Bushido Online: the Battle Begins: A LitRPG Saga Read online

  “I didn’t expect you had to do something like this outside an instance,” said Mairin. “Actually, if we had known, we could have hit the loom once it became attackable.”

  “Well, we never got this far in our last two attempts,” Kentaro pointed out.

  “We died in about two minutes,” said Mairin.

  “I couldn’t have done it without the heals and slowing spell from you guys either,” said Seiki.

  Thinking back to the fight, he was starting to piece together what happened. Kentaro had a Hinder and a solid white-sparks heal. Mairin had a spell that turned her into a fox, one smoky damage spell, and a three-step heal.

  “That was some great play by you, Seiki,” said Mairin. She was looking him in the eye, and suddenly Seiki’s cheeks felt hot. He was not used to direct compliments; his martial arts masters had always been the strict kind who would ever go as far as a slight smile on the corner of their lips when he performed well.

  “Do you do this in real life or something?” Marin said, half musingly.

  Seiki shrugged. “Kind of.”

  Mairin burst out laughing. Seiki was not sure if she thought he was joking. “And to think you’re playing with no armor.”

  “And no weapon!” Kentaro added.

  “And only one special ability,” said Mairin, shaking her head. “You’re absolutely nuts!” From her tone, it was probably meant to be a compliment.

  Seiki thought they were right in that he was probably not playing the game as it was intended. As he thought about it, he figured that a weapon would give him at least a bit of range, which would have been tremendously helpful in dealing with the Old Lady.

  “Thanks,” said Kentaro. “You were great. And I’ve got to say you’ve got some wonderful tanking instincts as well. Makes life easier for me.”

  Seiki made yet another mental note to ask them to explain later.

  “All right, let’s see what we’ve got!” The houshi got very excited as he bent down to touch the wreck that used to be the loom. It burst into black smoke.

  Group loot: Spirit Essence. Ingredient.

  Group loot: Cotton Ball (x16). Ingredient.

  Group loot: Spirit Dagger. Damage 2.4. Speed 1.1. Range 0.3.

  Group loot: Spirit Belt. +18 defense.

  Group loot: Ancient Thread (x3). Ingredient.

  “Yes!”cried Kentaro happily. He then looked at Seiki. “You’re not planning to become a tailor, are you?”

  “A what?”asked Seiki.

  “A tailor,” said Mairin. “It’s one of the crafting skills you can pick up. There are loads of things, like mining, blacksmithing, carpentry, medicine, and things like that, so you can make your own stuff, or sell them for some gold.”

  “Uh, probably not,” said Seiki. He had never touched a needle in his life and he was not sure he would be interested to do so in a virtual world.

  Kentaro whooped as he gathered the ingredients.

  Kentaro has received: Spirit Essence. Cotton Ball (x16). Ancient Thread (x3).

  “You take the rest,” said Mairin. She picked up the dagger and handed it to Seiki.

  “I don’t need it,” said Seiki. He wondered what he would do with a dagger, considering that he had never used one in real life.

  Mairin grabbed his hand and put the dagger in it. “Keep it. Daggers are hard to come by. You’ve got three belt slots. Two of them hold weapons: one for your main weapon. The other one is for secondary weapons, like daggers, knives, enchanted lamps and things like that.”

  “Uh, ok,” said Seiki. He was not sure how enchanted lamps could work as a secondary weapon, but if he asked about everything he did not understand about this world, they would be there for hours.

  You have received: Spirit Dagger. Damage 2.4. Speed 1.1. Range 0.3.

  The scabbard was all white and felt like painted wood. He unsheathed the dagger to look at it. The blade glistened silver in the moonlight.

  “And this too,” said Mairin, handing him the belt.

  Seiki looked at it and hesitated.

  “You’re not even wearing a belt,” insisted Mairin. “It will be a huge stat boost for you.”

  “It’s… sparkly,” said Seiki.

  Mairin giggled.

  “I’m sure it would look really nice on you,” Seiki added hastily. He was not sure why he said it, but for some reason he really thought so.

  Mairin gave him an appreciative nod. “Righty. If you say so. Actually, this would be an upgrade for me.”

  Mairin has received: Spirit Belt. +18 defense.

  She took off the one with +12 defense she was wearing and replaced it with her new acquisition. She spun around once, her light long skirt twirling about her ankles. The pearls on her hairpin sounded softly against one another.

  “You’re right. It’s kinda pretty,” she said.

  “Want to see something prettier?” Kentaro said, sounding extremely pleased.

  The houshi had been sitting on the ground ever since he got his loot, and Seiki had not been paying attention to what he was doing. Now the man was sitting in the middle of a pile of cotton and fabric.

  “Behold!” the houshi cried, his voice ringing with pride. In his hands was a long cape, subtle blue in color, with silver linings on the bottom. He then gave it a little shake, and a wisp of smoke came out of it.

  “Where did you get that?” Seiki asked. He concentrated on it to get the details. Blue Spirit Cape. +28 defense. +2% energy regeneration.

  Kentaro puffed out his chest. “I made it.”

  “Just now?” Seiki was rather impressed. It had only been less than five minutes.

  “Oh, yeah. I’ve got all the ingredients and equipment on me,” said Kentaro, still shaking the cape and admiring its misty effect.

  Mairin grinned. “He carries his sewing kit everywhere, so he’s always running out of bag space.”

  Seeing that, Seiki was no nearer to understanding. Kentaro explained. “Let’s just say that all crafting skills are… simplified. You just need to collect all the right “ingredients”, a misnomer, by the way, and you do a few simple moves, and, voila!”

  The houshi jumped up to his feet and immediately put his crafted cape on. “Spirit Essence is a pretty rare ingredient. Only this old loom lady drops it consistently.”

  Marin whispered to Seiki. “I bet he’s going to get tired of it in two weeks.”

  Seiki tried concentrating on the cape again, seeing if he could get any more information.

  Blue Spirit Cape. +28 defense. +2% energy regeneration. Crafted gear. Made by Kentaro. Required ingredients: Spirit Essence (x1), Silver Thread (x8), Cotton Bolt (x40), Small Pearls (x4), Enchanted Scroll: Greater Defense (x1). Required skills: Tailoring (Level 5), Enchanting (Level 4).

  He then realized there was this whole different side of gameplay that he never knew existed, and it sounded much more complicated than he had ever imagined.

  “Those Silver Threads cost me a pretty penny,” said Kentaro, as if he knew Seiki was inspecting his new gear.

  Mairin laughed. “Kentaro spent all his gold on them so he couldn’t afford his third special ability yet.”

  “I didn’t know you needed money to learn new abilities,” said Seiki.

  “Not always, but you need cash for the third one for every class,” said Mairin. “Mine did, and I have to save up money to rescue my useless fox brother from some pet shop.” She then shot her three little heals at Seiki, perhaps just to illustrate what ability she was talking about. “But sometimes it’s a quest. And I’ve heard there are some secret techniques you get from treasure chests and rare monsters in dungeons.”

  “Nice,” said Seiki. With the amount of new knowledge he was getting, he was starting to think that perhaps this game would last him a lifetime after all, a thought both comforting and slightly worrying at the same time.

  “Any thoughts on which class you’re going to choose?” asked Mairin.

  �
��Well, I like my Focused Strike,” confessed Seiki. Again, he knew it sounded a bit silly, but it was the first special move he had ever learned, and he was growing rather attached to it. He presumed that everyone started out the same at Manji’s house and, once they chose their classes, their first ability got modified accordingly. It would be a pity if he had to give up Focused Strike.

  Mairin thought for a moment. “I think samurai and ronin both keep their Focused Strike, but they do it with a sword, somehow.” She mimicked the move, holding an imaginary sword in her hand. Then she told Seiki, “You’ll do very well with a sword.”

  “I hope so,” he said, slightly regretting the fact that he never picked up kendo.

  “Mine became a Kitsune Dash,” she said. Then, in a puff of smoke, she turned into a white fox and shot forward very quickly before she started to run around Kentaro.

  Seiki secretly took a peek.

  Kitsune Dash. Transforms the user into a fox spirit, increasing running speed by 45%. The initial dash also deals moderate damage to all enemies within their path.

  Mairin turned back into human form in front of Kentaro. “Are you done admiring your cape yet? We haven’t got all day, you know, and Seiki has stuff to do.”

  That reminded Seiki that it had been much longer than ten minutes they had promised, and he wondered if it was too late.

  Kentaro got up. “Let me give you something.”

  Kentaro wants to trade.

  You have received: Cotton Socks. +5 defense. Inner feet slot.

  You have received: Cotton Hand Wraps. +5 defense. Hand slot.

  You have received: Black Yukata. +9 defense. Outer body slot.

  You have received: Black Obi. +4 defense. Waist slot.

  Seiki stared at the gifts. “Isn’t this too much?” he asked, uneasily.

  “It’s nothing at all,” said Kentaro. “These are just low-level tailoring items that I can make right now. We’ve got a surplus of Cotton Balls.”

  “Thanks,” Seiki said, suddenly acutely aware of how many empty slots he still had. He wondered if that was why fighting the Old Lady spirit had been so difficult.

  They slowly made their way back toward the road. By now, the sun was starting to creep up to the horizon and the eastern sky was painted in a shade of blushing pink. Small birds could be heard chirping among the grass. Seiki noticed on the way back that the Ittan-Momen were nowhere to be seen now that it was day, and the grassland was refreshingly beautiful. He could not help but sigh as he took a deep breath.

  “Follow this road and you’ll reach Shinshioka in a little,” said Mairin as they arrived at the dirt road where Seiki had gotten off the horse cart earlier that night. “Are you sure you don’t want us to come with you?”

  “I could use a stroll right now,” Seiki said. “To appreciate all this.” He gestured at the scenery.

  The first rays of the sun were already breaking through the low clouds and felt warm on his skin. It reminded him of places he had been before, when life was young and exciting and full of hope. Mairin and Kentaro whistled to their horses and waved good-bye as they rode away. Seiki could see them take a turn in the distance down some other path. Some other adventure.

  Once he was alone, he started his casual walk down the path. The air was light, the road empty, and he was filled with a strange sense of contentment. He realized he was actually looking forward to something: Shinshioka, with all its unknown promises which, for the first time in a long while, gave him that familiar feeling of being awake and alive.

  Chapter 05

  It was high noon in Shinshioka when Seiki finally located the inn near the West Gate. The streets around were so busy that, at first, he did not notice the flag out front which only had Japanese characters on. To Seiki’s surprise and delight, with a little extra attention, he could easily read it—in a way not dissimilar to getting information to appear in his head whenever he inspected other objects or people. The big red flag that read ‘Ichikeya Inn’ hung in front of a two-storied wooden building on a wide lane that led to the city’s western gate.

  Seiki had reached Shinshioka shortly after day break, and he had found it to be more than he ever expected. The city, a labyrinth of streets and lanes, was built on the foot of a small hill, and it was tightly packed with two-storied buildings of all purposes. A lot of them were shops and stalls selling everything imaginable, from fans to carved wooden toys to food and weapons. Then there were buildings that appeared to be residences, and also walled properties that were manors and temples. Even when Seiki made it his first priority to find the inn, it still took him quite a while to navigate the busy streets and find his bearings.

  Compared to the South Gate, through which Seiki had entered the city, the West Gate was a spectacle. The metal-studded gate stood higher than the neighboring buildings and was painted red and black, with large golden characters proclaiming it ‘Gate of the White Tiger’. On two sides were towers heavily manned with city guards, watching over the steady stream of riders that went in and out.

  Ichikeya Inn was located at a corner of the main street and a smaller alley, only a stone’s throw from the West Gate, making it a popular spot for people to lose themselves in the perpetual hustle and bustle.

  Seiki noticed a few horses tied outside the inn. Beside them, Yumiko [Level 17], in a pink kimono, was advertising her crafted enchanted bags at a discount.

  As Seiki was about to enter the inn, he heard shouts coming from behind him. In a cloud of dust, two men, Heisuke [Level 6] and Naoto [Level 7], were locked in a violent struggle on the ground. An enthusiastic crowd quickly gathered around them, cheering excitedly. Naoto suddenly vanished for a very brief moment and reappeared behind his opponent’s back. Heisuke struck out with his short sword. Seiki guessed they were using special abilities.

  An arrow swished through the air from afar and struck Heisuke in the back and he immediately collapsed. Seiki stared at the man’s corpse.

  Heisuke [Level 6]. HP 0/105. Lootable.

  Before Seiki could understand what had happened, another arrow flew.

  Naoto [Level 7]. HP 0/139. Lootable.

  The crowd booed as a man in green and brown leather armor, Seizou of the West Hills [Level 19], appeared, holding a long bow in his hand. “Took care of these lowly pests.” The man smirked.

  Someone from the crowd leapt forward. Tadahiko of the Masterless Samurai Clan [Level 21] rushed at the archer with his sword, yelling, “Now you’re asking for trouble!” There was a smoke explosion as Ryosei [Level 16] also joined in the fray.

  An excited yell came from the crowd, “Brawl!”

  More and more people started to rush in with brandished weapons.

  “I didn’t know you could do that,” Seiki muttered to himself as he took a few steps back.

  He heard laughter from beside him. At first he saw no one, then he looked down and noticed a tiny old lady standing next to him: Yubaba [Level 4], dressed in a dark gray kimono, matching the gray of her hair, which was in a tidy bun and held together with a red pin. “Oh, the busy city life!” she said. “That’s why I keep myself at Level 4, you see.” She laughed again hoarsely.

  Seiki took a few more steps back as the chaos in front of him grew larger and larger in diameter with whisking swords, staves, and multi-colored explosions from several special abilities he did not recognize. He ducked as a wayward arrow came whizzing his way. One arrow went straight at Yubaba, but the old lady just chuckled as it passed straight through her body, doing no damage.

  “Want to join in the fun?” Yubaba asked. “You’re Level 6, so you can just jump in, get a few hits in, see if you can loot anybody.”

  Now that the old lady had mentioned it, Seiki realized that it was part of the reason why so many people entered the brawl. Wataru [Level 10] was trying to sneak up to loot the two bodies, but he was struck by a stray shuriken and pulled into the frenzy. Seiki took note that Seizou of the West Hills [Level 19] and Chiaki [Level 12]
were now also dead on the ground.

  “Hey, no need to look so serious,” said Yubaba, noticing Seiki’s slightly disturbed expression as he stared at the bodies that were now wantonly piling up. “They will just wake up in the morgue.”

  Suddenly, someone yelled, “Patrols!”

  The crowd let out a collective cry of dismay, and then immediately dispersed in every direction like bees from a nest. Seiki had to stand aside, his back against one parked horse cart, to avoid being trampled.

  Down the street, five or six City Patrol [Level 30 Elite], in official uniform of jet black with red rims, could be seen galloping in on black horses.

  “Why run?” Seiki turned to ask Yubaba, who had decided to take refuge behind him.

  “That’s city rules for you. You can attack other players, but you’d better not get caught by the City Patrols.”

  “What happens if you do?”

  “Nothing much, really. It’s more a bother than anything. You get teleported straight to the City Prison and have to spend half an hour there, or your clan mates can bail you out.”

  The city officers were closing in. From horseback, the officers grabbed the fleeing crowd from behind, using an instant ability that caused them to fall onto the ground. Another officer waved his hand, as if casting a spell, and their prisoners disappeared into thin air. Haru of the Red Dawn Clan [Level 11] cursed at them as he was zapped away.

  “Do we need to run?” asked Seiki, uncertain. Prison did not sound very pleasant right now, especially after he had spent all that time looking for this inn.

  Yubaba cackled. “As long as you didn’t hit anybody, the Patrols won’t touch you. First time in the city, are you?” She rooted around in her large cloth bag. “Here.”

  Yubaba wants to trade.

  You have received: Basic Healing Potion. Restores up to 300 HP.

  Seiki was confused. “Why are you giving me this?” Considering that 300 HP was more than twice his total health, this seemed like a ridiculously expensive gift.