Wild Rabbit Skin, so it feels pretty soft.

There are 4 fragmented Evil Ant Shells on each glove, acting as knuckleheads.
They’re crafted well.
I can’t complain about it at all.
This is what all of the equipment looks like when I【Appraise】it.

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【Armor: Breastplate】Wild Rabbit Breastplate+　Grade C　Rarity 2
Def+5　Weight 4　Durability 100
A breastplate made from Wild Rabbit Skin. Soft and allows for freedom of movement.
[Custom]
The left shoulder is made from Snow Ape Skin.
The heart area is covered by Evil Ant Shells, providing a slight increase in defense and durability.
Only the Evil Ant Shells can be removed and replaced.

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【Armor: Armguard】Snow Ape Armguard　Grade C+　Rarity 3
Def +2　Weight 1　Durability 80
An armguard made from Snow Ape Skin.
The skin is made especially soft. Able to withstand piercing relatively well.

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【Armor: Elbow Plate】Wild Rabbit Elbow Plate+　Grade C　Rarity 2
AP +2　Def +2　Weight 1　Durability 80
An elbow plate made from Wild Rabbit Skin. Soft and allows for freedom of movement.
[Custom]
Reinforced with Evil Ant Shells, allowing for stronger elbow strikes.

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【Armor: Knee Plate】Wild Rabbit Knee Plate+　Grade C　Rarity 2
AP +2　Def +2　Weight 1　Durability 80
A knee plate made from Wild Rabbit Skin. Soft and allows for freedom of movement.
[Custom]
Reinforced with Evil Ant Shells, allowing for stronger knee kicks.

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【Armor: Gloves】Wild Rabbit Gloves+　Grade C　Rarity 3
AP +2　Def +1　Weight 1　Durability 90
Open-finger gloves made from Wild Rabbit Skin. Soft and allows for freedom of movement.
Easy to use, and does not cause any penalties to finger movements.
[Custom]
Reinforced with Evil Ant Shells, allowing for stronger punches and knuckle jabs.

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「Since you’re a Summoner who uses magic, I didn’t use any metal. Which means there’s no M・AP penalty.」

「That’s more than I can ask for.」

「Don’t mention it. Oh yeah, I’ve made it so it’s easy to add more protection to your upper body if you have more skins, and I can make a waistguard too.」

「I see. I barely have any skins with me, but I have some Evil Ant Shells. Maybe I’ll make a new request soon.」

「Eh?」

Fiona points to the table, where there’s a single Snow Ape Skin, as well as bundles of Evil Ant Shells and Stings.

「Saki, he brought more materials to us.」

「I see. I’m itching to show my skill.」

「At least your joke wasn’t the worst today!」

Fiona holds the Stone Axe in her hand.
It’s the one made with Snow Ape Bones.

「Keith brought us 3 more bones.」

「Did you guys end up arguing again? Was it bad?」

「I’d like to think we’ve gotten through it for the time being.」

「So you’ve already finished negotiating with them, Fiona? Sorry for being late.」

「Ah… it was mentally exhausting…」

「?」

「Saki, we’ll talk about it later.」

Sorry.
I caused a lot of unnecessary trouble.
But there’s really a lot that I don’t know.
Please try to understand.

「Keith, are you gonna sell those to us? Or do you want us to make something?」

「Right, let’s see… do you think you could make a protective headgear of some kind?」

I pose the question to Saki.
She’s starting to mumble again.
Is it a habit of hers when she’s trying to calculate?

「Do you have 1 more… no, 2 more Wild Rabbit Skins? Without it, it’ll be tough to work on the Snow Ape Skins.」

「I do.」

「I’ll have to measure your head size. Of course, I’ll make sure it covers your entire skull.」

「Could you try not to cover the ears?」

「Yeah. Is that really okay?」

I scour my《Item Box》.
I have 3 Wild Rabbit Skins that I obtained from the Horn Rabbits on the way to town today.
Following that, I place the Evil Ant Shells and Stings in front of them to sell.

「I’ll give you all of the skins.」

「Fiona, I’ll leave the calculation to you.」

「Sure thing.」

「Oh, does 600 Dyns sound good for making the armor? The Snow Ape Skins are a little higher quality.」

「That’s fine with me.」

It’s a net profit for me.
I still have the money I earned from the Adventurer’s Guild too.

「Let’s get to measuring your head size. Sit in that chair.」

「Ah! Saki, we were going to Legias, the village west of here! We still have to deliver the goods!」

Mio clicked her tongue as if she just remembered when she looked at Fiona.

「It’ll be fine if you stay here, Fiona. But weren’t you going to buy some stuff in the east?」

「Later in the afternoon. I’m waiting on 4 other guild members, but I won’t be back in Remut until the day after tomorrow.」

「So you can’t make it for the delivery?」

「Well, they’re not so strict about the deadline. Right now, only a few of the monsters are causing trouble anyway.」

「No, if they’re gonna hunt different monsters, then they gotta equip better armor first.」

Looks like everyone else besides Fiona is heading west.
Since I’m usually headed for the same direction, it’ll be easy to meet up with them.

「In that case, send me a message once you’re done crafting. I’ll be hanging around near the Western Forest.」

「Really?」

「Yeah. Also, do you think you could make me a rod, Reina?」

「Huh? Well of course, I’m a Woodworker after all! Since rods are just processed sticks, it’s gonna be a piece of cake!」

「Then I’d like to ask you to make me one. I don’t have any wood materials for you though.」

「Leave it to us then! I’ll charge you for the job first. Could you pay for the materials later?」

「Alright.」

「Cool! That’ll be 200 Dyns!」

Oh, that sounds surprisingly reasonable?

「What about the size? And any specific materials?」

「I’d like it to be 50 inches long and 1 inch thick.」

「Not in inches!」

Oops.
My bad.
I’ll have to convert and adjust a little.

「Between 120 cm and 125 cm in length, and about 25 mm in diameter. I prefer a thicker material that doesn’t slip easily when I sweat.」

It’ll be slightly shorter and thicker than a standard rod.
Bamboo-leaved oak is the most commonly used material. It’s sturdy, but slips easily.
I’d like to think that there are better materials in this game world.

Is this it for upgrading my equipment?
No, my shoes are still the same.
I’ll have to acquire some more skins.
I really don’t want to wear wooden shoes.

「Okay! Also Keith, you’re thinking about hitting monsters with your rod, aren’t you?」

「Yeah. I tend to hit them with my rod usually.」

「Any kind of weapon will need repairs eventually, but it’s hard to repair wooden weapons! Take note of that!」

Really?
If it’s cheap, I don’t really mind though.

「Understood.」

「Alright! I’ll look for materials in the workshop!」

Reina is trying to hurry on, but Mio is pulling her back by the collar.
She’s strangling her.

「Reina, you haven’t eaten the meat skewers! Give it a try!」

Fiona and Saki seem less tense now.
That’s good.
Oh yeah. I had a question I should ask Fiona.

「By the way, I remember selling some Rarity 4 items the other day. Did it cause any commotion?」

「Oh, the Striped Wild Rabbit Horn. There are a few players who had already gotten the item before, so we already knew what it was used for.」

「What for, then?」

「You can attach it in the front of your robes, use it as an ice axe, or attach it to pole weapons, among other things.」

「Looks like there are many uses for materials.」

「Yes.」

「I suppose Snow Ape Bones will be easy to obtain once the area has been cleared.」

「I don’t doubt that. Still, regarding the issue with the bones, I’m curious about whether the GMs have a hand in this.」

「?」

「When I think deeper about the lack of arrows and potions, as well as the disproportionate supply of items this early in the game, I can’t help but think like this.」

「Is it going to pose any problems?」

「If we assume that they’re purposely causing problems in order to cause chaos during peacetime, yes. They may try to instigate something similar again.」

「Huh.」

「It’s easy to manipulate people into acting on their greed and desires because it’s a game. This is troubling.」

Because it’s a game, PK is more rampant?
I should be careful.
At the very least, I should be prudent with my words so I don’t cause trouble for others.
I really am a newbie in games like this.
In truth, there are many things I should discuss with others.

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Protagonist　Keith
Race　Human　Male　Racial Lv3
Job　Summoner Lv2
Bonus Points Remaining 9

Skill Sets
Staff Lv2　Punch Lv2　Kick Lv2　Joint Lock Lv1
Evade Lv1　Block Lv2　Summon Magic Lv3
Light Magic Lv2　Wind Magic Lv2　Earth Magic Lv2　Water Magic Lv2
Alchemy Lv2　Pharmacy Lv2
Cooperation Lv3　Appraise Lv3　Identify Lv3　Cold Resistance Lv2　Grab Lv2
Horsemanship Lv1　Precise Manipulation Lv1

Equipment　Beginner’s Rod　Wild Rabbit Breastplate+ Series（New!）
Snow Ape’s Armguard（New!）Cloth Shoes　Rucksack
Item Box

Items　Survival Knife

Monster Summons
Volff　Wolf Lv3　Resting

Zangetsu　Horse Lv2

Helix　Hawk Lv2

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