Midsummer Feast

A knight was holding a girl pressed up against a wall by the throat, in the middle of the city. “I WANT TO ASK AGAIN WHY YOU’RE BUYING IRON AND OTHER MATERIAL FOR BOMBS?!” “As I said, so am I buying it to support my party when we go out on an adventure the next time.” Merie glared at the knight as she answered him, swallowing her cursing for his horrible behaviour. “HOW CAN WE BE SURE THAT YOU AIN’T MAKING BOMBS FIR BLOWING A CITY UP!?” “And how you be sure that I’ll act like a asshole and kill other players?”

Merie had calmly walked through the city after buying some basic things to create normal bombs when the Knight had approached her. Grabbed her and pushed her up against the wall, for no reason at all.

“JUST BY LOOKING AT YOU, SO AM I SURE YOU’RE UP TO NO GOOD! AND I’LL MAKE SURE TO STOP YOU BEFORE THE INNOCENT BYSTANDERS ARE KILLED OR INJURED!” Did he mean the innocent bystanders who were watching him harassing her? Some probably too terrified to even speak up in her favour. “And I’m sure that you’re wrong.” She wasn’t up to anything bad, and hadn’t been until they decided in the party to lay as low as they possibly could. And she was honest when she said that she’d bought the material to create bomb to use to support her party. She was preparing for the hike and was sure the bombs would help a whole ton if they would happen to stumble upon some strong monsters. But it didn’t seem as if he believed her the slightest, still holding her in place as they glared at each other.

After they’d stared at each other for a while, so did the Knight slightly loosened his grip, letting Merie down on the ground. Taking a thin breath before swinging at her, punching her ground. “AS A MEMBER OF THE BLESSED ANGELS, SO WILL I TEACH YOU WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TALK BACK TO US!” As he pulled out his sword, so could she already suspect what would happen, and she didn’t like it in the slightest. “WILL YOU TEACH US THAT YOU’RE WILLING TO KILL ANYONE QUESTIONING YOUR DICTATORSHIP!?” No matter what she did, so would she surely be killed, meaning she could say what the fuck she wanted since it wouldn’t change anything. The Knight wasn’t late to answer. Swing his sword and rob her of some of her EXP.

Merie dropped a heavy sigh as she found herself waiting for revival, once again because some asshole had decided she wasn’t trustworthy. She couldn’t say if there were something exposing her darker side, but she didn’t think that was the case. Rather so did she suspect that the Knight only had accused her for the sake of killing her. Not to mention that it probably was a fluke it happened to be her.

She was thinking for a second if she would put energy into writing a complaint to the game developers, but soon abandoned the idea. If they weren’t doing anything about it, so might it be something they allowed in the game, just like PKing, and then so wasn’t it anything she would try to change. Still, if it continued for too long, or got even worse, so did she probably not have any choices as there was a risk she would abandon Rocking World. Which wasn’t anything she wanted to do.

As she was revived in a temple, from where she’d gone to the city, so was she displeased to see a group of players glaring angrily at her. Directly suspecting they were other assholes from that guild. “And you’re the one accused of being a PK?” An archer, from the group, didn’t waste a second before throwing his harsh question at her. “I got accused of it, yes. But all I did was to buy a couple of things to create bombs for when I and the party will go on a hunt.” She was sure someone had contact with the jerk sending her there as they already knew she was suspected of being a PK, so she would continue giving the same reason why she’d bought the material.

The archer was slow at processing her reason, and if it wouldn’t be because they shared information, so might she have considered to run somewhere where she could lay low till the heat died down. “It sounds unbelievable, so I can understand he didn’t trust you.” Merie couldn’t understand why it did sound so unbelievably. She couldn’t think that the developers made the bombs with only destroying cities in mind, so she wouldn’t be the only one thinking about using them to support the others. “But you seem honest in your words and behaviour, so I’ll let you off the hook this time.” Whatever he made that decision on, so would she love to know how he believed her so easily when the Knight didn’t believe her in the slightest. Not that she complained, rapidly thanking the Archer and starting to leave. Listening to them holding up another player, questioning them about their intention of, something?

She rapidly opened her menu after leaving the temple, writing the party and warning them about the assholes staining the cities, also suggesting that they wouldn’t fight back or try to escape if they would get cornered. Sure it was what had saved her from being killed again. “If you only could’ve warned me a couple of hours ago, so would I’ve been happier.” Opiom was the first one to answer, seemingly complaining that Merie hadn’t written then while she was in school. “So they got you too, Merie? For the first or fifth time this week?” Adu couldn’t mean that she’d been killed five times this weekend? It would be far too much for any player. “Yes, it has happened to me five times already. And I’m getting sick of it, and wouldn’t mind binding together with other guilds to put a stop to their terror.” Adu was serious!? Merie found it hard to believe, and just with that so could she understand that Adu would want to get back at them. “If you just make a town of your village, so can you set the rules in your area. And even force the NPCs to turn against those justice fighters.” Opiom seemed to think of an idea of how Adu could give those guilds the middle finger. And it didn’t sound like a bad idea, if it wouldn’t been because other guilds were able to raid her place.

“I’ve survived this far. And I think Opiom’s idea sounds wonderful, getting a chance to have a place where we don’t get harassed for doing absolutely nothing.” Anlie didn’t deserve to be that lucky. She should honestly suffer just as much as the rest of them. “And I don’t think you should band together with other guilds to get back as those assholes, as they’ll do the same and eat your ass.” Anlie was probably not wrong, even if Adu’s idea sounded great, so was there still a chance they would try to get back at them with the same coin.

“I think we should gather all willing guilds and show them who makes the rules. Even if they hand us our asses, so will we show what we think about their behaviour.” “I agree. And we should start gathering guilds already. My place will be the base! And we’ll give them a good run for their money!” Merie closed the chat before she would risk getting involved in their ideas. Sure, it was tempting to get back at those hunting PKs, but she wasn’t sure it would be worth the price they risked paying later on. And she wouldn’t be surprised if Anlie saw it in the same way. But dropping the matter, heading out from the city. She might have gotten away when she was revived, but there was no way of knowing if they would change their minds. And if they would, so didn’t she want to be there. Thinking about what she would do.

–

The forest was home to slimes, in a greenish tone, which was kinda easy to kill. She knew that it would take some time to get back the EXP she lost by killing them, but she’d left the city and didn’t feel like going back while those assholes still could be there. So that location would need to do for now. Killing those perky slimes, which easily could avoid her attacks thanks to their flexible bodies. Still, she was sure the killing would be worth it as she could be lucky to get a set of claws, which was said to have the ability to change for in a second. Which maybe could be of great use when she was fighting other players, especially if the other player was depending too much on their shield or other defence. Thinking of it, she might’ve tried to get the claws when she first heard about them. But she’d been busy doing other things.

After only a short while, so could she remember why she wasn’t hunting slimes more often. Not only so were the bustards able to avoid her attacks thanks to their liquid-like bodies, but they were also using their bodies for attacks. Trying to catch her and wrap her up, all so they could drain her of her health. But if it wouldn’t be because of her agility, so would it probably, not have taken long before she died. She would honestly not have been surprised if there would’ve been slimes hiding under every stone, as they were surrounding her the whole time. Forcing her to always keep an eye in her neck. Sidestepping a slime, flying her way, slashing it as it passes. Listening and leaping forward as she hears something flying through the air. Rapidly getting ready for the next attack.

Considering how bothersome the slimes were, so was she surprised she’d survived as long as she had. Still, she found it annoying she hadn’t got what she wanted. But it might just be a question about time, at least as much time as she’d before she needed to leave. In the worst case so would she need to continue the next day, and in the best case, so would she be able to get the claws before their hike. And, the claws? She got them. Slime-like claws, it didn’t sound powerful at all. And Merie couldn’t say that she was anything but disappointed.

Merie rapidly turned and took off, leaving the slime in the dust. Thinking about checking the claws as soon she got the time to breathe. Hoping that the claws would turn out to be far better than they sounded.

Finally alone, she opened her menu to check them. Disappointed as she read the description, which said that the blades could change size and length. But there wasn’t a single word about the idea of the blades being able to be something like whips, which she’d hoped for. Still, she could think about how she could use them. Equipping the claws and looking at them as they were at her hands, honestly surprised at how smooth they were. She wasn’t even feeling she was wearing them. And if she thought about the length of the claws, so was the blade changing in length. Even better was an idea she tried, for the fun of it, just thinking about hiding the claws. The claws were pulling back till it looked as if she only was wearing knuckles, and just like that so could she pull out the claws. Which maybe could be of great use if she would learn some martial art, as she could go in without others seeing she carried a weapon. At least so did she hope it would be like that. But she would find that out when she tried it out.