Chapter 162: When Gold is Worthless.
<span style="font-weight:400">The night was waxing, and the sun slowly disappeared from the Outpost as Shigure made rounds on the rampart of the wall.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Another quiet night. I am curious if it is Sir Bear and Shot’s doing…” he wondered.
<span style="font-weight:400">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.
<span style="font-weight:400">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.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It is as if the tutorial is drying up,” he said, looking out into the forest slowly being eclipsed in the night.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s not the only thing drying up Kenzo,” a voice said from behind Shigure.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sato? I haven’t seen you in quite some time, where have you been?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“There haven’t been any monsters aroundtely so I got hold up in the part of the outpost you never want to visit,” Sato smiled.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ugh…. that ce is filthy. I hope you showered,” Shigure grimaced.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh please, are you really still on about that after everything?” Sato sighed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“After what?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“After that guy trounced your ass left and right while spouting reference after reference,” Sato chuckled.
<span style="font-weight:400">Shigure went to snap his refute but was stopped by Saito’s hand.
<span style="font-weight:400">“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.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Changed? I do not see how I have changed in the slightest Sato,” Shigure scoffed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I may have been locked up ying 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 sinceing 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.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t need praise from a person who thinks lines from cartoons count as morals,” Shigure scoffed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Excuse me for having a hobby….”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It isn’t a hobby for you! You have figurines of fictional characters all over your room!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Don’t remind me… Please Taka-chan! Be there and unharmed when wee back! I’ve done all of this for you…” Sato said, bringing his hands together in a prayer.
<span style="font-weight:400">“That! That is what I am talking about! It’s disgusting!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hey, you have posters of Kendo and Archery Olympians in your room. You don’t think that’s any worse?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Those are real people with real aplishments! It’s entirely different!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“But you’ve never met them so they might as well be fiction to you! So, same thing!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“That is a leap in logic that makes no real sense! W-why am I even arguing this with you!?” Shigure sighed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“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 sses.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What stuff..?” Shigure asked intrigued, the first he heard of it.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Remember the dwarf? He got his hands on some really good skill stones, and some essories, won’t say from who, but they''re better than anything you could have gotten outside of quest rewards right now.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Is he still open?” Shigure asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Old guy lives in that stall, so I think so,” Sato shrugged.
<span style="font-weight:400">Shigure didn’t say anything as he walked passed Saito.
<span style="font-weight:400">Sato chuckled a bit before following his friend.
<span style="font-weight:400">They passed through the outpost ignoring the wandering eyes here and there. As Shigure headed straight for the old Dwarf’s stall.
<span style="font-weight:400">Reaching there rtively quickly, Shigure knocked on the front of the stall to get the man’s attention.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hello! I heard you have some new merchandise to sell?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“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.
<span style="font-weight:400">“The merchandise?” Shigure asked, ignoring the dwarf.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah, sure thing.. Give me a moment.”
<span style="font-weight:400">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.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Here they are, have a good look.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Shigure eyed the pieces of jewelry on the counter, as well as the skill stones that had just been ced.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Where in the world did you get these? We don’t even have Intelligence essories avable at this stat increase,” Shigure said in amazement.
<span style="font-weight:400">“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.
<span style="font-weight:400">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.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“What about selling one of them pistols you got?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“What?! Never! I could sell Little Maru!” Sato shouted recoiling from the stall.
<span style="font-weight:400">Shigure ignored his friend, picking out several strength and dexterity essories, as well as a few of the rare skill stones he saw that looked promising for after the tutorial.
<span style="font-weight:400">“How much for all of these?” Shigure asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hmmm…” grumbled the dwarf as he groomed his beard, “I’m thinking….”
<span style="font-weight:400">Before he could announce the price a notification popped in all of their heads, silencing the surroundings and their conversation.
<b>[Subjugation Quest: Subjugate the Three Ant Princes of the Ant Hive has failed]</b>
<b>[New Subjugation Quest!]</b>
<b>[Prevent the Third Prince Obiteron Trikk from evolving their race to E-Rank]</b>
<b>[Reward: Experience, Epic Skill Stone x1]</b>
<b>[Time Remaining: 23 Hours 59 Minutes 58 Seconds]</b>
<span style="font-weight:400">“What?! E-Rank?” Shigure growled, “What have those fools done?”
<span style="font-weight:400">The next moment a puff of smoke appeared next to Shigure, a woman clothed in shinobi attire kneeling in a half bow.
<span style="font-weight:400">“My Lord,” Uta said in an even tone.
<span style="font-weight:400">“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.
<span style="font-weight:400">“As youmand!” Uta announced, disappearing again in a puff of inky ck smoke.
<span style="font-weight:400">Shigure turned again to the old Dwarf.
<span style="font-weight:400">“How much? I’ll be needing these sooner than I imagined.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The dwarf smiled, “Everything you got boy.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“W-what?! You’re going to rob me?!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Supply and demand. You demand and are in very much need of what I supply.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“This is highway robbery!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Satoughed from behind Shigure.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ha! Now we’re both broke!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Shigure turned to growl at Sato before turning back to the dwarf.
<span style="font-weight:400">“This is bullshit!”
<hr>
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ahhhhh!!! This is bullshit!!” Drake shouted into the vault.
<span style="font-weight:400">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.
<span style="font-weight:400">“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 essories that didn’tpare to his own.
<span style="font-weight:400">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!?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake sighed, then began cing whatever he could into his inventory as he grumbled curses. Theodore going through and picking things that could be useful as well.
<span style="font-weight:400">“This truly is an unfortunate oue, 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 oveing this fortress by these insectoids!” Theodore mused trying to lighten the mood.
<span style="font-weight:400">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.
<span style="font-weight:400">With the timed quest and the looming evolution of the Prince ahead, Drake needed something, some sort of bone thrown to him.
<span style="font-weight:400">Shuffling through the room, Drake was amazed something thisrge again was brought underneath the surface. The walls were made of what looked to be gold, or at least gold-ted.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">Who knows if the King skimped on the decor, maybe it’s even fake gold. I wouldn’t put it past the scumbag…</i><span style="font-weight:400"> Drake mused.
<span style="font-weight:400">“<i><span style="font-weight:400">I believe it is gold. Gold is not as valuable in the Multiverse as it was on your singr. At least not regr gold. Mana Infused minerals and materials go for a much higher price,”</i><span style="font-weight:400"> Natto exined.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">Thanks for thementary… I thought you might have gone for a walk or something with how silent it got.</i>
<i><span style="font-weight:400">“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…”</i><span style="font-weight:400"> she sighed.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">It’s not my fault the Ants decided to stage a coup right as we entered the Hive. How was I supposed to know?</i><span style="font-weight:400"> Drake thought.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake heard Natto sigh within his head as his hands went over item after item in the room trying to find something useful.
<span style="font-weight:400">“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 ce clean…” Drake sighed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“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.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Are they F-Grade? One stat per pill?” Drake shouted back.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Indubitably!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s fine unless it''s fifty or more, you can use them, Theo. A few won’t help me right now.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Understood my Lord! I will save them for Harley then!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake shook his head and continued to rummage through the worthless gold coins as he chuckled slightly.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Guy always thinks of his wife,” Drake mumbled.
<span style="font-weight:400">“<i><span style="font-weight:400">And of you. Perhaps he thinks of you as his second wife?” </i><span style="font-weight:400">Natto snickered.
<span style="font-weight:400">“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.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“<i><span style="font-weight:400">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,”</i><span style="font-weight:400"> Natto proposed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“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.
<span style="font-weight:400">“<i><span style="font-weight:400">It is not your job to defend the whole ce 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 toe. Do not extinguish your me now before it has time to burn bright.”</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wow, that was almost poetic,” Drake chuckled, “But sorry, no can do. What happens when the Ant decides to kill everyone, thene after us anyway?”
<i><span style="font-weight:400">“Then we would have dyed for a time so you could survive!”</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ok, I’ll y 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?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Natto became silent.
<span style="font-weight:400">“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 n 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.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“<i><span style="font-weight:400">They are not your responsibility…”</i><span style="font-weight:400"> Natto mumbled.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Technically they are. I signed a contract, remember?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“<i><span style="font-weight:400">You can always annul it!”</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">“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.
<span style="font-weight:400">His hand halted as he approached it. Drake noticing the slight shiver in his arm.
<span style="font-weight:400">He was nervous. He was unsure. But he still had to put on his strong face. Because if he didn''t, who would?
<span style="font-weight:400">“My Lord! Outside!” Theodore shouted.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What is it?”