>>4289587
>Pull out your bow and attempt to kill them from your position in the tree.
Disregard trap options, we all know you've been plotting your return to make a calculated comeback, cirno

>>4289587
>Pull out your bow and attempt to kill them from your position in the tree.
>But wait, OP, where the fuck have you been?

>>4289587
>>Pull out your bow and attempt to kill them from your position in the tree.

>>4289587
>But wait, OP, where the fuck have you been?
>We demand compensation for not updating when you said you would.
>healing poorly is your own fault and you only have yourself to blame


>Pull out your bow and attempt to kill them from your position in the tree.

>>4289587
>Pull out your bow and attempt to kill them from your position in the tree.
>But wait, OP, where the fuck have you been?

>>4289587
>Pull out your bow and attempt to kill them from your position in the tree.
>But wait, OP, where the fuck have you been?

Aah shit, we back folks!!

>>4289595
>>4289600
>>4289605
>>4289606
>>4289611
>>4289617

Aerial kills are what makes the dream work. Writing now!

>>4289600
>>4289606
>>4289611
>>4289617

So, long story short, a few days after I closed the last thread, I managed to snag an appointment at the dentist for my growing tooth problem.

They said that they could get it yoinked, but the only time they could do it was a day before May 22nd, which was going to be the start of the next thread.

And because I'm committed to writing pain free just for the overall enjoyment and better quality, I decided it would be best to write when it was (mostly) healed, as I'd be miserable otherwise.

TL;DR: QM being a baby, but we're here now, so that's neat.

>>4289623
Glad you're feeling better at least.

>>4289623

After a few moments of debate, you brace yourself against the tree trunk and pull out your bow, critically analyzing the wolves as you prepare your shot.

It’s no exaggeration to say that there is no deviation in their movements, almost to a borderline mechanical degree. They patrol in a perfect circle, the pair always directly across from each other as they do. Occasionally they look over at each other and snort, but other than that, there appears to be no form of intelligent communication between the two.

As you pull back the bowstring, you concoct a few potential strategies as you narrow down which to hit. If you hit the one closest to you, it would cause the farthest to come over to investigate, meaning you could also nail it with a shot if you’re quick enough on the draw. If you hit the farthest, however, it will make the other turn its back, allowing you to hop down and maybe strike him down with a few flourishes of your blade while its unaware.

There is, of course, room for error – but you are an adaptable sort of guy with a great capacity for winging it.

Which wolf do you want to fire at?

>The one closest to you, in front of the cocoon.
>The one farthest from you, behind the cocoon.

>>4289633
>The one closest to you, in front of the cocoon.

>>4289633
>The one closest to you, in front of the cocoon.

>>4289633
>The one closest to you, in front of the cocoon.
an unnecessary risk can make or break a hunt

>>4289633
>The one closest to you, in front of the cocoon.
>>4289623
I’m happy you’re doing good now

>>4289633
>The one closest to you, in front of the cocoon.
Good to have you back

>>4289636
>>4289637
>>4289638
>>4289639
>>4289645

Go for the closest one! In that case, please roll me a 1d20 - add +2 to that due to your weapon statistics, and best of three wins!

Rolled 2 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>4289650
rolling boyo

Rolled 12 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>4289650

Rolled 12 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>4289650

>>4289653
>>4289654
Two 14s, nice! Writing now.

>>4289639
>>4289645
Late but thank you very much, anons! Glad to be back, and more than glad to be doing better, lol.

>>4289655

You slowly exhale the breath you’re holding as you wait for the wolves to do another revolution around the stone. You’re more than certain that it holds what you’re seeking – the blacksmith did say he was looking for a stone with monsters near it, after all – so in order to get that, you have to have a perfect shot.

As your target fully makes his way in front of you, your eyes harden, and you let the arrow loose from the string. You can practically hear it whistling through the air in face of the silent forest, and you feel a cold sweat come over you as you wait for the arrow to hit the monster.

Unfortunately, you miss your mark by just a tiny bit.

Whilst you were aiming for the head of the beast, you hit him a little lower than that. Whether it was due to a sudden wind, or maybe due to nervousness, the arrow punctures the wolf right through the upper body, just shy of the neck. It immediately lets out a pained yip as its head snaps around to find the perpetrator, and you wince as the other wolf begins to do the same as he darts over to his kin’s side.

Even from here, as you keep your body low on the tree branch, you can see dark red blood soak through the pristine white coat of the wolf. It would almost be sad if you didn’t know the thing wasn’t a ravenous monster, and would kill you in a heartbeat just to protect that treasure trove.

You’re easily able to steel your heart to the tiny whines and yips of pain as you concoct a plan of action.

>Drop from the branch into the underbrush – you don’t want to stay in one position for very long.
>Stay as still as you can and hope that they don’t look up at you – they haven’t found you yet.
>Tear a twig of the tree and toss it into the underbrush – maybe you’ll be able to fake them out.
>Chance another shot off on the injured wolf – you’d like to stay proactive, if you could.
>Write-in.

>>4289672
Other wolf is on the alert, movement will attract it so we don't want to fire another shot just yet.

>Tear a twig of the tree and toss it into the underbrush – maybe you’ll be able to fake them out.

>>4289672
>Tear a twig of the tree and toss it into the underbrush – maybe you’ll be able to fake them out.
we hurt a video game dog we are going to hell

>>4289672
>Stay as still as you can and hope that they don’t look up at you – they haven’t found you yet.

they could hear the twig snapping now that they're alert, no?

>>4289672
>Tear a twig of the tree and toss it into the underbrush – maybe you’ll be able to fake them out.
Video game stealth mechanics shall be our saviour.

>>4289683
>>4289686
>>4289697
Video game stealth activate! Writing now.

>>4289686
Feel them sins on your back yet?

>>4289703

As you keep your eyes firmly locked on the pair of alerted wolves, you slowly reach your left hand out and begin to feel up the tree next to you. The bark is rough and cold under your palms, and at first you worry that you won’t find anything to support your plan, but you almost sigh in relief when your hand bumps against the beginnings of a smallish branch.

Wrapping your hand around the protrusion, you begin mentally counting down as you prepare to rip it off and send it careening into the bushes. Theoretically, this should work, but you’d need to do it incredibly fast – they will very much hear the twig snapping assumedly, meaning that you’d have to simulate the twig itself snapping on the ground, and also make it seem like something either crashed to the ground or is in the process of running away from them.

You can’t help the cocky grin that comes across your face as you glare at the wolves, the beginnings of satisfaction bubbling up within you. Adjusting your position slightly to allow for quick movement if necessary, you give yourself an additional second, and then tear the branch from the tree.

SNAP!

Just as the wolves stiffen and begin moving their heads to find the noise, you fling it off into the underbrush with a powerful swing. The more able-bodied wolf practically does a 180 on the spot and immediately dashes in the direction of the stick, an eerie sound of a mixed bark and howl escaping from its throat. The other looks after the wolf as it goes, but doesn’t follow, presumedly either due to its injury or its need to guard the stone cocoon.

Either way, you watch as the other wolf disappears into the underbrush, following your wild goose chase. Your vision trails from that area of the forest to the wolf below you that’s now beginning to move back towards its patrol pattern, panting and whining all the while.

>Descend from the tree and stab at it with your sword before it gets too far away.
>Shoot at it with your bow now that the other one has gone away.
>Move down from the tree and rush towards the cocoon to grab the stone, now that it’s injured.
>Write-in.

>>4289727
>Move down from the tree and rush towards the cocoon to grab the stone, now that it’s injured.

or switch to
>Shoot at it with your bow now that the other one has gone away.
if it wins

>>4289727
>Shoot at it with your bow now that the other one has gone away.

>>4289727
>Shoot at it with your bow now that the other one has gone away.

>>4289731
>>4289743
>>4289744
Another shot, and 19 arrows left to use! Please roll me a 1d20+2, and best of three wins!

Rolled 12 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>4289746

Rolled 17 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>4289746

Rolled 15 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>4289746

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>>4289746

>>4289749
Look at that, a 19! That's pretty fucking good! Writing now.

>>4289752

Your hand immediately flies to yank out another arrow from your quiver, and you notch it in place quickly while eyeing the place the second wolf went off to. It could be coming back at any moment now, so that means expediency is key, which means that you need to pull off a good shot really fast. Good thing you know just how to get it’s attention.

You click your tongue loudly and center your aim directly on the creature’s head. Predictably, its head darts around as soon as the noise breaks the silence, but before it can make any noise as it spots you, you fire the arrow.

It goes directly into its eye and neck, robbing all sound from the wolf other than a tiny gurgle of pain. Seconds later, it falls to the ground, creating a loud thump as all of its weight crashes against the soil.

You idly note out of the corner of your eye that a menu pops up, proudly displaying the following.

>XP: 4 -> 29 (+25)

You can’t help but wonder why there was 4 there, considering it was 0 when you left town, but then you realize why. For every successful hit you score on an enemy, a weapon’s hit modifier is immediately added to your XP bar. So for the two hits with your bow, and the enemy kill, that would indeed equal 29. Usually monsters give far less at the beginning – that’s why grinding is efficient, to build up an early game lead along with quest taking or player killing – but they’re usually worth about 1/10th of your total XP at level 1.

They really are bumping up the stakes for this one, it would seem. Best get a move on regardless, after all, it’s not like the island you’re on is going to sink in 10 hours!

>Dart down and grab the stone – you’re in the clear for the moment, as long as that wolf stays gone.
>Lie in place and wait for the other wolf to come back – you’ll gladly kill him for XP using his partner as bait.
>Drop down and follow the other wolf – you’ll catch him unaware as he’s tracking that stick.
>Write-in.

>>4289763
>Lie in place and wait for the other wolf to come back – you’ll gladly kill him for XP using his partner as bait.
Grind never quit

>>4289763
>>Dart down and grab the stone – you’re in the clear for the moment, as long as that wolf stays gone.

>>4289763
>Dart down and grab the stone – you’re in the clear for the moment, as long as that wolf stays gone.

>>4289763
>Lie in place and wait for the other wolf to come back – you’ll gladly kill him for XP using his partner as bait.

patience is key when being sneaky

Going to go make some lunch super fast, I will be back in a bit! Thank you very much for coming around to read, it's super great to be back, and I hope you're having a great time! Vote will remain open until I come back.

Other than that though, how are you all doing today?

>>4289783
doing alright Cir, vibin with the cat.

>>4289783
What are you going to eat for lunch? Got to know to see if you're a good QM or not. Joke

>>4289763
>Lie in place and wait for the other wolf to come back – you’ll gladly kill him for XP using his partner as bait.

Finally back! Sorry for the wait, also made lunch for the rest of the house while I was at it.

>>4289789
Vibing with the cat is always a good time.

>>4289792
Grilled some steaks, they turned out pretty fucking great.

>>4289767
>>4289780
>>4289792
Hunt for the animal, gain XP. Writing now!

>>4289898

Whilst there’s quite the temptation to dash down and grab that stone before the other wolf comes back, you force yourself to stay still and get another arrow ready. While you could easily take your prize and make your way back to town, it wouldn’t be cost effective XP-wise. You’ll get 100 for the quest which is already a level up, and those two are additional resources you can exploit.

You grin to yourself as you train your eyes on the underbrush that the wolf left through, waiting for him to come back. It’s a bit of a long process, and you’re not so subtly counting down the hours that you have left before the first break – three hours or so – but eventually, you spot a white muzzle poking through the bushes.

When it first emerges, you can spot that it’s panting from exertion, and perhaps anger at its imaginary prey escaping. Seconds later though, you watch him look around confusedly before identifying the fellow wolf that is now dead and bleeding on the forest floor. As soon as it does, its jowls open in a grotesque howl as it begins to make its way over to the dead wolf.

With it being near the underbrush, you still have a range advantage should you wish to take it out stealthily from this distance. However, if it gets close enough, you’ll be in perfect range to drop down and engage it in melee combat, potentially taking it off guard due to the death of its comrade.

Either way, you’re in position to end this wolf and reap the rewards, so you begin to put your plan into action.

>Drop down either onto or near the wolf, and engage him with your sword.
>Stay still in the trees and try to take the creature down in one shot.
>Write-in.

>>4289918
>>Stay still in the trees and try to take the creature down in one shot.

>>4289918
Throw something behind the wolf, then drop onto the wolf and engage with your sword.

>>4289918
>Stay still in the trees and try to take the creature down in one shot.
We are a stealth archer now, the only way to play

>>4289918
>Stay still in the trees and try to take the creature down in one shot.
Sniper Elite 7 has trained us well

>>4289920
>>4289923
>>4289941
Become the night archer. Please roll me a 1d20+2, best of three goes through!

Rolled 17 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>4289946

Rolled 10 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>4289946

Rolled 20 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>4289946

>>4289954
Hell yeah, anon. Writing now!

>>4289975

You exhale softly as the wolf begins to rush over, stretching the bowstring to its max possible limit. Taking a moment to gauge trajectory and angle, you shut one of your eyes as you center your aim on the wolf’s head, and you let the arrow fly and strike true. A moment passes as time seems to stop, and you can practically hear flesh tear as the arrow rips open the wolf’s eye, silencing any noises it would make just like the first.

It falls to the ground, and you take a moment to allow yourself a harsh grin. You had been worried about the threat that these wolves might have posed, but it appears you’re still on top form – with no threat in sight, you hop down from the tree branch, landing just a few inches away from the dead pair of white wolves. Their fur with slowly spreading and clotting blood, but they are most certainly dead due to your precise efforts.

If the monsters are this easy, you can only hope that the players will be too.

>XP: 31 -> 56 (+25)
>AMMUNITION: 18 -> 17 (-1)

With all of that said and done, you holster your bow and lightly jog over to the stone cocoon. As you get closer, the feeling of magic washes over you again, and it makes your skin itch. As a mage, the sensation might have been pleasant or relaxing, but your class is unable to harness this resource. Therefore, it feels like an oddity, which is why your skin and teeth are now itching from the sheer unfamiliar power.

Once you are able to look inside, you immediately see the source, reaching in to pluck it out from its little nest of woven stone. It’s very bumpy, and obviously unrefined – there is no smoothness to the bright blue gem that vibrates in your hand, and you can’t help but be slightly hypnotized by the sheer color and energy of it. Considering this was requested by a blacksmith and not a scrivener, it will most likely be used to make a magic weapon or armor, rather than any grimoires or spell scrolls.

“You’re a pretty little gem, eh? If I didn’t need the levels, I’d pocket the fucker and get a better deal.” You talk for the first time in an hour, chuckling lightly as you stow the gem away in your pocket.

>ITEM GAINED: Blue Spellstone (quality: unknown)

Now that you’ve gotten what you came for, there’s plenty you can do, but you only have so much time until your first break from the game. What would you like to do?

>TIME REMAINING: THREE HOURS UNTIL BREAK.

>Skin the wolf corpses and sell the pelts. (COST: HALF AN HOUR)
>Make your way back to the roadside town and cash in your quest that you’ve completed. (Cost: ONE HOUR)
>Go deeper into the forest, looking for either players or monsters to farm. (Cost: ONE HOUR)
>Try to move to a different town in order to sell off the stone to a better paying customer. (Cost: TWO HOURS)
>Write-in. (If voted for, I will come up with a time for whatever you wish to do. Feel free to discuss anything!)

>>4290002
>Make your way back to the roadside town and cash in your quest that you’ve completed. (Cost: ONE HOUR)
Can't waste any time or levels

>>4290002
>Make your way back to the roadside town and cash in your quest that you’ve completed. (Cost: ONE HOUR)

>>4290002
>Make your way back to the roadside town and cash in your quest that you’ve completed. (Cost: ONE HOUR)

what >>4290010 says. we're on the island that's gonna sink (in case anyone forgot).

>>4290002
>Make your way back to the roadside town and cash in your quest that you’ve completed. (Cost: ONE HOUR)
Can go grind afterwards, no time to waste.

>>4290002
>>Skin the wolf corpses and sell the pelts. (COST: HALF AN HOUR)
>>Make your way back to the roadside town and cash in your quest that you’ve completed. (Cost: ONE HOUR)

>>4290010
>>4290012
>>4290013
>>4290014
Make the trek back to town. Writing now!

Also, it's true, you all are on the first sinking island. You are aware that one sinks at the end of every day, which would leave 10 hours left!

File: gem.jpg (15 KB, 577x433)

15 KB JPG

>>4290033

(Just a quick note to everyone – there’s currently a thunderstorm rolling through my area, so if I ever am absent for super long without notice, know that my power got knocked out!)

You take a glance at the corpses of the white wolves, but ultimately decide that it wouldn’t be best to take the time to skin them. With you being very unlucky in getting to be on the first sinking island, time is literally of the essence, and it’s a dwindling resource. With three hours until the first break, you need to be light on your feet, especially so you can get into a better situation in order to take on enemies.

With that being said, you begin to move through the forest once again, taking advantage of your enhanced stamina to thunder between the trees and foliage. Apparently the wolves and stone were the cause of the silent forest, because as you move through it, you can actually hear animals again. It properly feels like a place of nature, and not a desolate and deceiving image of what the woods should be like.

Eventually, you emerge from the lush, green trees with no issue. The sky is still bright, just as indicative of time as it would be in real life. The warm air feels good against your skin as you move through the flat fields, and after an hour’s worth of traveling, you see the town you had previously left just as your feet begin to ache.

You idly note that unlike how Warscape used to be, this game actually has a semblance of stamina, which is highly irritating, even if it’s more than what you would usually be capable of.

As you make your way through the antiquated buildings once more, you notice that there are somehow less people on the streets than there were before, causing you to chuckle as you take a few breaths. The shops that were just opening up when you left are finally accepting what little business there is to find, and there’s the slight scent of baking pastries and meat in the air.

“One of the good things about this place,” You idly comment as you walk down the side of the dirt path, nodding to a group of young, staring women who titter and begin excitedly talking among themselves. You sigh and make your way into the blacksmith shop, where the same old man is still working steel over his anvil.

“Ah, yer back. Didn’t think I’d be seein’ ya again.” The gruff man admits, looking into your eyes with his beady black irises. “Got the stone, then?”

>Nod and hand the stone over, you want to be on your way as quick as possible.
>Hand him the stone and ask if he might be able to work it into a weapon for you. [This will require a LOW roll.]
>Tell him that the forces looked too strong for you, and you might need some heavier armaments. [This will require a roll.]
>Tell him that you have it, but that you want a bigger reward for what you went through to get it. [This will require a HIGH roll.]
>Write-in.

>>4290069
>Hand him the stone and ask if he might be able to work it into a weapon for you. [This will require a LOW roll.]

>>4290069
>Nod and hand the stone over, you want to be on your way as quick as possible.

>>4290069
>"You wouldn't happen to have a map on you?"
>Tell him that you'd appreciate a bit of help accessing the other islands, where you could find passage and the cost.

>>4290069
>Nod and hand the stone over, you want to be on your way as quick as possible.

>>4290069
>Nod and hand the stone over, you want to be on your way as quick as possible.

>>4290079
>>4290115
>>4290118
Time is key, and you know this. Writing now!

>>4290121

You nod at the man and fish around in your pocket, pulling out the almost fluorescent blue stone. The man squints as he takes it from your hands, and upon deciding that it’s what he’s looking for, he nods and promptly tosses it behind him and onto one of his various workbenches. Your eye twitches at this, especially at how (relatively) careful you had been with it, but you sigh and decide to put it behind you.

“Good job, kid. Here you go.” The man reaches to the floor and picks up a leather pouch, tossing it to you as he does. You catch it easily, and as soon as you do, you feel a sudden surge of energy rush through your body. Smiling, you realize what happened immediately, savoring the quick burst of power.

>LEVEL UP! 1 -> 2 (+1)
>HEALTH: 100 -> 125 (+25)
>XP: 56/200 (+100)
>GOLD: 20 -> 220 (+200)

>QUEST COMPLETED: Let’s Find the Stone!

“Thanks. Hey, by the way, do you happen to have a map? I’m looking to navigate more effectively.”

“Can’t say that I do. Ain’t you supposed to be a traveler?” The man chortles, and your brow creases.

“Just looking for a way to get off this island. Are there any ports nearby?”

The blacksmith ponders this question for a bit before speaking again.

“If you follow the road North of town,” he points to the right, which you mentally note, “you’ll find a town that has a few ships that you can hire. Be careful, though, I heard that there’s some weird shit going on around there.”

“How so?”

“Well water’s poisoned up there, and nobody knows why.”

“Hm. Thanks for the info.”

“Have a good one, kid. You look like one of the good ones.”

“Same to you, boss.”

You turn on your heel and leave the shop, feeling refreshed due to a job well done, as well as the level-up. Speaking of which, you maneuver around the shop and out of sight, pulling up the game menu as you do so.

Sure enough, next to your inventory, the level up option is now available for you to peruse. As soon as you click the button, you can feel time grind to a halt around you. The warm air is replaced with an uneasy coolness, and you watch as the colors of the environment fade to grey in face of three boxes that have appeared in front of you. A second later, you watch as the surfaces slide away, revealing a list of icons. Slowly, they begin cycling through them, almost like a slot machine.

You grit your teeth. You thought they might give some more strategic leveling options, but nope, they’ve randomized them. Hopefully you get something good.

>Please roll me three flat 1d100s.

Rolled 38, 8, 82 = 128 (3d100)

>>4290151
rolling

Rolled 81, 89, 14 = 184 (3d100)

>>4290151

Rolled 60 (1d100)

>>4290151

Rolled 63, 20, 12 = 95 (3d100)

>>4290151

>>4290153
>>4290154
>>4290158
Thank you kindly, anons! Writing now.

>>4290163

After a few seconds of spinning, you watch as the boxes finally settle into place, putting your three options in front of you.

>EQUIPMENT UPGRADE: +1 to REINFORCED LONG BOW. (+2 -> +3)

>PASSIVE ABILITY: SNEAK ATTACK – Additional ranged damage imposed on enemy if player is fully concealed before doing so.

>PASSIVE ABILITY: BEAST HUNTER – Additional ranged damage imposed on animals or animal-like creatures.

You can’t help but grin at that, you had forgotten that the level ups in this game are largely tailored to how you have played things so far. Since you have only killed monsters from the shadows, and only have done so with your longbow, it’s only natural that your boosts would be tailored towards those aspects of your game. These boosts are pretty fucking good too, especially for level 2.

To start with, the equipment upgrade is good because normally you’d have to pay for that, or get a new weapon overall. Having a free boost this early in the game could prove vital against fast acting players.

The sneak attack passive is also very good for this early in the game – having additional damage is always a plus, however you need to be fully concealed from sight to do so, which may prove interesting if you’re in a more cramped space.

And finally, the beast hunter passive is great for grinding for XP and gold, but only towards animal-like beings. This would be fine, considering you’re right next to a forest, however you’re not sure if animals will be prevalent within any of the other islands. If they are, that’ll be great, but you’re in uncharted territory, so you don’t know if you’ll be able to rely on it in the future.

Which one of the three leveling perks would you like to take?

>The equipment upgrade.
>Sneak attack.
>Beast hunter.

>>4290177
>Sneak attack.

>>4290177
>Sneak attack.

>>4290177
>Sneak attack.
STEALTH ARCHER

>>4290177
>Sneak attack
works on both animals and enemies so sounds like the better deal. Especially with our past experience in Warframe

>>4290177
>>Sneak attack

>>4290181
>>4290184
>>4290185
>>4290186
>>4290199

Yo! Had to take a break to get dinner set up, but I'm back now. You're a sneaky lad, doing sneaky things. Writing now!

>>4290388

You reach out and choose Sneak Attack without any hesitation.

Due to your experiences in Warscape, staying low and taking advantage of the situation is something you needed to learn from the very beginning. You’re going to need to pull off every possible stop in this situation to secure that $500,000, and that will include exploiting your past experiences to your benefit. Not only that, but this particular ability goes for every type of enemy, compared to Beastmaster.

When you bring your hand away from the Sneak Attack box, that cold feeling goes away instantly, replaced immediately by a shroud of warm air. You briefly look down to yourself and see what appears to be dark smoke curling off of your feet, and just when you’re about to question the thematic flair, the world snaps back into color just as quick as it had been drained of it.

Next to your inventory, you spot a new, yet familiar slot.

>PLAYER SKILLS
>>SNEAK ATTACK (acquired at Level 2).

Looks like you now have a bit of an extra edge, which is always lovely. After checking that your equipment is firmly secured to your person, you step away from the back of the blacksmith’s shop, folding your arms and looking around the quaint town. While you have limited time before the break in a couple of hours, the day isn’t over until 9 PM, so you have quite a few options ahead of you.

What would you like to do?

>TIME REMAINING UNTIL BREAK: TWO HOURS.
>TIME UNTIL ISLAND SINKS: NINE HOURS.

>Head back into the inn and look for some of the quest givers you had seen before. (COST: HALF AN HOUR).
>Go over to the town watch building and investigate either the open position, or the mayor’s son. (COST: HALF AN HOUR).
>Embark back into the forest for potentially more level grinding. (COST: ONE HOUR).
>Immediately go to the town that the blacksmith has just told you about. (COST: ONE HOUR AND A HALF).
>Write-in.

>>4290417
>Immediately go to the town that the blacksmith has just told you about. (COST: ONE HOUR AND A HALF).

>>4290417
>Immediately go to the town that the blacksmith has just told you about. (COST: ONE HOUR AND A HALF).

>>4290417
>Immediately go to the town that the blacksmith has just told you about. (COST: ONE HOUR AND A HALF).

>>4290417
>Immediately go to the town that the blacksmith has just told you about. (COST: ONE HOUR AND A HALF).

>>4290417
>Immediately go to the town that the blacksmith has just told you about. (COST: ONE HOUR AND A HALF).

like any battle royal the choke points are going to be filled with players. we should be careful

>>4290417
>Immediately go to the town that the blacksmith has just told you about. (COST: ONE HOUR AND A HALF).

>>4290425
>>4290428
>>4290432
>>4290435
>>4290451
>>4290461

Visit the cursed town. Writing now!

>>4290470

Your eyes trail towards the eastward entrance of the town, and you make the decision to not stay here. As much as it’d be nice to settle down in one place to explore a “good story” – as Nancy helpfully put it – you’re here to win, not to dawdle. With the island sinking, and the possibilities of players being around every corner, you simply don’t have the time to have a good time.

Besides, there will be plenty of time to take it slow once you have that sweet, sweet prize money in your hands. For now, it’s time to shift shit into maximum overdrive.

With that in mind, you give a cursory glance around to make sure that no one is spying on you, and you begin to make your way out of town. You’re thankful to have the nice and warm air back, compared to that timeless level up void. You wonder if Chrysanthemum made it creepy on purpose, because if so, that shit is pretty fucked up.

As you approach the gate, you notice that there’s some semblance of a guard sitting to the left of it. There’s nobody on the road currently, which would explain why the man is practically slumped over, instead choosing to sunbathe rather than pay any attention to the road. The man has a tall spear that’s leaned against the shoddy wooden gates, and as you walk towards him, he immediately stiffens and stands.

“Hey, uh, sir. What brings you through here?” His tone is nervous, making you raise an eyebrow.

“I came into town last night and stayed. I’m a traveler from another land.” You respond immediately, picking what the connoisseurs would call the “isekai excuse”.

“That’s alright, but we gotta perform a routine check, you see.” He nervously grasps his spear and stands a little straighter. “Not sure if you heard, but the town a while away from here is having some troubles. We gotta make sure you’re not carrying anything from there, or affected by anything.”

“I didn’t have to go through anything like that last night, and I’m on my way out of town. Why is this an issue?” You say, glaring at the lad.

“It’s, uh, mayor’s orders. I can’t do anything about it, so you’ll have to come with me. Shouldn’t take longer than half an hour.”

You have to resist the urge to facepalm.

>Step past the man – you have no time for his shenanigans, you have places to be.
>Call him out on his behavior – you learned some things about the mayor’s son, so you’ll rake him over the coals.
>Reach into your bag and give him a few gold coins to look the other way. (COST: 30 GOLD)
>Sigh and agree – if he’s going to create a problem, you might as well try to save face and keep inconspicuous. (COST: HALF AN HOUR)
>Write-in.

>>4290547
>Step past the man – you have no time for his shenanigans, you have places to be.
Assert dominance by completely ignoring him

>>4290547
>Call him out on his behavior – you learned some things about the mayor’s son, so you’ll rake him over the coals.
If he's useless, doesn't give any info, or makes a fuss, ignore him and walk right past.

>>4290547
>Step past the man – you have no time for his shenanigans, you have places to be.

>>4290560
>>4290616
Walk past the lad - you really don't have time for this shit. Writing now!

>>4290644

(This is going to be my last update for the day – I hope you all have had a great time reading, it’s been awesome to be back! Thanks for coming around, and if you have any comments, critiques, questions, or concerns – please post them! I’d like to make the quest less trash garbage, if I could. Thank you very much for coming around to read, and I’ll see all of you tomorrow! Hope you’re having a great night, anons.)

You grit your teeth – who the fuck does this dude think he is? He may just be an AI, but his attitude is seriously grating on your nerves. And so, with that in mind, you do the thing you’re absolutely best at – looking as mean as a motherfucker.

You unleash a withering glare on the poor man, which actually causes him to back against the wall as he stares at you with dawning horror.

“Listen, kid. I don’t have time for this shit – and if your buddy, the mayor’s kid, is the one who told you to do this, then you can tell him to ram your spear up his fucking ass.” You begin to walk through the gate, and he makes the mistake of reaching out to you with a trembling arm. As soon as he’s about to clasp your sleeve, you look at him again, and he freezes like a deer in headlights.

“Touch me and I’m gonna break your fucking fingers.”

You can hear a pitiful noise escape his throat, and you simply continue along the trail, shrugging as you do. You’d feel a little bad about scaring the kid, but in all honesty, you don’t really give a fuck. As soon as you’re a respectable distance away from the town gate, you pick up the pace, and eventually move to a full sprint as you make your way across the spanning dirt road.

A full hour passes before anything of note comes into view.

The road goes along flat land for a sizable amount of the journey, before it weaves between two tall hills. The path is more obviously man-made in this area, although that doesn’t detract from the natural beauty of the scenery – the hills are topped with light green grass and a slight brushing of trees, the warm air is still pleasant even as the clock turns to noon, and you’re almost tempted to sit down for a few minutes to rest your aching feet.

That is, of course, until you see the burning carriage in front of you.

It is impossible to identify what kind of wood it may have been, as it is now blackened into charcoal, embers, and ash. Your brow furrows as you observe the wreckage, which is only just dying down under the noon sun. From how far away you are, you can’t see any great details, due to the dark smoke covering the majority of the structure.

What do you do?

>Get closer to it – you have to go through the area anyways, so you might as well see if anything can be salvaged or investigated.
>Be on your merry way – you don’t want to get bogged down here, and you don’t want to trouble yourself.
>Write-in.

>>4290708
>Get closer to it – you have to go through the area anyways, so you might as well see if anything can be salvaged or investigated.

This looks safe

>>4290708
Thanks for running
>Get closer to it – you have to go through the area anyways, so you might as well see if anything can be salvaged or investigated
What can go wrong

>>4290708
>Get closer to it – you have to go through the area anyways, so you might as well see if anything can be salvaged or investigated.
This is probably a player trap so we should approach cautiously.

>>4290708
>Get closer to it – you have to go through the area anyways, so you might as well see if anything can be salvaged or investigated.
I smell a trap

Good morning, everyone! Let's get started.

>>4290745
>>4290764
>>4290776
>>4291417
Investigate the wreckage. Writing now!

>>4291680

You sigh to yourself, stepping forward and drawing out your sword as you do. Something is incredibly fishy about this situation – a recently burning carriage? Sounds like a trap, so you’ll be as cautious as you can. If worst comes to worst, you’ll deal with the attackers – whether they be players or bandits – and reap the XP.

Approaching the wreckage, the smell of smoke is even stronger. The wind is moving it away from you, but the residual effect in the air makes you rub at your eyes with a sleeve as you walk to the side of it. The carriage doesn’t seem to have been breached, as the door is still secured, along with no signs of footprints in the dirt.

Circling around to the front, you wince at the sight that lies before you. Two horses lay in a dead heap, an obvious half circle carved into their thick necks. From what you can see through the smoke, there’s a large pool of blood underneath them, and the reins holding them to the carriage are just on the verge of being broken.

“They tried to run.” You state to yourself, your eye twitching involuntarily.

One of the most obvious cons in this realistic fantasy game is that cruelty is very much possible. Animals act like animals, and the people act like people. You recall an article from a year or two back that denounced the game for allowing cruel practices such as torture and animal slaughter, which was promptly ignored by Chrysanthemum. You’re certain that they don’t condone it, but they’re likely unwilling to compromise in their “grand adventure”.

Stuff like this makes you sick to your stomach.

>Investigate the horses for any potential clues to what happened.
>Open the burnt carriage and see if anything is alive or salvageable.
>Check the surrounding area for any evidence of the perpetrators.
>Continue on, you don’t want to be involved in this further.
>Write-in.

>>4291690
>Check the surrounding area for any evidence of the perpetrators

>>4291690
>>Open the burnt carriage and see if anything is alive or salvageable.

>>4291690
>Open the burnt carriage and see if anything is alive or salvageable.

>>4291697
>>4291704
Investigate the inside. Writing now!

>>4291710

Taking one last glance at the dead animals, you circle around to the door once again. It’s burnt just as much as the rest of it, the brown wood charred black from the intense heat of the flames. There are some places where small fires are, but most have dwindled down to embers in time. While that suggests that the fire is recent, it also indicates that it has been here for a bit.

Lovely.

You reach forward and grasp what appears to be either a doorknob or a door slider – the bronze is far too warped to tell – and sharply try to pull it open. To your surprise, you can hear the door mechanism snap, and you have to raise your arm to keep the door from falling directly on you. You can feel the heat from some of the embers on your face, but you grit your teeth and roughly shove it to the side.

It wasn’t as secure as you were expecting, but you won’t let that hamper your investigation. Once you wipe off your hands, you peer inside the sweltering interior of the carriage.

In front of you lies two people. One is dead, the other is bound.

The person that is still alive appears to be an adolescent girl wearing clothes that look far too fancy for this area. You spot bruising on both her cheek and neck, the former partly hidden due to the amount of ropes secured around her lips and chin. The one next to her is a woman in ruined steel armor, with several visible wounds present in her stomach and chest. You can’t help but cringe at this, especially at how she’s been specifically placed directly against the other girl, and you notice something peculiar about her immediately.

The dead woman has purple hair and tattoos, either of them being something you haven’t seen in this world.

She’s a player.

“Hey there, friend. Why don’t you step out of the carriage?”

A masculine voice calls from somewhere behind you, punctuated by the sound of several swords being drawn.

Fuck, it’s bandits. It’s always bandits.

>Slowly raise your arms and step out of the carriage, you’ll concede for the moment.
>Immediately dive further inside for cover, being certain to keep the civilian out of the line of fire.
>Pick up the discarded carriage door and use it as a momentary defense against the small group.
>Write-in.

>>4291732
>Immediately dive further inside for cover, being certain to keep the civilian out of the line of fire.

>>4291732
>>Immediately dive further inside for cover, being certain to keep the civilian out of the line of fire.

>>4291732
>Immediately dive further inside for cover, being certain to keep the civilian out of the line of fire.

>>4291732
>Immediately dive further inside for cover, being certain to keep the civilian out of the line of fire.
lesgo bois

>>4291737
>>4291742
>>4291746
>>4291748
GET DOWN BOYS. Writing now!

>>4291732
>Immediately dive further inside for cover, being certain to keep the civilian out of the line of fire.
fancy dress=money=reward

>>4291751

Without a second’s delay, you immediately surge to the right and throw yourself out of sight, being sure to snag the girl by the sleeve of her frilly blouse. You can hear the muffled shriek from behind the many layers of rope, but you can’t bring yourself to care as you hit the wall of the rather spacious carriage. You can hear two or three people begin hurriedly talking outside, which makes you curse to yourself as you look down at the terrified girl.

Her hair is a sandy blonde, and she’s looking up at you with the most terrified eyes you’ve ever seen. She’s obviously been crying – no doubt because of stress and watching another person be killed – and you can practically see her trembling even in the relatively dark cabin.

“Everything’s gonna be fine, just don’t do anything stupid. I’ll untie you afterwards.” You grit your teeth as you look at the girl, and she immediately nods hurriedly, more tears rolling down her bruised cheeks.

Your attention shifts from the hostage to the people who are no doubt approaching the cabin. You don’t know if they have anything other than swords, but you’re undeniably pinned down and outnumbered. You glance around the cabin, but other than the corpse of the player, you don’t see anything of interest other than a few smashed chests.

This makes things complicated, but you’ll deal. A lot rides on this, after all.

>Lie in wait with your bow and shoot the first person who walks in. They have to come in sooner or later.
>Creep over to the entrance and hold out your hand. If they have ranged, you think they’ll take the shot.
>Dive forward once more and use the corpse of the woman to soak up any arrows as you look outside. You need to know what you’re up against.
>Try to call out to the bandits for some form of negotiation. If you can save arrows and health, you’d like to.
>Write-in.

>>4291769
>Dive forward once more and use the corpse of the woman to soak up any arrows as you look outside. You need to know what you’re up against.

>>4291769
>Creep over to the entrance and hold out your hand. If they have ranged, you think they’ll take the shot.

>>4291769
>>Creep over to the entrance and hold out your hand. If they have ranged, you think they’ll take the shot.

>>4291769
>Try to call out to the bandits for some form of negotiation. If you can save arrows and health, you’d like to.

we need to buy time while we're "negotiating" we should see if we can loot the player, bust out a window if there are any, ect.

>>4291769
>Creep over to the entrance and hold out your hand. If they have ranged, you think they’ll take the shot.

>>4291769
>Creep over to the entrance and hold out your hand. If they have ranged, you think they’ll take the shot.

the hive mind votes again

>>4291769
>Creep over to the entrance and hold out your hand. If they have ranged, you think they’ll take the shot.

>>4291774
>>4291776
>>4291783
>>4291788
>>4291798
Test the waters. Writing now!

>>4291799

Looking at the girl once more and raising a finger to your lips, you slowly creep across the interior of the carriage in order to get near the entrance. In your mind, the first thing you need to confirm is if they have ranged capabilities, which you can easily do. If they have bows trained on the door, a sudden movement should be enough to cause them to fire. It’s not like there are any windows for them to shoot through, after all.

You try and listen as you reach the cusp of the door frame, but the outside has fallen completely silent. Other than the occasional crackle and hiss on a fire still burning, you can’t make out anyone talking, which makes your brow furrow. After a moment’s consideration, you slowly reach out your hand, hoping for someone to take the bait.

The sound of a bowstring being fired fills the air, and you only barely pull your hand back before the arrow pierces the air where your hand used to be. A moment later, it embeds itself in the head of the dead woman with a meaty crunch. You can hear a choked sob from the other end of the carriage, which makes you hiss in irritation.

If she gives away her position in the carriage, you’d be more than certain they’d try to bust down the weakened walls and take her without a fuss.

“This doesn’t need to be any more trouble than it’s worth, boy. Just step out, drop your weapon, and hand over your valuables!”

The male’s voice is closer than it was earlier.

>”Are you sure we can’t talk this out?” Try and negotiate while pulling the dead woman back in order to loot her.
>Stay silent and wait for someone to make the mistake of entering the carriage.
>Move back towards the woman, you don’t want to take the chance of her being put into another hostage situation.
>Quickly lean around the corner and fire off a shot from your bow. It might not be accurate, but it could scare them.
>Write-in.

>>4291813
>Stay silent and wait for someone to make the mistake of entering the carriage.
Bandits are just programmed XP

>>4291813
>”Are you sure we can’t talk this out?” Try and negotiate while pulling the dead woman back in order to loot her.

>>4291813
>>”Are you sure we can’t talk this out?” Try and negotiate while pulling the dead woman back in order to loot her.

>>4291813
>>Stay silent and wait for someone to make the mistake of entering the carriage.

>>4291813
>Throw something and make some noise on the other end of the carriage.

>>4291813
>Stay silent and wait for someone to make the mistake of entering the carriage.

>>4291817
>>4291825
>>4291831
Alright, lads, please roll me a 1d20. Best of three goes through!

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>4291848
they see me rollin

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>4291848

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>4291848

>>4291849
This goes through. Writing now!

>>4291867

You stay still and adjust your sword so that you can swing it at whomever walks through the entrance. They have to come looking in eventually, and you doubt that they’ll be prepared for you to stab them as soon as they make themselves known. Your Sneak Attack doesn’t proc this way, but a regular stab will do the trick.

Time passes in silence. Maybe a minute, maybe only half, but you can’t place any noise coming from outside the carriage. It’s a standoff that has you very tense, to the point where you can hear your own heartbeat pounding in your ears. Where the fuck are they? You’re not sure, and as you become more and more worried, something finally happens.

Right next to you, you hear the sound of something hard hitting wood. You let out a surprised noise as you try and pull away, but you watch as a sword is shoved through the weakened wall with incredible force, and you can see it pierce your left arm.

Sharp pain rolls up your arm and into your chest and head, making you bite down on your tongue as hard as you can to stop from screaming. Disturbingly enough, you watch as blood begins to leak out of your virtual body, spattering across the blade, the wall, and your tunic.

>HP: 95/125 (-30)

“HE’S BY THE DOOR! QUICK!” A different and notably deeper male voice calls, and you can’t help but curse as you scramble for what to do.

It looks like the fight has officially begun.

>ORANGE
>VS.
>BANDIT GROUP

>Rear back your sword and shove it directly into the space above his. You’ll give as good as you get.
>Pull yourself away from the blade and surge through the door, attacking the man who attacked you.
>Get your arm off the blade and toss something to the other end of the carriage as a distraction.
>Write-in.

>>4291888
>>Rear back your sword and shove it directly into the space above his. You’ll give as good as you get.

>>4291888
>Get your arm off the blade and toss something to the other end of the carriage as a distraction.

>>4291888
>Rear back your sword and shove it directly into the space above his. You’ll give as good as you get.

>>4291888
>Rear back your sword and shove it directly into the space above his. You’ll give as good as you get.

>>4291888
>Rear back your sword and shove it directly into the space above his. You’ll give as good as you get.

>>4291894
>>4291907
>>4291913
>>4291914
Time for another roll! Please give me 1d20+2, and the best of three goes through!

Rolled 8 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>4291932

Rolled 6 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>4291932

Rolled 1 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>4291932

File: 9iwko.jpg (9 KB, 180x188)

9 KB JPG

>>4291953
fuck

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>4291932

File: 1580585223506.jpg (41 KB, 683x453)

41 KB JPG

Hey there, everyone! Had a bunch of shit to do around the house, but it's all good, we're back now! Hope you all are doing well.

>>4291953
Oof, a nat 1. You hate to see it. Writing now!

>>4292281

You struggle to get your sword up in the midst of the sudden pain, and you attempt to ram it back through the wall. Pushing forward with all of your might, the sword does go through the wall, but you don’t feel any form of impact. Just as you realize that the man has dodged, you feel more pain as the man slowly puts more force on the sword, slowly dragging it down your arm through the wood. The pain is almost mind-numbing, and you only just manage to pull your arm away from it with a few shouted curses.

>HP: 85/125 (-10)

Cursing to yourself, you blindly reach out and grab something solid off the ground, whipping it towards the other end of the carriage with all your might. You watch as the tied up girl flinches as the sudden impact near her head, but you can hear footfalls immediately go to that area. You don’t have a lot of time before they start trying to impale the wall over there, but as you move to pull your sword out of the wall, you hear wood crashing in front of you.

“There you are. This coulda been nice. The boss’ll love this.”

The man before you is impossibly burly with a deep tan, stringy and unwashed hair sticking to his greasy face. From behind brown stubble, you make out a set of rotten teeth as he cruelly grins at you, hefting an axe over his leather-adorned body, although you don’t see any ranged weapons in sight.

Three of them attacked me, which means that only one should have a bow.

You have only a moment to react. What do you do?

>Tackle him and begin pummeling his head with your fists. It’ll buy you some time to get your bearings.
>Duck low to the ground and pull the corpse of the player over your body as a makeshift shield.
>Tear the sword out of the wall and strike him with all of your might. The first shot is important.
>Spring away from him and pull out your bow. It might not have Sneak Attack, but you don’t want to be near this man.
>Write-in.

>>4292298
>Tear the sword out of the wall and strike him with all of your might. The first shot is important.

>>4292298
>>Tear the sword out of the wall and strike him with all of your might. The first shot is important.

>>4292298
>Duck low to the ground and pull the corpse of the player over your body as a makeshift shield.

>>4292298
>Tear the sword out of the wall and strike him with all of your might. The first shot is important.

>>4292313
>>4292319
>>4292326
Let's put that sword to use. Another roll - please give me a 1d20+1 (I meant 1 last time as well lol, made a typo).

Rolled 7 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>4292339
Cursed thread, cursed QM

Rolled 14 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>4292339

Rolled 15 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>4292339

>>4292350
Hey, that's pretty good! Writing now.

>>4292342
It's not cursed anon, I swear! Just pray to 0phelia and everything will be fine.

>>4292353

You let out a shout as you tear the sword from the wall, swinging it at the man in a large arc with a hateful expression across your face. He apparently hadn’t expected the sudden burst of strength, as he recoils as far back as he can. Unfortunately, it’s not far enough to escape your blade, as it lands a clean hit across his chest, cutting through the leather surprisingly easy.

“You ain’t gonna get one on me, motherfucker. Bring it on.” You say, clenching and unclenching your left fist as the pain from the wound fades away. The man’s face is surprised for a moment, but it shifts to a strange mixture of rage and curiosity as he rights his posture.

“Alright, we’ll see about that.”

He surges forward and swings the axe at you, having to slouch slightly due to the cramped interior of the carriage. You bring up your sword and slam the flat end against the side of the slightly rusted axe, sending it off course and into the wall. With a moment of opportunity upon you, you rush forward and go for a strike on him, however he raises the handle of his weapon to block it with an audible clang. It doesn’t stop you from sneaking past his guard and landing a punch directly on his chin.

You’re a slippery bastard when you need to be, and now is definitely one of those times. What do you do?

>Try and lead him out of the cabin. You don’t want the hostage to get caught in the crossfire, especially if they try to come through the walls.
>Keep him at bay inside the carriage. With the cramped area and his height, you have the advantage on him if you can finish this quick.
>Dart out of the cabin and look for the ranged fighter. If you can take him down, then you’ll have maneuverability on the outside.
>Write-in.

>>4292402
>>Keep him at bay inside the carriage. With the cramped area and his height, you have the advantage on him if you can finish this quick.

>>4292402
>Keep him at bay inside the carriage. With the cramped area and his height, you have the advantage on him if you can finish this quick.

>>4291953


>>4292402
>Keep him at bay inside the carriage. With the cramped area and his height, you have the advantage on him if you can finish this quick.

>>4292402
>>Keep him at bay inside the carriage. With the cramped area and his height, you have the advantage on him if you can finish this quick.

>>4292410
>>4292423
>>4292434
>>4292482
Keep him close. Writing now!

>>4292484

After a moment’s consideration, you believe that staying in the cart is the best option at the moment. For one, with him being contained due to his size, it’ll give you an advantage. For two, you’d prefer to keep an eye on the hostage, especially if these other cronies want to play FBI and bust the walls down.

“Thought you’d be a bit of a better shot.” You taunt the bandit, aiming a slash towards his head, which he parries with the axe.

“Same goes for you, boy! Just hand over the girl and your money, and you don’t have to die!”

He tries to echo your earlier movement and punch you, but you’re able to duck beneath his burly fist to evade. You take a moment to glance back at her, only to find that she has her eyes screwed shut, trying desperately not to acknowledge the battle in front of her. You can’t blame her, but you’re taken out of your observing by an arm forcefully shoving you against the wall.

“You’re the one who tied her up, asshole! Settle for what you fucking started.” You pray that this is enough to keep the other two from interfering, and the both of you swing at each other simultaneously. A shower of sparks bathes the inside of the carriage, and you’re both left struggling as you try to overpower the man in order to ensure a safe blow on him.

From this distance, you can smell his horrid breath, and feel his beady eyes glaring deep into yours.

This man is vile. Not only in attitude, but in everything else as well.

>Roll a 1d20+1. Best of three wins!

Rolled 16 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>4292497

Rolled 14 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>4292497

Rolled 11 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>4292497

>>4292499
Hey, great roll! Writing now.

>>4292514

The moments are overwhelmingly tense, both of you putting all of your strength into keeping your position upright. Just as you can feel your arms begin to ache under the might of the man, you slowly feel the pressure lessen as you push back against him. You can see his bloodshot eyes widen in surprise, and just when you get him back far enough, you sharply pull your blade away from the lock, spin to the side, and drive it directly into his abdomen.

He immediately shouts and spits up blood – some of which that gets onto you – and you’re forced to dive away as the force of his axe cleaves off and through part of the wall. With actual sunlight filtering in, the bloody scene looks all the more horrific.

“Not a single shot.” You smirk viciously, twirling your sword with a flourish. “Didn’t you hear me the first time?”

“BOYS! Get your asses in here immediately!” The man roars again, pressing a hand to the wound with a hiss. The crimson substance leaks through his fingers, and you take a moment to reflect on how close you had came to being either chopped, or thrown through the fucking wall.

This game can be incredibly vicious, especially when it comes to tactics. Ais are capable of the same cunning humans are, after all. It’s a wonderful realm of technology, but quite scary at the same time, especially when you add the blood and viscera into it.

You nervously eye the now partly destroyed and the entryway. That’s another form of escape or entrance for the two men on the outside, which doesn’t make you feel very confident. You’re doing well now, but what about in a minute?

The tables can turn quite quickly, after all.

>Try to shove the larger bandit through either the wall or the entryway. You can use the time to undo the woman’s bindings.
>Continue your assault. You don’t give a fuck about one men or three – you will not lose this early.
>Focus on dodging the man’s blows so you can strike at anyone who dares enter the cabin.
>Write-in.

>>4292523
>Continue your assault. You don’t give a fuck about one men or three – you will not lose this early.

>>4292523
>Continue your assault. You don’t give a fuck about one men or three – you will not lose this early.
She's probably no help in a fight and we don't need to attack blindly (yet)

>>4292523
>>Continue your assault. You don’t give a fuck about one men or three – you will not lose this early.

>>4292523
>>Continue your assault. You don’t give a fuck about one men or three – you will not lose this early.

>>4292530
>>4292537
>>4292547
>>4292549
Keep up your pace, there's more to do. Writing now!

>>4292559

Rather than wasting effort on worrying about those outside of your reach, you narrow your eyes and dart towards the large bandit. His large hand is still pressed against his stomach, and yet he still has the speed to deflect your first and second shots, and jump away from the third.

“You’re a quick little fucker, aren’t you?” He grouses, a trail of blood leaking from his mouth and down his stubbled chin. “You’re gonna be damn well lucky if I don’t flay you when I’m done.”

You have to fully resist the urge to laugh out loud.

“Must I really point out the obvious here?” You send a knowing look at his bleeding stomach, which makes him growl. You take another chance to ensure that the lady behind you is safe, and when you confirm that, you move forward again to keep the man at bay.

You can tell that his wounds are beginning to catch up with him, as his responses are slowing slightly. It’s not enough that it’s costing him anymore health, but you can see the signs of exertion as he almost sends the sword out of your hands with a swing, which you counter with a boot to the hand holding his stomach.

“I can do this all day, buddy.” You smirk once more and attempt another strike on him. However, as you do, you spot one of the men finally popping up out of the corner of your eye. He’s began to step into the entrance way, and as soon as he sees your movement towards his boss, he raises his bloody sword to either stab you or deflect the blow – you’re unsure which.

That’s the fucker that stabbed me. He’ll get his soon.

>Please roll me TWO d20s, and best of three wins. HOWEVER, I would like you to specify what roll applies to what action. Namely, say if you want the higher or lower value to go towards the attack or dodge action.

Rolled 5, 8 = 13 (2d20)

>>4292609
Lower to attack

Rolled 12, 2 = 14 (2d20)

>>4292609
Time to fail

Rolled 7, 10 = 17 (2d20)

>>4292609
Higher for dodge
Lower for attack

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>4292620
I forgot to specify, so I'm rolling to decide
1 is Lower for attack, 2 is Higher for attack

>>4292620
That would be 13 to attack...

>>4292621
>>4292624
...and 10 to dodge! Writing now.

>>4292635

As you move forward, you aren’t fast enough to escape the man’s sword from biting into you again. You are entirely focused on wounding the leader of this ragtag group, and you feel the cold steel enter into the same arm once again. Another bout of pain courses through your body, but you channel it into rage as you swing at the boss with all your might.

>HP: 55/125 (-30)

Fortunately, you don’t miss your mark. The sword cleaves through the man’s armor once more, and just as he screams in agony, you move forward and shove him with all your might. You watch as his weight is sent flying across the cabin, and as he hits the wall, it breaks from under the strain of his body. He tumbles out from the inside, and light casts away the last vestiges of darkness inside the room. You watch as some of the roof falls on top of the man, and for a second, he lays motionless while his subordinate watches in horror.

Holy shit, that was a pretty good hit. You’d bet that normally, he wouldn’t have been so easy to get off his feet. However, thanks to your previous efforts, his reflexes have slowed. You can’t help but feel satisfied as you witness the product of your carnage, even with your arm burning.

>Bolt towards the grounded man while his goon is distracted. You’ll finish the threat early, then move on to the others.
>Attack the goon looking the other way. The boss is out for the count, time to start bogging down the others.
>Try to intimidate the man who stabbed you into backing down. He saw what you just did, maybe you can convince him that he’ll receive the same.
>Write-in.

>>4292653
>Bolt towards the grounded man while his goon is distracted. You’ll finish the threat early, then move on to the others.
Finish him off and don’t spread damage

>>4292653
>Bolt towards the grounded man while his goon is distracted. You’ll finish the threat early, then move on to the others.

>>4292653
>Bolt towards the grounded man while his goon is distracted. You’ll finish the threat early, then move on to the others.

>>4292653
>>Attack the goon looking the other way. The boss is out for the count, time to start bogging down the others.
Going outside the carriage exposes us to the 3rd bandit, plus leaving the swordgoon with the girl doesn't seem like such a hot idea.

Hello everyone! I'm going to be calling things for the night - I'm pretty tired and a sudden wave of sickness has come over me. Gonna take it easy and kick back for a little bit.

Thank you very much for reading today, and I hope you had a great time doing so! Please give any comments or critiques that you have, as I like making the quest less bad.

Vote is going to be open until I come back in the morning, so feel free to vote and discuss to your heart's content!

Thank you very much, everyone. I'll see you tomorrow, and have a lovely night!

>>4292653
>Attack the goon looking the other way. The boss is out for the count, time to start bogging down the others

Good morning, everyone! Had a rough sleep, but I'm undeterred - let's get this ball rolling!

>>4292657
>>4292678
>>4292683
Kill the boss. Writing now!

>>4293509

You surge forth like a releasing spring and move past the other man in the carriage, solely focused on finishing your fight with the ringleader of this group. Although he’s not the one who’s wounded you the most, you would assume that easily killing their leader would cause a drop of morale, so ending him first seems like the logical option.

Also, fuck him. Dudes who orchestrate the tying up of wayward maidens are pretty shitty.

As soon as you step out of the interior, you find yourself barely moving out of the way of an arrow fired at your torso. Looking to your right, you spot a man hunched over in some bushes on the hill, already reaching for another arrow. A quick look around shows that they really are the only three enemies, which fills you with some more confidence as you reach the downed boss.

He’s in the process of trying to get himself up, as you can see his hands grasping at the debris as tightly as he can. As much as you’d love to make a show of it just to prove a point, you’re very aware that time is of the essence, both in the sense of your approaching break and the fact that there’s a hostage in the carriage. Therefore, just as the man brings his head up to stare hatefully into your eyes, you swing your sword and slit his throat in one, smooth motion.

He makes no sound other than a halted gurgle, dark rivulets of blood escaping from the wound and his lips. You wince as you can see some blood bubbling as he attempts to breath, but moments later, he chokes and ceases movement.

You hear a gasp off from behind you.

One down. Two remain.

>XP: 70/200 (+10)

You can’t help but glare when you see the XP gain – these guys are level 1. Fucking worthless.

>Turn around and charge back into the cabin, ready to take on the other man.
>Pull out your bow and fire a quick shot at the man in the bushes.
>Threaten the two of them into submission. You’ve shown your power.
>Write-in.

>>4293540
>Turn around and charge back into the cabin, ready to take on the other man.

>>4293540
>>Threaten the two of them into submission. You’ve shown your power.

>>4293540
>Turn around and charge back into the cabin, ready to take on the other man.

>>4293540
>>Threaten the two of them into submission. You’ve shown your power.

>>4293540
>Turn around and charge back into the cabin, ready to take on the other man.
need to get ready though, since to get back outside we gotta go through a chokepoint now, the door.

>>4293552
>>4293610
>>4293665
Rush back in to attack! Writing now.

>>4293678

Wiping the blade off on your pant leg, you turn around and immediately book it back towards the cabin. The man is still standing there in utter shock, and clumsily raises his sword just as you bring yours around to strike at him. The resulting clash is loud, and you spot his eyes widen further behind a mop of brown hair.

“I’d stand down if I were you, no need for this to get any bloodier.” You tell the boy, attempting to feint and land a blow on him. However, despite his fear, he just barely manages to avoid it, causing you to step back as he tries to cut through your stomach.

“Bullshit, you’re a fucking animal.” He hisses, terror apparent in his voice. “You’ll kill us the moment our back is turned, just like you did the captain!”

“He started it, you know. And you’re the one who stabbed me in the first place, dickhead.”

>Roll me a 1d20. Best of FOUR wins.

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>4293691

Rolled 12 (1d20)

>>4293691
nat 1 here we come

Rolled 7 (1d20)

>>4293691

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>4293691

>>4293692
This will be fun. Writing now!

>>4293712

(Got hit with a sudden wave of lethargy. Sorry for the wait, words suck!)

“He offered you a way out! All you had to do was drop your stuff, dumbass!”

The man hollers at you, clumsily swinging his sword in a manner that you’d expect from an untrained bandit. Even looking at him from this distance away, he looks like a man barely into his 20s, and a lack of training shows. You’re starting to have a suspicion that his wounds on you was due to your own negligence rather than any skill on his part.

“I’m not that easy of a target.”

As soon as you say this, you charge forward and slam the flat of your blade against his, sending his swing off kilter and into the wall. Following off of this movement, you drive your fist into the side of his head, bringing your sword up and shoving it through the man’s leg. Before he can move back or recover, you rip the blood-soaked blade from the wound and drive it directly into his chest, ducking away from another strike as you do.

You wonder if it’s a bad thing that you’ve become so efficient at killing fictional humanoids, and then promptly realize that you’ve been doing so for five years.

Shit, it pays the bills, though.

The brown haired man opens his mouth to either speak or spit out some of his blood, and you respond in kind with tearing the sword out once more, and making a stab at his throat. You raise your boot and plant it directly against his stomach, sending him careening from the inside and out into the open dirt. A second later, you see an arrow embed itself in the man’s arm, and you have to stifle a laugh.

Looks like the ranger was waiting for any form of movement. That’s fucking hilarious.

>XP: 83/200 (+10)

>Loot through the player’s body and see if there’s anything that can heal you – your health is a little bit slim, and maybe she has something to help.
>Walk over to the bound woman and untie her – with less enemies around, it might be wise for her to get gone.
>Take cover by the door and fire upon the ranger – it’ll be a stand-off, but you’re confident that you can win it.
>Write-in.

>>4293784
>Loot through the player’s body and see if there’s anything that can heal you – your health is a little bit slim, and maybe she has something to help.

>>4293784
>Loot through the player’s body and see if there’s anything that can heal you – your health is a little bit slim, and maybe she has something to help.

>>4293784
>Loot through the player’s body and see if there’s anything that can heal you – your health is a little bit slim, and maybe she has something to help.

>>4293792
>>4293793
>>4293819
Ah, looting. The greatest adventure. Please roll me 1d100, three will be accepted!

>>4293846
dice+1d100

Rolled 16 (1d100)

>>4293846

Rolled 17 (1d100)

>>4293846
>>4293852
oops

Rolled 39 (1d100)

>>4293846

>>4293854
>>4293856
>>4293858
These all go through. Writing now!

>>4293865

(Still feeling bad, bleh. Sorry for the continued wait!)

You don’t spend any time grieving over the man that you absolutely eviscerated, instead moving past the door and snagging the leg of the woman to drag her out of the line of fire. Predictably, another arrow is fired off, and this time you can hear the sound of a muffled “Shit!” from outside. You roll your eyes – it looks like now that the number majority is up, the archer is starting to lose his nerve.

As you reach for the woman’s dead body, you hear a muffled shriek from the tied up girl. Whipping your head towards her, you can spot her frantically shaking her head in an almost insane fervor.

“The fuck’s wrong with you, is the body trapped?” You ask her with an impatient tone, which only makes her motions double in speed. Groaning, you unceremoniously begin looking over the body, patting down her legs and armor for anything that sticks out to you. A moment passes, and just as you begin to think that this may have been a wasted action, you can feel something in one of her pockets.

“Whew, thank god.” You murmur, reaching in and dumping all of the contents into your hand.

In your now cupped palm rests two gold coins, and a small vial filled with silvery, translucent liquid. You can’t help but feel a tinge of disappointment – the bandits must have looted her and missed this shit – but whatever’s in this vial intrigues you very much. Just as you’re about to uncork the vial, the woman’s muffled voice gets louder, and you’re sorely tempted to go over there and knock her out for being a nuisance.

“Can you shut up, please?” You try asking nicely, to which she begins trying to inch her way towards you. To be completely honest, it looks completely sad and unbefitting of an apparent noblewoman, and you almost feel bad for mentally comparing her to a worm having a seizure.

>GOLD: 220 -> 222 (+2)!

>Stow the vial away in your pocket and set about finishing off the archer outside. You can investigate later.
>Sigh deeply and cut the bindings holding the woman’s mouth shut. What the hell is her issue?
>Uncork the vial and see if it’s palatable in any way. You’d rather heal up now, just in case the archer gets lucky.
>Write-in.

>>4293995
>Sigh deeply and cut the bindings holding the woman’s mouth shut. What the hell is her issue?
Free Intel is always accepted here.

>>4293995
>>Sigh deeply and cut the bindings holding the woman’s mouth shut. What the hell is her issue?

>>4293995
>Sigh deeply and cut the bindings holding the woman’s mouth shut. What the hell is her issue?

>>4293995
>Sigh deeply and cut the bindings holding the woman’s mouth shut. What the hell is her issue?
kek

Hello, everybody! Took some time away to go get some food and hang out with my family, so I'm feeling marginally better and ready to continue! Thank you for your patience.

>>4293997
>>4293998
>>4294007
>>4294008
Finally let the woman speak. Writing now!

>>4294446

After a few more seconds of staring hatefully at the writhing woman, you sigh deeply and make your way over, raising your sword as you do. As soon as you get near her, she immediately freezes, staring up at you with watery blue eyes. You lean down near her, and bring the blade up to the ropes.

“If you scream when I remove these, it’s going to be bad for you. Do you understand me?” You stare her dead in the eyes, and she nods fast enough that you’re surprised she didn’t give herself whiplash. Taking her at your word, you roll her over so the back of her neck is exposed, and you begin to saw through the bindings as quick as you can. Normally, you’d try to untie the many knots, but that’d take too much time.

After a minute or so of stressful sawing, you finally get through the hastily secured ropes. As soon as they’re away from her, she begins inhaling air through her mouth at a rapid pace, enough to signify that she may be going through a sort of panic attack. You almost want to grouse and tell her to get on with it, but you’re well aware that it won’t help, so you simply place a rough hand on her shoulder, causing her to look at you with fright.

“Listen, they ain’t gonna hurt you as long as I’m here. Why the hell don’t you want me to drink that vial? Be quick with it, before that guy gets any funny ideas. Try your best to calm down.” You give your best effort, and sheathe your sword once more, instead pulling out the reinforced bow and turning so you’re facing the openings into the carriage.

She takes a few more moments to try and reign in her breath, before continuing in a very raspy voice. The amount of screaming – both on your appearance and likely beforehand – has obviously caught up with her, and she ends up coughing out her sentence.

“That vial…is…medicine. Please…don’t…it’s for my father...” She coughs again, a small sob escaping as she does.

>”What happened here, and who is the girl you were with?” You’ll try to get some information.
>Nod to her, and go to finish off the archer. It might mean more gain later if you follow her wishes.
>Move out of sight and drink the vial. If it will heal you, you’ll take it – you don’t care about her father.
>Write-in.

>>4294510
>Nod to her, and go to finish off the archer. It might mean more gain later if you follow her wishes.

>>4294510
>Nod to her, and go to finish off the archer. It might mean more gain later if you follow her wishes.
Sounds like a quest

>>4294510
>>Nod to her, and go to finish off the archer. It might mean more gain later if you follow her wishes.

>>4294510
>Nod to her, and go to finish off the archer. It might mean more gain later if you follow her wishes.
Sounds like that player is dead nigga

>>4294526
>>4294527
>>4294530
>>4294534
You'll respect her wishes - you have a job to do. Writing now!

>>4294544

You give her a good long look, and then sigh once more. You’re not sure why you’re sighing so much recently, but you have a slight feeling that you’re echoing somebody else in this world, so you stop immediately.

As much as self preservation is your top priority, you do realize that you could get a pretty nice bonus if you listen to this girl. For one, she’s obviously a noble, which is self-explanatory. For two, her father is ill, and he may reward you for making sure that his daughter doesn’t die throughout this whole scenario. That’s enough for you, so you simply rise up and nod to her.

Oh, you might as well show her a gesture of good will, considering you just brutally murdered two people and then looted someone’s corpse. You reach into your pocket, pull out the vial, and press it between her bound hands.

“Just so you don’t think I’m gonna fuck off with it. Be back in a bit, girl.” Before she responds, you steel yourself, and then turn on your heel and rush out the door. If you wait in here forever, it’ll result in a stalemate, and your priority is to end this conflict as quickly as possible.

You may be a bit cocky, but it’s fine, you’re doing relatively good in this fight!

As soon as you step beyond the threshold, your eyes immediately fall towards the bush you last saw the man in, raising your bow in order to fire at him before he has the opportunity.

Silence reigns for a moment.

He’s not there.

You could have seen this coming, really. It’d only make sense that he’d move somewhere else considering that you saw his location. Resisting the urge to curse, you instead do a sweep of the area, pulling your bowstring back as far as it will go.

Seconds pass before you hear the sound of another arrow being shot.

>Please roll me 2d20! As before, specify whether you want the higher or lower value to be towards the attack or the dodge action. Best of three from each set goes through!

Rolled 8, 18 = 26 (2d20)

>>4294563
Higher to attack

Rolled 10, 17 = 27 (2d20)

>>4294563
High attack

Rolled 3, 11 = 14 (2d20)

>>4294563
High attack

>>4294568
>>4294570
>>4294573
With the higher attack chosen, that is an unnatural 20 with the +2 modifier to the bow, and 10 to the dodge! Writing now.

>>4294584
dodging is for fags

>>4294584

You swing around just in time to feel a sharp pain spread throughout your shoulder, causing you to gasp due to the sudden agony. Not bothering to look down, as you don’t particularly want to see the arrow now embedded in your shoulder, you manage to catch sight of the man who shot you ducking behind one of the trees further up on the hill.

>HP: 35/125 (-20)

Gritting your teeth, you release your hold on the bowstring and reach down to pick up a charred piece of wood, whipping it as hard as you can across the ground to your left. You wait for a second, and then you see the not very smart bandit poke his head out of cover to track the sound. As soon as you see even the slightest bit of movement from him, you pull back the string and send an arrow flying towards the man.

He hears the sound far too late. You watch him physically turn his head in order to track the new noise caused by the arrow whistling through the air, and the look of terror when he identifies it. Just as he goes to pull himself back into cover, the arrow hits him dead between the eyes, and the scream that echoes through the hilly path is almost deafening. Moments later, however, all sound fades from the area.

The silence is almost oppressing, but after seconds of nothing else jumping out at you, you almost collapse against the ground in a tired heap.

“Fuck…for a level 1, they sure are tricky, huh?” You chuckle aloud, yanking the arrow from your arm and sliding it into your quiver.

>ORANGE VS. BANDIT GROUP CONCLUDED!
>ORANGE WINS!

>XP: 82/200 (+10)

This gain was hardly worth jack shit at the end of the day, but you know that every inch up that meter equals an easier time for you in the long run. An additional 10 XP could be what gives you an advantage over another player, and all that.

Fuck, you’re exhausted, though. All of the stabbing and dodging really does take a lot out of you, even inside of a video game. Now that you finally have a moment of silence on this path, what would you like to do?

>Go inside the carriage and finally undo the woman’s binds fully.
>Move around and loot all of the bodies first. You’ve earned it, goddamnit.
>Write-in.

>>4294646
>>Go inside the carriage and finally undo the woman’s binds fully.

>>4294646
>Go inside the carriage and finally undo the woman’s binds fully.

>>4294646
>Go inside the carriage and finally undo the woman’s binds fully.

>>4294646
>Go inside the carriage and finally undo the woman’s binds fully.

>>4294646
>Go inside the carriage and finally undo the woman’s binds fully.

Good morning, everyone! Let's get started.

>>4294655
>>4294660
>>4294670
>>4294780
>>4295086

Free the probably traumatized woman. Writing now!

>>4295202

You allow yourself a little time to catch your breath, but your mind wanders back to the woman currently tied up. What exactly is her father afflicted with, and why did she come through such an open area? To be fair, you’re aware that nobles aren’t exactly the smartest people in the world, however if it was that important, you’d think she’d have taken some precautions.

“Should have had more than one guard, at the very least. Wonder where the drivers are.”

Remarking this under your breath, you rise off of the ground and roll your shoulders, stepping back into the carriage. At this point, calling it what it used to be seems off – if anything, it’s a husk of its former self. The woman has gone still since you left, and is now staring at the wall blankly. When she hears your footsteps, she twitches and looks over at you.

“Looks like it’s your lucky day, girl. Problem’s solved.” You say casually, drawing your sword. “Turn over so I can cut those binds. Then you can tell me what the fuck happened here.”

She doesn’t say anything, but complies with your request, making it easy to saw through the thick pieces of rope. When she’s free, she immediately scoots away from you and sits against the wall, rubbing her wrists as she does. You spot that they’re bruised and bleeding in places, no doubt from her attempts to escape her imprisonment.

“Alright, now that that’s over—”

“You…killed all those people…” She chokes out, looking at you in abject fear.

“Yeah, because they were going to kill the both of us. Don’t go calling me a monster for it, especially since I just saved your ass.”

Your words must seem far too callous to her, because from the way she looks, it’s like the weight of them have slapped her across the face.

“Why the hell would you go this far without a proper guard? Aren’t you noble types smart enough to have more than one person in the cabin with you?”

You can see a brief hint of confusion flash across her face, but it disappears in lieu of an expression that you could only describe as “hoity toity”.

“Because…she was supposed to be strong enough to—”

“Cut the shit, lying won’t do you any good.”

Her words sputter out immediately, and you can almost hear her teeth click as she shuts her mouth.

>”You’re not a noble, even if you’re dressed like one. I’m not that dumb.”
>”Who was that woman, and was she really your only guard?”
>”What exactly is your father afflicted with, and why is that medicine so important?”
>Glare at her until she starts speaking of her own accord.
>Write-in.

>>4295224
>”You’re not a noble, even if you’re dressed like one. I’m not that dumb.”

>>4295224
>>”You’re not a noble, even if you’re dressed like one. I’m not that dumb.”

>>4295227
>>4295231
Something's fishy. Writing now!

>>4295244

Whilst her not being smart enough to hire a proper guard could be due to her own incompetence, her reaction when calling her a noble and her immediate shift in attitude are indicators that she’s not what she seems. It’s funny, when she isn’t talking, she definitely looks the part of a noble – fair skin, blonde hair, a fancy outfit. She was obviously attempting to put on a farce.

“I’m not that dumb, girl. You aren’t a noble, even if you’re dressed like one.” You say calmly, causing her to flinch. Not paying any attention to her emotional strife, you instead sit down on the ground, leaning against one of the ruined walls. “Spill the beans quick, otherwise I’ll leave you out here. I have places to be.”

“I…don’t know—”

You glare at her.

“…yeah, you’re right. I’m just…pretending.”

You glare further, because you already knew that, goddamnit.

“I dressed like this because it’d get me a free ride to the place I needed to go. People around these parts don’t check for pedigree, all you have to do is have a pretty outfit and the right attitude.”

“So you’re a con artist, then. Should have drank that vial when I had the opportunity.”

“I wasn’t lying about that! My father really needs that medicine, sir. He’ll…well, he’ll die without it.”

“How do I know you’re telling the truth? As far as I know, you’ll stab me in the back as soon as I turn around. Only reason you haven’t until now is because you were tied up, right?” You grin at her, laying on the inflammatory remarks as thickly as you can. One part of you is irritated that you’ve been lied to, the other wants this girl to hurry up.

“THAT’S NOT TRUE! The whole village is going to die at this rate, and this was supposed to be one of the cures!” She thrusts her hand out towards you, showing the vial with the silver liquid within. “The alchemist said so!”

So she’s from the “cursed village”, then. Lucky coincidence.

>Ask what’s wrong with the village. The blacksmith was a little scarce on details.
>Ask who she is. Maybe you’ll still be able to snag a reward from her if you bring her back.
>Ask what the medicine is supposed to be. If the alchemist recommended it, why don’t they make it at home?
>Sigh and make to leave the area. You don’t care if she follows or not, you just want to get there in a timely manner.
>Write-in.

>>4295257
>Ask what’s wrong with the village. The blacksmith was a little scarce on details.

>>4295257
>Make sure she follows you towards the village and ask her what’s wrong with it

>>4295257
>>Ask what’s wrong with the village. The blacksmith was a little scarce on details.

>>4295257
>>Ask what’s wrong with the village. The blacksmith was a little scarce on details.

>>4295261
>>4295263
What's wrong with the village? Writing now!

>>4295271

“Are you talking about the village down this path?” You know very well that she is, but offering her a branch to keep talking means more information for you in the future.

“Yeah, it’s called Penrith. You…haven’t heard of it? I mean, I know we’re in dire straits, but we were pretty well known for our fish…”

“Don’t care. What’s wrong with it?”

She glares at you, but continues speaking.

“Last month, there was an attack by some…well, strange creatures. They came at night, and the guards managed to fight them off, but the day after…people started to get really sick. We think it’s because of the water, and whatever it is, it starts rotting people from the inside out. Sometimes it can take hours, days, or even weeks. We used what little healing we had left to keep bringing people back, but it doesn’t take away the poison, it just regenerates the body. We’re out, now, and the disease is spreading.”

That…actually sounds horrible, jesus.

“And that liquid is meant to be a cure?”

“We think it is. The alchemist has written several letters to other scientists, and one of them finally got back to him. This is supposed to be an improved health potion, and just a few drops should be enough to cure any ailment…and with this, we might be able to synthesize more if it works, even if it doesn’t kill the curse. We can at least keep people alive that way.”

“…well, shit, I’m glad I didn’t end up drinking it. Why was it on the girl?”

“She…was holding it for me. She was a lot stronger than I am, I think.”

“Where’d you find her, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“On the way back to Penrith. Tensions are a little high in town, so I thought it’d be nice to have more protection than just my drivers…as soon as she saw me, she pledged that she couldn’t leave “a maiden like me” without a proper guard.” She draws her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. “I hadn’t had the heart to correct her.”

You wince.

>”Where are the drivers, then? Sounds like you had enough firepower to fight off three bandits.”
>”Are you a fisherman? If it’s a fishing village, then I’m surprised that you’re not infected.”
>”Then we best get a move on, huh? Both of us are heading to the same place, after all.”
>Give the girl a moment to calm down. She’s been through a lot in a short time.
>Write-in.

>>4295307
>”Are you a fisherman? If it’s a fishing village, then I’m surprised that you’re not infected.”
>Give the girl a moment to calm down. She’s been through a lot in a short time.

>>4295307
>>”Are you a fisherman? If it’s a fishing village, then I’m surprised that you’re not infected.”

>>4295308
+1