◈ Episode 85. Blooming in the Swamp (2)
“What a f*cking mess.”
When I first saw that post.
I thought, “What a bunch of low level aggro.
-Guys, Lee Ho-yeol knows how to use swordsmanship, right?
You have to say something that makes sense.
“Ehhh. Look at the level.”
Who is Lee Ho-yeol?
A player who’s treated like the chief mage of the mighty Magic Tower. How about without that halo? After all the brilliant magical skills he’s displayed in combat, you’re being lured in by that?
Tap, tap, tap!
A keyboard tapping with a sigh.
Jurrrrrrrrrrr.
An updating comment window.
-Seriously, you’re talking bullshit.
-That’s not bullshit, is it?
-You sound like an idiot. Have you ever played arcana? -You’re not getting it.
You still don’t understand the situation.
You don’t even know what kind of game Arcana is.
Arcana doesn’t have a class system for nothing.
Let me give you an example for the hundredth time.
What if.
Lee Ho-yeol’s not a good player.
Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that he wants to learn swordsmanship and wields a sword.
-What, you think that’s going to make his swordsmanship skills will come to mind???
No, no matter how much he practiced.
No skill, no stats, no anything.
You can’t overcome the limitations of your class.
That’s Arcana common sense.
So it was only natural that the post would be treated as aggro.
But something was off.
“What’s this, group posting?”
Lee Ho-yeol raised his sword.
The nonsense continued on the board.
Normally, he would have thought it was just another guy looking for a part-time job.
But Alvarani.
That doesn’t make sense, does it?
” …… Why would Lee Ho-yeol quit his job?
What’s wrong with him?
No matter how hard I tried, there was no good reason.
Besides, this wasn’t a promotion or praise.
Lee Ho-yeol, a mage class wielding a sword.
It was bullsh*t, beyond common sense.
So naturally, my head rolled.
“What kind of filthy bastards are you?”
Lee Ho-yeol’s haters were out in force.
When you’re watching a community, you start to notice things.
The mouse starts to move sharply.
“Anyway, just wait till you get caught.”
Spreading rumors that are clearly false.
They’ll sneak in positive comments about themselves.
But then.
“……?”
No matter how hard you try to find it.
There was no mention of other guilds or players.
It was all about Lee Ho-yeol.
I felt my common sense crumble.
I couldn’t resist the feeling of embarrassment any longer.
“Okay. You’re only fooling me once. Me.”
With that thought in mind, I clicked on the NetTube link.
Soon, a screen appeared on the monitor.
There was Ho Yeol pointing a sword at the screen……!
“Crazy! What is this?!”
It happened.
This moment.
The battle between Ho Yeol and the [anaconda] was being broadcast to the world through dozens of cameras.
What that meant was simple.
This real-time footage was the real, unmanipulated reality.
“A level 530 monster just can’t do anything?”
There was one word to describe the battle.
Slaughter.
Ho Yeol was hunting an anaconda, the swamp beast of predators.
No, it wasn’t even a hunt.
He hadn’t moved once since the battle began.
“Wow. This is really different…….”
“Someone shouldn’t have to get stuck in mud like this.”
“This is the same Ho-Yeol who cleared a thousand level rift.”
The implications of that behavior.
It was the players who were hunting in the rift who realized it more deeply than anyone else.
Against an anaconda like that, there was no need to wield a sword.
“I didn’t have a good relationship with Harkon.”
He pointed his sword.
The stance also reveals Ho-yeol’s relationship with the Lionheart Knights.
It’s clear that Ho-Yeol is deeply connected to the Lionheart Knights.
The same posture as Harkon was proof.
“Maybe he’s taking up a position in their order.”
“It’s actually a guarantee. It won’t be a normal seat either.”
“The Harkon of Heaven calls him Lord.”
“Doesn’t that mean you’re friends with the Imperial family……?”
“No way!”
The most powerful military organization on the continent.
The most powerful knightly order in the Empire, the Knights of the Lionheart.
How could a player get a spot in both of those organizations.
And not just any seat, but a position?
The more I thought about it, the more I questioned Ho Yeol’s status.
“How did I not hear a single rumor about this?”
Even now, Ho-yeol’s presence is impossible to hide.
Surely, even when Arcana was a game, Ho Yeol would have made a name for himself.
But nothing came to mind. No stories about such an unusual player.
I’m seriously curious about his past!
The moment the players onlookers harbored such thoughts.
Thud.
An anaconda, a fierce predator.
His breath caught in his throat.
It was the end of a battle that could hardly be called a battle.
A swamp of predators.
A colosseum of battles.
The victor of that fierce battlefield.
Ho Yeol’s expression never wavered.
As if he was the only one in a different space.
No, just like the genre is different.
Yes, Ho Yeol’s appearance was so foreign and ancient.
Like a lotus blooming in a swamp.
*
……Truly, it’s a documentary.
You can’t let go of the tension even for a moment.
Real documentary in the extreme.
I checked my floating message.
[You’ve leveled up].
[Level up] [Level up] [Level up] [Level up] [Level up] [Level up] [Level up] [Level up
[You’ve leveled up.]…….
Still, the experience is comforting.
[Savage Predator Anaconda].
For its level, it spits out a lot of experience.
It wasn’t as much as a boss monster like a beast or a demon.
I had gotten my fill of them.
[Name: Grandfell Claudie Arpheus Romeo]
[Class: Demon Hunter]
[Level: 314]
[Stats]
Strength: 53 / Agility: 60 / HP: 244 / Luck: 5 / Aesthetics: 下]
[Points: 18]
That’s an 18-level gain in one fell swoop.
That’s a lot of leveling up for a low absolute level.
Sammosa like this is welcome.
Best of all, whether it’s three in the morning or four in the evening.
‘I’m not in a position to cover anything.’
This is true even if you recall the battle with the anaconda earlier.
If, even for a moment, I missed the string of tension.
If the posture of aiming the sword had been disturbed.
‘The counterattack would have been allowed right away.’
You have not triggered [Natural Enemy].
I don’t care how many Strength and Dexterity stats I have from class quests.
I put all of my leveling points into magic. I’ve been investing in luck.
‘I wouldn’t have been able to dodge it with my physical abilities alone.
Of course I manifested magic.
I could only minimize the damage.
And that’s when the horrible cycle begins.
Unexpected manifestation of magic → absolute lack of magic power → back to fighting in a predator zone → unexpected manifestation of magic power → absolute lack of magic power → back to fighting again…….
So.
“I was serious.”
I don’t know how it looked to a stranger.
I went into battle without a single moment of relaxation.
As a result, I was able to earn experience and loot.
[Thick Anaconda Hide] – [Rarity: Rare]
[Melting Amber Stone] – [Rarity: Rare].
[Poisoned Birch] – [Rank: Unique].
That’s three pieces of loot.
They were rare, rare, and unique.
‘It wasn’t for nothing that my stomach swelled.
They were all ingredient items.
If I get three of them, there’s no reason to complain.
On top of that, I had already acquired knowledge of all the minerals and plants on the Arcana Continent thanks to the effects of [Pure Knowledge].
“It must be worth it.”
Melted amber.
And a birch soaked in anaconda venom.
I knew immediately what I could use them for.
Of course, it was the loot in his stomach.
“It would require some processing.”
That wasn’t a problem.
‘It’s time to pull out the pillars of the magic tower.’
It means that you can use the services of the Mage Tower at will.
And for free.
That, too, was the rightful prerogative of the Chief.
“By the way.”
You never really get a break, do you?
The predator zone.
Bushluck.
As if waiting to take down one monster, another appeared.
A snake, then a rat? Of course, it was no ordinary rat from the looks of it.
[Brutal Scavenger: Lv.550]
Its size was similar to a human.
Beyond its size, it was walking on its hind legs and holding a weapon with its front legs.
A crossbow, an axe, and a shield.
It also had more than one piece of equipment.
Indeed, not all rats are created equal.
His long tail twitched.
I still had my sword in my hand.
I’m not rushing into it.
‘Well, first.’
Let’s start by investing points.
Every stat point is precious to me.
I have 18 points.
I was going to invest all of them in magic, but I had one point left over.
……Yes, there is such a thing as a trickle down effect.
Even if you spend an extra point on magic.
Isn’t this a proper level 500 rift?
It’s better to hope for luck than to expect a dramatic effect from 1 point of magic.
I invest 1 point in Luck.
[Luck: 6].
……But why 6?
A flash of memory.
Sure enough, I had invested 2 points in avoiding death.
After all, I had to go through the evil number 6.
Well, that wasn’t the other one, was it?
But now I have no points left to invest.
“Superstition is nothing but superstition.”
Not exactly what I’d say as someone who’s invested in luck.
Yeah, you can’t be superstitious forever.
Especially if it’s the devil’s number.
‘Rather not bad.’
No, I’d rather have a demon show up and I’d be grateful.
If I didn’t need all of this, and only [Natural Enemy] was triggered.
I wouldn’t have to ride this lotus leaf.
I wouldn’t have to make a documentary by myself.
That was the end of my unnecessary thoughts.
Uh-oh!
What the hell, not again.
I look toward the source of the sound.
Giant trees sprouting up all over the swamp.
The guy was gnawing at the stump of the giant tree with his teeth.
Woojijijik—!
It must have big teeth.
The giant tree made a loud noise and tilted over in an instant.
Its intentions were clear.
‘He’s trying to turn the battlefield in his favor.’
The moment the giant fell.
The swamp will be flooded for a moment.
He wants to take advantage of that.
‘Yeah, it’s not easy.
In the parlance of the days when Arcana was just a game…….
I guess you could say the pattern is f*cking right.
They’re not even boss mobs, they’re just named mobs.
They’re all tricky to deal with.
But it’s all worth it.
Bam!
I skipped the search process.
I know every plant in Arcana by heart.
Naturally, the giant tree he was gnashing his teeth on.
I can even interfere with the [Chukira Tree].
Kadkadkadkadk-?
No searching.
Interference is the strengthening of hardness.
And then it manifested.
Dad-dad-dad!
No matter how hard I try, I can’t bring down the giant.
I stared at the bewildered giant rat, [Cruel Scavenger].
There was no need for unnecessary conversation.
I pointed my sword and unleashed my magic.
There was no need for [Aesthetics] against a stubborn foe.
The only thing I need to consider is the cost of magic.
Of the many spells I cast on him.
[Brutal Scavenger suffers ‘Frostbite’].
Finding the spell that does the most damage to him.
I can’t help it if I look ignorant.
To face one enemy after another who is much stronger than you.
It’s the only way.
I can’t figure out why, and I really don’t want to.
I just know it works.
“If you’re a frostbite, cold is your weakness.”
I manifested the advanced freezing magic, Frost.
Ssshhhhhhhhhhh!
A blast of frost stretched out towards him.
Frost is an extremely slow projectile.
A magic classified as high-level magic for its destructive power alone.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
As you can see, the swamp freezes in an instant.
Crunch, crunch, crunch!
The pressure of a sword pointed at you.
Your movement speed has been slowed by the effects of Frostbite.
And the frost that is gradually settling in.
I spoke in a voice that was more chilly than cold.
“I have no intention of joining you in the water.”
It was an unwillingness to splash a drop of swampy filth.
“Besides.”
I looked at the giant tree, the chukira.
To be precise, a giant tree that swayed dangerously.
The ‘Elixir Herb’ that glowed at the top.
‘If the giant tree falls, the elixir will also fall into the swamp.’
It was something I couldn’t bear to see.
What kind of effect does that precious medicinal herb have?
As I know better than anyone!