Strategy
After months of conflict, the war finally ended, leaving behind a sense of relief and renewal.
Mika and Airi, eager to leave the battlefield behind, set off toward their next destination using the wind glider they had recently acquired.
The glider, a marvel of engineering and design, allowed them to soar high above the treetops and catch the cool breeze on their faces.
"We can reach Bellatorum in just hours now," Mika said, his eyes fixed on the distant horizon.
[System: "Bellatorum - A country of warriors and knights, Bellatorum is known for its fierce battles and martial prowess. Its cities are fortified and heavily guarded, and its people are fiercely loyal to their king."]
"Yes, thank you," Mika said with a sarcastic tone.
"It feels weird, my wings are covered by the wind glider," Airi said, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
"Well, it's certainly faster and less exhausting than using your own wings. I also never see you use them except when you do a backflip," Mika said, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Hmpfh," Airi pouted, crossing her arms over her chest as they continued to glide towards Bellatorum.
The landscape below was breathtaking, the verdant fields and rolling hills stretching as far as the eye could see.
It was a moment of peace and tranquility, a welcome respite from the chaos and violence of war.
[System: New update available]
"Huh? An update?" Mika said as he clicked on the 'What's New(s)?' button.
[What's New(s):
Bug fix: Players were experiencing sudden death when attempting to access certain areas. This issue has now been resolved.
Bug fix: An issue has been fixed where Elves were able to instantly kill Demon Lords by abusing the barrier mechanic.
Bug notice: Some Players may instantly die after obtaining a system that turns them into an item. This issue is currently under further investigation.
Performance improvement: The system will now have more expressiveness depending on how Players treat them.
Updated UI layout: The menu interface has been redesigned to make it easier to navigate and more visually appealing.]
[System: Update now?]
<Yes / No>
Mika muttered, "Yes."
The system began updating.
After a moment, it displayed a message:
[Update completed!]
"Huh? That was fast," Mika exclaimed.
"What was fast?" Air inquired.
Mika replied, "The system update. Have you updated yours?"
Airi nodded and said, "Yes, I did it yesterday."
Mika looked at Airi and remarked, "I hardly noticed the exclamation mark."
'System, open menu' He said to himself in his mind.
-----
Estimated globally accepted currency:
273 Gold coins
28 Silver coins
2 Copper coins
Other currency:
12 Marcellia gold coins
23 Marcellia silver coins
7 Marcellia copper coins
-----
Estimated globally accepted currency:
273 Gold coins
28 Silver coins
2 Copper coins
Other currency:
12 Marcellia gold coins
23 Marcellia silver coins
7 Marcellia copper coins
-----
Name: Mika El
---
Level: 24
Exp: 17278/45000
Health: 86%
Status: Well-rested
---
Title: None
Code name: M
Age: 18
Adventure rank: D
Threat level: B
Full potential: Unavailable
Breakthrough stage: Unavailable
---
Base stats
[+] Intelligence: 98/100
[+] Wisdom: 96/100
[+] Charisma: 87/100
[+] Strength: 34/100
[+] Dexterity: 71/100
[+] Constitution: 90/100
---
Cumulative stats
[+] Intelligence: 115/100
[+] Wisdom: 112/100
[+] Charisma: 102/100
[+] Strength: 40/100
[+] Dexterity: 83/100
[+] Constitution: 105/100
---
[-] Equipment (?)
Weapon: None
Offhand: None
Armor: Ordinary high school uniform and pants (50%)
Accessories:
1. Leather shoes (21.3%)
2. Dried tall grass backpack (56.8%)
3. Dried tall grass pocket belt (47.3%)
4. Phantom Mantle (87.7%)
5. Steam Strider (99.99%)
Overall attributes bonus: none
---
[-] Ability (?)
1. Xiaoli
2. Ripple
3. Hyperthymesia
4. Photographic memory
5. Tetrachromacy
6. Hyperpolyglotism
7. Exceptional visual acuity
8. Snap judgement
9. Rapid cognition
10. Mental fortitude
11. Extreme focus
[-] Spell (?)
1. None (Player doesn't have any spell.)
---
[-] Harem count: 2
Eiko Suzuki: 7% attribute bonus
Airi: 10% attribute bonus
Total attribute bonus: 17%
---
[+] Player summary
[-] Consumable Effect
1. Wine touch (Permanent)
---
[-] Inventory
1. Zodiac Warriors' Lead Strategist emblem x1
2. Adventurer ID card x1
3. Diary of the Otherworld x1
-----
"It's a bit scuffed, minimize some of them," Mika said to himself.
[System: Minimizing menu while maintaining useful function...]
-----
Estimated globally accepted currency:
273,2802 Gold coins
Other currency:
12,2307 Marcellia gold coins
-----
Name: Mika El
---
Level: 24
Exp: 17278/45000
Health(Status): 86%(Well-rested)
---
Code/Age/AR/TL: M/18/D/B
Full potential: Unavailable
Breakthrough stage: Unavailable
---
Cumulative stats
[+] Intelligence: 115/100
[+] Wisdom: 112/100
[+] Charisma: 102/100
[+] Strength: 40/100
[+] Dexterity: 83/100
[+] Constitution: 105/100
---
[+] Equipment (?)
---
[+] Ability (?)
[+] Spell (?)
---
[-] Harem count: 2
Total attribute bonus: 17%
---
[+] Player summary
[+] Consumable Effect
---
[+] Inventory
-----
"Well, that's a bit better. There's not much change in the menu," Mika continued his conversation with the system.
"Ah I just realized, we forgot to complete our adventurers' guild commission at Caelumoria. Our rank has decreased," Mika said to Airi.
"Well, time to stop being lazy then," Airi replied.
"Says you," Mika retorted.
After a while of gliding, they finally caught sight of their destination.
"Look over there!" Airi pointed towards the kingdom.
"That's... a very tall and huge wall," Mika remarked.
'The wall seems taller than China's Great Wall. I still can't predict its exact length,' Mika said to himself.
They finally landed on the ground and met the security guard.
"Identification?" the guard said as if he had been working the same job from nine in the morning to five in the afternoon for 50 years, even though he was only 20.
"Right..." Mika said as they showed their adventurer ID card.
'I'm amazed at how the Adventurer ID card magically renews itself. There are still lots of things I don't understand since I arrived in this world,' Mika thought to himself.
"D-rank adventurer, ten silver coins each, please," the guard said.
Mika immediately gave him 25 silver coins.
"Keep the change," he said.
The guard took the coins, opened the gate, and they entered.
"Thank you!" Airi thanked the guard.
"There doesn't seem to be a map or any sign of where is where. Let's just head toward the center of the city and hope we find a place to stay before the weather gets hotter."
After some time, they finally saw a building with the sign "INN."
---
Wyvernwing 5th, Bellatorum, Bell-inn', 11:40 AM.
---
The dimly lit tavern was bustling with patrons drinking and laughing.
Suddenly, a heated argument erupted between two groups of rugged-looking men, each nursing a tankard of ale.
Harsh words turned into shoving, which quickly escalated into a full-blown brawl.
Chairs and tables were overturned, glasses shattered, and fists flew as the two sides clashed in a chaotic frenzy.
The air was thick with the smell of sweat and alcohol as the sound of breaking bottles and angry shouts filled the room.
The barkeep and other patrons tried in vain to break up the fight, but the brawlers were too consumed by their rage to listen.
[System: Urgent quest requested!]
[System: New quest received]
+Quest Name: The Brawl Breaker
+Quest Description: A tavern brawl has broken out in the local tavern and is causing chaos and destruction. The guards are busy with other matters, and the barkeep is unable to break up the fight. Your objective is to step in and stop the brawl before it gets out of hand and causes more damage.
+Quest Objectives:
- Stop the brawl by any means necessary.
- Convince the brawlers to leave the tavern peacefully.
- Protect innocent bystanders from harm.
+Quest Rewards:
- 2000 Exp points and 50 gold coins for completing the quest.
[System: Accept quest?]
< Yes / No >
"Well, might as well get some gold coins while we're here, yes," Mika muttered.
[System: Quest has been accepted, good luck adventurer]
"Airi, cook them," Mika said.
"What?" Airi replied.
"Do the thing," Mika repeated.
"Jeez," Airi said, looking lazy.
"System stance," she announced, clenching her fist.
"Pervenit Flamma!"
Airi shot out 12 fire bullets that homed in on their targets.
"Ah! I'm on fire, but it's cold. I also feel burned," one of the brawlers said.
"Let's just get out of here; it's getting rusty," another one added.
"My clothes are burning!" the third one shouted as he ran from the tavern.
Most of the brawlers ran out of the tavern.
Any fire that accidentally hit the tavern immediately vanished thanks to Airi.
"Ah, thank you, adventurers. You came immediately after I posted the urgent quest," the owner thanked them.
"Don't worry about it," Airi said, her right hand behind her head.
"Is there any room available? We would like to stay for maybe six weeks," Mika asked.
"Yes, it's a two-bedroom. We charge 5 silver coins per night."
"Okay," Mika said as he put five gold coins on the table.
"Customer, isn't this too much?" The owner said, looking at Mika.
"You can keep the change if we leave before six weeks," Mika said.
"We don't question our customers. Here's the key," the owner said.
'Room 3. Almost all of the interior is made of wood and stone, without any paintings,' Mika said to himself as they walked to their room.
"The room looks familiar, like the one in Marcellia," Airi said.
"Well, time to rest," they said as they headed to their beds.
The town bell rang, indicating midday, and a voice was heard by everyone.
"Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak," said the voice.
"Whose voice is that?" Airi asked.
"It's coming from the north, the direction of the King's castle, probably the king," Mika guessed.
And with that, they rested.
***
A/N: "Adventurer ID card magically renews itself" refers to the adventurer rank that can change over time, e.g., from C at present to D two months later.