Auntie toasts the VRMMORPG

2.79 Skin Carver

Leaving the Flowerland teleporter's location, a tent-town named Shantislav, Flora glided over white plains and hills. So far, she had spotted zero flowers. Maybe in the summer, the island would be truer to its name.

After modifying Nitro for golem use, Flora assigned it and Hurry Up to the Accordion Golem. The Mover could reach 250 km/h on its own. Boosted by the two spells and tailwind, Flora guestimated they averaged around 400 km/h.

Flora left Aidan to find their way and logged into the workshop and simulation grounds. Nothing sweetened travel time like a nice nap.

When Flora woke up, they were close, so she exited the workshop. Grey clouds moved over the mountain scenery. They hung very low in the sky. When Flora looked down, she estimated that they were just a few dozen meters above the ground but nearly touched the clouds.

Flora furrowed her brows. "Aidan.... Is this smoke?"

"Yes, Milady. A volcano is erupting a few kilometers westward."

"Ohhh!" Flora fidgeted. She wanted to watch a volcanic event! "Let us take just a quick peek!"

As they flew closer, the smoke thickened. Flying near the melting snow, they approached the mountain. To Flora's regret, no lava flowed. But when they surpassed the caldera's edge, they could watch the bubbling lava lake.

The HP of the Mover sank, and it grew a tad warm inside. Still, Flora opened the lid and threw a loaf of untoasted bread down. "My offering to the most awesome natural toaster of the world." On second thought, she added a slice of cheese. Now, Flora felt satisfied.

"Take us to the Skin Carvers, Aidan."

On the way out, Flora caught the sight of a portal nested in the caldera's wall. "Did you see that?"

"Yes, Milady. It's the entrance to the Lava Gauntlet, a jump-and-run instance for one player. The XP Grind in Tricky Beach was inspired by it and functions as a training tool for this challenge."

Flora laughed. "Remind me after the carving lessons."

A few minutes later, they reached a high plateau, and Aidan slowed down. Snow covered the ground, except for some curious round spots where iridescent rocks shimmered. Just as Flora inspected one of them, a geyser shot into the air, which solved the mystery.

The Skincarver tribe had settled next to some hot springs. Steaming creeks had cleared the snow out of the area, and tents on wooden platforms stood above them. Sheep looked for the few bushels of grass, and red and green orc children played between the tents.

Aidan landed them a hundred meters away from the settlement. A male green orc came towards them with a smile on his face, but a bit behind him stood a red orcish woman with a drawn revolver. Thankfully, she didn't point it at Flora. Both dressed like hillbillies, in jeans, leathers, and furs. Red scars adorned their arms, carved in runic patterns.

"Greetings, stranger," The male orc said. "What brings you to our tribe?"

Flora glanced at his badge.

Name: Timothy Olaphsen

Class: Trader

Level: 4 (89)

Rating: B

RGS: 3

"Hello, Mr. Olaphsen. Nice to meet you." Flora realized that she hadn't brought any gifts. She had failed to visualize the situation beforehand. Remembering Mia's briefing on manners, she tried out a light bow. It seemed silly, but at the same time, it felt oddly fitting. "I would like to learn more about the Skin Carver class."