The Ash-Colored World

Isn’t this a bit too much?

Even if they were weak monsters, these were supposed to be collaboration event monsters.

Most of the items were for extremely low levels, providing only about a thirty-point correction to health and mana.

I do not know how it is lately, but I feel like even the tutorial would give better items than this.

Should I have used weaker magic?

Since levels were not displayed above the monsters’ heads, they might have been even lower-level than I expected.

I felt a sense of lingering discomfort, but I swept the items into my inventory anyway.

If I sell them at a shop, I can get at least a little bit of money, and once the event ends… the price might rise if more people want to use these non-existent visual gears as fashion items in The Hunters.

“But still, I think this is really severe.”

I wonder what beginners would think if they saw these options after struggling to catch them.

I habitually cursed the game company’s thoughtless design and moved my steps toward the east again.

…Just how far does this forest map go?

I felt bored by this forest that had shown only the same scenery for an hour, and I politely raised my middle finger toward the game company that created this situation where I could not log out, before lowering it.

Since I cannot log out anyway, at least let me enter a village quickly!

I have to enter a village so I can at least ask where Azrael is!

It had been a long time since I played alone without chatting with others while doing such a simple quest, so it was quite tedious.

“Ah… I want to go to a village or something quickly and see Azrael.”

Whether I had dropped into the middle of a truly massive forest map, the scenery showed no sign of changing.

I eventually gave up on walking and changed my profession to a Summoner.

I do not particularly prefer moving while riding a summon because it consumes a lot of mana, but for now, I thought it would be better to move quickly regardless of mana.

As I summoned a unicorn, the form closest to a horse, and climbed on, the movement became a little faster.

My legs also felt a bit more comfortable.

-Prrrr….

The unicorn made a sound as if it had many complaints, but anyway, it nodded at my request to walk straight ahead because I wanted to find a village.

Regardless of the riding comfort, the unicorn was truly fast.

Excluding the times I lost while encountering a few trivial mobs, it broke through a distance that would have taken me twenty minutes to walk in just five minutes.

-Heeeee-ing!

As soon as the unicorn arrived on a cliff where traces of a village could be seen, it dropped me from its back and disappeared with a pring! sound.

“Hey, hey!”

Having rolled on the ground after being dropped suddenly, I swung my fist in the air and let out a hollow laugh in disbelief.

No, really, why are the personalities of all my summons like this.

By the time I arrived, my mana had been cut in half.

I always think this, but it really eats up mana terrifyingly….

To think it would be consumed to this extent even though I, at max level, am wearing items with the best options at this point.

For a game without a proper mount, it was truly trash-like efficiency.

Anyway…….

I had a suspicion, but as expected, the village was also close to the graphics of Knights of Dark Ages.

I looked down at my outfit and rubbed my forehead.

If I go down like this, won’t I stand out quite a bit in the village?

Is it okay to go down as I am?

The NPCs of Knights of Dark Ages show a negative reaction, or rather… a realistic reaction suitable for that era, when they see loud and striking outfits that do not fit the background.

I had not played the game much, but it was a point I had confirmed several times through beginner guides.

And I was currently wearing a pure white, long, and flashy robe.

My robe was indeed a fantasy-style robe with a hood and long sleeves, but it was made of a glossy material like silk and had a long, trailing hem.

Because of that, it was a voluminous and expensive garment that female character users often enjoyed as a wedding dress look.

Since it was not a ridiculous outfit that would cause unpleasantness to others, would it be okay?

Or would simpler and less noticeable clothes be better?

It was during the time when I, a fashion-obsessed player, was wasting time on meaningless worries.

-Boom!

With a large explosion sound, a hole was blown through one part of the castle wall surrounding the village.

The bridge over the moat was hurriedly raised, and a warning sound like a loud flute echoed to signal an emergency.

“What….”

“Tear down the castle walls!”

“Follow the orders!”

“We must not hand over this castle!”

“Concentrate the attack on the breach!”

War.

The appearance of the content I hate most.

In an instant, the castle wall collapsed with a rumbling sound.

Fires started everywhere in the village, and thick smoke rose.

I could neither do this nor that and just stood tall, watching that sight.

A red-colored crest was engraved on the armor of the soldiers invading the village.

I do not remember which country’s crest it was.

They might be users, not NPCs.

Once the bridge fell over the moat, the village was invaded in an instant.

People who tried to flee, people who tried to hide in their houses, and people who were in confusion without doing either were killed by the soldiers in an instant.

The soldiers searched through all kinds of buildings and scraped together food and anything that could be money.

A large number of crystals were piled in the middle of a wide flat land in the center of the village, presumed to be a square.

The commander who led the soldiers skillfully managed them for a short period, checked if any survivors remained, and then retreated the soldiers as he decided there was nothing more to be gained.

Only ash and smoke remained.

Nausea surged up.

I only began to descend the cliff slowly after confirming with my own eyes that the soldiers had disappeared beyond the horizon.

Since there is a village here, it would be correct to head in this direction to enter the village anyway.

Slowly, slowly.

As I staggered across the bridge over the moat and entered the village, the scenery I saw was a truly disastrous sight that I could not bear to look at with my eyes open.

Since it was inside a game, all the corpses had disappeared, but only the bloodstains remained as if to imply there had been a war.

I walked endlessly through the ruins looking for a general store.

There must be a map.

It would be the end if I met an army like that while walking alone.

The first general store I found was either because it was in a noticeable spot on the main street, or there was nothing left properly.

Even the door was smashed, so the sound of glass fragments being stepped on under my feet rang out.

A stuffed teddy bear for a child with its cotton spilling out, lying on the floor, caught my eye.

I placed it nicely on top of a display cabinet and left that place to move my steps to find another general store.

The second general store I found had a better building condition than the previous one.

However, as soon as I opened the door, I found a pool of blood and quietly closed the door.

It did not seem like there would be any usable items at all.

The third general store I found was in a corner of an alley that was not even noticeable.

I opened the door of the least damaged building and entered without even noticing it was a general store.

What are the odds that a building I entered just to avoid the bloodstains scattered all over the streets and to sit and rest for a bit would happen to be a general store.

With a churning stomach, I sat down as if being buried in a small sofa that must have been for sale.

It is too much, it is excessive.

What game company would bring this much of someone else’s game just to hold a collaboration event?

Besides, The Hunters is a game for ages fifteen and up.

If they were going to bring a nineteen-plus game as it is like this, at least the quest should be voluntary participation, shouldn’t it?

I poured out complaints without even knowing whom I was speaking to.

Logging out was still impossible even now.

[You cannot log out during a quest event.]

[You cannot log out during a quest event.]

[You cannot log out during a quest event.]

…….

As I repeatedly hammered the logout command irritably, system messages filled the space before my eyes.

This is garbage.

I spread both hands and covered my eyes.

I wonder how much volume this f*cking quest has.

The quest did not even seem to have started, and therefore, I could not even get a sense of the volume.

I crave something sweet.

I took out a warm hot chocolate from my inventory.

The hot chocolate, with steam rising as if it had just been brewed, had a way of calming the mind just by its scent.

After taking a moment of rest, I placed the empty cup on the table and searched the inside of the general store.

Since it was a general store that also sold fairly valuable items, I might be lucky enough to find a map.

The first thing I found was a broken crystal fragment.

I tried to ignore it and searched the shelf where parchment scraps were located.

Potato soup recipe, chocolate fudge cake recipe, cabbage stew recipe….

It seems this is not the place.

I indifferently swept the recipes into my inventory and searched the next shelf.

Bear hide refining method, deer antler management method….

Not this either.

Shell game skill lecture book.

Not this either….