The Hunter and the Mad Scientist

Chapter 4

Families, lovers, employees, automatons, steam wagons and pet dogs were scattered across the grass around the lake, and there was not a decent building nearby.

The smoke from the chimneys in the distance was also being dispelled by an air-purifying airship that circles twice a day.

[April 7, 1838. Nine Hodder was enjoying the wealth and leisure that the magic civilization and colonial trade had built up.]

This narration comes out but in the next moment, the color of the sky changed to a dark gray-green, and monsters poured over their heads. Percussion sounds heavier than screams and heartbeats, monsters that scream and urgent music.

The park fell apart as a dungeon appeared and the monsters devoured every moving creature inside it.

[When the dungeon disappeared, all that remained in the park was torn clothes, bloodstains, and bones with leftover flesh.]

Perhaps because of the deliberation, that part was not properly described. Only a round of black blood stains all over the park was shown.

Thirteen years later, the park’s name is ‘Memorial Park’. It was a place to reflect on and commemorate the terrible disaster of the day.

Esperanza also received a quest to find people in the park. The NPCs were all dressed in black, and none of them looked like they were out to play.

Perhaps that day, Count Avondale was there. He didn’t look like a person going for a walk in the park on the weekend, but he might have gone out on a trip that day.

With Esperanza, the sacrifice could be half, maybe even less. Lord Avondale is a mean person, but it was not difficult to decide to save him as she had already seen and talked to him.

But wasn’t Count Avondale supposed to die? What if she saves him and then won’t be able to get out of the game?

“Well. Uh-huh.”

‘Why can’t I go out in the first place? It wasn’t even a game 13 years ago? Besides, I came into the mansion of a person whom I know nothing about except his name?’

Operator, there must have been a better option than this!

Esperanza stretched out on the bed and groaned. What the hell is your intention?

After rolling for such a long time, something suddenly crossed her mind. Jack’s paper was crumpled up somewhere in the inventory. She completely forgot that it was an item. The most important piece of information Jack released was always in the quest window.

[Item: Jack’s note]

“It looks exactly like what was drawn on the item window.”

That was the impression that came to mind after she took it out and saw it. She could read the text of the Golden Claw universe, but it was difficult to decipher it because Jack had such a bad handwriting. After pondering for a long time, she was able to decipher a text of only six sentences.

Among them, Esperanza paid attention to the last sentence.

At other times, she would have said, “He’s fishing again,” but since she traveled through time to 13 years ago, this sentence did not appear to be an ordinary sentence.

‘Is it real?’

There was a golden claw in the world 13 years ago.

A legendary item that will eliminate the appearance of dungeons and bring peace to this world, an object that is ridiculed by users as a ‘MacGuffin’ because of its ability.

Proper information was never given in any quest about it. Whenever she went to find the Golden Claw, it was always a waste and a completely different story unfolded.

‘But 13 years ago……’

The Golden Claw may have already been lost or not found at the time of the game. But it could have existed at this point, 13 years ago, before everything started.

Then what needs to be done is obvious. Find the Golden Claw.

Suddenly, a window appeared that was not in front of her. Esperanza, who was sitting on her back, was surprised and fell on her butt.

[Quest: Find the Golden Claw!]

Progress: (0/???)

Completion Reward

―Title: Ruler of Time

-Item: Golden claw, Return Card (home)

It was real.

I used my return card a long time ago. It’s an item that allows you to return to the starting point when you can’t clear a dungeon at your level, but I’ve never gotten it since I reached the top 100 in the rankings because I felt uncomfortable being logged out. It was also a cash item but now I was more desperate than ever.

Alright, let’s find the Golden Claw, and go home.

When I had a sense of purpose, I thought of things I had to do one after another.

First I had to find someone who knows about the Golden Claw in this world without monsters or dungeons. I might be able to find a clue from Dr. Sullivan, a magic engineer.

So…Let’s get dressed properly tomorrow. What is needed now is a lady’s appearance that no one will be looking down on.

I don’t know what Dr. Sullivan is doing right now but he wouldn’t call the police if I suddenly visited him.

What should I do?

First of all, it is necessary to re-select clothes that are as fashionable as possible from the clothes I chose yesterday. I have no idea what the current trend is, but it won’t change to the point where I won’t be able to keep up.

The world in the original game wouldn’t change that steeply. With the help of the maids and Mrs. Lux, I should be able to get it done.

What do I need to do to pretend to be a lady?

The answer was simple. Money.

Esperanza opened her inventory and poured out bills, sighing deeply.

“It’s work, work.”

I’ll have to sort out the notes from before 1837, and the notes after. How long will it take? Three hours? Four hours?

I glanced at the sky outside the window. There are low rain clouds in the dim sky. As always, darkness hangs over the gray sky of Nine Hodder, who is damp.

I can’t sleep. Esperanza sighed as she collapsed on the rug, with her negligee up to her knees among the spilled bills.

Before the complete classification of pre- and post-1837 banknotes, her plans changed. It was because she thought that if she stayed here even after 1838, it would be okay to use the bills issued in 1838.

Eventually, four piles of paper were placed in the categories of pre-1837 notes, 1838 notes, 1839 notes, and subsequent notes were made. She didn’t have the energy to build them up one by one.

She put them in the inventory separately and washed her body. The bathtub connected to mana warmed the water with steam. A round bead was seen in the middle of the connected cogwheel.

It was a magic stone that contained magical power and shined as black as someone’s eyes.

“He said he was a magic engineer, so he installed these things at home. That’s great.”

Unless it was a fairly wealthy person, it would not have been possible to put magic stones in the bathtub of the house.

No matter how much water pours out of the mines north of the Nine Hodder it is very expensive to put mana into mana stones let alone build a machine sophisticated enough to operate the mana, and maintain it.

This means that no matter how wealthy Count Avondale is, it is a luxury that would not be granted without special favors and the Count offered such a favor without any emotion. That must mean that he values ​​this partnership.

“Was it too little to give him a sickle?”

It was a weapon I bought for achievements in the early game. After I started spending a small amount of money on the game, I gave it away easily because it was something I had no use for anymore.

‘Ms. Esperanza, why does a person with a high ranking carry such a weapon? What a waste of inventory. Throw that away and try this on. I think it will fit well.’

I remembered the words of Cyrus, who ranked 2nd in the game rankings. As if I were a beginner, I poured out the weapons I had raised.

I was in agony, blowing my fingers that were swollen in the bath.

Well, I think it was a bad idea to give him a sickle. I need to fix it.

* * *

It was after 3:30 p.m. that Esperanza met with the count again. A day has passed since entering the world 13 years ago.

If it was her original body, she might have woken up around twelve o’clock, but a Hunter’s body was full of stamina. No matter how aesthetic she looked, she had to get out of bed at half past eight.

After a quick breakfast, I followed Mrs. Lux around the house. There was nothing special, all the places that might have something special were the count’s private spaces. A study, a lab and a material storage room.

Still, the map of the mansion has changed from black to mostly color. The study I went to yesterday was also beautiful, and it was scrawled as “the study” in colorful cursive.

The mansion was excellent, but it was an antique and typical aristocratic mansion unlike a magic engineer’s house. Only the garage containing lifts and steam wagons used by old employees was like a mansion of this era.

Among the places I looked around, was a great stable and an indoor shooting range. I thought while sweeping the mane of the horse that seemed livelier than the time of the game.

‘There’s a steam wagon. Why do you keep a horse? Is it a hobby?

I also looked through the empty shooting range.

“This shooting range was built by the former Earl, and at that time, whenever the gentlemen gathered and fired their guns, it was noisy. Now that it’s soundproofed, you don’t have to worry about that.”

“Is it soundproof?” That’s quite….”

“It’s expensive.”

Mrs. Lux said firmly.

“The butler heard the price and tried to move on. You saw him yesterday, remember? Old Butler Howard.”

He looked about the same age as Mrs. Lux. But it wouldn’t be a good idea to make such a point. After my silent nod, Mrs. Lux, excitedly, continued her speech.

“But our Count installed soundproof walls all over the exterior walls. Isn’t he great?”

“That’s right.”

She had no choice but to agree because Esperanza bought a house in the game and decorated it herself, so she knew the approximate prices. Materials and technology were much more expensive now than they were in the future.