Chapter 8

"As the mating season approaches, those deer creatures become ferocious. Now they've even come down near the village and are messing up the crops... What do you say, would you be willing to bring me the horns of a Mutated Stag? If we stick the leader's horns in the fields, they might get scared off and stay away."

Ding!

[Received quest from the worried farmer.]

[Exterminate the Mutated Stag!]

[Quest Grade: D]

[Level Limit: Level 10 or below]

[Quest Details: Hunt down the rare Mutated Stag that occasionally appears near the village and bring back evidence.]

[Kill Mutated Stag (0/1)]

[Acquire Mutated Stag Horn (0/1)]

*Quest Tip: The Mutated Stag is an Elite monster. It's recommended to form a party.

"Hmm. So there are quest tips. This game isn't all unfriendly after all."

-It's the starting village. They should give you some hints.

Following the blonde man and the beginners from a distance, Karpe encountered a farmer on the outskirts of the city and was able to receive a quest from him as well.

"Alright, from the beginner-support guild Mammonism, we'll help you with the ultimate efficiency quest, the Stag quest!"

"We'll not only protect you from random PKs but also tank the stag's attacks for you!"

"We'll help for just a few scraps!"

The famous restaurant always has a steady stream of customers.

People who receive quests, people who want to complete quests and receive rewards, and those who guide them - there were always many people around the farmer.

"Now, if you've all received your quests, let's move. I'll make sure we complete the quest successfully."

"We only trust Rohan!"

"I didn't realize that receiving quests like this was so common... I'm sorry for doubting you, Rohan."

"Haha. It's okay. Now, let's go."

The blonde man Rohan and the beginners, who seemed to have already formed a camaraderie, set off to complete the quest with a cheerful atmosphere. Karpe also sneaked away quietly.

"...What's this?"

-We expected it, but this is a bit much, isn't it?

Upon arrival, they found people lining up in a very long line.

"Ugh, it's been an hour already. When are we going to break and go hunting?!"

"Just hold on a little longer. We're almost there. Besides, this quest is more efficient than completing four other normal quests."

People, tired of waiting but unwilling to leave after investing so much time.

"Don't push! Don't you know this is a PK zone? Want to get stabbed?"

"If anyone tries to cut in line, we'll all kill them."

People on the verge of giving up and turning away in exhaustion.

"Oh! The Stag has respawned! Ticket number 67! Number 67, please come out!"

"Yes! Finally!"

"Ugh, waited for two hours. Let's hurry up, kill it, and go do something else."

And with people from all walks of life, from those who waited until the end to see the results, the Stag zone was reminiscent of a bustling marketplace.

"I feel like I've heard stories about huge lines for quests in famous RPGs in the past..."

-People then and now haven't changed. Well, isn't it obvious? Whether it's a popular restaurant or a game, there are always plenty of people willing to wait for hours to get what they want.

"Yeah, you're right."

However, this was not reality but a space within a game, which meant unexpected situations could arise.

"Hey! What are those guys doing!"

"It's our turn!"

Just as a party was about to approach the stag, three men suddenly rushed towards it.

"You idiots! How long are you going to wait!"

"The first to act is the master. Do you want to maintain order even in the game?"

"Get out of the line after waiting your whole life!"

It was an unexpected queue-jumping!

Well, to be precise, their case was different. The three of them were not paying coins to receive the quest, but acting independently.

"Alright, let's take it down quickly."

"This is a piece of cake. How hard could a game be?"

"Of course, none of us have actually eaten rice with side dishes!"

Minsoo, Kwangsoo, and Jungsoo.

They were high school students attending a prestigious school in Seoul. Always sticking together in real life as well, they were collectively referred to as the '3Soo' by their friends.

"Okay, Kwangsoo, pull the aggro!"

"Got it!"

As Minsoo, the leader of the 3Soo, shouted, Kwangsoo beside him immediately responded.

Bam!

When Kwangsoo delivered a body blow to the stag, it flinched and began to target him.

"Aggro acquired! Let's do this!"

"We got this!"

Though young, they had a sense for gaming. Moreover, their years of friendship had honed their teamwork to perfection.

"Alright, now it's time for my DPS... huh?!"

But that's as far as they got.

Why wouldn't they try queue-jumping like everyone else? No one would want to wait idly in a game either.

However, there's usually a reason why people don't do things.

Swish!

Just as Minsoo was about to strike the stag with his sword, an arrow flew from the forest and struck Minsoo's leg.

"Minsoo!"

"Who the hell... Ugh!"

Though Kwangsoo and Jungsoo were enraged, their anger didn't last long. They too received a baptism of arrows.

It took just a few seconds for the 3Soo's HP bars to plummet to zero.

"I-Is this the One Piece?!"

"Help! I'm dying!"

"You idiot! Do you have to make jokes while dying?! Hey, someone, please help us!"

Minsoo sought help from the Mammonism guild members nearby, but the response he received was cold.

"I'm sorry. Even though I want to help, assisting you could potentially harm our users here. The One Piece arrows are aimed at us as well. Sorry."

The Mammonism guild member said so, blocking the arrows flying towards the user beside him with his shield. It seemed like he had done this before, more than once or twice.

"Therefore, please try to escape on your own. If that's difficult, well, you'll have to die."

"I-I understand."

"Oh, by the way. If you happen to respawn, please visit our Mammonism guild. We'll make sure to protect you if you pay the coins."

"But I've already sold everything at the shop!"

"Well, that's regrettable."

Thwack!

Dozens of arrows flying from the forest pierced through the 3Soo, turning them into ashes.

"Alright, everyone, maintain formation and protect the beginners!"

But the One Piece wasn't satisfied with devouring just the 3Soo; they aimed arrows at the waiting users. The Mammonism guild members expertly blocked the attacks.

"As expected of Mammonism. They live up to their name."

"I was thinking of trying it without their help... It would've been a disaster."

People marveled at the Mammonism guild's prowess.

After a few more minutes, the attacks from the forest ceased, and the quest resumed.

"So, are you going to proceed with the quest too?"

"Me? You mean join the queue over there?"

Carpe said so, looking at the long line. Perhaps due to the recent One Piece attack, the queue showed no signs of shrinking. Instead, even those who had considered trying something on their own joined the line, making it longer.

"...I don't think so."

"Do you think I'd ask you to waste your time like that? There are other places where stags respawn besides here. In fact, there are many more of them over there than here."

"Oh? Really? Where is it?"

"That way."

Carpe looked in the direction indicated by Cheonma's finger and burst into laughter.

"...That sounds fun."

"Right? It's not just fun; there's a lot of money to be made too."

The place Cheonma pointed to was the forest next to the field where stags respawned.

It was the One Piece's nest.

"But if I go in, won't I turn into a hedgehog right away? Can I even win?"

"You can't shoot arrows wildly in the forest. And as for winning? Can you even grasp how ridiculous your stats are?"

The starting city is like a beginner's town in other games.

It's a place designed to help users adapt to the game by placing easy quests and mobs.

"The starting city can't exist beyond level 10. The moment you reach level 11, you'll automatically warp out of the city."

High-level players cannot be in low-level areas.

This was one of the laws that permeated the world of Lasse. In a world where PK is allowed, it was only natural.

"To enter low-level areas as a high-level player, you need to be prepared for severe penalties. However, special classes like 'merchants' can move around without any restrictions."

"Hmm. So, merchants can go anywhere?"

"Yeah, that seems to be the concept. Anyway, that's not the important part. The strongest guy in that forest is said to be level 10."

With 5 stats given per level, Carpe, who had a total stat of +24, was equivalent to level 24 in terms of stats alone.

"In the history of gaming, there was never anyone with stats as high as yours in the starting city. Didn't you feel it when the arrows flew towards you earlier?"

"Well, it did feel slow."

It wasn't just slow; it was excessively slow. To the point where you wondered why he couldn't dodge it. It was almost as if he could catch the arrows flying towards him with his hands.

"That's the level of someone at level 10. Can you win? Ha, better prepare your martial arts skills."

"The hero enters the scene."

After saying so, Carpe didn't hesitate and headed into the forest.

And there was a man watching him from afar.

Rohan.

He was a member of the Mammonism guild leading the group of beginners to the stag zone.

After confirming that Carpe had completely entered the forest, he whispered something.

<One user entered the forest. A beginner. Handle as usual>

***

The inside of the forest was surprisingly peaceful, considering it wasn't considered a hiding place.

"But come to think of it, there's something a bit strange."

"What is it?"

"When the One Piece shot arrows earlier, it felt a bit different between the first and the later ones."

"Oh, really? How so?"

"At first, when they were targeting the sudden appearance of three people, the arrows seemed to aim for fatal points one by one. But afterwards, the arrows pouring towards the Mammonism guild were very straightforward."

"It's like they were shooting to allow for easy blocking."

"Hmm. That's how it felt."

Cheonma chuckled inwardly. It seemed like the one who summoned him had even more potential than he thought. As Cheonma, it was a very satisfying thing.

"So, what's the conclusion?"

"It's obvious. Mammonism and the One Piece were in cahoots from the beginning...!"

Whoosh!

Carpe suddenly threw himself to the side. In that moment, arrows began to pierce the spot where Carpe had been standing.

"What the? They said they were beginners?"

"They probably got the info wrong. Just by the movement, you can tell they're level 10 for sure."

"Tsk. Still coming for revenge, huh? It's been quiet for a while."

The One Piece members lurking in the trees grumbled. However, there was no tension in their voices.

They had engaged in countless player killings before. Many of those they had attacked had sought revenge. But they had all become sacrifices for the One Piece.

"Annoying."

"He's hiding behind the tree. Since he can't use arrows, let's finish him off in close combat."

"Yeah, gotta earn our wages somehow."

They descended from the trees and began to close in on Carpe.

It was a tense situation, but Carpe was even more tense.

"Let's see, where's the video recording function?"

"Well, in LaSe, videos are automatically saved... But a video? Are you a streamer?"

"Not really, but you never know what might happen later. Just in case."

Maybe this video could come in handy when dealing with Mammonism later?

If not, it wouldn't hurt to create a streaming account and upload the video there.

[Attacked in a PK zone.]

[Punishment given to preemptive attackers.]

[Preemptive attackers have a 90% chance of dropping items upon death.]

Videos of successful loot grabs were always in demand!

Swish!

Carpe shot out like lightning towards the One Piece.