VRMMORPG [Brink]: For The Money

Without knowing the way to the farm I can only ask the pedestrian to show me. After asking more than seven people luckily the eight-person knows the way and got business with old Bar it means that I get a free ride to the destination.

Free rides! I shouted instantly in my mind. I guess eight is my lucky number now.

"Can you give me a hand young man?" with his request I help him lifting a long wooden crate. It's a simple crate made of wood entirely without any decoration on it, probably because it's purpose simply to transport the items inside.

"Thank you. Get in, even with this old wagon we still need 40 minutes to get there."

The old man name is Marant and he's a friend of old' Bar, they've been friends since forever he can remember, he said. The chit-chat even goes personal like how his son hasn't visited him for months and the like. It would be a boring journey if I go there alone and the trip actually takes twice the time he estimated before. It wasn't his fault or the buffalos' but the gate-check is such a hassle because there is a lot of traffic.

The gate-check is separated by three different lines, one is for those with the carriage at the left and the right is for those who are on foot and the middle one is for an emergency they said.

"Anyway, we're almost there. You can see that big pine tree at the top of the hill there, right? At the other side of that hill is old' Bar farm, he lives there with his wife and daughter. Are you married? If not I can match you with her. And his farm is one of the tops for supplying vegetables and meat for us." His grin while trying to hook me with his friend daughter really is something.

Passing the green hill, I saw a farm fence with an open gate. The fence is stretched out as far as I can see.

What a huge place.

Reaching a two-story house Marant give a shout to announce his arrival for people inside. Waiting for few minutes and no responded he shook the mounted bell in the wall beside the door. A grey dog then shows up and open the door, from the looks of it the door has a double-action hinge that can swing inward and outward.

"Let's follow the wolf inside he will lead us to old' Bar." looking at my confused face Marant told me "He may look like a dog now but he is a silverback wolf. Did you see that streamline silver hair there, it was the source of their name. He may look small right now because he wasn't in battle."

Getting more confused, what can I do other than shrugged it off. Putting the curiosity at the back of my head. After following the wolf around the house we arrive at another door and outside is a man leaning at the pillar in a mushroom hut while getting a massage from a cat at his back. That's new.

"Oy d.i.c.khead stop ordering your cat to do that. It's not like it would help in any kind of way. Anyway, your packet has arrived it's on the carriage."

"What is it bastard? It's none of your business! And I pay her with a 2kg Delux fish. You know how pricey that fish right? A kg of that and I need to sell 4 to 5 of my chicken to cover the price."

They yelled to each other even though their distance wasn't that far. Marant personality had this amiable feeling and didn't really strike me like... I guess when you are close enough you can just drop all politeness.

"Really it's done? Exactly as I request it right? Thanks and who is this child?"

"Of course! Who do you think I am??

"Hello! I'm Vain I'm here to ask you 10 chicken for mister Ax." trying to be as polite as possible I answer his question.

"Ax the titan? Okay, then its 200 gold for ten." I shook my head and said my piece.

"What? You don't have any money you said! Damn! From what I see you were not from the kitchen, so high chance you were new blood. Fine! Wait! Did you have any proof to show that you really got send by that titan? What you don't? Well, I don't know if you were lying or not but my back hurts now so how about you help me kill 30 chicken and I'll give you those ten that you ask before? You know what? You were pretty lucky that it's almost sunset those chicken can't see well at that time and you need to hurry though if night has come they will gather together and it would be hard to pick them one by one lest you get attack by the herds and it won't end well for you trust me."

『You received the quest "30 for 10". Quest: kill 30 chicken. Reward: 10 chicken.』

"Why would you want to give me 10 of these bird for killing 30 for you? I mean it won't cover the cost right?" well whatever its all for the quest.

I'm not really looking around when I arrive in the hut before but seeing Old' Bar pointing his finger at one of those so call chickens with a two-meter height struck me dumb. That's no longer a chicken but an ostrich. Without any choice, I grip my only weapon on my left hand and start walking to the lone chicken in the field. Reaching 15-meter area before the chicken I start slowing down and move step by step carefully so that I may not alert the bird.

Five meters and the chicken stood up and get away from me. My first try is failed but my second one is worse than before it's accurately get away before I reach 10 meters. The sky dyed orange and I still didn't yet land a hit on that big cautious chicken.

"Awoo~" hearing the howling of a wolf I see a chance. Running and leaping to the stiff chicken I slash at its neck with my dagger but the weapon didn't do any serious damage that I can see, not even a drop of blood. Instinctively moving my body to the right, a beak stab towards my previous position. After my lucky attempt of avoiding the beak attack I still got blown away by its kick even though I can see it coming to me, my body can't respond to it.

『You've been killed!』

『Rebirth has been cast on you! Revive in 10 seconds.』

『You've been successfully revived!』

『-10% stats penalty applied.』

Waking up I see the sky and 2 old men talking below the hut looking at me. When I tried to get up it felt like my body is a bit sluggish. Is this the result of the penalty?

"Hahaha! Ouch! My back! You know kid, that one hit was good but not good enough. See the result of that? You get killed because you don't kill your enemy in a single strike. An assassin must always kill their opponent in a single strike. If they don't, they die, like you. If you want to make sure to make your enemy get killed, hit their weakest vital spot. You did hit the weak spot but there is another weaker spot there don't you think? Now try again. Mart how many times can you cast that spell?" with only his face that looks serious giving me all that advises but his body still leaning on the pillar. I don't know what expression I should make.

"5 times, eight is the limit and his body probably can only take 3 more times before breakdown happens."

Standing and looking at the dagger I holding on, I continue to silently listen to their talks.

At the edge of my vision, I see a pack of wolves pulling some kind of a long cart and it's getting closer. Not even 5 minutes pass and the cart is already close enough for me to take the detail on. It's not a cart but a sled that float a meter from the ground. The leading wolf is a black one with silver fur on its spine the other wolves are grey still they all have silver fur on their spine.

"Hmm... new face?" looking at me the lady then ask old Bar with her chin while releasing the rope on her wolves. The lady is quite a beauty with her long emerald green hair she is pretty stunning. The wolves become smaller after their rope had been removed. The leader size is reduced from a 4-meter wolf into a one and a half meter wolf while the other ten shrinks into the size of a normal dog.

"Yup, a trainee. So I'm giving him some tips to become a great assassin like me."

"Okay then, I'll prepare dinner for us. You'll be staying for the night right Mart?"

Nodding, Mart confirming Betty's question then look at me for a second and said "she's Betty, Bars' wife. I know she is too good for him right? I think of that as well. I even told her she needs to think thrice before agreed to marry him but, meh…"

"Dafuq! Your wife is too good for you as well. She deserves a handsome man to accompany her life."

Leaving the barking old fellow I began inching toward my target once again but this time aiming at its eyes. Slowly I began to get their habits of moving their head instantaneously with no apparent reason. It was the wind when the wind movement change they would move their head into said direction.

Observing is kind of fun.

Gripping my dagger I start my second attempt with a different target. Jumping and targeting its left eye I stab with my whole power I can't muster but it felt like I stab a liquid but hard substance. With my dagger stuck in only a few inches through its eyes, it won't be deadly. Before I finish sorting my thought ominous feeling creep in my c.h.e.s.t and I let my body fall to the ground. "Swoosh." Feet come through my previous place. Rolling and backing off I watch as my target flapping its wing around then dash into the herd.

I can't see me winning against those birds with physical prowess alone.

"Don't you have any skill that you can use?" with question look old Bar asked me, even his cat look baffled. What the heck that cat really looks upon her master. Looking at old Mart kind smile always feels me with nostalgia.

"I have two, but I haven't learned it yet. Okay, I'll learn it now." Opening my inventory and taking out the Impact skill book. The impact book doesn't have any remarkable feature and it's only had ten pages excluding the cover. While the other book had less page than the first one.

〔Impact -- uncommon • skill〕

Gather force in your palm and release it to your target. Dealing 80% damage and a small chance of knockback.

Requirement: action (requires freehand)

Cost: 7 aether

Casting time: 0.3 second

Cooldown: 10 seconds

〔Stealth -- uncommon • skill〕

Enter an invisible state for 10 minutes. You can't be seen visually but the skill will get canceled if you attack or touch someone.

Requirement: none

Restriction: Rogue base job

Cost: 15 aether and 3 stamina

Casting time: instant-cast

Cooldown: 360 seconds

『Skill successfully learned! Impact level 1』

『Skill successfully learned! Stealth level 1』

Learning the two skill I somehow felt my chance to kill my target is increased.

Activing Stealth I creep slowly to the one at farthest from the herd. Maybe because it's getting darker the chicken start to take its sleeping position. I hold my dagger in my left hand with reverse position and prepare the Impact skill on my right hand. Waiting for few seconds holding my breath I readied my mind once more and attack. This time I still attack its eyes but after that, I boost it with Impact. When I tried to get away I still get struck by its kick and get insta-kill again.

Again I get revive by old Mart and ten percent status penalty as well. I'm glad it doesn't stack all the way thru but the recovery time got three times longer than before.

"Go, kill it. Don't look at me like that just pull your knife out of its eyes or something to kill it faster." He motions me to go fight the dying bird which trashing around from pain.

"Easy for you to say that sir. I got killed by their leg twice you know."

『Congratulations, you've slain 'Blue Feather Chicken Beast'. Received 350 EP.』

『Congratulations, you've unlocked the achievement. Received 100 EP.』

『Congratulations, you've achieved 'One Pool for the Impossible' (Epic). Received 1000 EP and rare talent Aether Regeneration.』

『Congratulations, you've unlocked and achieved 'First Blood' (uncommon). Received 100 EP and common skill Swift Step.』

『Level up!』

『Level up!』

『Level up!』

With this level-up notification now I'm level 4 and 127 EP to go to level 5. I get 9 free attributes after three level-up and put 5 into agility, 2 strength, 1 vitality, and 1 force.

〔Swift Step -- common • skill〕

Increase your speed by 50% for 3 seconds.

Requirement: action

Cost: 5 stamina

Casting time: instant-cast

Cooldown: 20 minutes

〔Aether Regeneration-- rare • talent〕

Increase aether recovery rate by 25% and +10 Force.

With this, I may be able to kill another one without getting killed but my dagger durability was reduced by three after my stun before. And this is my only weapon. Ugh~ problem after problem comes up.

"Umm… may I ask if I can borrow a weapon, please? I probably broke my weapon after 4 more attempts."

"Is that so? Well go to the kitchen and ask Betty for a dagger or some sort."

Following the way pointed by Bar I found a detached house probably used as a kitchen. Looking inside I found Betty with a ladle while stirring some kind of soup.

"Excuse me, may I borrow a dagger, please? My dagger probably won't hold until I finish the job."

"Of course. What kind of dagger did u usually use? My husband has lots of variety for weapons."

"Well, I don't have many moves I can use. Considering I can hardly damage the chicken. I can only kill it through the eye and that move put a strain on my weapon."

"Really? Can you show me? Maybe I can recommend a good suitable weapon for you."

Showing her the move that I did before to kill the chicken she recommended me to use a 12cm stiletto with a round big hilt to reduce the damage of the weapon. Thanking her I go back to where the 2 old man was and I see them drinking alcohol. It wasn't there before and the box we were carrying before on the wagon somehow arrived here.

Going to my hunting place I can't see the corpse of my previous victim. I ask the two old man about what happen and they told me that Bar's daughter came and take the chicken away. Nodding I look at the attributes of stiletto that I borrow from Betty's.

Stiletto (uncommon)

Category: weapon (one-handed)

Requirement: 6 strength

Damage: 10 - 30

Durability: 41 / 42

Options: 20% piercing damage and +2 agility

(PS: it break easily so make sure you don't parry with it.)

Somehow I got a weapon 3 times stronger than I previously used, it even has the option on it. This is why rich people always get ahead, far ahead than us poor people. Sighing I remember my old dirt, wondering when I will get my sweet revenge and before that happen I need to make some money from this life.