The Price of Generosity

“Is it because it’s black? That can’t be helped. To craft something of that caliber, you’d need at least Grade 3 leather, and that’s all I had on hand.”

Dragon hide is too heavy, and while troll hide exists, it’s furry, which isn’t quite right for a light armor concept. There were plenty of other options, but they were either too heavy or simply unsuitable.

‘They say people will be green with envy? What’s there for an NPC to be envious about when looking at a player’s item? How ridiculous.’

While its name might suggest a simple black snake, the Black Serpent is actually a named entity, quite renowned. It’s the hidden boss guarding an abandoned temple.

The lore states that this serpent was once a high-ranking deity, forgotten and stripped of its divinity, thus transforming into a monster. The outcome after defeating it varies depending on the player’s choices.

If you purify the temple, it thanks you by giving a crystal orb the size of a human head—said to show the cosmos—and then vanishes, leaving no corpse. This option is rarely chosen. Though the crystal orb is beautiful, it’s rather useless, and there are plenty of similar, more attractive decorations readily available.

If you simply slay it, you can skin the Black Serpent and claim the treasures from the reward chamber. All its other miscellaneous parts are also useful for crafting. First-timers or those who prefer convenience usually choose this.

As a hidden element, you can also discover its true name. If you then craft a nameplate or tombstone with it, the soul expresses gratitude. However, it’s merely words, so no one bothers. Of course, I made one once out of boredom, even carving a small obsidian statue for it.

The final option is to completely corrupt the abandoned temple, transforming it into an altar for an evil god. Its corpse is defiled and subjugated as a summon, its name utterly erased, denying its very existence. Players who know what they’re doing typically choose this path. If converted into an evil god’s altar, the temple becomes owned by you, usable as a home base.

The design is incredibly cool, truly magnificent. However, the summoned serpent is quite useless for its size, only occasionally appearing as a meat shield in boss battles.

As a “Demon Hunter” build, I must maintain a good alignment, so I couldn’t choose that dark option.

“Even so, these are parts from a being that once possessed divinity. Since you are Hamman’s priests, you might not be able to pray to it, but at least call its name once and express your gratitude.”

“Divinity? You mean this is the hide of something that was once a god?”

“A forgotten god, yes. It was forgotten by all and lost its sentience because no one sought it out. In that state, it’s merely a beast. There’s nothing to do but put it down. Oh, its name is ‘Shishido’.”

‘Though it holds no special meaning, if you’re going to wear it often, shouldn’t it at least look cool? While it lacks flashy grandeur, the design is quite well-executed, befitting the leader of a high-tier organization. I did make a few minor adjustments, just in case any issues arose concerning that faction.’

“Sir Haut, I believe we need to speak privately for a moment.”

Faust, after scrutinizing the armor I was holding for a long moment, addressed me. Beside him, Jack, whose hands were trembling, gulped audibly and stared at me.

‘What is it now? What new nonsense are they going to spout?’

“Oh, come on. This is perfectly wearable.”

“That’s not the issue. Sir Haut, you seem to lack a certain sense of reality.”

Hah, unbelievable. Now I’m hearing about “a sense of reality” from a game character. When I gestured with my chin, silently urging him to continue, Faust sighed and went on.

“Our initial meeting was under special circumstances, and given that we are priests, it was acceptable. However, everything you’ve shown us, and everything you’ve given us, has been beyond imagination—truly precious artifacts. Furthermore, you seem to have little understanding of the value of currency. At this rate, something truly terrible could happen to you.”

‘What is this? So, they’re essentially telling me, “Aren’t you too ignorant of the ways of the world?” Is that it? But why are they saying such things to me?’

Unless a quest alert pops up, this shouldn’t be a sign of trouble; it’s just plain dialogue output. Did this game ever have a function to output such lines? Was it not usually limited to asking about the weather or specific lore?

“I don’t quite understand what you’re getting at. Yes, it’s not easily obtainable, and yes, it’s somewhat expensive. But it’s not that incredible, is it? Why all this fuss over some gear?”

“We’re speaking out of genuine concern. While, in crude terms, we could simply ‘accept the handouts,’ we cannot stand by silently knowing it could cause problems later.”

‘They’re being unnecessarily serious. Just how much did they tweak the AI to make it this sophisticated? Devs, is this really okay? Did it pass censorship?’

“You don’t understand how terrifying greed can be,” Faust continued. “I’m telling you this out of genuine worry. Didn’t you see all the people gathered outside the blacksmith’s? They’re all there because they saw that armor being made. It’s an item anyone would covet, and it could bring harm to you!”

“Why worry about such things? I genuinely don’t get it.”

It’s not that there aren’t NPC thieves in the game; there are. However, having previously played as the “Shadow King,” assassins and thieves usually don’t dare touch me. Even if they accidentally encounter me, they apologize and flee—though the bandits on the road, by game lore, don’t know my reputation yet and sometimes attack.

“You two are truly acting strangely. You tremble over mere pocket change and lament over an item that’s just ‘decent’.”

“Of course, we know you are strong. But humans can be endlessly cruel at times. Their greed surpasses even that of demons. We aren’t flattering you simply because you give us these things and treat us well. We are speaking out of genuine concern.”

The character I’m currently playing was created after all the expansion packs were released, meaning he’s been through almost every major organization in the game at least once. This is partly because boss stage restrictions are removed only after hitting max level. In any case, this is the longest I’ve ever played a single character. Yet, I’ve never encountered an event like this before. This is completely new.

“Alright, alright. Well, thanks for the concern. But about that…”

I paused. ‘I’ve heard that if you try to raise affection too quickly, characters can become wary. Is this one of those situations?’

I narrowed my eyes and looked at the two of them. ‘Come to think of it, I did give them something pretty expensive. They’re good-aligned priests, so their moral compass must be high. If they just accepted it greedily like others, it would be a character personality breakdown.’

I gave them a bright smile. ‘Ah, so this was an affection-raising event for these guys.’

Thinking that made me feel good. Indeed, gifts are the best for grinding affection. I’d worried a lot, hearing it was harder to raise their affection than other characters, but it was clearly because I hadn’t spent enough money. They should just spend freely like me. Everyone’s so dramatic, honestly.

Jack, who had been standing there with a dumbfounded expression and an open mouth, suddenly shot up from his seat. His face flushed crimson, and he yelled, veins bulging in his neck.

“No! We were having a really serious conversation just now! What kind of thought process leads to that conclusion?!”

“So, you dislike me?”

“N-no, it’s not that! How long have we even known each other? It’s not enough to—”

“If you disliked me, an event like this wouldn’t even pop up, right? You’d have just quickly run off in your sleep, taking the armor with you.”

“Well, that’s…”

“Sir Haut? With all due respect, how does that equate to this?” Faust was a little slow to regain his composure. He finally interjected, his face utterly bewildered.

‘First-timers in games sometimes tremble over small gifts, thinking they’ve received something incredible, right? They’ll realize it was nothing special once they play the game a bit more.’

“You two are adorable. You’ll realize this is nothing once you get stronger. Seeing you flutter with nerves over something so ‘expensive’ because you don’t know anything yet is just too cute.”

“Why are you smiling like that?! Don’t look at us like we’re little rabbits or puppies!”

“Hmm. Chicks? Baby deer? Whatever it is, you’re cute. Yes, that’s what newbies are like. There were even kids who, after holding a wooden stick, asked if it was really okay to receive a gladius. My apologies. I misunderstood.”

I looked at them with a shimmering gaze.

“It’s been a long time since I felt such ‘lewd’ emotions, so I was a bit confused. Devs, I’m sorry. This was the bigger picture. It was your move to let veterans experience that ‘newbie’ feeling in a world where newbies have died out. I didn’t know that and got mad for no reason, thinking it had become unnecessarily elaborate. My apologies. You are blameless.”

“What on earth was in our conversation that made you feel… lewd?!”

“Why are you so embarrassed? I understand completely. Thank you for your concern. You two are far too kind.”

“You naive fool! You’ll be robbed blind like this! If we weren’t priests, we would’ve become con artists because of you! You forced us to!”

“Still cute. You two want this?”

Then, I rummaged through my inventory and pulled out an item. It was something I had crafted long ago, reserving it for when I might someday meet a newbie.

[ “Sprout Headband” – Head Ornament / Legendary

Defense 0 / Weight 0 / Value 0 / Durability Infinite

Description: A headband crafted in the likeness of a fresh sprout. The sprout is vibrant. Crafted by the finest master.

Additional Effects: Charm +10 / Sparkle Effect / Untarnishable / EXP Gain +30%.

Restriction: This item can only be used by characters who still need to grow. If used by a character who no longer needs to grow, the sprout will snap off! Please be aware. (Usable only by characters Level 20 or below / All functions are lost if the sprout falls off.)

Crafter: ‘I Want to Bang Faust’ ]

“Try putting this on your head. It’ll suit you well.”

“What is this?! This is an ornament for babies!”

“Wearing it will increase your growth rate. It’s a good thing.”

“You wear it! No matter how weak we are, this is too much!”

“I can’t wear it. If someone above a certain level wears it, the sprout falls off. It’s expensive.”

When I forcefully placed it in their hands, they looked down at it with complicated expressions. I smiled contentedly. Both of them glanced at each other, then, as if they had no choice, they equipped the headbands.

Seeing the sprouts fluttering above their heads made them seem even cuter. Though they were both dark-haired men, their good looks meant it wasn’t entirely hideous. Well, it might just be my good mood making it seem that way.

“But… how exactly does wearing this make us grow?”

“If you fight or grind skills with that on, your leveling speed will increase.”

“We don’t understand any of what you’re saying. Skills, levels…”

“Simply put, it means you can get stronger faster.”

Indeed, sprouts are perfect for newbies. Heh heh.