Chapter 3
Isamu efficiently levels up to 8 and returns to the Starting Town.
The town is now bustling with many players, a stark contrast from just two hours ago.
As expected, most of them are young and attractive men and women.
There are only a handful of unremarkable middle-aged men like himself, and those that are present have small children accompanying them.
They are likely playing together as parent and child.
Previously, Isamu would curse under his breath whenever he saw them, but today, a creepy grin spreads across his face.
And for good reason – he’s about to give those normies a taste of their own medicine.
He can hardly contain his excitement.
To scope out his prey, Isamu moves to the central plaza of the town and takes a seat on a bench installed around the fountain.
(Now, who should I target?)
His eyes dart around, searching for a suitable player.
Pairs are out of the question.
If they turn out to be experienced VRMMO players, there’s a chance he could lose in the worst-case scenario.
Yankee-looking types are also a no-go. They’re simply too intimidating.
He also rules out men who are moving about in a hurry.
They likely wouldn’t pay him any attention.
Therefore, Isamu’s ideal target is a player who is walking alone at a leisurely pace and appears to be timid.
(Oh!)
It doesn’t take long for him to spot a target fitting that description.
A boy, likely a high school student.
Not plain, but with an air of seriousness about him – a typical honors student type.
He’ll probably get into a decent university, land a respectable job, and eventually marry a reasonably attractive woman to build a happy home.
Having gone off on this tangent in his mind, Isamu arbitrarily designates him as an enemy.
Moreover, the boy is glancing around like a country bumpkin visiting the city for the first time.
Judging from his reaction, this is probably his first time playing a VRMMO.
Isamu selects him as his first target and slowly approaches.
「H-Hey there. Is this your first time playing a VRMMO by any chance?」
An unremarkable, middle-aged man acting suspiciously while calling out to a high school boy.
He’s practically a suspicious person, but the boy responds with a bright expression, not showing the slightest hint of displeasure.
「Ah, yes! That’s right.」
「I-I see. Um, I was wondering…」
「Yes?」
「Would you like me to show you the ropes? I actually have experience from the beta test!」
「Huh, is that okay? But why me?」
The boy naturally voices his doubts.
「W-Well, it’s tough to know what to do when you’re just starting out, right? When I first played a VRMMO, someone knowledgeable kindly helped me out a lot. S-So, I thought I’d pay it forward…」
In response, Isamu hurriedly rattles off a plausible explanation.
It’s exceedingly creepy and suspicious, but the boy seems to perceive him as a kind person.
「If that’s the case, I’d be very grateful! To be honest, I had no idea what to do and was at a loss.」
He lowers his head slightly as he replies.
「G-Great! I’m Sieg. And you are…?」
「I’m Leon!」
「Leon, right? N-Nice to meet you. Well then, I’ll teach you various things, so would you mind following me?」
「Nice to meet you too! Yes, understood!」
(Heh heh. Totally clueless that he’s being tricked.)
Inwardly gloating over his successful catch, Isamu sets off toward the magic circle that leads to the Rookie Forest.
Along the way――
「So, Leon. Are you playing alone?」
「Yes. I was planning to play together with my friends, but it seems they came down with a fever. I had no choice but to start on my own.」
「I-I see. That’s too bad.」
(Ha! ‘Together with friends,’ my ass. …Well, whatever. I’ll show him hell soon enough.)
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