Chapter 52: Character Quest - Grace's Hometown 2
TL/Editor: Raei
Illustrations: Here
The virtual reality game, Heroes Chronicle, touts extreme realism as its main selling point.
While the main goal is to conquer the tower, there's a fully fleshed-out kingdom surrounding it.
The incredible realism has been proven time and time again through the experiences of many players.
Like ending up in jail for various antics such as trying to climb the tower from the outside.
You can go back to before being locked up if you reset before nightfall.
But if you accidentally let a day pass, you could be writing a 'Virtual Reality Prison Diary', as one player proved when they got caught by the guards getting handsy with a dancer.
No matter if you're scaling the tower, exploring the area, or committing a crime and landing in jail, time treats everyone equally.
The real struggle is that this single-player game doesn't have a SKIP button.
Is this really a game?
[Intermediate Alchemy Recipe.JPG]
[Hardworking Alchemy.GIF]
I'm not much of a sporty person, so I opted for the alchemist role.
But it takes a whole 40 hours to make a potion.
It's more like Grandma's Soup Shop simulator.
Bragging about being an intermediate alchemist, downvote.
There are people like this here as well.
And it's not just the time, the smell of alchemy is terrible, lol.
Since the game is like this, viewers understand when there's a lack of content.
But 'zzz' and sleeping emojis populate the chat instead.
"Ever been camping, Kaiden?"
"Yes, quite a lot when I was with a mercenary group. I was in charge of putting up the tent poles."
Kind Irene offered to help with chores, but the startled workers turned down her offer.
They believed it wasn't right to let an honored guest, especially a lovely young lady dressed as a nun, do work.
But Irene's soft demeanor seems to be gradually softening Kaiden's rough exterior.
She talks a little more when she's with her.
But watching a conversation between a Saint Candidate hiding her identity and a cross-dressing noblewoman also hiding her identity...
"Ah, I think I'll stop streaming here for today. I don't think anyone wants to watch me on night duty. So I'll skip the travel part and rest.
Streaming all the time is tiring. It's better to skip the boring parts and only go live when there's a big step forward in the quest, right?"
As Han Se-Ah's voice came from behind, a weird sensation makes me shiver.
It's an odd feeling, like being zapped and frozen at the same time.
It's as if time has slowed down a lot, like a flashlight passing by in a life-or-death battle.
The sparks jumping to start the campfire appear sluggish.
The dust kicked up from setting up the tent, the leaves rustling as they're brushed aside, the murmurs of the merchant staff, and even the movements of our party memberseverything feels thick and slow, as if time is moving at a fraction of its normal speed.
'...What was that?'
Surely enough, that odd feeling fades in less than a second.
The sparks catch the kindling, leading to a roaring bonfire.
The staff, skillfully working around the dust and leaves, bring a big pot and start making stew.
"It's my first time sleeping in a tent, it feels new."
"It's not as good as it looks."
Kaiden and Irene are still talking, while Grace, seemingly deep in thought, wanders away on her own.
I blink, trying to understand what just occurred, and quickly open both the chat and the forum.
Unless it's a case involving an ancient evil god or a sealed mage, it's certainly linked to Han Se-ah's stream.
Backing up my suspicion, the forum and the chat are a complete contrast.
There are dozens of unread popular posts on the forum, while the chat is completely empty.
I carefully go through the posts on the forum; it looks as if they've been accumulating for days.
Three days have passed outside while only a second has gone by for me.
Looking closer, the date of the earliest unread hot post is two days ago.
What I found out:
First, while the expedition was preparing the camp to sleep outside, Han Se-ah ended the game and the stream.
The weird sensation I felt was likely time in this world freezing.
If the inn is a save point, this felt like a quick save and an exit.
Second, Han Se-ah had been streaming daily to draw viewers and secure #1 in the game.
But she's slowly thinking about going back to her old streaming schedule.
There's no need to fully stream repetitive days in the forest or just carriage travel.
I was curious about how I was able to feel that sensation.
That discrepancy between my perception of time, time in reality and time inside the game.
Sadly, I wouldn't find an answer to that in the forum.
"Roland? What are you doing?"
"I had something on my mind."
As I was lost in thought scrolling through the forum, Han Se-ah walked up to me.
A player who lived three days outside in just one second.
...I'm just an NPC in a game.
Of course, there's no point in dwelling on pointless feelings.
I've had too many experiences over the 10 years to be upset about trivial things.
As long as my goal is clear, I won't waver.
"Is that so? Then I have something I'm curious about, can I ask?"
"Sure. I'm like a guide for the party after all."
Han Se-ah gently approached and spoke.
She must be eager to gather some knowledge off-stream.
She probably wants to show off to the viewers, given she's being teased for being ignorant.
As I nodded, she asked her question.
"Could you explain the Wandering Orcs, our target for this request?"
"Of course, I'll explain that. I'll tell everyone when we gather for dinner. Kaiden, with his mercenary background, might already know, but Irene and Grace likely don't."
As I spoke, Han Se-ah nodded.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
It's not a bad thing, I decided to give a more thorough explanation.
She went over to Grace and Irene, grinning, perhaps excited to get one up over her viewers.
While we spent time this way, the workers who had finished preparing for the night started on dinner.
"It's okay. I might not be able to do hard work, but I can manage this."
"But..."
"I've done lots of cooking at the temple, I'm really fine."
This time, Irene shooed the workers away and took it upon herself to prepare our dinner.
It wasn't a tough task, she wanted to help by cooking the food herself.
One of the workers shuffle nervously back and forth, unable to stop her.
It was funny to see the worker watch Irene, her sleeves rolled while peeling potatoes, with guilt written on their face.
Although cooking only involved boiling beans, potatoes, and tough pieces of meat.
Unaware of his gaze, Irene pulls Grace to her to start preparing the potatoes and beans.
"When the mind is troubled, simple tasks like this can help clear it. Peeling potatoes and beans, sitting by a fire, and watching the stars can help clear your thoughts."
"Just a little bit of the beans. I'm not really a fan of them in stew."
"Of course, I'll explain that.
Grace, who had regained some strength thanks to Irene's soothing words, grudgingly set aside the bean peels.
Watching this, Kaiden wisely collected firewood and brought water for the pot.
It appeared she took her role as the youngest member of the mercenary group seriously.
Pieces of meat, peeled potatoes, and beans are added to the pot along with jerky and dried fruit Irene gathered from the provisions, resulting in a thick stew.
The pleasant aroma coming from the pot proved that Irene wasn't lying about her frequent cooking at the temple.
As I soaked in the smell of the stew and the warm heat of the bonfire, I began to speak.
"Let's discuss the Wandering Orcs we'll be facing. Kaiden, are you familiar with them?"
"Aren't they the ones who get banished from their tribes due to diseases or old age? I understand they're weaker than those living in groups."
Her response was accurate but lacked that little extra bit needed.
If I were grading it, I'd award her around 85 out of 100.
There's a key characteristic of monsters that wander, both inside and outside the tower.
Han Se-ah raised her hand subtly, as if she were in school, and asked me, "You mentioned before that the main difference was in their aggression. What about that?"
"You've got a good memory. However, what I'm about to discuss now relates to the unique traits of the ones labeled 'wandering' by the guild."
At my words, everyone turned to me.
The difference between the monsters inside and outside the tower, particularly the 'wandering' ones, naturally intrigued them.
This categorization is somewhat arbitrary, of course, created by the guild for convenience.
"The creatures classified as wandering goblins, wandering orcs, and the like are crafty beings with frail bodies. They've been ostracized by their tribes due to physical disabilities."
To draw an analogy, they are much like aged lions.
Injured and ousted from their pack, they somehow endure in the wilderness, prowling around villages and preying on humans weaker than them.
Their cunningness is the most troublesome aspect.
The slightly smarter ones resort to holding children hostage or enslaving weaker monsters, even forming marauding groups.
If an orc warrior is more like a raging murderer, charging head on; a wandering orc is more like a psychopathic killer lurking in the night, kidnapping children.
Grace's face darkened, and Irene shot me a glaring look.
"...So, if the village puts up a strong fight, there's a chance they run before we arrive."
I promptly added.
***
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