Ren found another patch of disturbed soil three rows deeper into the orchard and stopped beside it.
Nothing moved.
He activated Burrow.
MP: 40/50
The ground swallowed him. This time, he was prepared for the sensation of soil closing over his head.
He pushed forward beneath the trees until something turned toward him underground.
Ren stopped. The movement stopped too.
Right. Tremor Sense.
Stealing one of the Burrower’s skills had not made the rest of its species forget how their own bodies worked.
Ren surfaced quickly. The Burrower erupted from the dirt almost beside him.
Ren threw himself away from the opening as its armored head broke through the ground.
The pruning hook clanged across its shell.
-7 HP
The creature screeched and charged.
Ren sidestepped and hooked the curved blade beneath the edge of its shell. The Burrower’s own momentum yanked the hook tight. Ren pulled hard and planted his boot against its side.
The creature tipped far enough to expose the softer flesh between two armored plates.
Ren struck.
Critical Hit
-24 HP
Right. Keen Bite wasn’t equipped. He noticed the difference immediately. Burrow had gotten him into position. Keen Bite would have made the hit better.
One slot.
Ren was beginning to understand exactly how annoying that number could become.
The Burrower’s forelimbs hit the ground.
Ren jumped back before it vanished.
He waited for the dirt to move, threw another fallen branch and watched the creature take the bait. This time he was already beside it when it surfaced.
The hook went under the shell. Two more hits finished the fight.
Orchard Burrower slain.
+12 XP
Level 2 — 37/250 XP
Pest Control: Orchard Burrowers
2/6
Ren rubbed his palms as he waited. No black window appeared.
He waited a little longer... Still nothing.
The first Burrower had offered three abilities. This one clearly possessed the same skills.
My life’s story. Get something good, then watch it scam me.
Frowning, Ren opened Plunder.
A message appeared beneath the ability description.
Plunder unavailable.
Orchard Burrower has already been successfully Plundered within the last 24 in-game hours.
Standard species cooldown active.
There it was.
Ren read the message once, then closed it.
That was probably for the best. Otherwise he could have spent the entire day killing the same creature until its whole ability list ended up in his Vault.
Efficient.
Also extremely boring.
He swapped Burrow back out.
Replace Burrow F with Keen Bite F?
Swapping requires a 10-second channel.
[YES] / [NO]
Ren selected [YES].
He killed the remaining Burrowers faster. Not more easily.
One surfaced beneath a tree root and sent dirt directly into Ren’s face. Another refused every branch he threw and stayed underground until Ren started walking again. That one earned a personal dislike. But once Keen Bite was active, every exposed gap mattered more.
Ren stopped trying to break the shell. He hooked legs. Forced turns. Waited for the soft underside. By the sixth Burrower, he no longer felt like he was fighting armored ground traps.
He felt like he knew the rules.
The last one rolled beneath the pruning hook. Ren planted a foot against its shell, dragged it onto its side and drove the curved blade underneath.
Critical Hit
Keen Bite F activated.
Orchard Burrower slain.
+12 XP
The quest updated.
Pest Control: Orchard Burrowers
6/6
Objective Complete.
Return to Orchard Keeper Della.
Ren pulled the hook free. No direct drop. No Plunder. He was beginning to take both personally.
Della was still beside the crates when he returned. She looked at the dirt covering his clothes. Then at the pruning hook.
"Still in one piece?"
"Of course I am."
"I was talking about the hook."
"Naturally." Ren handed it over.
Della inspected the blade, the shaft and the metal fitting near the head.
"You didn’t break it."
"I found the thirty-copper threat very motivating."
"Shame. I could’ve used another pair of hands for a few days."
"Do those come with employee benefits?"
"You get to eat what falls on the ground."
"Careful. You’ll attract applicants."
A notification appeared.
Quest Complete: Pest Control — Orchard Burrowers
Reward: 20 Copper
+75 XP
Level 2 — 160/250 XP
Ren checked his currency. Thirty copper, enough to buy one very small knife. Progress came in inspiring forms.
Della lifted one of the blue fruits from a crate. She noticed Ren looking at it.
"Those aren’t part of the reward."
"I was only looking."
"Very hungrily."
"Your orchard is becoming hostile again."
Della bit into the fruit.
"Come back when you need work."
That sounded suspiciously like approval. Ren left before she could take it back.
***
The western gate had changed while he was gone.
Not physically. The same guards stood beside it. The same carts rolled through. Players still crowded the road in both directions. But more of them looked like adventurers now.
A Swordsman passed him wearing a pair of reinforced leather gloves Ren had not seen earlier.
A Cleric had acquired a white cloth mantle embroidered with a simple silver symbol.
Two Mages near the wall were comparing identical pointed hats. One of them held his at arm’s length.
"I look ridiculous."
"It’s plus one Intellect."
"I look intelligently ridiculous then."
"Could be worse. The French guy in my party got a beret."
"That’s just racial profiling."
A Ranger walked past wearing new leather boots and carrying a proper shortbow instead of borrowed equipment.
Ren slowed. Three players nearby were comparing rewards.
"My Swordsman quest gave forty copper and these."
The first player raised both gloved hands.
His friend looked unimpressed.
"Forty?"
"And a whetstone."
"Cleric paid thirty and gave me the mantle."
The Ranger pointed at his boots.
"Twenty-five, boots, and twelve reinforced arrows."
"Only twelve?"
"Thirteen’s a bad number even in games."
"You’re Chinese."
"Exactly. Four already hates me. I’m not collecting another one."
"Thirteen’s Western."
"So what? Bad luck has gone international."
Ren looked down at himself. His first public quest had paid ten copper. His second had paid twenty. The farmer had loaned him a spear and Della had loaned him a gardening tool.
Meanwhile, people with classes were returning from their first class quests with money, equipment and actual weapons.
Ren had gotten exactly what the assessment clerk promised him.
Nothing.
He should probably have been more irritated. Instead, he looked at the Swordsman’s gloves and thought about Burrow.
The classes had started ahead. That part was obvious. He was less certain they’d stay ahead of him.
He continued toward Market Street.
The general-goods merchant recognized him.
"You found money."
"Yeah, on the ground, hiding behind six burrowers."
"Twenty-four."
"You could pretend to consider a discount for a hardworking man."
"All right." The merchant stayed silent for two seconds. "I considered it. Still twenty-four."
Ren placed the coins on the counter, clicking his tongue.
The merchant counted them, then handed him the harvesting knife.
────────
Basic Harvesting Knife
Grey Tool
Base Damage: 3–5
Improves yield from basic creature harvesting. Reduces the chance of damaging common materials.
────────
24 Copper spent.
Currency Remaining: 6 Copper
Ren turned the knife over in his hand. Small hooked blade, wooden grip, nothing impressive. Still the first piece of equipment that actually belonged to him.
That improved it considerably.
He stored the knife.
Six copper left. He could live with that.
A burst of shouting came from the open practice yard beside the western gate.
Ren almost ignored it.
Then someone yelled, "FIVE COPPER! I JUST NEED ONE MORE!"
Six copper suddenly felt much less sufficient.