The Artefact and Anubis Mask

Breakfast today was incredibly awkward, likely due to the incessant sounds of Gideon and our new party member engaging in intimate activities during the night.

Matthias and I even had to lie to Jayden about the commotion. How the heck were they so loud?! All night too!? I couldn't even sleep.

I glanced at Matthias, who appeared visibly frustrated, sporting eye bags from the sleepless night. He seemed to have lost his appetite for bacon as he glared at the overly affectionate couple.

Garcia fed Gideon a love pancake with an excessive amount of maple syrup, sharing the pancake with an air of affection. Gideon appeared troubled, more embarrassed than pleased.

"Look at how lovey-dovey they are; I want them dead," Matthias muttered suddenly and stabbed his egg yolk, making me snort.

It was so funny looking at him, really salty. He was probably jealous because of his lack of experience with love and it shows in his horrendous face.

While I continued scooping my scrambled eggs, I paid no mind to the lovey-dovey couple and Matthias's petty frustrations.

My thoughts remained occupied with the events of the previous night, particularly regarding Gideon's comrade, Niel. I should have realized they knew each other, both being from the military and part of the same squad.

Even though Gideon had changed his clothes, they had worn identical uniforms. How could I have overlooked their connection?

Shit!

Niel's memories persisted vividly in my mind, showcasing the pain and beauty of the bonds within the squad. I stole a glance at Gideon and felt a twinge of guilt.

If he discovered the truth, would he seek revenge? In Niel's memories, they seemed incredibly close.

Although there was also another memory when he betrayed Gideon, they were still friends after all of this, right?

What should I do now? Should I confess that his friend tried to kill me, and I ended up killing him? Or should I keep it a secret and try to forget about it?

I sighed, opting for peace, deciding to keep it a secret. It seemed like the better choice for the team. Perhaps one day, I'd reveal the truth, but not now.

For the time being, let's enjoy breakfast.

"Hey, both of you!" Matthias suddenly interjected, bringing my focus back to the dining table.

"You need to turn down your voices at night for goddamn sake! We have a child here!" he continued to protest.

"Oh, sorry for that. I didn't know you were still a child," Garcia replied with a smirk, pausing her food-scooping efforts for Gideon.

"Not me! Look at this child beside me?" Matthias pointed at Jayden, who had remained silent throughout the exchange.

Well, he was right. I had literally covered Jayden's ears all night long since he slept beside me.

Garcia looked a bit startled, clearly not realizing Jayden's presence—his talent for remaining inconspicuous was likely a result of his assassin background.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were here, kiddo. What's your name? I'm Garcia, the new member of this party," she said cheerfully, extending her hand to Jayden.

Jayden shook her hand and replied shyly, "I'm Jayden Laurent."

"Good kid. Glad you're not like this brat beside you," Garcia chuckled, casting a smug glance at Matthias.

Matthias, feeling insulted, cleared his throat. "Anyway, I am the leader here, so you need to follow my rules! Don't make noise when you're doing it. Do you understand, woman?" He emphasized the word "leader," affirming his position.

Garcia simply shrugged and replied, "Sure, I didn't realize that your small, uncontrollable willy would be a problem for all of us here."

I burst into laughter, more thankful for Garcia's presence than I had ever imagined. Thank you, Garcia, for roasting Matthias without me having to lift a finger.

Matthias, clearly frustrated and seething, hit the table. "You! You!!! Ugh!!! Just shut up, alright! I don't care about your voice or whatever you're doing with Gideon! I'm just worried about Jayden." He seemed to lack any suitable comeback.

"And stop laughing, Seth!" he continued to glare at me.

"Both of you, just stop, alright? I'm sorry, Matthias; we will certainly do as you please and won't make any trouble, Gracia," Gideon said wisely, although he looked visibly troubled, likely not wanting to provoke his girlfriend or irritate Matthias.

Poor Gideon caught between bros and hoes—indeed a challenging situation.

Garcia and Matthias lapsed into silence as they continued eating, harboring a palpable grudge toward each other, especially Matthias, who had been thoroughly outmaneuvered by Garcia.

I really enjoyed all of their banter though, seeing a drama first in the morning with breakfast was something I didn't know I needed until now.

After breakfast, I decided to browse the market for items to conceal my identity. I wanted to engage in Player Killing after the mini-games without revealing myself, sparing my party from unnecessary complications.

I simply didn't want them to question why I ended up killing so many players. I knew they wouldn't understand, and I detested being labeled as evil.

While wandering the market, I stumbled upon a vintage shop that seemed exceptionally aged. The doorbell chimed as I entered, revealing an overload of antique jewelry—rings, necklaces, earrings, and more.

As I touched a ring with a crimson diamond, someone behind me greeted me, "Welcome to our shop, what can I help you with?"

Slightly startled, I turned to find a small, elderly gnome, with wrinkled face and a long triangle hat. I couldn't help but wonder why people placed gnome statues in their backyards.

They were creepy as hell.

"Oh, I'm just window shopping," I replied, placing the ring back.

"The ring you chose is an artifact. We sell many artifacts here," the gnome explained.

"What is an artifact?" I know what an artifact was, I just wanted to make sure that my definition was the same as the system.

"It's good for boosting player attributes with a unique effect. Like this set of jewelry, it will boost your attack when all four are used," the gnome elucidated.

Seems good, but I didn't want to use it since it looks too much. I mean, it's jewelry, it was supposed to look glamorous.

"Can I use it without others seeing the jewelry?"

"Yes, you can hide it. Just tell the system to do so," the gnome assured.

"Nice, I'll buy the artifacts that boost attack and intelligence."

Ranger Class needs Intelligence attributes to increase the damage for the skill too, although not as important as ATK.

The gnome nodded, guiding me to another set of crimson jewelry. "This set of artifacts is excellent for increasing skill damage."

As I examined the jewelry, the information screen displayed that using two artifacts would increase 10% of ATK, while using all four would boost not only ATK but also skill damage.

Curious about the cost, I inquired, "How much for all of this?" My accumulated wealth from monster and player kills wasn't a concern.

For information, if a player was doing PK, all of the killed player gold coins would be transferred to the killer one. So I'm really rich right now.

"It's 200,000 gold coins," the gnome started with a gleeful smile, knowing he would make a substantial profit.

As expected it was really expensive! Like what the hell, the old me would step back and leave the shop immediately because it looks like a robbery.

"Well then, I will buy it."

The gnome nodded. Following him to the counter, my attention was drawn to a cloak with animal fur, likely wolf due to its black mixed with grayish color. Intrigued, I asked, "Is this also an artifact?"

The gnome turned to look at the cloak I had touched. "Yes, it will decrease your presence by 20%," he explained.

Perfect, just what I needed. "Do you happen to have a mask as well?"

The gnome smiled, revealing an Anubis mask—a black and gold dog mask that covered half of my face due to its long jaw.

It looked incredibly cool!

Having spent nearly 500,000 gold coins in a day, I felt it was a worthwhile investment. The artifacts would boost my damage, and the mask and cloak added a stylish touch.

I was now prepared to claim the title of the number one Player Killer!