Chapter 8 – Meeting with another Player
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Three days after I charged into a dungeon, I went to school, and after finishing my Friday classes, I went back home. There I changed into casual wear and got ready to leave again.
Thinking that it might be a bad idea to fully expose my face, I put on a black mask and moved to the nearest subway. I got into the train using an IC card with a sparrow illustration that was different from the one being used in Tokyo. The subway train took me to Sendai station, my destination.
This IC card is famous in Sendai, but if someone from a different region saw this, they’d probably be like, what the hell is this?
The train itself was crowded, but I managed to secure a seat. Opening Dungeon Seekers, I checked the Acquired Skills list, just to arrive at Sendai Station in no time.
Today I’m visiting this place for the sake of meeting a certain person.
It’s the female Dungeon Seekers player who apparently stuck the QR code to the telephone pole.
Venom.
After acknowledging her friend request, I’ve had several DMs with her, and we decided to meet today.
There’s a lot of things I want to ask such as why she put the QR code on that telephone pole.
But, since Dungeon Seekers is fishy in various ways, I cannot be negligent. Given that the game apparently allows you to become super rich, most players will likely have ulterior motives.
…I had sold the teacup I obtained in the dungeon and got some points called DC for it. Once I turned the DC into cash, 15,000 Yen were deposited on my smartphone as electronic money. Somehow an account for this sort of trading has been set up for me inside the game.
I tested the money at a convenience store, but it was processed just like any other electronic payment. Therefore, it’s possible for me to get a huge load of money, namely 3.3 billion Yen, if I sell Uchigatana Dragon Eater. No, wait. The digits between 15,000 Yen and 3.3 billion Yen are totally different and the ones holding the money are the game administrators, so it’s probably impossible. At least that’s what I think.
Besides, that’s one powerful weapon. It also comes with a skill called 『Hidden Blade – Dragon Eater』, so it’d be too much of a waste to sell it.
But…how to say it…
I tapped on the active skill 『Hidden Blade – Dragon Eater』 in the list of skills I can acquire.
Active Skill
『Hidden Blade – Dragon Eater』
Requires 150 SP
An unavoidable blow that bites its target with a dragon’s fury, devours it down to the last drop of blood, and thus consigns the target to oblivion. No enemy can block this hidden blade.
This weapon skill requires 150 friggin’ SP to acquire it. That’s five times 『Understanding of Hand-to-Hand Combat』 or 『Intuition』 which are both quite powerful. This has become a source of headaches for me. In games where you keep acquiring such skills it often happens that you run out of SP in the later stages of the game after spending your points too randomly in the beginning.
The SP I can obtain through level-ups is always 10 points, regardless of the level. Before I got a level from killing one goblin, but now the difficulty for getting SP has changed. Because of that, it’s necessary for me to seriously consider what I’m going to choose now in light of what’s to come.
I’ve been staring at the skill list all the time over the last few days. I had deliberately copied the list into a notebook as I wasn’t allowed to use my smartphone at school, using the time during class to brood over skills. Usually I took my classwork seriously and since my graduation was around the corner, it’d be no problem even if I skipped classes.
In reality, my problem was that there existed several skill that sounded as powerful as 『Understanding of Hand-to-Hand Combat』, if you looked at their descriptions. I also felt like I wanted to obtain all of them sometime, but now might be the only time when I’ve got 150 points gathered.
My decision to meet the other player was also related to this issue. I thought I might be able to obtain some information.
Leaving the ticket barrier, I headed over to a coffee shop near the station, which she had designated as our meeting spot. Setting the location on my smartphone as goal, I walked for a short while. Eventually I arrived in front of the store.
I took a deep breath, strengthening my resolve. Then I opened the door, causing a bell to ring, and entered the coffee shop.
The interior combined white and light brown colors, engendering a calm atmosphere. It somehow felt quite mature. A couple, who were talking quietly, and a lone, female customer, who was reading a book, were inside the store with its classical music playing in the background.
I had informed the other party about my physique and appearance in advance. My height was just 170 cm. I was wearing a black mask, a plain, white T-shirt, and a gray jacket. Also, black skinnies. Well, at a glance, I was totally giving off the high-school student vibe.
After telling the clerk, who had rushed over, that I had a prior appointment, I noticed a person waving her hand deeper inside the store. I informed the clerk that this was my appointment and walked up to her.
“Hello, Kurase-kun. So young…I’m terribly sorry. Still, I wonder whether young people are just more accustomed to games?” She asked while putting her hands together atop the table and looking up to me.
A long coat, a French crop, and a stabbing, tense look. A woman who looked like a smart college student.
“Yes. But I was truly baffled as I didn’t understand what was happening. Please teach me all you can.”
“Figures. But, first off━━━━,” she too a breath and told me with a calm, dignified voice, “━━━━let us order something, okay? It’s my treat, so get whatever you like.”
She was Venom, the senior player who had contacted me before. My five senses, which were enhanced by my level, and 『Intuition』 (the skill was active outside dungeons as well), were collectively warning me of her strength.
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