The Status Window Disappeared

Black Flag Pursuit (3)

The people in the narrow and dark room let out a bewildered drool at the news from Milta Kingdom that Chris had been visiting.

It was in the darkness where they couldn’t even see each other’s faces, but no one felt uncomfortable with that fact.

Rather, it made me feel safe to be like this.

“A missing player from the Pochinki branch is making things difficult… There are already three branches hit by him.”

“Even epic items were stolen in Benicia… … .”

How much effort did the people here put into the kingdom of Milta, where the player king reigns.

They were extremely reluctant to expose their identities, but this Chris could not be left alone, both rationally and emotionally.

One of the personnel in the room suggested in a heavy voice.

“We need to form a chase team and catch him. We must see the end before this becomes known to him.”

“I agree with that opinion.”

“Is there anyone who will object?”

Everyone in the room came to an amicable agreement and moved on to the next issue.

“Then, how do we deal with the person who has the player’s status window? Should I move it somewhere else right now?”

“Anyone moving or sending reinforcements can draw unnecessary attention. For now, let’s leave it as is. He won’t be able to pinpoint him anyway.”

“It’s best to deal with it before it gets there. If there are people to send reinforcements, I’d rather put them in the pursuit team.”

* * *

That night.

Chasers aiming for Chris from all over the continent began to act.

In the meantime, Chris, who was out of the realm of Milta Kingdom, finished preparing for camp and took out a magic tool for disguise.

‘Then let’s change the disguise soon… … .’

Originally, it was Chris who worked as a mercenary in various parts of the continent.

He prepared a set of false identities to be used in each province, just in case.

Chris in the South and Midwest, Deken in the East.

After taking some time to recalibrate the magical tools, Chris became a completely different person.

He leaned against a tree to rest, much more relieved.

Harnox he killed was a scum with no excuses, but since he was a king in name, he wouldn’t be relieved if he didn’t do this.

He continued to run towards the northeast, avoiding large cities and people for a while.

I was a bit anxious about giving the black flag another shot, and above all, trouble is arising here and there because the storm has passed.

There aren’t many cases of rebellion like the Milta kingdom, but… … .

It is not uncommon for starving peasants to turn into bandits.

As for Chris, I wanted to avoid a needless collision, even if it meant turning around a little.

However, avoiding people was the same as avoiding villages and inns.

Because he couldn’t wash properly and couldn’t sleep properly, Chris became a beggar in a few days.

After about a week of wandering on the mountain road, it finally starts to rain.

‘… I’ll have to find a place to stay for the night somehow.’

Being homeless on a rainy day is really not something to do.

In the worst case, you have to find a cave and avoid the rain.

Having made that decision, Chris stopped advancing northeast and began to scan the surroundings.

It is difficult to find villages or cities now because they have already come deep into the mountains.

Encouraging the ghost horse, he wandered through the mountains and found human footprints just before the sun went down.

It is not a path that woodcutters or herbivores can walk, so the owner of these footprints must be the inhabitants of the mountain.

As we walked through the grass, we soon saw a small cabin.

It was well built, though small, and with a shed attached, it looked like it could house a horse.

Chris nervously knocked on the door.

“Are you inside? A traveler passing by. I would really appreciate it if you let me stay for one night.”

“Oh, what kind of guests are you here?”

The door opened and a young and pretty woman appeared.

She immediately let Chris in the door and helped him out of the rain.

To the point where Chris was suspicious of his excessive kindness.

The man who was watching that scene said in a slightly angry voice.

“Sarah. What if you let a stranger in like that?”

In the man’s hand was a small bow and arrow.

The things hanging on the side wall are well-groomed leather and meat.

Apparently, these people live here hunting.

However, that hair color and skin are very familiar to Chris.

“Huh?”

The man who appeared to be the landlord was none other than the player.

He frowns as if he doesn’t like Chris’ reaction.

Then a woman called Sarah scolded him for that.

“James! You shouldn’t treat your precious guest like that. How hard it must have been to travel on a rainy day.”

“What is suffering… A decent guy wouldn’t walk around in a place like this.”

Well, this place is deep in the mountains, so it’s not a place that travelers can pass through.

Chris wouldn’t have come all the way here if it wasn’t to avoid prying eyes.

At this point, he made a proposal to a couple who were at odds with each other.

“I will pay the accommodation fee without regret. I can use the warehouse, so please let me stay for one night.”

Since it was a small cabin, there were not many rooms.

The wife’s side waved their hands at Chris’ words and laughed.

“What money do the people living here need? Sit over here and warm up a bit. I will put the words in.”

“Sarah… … .”

The hunter shook his head as if he couldn’t stop and lowered his bow.

Chris hurriedly dissuaded the woman and went to take care of the ghost horse, but the guy had already entered the warehouse on his own.

Sarah was friendly, so she asked Chris a lot of questions as he sat by the fire.

Chris takes a good look inside the cabin while telling a story about his travels.

A table with scratches in places and a fireplace covered with soot.

This cabin shows signs of age.

You must have lived here for at least a few years.

So it makes sense that that player was here before the disappearance of the status window.

To think that a player like him lived in the middle of a mountain like this… … .

It’s not easy to give up all the luxuries of being a player and get stuck in the mountains.

Of course, that wasn’t entirely unheard of either.

Occasionally, there are players who just don’t like murder or war.

Among them, those who do not go over even if they are persuaded by beauty and riches tend to hide in a corner avoiding people.

Each country doesn’t send the players who have been summoned with difficulty, but those who are about the size of the players can somehow escape.

Such people were not the target of Chris’ revenge.

Rather, they are the ones who want to help.

As if Sarah had noticed Chris’s gaze, she slightly changed her words.

“Does my husband look very strange? Travelers must have heard the story. Someone from another world that people call a player.”

“Oh, those people who have recently lost their powers?”

The hunter, who had an expression of displeasure at his wife’s words, made a slightly surprised expression.

Chris was then convinced that the hunter had also lost the status window.

The curse of the black flag seems to work well for those who live hidden deep in the mountains.

He internally adjusted the ratings of the guys upward, then focused on the hunter in front of him again.

It seems that this man harbored anxiety about the disappearance of his ability… … .

In a corner of a mountain like this, you wouldn’t have been able to hear the rumors of the world.

Indeed, the hunter seemed thirsty for information.

“Well, tell me more about that story.”

“That’s not difficult.”

Chris meekly released some of the information he found out.

When the hunter realizes that the disappearance of the status window is not his only problem, he looks greatly relieved.

He doesn’t seem to need the status window much as he lives a simple life here… … .

From what I could see, there seemed to be a Won Su-jin player somewhere.

As I was giving the hunter a rough idea of what had happened, the wife went to the restaurant and started making dinner while humming.

A little while later, what came to the table was a pie full of raspberries and nuts.

Although it is not luxurious, fresh ingredients are generously included.

Dessert came out with fruits that did not lose their fresh color.

Chris, fed up with food soaked in the rain, enjoyed a sumptuous meal for the first time in a while.

Chris, who even received a hot cup of tea, was able to fall asleep in pure favor for the first time in a while.

The room he was provided with was quite small, but more than cozy.

It was very pleasant to close my eyes while listening to the sound of the rain, buried under a cozy and warm blanket.

* * *

next morning.

Having been served a delicious breakfast, Chris took out some money and held it out before leaving.

But Sarah returned it to the end.

“Anyway, even if we received it, we couldn’t use it. Travelers, please put this money to good use.”

“Sarah is right. You just take it.”

Even James shook his head at that, but Chris was determined to pay off the debt somehow.

After thinking for a while, he released the magic tool and revealed his true self.

“Mmm.”

“What.”

Unlike Sara, who gave a slightly surprised expression, James raised his bow and was wary of Chris.

Chris said to reassure him.

“Take it easy. I don’t know who you were enemies with, but it was completely accidental that I got here.”

“Then, why are you showing your bare face now?”

“It will be easier to convince James this way. As a fellow player, staying here is not a very good option.”

James was upset at the news that other players’ status windows were also missing.

From noble mtl dot com

Maybe it’s because I don’t have very healthy relationships with others.

Besides, living alone in the mountains is inherently dangerous.

It was only when the status window was intact that I could repel the bandits or whatever came without a problem.

Hunter class players in particular are literally invincible when fighting on their home ground.

But now that is a thing of the past.

“What would have happened if it had been the thieves instead of me who visited this place right away? From the looks of it, it doesn’t seem like he’s built up a lot of mana… You might as well go down to the village until the situation is resolved.”

“Yeah, but I’m a player, so when I go to a city or village, I get into trouble for no reason.”

Chris sighed as the hunter retorted in a worried voice.

“There are also magic tools that give you disguises, like I just showed you. Of course, it’s not usually expensive, but… Even without it, it would be much safer than living here with your wife.”

Chris put the money bag back on the table again.

“Please use this as a settlement fund. Don’t forget my advice… Then I will go alone.”

Chris climbed the ghost horse and left the cabin as if he were running away, leaving the money behind.

It didn’t give me very much, but it should be enough until I find a safe town and work.

But has it been 10 minutes since we resumed our journey?

An ominous roar erupted from the direction of the cabin.

Chris was shocked, but worried about the happy couple, so he hurried the ghost horse.

Black smoke and acrid smell spread from afar.