Chapter 9 - Yuuki

"So... Where are we now?" Yuuki asked, his gaze sweeping across the expanse of the forest, where colossal trees bathed the surroundings in dappled sunlight.

Yohan, clutching the map, directed his attention to it before responding, "Well... We should be out of this forest any moment now."

The present location was none other than The Great Forest of Nok, a Black Zone with its defining feature being these colossal trees. This woodland served as a haven for a plethora of perilous creatures, hosting numerous mob lairs and habitats.

Having exercised utmost vigilance throughout the night during their journey, the duo understood the inherent risks even though they followed a designated route meant to circumvent these monster lairs. While the monsters they encountered weren't particularly formidable, Yuuki and Yohan possessed the skills to dispatch them with relative ease, all the while ensuring the safety of Rumi. However, they were wary of attracting the attention of additional adversaries.

Then, while Rumi is immersed into the [Eternal Library], which grew by the minute, accumulating countless articles, she suddenly shouted to her two companions.

"Guys! You've got to see this!"

Intrigued, Yuuki and Yohan drew nearer, taking a peek at her interface.

"Oh?" Yuuki pondered, his attention captured by a video positioned atop an article titled [Trial in Floor 1]. "So, MasterAhn fought against Yun in a trial, huh?"

"It seems that way. Isn't he the guy who gave you the quest?" Rumi inquired.

"Yeah, he's a protagonist-class NPC."

Yohan's voice held a hint of remorse as he added, "No wonder MasterAhn was defeated."

"Well, MasterAhn's forte lies in strategy; close-quarters combat isn't exactly his strong suit." Rumi shrugged

With renewed curiosity, they delved deeper into the article, gaining valuable insights about the upcoming trial that lay ahead.

This particular article wasn't the only creation of the GND members; they had penned dozens of other articles encompassing various discoveries. The level of dedication exhibited by this guild towards the game was nothing short of astounding.

Another article that piqued their interest featured a video showcasing a formidable mecha decimating players. They were taken aback by the presence of such advanced machinery, which exuded a retro-futuristic aesthetic while packing the firepower of modern weaponry. As they continued their walk, they delved deeper into the array of articles. Of course, not everything they encountered could be taken as absolute truth; after all, they lacked the means to verify all the information. However, they also couldn't outright dismiss them without conducting proper fact-checking.

They stumbled upon an article that provided insights into the various starting towns, including the ones they had departed from. Moreover, they discovered that the entire territory currently occupied by players fell under the jurisdiction of a vast nation known as the Hasan Empire. This Empire reigned as the sole sovereign entity over the majority of Floor 1. The dedicated players who had been no lifing this game even managed to piece together a map, representing approximately 40% of the floor, which they stored within the Eternal Library. Additionally, they acquired a diverse array of maps detailing different locations, cities, road networks, and even offering approximate locations of various dungeons and monster habitats.

They had also found out the different types of Zones in the game and are listed in the article as follows with brief descriptions:

[Green Zones: Residential Areas of NPCs, laws are extremely prohibited here and you'll be arrested by crystal looking drones that suddenly materializes in the air when you did a crime (Tested), statement from NPCs said they cannot be harmed by outside forces while in this area unless they are a climber. (Testing needed)

Gray Zones: Borders of Green Zones and Black Zones. Law still applies here. Although NPCs can take damage in these areas. (Tested)

Black Zones: Areas beyond Gray Zones where monsters and beasts roam. These areas are completely lawless and harming NPCs are possible here. (Testing needed)]

Similar to the previous game, dungeons also existed in this one. These subspaces boasted procedurally generated layouts and a distinct assortment of monsters that materialized whenever players ventured inside, only to reset once they completed their exploration. These dungeons held randomized loot and rewards, primarily serving as lucrative experience farms, much like their counterparts in the previous game. The players who authored these articles even undertook the arduous task of testing these dungeons, diligently noting down the types of monsters encountered and the general difficulty levels of over a dozen such dungeons, all within a matter of hours.

After a brief moment, they caught sight of an exit that led them out of the forest.

"Finally..." Rumi exclaimed, her jubilant sigh resonating with a sense of relief.

Beyond the horizon lay the sprawling city that had been their destination all along, marking their arrival within the boundaries of a Gray Zone.

"Oh! Are you all climbers?" came a sudden voice, prompting them to turn around and discover an elderly woman standing behind them, wearing a warm smile.

"Um... yes, that's right, we are climbers," Yohan replied, a gentle but somewhat awkward smile adorning his face.

"Oh, how wonderful! I could really use some assistance from you young folks," the woman continued.

"Sure, what can we help you with?" Yuuki asked.

"Given that you're climbers, I assume you have access to dungeons, correct?"

"Yes, that's right," Yuuki confirmed.

"In that case, would you be willing to harvest a specific body part from a Gray Wolf for me?"

"What kind of body part?" Rumi asked curiously.

"Hearts! It's a delicacy at my restaurant, highly sought after in the city. I promise to reward each of you accordingly for your efforts."

An interface window then popped for three of them.

[Gathering Quest Activated!

Quest Name: A Heartfelt Request

Difficulty: Intermediate

Description: An old woman asked for a harvest of Gray Wolf hearts for her restaurant. Will you fullfil her request?

Current Objectives: Harvest Gray Wolf hearts.

Time Limit: 48 Hours (In-game time)

Failure Condition: Failure to get at least 3 hearts

Rewards: 35 Salapi for each harvested heart, 30% EXP Bar (Based on current level)

Accept/Decline?]

After reading the quest, they quickly reached a consensus and agreed to take the task, although Rumi expressed her suspicions to Yuuki in a hushed tone. "Why would she ask for wolf hearts? Is that even edible? This old woman seems suspicious."

"Come on, Rumi. This isn't the real world. Have you ever seen a flying whale in real life?" Yuuki countered.

"Um... No?"

"Exactly."

As the two engaged in a heated argument, Yohan stepped in and accepted the quest on behalf of the group. "We accept your request, Ma'am Elysa."

"Thank you, dear child. Once you're done, head into the city and inquire about the location of the Wolves' Garden. It's my sweet restaurant. You'll receive immediate assistance there. Moreover, there's a Dungeon beyond the Gray Zone where Gray Wolves spawn. It's quite challenging to capture them in the wild, so you can harvest the hearts there. I've been assigning climbers this task for the past 120 years since the establishment of my restaurant."

"120 years—?!" Yohan suppressed his disbelief, quickly regaining composure. "I understand. Consider this task done."

"Thank you, and now I shall take my leave. Oh, before I go..." Elysa handed Yohan a small token bearing the mark of two wolf faces side by side.

"Present this token to the guards, and they will grant you immediate entry. It serves as proof that you carry a delivery for me."

With that, Elysa departed, leaving Yohan to face Yuuki and Rumi, who were still locked in their disagreement.

"This woman is insane," Yuuki muttered, his expression devoid of emotion.

"Come on! Just listen to me! Something doesn't feel right about her," Rumi insisted.

Yohan interjected, attempting to ease the tension. "Well, she did give me this token. It seems legit. She mentioned running a restaurant, so let's just complete this quest. It shouldn't be too difficult anyway."

"Yeah, it's a better plan than hers."