Chapter 3: I shouldn't have done that (3)

“First of all… some time ago, there was a problem in the sewers, so we sent several workers down there. But none of them ever came back. We sent another group to investigate, and they discovered that a nest of Demons had taken up residence in the sewers.”

My momentary surprise didn’t last long. The middle-aged NPC was the first to speak, explaining the situation.

It was obviously a tutorial section designed to teach combat, item acquisition, and so on. Since it was identical to the original, it even filled me with a sense of nostalgia.

It had been the same back then.

Those were good times.

At least, until the second-anniversary patch.

“So, what you want is for me to clean out the sewers?”

“That is correct. And… if possible, I would like you to find the workers as well. Of course, I do not believe the workers we sent earlier could still be alive after all this time. But for the sake of their families, I would like you to recover their bodies—or at the very least, some of their belongings.”

Workers, huh?

Was this a side quest?

I casually opened the quest window, wondering if it had been updated. Unfortunately, there was still nothing written there.

Apparently, the quest only appeared after accepting it.

“We sent several Demon Hunters ahead of you, but every one of them came back after getting beaten. We contacted the temple as well, but all we got was a reply saying it would take time. So we called someone reputed to be skilled, but… Hmph. Think you can actually handle it? With that scrawny body of yours?”

“S-Sir!”

“Don’t compare me to those weaklings.”

“What arrogance…”

Oh…

I did want to look like that, but hearing an NPC evaluate me that way gave me a strange feeling.

Part of me felt offended, while another part was surprised. The situation was amusing, yet the response felt so realistic that I suddenly wanted to defend myself.

“Sir…”

“Whose lackey are you?”

Still, no matter how well-made they were, NPCs were NPCs.

That single sentence neatly summarized the awkward feeling I had about roleplaying in front of an NPC that felt too realistic.

And somehow, that made me feel better.

Players often ruined the mood with things like, “What are you even doing?” or “Wow, that roleplay is insane.”

But these guys would never do that.

With this, I could enjoy my roleplaying even more.

“Ahem. So, will you be accepting the request, Adventurer?”

“Yes.”

“Then we shall proceed with drafting the contract.”

Administrative Officer Izren took out a sheet of paper and rapidly began writing.

“The objective of the request is the elimination of all Demons within the sewers. As an additional request, there is the recovery of the belongings of the workers who entered. Ah, how many workers were there?”

“Thirteen.”

“Understood. Then the deadline is…”

“The maximum deadline is one month. And as for the starting date of the request… considering that you have traveled a long way, we will give you two days to recover from your journey.”

“Yes.”

As the administrative officer and the middle-aged NPC continued exchanging questions and answers, the contents of the quest were quickly summarized in a short and specific manner.

They could have simply displayed it in the quest window, but instead, the request proceeded in a very unique way.

“The reward is 400,000 Gal. After deducting the 5% brokerage fee, you will receive 380,000 Gal. Now then, Adventurer. Will you proceed with this request?”

Why are they paying this much?

And what the hell is with the brokerage fee?

As I listened to Administrative Officer Izren’s summary, I crossed my arms and lightly tapped my fingers.

It was irritating that they were taking as much as five percent as a brokerage fee, but if that was part of the game’s setting, there was nothing I could do about it.

It wasn’t as if I could reject the quest just because I didn’t like it.

I snatched the pen and signed my name.

“Yes, the contract has been established. Please report the completion of your mission through our Guild. Come to the Guild building and ask for me.”

The administrative officer smiled and obtained the old man’s signature as well.

Then, a window appeared in the corner of my vision.

「※ Polluting the Sewers

◆ Eliminate Demons: 0 / ??

◆ Bonus: Find Belongings: 0 / 13」

Just as expected.

It seemed a quest was only registered in the quest window after accepting the contract.

“…We have arranged a room at an inn in the name of the Trading Company.”

At that moment, while I watched the documents being collected by the administrative officer, the old man spoke.

That was actually rather welcome news.

“We’ve only paid for two days, so if you intend to stay any longer, you’ll have to pay for it with your own money!”

Separate issue, but why was this old man so damn prickly?

“I have no intention of dragging this out either.”

I replied reflexively, slightly furrowing my brow.

Two days?

Two days…

Come to think of it, they had said earlier that I was supposed to begin within two days.

I had thought about it while signing the contract, but this was the first tutorial I had ever seen with a time limit.

I had no intention of dragging the tutorial out for two days anyway, so it didn’t really matter.

Still, it seemed they had added quite a few unconventional features.

“Where are the sewers?”

It wasn’t that I wasn’t curious about what kind of development would occur if I deliberately overdid things.

However, the remake version had set the ratio between game time and real time at 3:1.

Eight hours in reality equaled one day in the game.

In other words, for two days to pass, sixteen hours would have to go by.

At that point, I might as well just do the tutorial.

I wanted to experience the true appeal of this game as soon as possible.

“You intend to enter immediately?”

“Are you telling me to devote any more time than necessary to the insects crawling around in those sewers?”

I looked at them with contempt.

Unlike other games, it felt less like I was performing a one-man play, so the lines flowed from my mouth effortlessly.

The middle-aged NPC, who had briefly turned his head away, flinched and looked back at me.

“…I’ll show you the way.”

Nice.

Then let’s get moving.

***

The inn I briefly stopped by was exactly the same as in the original.

Its primary functions were saving and recovery.

「Inn | Sleeping at an inn saves your progress and restores a portion of your health.

Your health recovery speed increases while inside an inn.」

There were other functions as well, but they weren’t particularly useful.

There was a chance that stored items could be stolen, and bathing or eating required additional fees.

Since I had neither items worth storing nor any money, they were features I didn’t need to worry about yet.

“Is this the place?”

With that, I headed straight to the sewers.

The river connected to the sewer emitted a complicated stench—a mixture of something musty, rotten, and sour.

But I had a Character Concept to maintain.

I couldn’t possibly lose to a mere smell.

A character who lived and died by style didn’t cover his nose no matter how foul the stench was.

So, without even pinching my nose, I remained completely calm.

The merchant beside me, who had his nose tightly covered, looked at me as though I were some kind of monster.

“Are you truly all right?”

Wow.

An NPC was worried about me.

With that heartwarming thought in mind, I raised my eyebrows.

It was roughly the kind of look that said, Argue with me one more time, and I’ll make sure you’re the first one who isn’t all right.

…Of course, I didn’t think facial expressions could actually be rendered, much less recognized by an NPC, so I was about to answer—

“Ahem… Then take this with you.”

—I didn’t even have to?

My heart nearly began pounding with excitement.

I had suspected it, but only now was I certain.

Players were also capable of freely expressing facial expressions, and NPCs could actually recognize those expressions and respond accordingly.

This game was seriously insane.

How the hell had technology like this even become possible?

Ha.

Thank goodness I had developed the habit of acting with my facial expressions as well.

I hadn’t made any ridiculously stupid expressions before this, right?

Suppressing the excitement in my chest, I twisted my expression into a frown and held out my hand.

Something the merchant handed me was caught in my grasp.

It was a folded piece of paper.

“It’s a map of the sewers. However, since the Demons moved in, some of the passages have changed or become blocked… so it won’t be completely accurate.”

I unfolded the paper with a rustle.

Various things had been marked on the twisting paths near the entrance in red ink.

One path was blocked. Another contained a nest of Demons. Beyond a certain point, different creatures could be encountered, and so on.

“The information about the entrance area comes from the Demon Hunters who previously explored the place.”

So there was no minimap function, and this was how they provided information.

People with a poor sense of direction might suffer quite a bit.

Fortunately, I was good at finding my way around.

Either way, there was no harm in having it.

I folded the paper again and slipped it into the inner pocket of my coat.

It had been an unconscious action because everything felt so realistic, but surprisingly, it worked.

Could I store things somewhere other than the inventory?

This was seriously amazing.

“A pen.”

Ah.

Could I mark things on the map myself, just like the markings already drawn on it?

In an ordinary game, I probably wouldn’t even have bothered trying.

But the remake version of Legend of Heroes was different.

With this game, I had a feeling it might actually be possible.

And I also had an extremely vague belief that if I asked for something, an NPC would give it to me.

“Here you are.”

Holy shit.

That actually worked.

An NPC who normally wouldn’t hand over an item unless it was a quest item or a reward obediently held out a pen after a single request.

I almost felt like crying.

I’ve said it who knows how many times already, but Deep Pearl was a god.

“Well then, I leave it to you.”

I secured the pen inside my coat pocket and glanced at the merchant.

“Once I have accepted payment, failure is not an option.”

Leaving those words behind, I slid down toward the entrance of the sewers—or more precisely, toward the river connected to them.

Naturally, I had no intention of falling into the sewage, so I landed on the path beside the sewer.

Clank.

The iron-barred gate, which had already been unlocked for me, opened, revealing the path leading deeper into the sewers.

Honestly, the sewer pipes were ridiculously large.

「Tatara: Underground Sewers」

I only accepted it because it was a game.

If this were real, wouldn’t sewers normally be much smaller?

As I heard a deep boooong like the sound of a bell, such pointless thoughts passed through my mind.

Meanwhile, my hand rummaged through my bag and pulled something out.

「Lantern | A light that illuminates dark spaces and guides the way. Equipping it at your waist will allow you to keep both hands free.」

It was an item I had checked earlier while inspecting my inventory.

Just as the description said, when I hung the lantern from my waist, the dark sewers became illuminated.

Like most sources of light, it also gave off a slight warmth.

It felt like carrying a hand warmer, so it wasn’t bad.

Except for the side effect that my coat partially blocked the light.

“Should I hang it outside?”

In the end, I attached the lantern to the outside of my coat.

Even then, depending on which way it faced, the other directions remained less illuminated.

Still, it was better than before.

Squeak.

Squeak.

As I checked the map from time to time and moved deeper inside, rats gradually began appearing.

The creatures were about half the size of my forearm.

Even considering that they were covered in filth, there was something distinctly wrong with them.

For example, patches of rotten skin where exposed flesh could be seen.

Or worse, bones and internal organs dangling from their bodies.

And despite their tiny bodies and tiny eyes, their blood-red eyes stood out far too clearly.

Stab!

They had all been demonized.

I absentmindedly thrust my sword forward.

Just as I had hoped, the Zweihänder not only pierced the rat but sliced it cleanly in half.

The only problem was that, because of the damn realism, the Zweihänder continued past the rat, scraped across the floor, and lightly struck the wall.

Clang!

The sharp sound immediately filled me with unease.

Wait.

Could this thing actually get damaged?

I pushed the bisected corpse aside with my foot and examined the True Zweihänder.

The blade reflected the lantern’s light with a vivid crimson gleam.

It looked sharp enough to cut me just by looking at it.

「True Zweihänder of Destruction | A greatsword that destroys and breaks all that exists with its long, straight blade. It instills fear in everything that stands against it.」

Upon examining the weapon information, I found that, in addition to the usual description, detailed numerical values were listed.

Attack power, durability, sharpness, and so on.

Attack power was one thing, but durability and sharpness had probably both started at 100.

Now, however, the sharpness had fallen to 99.

Just as I thought.

In games like this, even hitting a wall could reduce durability or sharpness.

“This space is way too cramped…”

If I kept using a two-handed sword, the space was so narrow that I might end up wearing down its durability.

Reluctantly, I slung the Zweihänder onto my back and rummaged through my bag.

Aside from the True Zweihänder of Destruction I had received as a preorder bonus, I had also been given another weapon as a starting weapon.

「Longsword | The most widely used and representative type of sword. Its blade, grip, guard, and pommel are balanced around average proportions, allowing it to adapt to most situations.」

I attached the Longsword’s scabbard to my waist and spun the sword around.

Perhaps the combat assistance was working properly, because the sword rotated smoothly in my hand.

Slice!

It cut through the rats easily as well.

As expected of early-game monsters, they seemed to die in a single hit even with a starting weapon.

A good start.

Squeal!

The fact that they didn’t drop money or items was somewhat annoying, but…

Well, they were early-game monsters.

I could live with it.

They’d probably start dropping things later.

The quest reward was huge, too.

Screeeeeech!

As I forced my way deeper inside, the sounds made by actual Demons gradually began echoing through the sewers.

Some of them peeked around corners.

Others seemed to be preparing ambushes.

「Goblin | A wandering Demon that travels in groups in search of food. These small and weak Demons are extremely foolish, but that does not mean you should let your guard down.」

The moment I spotted them, a window appeared before my eyes.

The Goblins crawled along the sewer walls and ceiling as they approached.

Even when I played on a PC, I had thought they looked rather disgusting.

Being in VR didn’t make them any less creepy.

“You filthy Demon bastards…”

Regardless, a true Roleplayer had to remain faithful to their Character Concept even when dealing with monsters.

I instantly immersed myself in the role and frowned.

Then, gripping the Longsword’s hilt tightly, I charged forward.

When I placed one Goblin among the many at the center of my vision, a red target marker appeared over its body.

Arms.

Legs.

Torso.

Head.

The part I aimed for was its torso.

「Body Parts and Strikes | All enemies have individual body parts, and the damage received differs depending on the body part struck. Some enemies have varying levels of resistance depending on the body part, meaning you may need to avoid attacking certain areas.

If enough damage is accumulated on a single body part, you can perform 《Part Destruction》.

Find and attack effective body parts.」

A brief system explanation appeared.

The game didn’t stop time for me to read it, so there was no time to study it carefully.

Still, my gaming experience hadn’t gone anywhere. A quick glance was enough for me to understand everything, so I didn’t really need the explanation anyway.

Slice!

The window disappeared at the same time as the blade split the Goblin’s torso in half.

I had thought the same thing when killing the rats, but the remake had apparently raised the level of gore higher than I expected.

At the same time, I also felt that the difficulty was rather low.

It was only a tutorial, but destroying a body part in a single hit?

I tried reassuring myself that it was simply because they were trash mobs, but an uneasy feeling remained.

I didn’t want the game to be too difficult, but if it was too easy, that wouldn’t be fun either.

“Die, all of you. You pieces of trash.”

Regardless, while my mind remained calm and analytical, my face and mouth expressed nothing but contempt.

It wasn’t particularly difficult.

If you wanted to roleplay properly, this much was the bare minimum.

Slash!

For my second attack, I pierced the head of a Goblin that had leaped down from the ceiling.

I kicked its body with my foot and pulled the sword free.

Now, all that remained was the last Goblin.

I avoided the creature as it sprang from the wall with a single step, then stabbed its body the moment it landed on the ground.

After piercing its spine, I stepped on its body and stabbed it again.

Since the game didn’t display HP bars for the sake of realism or whatever, I delivered an additional strike just in case.

The Goblin, which had been twitching and writhing, finally collapsed onto the ground.

「LEVEL UP!」

Good.

I hadn’t lost my touch.

Considering that I had stopped playing games for a while to finish my work, I’d say this was a pretty respectable performance.

I shook the blood from my sword and kicked the bodies out of the way.

The level-up window had blocked my vision, but the excitement quickly faded.

“Skill window.”

Whether it was the original or the remake, Legend of Heroes automatically increased your stats whenever you leveled up.

There was no need to worry about stat allocation.

The only thing I needed to check was my skills.

“Attack, Defense, Lifestyle…”

Maybe because it originated as an Online game, there were an enormous number of skills.

I didn’t know what the maximum level was, but learning every skill looked like it would be a hell of a task.

「Close-Quarters Combat | The basic foundation of a warrior. Allows the user to respond to enemy attacks with a certain probability.

Effect: Combat Assistance」

After thinking for a moment, I prioritized defensive skills.

Partly because all the attack skills were active abilities, and partly because, for now, even a single normal attack was enough to kill enemies.

More importantly, this wasn’t a game where flashy skills were the main focus.

The emphasis was placed more heavily on basic movement.

At least, that was what the company had announced.

That meant a defensive skill that could be useful both now and later was the better choice.

After distributing my skill points appropriately, I turned toward the path ahead.

A fork in the road had appeared—something I hadn’t noticed while fighting the Goblins.

I rummaged through my things and pulled out the map.

Since I had been wielding the sword with my left hand, I naturally used my right hand to take it out.

My hand, covered in a steel gauntlet, awkwardly held the paper.

The left path was blocked, while the right path was the normal route.

I quickly made my decision.

In situations like this, you always go left!

Who knows what kind of items might be hidden there? No way was I going to continue the main route first!

Even if I died, I was going to loot every single item before moving on!