On the continent of Timbrica, there existed only beings that resembled humans. We were of the Scarred race. This revelation from Muno was truly shocking.
Beyond them, there were other beings on the continent with whom communication was possible, yet they too were not human. It seemed that these human-like beings, including Muno’s kind, had been forsaken by the goddess. The goddess mentioned here should be Earle, the “Goddess of Light and Order” who was believed to have created humanity. If that were the case, why were they forsaken?
“I would like to learn more if it’s alright to ask?”
“It’s fine. Instead, if you come across food like today, I’d like you to share it with us. Hunting monsters is a task for the men, but there’s not always enough to go around for everyone.”
“Of course. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you see it, we have someone who can’t settle down unless he’s in battle. I believe he can provide a steady supply of meat.”
The one who couldn’t rest without fighting was, of course, Jigoro. I had witnessed it for the first time today, but he apparently consumed the flesh of the monsters he killed raw as a regular practice. His ability to do so without issue was thanks to a skill he had possessed from the time he was a goblin, known as [Robust Digestion].
Jigoro had even mentioned that during battles, he would sometimes bite into his enemies and tear them apart. Once he discovered that this replenished his satiety, he began to actively bite to death those foes for whom he didn’t need high-quality materials. He had completely transcended the realm of being a mere player; he was now akin to a wild, ferocious beast.
“That’s terrifying. You’re talking about the man with the red horns, right?”
“That’s correct, but… how did you know?”
“Heeheehee. Oh, it’s simple. You see, having lived for so long has granted me the ability to sense a person’s ‘Karma’.”
I had seen discussions about “Karma” on forums before. It’s a concept well-known to any NPC priest, indicating whether a player’s actions lean more toward good or evil. Performing good deeds tilts one’s Karma towards “good” while committing evil acts tips it towards “evil”. If one’s actions are balanced between good and evil, their Karma remains “Neutral”.
Humans can easily sway towards good or evil but they can also readily return to neutral or shift to the opposite end of the Karma spectrum. For instance, after a series of misdeeds, one could follow certain steps and perform good deeds to shift their Karma towards good.
Monsters typically start their karma on the evil side and tend to gravitate toward evil more easily. Shifting it to good or neutral requires a relentless pursuit of good deeds, essentially committing to the gameplay of a truly benevolent monster.
The concept of “Karma” was closely tied to how NPCs of the general human populace perceived you. The more good one’s Karma was, the more likable they became, while evil Karma led to increased wariness. Rewards for quests could increase, and certain areas accessible only to those of good Karma could be entered.
It wasn’t necessarily disadvantageous to have neutral or even evil Karma, as there were events, quests, and Jobs that required such a status. It was better to think of it as improving one’s standing with the general public.
Despite its intricate ties to various elements, high-ranking NPC priests could not quantify Karma into specific numbers. Only a select few NPCs were said to have the ability to discern subtle differences. Muno was likely among these rare individuals.
“Your Karma leans towards evil, but it’s unusually close to neutral for a monster. You don’t seem like a dangerous individual who’s killed everyone they’ve met. Have you been doing some good deeds too?”
“Good deeds… Now that you mention it, I suppose I have been involved in some…”
I massacred players and killed NPC knights during war events. However, I seemed to have also lent a hand in resolving troublesome matters wherever I went. This might be what was balancing my Karma toward neutral.
This could be problematic for someone aspiring to be a villain…! I acted as I wished, but at this rate, I might just end up being seen as a good person.
Hold on a moment. When I visited Saile Village, where Margaret used to live, I was sure the villagers were terrified of me. What does this mean?
“It’s just that, in your case, something peculiar is happening. There’s something other than ‘Karma’ there. Do you have any idea what it might be?”
“Something other than ‘Karma’… Perhaps it’s related to my titles.”
I have titles that have changed three times, from “The Heretic” to “Connoisseur of the Abyss” and then to “Explorer of the Abyss” finally becoming “Reacher of the Abyss”. These titles come with flavor text that suggests they make people fear me, and this must be what’s contributing to something other than “Karma”. I shared this thought with Muno.
“I see. That makes sense. Creatures like us might not care, but pure humans would either tremble at the sight of you or attack you.”
“Is that so?”
“Why do you seem relieved? You’re quite the odd one, aren’t you?”
“I get that a lot. Out of curiosity, who among us has the most skewed ‘Karma’?”
“It’s that floating eyeball. It’s killed a considerable number of humans.”
The floating eyeball Muno refers to is, of course, Mikelo. He mentioned attacking villains outside the city to find out how to get to the Vetuus Floating Island. That must have been when he racked up his “Karma”.
It was quite fitting, in a way, that our sole former human and pure priest had the deepest evil “Karma” among us…As expected of a unique group of monsters. He was usually quiet, but perhaps he was the most dangerous of us all. It seemed wise not to provoke him…
“Well, we are but false humans. Our ‘Karma’ leans towards evil, so it doesn’t really matter to us.”
“False humans… What other kinds of races are there?”
“I’d love to tell you, but… that’s all for today.”
Following Muno’s gaze, I saw Iris and the ladies completing their trade. Both were smiling, which indicated that the exchange had been beneficial.
“I’m getting on in years, so I can’t come by every time. But when I do visit next, I’ll tell you all about it. In exchange…”
“Of course, I’ll make sure to provide something of equal value for the information.”
“Heeheehee! You understand things quickly!”
Muno and I firmly shook hands before parting ways. Our meeting marked the beginning of a major trade. We would trade goods essential for their livelihoods in exchange for unique crafts and information about this continent that only they could provide. This trade was the start of a genuine interaction between us!
◆◇◆◇◆◇
――――――――――
Race level increased. Gained 1 SP.
Job level increased. Gained 1 SP.
The level of [Tail Strike] skill has increased.
Newly learned the martial technique “Tail Wall” of [Tail Strike].
The level of [Health Recovery Rate Increase] skill has increased.
The level of [Magic Power Recovery Rate Increase] skill has increased.
The level of [Flame Magic] skill has increased.
Newly learned “Burnout” spell.
[Flame Magic] has reached its growth limit. SP is required to break the limit.
The level of [Curse] skill has increased.
Newly learned “Severe Affliction” spell.
The race level of your familiar has increased.
The job level of your familiar has increased.
――――――――――
For about a week after that, we camped near the river mouth and worked hard to raise our level and collect materials while interacting with the people of the Nadeus tribe. All our equipment updates were completed, and it was definitely a fulfilling week.
During the same time, we had several conversations with Muno and thus were able to acquire as much information as they knew. Regarding the Nadeus tribe, they are a nomadic tribe that spends a year traveling around the edges of the “Ashfall Hills”, a grassland field adjacent to the river mouth where we are now.
They slept in a prefabricated house that resembled a Mongolian yurt, alongside their livestock which were called the Quartet Horned Cows; these were gentle cows that provided wool for textiles and milk for food. They also had rhinoceroses with a horse-like silhouette called hippoceras as cavalry animals. They traveled in search of grazing land for their cattle and bartered with other humanoid races in the area to supplement their needs.
There were other Scarred besides the Nadeus tribe and they had small settlements in various locations and lived sedentarily. The Nadeus tribe was a respected tribe among the Scarred for connecting these settlements and they held a revered position. Muno spoke with evident pride about this.
As for the humanoids they traded with, there were three other races besides the Scarred. These races were similar to the Elves, the Dwarves, and the Beastmen.
Corresponding to the Elves were the Dark Elves. They are a race commonly featured in fantasy stories, and just as I had imagined, they were characterized by their dark skin and long ears.
They lived quietly in a forest to the west that was overrun by monsters, and whenever the Nadeus tribe passed near their woods, they would obtain medicinal herbs and other medicines from them. They were described as cheerful and friendly, with a childlike curiosity. It was said that if we were to visit, we would surely be welcomed.
However, we were taught that they were strong enough to survive in the forest and should not be angered, as they would rally their entire tribe to attack.
And corresponding to the Dwarves were the Metallica. Their entire bodies were metallic and smooth, and they stood less than a meter tall, looking like three-headed dolls.
They lacked eyes, noses, and mouths, but were equipped with all five senses. They were known to be incredibly taciturn and communication with them was extremely difficult even for members of the Nadeus tribe.
They lived in the steep mountains to the north, where they carved out caves for their homes. They rarely descended from the mountains, so it was considered fortunate by the Nadeus tribe to encounter them even once in a few years. While they were not evil, communication difficulties made trading impossible.
Corresponding to the beastmen were the Centaurs. However, unlike the traditional image of a human upper body with a horse’s lower half, these Centaurs had the upper body of a beastman and the lower body of the same type of beast. For example, if the upper body was that of a tiger beastman, the lower half would also be that of a tiger.
Interestingly, the ability to bear offspring was not limited to pairs of the same beast, nor did the offspring necessarily inherit the species of either parent. Thus, it wouldn’t be unusual for the child of a deer Centaur father and a horse Centaur mother to be a lion Centaur. It was a strange ecology indeed.
They lived in family units scattered across the “Ashfall Hills” and it seemed they often encountered others while roaming the hills. They cherished their freedom and family and valued strength at the same time. Perhaps instigating a fistfight with Jigoro would spontaneously foster a friendship?
“It was a short time, but I am grateful for your help.”
“No worries. It’s about time for us to move to another place anyway.”
And so, today we decided to set out from the river mouth. There were no new materials around anymore, and the ease with which we could level up had stabilized. It was time to move on from the riverbank.
“But she ended up crying after all.”
“Yes. I believe Eiji is comforting her even now.”
It was difficult for young Alvy to say goodbye to Eiji, to whom she had become very close. She burst into tears and started sobbing loudly. Eiji and her sister Sayla tried their best to calm her down, but it seemed that it would take some time before she calmed down.
“That girl is lonely. She doesn’t want to be separated from those she’s grown fond of.”
“Is that so? However, it’s regrettable that we never got a chance to meet with the chief.”
“Well, that can’t be helped. After that meat incident, just bringing up your names would sour his mood.”
The “meat incident” began when the chief son took some meat from Alvy. He then presented the stolen meat to his parents as if he and his friends had hunted it down themselves. Going out to hunt on their own was dangerous, but the chief and his wife were pleased, thinking their son had become capable enough to bring back game. They boasted about their son’s growth throughout the village.
However, that turned out to be a mistake. It was later discovered that the meat we had served and the meat the chief’s son had brought home were one and the same. Given the meat’s exquisite taste, which even members of the Nadeus tribe had praised, this revelation was inevitable. When confronted, the son confessed to his wrongdoing.
This incident led the chief not to reprimand his son but to resent us for embarrassing him. This was beyond mere parental folly, you know? I felt sorry for those who bore the brunt of his anger. As a result, we were not just denied conversation with the chief but even the opportunity to see him face-to-face.
“Though he loves his only son, he really needs to be more reasonable. If he continues to indulge him like this, someone else will have to be considered for the next chief.”
“Grandma! Is Grandma here?”
Just as Muno casually made a remark that could potentially alter their future, a Nadeus tribe warrior came running towards us in a panic. Was there some trouble?
“Don’t disgrace yourself; it’s unseemly. You have something to say? Say it quickly.”
“Yo-Young master Kilde has gone missing!”
Upon hearing the warrior’s report, Muno dropped the staff she was holding.
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