Following the message about the reward for the mob's head, another notification appeared. The letters formed into alarming lines that left me feeling uneasy.
[System Notification]
"The Coyote Guild has also set a reward of 5 million Veil's for the head of the Green-Eyed Samurai, Zikei."
— Five million?..
It turns out that my life is not the only target of greedy players. Someone else, a mysterious green-eyed swordsman, was bet five times as much.
A mixture of surprise and a strange sense of relief flared inside me: at least I wasn't the only one in the crosshairs.
But then my heart sank, because if they were offering such sums, it meant that the Coyotes were playing for keeps and were clearly planning something more than just a hunt.
—It seems that Leroy45 has lost his mind. He can't seem to calm down... as if he's looking for an excuse to trample me into the ground.
The thought of how easily things could have ended with Barnadat brought back painful memories. One wrong step and I wouldn't be standing here.
Now, I was being hunted by real players, which was far more dangerous than any boss. People were cunning, greedy, and much less predictable.
Fritte looked at me carefully, as if sensing my inner turmoil. But I straightened my back and took a deep breath.
—Okay... If that's the case, I need to become stronger. So that no one can catch me off guard again.
Meanwhile, one of the servers of the game "Log Apophis" was filled with conversations. The Coyote Guild, who had set a price for their heads, was clearly not going to sit idly by. Their chat channel was filled with messages one after another.
[Coyote_Fang]: Has anyone seen the green samurai? We've been searching for three days without any trace.
[Leroy45]: He rarely appears, and even when he does, he remains inconspicuous. They say he has hidden movement skills.
[Coyote_Reed]: Nonsense. No one can be that quiet, it's just luck.
[Coyote_Fang]: Lucky? What about the fact that he might already be at a high level? I doubt that anyone here would risk attacking him alone.
Opinions were pouring in, people were arguing, throwing screenshots with blurred silhouettes and rumors.
Some claimed that the samurai had been seen on the outskirts of old cities, where he would appear and disappear like a shadow. Others insisted that he had long since left these places and moved on.
Soon, one of the players threw out a new theory:
[Coyote_Dane]: Have you considered the possibility that he might be on the new continent of Bror'aniuch? There are almost no players there. If he went there, it would explain why we can't find any traces of him.
There was a moment of silence in the chat, and then dozens of messages filled the screen.
— Bror'aniuch?..
— But it's not yet accessible to all players, only those who have completed special quests!
—Is he one of those chosen ones?!
With each new message, it became clear: the hunt for the green samurai was turning into more than just an order. It was becoming a legend that threatened to draw the entire game community into a confrontation.
Among the dozens of messages that were flashing in one of the game chats in "Log Apophis", a new one suddenly appeared.
[Deer_Horns444]: Guys, I don't understand at all... why do you need these players? Well, they killed someone in PvP, especially since it was an official duel, and that's just the way it is. Why the hunt, why the millions? Don't you have other things to do?
The message hung in the chat like a challenge. For a few seconds, no one responded, but then the screen was filled with harsh remarks.
[Coyote_Reed]: Shut up before we add you to the list.
[[Lero45]: You just don't know what these two have done.
[Coyote_Fang]: In our business, you don't ask questions. Anyone who gets in the way becomes a target.
The chat was engulfed in a wave of aggression. A few random players tried to insert words like "Come on, this is too much..." or "Why are you harassing the players?" but they were drowned out by dozens of Coyote messages.
Finally, a short warning appeared:
[Coyote_Administrator]: This is your final warning. Stay out of it.
After that, no more comments from Deer_Horns 444 appeared. It was as if his nickname had disappeared from the chat.
Someone whispered that he had received personal threats in his private messages, while others claimed that he had simply left the game out of fear.
Fritte and I were making our way into the depths of the Misty Garden. The air was growing thicker, and every step we took was accompanied by the soft whisper of the leaves. The gray mist enveloped the area, making it difficult to see more than ten steps ahead.
By this point, I had collected exactly fifty souls of the Misty Leaf-Eaters. Every time another transparent sphere flew into my forehead and disappeared into the invisible tattoo, I felt a slight response inside, as if the Fairy Queen's mark was coming to life and demanding more.
Halfway there, and the number made my heart race: half way to a new power, half way to unpredictable consequences.
But a real test lay ahead. I knew it wasn't just a random monster, but the guardian of the location itself. Back in Iacreumor, I had asked the weaponsmith about what lay behind the veil of mist.
The old merchant was talking in a low voice about a woman whose name in the legends no one dared to say out loud. He only hinted, "She's not a demon or a spirit... more like a guardian. The one that became part of the Garden itself. If you meet her, be prepared, she will not spare you."
With those words in my head, I walked forward. Fritte flew alongside, wings moving tensely. His usually cheerful face became serious, and he also felt an unusually strong aura ahead of him.
Ahead, the fog began to thicken, forming into dense clouds, as if the location itself was trying to warn us: one more step and we would find ourselves face to face with the guardian of the Misty Garden.