Boy Meets Ai

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Dammit! "

Seiko was furious. After his encounter with the knight, he had searched for hours through the winding tunnels for another vein but found nothing. The mine was devoid of all resources. He picked up a bucket on the ground and hurled it at a wall. It shattered into splinters as Seiko screamed every profanity he knew into the darkness. Eventually the ranger had to come to terms that his mission was a wash. He headed out of the mine, physically and emotionally exhausted.

The trip back down the mountain was harder. The weight he carried wasn't from the loot he hoped to find but instead it was his thoughts. Everything was riding on this trip. If he came back empty handed, he wasn't sure how long he would have a roof over his head. The landlord was already threatening to evict him any day now if a payment wasn't made. He couldn't go back to living with his aunt and being homeless didn't seem like a much better option. There were no other mines or dungeons in this area, it was the worst case scenario. Seiko pulled up his map HUD, hands trembling. His eyes scanned the map desperately. The trail he took to gold tooth was laid out and just off that, deeper in the forest was a marker. A symbol of a black bear signified where Seiko had encountered the Kolborne. The harshness of his reality solidified. The only option left to turn a profit was likely stowed away in the orcs' encampment.

Seiko trudged with his head down, trying to come up with a strategy, a plan of attack. The closer he got to the camp, the more certain he was that there was no chance of success. Hopelessness washed over him. His stomach soured with fear. The day glided from noon to evening and the amber rays of sunlight fell on the trees. Seiko looked up to see the pine needles glittering orange and gold. They were ablaze with the glorious luminescence. It was then that an idea sparked in him. If he could catch the orcs off guard, creating a larger threat that they would need to address, then he could sneak in and out of their tent with their treasures before they knew what happened. The ranger picked up his pace. His strategy took full shape as he began to prepare for the first step. Seiko took out his flint and steel. He had several fires to start and not much time.

The smoke was rising in big gray plumes. Seiko watched the orc camp through his binoculars. The smell of burning underbrush started to draw their attention. He saw them look around confused and angry. Good. They were likely starting to realize that the smell was coming from all around them. Seiko had created a ring of fire around the camp and hid in a rocky outcropping nearby. The orcs saw the smoke and sensing an attack, split into search parties and rushed out in every direction. They bellowed savage battle cries as they tore through the tree line. The fire ring was around half a mile away. If everything went to plan, Seiko would have plenty of time to raid their treasure tent and make a safe getaway. As the last orc party made their way east, he slid from his hiding spot and made a dash for the patchwork tent. Seiko moved from tree to tree for cover, being extra cautious not to be spotted. He broke into a full sprint as soon as he hit the edge of the encampment, slicing through the fabric as he slid into the tent. What he saw on the interior made a smile break out across his face.

Jackpot! The interior had several chests spilling over with glittering gems and fine multicolored silk. The treasure trove was one of the biggest he'd seen, likely fit for a party big enough to take down the orcs in battle. Seiko did some quick calculations. The chests had enough material to pay out about 70% of what he needed. He tapped one of them and a loading bar appeared to show the loot was being transferred to his inventory. Better than nothing but still, Seiko searched desperately for anything else of value. Time was ticking by, and his window of escape was quickly closing. He tore up the place, looking through the bunks and piles of bone for anything valuable. His search became more and more frantic with each passing moment.