CLA.S.S NEUTRAL: Stranger Is Coming

Zoongar's Swords. Quest completion. Tanner. Number of strangers in the village: 3/20

What brats! They didn't want to complete boring tasks because there was no guarantee that they would receive an interesting quest as a reward and so most of them left the village. Two hours later, three players, led by the elf, returned. It was obvious that they were incredibly tired, both physically and mentally. This was not surprising—they performed all the standard quests intended for many players.

"We've completed all the quests, look!" The elf handed me a note with Gromvald's signature; he confirmed that the strangers worked hard and helped everybody in the village.

"Well…now." I smiled, trying to calm them down and said, "I'll get the Strength due to your three friends, but I need a very unusual weapon to defeat the wizard."

"However, I warn you in advance, it will be extremely difficult to carry out my instructions. It is certainly beyond your power, but I have no other quests, so think carefully if you need it."

"Yes, we do!" the elf and two pretty elven girls answered; the first female elf had the same blonde hair as her leader; the second female elf had ash-grey hair.

"Well, then, listen." I was glad that there were people who weren't afraid of difficulties and who weren't rude. "You need to get any of the Great Zoongar's swords.

He is a god-protecting swordsmen. The god who protects all warriors using blades. I don't know how to find or contact him. So, read this." I handed the players a sheet of parchment with the quests.

I was sure that they would leave me and get out of the village because I didn't know what to offer them. So I wrote the following:

Quest 'Zoongar's Swords'

Description: The god-protecting swordsmen, hid somewhere in Rainea. Only a true master can find him

Zoongar will award him or her with one of his blades

Help Nameless to find a sword for fighting with the wizard

Nameless isn't a swordsman, so Zoongar will pay no attention to him

Terms: get a blade from Zoongar due to your skills and give it to Nameless

Reward: +5 levels, +50 to the Reputation with Nameless, +100 to the Reputation with Zoongar, the artifact for Nameless

Quest class: hidden, unique

Note: It is possible to obtain an additional quest

"E-e-e…" the elf was bewildered. I couldn't tell if he was surprised or confused.

"Wow!" the girls exclaimed. They were obviously surprised and pleased.

"Do you agree?" I was quite sure that they would refuse and only asked out of curiosity.

"Yes!" the trio replied in unison and caught me by surprise. I was even a little ashamed.

Three players won't be able to complete this quest as well as the previous one. Zoongar never existed as well as the wizard, the dynasty, and even the sister. I didn't have a sister either in real life or in the game universe.

"We are so happy!" The male elf jumped joyfully.

"We'll become masters of the sword and get the divine weapons!"

Even if they obtained a divine weapon, they wouldn't give it to someone else in exchange for an unknown artifact. I would have done the same myself, so I didn't judge them.

"Well, hit the road, strangers! I am counting on you." I smiled, seeing them off.

A short while later, a message emerged.

Number of Strangers in the village: 0/20

Quest 'Annoying Strangers' is completed!

Strangers left the village;

Village of Oblivion is peaceful again.

Tell Chief Gromwald about the completion of the quest and get the reward

"Oh, thank you, Stranger." Gromwald was in a great mood. "Our village is peaceful again."

Compared to the noise produced by twenty players, the village was quite silent now. The residents smiled at me and waved their hands when they passed by.

The chief gave me a pretty big backpack.

"You've completed the quest quickly, so here's another gift." Gromwald put five silver coins on my palm. It was a fortune for the locals.

"Do not be surprised, our peace is worth much more. We rarely use money in the village; we usually just change one item to another while trading."

"By the way, Chief, where can I sell these skins, claws, and teeth?" I asked.

"May I have a look at your skins?" Gromwald touched the fur affected with emanations, stretched it several times, nodded to himself, and then returned them back to me.

"Good skins. Our tanner will give a lot for them."

"I have to warn you that they belonged to the Hellish Abyss's creatures, so they may bring harm to their owner." I decided to warn him because my reputation was more valuable than money.

"That makes a difference." The chief grinned. "No matter how much Prax offers you, ask for twice as much. The clothes of these skins are three or four times stronger than usual. It doesn't wear out under any circ.u.mstances. I think you will deal with him. You can also show your ingredients to Narylna, our herbalist. She might take an interest in your stuff. I'm not an expert in it. By the way, it was Prax who made the clothes in your backpack, you can appreciate his skill."

"Thank you, Gromwald. I'll follow your advice." I thanked the chief and went away.

***

The tanner lived on the outskirts of the village and looked inconspicuous, like an ordinary peasant with fair hair and a simple face, wearing a new hat.

However, this guy had an orc's physique. He was over eight feet tall, and he was resting on his bench against the wall of his house after a hard day's work.

Obviously, he was a very good leatherworker: his clothes were splendid.

"Hey, master!"

"What do you want, Stranger?" Prax asked, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Do you want to buy clothes?"

"I'd like to sell these."

"Let me see." Prax touched the skins, then sniffed them (I thought he wanted to eat them), and then said, "Five silver coins."

"Gromwald offered twenty coins." I decided to bargain a little. "It's the only price. I got them with great difficulty."

"Ten silver coins."

"Those damn rabbits almost ate me. Forty coins."

"Hares," the tanner corrected me and added, "Twenty coins."

"While I was bringing these skins here, I almost drowned in the river, and the poisonous flowers struck me with a terrible poison. This forest is inhabited by various monsters who tried to devour me. Fifty coins."

"You're going to rob me right now! Twenty-five coins is my last price."

"There are several villages in the neighborhood."

"It'll take you at least three days to get to them."

"I can agree to your price, if you do me a few favors later. I'll bring you more skins for that."

"The offer is very tempting... so, you have a deal!"

"Deal." I smiled. "Twenty-seven silver coins and fifty copper coins."

"Oh! You are such a phony!" Prax banged on the bench and handed me a stack of coins; I gave him the skins.

Skill 'Trade' is obtained

Description: To sell and make a profit you need to have a talent for merchant business

If you have such a talent, you just have to improve your skill and become the ric.h.e.s.t man among all strangers

Remember, even one copper coin might help you get an income of a hundred or a thousand gold coins

Skill Class: normal

Skill level: 1

Trading for every copper coin was very interesting, though I took the copper coins just to look at them. I wonder what the gold coins look like. I need to get a couple of them.

The master then also briefly showed me how to sew and make leather clothes. It could be useful to me in the future, and skills were never useless. I said good-bye to Prax and assured him that I'd bring him more skins if I didn't die on the way. He threatened me with his fist and told me to return even if I turned into a ghost.

The clothes from these skins could bring a big profit. Its price would be two times more than Prax paid me. He didn't bargain too hard. I could have even asked for fifty coins. But I didn't want to think about it. I was now the owner of some silver coins. If I can find another sixty coins, my amount will be equivalent to one gold coin. However, I must hurry to the herbalist. I really want to meet her.