New Leaf+ had been relatively small, and it would have been possible to count its NPCs on one hand (for some races anyway). But, Sprigfield Town was entirely different.
The best way to describe Sprigfield Town was "brown": the light brown of wood, the deep brown of ancient rocks, the tanned brown of leather, and even the cooking smoke looked freaking brown!
Surprisingly the brown still gave it a charming look. It looked rustic yet full of life, especially with the NPCs and players rushing about.
As Jack reached the town entrance, a man suddenly stopped him.
"Hey there, fellow! You can't just head in. You have to pay the entrance fee! It's 50 silvers!" The guy thundered, his hand extended forward.
The man had the pleasant odor of booze and vomit, mixing together in an indescribable aroma. He had made an effort to clean up, but he still looked 100% like a drunken rat.
Had there been an ocean nearby, his long black beard and his lazy eye would have perhaps made him look like a pirate…
"Hurry up. I don't have all day! I'm part of the militia. See this?!" He pointed at an emblem on his left shoulder. It featured a pitchfork, a sword, and a shield.
The emblem was as real as the tax fake.
Muffled, knowing chuckles resounded in the background.
"Here you go! I hope this covers it. The rest is for your great service!" Jack "kindly" gave the man 60 silvers, the NPC's face lighting up as much as Christmas lights.
"Thank you for your kindness, Sir! Your generosity will forever be remembered!" He grinned happily, inwardly thanking the heavens for this naive sucker!
The players instantly laughed their asses off.
"Pfft— Dumbass!"
"I can't freaking believe it!"
"Idiot, he's gonna drink it all!"
"You should have stayed in the Tutorial!"
"As expected of faction-less peeps! So dim-witted!"
The last comment made it painfully obvious that there were plenty of organizations around even without the guild system unlocked.
The ones laughing all adorned specific items:
– Red Roses
– Rabbit Paws
– White Feathers
– Shiny Green Gems
– More…
Each of those either came from the Tutorial or from the low-level mobs in the area. They wore it as a mark of pride as it showed their affiliations.
Jack couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. These blokes couldn't even afford emblems!
They were akin to rich kids flaunting their wealth in school, knowing that there were not enough regular players (yet) to contest their reign. (Hence why no one had warned Jack)
It had been the same in New Leaf with the Mighty Wolves and the Mighty Dragons, except that he had converted/annihilated them both.
"Brother, if you hurry up, you might get your money back…." A non-affiliated player kindly remarked, getting dark looks.
[Got Scammed?! What Will You Do?]
The scamming drunkard was long gone by now, having "sneakily" left at the first opportunity. That's when Jack finally went after him.
Right at the town entrance were plenty of posters. As soon as he looked at them, he was instantly assaulted by a flurry of notifications.
[Bounty: Hunt the Naked Pervert!]
[Bounty: Find the Lost Catgirl!]
[Work: Join the Adventurer Guild!]
[Work: Become a Test Subject!]
[Work: Join an Association!]
[Duty: Join the Militia!]
Bounty, work, duty: it was all the freaking same! Why the distinction? Because the bounty hunters and the Empire peeps were too proud to "work" (for different reasons).
Still, that one Bounty sure looked interesting: 5G for a wild Masochistic Naked Monk! Surprisingly he was already a star in his own way. Jack would have to congratulate him!
"Thanks for all those nice quests, system. Now I can ignore them all at once!" Jack spoke to empty air, many wondering if he had a screw loose. As if the system would ever reply!
"Alright, we have to find the nearest bar. I'm counting on you, Moon Moon! Find the booze. You know, that world spinning liquid."
"Woo!" (Understood!)
The little wolf nodded its head solemnly, its eyes still bulging from the sights. This task was easy since "booze" had a very strong smell. It quickly led the way.
Jack chuckled as he saw Moon Moon's tail wag harder every time they'd encounter an NPC with a food stall. It seemed most were selling either vegetables or boar/rabbit meat.
Before long, they arrived at the <Drunken Sailor>….quite a peculiar name for a tavern nowhere near any water.
The NPC bouncers at the door looked surprised by the orange wolf, but let them in.
"Woo?!" (Shocked!)
As Moon Moon entered, it couldn't help but jump in surprise. The smell of barbecue and "booze" was so heavy. Was this paradise?!
In the back, there was a stage with weird human females dancing. Wait…why did some have fur?! Moon Moon was confused but then focused its gaze on what mattered…meat!!
"Now, where's our new friend?" Jack chuckled as he scanned the establishment.
Oh? There were two Demi-Human dancers: a bunny and a raccoon. This was probably all thanks to his wish. You're welcome, world.
Pretty much all patrons were NPC townfolks enjoying their supper. After all, most players were busy questing or leveling up.
Then he finally found his target. At the bar, the scammer had just ordered a shitload of beers and was busy ferrying them one after the other back to his table.
Jack quickly walked toward him.
"Let me help you with that." He kindly offered.
"Thanks, but I'm— IT'S YOU?!" He instantly got defensive. "It's too late: I already spent it all. There's left. I also need to get shit-faced today. It's a medical condition!"
Jack followed the NPC to his table, sitting right next to him.
"Now, why don't we discuss how you're going to repay me?" Jack gave a warm smile.
"Repay? What repay? Bugger off and let me drink in peace! Let this be a lesson! You should ask around next time." The drunk shrugged dismissively.
Jack remained sitting, perfectly calm as he had expected this much. He simply slipped a few coins to Moon Moon.
"Woo!" (Thank you so much!!!)
Master was the BEST!!! The little wolf happily went to give the coins to the human at the bar, pointing at what it wanted with its paws. The meat looked so delicious!!
Many couldn't help but gasp:
"Am I dreaming or is this wolf fucking ordering?!"
"You're drunk! There's no way that— It really is?!"
"Is there a tamer in town? Those guys are super rare!"
Moon Moon didn't care one bit that it had become the center of attention. It only cared about the dish the shellshocked human was bringing him.
The only ones not paying attention were Jack and the scammer. They were locked in an endless staring contest:
"You really should repay your debt, you know." Jack would nonchalantly say.
"No! No, no, no, and no! No freaking way! Get lost, kid!" The scammer would repeat non-stop.
It would have probably kept going if two NPCs didn't suddenly appear at the door. As soon as the scammer noticed them, his eyes lit up with mad joy. It seemed like his backing had arrived…
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! 🔥
Day 15: Scammers be scamming! 💸 ^_^v