Ch.3The Fleeing Groundskeeper NPC (3)

# The Online Game I Reincarnated Into

The online game I reincarnated into is called Eight. Literally, the number 8.

It’s an adventure that unfolds across eight countries of varying sizes on a single continent. And while not exactly vast, it’s still an open-world game.

It wasn’t particularly popular, and it certainly never won any GOAT awards.

The main story had a dark fantasy setting that was gloomy, character balance was a mess, and updates came once in a blue moon, sometimes taking years.

I’m honestly surprised how this game managed to operate for eight years.

Of course, I wasn’t someone who played this trash game religiously either.

I’d just return occasionally when there was a good event, or check back when a new episode was released, level up a bit, then quit again. That’s how it went.

If the servers had shut down midway, I wouldn’t have felt the slightest regret.

And while I don’t remember much about the ep.4 Ponia storyline, looking at our house now, one thing does come to mind.

My role.

It was a raid where the original protagonists and players would come to this ruined country to eliminate the source of its destruction. I was the initial guide for that raid.

And as the story progressed, our house—this cabin we’re now leaving—would appear, with two graves in front of it.

I clearly remember the scene where the story’s protagonist looks at the graves in front of our house and monologues, “Could these be the graves of someone precious?”

And me, the mountain keeper character, just staring blankly at them.

Well. After that, I guided them to the boss, only to get my stomach pierced by the boss and die, I think?

“Dad, I’ll be back.”

“Rest in peace.”

My sister seems to think we’ll return someday, saying she’ll be back, but I have no intention of returning.

Why come back when death is guaranteed? They should just hire another mountain keeper.

I carry my sister on my shoulders as we walk through the mountains. I know the location of the next village, and we have enough money, so we can catch a carriage along the way.

“Brother.”

“Yes?”

“Where are we moving to?”

My little sister, holding onto my hair and tilting her head, seems curious about our destination.

“We’re going to Aigram first. Do you know where that is?”

“Aigra?”

“Yes. It’s a place with lots of people and jobs. And lots of delicious food too.”

“Delicious food? Skewers too?”

“Yes. The skewers there will be much tastier than the ones here.”

“Wow! Brother, let’s go to Aigra! Aigra!”

“Sure.”

In the game, it was about a 15-minute ride on a mount, and using warp would get you there in 20 seconds including loading time. But I’m not sure if warps exist in this world. If I get a chance to ask about warps in the next village, I will, and it would be better to get there quickly even if it costs money.

As I stride through the mountains, my sister hums happily.

She’s usually frail, so I didn’t let her go outside much, but she seems excited about suddenly embarking on a long journey.

Isn’t she just too cute? From now on, I’ll feed her well and level her up properly to keep her safe.

[Villager: Level 2]

Even my sister appears as just a “villager” in the status window. It’s honestly annoying.

Level 2. How is it that even those pig-like creatures were at least level 5, but my sister is only 2?

She’d die instantly from a goblin’s back attack.

Instantly.

“Ira, eyes. Tight!”

“Tight!!”

When I use the phrase we used during hide-and-seek at home, Ira immediately understands and covers her eyes. I gently toss her into the air, then deliver a back kick.

[krrrrr!!!]

The creature’s face is crushed by my kick, and it collapses, dying. I catch Ira as she falls.

“Ira, caught you!”

“Ah! Caught me!”

There was no need for catching games, but Ira, nestled in my arms, happily rubs her face against my chest.

Oh, my cute baby.

I didn’t want to show her the unnecessarily dead goblin corpse, so I ignored the magic stone and decided to continue on our way.

“Brother, aren’t your arms tired?”

“I’m fine. Ira, don’t you like being carried by your brother?”

“No, I like it.”

“Brother likes carrying Ira too.”

“Hehehe.”

Our kind sister worries that my arms might be tired, but she’s really too light because she hasn’t eaten enough.

Someday, I want to feed her properly so I can say, “You pig! You’re too heavy for brother to carry!”

‘…But with 300, my stats are really garbage.’

[-Occupation: Mountain Keeper NPC- Level: 300 Name: Jack. Age: 15.]

[Strength: 50+?]

[Agility: 40+?]

[Intelligence: 3+?]

[Luck: -30+??]

[HP: 300,000+???]

[MP: 0+0]

[Skill: Mountain Manager]

[Mountain Manager Effect: All stats slightly increase within the mountain you manage.]

[Mountain Currently Managing: -Ponia-]

For a player level 300, total stats should exceed 400, but mine is just 93. And luck is even negative.

Well, luck stat affects critical hit chance when attacking head-on, so being negative isn’t a big deal.

In player level terms, I’m roughly in the early to mid-50s. Just enough to farm trolls.

I can’t help but shake my head at these terrible stats, but this is actually an opportunity.

‘I’m already level 300, so leveling up further will be a struggle, but my sister is level 2. If I raise her well, she could surpass not just me but even average players.’

I can be her guide.

Level 300. My HP is higher than most bosses, probably because I’m supposed to die for story progression.

My total stats are terrible, but this should be enough to act as a meat shield for my sister.

With that thought, I carry my sister and head toward the next village. We encounter monsters several times along the way, but they all fall in one hit. Goblins and trolls are only level 5-15 in the game anyway. I can’t lose to them.

Level 50 is really low considering the game’s max level was 1100, but it’s enough not to lose to beginner monsters, so I could move forward with light steps.

————

[Goblin(Dead): Level 23]

————

The status window floating above the goblin turning into a magic stone kept escaping Jack’s eyes for some reason.

*

“…What? What did you say?”

“There’s no carriage that goes directly to Aigram. If a horse ran that distance non-stop, it would die of exhaustion.”

“Then, how long would it take to walk there?”

“Walking… probably about 3 years, wouldn’t you say?”

“……”

This is insane. A 15-minute distance in the game takes 3 years? Does that mean every 5-minute distance takes a year? So even going to the nearest empire would take a year? Walking is definitely out.

With my sister perched on my head eating a skewer, I asked various questions at the carriage rental place, but as expected, there are no warps in this world, and everything is done by foot.

They said if we change carriages along the way, we could reach Aigram in 6 months.

“Hmm. Roughly calculating, it would cost about 200,000 can? For two people.”

“……”

What? Is this a taxi? What kind of fare is this? 2 million won? Wait, for a 6-month journey, is 2 million won right? Ah, this sucks!!

I gave the coachman 100 can as thanks for the information.

The good-natured coachman, happy to earn money just by talking, patted my shoulder and encouraged me.

But what can I do? I only have 200,000 won now, when will I get 1.8 million more?

“Nom nom. Gulp. Brother?”

“Yes?”

“No money?”

“…No. We have money. Don’t worry.”

I didn’t leave home to make my sister worry about money. If it really comes down to it, I’ll take a carriage to the next village and then earn money by hunting monsters.

After thinking that through, I was about to find an inn to rest for the night when.

“We should have a horse too.”

“…Huh?”

Watching the coachman tend to his horse, Ira tilted her head and said something that made me have a revelation.

Right. Why ride someone else’s horse? I should get my own!

“…Ira. Brother needs to go to the mountains for a bit tomorrow. Can you stay at the inn by yourself?”

“Hm? Yes. Outside…”

“It’s dangerous to go out.”

“Yes. I won’t go out.”

My sister understood perfectly, so I gently patted her head and headed to the market before going to the inn.

To buy fruits and drinks for my sister to eat tomorrow.

‘Is my intelligence of 3 the problem? I didn’t even notice until my sister mentioned it.’

Tomorrow, I’ll move to get a free mount.

*

“L-Lord Baron!! That bastard Jack!! He beat up all the villagers and ran away!!”

“Huh? Jack? Who’s that?”

The fat village chief, with bandages wrapped around his face, was shouting as if wronged to an even fatter pig of a man, looking like one pig squealing at another.

The guards around them found the sight disgusting.

“The, the mountain keeper of our village! Of Ponia Mountain!”

“…What? Mountain keeper? Why did he run away?”

“As, as you know, when we reduced the mountain keeper’s salary to 800 can, he somehow found out his money was being skimmed and…”

“Ah.”

The baron put down the meat he was eating and thought. The mountain keeper’s employment cost from the country is about 10,000 can per week.

It makes sense. They handle monsters that would normally require adventurers to be dispatched, preventing incidents before they happen.

Moreover, they act as guides for the military and adventurers when dungeons appear in the mountains or strong monsters emerge. That’s why the country doesn’t treat them poorly.

Isn’t it obvious? 800 can for someone who constantly risks their life? It’s unthinkable at a national level.

However, Baron Bagzak Denpura, upon his appointment, heard that the previous mountain keeper had died and the next one was only 12 years old, so he drastically reduced the pay.

He thought if the boy complained about not getting paid, he could pay then, and if the boy was too young to know, he could get away with it.

And as he expected, the boy worked for over 3 years receiving only 800 can. Now that this sweet deal had suddenly turned violent and run away, he drooled with regret.

“Hmm. So he found out his money was being skimmed…”

“Th-that’s the thing, Lord Baron.”

“Yes?”

“The money my wife gave him under threat…”

After the village chief explained the situation in detail, the baron’s expression brightened.

“I see. Issue a warrant for him. Say that if he returns, returns the money, and asks for forgiveness, we’ll rehire him as mountain keeper. And say we’ll increase his salary to 4,000 can.”

“Understood. But what should we charge him with?”

“Disobedience to noble orders! Indiscriminate assault. Extortion. Isn’t that enough?!”

“Yes, understood.”

The steward standing nearby didn’t think the mountain keeper’s actions were wrong, but he just bowed his head and left.

The money given by the village chief’s wife was only 20,000 can, barely two weeks’ worth of salary, but the boy happily left with it.

In other words, he still doesn’t know how much his real salary is. Since a Ponian wouldn’t leave Ponia for elsewhere anyway, issuing a warrant and pressuring him would make him return on his own.

Thinking that, he happily continued tearing into his meat while being guarded.

————

[Occupation: Guard. Level: 16]

————

Unaware of the approaching signs of doom.