I mentally sighed, trees were my best friends, I'm lonely without them.

Finding a level 10 snake ahead of me, I took out my bow and nocked my...arrow?

"f.u.c.k! I actually forgot to buy more arrows!?" I shakily yelped while standing stock still, beating myself up for my own stupidity.

I used them all up already!

This was the worst mistake of my life!

My knife was also ruined because of when I had smashed it into the orc's skull, what am I gonna use to kill these monsters?!

I'm so dumb, ah...I don't want to die though.

Suddenly the snake shot towards me, lured by my careless yelling. I instinctively sidestepped and caught it by the neck, pinning it down in the gra.s.s while immobilizing it.

...Heh?

Whoa, whoa, whoa. What just happened just now?

I looked down at the snake that was still expertly pinned underneath me, struggling to get free.

How can a level five easily pin down a level ten mob? I thought while confusingly tilting my head to the side. Not realizing that an average level five player wouldn't have the high stats and reflexes that I possessed.

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I noticed that the snake's health was slowly being depleted. You could cause strangling damage in this game? Fufufu, that's a new idea.

Keeping the snake there for a few more minutes, it's struggling slowly ceased and became motionless. Immediately after, it disappeared into the familiar particles of light, dropping a scaled belt in exchange.

Sitting down in the tall gra.s.s, I checked the belt's description.

[Belt of the Strangler - Unique

Dropped by the Snakes of the Plain, it can only be achieved if the player strangles the snake to death

Increases strength by 2

Increases agility by 1]

Not a bad belt! Though I won't be surprised if information on this leaks out once more people find it. As long as you're strong enough, surprising a snake and then trapping it isn't a difficult feat.

Happily equipping my new belt, I looked at my stats.

Lynx

Level 5

t.i.tles: Hidden VIP, Disciple of Marshall Abest, Predator, Lone Hunter

Cla.s.s: Ranger

Achievements: 4

Health: 257

Attack: 67

Defense: 98

Strength: 5 (+2)

Agility: 22 (+1)

Dexterity: 1 (+5)

Vitality: 2 (+10)

Intelligence: 0

Luck: 0

Charisma: 0 (+12)

Hmmm, I've never seen the stat board of an average player so I can't compare mine. I wonder if I could be considered strong?

Cupping my chin with my hand, I thought back to when I fought all the people in the forest.

"When I think about it...they were all pretty weak," I said out loud, trying to get my facts in line.

"Most of them died with one critical hit, does that mean they have health lower than 130?" I contemplated, c.o.c.king my head to the side.

"Then I should be considered above average, I guess. I've been training with master, and my natural reflexes are abnormal."

I kept talking to myself while nonchalantly catching another snake that had shown up.

"But then again, Fang is supposed to be the seventh ranker but I one shot him too. Is it because of the technique level between us? Toku does train me in taekwondo, and all that bullying at school has helped with pain tolerance and prediction. Now that I remember, why does killing Fang give me a weird sense of irony? I feel like I've met him before somewhere…"

Sprouting out my thoughts to the snake wriggling under me, I finished it off and found another. Before I knew it, I had cleared my bounty and leveled up.

Of course, I added all my five stat points all into agility and left my three skill points alone. I didn't have anything to use then on since I never bothered to learn skills.

Maybe I'll ask my master if there were any good skills he could teach me.

I had also managed to earn myself two gold coins, but sadly the snakes didn't drop anything apart from the belt I had gotten from the first one.

Stretching out my tired muscles, I started heading back to the city, eager to clear my mission and get my next quest.

Right before I was about to exit the forest, I heard a girl's scream nearby.

Oh? Looks like my time to be one of those heroes in books has come!

I soundlessly drew closer to the voice, softly leaping from tree to tree while pulling up my hood and equipping my gloves.

Peeking through some leaves, I saw a thief girl my age surrounded by a group of men in a small clearing.

Are they roleplaying or something? Crime isn't allowed in this world.

"Hehe, little girl, I would advise you to stop struggling and give up. You want your money back right? But you want to leave even more, am I right?" A burly man said with a sneer dripping in malice. Holding up a small leather sack in front of the girl. So cliche!?

The thief unwillingly nodded, clutching her knife while lowering her stance. Unsure of what to do.

Noticing her hesitation, the man who spoke wolfishly grinned. "Well, then there's no problem! Give me everything you have and I'll let you go free. But if you don't…"

He signaled an archer who had his arrow nocked.

"You die! And we won't give you a painless death either, I'm convinced from your previous cry. You have your sense reception to the max, that means you'll feel all the pain!" He snickered while watching the girl's face pale in fear.

Are these b.a.s.t.a.r.ds really threatening a girl with pain? This is a game for G.o.d's sake, some people are just trying to enjoy it. Take your stupid hara.s.sing into the real world, will you? And just leave avid gamers alone!

My fists clenched in annoyance at the delinquents that would bully a girl just to satisfy their needs in a game.

Fine, if they wanted something stimulating, I'll give it to them. Judging from their actions, their sense receptors must be maxed as well, basically, everyone playing did.

"Girl, we'll give ya ten seconds to do what we told ya. You better hurry now you hear me?"

The five men slowly closed in on the girl, grins spread across their faces while watching their victim shake in fear.

I couldn't take it any longer, as a person who felt bullying first-hand, I couldn't tolerate it when I saw others who went through the same thing.

I leaped down from my perched and landed on the nearest bandit, smas.h.i.+ng his head with a fist to the temple. Using my momentum, I spun around and kicked the archer in the face, causing him to fly and crash into a tree. Hand on my waist, I took my rookie dagger and—

Ah, I forgot that I didn't have any weapons on me.

"You monster, who the h.e.l.l do you think you are?!" The leader screamed while drawing his flimsy sword.

"Me? Just a pa.s.sing NPC who happened to see you bullying someone, that's all." I responded with an easygoing shrug.

"You liar! It's obvious you're not an NPC, I can see your player tag!" He yelled hysterically while charging towards me.

No, it's pretty obvious I was being sarcastic you know.

I s.n.a.t.c.hed his wrist and hooked my leg under his feet, successfully tripping him. Pinning him down to the ground, I sat on his back and gently smiled at the other two left.

"You know, I absolutely despise people who attack weaker players in a game. So I tend to use their medicine against them. You two wanna have a nice go at it?" I asked while slamming their leader's face into the ground with kind eyes. "I'm a very forgiving person. If you guys give back the girl's items, and of course compensate her for her troubles. I'll gladly let you people off scot free! Good deal, ain't it?"

The two men stiffly nodded their head, uneasily looking towards their beat-up comrades.

"W-we'll give you da stuff bro. Just let us go, ya?" The leader said while spitting out dirt from his mouth.

"Then give me the items first, then I'll let you go."

They hurriedly took out all their items and handed it to the girl thief, who was still standing in the same position looking at me in shock.

"Good boys, now off you go, don't forget to pick up your unconscious teammates alright?" I chuckled while standing up, dusting off my cloak.

The men all gingerly nodded once again, scrambling to carry their buddies into the forest.

Watching them leave I turned towards the stunned girl.

"Hey, what are you s.p.a.cing out for, take the stuff. Oh, leave me some arrows though, I doubt you need those." I commanded while sorting through the small pile in front of her.

Picking up the quiver of arrows the archer had on him, I turned to leave.

"Wait. Who are you?" The girl suddenly said, staring at my back in curiosity. "And more importantly, why did you help."

I looked over my shoulder at the girl. After taking a good glance at her I noticed that she was, what you could describe as, very good looking.

Her long black hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and her striking black eyes seemed to hold an intense feeling within.

"What do you mean by that question? I've already explained it while talking to those fellows that left."

I looked away and headed back into the forest. But before I had a chance to leave the clearing, I felt a hand hold my shoulder.

"Stop, at least let me know your username or else I would feel indebted to you." She said while firmly holding me in place.

"Do I really need to, even though you haven't thanked me yet?" I retorted while taking her hand off my shoulder. "I'll take my leave now."

Gritting her teeth in frustration, she blocked my path. "Fine! Thank you very much for helping me from those filthy b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. Now please tell me your name."

I stood still, tilting my head to the side while thinking of what to do in this peculiar situation. After all, it's been a long time since I've talked to a girl my age.

"I don't feel the need in telling you…"

"If you don't tell me I'll simply find you again! It's easy to find a cloaked figure wearing a designed black glove on their left hand."

"No...I don't really...you know I can take this off right?"

"Grrrr...just tell me! What harm would it do?!"

For one thing, that would expose me I guess. Not that I would tell her that.

"I'm shy."

Hearing this unexpected response the girl tripped and fell to the ground. But she picked herself up quickly.

"Okay fine, I'll just remember you as my mysterious benefactor. I can't give you anything, but I'll owe you a favor, how about that?" She wearily said while giving up finding out my name.

"But why would I need a useless favor from you…"

"Wh-what?! I'm Tomoe! Tenth ranker on leaderboards, daughter of the prime minister of j.a.pan. What do you mean a favor is useless?!" She shouted out in her fury, accidentally exposing her real ident.i.ty to me.

"..."

"..."

I simply stared at her in bewilderment. What? Why would I care about any of those facts? And why would I need a favor from the daughter of Mr. Matayos.h.i.+? I already know him through my dad.

But of course, being the kind girl I was, I swallowed my complaints and stayed silent.

"Ah...I messed up. You better not tell anyone about this you hear?!" Tomoe cried out in a fl.u.s.tered tone, embarra.s.sment clear on her face. "If you do I'll find you and make you pay!"

"Okay, sure, it's not like I really care in the first place?" I casually dismissed while walking back into the forest.

Only to be stopped, again.

"But since you heard my real ident.i.ty, show me your face!" She yelled while pointing her finger at me.

This girl was a feisty one. Could she not just leave me alone? Let's just do what she says and get out of here.

Sighing to myself in exasperation, I grudgingly pulled down my hood, letting my long mahogany hair flow out. I gazed at her with a tired expression.

"Happy?" I asked.

She stood there speechless, staring at me in shock.

"Hey, staring is rude."

"You, you were a girl?" She sputtered while standing frozen like a statue.

"Yes, I'm a girl, congrats for noticing."

Flipping up my hood, I left the clearing while I still had the chance.

Leaping up into a tree, I sped towards the city at a fast pace, taking off my glove in the meanwhile.

Hah...how troublesome. That took more time than I expected, once I get back to the city I would need to buy myself some new weapons too.