Chương 167: Chapter 162: When Gold is Useless
The night was waxing, and the sun slowly disappeared from the Outpost as Shigure made rounds on the rampart of the wall.
"Another quiet night. I am curious if it is Sir Bear and Shot's doing…" he wondered.
It had been weeks since the pair, and Shot's party had departed with no news back of either. But there had also been no new conflicts throughout the entirety of the tutorial as far as the outpost was concerned.
There had been nothing, no fights, no new monster species, or an increase to the strength of the current monsters. Which Shigure had noticed he had not seen in many many weeks.
"It is as if the tutorial is drying up," he said, looking out into the forest slowly being eclipsed in the night.
"It's not the only thing drying up Kenzo," a voice said from behind Shigure.
"Sato? I haven't seen you in quite some time, where have you been?"
"There haven't been any monsters around lately so I got hold up in the part of the outpost you never want to visit," Sato smiled.
"Ugh…. that place is filthy. I hope you showered," Shigure grimaced.
"Oh please, are you really still on about that after everything?" Sato sighed.
"After what?"
"After that guy trounced your ass left and right while spouting reference after reference," Sato chuckled.
Shigure went to snap his refute but was stopped by Saito's hand.
"I'm saying that it's surprising that's the only thing you're fixated on with him," Sato said pointedly, "Especially after how much you've changed after meeting him."
"Changed? I do not see how I have changed in the slightest Sato," Shigure scoffed.
"I may have been locked up playing cards for the past two weeks but that doesn't mean I haven't seen the effects of what is going on. 90% of the coalition is gone, and so is that scum that followed them. And I've seen that the cages are cleaned of prisoners. You would have never had the heart to do that before that guy came," Sato said, pausing for a moment, "We've both seen and done things since coming here. More that we're not proud of than are. But it was always a reaction to something. Now? You're finally taking charge. It's what you've needed to do all along and I'm proud you finally realized it."
"I don't need praise from a person who thinks lines from cartoons count as morals," Shigure scoffed.
"Excuse me for having a hobby…."
"It isn't a hobby for you! You have figurines of fictional characters all over your room!"
"Don't remind me… Please Taka-chan! Be there and unharmed when we come back! I've done all of this for you…" Sato said, bringing his hands together in a prayer.
"That! That is what I am talking about! It's disgusting!"
"Hey, you have posters of Kendo and Archery Olympians in your room. You don't think that's any worse?"
"Those are real people with real accomplishments! It's entirely different!"
"But you've never met them so they might as well be fiction to you! So, same thing!"
"That is a leap in logic that makes no real sense! W-why am I even arguing this with you!?" Shigure sighed.
"You're no fun… Always have that giant stick up your ass. Anyway, with the food dwindling it is starting to get worse but I'm sure you already knew that… Surprisingly the crafters have been doing well even when there's no monsters to gain points and stones from. People are breaking their piggy banks to get some of the stuff on the market," Sato mused, pushing up his glasses.
"What stuff..?" Shigure asked intrigued, the first he heard of it.
"Remember the dwarf? He got his hands on some really good skill stones, and some accessories, won't say from who, but they're better than anything you could have gotten outside of quest rewards right now."
"Is he still open?" Shigure asked.
"Old guy lives in that stall, so I think so," Sato shrugged.
Shigure didn't say anything as he walked passed Saito.
Sato chuckled a bit before following his friend.
They passed through the outpost ignoring the wandering eyes here and there. As Shigure headed straight for the old Dwarf's stall.
Reaching there relatively quickly, Shigure knocked on the front of the stall to get the man's attention.
"Hello! I heard you have some new merchandise to sell?"
"I swear to god, if you bastards came back again to haggle I'll break my hammer off in your ass- Oh, Lord Shigure… What a surprise…" the old dwarf grimaced.
"The merchandise?" Shigure asked, ignoring the dwarf.
"Yeah, sure thing.. Give me a moment."
Waiting for a few seconds as the Dwarf apparently rummaged through some things further back in the stall, Shigure began feeling anticipation well up slightly.
"Here they are, have a good look."
Shigure eyed the pieces of jewelry on the counter, as well as the skill stones that had just been placed.
"Where in the world did you get these? We don't even have Intelligence Accessories available at this stat increase," Shigure said in amazement.
"Can't say, business partner wants to stay silent. So you buying or just window shoppin' again Saito?" the dwarf asked, pointing to behind Shigure.
Sato raised his hands in defeat, "Can't, lost all my money in "Tales of the Tyrant Knight" and there aren't any more monsters left to hunt."
"What about selling one of them pistols you got?"
"What?! Never! I could sell Little Maru!" Sato shouted recoiling from the stall.
Shigure ignored his friend, picking out several strength and dexterity accessories, as well as a few of the rare skill stones he saw that looked promising for after the tutorial.
"How much for all of these?" Shigure asked.
"Hmmm…" grumbled the dwarf as he groomed his beard, "I'm thinking…."
Before he could announce the price a notification popped in all of their heads, silencing the surroundings and their conversation.
[Subjugation Quest: Subjugate the Three Ant Princes of the Ant Hive has failed]
[New Subjugation Quest!]
[Prevent the Third Prince Obiteron Trikk from evolving their race to E-Rank]
[Reward: Experience, Epic Skill Stone x1]
[Time Remaining: 23 Hours 59 Minutes 58 Seconds]
"What?! E-Rank?" Shigure growled, "What have those fools done?"
The next moment a puff of smoke appeared next to Shigure, a woman clothed in shinobi attire kneeling in a half bow.
"My Lord," Uta said in an even tone.
"Gather everyone that can fight, and reinforce the ramparts. We won't be able to get to wherever the Ant's Nest is in time to help or search. Our only hope is to defend until the Tutorial is over!" Shigure ordered.
"As you command!" Uta announced, disappearing again in a puff of inky black smoke.
Shigure turned again to the old Dwarf.
"How much? I'll be needing these sooner than I imagined."
The dwarf smiled, "Everything you got boy."
"W-what?! You're going to rob me?!"
"Supply and demand. You demand and are in very much need of what I supply."
"This is highway robbery!"
Sato laughed from behind Shigure.
"Ha! Now we're both broke!"
Shigure turned to growl at Sato before turning back to the dwarf.
"This is bullshit!"
—-------------------
"Ahhhhh!!! This is bullshit!!" Drake shouted into the vault.
Drake and Theodore had finally managed to find the keyhole for the double doors and eventually wrenched them open only to find, well, nothing much.
"What is this supposed to be a joke?! There's nothing here but scraps! It's been picked clean!" Drake howled, picking up loose gold coins and rubbish accessories that didn't compare to his own.
Looking upwards Drake cursed at the sky, "What the fuck kind of quest reward is this! I had to trudge through an army of ants for weeks! For this!?"
Drake sighed, then began placing whatever he could into his inventory as he grumbled curses. Theodore going through and picking things that could be useful as well.
"This truly is an unfortunate outcome, my Lord. But it may not all be for naught, we have indeed found the treasure. Which would allow for a safe space in the future of overcoming this fortress by these insectoids!" Theodore mused trying to lighten the mood.
Drake bit his tongue, not warning to hint at his uneasiness for the future. He had been expecting something, else, something more from the treasure of the Goblin King. Something he could use to help increase his fighting strength or at least something for everyone else.
With the timed quest and the looming evolution of the Prince ahead, Drake needed something, some sort of bone thrown to him.
Shuffling through the room, Drake was amazed something this large again was brought underneath the surface. The walls were made of what looked to be gold, or at least gold-plated.
Who knows if the King skimped on the decor, maybe it's even fake gold. I wouldn't put it past the scumbag… Drake mused.
"I believe it is gold. Gold is not as valuable in the Multiverse as it was on your singular planet. At least not regular gold. Mana Infused minerals and materials go for a much higher price," Natto explained.
Thanks for the commentary… I thought you might have gone for a walk or something with how silent it got.
"I am simply busy with trying to figure out what to do to save our lives. You have put us in a right mess this time…" she sighed.
It's not my fault the Ants decided to stage a coup right as we entered the Hive. How was I supposed to know? Drake thought.
Drake heard Natto sigh within his head as his hands went over item after item in the room trying to find something useful.
"No, worse than what I have. Gold? Worthless right now. Potions? Have that. Man, there's nothing here right now. I'm guessing one of the Princes somehow got in and snaked the place clean…" Drake sighed.
"My Lord! I found some status pills in a box! Would thou care to take them?" Theodore suddenly shouted from the other side of the room.
"Are they F-Grade? One stat per pill?" Drake shouted back.
"Indubitably!"
"It's fine unless it's fifty or more, you can use them, Theo. A few won't help me right now."
"Understood my Lord! I will save them for Harley then!"
Drake shook his head and continued to rummage through the worthless gold coins as he chuckled slightly.
"Guy always thinks of his wife," Drake mumbled.
"And of you. Perhaps he thinks of you as his second wife?" Natto snickered.
"That's very disturbing because it might honestly be true.." Drake said shivering, "But man, I never thought there would be a day I see so much gold and money, and not have any use for it…This is pretty depressing in a way."
"There will most likely be nothing within here if we have not found it already. I suggest we leave and run. Very very far away," Natto proposed.
"If I run, who is going to stop big and scary when he wakes up or evolves, or whatever?" Drake asked, his hands pocketing some status pills he found.
"It is not your job to defend the whole place from this monster Drake. You have not even set foot outside the tutorial yet. There is much more for you to do in the days to come. Do not extinguish your flame now before it has time to burn bright."
"Wow, that was almost poetic," Drake chuckled, "But sorry, no can do. What happens when the Ant decides to kill everyone, then come after us anyway?"
"Then we would have delayed for a time so you could survive!"
"Ok, I'll play along," Drake said, reaching through more piles of items, "What if rough and the ugly decides he just wants to screw over my day? Comes right for the strongest person in the tutorial, or just wants vengeance on the person who killed his brother?"
Natto became silent.
"See? There might be a bunch of reasons you don't want me to die. And contrary to what you might think, I don't want to die either. But this boils down to there are only maybe three people in this tutorial that can maybe, kind of, possibly do anything about an E-Rank. And I don't plan on asking Shigure. A kid that young needs to survive. And Bjorn… I wouldn't feel right asking for his help. So I've got to do it myself."
"They are not your responsibility…" Natto mumbled.
"Technically they are. I signed a contract, remember?"
"You can always annul it!"
"That would just be underhanded though. I gave my word, and that's that," Drake said finally, his hand going for a pine box he saw on top of a chest.
His hand halted as he approached it. Drake noticing the slight shiver in his arm.
He was nervous. He was unsure. But he still had to put on his strong face. Because if he didn't, who would?
"My Lord! Outside!" Theodore shouted.
"What is it?"
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Arthur_Inverse
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