The houses in the city of Matthehorn were usually built of wood or large stones in simple designs. Only a few, like the church or the lord's mansion, were constructed with finer materials, resembling Renaissance architecture.
However, the hotel before Nawa's eyes was distinctly different in its architectural style. It looked like something from the human world.
Upon entering, Nawa found a spacious hall with wooden floors and walls, as well as wooden tables and chairs. The atmosphere was reminiscent of a bar in an 1980s cowboy movie. The only difference was that the walls, which should have been adorned with skulls of horned animals like buffalo or bull, were instead filled with the skull of a monster.
It had horns resembling a rhinoceros, but ten times larger than those on Earth. Nawa thought it was more likely a decorative replica than a real one, because if it were real, it could have been even stronger than an Elder-level monster in its time.
Nawa averted his gaze from the skull and looked around. He found only two or three customers inside the bar, which was very different from what he had expected. In Nawa's mind, at this time, players would be eating, exchanging information, or holding meetings to plan monster hunts.
Nawa decided to approach someone who seemed to be a hotel employee. She was a young woman in her early twenties, wearing a uniform like a receptionist in a five-star hotel.
"Are you a player?" Nawa asked, looking at the player equipment on the woman's ear.
"Yes," the employee replied, giving a small smile.
After talking to the employee, Nawa learned that the hotel belonged to Overall Company, a famous company that deals in the monster meat trade in this world. They had bought the land from the townspeople and opened this hotel, so all the employees were players.
Nawa was slightly surprised to learn that besides monster hunting, humans also conducted other businesses in The Oneness. It was as if The Oneness had become a part of the human world.
"Are there any rooms available tonight?" Nawa asked.
"Yes, there are. You're very lucky that we have many rooms available tonight. Normally, if you don't book in advance..."
"You'll never get a room," the female employee replied.
"Why?" Nawa asked, frowning in confusion.
"I don't know either," the employee replied politely.
"I was just called in a few hours ago. One of the staff members working today took a sudden sick leave. Normally, our hotel is almost always full, but for some reason, so many rooms have been checked out today."
Nawa had a premonition; he felt like this was related to him. Just as he was about to ask further, a voice spoke from behind him.
"How could there not be? It's just a bunch of cowards. Just seeing one Rank A redhead, they all fled the city. Such cowards, and they still have the nerve to make a living at The Oneness? Disgusting!"
The voice came from a middle-aged man holding a large, frothy drink.
"What? Are you saying there's a Rank A killer player here?" Nawa turned around, unable to hide his shock.
Nawa was convinced it was the same person who had killed the four members of the assassination team. Rank A players were extremely rare, and it was even rarer to find a Rank A player with a red-head status in such a small, remote town.
The middle-aged man said nothing, taking a large gulp of beer. Nawa, impatient, rushed to the man's table, sat down, and fired off questions without regard for manners.
"Where is that Rank A player?"
"Calm down, kid. I'm not old enough to be your uncle. If you want to know so badly, ask that staff member."
Nawa immediately turned to look at the female staff member. Normally, staff wouldn't disclose customer information, but this was a matter of life and death.
The staff member was also terrified, so she quickly checked the hotel's logbook. Since The Oneness had no CCTV cameras or computers, the staff recorded each day's events in a ledger.
"That's right. Besides you, there was only one other customer who checked in today. But we were fully booked, so we told them to come back tomorrow. Not long after that, we had a lot of customers requesting room cancellations."
The staff member finished speaking, her face... Her face instantly turned pale before she gasped in a trembling voice,
"N-no...is there really a Rank A murderer here?"
"Is it written in the logbook who reserved the room?"
Nawa shouted frantically, snapping the panicked female employee back to reality. She glanced at the logbook again before answering,
"Uh...no. It only says they are a dangerous individual."
Although she had anticipated the murderer wouldn't reveal their name to the staff, Nawa couldn't help but feel disappointed. Knowing the identity of the Rank A murderer would help her anticipate their actions.
The fact that someone with a red-headed status dared to enter a city with so many players—even if they were a Rank A player—was still dangerous. Especially with a legendary weapon, revealing their identity like this was even more improbable. The only reason Nawa could think of was that this Rank A murderer was looking for someone.
Thinking this, Nawa's heart grew increasingly agitated. If that were the case, there was a high chance that he would be the target of the other party. Nawa's mind was filled with countless questions.
If that Rank A murderer was really hunting him, would he still be able to stay in The Oneness? But if he didn't enter The Oneness, he couldn't save his father. The more anxious he became, the more confused his thoughts became, and his once sharp intellect dulled.
"Don't worry, little brother. Players of that caliber wouldn't care about low-ranked players like us. Or, if you're so scared, just book a room, log out, and go back to the world for a night. By the time you come back, that redhead will probably be gone."
What the drunken man said meant that time in The Oneness moved three times faster than time on Earth. If he returned to the world for a day or two, a week would have passed in The Oneness.
Even a Rank A player with the "red hair"status couldn't stay in one place for long, as they would become a target for bounty hunters.
Although the drunken man's words seemed unserious, they made Nawa realize a truth he had forgotten. The probability of that Rank A killer coming to this city to hunt him was extremely low.
In the eyes of someone of that caliber, Nawa was nothing more than an ant. Even if the killer wanted to get rid of him, it wouldn't be enough to risk his life coming into the city.
Or perhaps the killer had another reason for being in this city? Nawa thought to himself, his mind racing with possibilities. The killer might be meeting someone in this city, or perhaps there was another hidden agenda.
After considering everything, Nawa decided to stay at the hotel. Going out now wouldn't guarantee he wouldn't encounter the Rank A killer, and the notebook indicated that the killer would return tomorrow. Therefore, this was a safe place for now.
Nawa sat down at the table with the drunken man and introduced himself.
"Hello, my name is Nawa, a new player who just joined The Void a few days ago. As a thank you for your advice, may I treat you to a meal?"
"Thanks, young man, but if you want to show me respect, don't call me 'uncle.' I'm not that old. My name is Somkid, one of the first players; I've seen a lot."
"Just a Rank A red-haired monster doesn't scare me. A Marquis-level monster would be a different story."
"You've encountered monsters of that level before, big brother?"
Nawa asked with interest. Originally, he only intended to treat the other person to a meal to thank him. He hadn't expected the other person to be the one he was looking for.
Somkid was one of the first players to join The Oneness. Besides having extensive experience, he knew the terrain within the Yotandia Kingdom very well.
Seeing that Nawa was just a new player, Somkid gladly shared a lot of information and good advice without Nawa even having to ask. Nawa tried to offer money as a reward, but was met with an angry retort, accusing Nawa of belittling his kindness.
Nawa truly respected Somkid. In this day and age, finding someone so generous and kind was rare. Especially in The Oneness, a land where lives are at stake for profit, it was even rarer. Nawa didn't hesitate to add Somkid as a friend in the system.