Chapter 16: Second Human Contact

This chapter is sponsored by The Bitch in the Fantasy World Patrons:

• Adventurer The orc warrior 261

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"Flein, do you want me to do it?" a burly young teen asked.

The burly young teen was a male in his mid-teens with short brown hair. He was wearing a simple set of leather armor, had a backpack and broadsword on his back, and had a copper-colored pendant around his neck engraved with the initials "II".

Flein, on the other hand, was also a male in his mid-teens but was of normal weight and had short red hair. He was wearing a helmet, a slightly better set of leather armor, had a large backpack on his back, held a crude mace and a small round shield on his hands, and had a copper-colored pendant around his neck engraved with the initials "II".

"Cram, I must remind you: Be careful using it. We just bought a lot of things not long ago, including this weapon, and we're currently low on coins," Flein said as he passed the mace.

"It's just a Treebark. Its body isn't that hard, you know," Cram said as he received the mace.

As Cram began walking over to a Treebark, Flein focused on the broadsword on on hi back.

From afar, it looked like it was properly taken care of. But upon closer inspection, one could see that it was a weapon that had seen its fair share of battles -- it had tiny scratches and chips on its blade here and there, and the handle looked worn out. However, most of its battles weren't from Cram's hands, they were from the previous owner or owners. But despite all that, this weapon was an important arsenal for them. And of course, it also cost them a fortune when they bought it that it left them on the verge of bankruptcy.

"And as much as possible, we should keep our expenses to the minimum, like repairs, as Diane said," Flein said.

Cram let out a wry smile.

"Last time wasn't my fault. It was an accident, an accident I tell you."

Flein let out a deep sigh.

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

Cram finally reached the Treebark which stood still on its location.

From what they know, Treebarks aren't aggressive and will only attack if attacked first. In addition to that, they're also slow in moving. So the best way to kill them is to finish them with one strike.

However, that's easier said than done.

Although Treebarks are considered weak and harmless, their body has a tough exterior. So if they aren't killed within the first strike, they will whip their opponents with their branch-like arms which can be annoying and painful.

"Also, careful not to hit the heart!" Flein added.

"I know!" Cram as he took a proper stance. "HAA!!!"

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

BRAAAK!

He swung the mace with all of his strength and Treebark's body shattered into pieces, leaving the contents of its body all over the ground.

Flein immediately went over to the Treebark's corpse and knelt down.

"We thank the Gods for this knowledge and experience They bestowed upon us..." he prayed under his breath. After saying the prayer, he put down his bag and took out a glass jar before opening it. Inside the jar, there were green colored hearts. He took out what looked like a pair of tongs about 7 inches long and began searching for the monster's heart.

"How many Treebark hearts left?" Cram asked.

"With this, we need 4 more."

"What about the other Quest?"

"We already have 30 leaves of the Sunkiss."

Sunkiss was a 3ft-tall sunflower monster with 5-inch legs made out of roots. It also sprays an orange gas that if one gets hit in the eyes, causes a burning sensation for a short time.

Cram looked raised his head and looked at the sky.

"Looks like we have to make this quick before the sun sets."

Flein nodded.

"And I don't want to miss my part-time job tonight."

"Same."

When Flein was already done collecting the heart, he went over to Cram and opened his palm.

Cram gave him his mace back.

"What if we take the Quest to collect Bukaroo tails tomorrow?"

The Bukaroo was a blue bird about 10 inches tall with a green chest and an 8-inch-long brown tail that looked like a rattlesnake. Its tail could sting its opponents and cause paralysis for a short time.

Flein turned around and began walking.

"What do you think? It's a great idea, right?" Cram asked again.

"We've already talked about this," Flein said flatly.

"I know. But we would be able to earn money faster than doing these quests."

"Have you finally at least figured out a way how we can buy or borrow a bow and arrows?"

"No, but hear me out: They're like the Treebarks and they aren't aggressive unless you attack them first, right? So with that, we just need a net to catch them."

Flein stopped and turned to Cram.

"Assuming that we somehow have the coins to buy or borrow a net, and even though Bukaroos aren't aggressive, how do you propose we throw the net at them and catch them when they're up in the trees? The moment we climb and get close to them, they would fly away."

"But can't we just throw a stone or hit them with a stone using a slingshot?"

"Are you confident in your throwing skills?"

"No, but we can learn."

Flein let out a deep sigh and then resumed walking.

"Come on, we'd earn coins faster, and we'll be out of this mess faster and not have to eat less," Cram said.

"If you really want to do it, discuss it with Diane first. And just so you know, if you guys decide to take on the Bukaroo's tail Quest, I'm not joining."

"Hey, don't be --"

All of a sudden, someone called out.

"Hi, guys!"

The two teens immediately stopped and turned their heads to the direction of where the voice came from.

They saw a disheveled-looking woman with purple hair and red highlights in her mid-20s waving her hand and had a smile on her face approaching them. She was wearing a cheap set of leather armor, cheaper than what Cram and Flein were wearing, especially compared to Cram. She had a satchel hanging around her shoulders and a wooden stick on her other hand. And just like them, she too was wearing a copper-colored pendant. But compared to theirs, hers was engraved with the initials "I".

"Hey there!" Cram said and waved back with a smile on his face.

Flein wanted to chastise Cram due to how he reacted but stopped himself/.

"Excuse me, but how can we help you?" Flein said with a faint hint of hostility in his tone.

The woman stopped about 10ft away from them and she still had a smile plastered on her face.

"Ah yes. You see, I've been traveling and I'm lost. Is there a city here nearby?"

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Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

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