n

n

nThree people stood on the road, obviously in contention. Two eyed a third predatorily.

nThe third's attention was on the smaller of the two men.

nAmonrei Lvl 16

nHP: 3940MP: 260

nThe player was helmeted. Greaves, scale boots, a pretty nice leather cuirass, and armored battle-gloves.

nTo get 8% off Krow's HP, armored as he was, those battle-gloves had to be at least a D Rare.

nThe player stood in classic boxer's stance.

nFistfighter battleclass..

nTwo close-combat types against Krow. One of the two with a movement spell, the other with the system assist and a good weapon.

nThe odds were…

nMaybe about even.

nThose weren't good enough odds.

nKrow calmly changed out his revolver cylinders.

nSurprisingly, the others let him.

nTheir loss.

nHe kicked it off with a double-jump, hurtling toward the bandit captain. They skidded across the road.

nThe player ran speedily after.

nNo movement spell, to Krow's relief.

nHe could focus on one of them for now.

nKiting the bandit away from the slower player, a running battle, he shaved off chunk after chunk of the bandit's HP.

nHe flipped around a boulder, glanced back as he reloaded.

nThe bandit wasn't following.

nCalling and sending off the spirit-snake, he rested for a moment. The Map updated. Krow cursed.

nThe two had managed to rendezvous.

nHe drank several Low Heals, replenishing his HP.

nHe hadn't noted any long-range ability in both of them, so without caring for stealth he headed toward the red dots.

nThey attacked from the trees.

nKrow retreated but, this time, the bandit captain didn't follow.

nHe'd been seen through.

nShkav.

nHe couldn't draw the battle out.

nIt had been – he checked his clock – slightly over half an hour since he saw the riders on the road.

nThat was too long to leave a group he was protecting.

nFine.

nHe pulled out both guns, attacked. The second contained only shieldbursts, but it kept the other player away. Most of the time.

nHis HP was down to 43% when the bandit leader died.

nYou've eliminated a Lvl 17 bandit captain and gained twelve (12) silver serpens! 4

/10

nThe two players stared at each other, back on the road.

n

"The farmers must pay well,

" the other said.

"You wasted so many bullets.

"

nKrow stayed silent.

nThe other snorted.

"You should know the pay from towns is bigger, since you have those pauldrons. Rare, right? You didn't get those here, did you?

"

n

"Near the capital,

" Krow answered. He didn't get them from a quest though. And it wasn't the pauldrons alone that was Rare.

nDoes that mean the guy finished a quest with a Rare weapon as a reward?

nCool.

nMost players started finding Rares near Lvl 20 or so.

nAmonrei nodded.

"Right? I haven't heard of any good quests in this area.

"

nDid he…expect Krow to share?

n

"Craft quests.

"

nAmonrei grimaced.

"You take those? They're a distraction. You…

" He looked closer at Krow.

"Are you a…role-player?

"

nTechnically, they all were.

nBut the term 'role-player', in general, was the player who acted as their avatar, a particular character they made up with elaborate backstories and even specific quirks and mannerisms different from their realworld self.

nRather than the avatar only being the outward 'casing' of the player self.

nThe term also expanded to include players who didn't conform to the main 'theme' of a game.

nTo the warmasters of this expansion of Redlands, at this current time, Krow supposed someone who chose to be crafter would be seen as a 'role-player'.

nKrow smirked, sudden.

n

"I'm a monster hunter.

"

nIt was the first time he'd ever said it out loud in Redlands.

n

"Uh, sure.

" The other studied him.

"You're a Lvl 14. Do you know, the XP gap between Lvl 14 and 15, then 15 and 16, is larger by proportion than between other levels? The stats are increased too.

"

nKrow did know that.

nIt was why the amateur competition in Rakaens only accepted contestants under Lvl 15.

nThe larger XP gaps and stat bonuses happened every fifteen levels.

nIn the forums, they unofficially called them 'tiers'. They were implemented because…

nHuh.

n…actually, Krow had no idea what they did.

n

"You are telling me this because?

"

n

"I actually wanted to leave a long time ago, since the quest completion would give me a poor rating for getting the others dead. But your armor, it's too good to pass up.

" He smirked.

"I'm a Lvl 16, you understand?

"

n

"Ah.

" Of course Krow understood.

nBut his reaction to people telling him to just lay down and die would always be the same.

nHe attacked.

n

"So what?

" He asked.

"So what if your level is higher. Am I supposed stay quiet and let you do whatever you want? A mere Lvl 16? A mere XP gap?

"

nHe holstered his second gun and drew the smaller of the butcher's blades. He swung. A slash cut through the other's armor.

nAmonrei stumbled back.

nHis eyes were irritated.

"Levels are everything. If you don't know that, you're a child. So just give me the pauldrons, and we'll be on our way without you losing one of your lives.

"

n

"Then you would win this fight, wouldn't you? Just because your level is higher than mine?

"

n

"That's what I'm saying.

"

nKrow nodded. He shot the rest of the cuirass off the other, breaking its Durability enchants.

n

"Whoever told you that,

" he stated.

"was an idiot.

"

nThe stats of a Fistfighter were tilted toward DEX and VIT, allowing for light armors. They flitted through battlefields like gnats, stinging. In small groups, they sabotaged formations, and were an all-around headache.

nIn a one-on-one fight, even against weapon bearing classes, they were devastating.

nFast, durable enough to tank in a pinch.

nAbove Lvl 15, able to conduct a fight almost like one of those fancy cultivator kung-fu masters in movies.

nAlmost.

nIf Amonrei had any kind of movement spell, Krow would have lost.

n

"This is impossible,

" the other ground out, dodging one of Krow's darkspears, but then being herded into another shot by a shieldburst.

nKrow double-jumped away from the other's fists and feet again, shooting as he retreated.

nYou've defeated a Lvl 16 player and gained one (1) golden drax!

nYou've eliminated 5

/10 bandits!

nHe'd actually officially joined the bandit group?

nThe other player's body faded into a ghost and coalesced into a flash of light that shot upward.

nIt would head toward whichever town or village the other had set as his revival area.

nRevival using the extra lives was instantaneous.

nBut travel time was another matter. He won't be able to return for some time.

nKrow reloaded and headed to where he left the others.

n