♥FLEX♥
Even as I headed over, the chicken shop owner was still bellowing at the top of his lungs. People seemed interested, too — quite a few were already paying up and walking off with their orders.
Huh. This popular? Please don't turn out expensive like franchise chicken.
Not that I cared if it was expensive. For some reason, I just felt like FLEXing today.
"Welcome! Roast chicken with the tenderest, most succulent meat from the Eastern Wilds is here!"
I glanced at the menu. There were plenty of other items, but roast chicken had the biggest lettering — must have been the only thing on sale.
Ah, a promotion. Always a great conversation starter.
"How much?"
When I asked, the owner held up his index and middle fingers.
"Two gold!"
I was briefly speechless. Two gold... on sale?
Fuck. Chicken's expensive whether it's reality or this world. No, this bastard's supposed to be the neighborhood chicken joint — why the hell is he charging this much?
I was a little stunned. It felt like I'd gone in thinking I was fucking a virgin, only to find out she was trans.
I was pissed, but I kept my cool and asked about something else.
"What's included?"
"Roast chicken with two Dameika Long Legs, plus chilled radish and hot sauce!"
I whistled without meaning to. With a spread like that, two gold was fair.
Yeah. That's more like it.
"Can't say no to that. One roast chicken combo!"
"Okay!"
The owner started frying chicken with gusto. Watching him, I could feel this distinctive energy radiating off him — it was a good look. No matter how hard the work, he seemed genuinely happy doing what he loved.
Could I throw off that kind of energy and throw myself into my own work? It probably wouldn't be as easy as it sounded.
All the more reason to keep grinding.
I told the owner,
"I'm gonna swing by the blacksmith real quick!"
"Okay, come back in six minutes!"
Excluding the gold I'd set aside, I had about fifty gold left. Was there anything I could get fitted right now?
I turned it over in my head from every angle as I arrived at the forge. Same as always, the blacksmith was showing off those muscles, hammering away at a lump of metal. His face lit up the moment he recognized me.
"If it isn't the Super Rookie? What brings you here? Looking to buy some armor?"
Let me think this through first.
If I tell him I came because I collected a bounty, he'll definitely try to push me into buying something. Even if I finish my business, he might still walk away unsatisfied and disappointed. Better keep that to myself.
A smirk crept onto my face.
How a relationship develops is entirely up to how I play it.
It had always been that way. No matter how I felt, if the other person took it the wrong way, that was the end of it. Hell, the country I used to live in was the kind of place where glancing at a woman could land you in court for visual sexual assault. So of course I needed this level of social skill.
"Just finished a mission, thought I'd look around. Oh, do you do enhancements too?"
"Of course. A blacksmith who can't enhance is no different from a whore who doesn't know how to give head!"
The blacksmith took it in stride, cheerfully. Ah, I liked this particular brand of middle-aged cheer. I liked the guy. I didn't think I'd be able to pull this off even when I got older.
He's got the skills, and he's trustworthy too.
I'd love to pick up a companion with metallurgy skills when I eventually set out on an adventure. Meeting someone like that as a party member would be pretty hard, though. Blacksmiths would rather make money right now.
First I held out the iron boots I was wearing.
"Enhance these for me."
Up until now, the iron boots had no real identity beyond not taking terrain penalties. That left me with two options: sell them or enhance them. But I was going to be adventuring and running missions all over the place. Selling them felt like a waste.
They don't have any acceleration or flight effects, sure, but the utility's solid.
The blacksmith took the iron boots I held out and stroked his beard.
"Which path? You know the direction changes depending on what extra materials you throw in, right?"
In the game, even the same item branched differently depending on which enhancement tree you went down. Enhance with regular steel and you got the steel tree. Throw in gems or rare ores and you could jump to a higher-grade item earlier. I just didn't have that kind of luxury right now. Hell, I didn't even have any metal on me.
I clicked my tongue as I looked over the iron boot tree that popped up in front of me.
If there'd been a mission near a gold mine, I could've picked up ore easy. I'll look into it tomorrow.
"I don't really have any other materials."
"Then the most appropriate path right now is the iron ore tree. You got any iron ore?"
"Nope."
"If you cover the cost of the iron ore too, I'll enhance them right now."
No need to even think about it. There was nothing else I could do right now anyway, so I might as well do this my way. I decided to go a little big — same as last time.
"Sure. How much?"
"Iron ore plus the enhancement comes to thirty gold."
Honestly, that was a considerable sum. In that moment I instantly understood why hunter-novel protagonists were always chasing money. Raids cost potions, you needed to gear up, and all of that took a ton of cash. Same deal for heroes. You didn't even need to go on a long-distance adventure — even short-range missions required a lot of prep, which meant a lot of money. That was why heroes with metallurgy skills preferred taking a job at a forge over going on adventures.
"Here's forty gold."
"Oho?"
"On top of the enhancement, bring me something useful like last time. A helmet, an off-hand weapon, something like that."
The moment I gave him specific examples, the blacksmith's grin stretched from ear to ear. Man, this guy really loved money. At least he was honest about it.
"Hahaha! Got it."
"I'm counting on you. Same as last time."
You've got to be generous when you deal. That's how the extra services start piling up. The blacksmith whistled as he toyed with the coins.
"That's what I like about you — you've got a man's generosity. Okay, just wait a bit! Hahaha!"
He threw his head back with a hearty laugh and went off to work. I could hear him starting the enhancement.
Hisssss! Clang, clang!
I decided to wait. It wasn't like the work would be done in a snap anyway. While I was waiting, someone approached.
"Hm?"
"Um..."
Some dim-looking guy appeared. Soot smeared across his face, he was reading my expression, then held something out to me — a silver mask that would cover the entire front of my face.
"What's this?"
First I checked the specs.
Unique Passive — Mind's Eye: You can see the timing to deflect or dodge an opponent's attack.
Unique Passive — Emergency Defense: Prevents 50% of damage dealt to the face.
Looking at the specs, it was pretty useful for a mass-produced item. Every now and then a mass-produced piece would roll two effects. Getting only useful ones, though — that was rare.
"Hello! Um, I'm the apprentice. Master told me to give this to you, sir."
"Hmm, not bad."
The apprentice lit up like he'd been the one complimented.
"Haha, right? Master's never been wrong! He said it's good for a mass-produced piece, so it should be useful!"
"Thanks. I'll put it to good use."
I equipped the mask. It didn't obstruct my vision, but I didn't have the guts to walk around looking like this.
Wonder if this works?
I clapped as carefully as I could.
Tszzzzt!
The mask instantly turned transparent. The invisibility mode that only existed in the game.
The fashion-screenshot invisibility mode actually works? This world really is something else.
I was still marveling at this place when the enhancement work finished. The blacksmith brought over the iron boots, now looking much cleaner than before, and grinned.
"Here, enhancement's done! These'll be more useful in a fight!"
Unique Passive — Pioneer Spirit: Unaffected by terrain penalties.
Unique Passive — Solid as a Rock: Durability is so high they will not corrode or break easily.
Unique Effect — Sparta!: When you kick an opponent, a successful hit inflicts stun for 1 second.
As expected... still a shame they can't make me run faster or fly. But they do fit the Leonhardt Severing Sword Style.
Given that the Leonhardt Severing Sword Style incorporated unarmed combat, the newly added effect was more than welcome. Now I'd get a little bonus every time I threw a kick.
"Thank you. You're as capable as ever."
"Kid, I'm a veteran! This much is basic. Kahaha!"
"See you next time, then."
"Yeah, don't die!"
I put on the iron boots and headed back to the chicken shop. Thankfully, the enhancement hadn't made them any heavier.
Should I have bought an item just to bump up my Hearts?
I shook my head. No reason to rush it. Force Hearts weren't something you wanted to inflate as fast as possible. Think of it like putting up a building. If you threw up a frame at breakneck speed and slathered on the concrete, did that make it a building? You had to take it step by step, reinforcing the interior as you went, before you actually had something that would stand.
I'll master Runner Mid and jump straight into Late.
"Here, your order!"
"Thanks. I'll enjoy it!"
A delicious smell was already wafting out of the thick bamboo case. Damn, chicken really was chicken, huh? The smell alone was enough to make my head spin.
I came home and spent time with Mom. When I opened the chicken case, a whole bird laid itself bare, steam still rising off its naked body. A rich, savory aroma. Skin roasted to a perfect light brown. A pair of Dameika Long Legs sitting on either side.
Mom's eyes sparkled like stars.
"Oh myyy! This is from that new chicken place, isn't it? Let's eat!"
"Yeah."
We ate together. One bite and I just wanted more. It was basically drug chicken. Mom smiled, thoroughly pleased.
"It's sooo good!"
"Yeah, the combo was so loaded I just went for the set."
"Hehe, that's my son. Excellent choice♥"
Mom sent me a loving smile. Seeing her happy made me happy too.
I was eating chicken when I moved closer to her. This was something I'd always wanted to do once I got a girlfriend.
"Hehe, son. What is it?"
"I want to kiss you."
I didn't wait for her answer — I just pressed my lips to hers. Mom looked embarrassed, but her eyes were smiling.
This foxy maman!
"Mmph... nngh, well, who else's son would you be? All right♥"
"Mmph, nngh."
"Nngh, haaah, mmph♥"
I stroked Mom's soft cheek as I worked my tongue. As I licked those lips — still plump and firm as a woman in her twenties — she started moving her tongue even more aggressively. She worked it from every angle while pulling me into a tighter hug. I groped her chest, caressing her just enough.
"Nngh♥ slurp♥ hhhnnngh♥"
After that passionate kiss, we pulled apart.
"Come on, let's finish the chicken."
"Okay!"
"So from now on you're guaranteed independent action? We'll have to thank the Lord's Proxy!"
She was purely, genuinely happy.
"I'm basically a hero at this point. Not that I'll ever stop striving, of course."
Mom was celebrating like it was her own achievement. She clasped her hands together like she was praying.
"That's exactly the right attitude! Your father will be so happy up in heaven! Hehe♥"
"Hehe. I'm proud."
That's what I said, anyway.
Not sure he'd be happy watching the guy who fucked his woman. If it were me, I'd be pissed, wouldn't I?
I smirked, thinking about a father I'd never even seen the face of.
As I finished eating, I thought about what I'd do tomorrow. That's when Annie came to mind.
Should I go see Annie?
I suddenly wondered how she was doing. Maybe I'd drop by later if I had time.