"Two hundred Mad Frog hides? Are they trying to extinct them…?" Pepper groaned, clutching his head.
The task from Enhans Trading Company, tied to his special quest, was overwhelming. Already cursed by Lycaon, Pepper faced hunting at least 200 low-level Mad Frogs, and since hides weren't guaranteed drops, it could take even more time and effort. He couldn't help but wonder if Rex, the NPC, was some sadistic demon piling on impossible demands.
"…Wait, my marked right hand can't equip gear. But can it use items?"
Facing reality while testing his curse, Pepper pulled a medicinal herb from his inventory, placed it in his cursed right hand, and popped it into his mouth.
"…Tastes normal, no issues. So, item use is fine. Next, can it equip accessories?"
To answer this, Pepper headed to Secandil's weapon shop.
"Hello!"
"Yo, welcome… Wait, are you the 'kid' Fasteia's blacksmith mentioned? The one who helped craft that hammer?" The white-haired, bearded shopkeeper asked right off the bat.
"Uh, yeah, that's me… Name's Pepper."
"Knew it! Your name's spread like wildfire among this world's blacksmiths, Pepper."
"For real…?"
Stunned by his unexpected fame, Pepper pivoted to his question. "Do you have any wristband-type accessories?"
"Accessories? Nah, not in Secandil."
The blunt response threw Pepper off. "Really?"
"Yup. Rings, maybe, but their effects are weak. You want decent ones, check bigger cities like Thirdrema or Eidoruto. They've got stuff with real impact."
"Got it. Thanks."
Despite the gruff tone, the shopkeeper's info was helpful, so Pepper thanked him. Then the old man tossed a question back.
"So, Pepper, what's this 'weapon' Fasteia's blacksmith made?"
Sensing a quest flag, Pepper pulled the Lock-On Breaker from his inventory and set it on the counter.
"This is it."
"Ho… So this is the one." The shopkeeper eyed it.
"Yeah. Fasteia's blacksmith called it his life's masterpiece," Pepper said, recalling the man's proud grin.
"Heh… That 'dumb disciple' finally became a proper blacksmith," the shopkeeper muttered, stroking the hammer's surface with a fond chuckle. "Fasteia's my apprentice. He sent me the recipe via carrier bird mail, bragging about his new weapon. Damn kid's grown up…"
Smiling quietly, the shopkeeper made an offer. "Say, Pepper, I can upgrade that hammer of yours. Wanna do it?"
"Really? Yes, please! What materials do I need?"
"To grow this baby, you'll need Gray Iron Ore, Marsh Coffin Fossil, and maybe some Silver Iron Ore from the Four-Wheel-Eight-Wheel Marsh Wilderness. They'll toughen it up. My disciple made and raised this weapon, so as his master, it's my duty to take it further."
Despite calling him a "dumb disciple," the shopkeeper's pride was clear. Pepper resolved to mention this to Fasteia's blacksmith if he ever returned there.
Leaving the weapon shop, Pepper stopped by the tool shop to replace the pickaxe used in his fight against the Rock-Eating Worm. Then he headed to the Four-Wheel-Eight-Wheel Marsh Wilderness.
The Marsh Wilderness applied a mire effect in parts, forcing players into a walking state that slashed mobility. To counter this, you needed the Off-Road combo skill, which treated unstable terrain like flat ground, or the exorbitantly priced tabi shoes from the tool shop, which negated the mire's effect.
"Hup! …Just stone. First time here, so no Explorer's Child bonus, huh?"
Thanks to his boosted Strength and Stamina from Lycaon's fight, Pepper swung his pickaxe without tiring, mining smoothly. But the marsh's poor footing made it grueling.
"Hmm… A pickaxe leaves me open to ambushes. Let's try something."
Stowing the pickaxe, Pepper drew the Lock-On Breaker. Imagining the mining spot as Lycaon, he swung hard.
Clang! A geological stone rolled out, and the mining spot collapsed into the marsh, hitting its drop limit.
"So this is a Marsh Coffin Fossil. More like a rock layer than a fossil."
Securing a key upgrade material, Pepper had another question. The Lock-On Breaker, a unique weapon, restored durability by breaking mineral items. How much would a Marsh Coffin Fossil restore?
"…Here goes!"
Smashing a fossil, it shattered into polygons, and the Lock-On Breaker's durability surged.
"Whoa… Insane regen…"
The recovery was wild. If fully upgraded, could it heal damage-based durability in combat? That'd be broken. Pepper's mind raced with the hammer's potential and the 200-hide quest.
Lost in thought, he didn't notice a female player approaching from behind.
"Ho! Ha! There! Yeah, this is way more efficient. Change the swing, and it's like practicing with a knife or dagger. With enough Strength, it barely burns Stamina, and with the Lock-On Breaker's trait, I could mine forever, right?"
"Neat! That hammer's called the Lock-On Breaker? A unique weapon?" a voice chimed.
"Yup, it restores durability by breaking miner—als…" Pepper froze. "Huh?"
Turning, he saw a female player with a red-black skull mark by her name—a Player Killer. In ShFro, PKers who'd killed another player were marked, facing penalties like reduced NPC favor and restricted facility access.
This was the worst scenario. Stuck in the marsh's walking state, his unique weapon exposed, and facing a PKer. He was screwed.
"Heh Got some juicy info!" she sang.
Her lavender hair swayed with pricey earrings, and her gear—exposed shoulders and hips—screamed lightweight, likely built for PvP.
"Who… are you?" Pepper stammered.
No weapon in her hand, but an attack could come any second. Trapped in the mire, escape was impossible, and he wasn't confident he could fend her off.
"Calling an older sister 'you' is a bit rude, no? Name's Arthur Pencilgon," she said.
Something felt off. Her avatar was a dead ringer for a real-world charisma model, but more than that—
Her voice. He'd heard it before.
"Didn't expect you to play ShFro," she teased.
"—Hey, A-kun~♪"
That one word clicked it all into place. He couldn't not know.
"No way… Towa!?" Pepper gasped.
"Tch, some reunion, and you're so cold, A-kun~," she laughed.
Her cackle was unmistakable. Among all the people—friends, classmates, neighbors—who called him Azusa, Azu-kun, Gojo, or Gojo-kun, only one called him A-kun.
Arthur Pencilgon, real name Amane Towa. A dazzling charisma model with whom he shared a wretched, inescapable bad blood. Digging through every memory, not a single one with her was good.
She's a charisma model… and a demon king.