Negotiating the Reward

“This sword was part of the reward, and so was the fur.”

I laid out a clear standard for compensation. Since the quest had put my life on the line, the reward had to match that level of risk.

“Let me see it for a moment.”

“By all means.”

The training instructor squinted with one eye and began examining the sword from every angle. The result was obvious even without guessing.

“……This is no ordinary wooden sword. I can feel a deep rancor within it.”

“You can see that much?”

I was genuinely surprised. From its appearance alone, I had expected something like “A fine blade—good for killing people.”

“I may not look it, but I was once a renowned demon swordsman who accomplished great deeds. If you cannot handle mana, resisting poison is nearly impossible.”

“You were quite the figure. Liam’s instructor was also a former Royal Knight, after all.”

“That place is practically a major city now. They would have sent someone even more impressive than me. The nature of the mana embedded in this sword carries a profound grudge. If that grudge has been sealed into a weapon—and especially if it came from a former Royal Knight—then this wooden sword is exceptionally powerful.”

“Oh.”

In the previous game, mana had only been treated as a simple energy source, never a specialized field. The training instructor, on the other hand, was clearly an expert in mana.

At any rate, the conclusion was that it was an excellent weapon.

“I understand the unique properties of the fur as well, and that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this sword surpasses most real blades. I also understand that the reward you want must be on par with these.”

“Exactly.”

“For the record, I have no weapons left ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to give you. Those bastards took everything.”

The room the instructor had used was already empty. The weapons he once wielded had likely found new owners in Chinese weapon markets or powerful guilds.

“That’s fine. This sword is more than enough for me.”

“I suppose it is. Then I’ll offer you a different reward that suits you.”

“Please do.”

“I’ll teach you how to use mana. If that’s not enough, you can learn swordsmanship from the master of the nearby swordsmanship guild. That old man may be weaker than me, but his swordsmanship is truly remarkable.”

A new reward was proposed: mana and swordsmanship.

“Sounds good. How long do you think it will take?”

“It depends on your talent. I’ve never taught a foreigner directly, so I’ll have to see, but if the student is you, the story changes. I’ll help you handle mana within a month.”

Mana was not a stat that could be handled easily. In the previous game, it had only been unlocked after consuming elixirs obtained through countless hardships. In this game, the standard was to spend at least three months of grueling training at the Mage Tower to awaken mana. Even three months at the Mage Tower was considered the fastest record achieved by acknowledged geniuses in real life.

“……Can mana really be generated in just one month?”

“Decide whether you’ll learn it or not. This is a matter of life and death, so I won’t give you a choice. If you refuse even this, the only reward will be monetary. Once everything is settled, the royal family will provide some compensation money.”

There was no need to ask about the exact amount of gold that would come my way. I wasn’t short on money, and what I needed most right now was strength.

“I’ll gladly accept any training.”

“Good.”

That was not the only message that updated in real time. This one came with immediate rewards.

I had obtained my very first hidden class. Moreover, the stat increases were all in Wisdom—the stat I had lacked the most. The reward felt quite satisfying. It would probably help when awakening mana as well.

At this level, I could overwhelm most players of the same level through raw stats alone. It was also enough to fully activate Despise the Weak.

In other words, anyone whose total stats did not exceed 80 could not even scratch me.

“Good. The reward has been decided. All that remains is for each of us to do our best. From now on, I will focus entirely on recovery for the time being.”

“Ah, just a moment, please.”

The quest reward included two instructors: the training instructor and the swordsmanship guild master. He would also be struggling against the poison, so separate measures were necessary.

“Here’s an eyepatch.”

I cut another piece of my cloak and made an eyepatch similar in size to the instructor’s. The design allowed it to be wrapped around the wrist if needed, so there was no reason to wear it only over the eyes.

“This way, we can shorten the preparation period considerably.”

“Excellent. With this, I can finish preparations within ten days at most. Don’t cause too much trouble until then.”

“Of course not.”

I had received official recognition from the strongest person in Boa Village. His acknowledgment meant I could freely PK within Boa Village. It was essentially an opportunity to experience Despise the Weak in earnest.

“Then I’ll see you in ten days.”

“Very well. Those foreigners over there—you brought them, right?”

The training instructor pointed at the newbies who were still relentlessly striking training dummies with their hands.

“Ah, yes. I saw some strange guys dragging them around, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠so I brought them here.”

“Good work. I’ll make sure they pull their own weight while I’m at it.”

“Oh. In that case, I’m all for it. Thank you.”

The training instructor gave some instructions to the two remaining soldiers and left. He seemed eager to fulfill his duties for once. Since the outcome would be the same either way, I decided not to interfere.

I left the training grounds and headed out of the village. I had already planned the operation from the moment I accepted the quest. It was the same method that had worked well when conquering the lands of the native barbarians. I was confident it would work this time as well.

‘If basic human rights are being suppressed, the conquest becomes much easier.’

Operation name: Chaos. I would cause all sorts of trouble throughout Boa Village. Since they were already mistaking me for the Black Dragon Gang, the possibilities were endless. To conquer Boa Village from multiple angles, I decided to secure food supplies first.

Having already studied the map of the Chinese beginner village in advance, my first destination was the southern forest of Boa Village. In the relatively cold southern region of Boa Village, dense coniferous forests housed animal-type monsters such as deer and wolves. Unlike Liam, I could obtain thicker, tougher, and more practical hides here, and the cold climate made it a decent environment for stockpiling meat.

Naturally, such a lucrative hunting ground attracted many players.

“Female deer are this way. Male deer are over there.”

The southern forest was filled with far more people than the central fountain area. However, the atmosphere was completely different from Liam. Merchant carriages were nowhere to be seen.

“Kuhaha! Only two died this time! I win!”

“You worthless trash! You should’ve killed one more!”

Where merchant carriages should have been, a drinking party was in full swing. Chinese players covered in wounds from wolf hunting were being evaluated like pieces in a gambling game.

“Hah.”

I had finished assessing the situation. What I needed now was dignity. More precisely, chaos disguised as dignity.

“Look at these guys.”

I stepped right into the middle of the betting circle. Not content with just joining, I picked a fight.

“Mind if I join that bet too?”

“Huh?”

The gazes around me split sharply. Most looked down or away, while a few stared in confusion. The situation sorted itself naturally. Those who met my eyes were the jackals who ruled the southern forest.

“Pardon me, but who are you?”

The man who had won the previous bet asked with a hardened expression. I answered with my sword instead.

Shwaaaak!

Thwack!

The man’s head was smashed apart by a single horizontal slash swung with full force. Between my stats and the effect of Seven Impact, the result was inevitable.

Even the strongest players in a beginner hunting ground were ultimately just players who had barely shed their newbie status. Stats never lied.

I had even gained a level. I realized that killing players also granted experience points. It was the same system as in the previous game.

The southern forest of Boa Village was no longer an ordinary hunting ground.

“……”

The surroundings fell into dead silence in an instant. Even though I had killed someone, no one raised their voice. I no longer needed to shout for my voice to carry.

So I asked quietly.

“Does anyone else have a question?”

No one questioned my actions anymore. It was time to move to the next stage.

“Then it’s my turn to ask.”

The targets were clear—the pack of jackals who had met my eyes.

“I will hear answers from everyone who made eye contact with me. Those who fail to understand my words or try to run will be granted death.”

I gathered experience points for a proper large-scale hunt.