◈ Episode 86. Blooming from the Swamp (3)
Yusra Kingdom.
After investing capital and labor, the ancient kingdom has finally taken on the appearance of a plausible city. A bustling city comparable to the great cities of Arcana in the past.
“Wow. Every day is different.”
The front corner of the Golden Palace Square.
Players gathered at the Golden Calf Tavern.
Back when Arcana was just a game.
They used to pass the time in taverns, just like now.
“This reminds me of the good old days. Isn’t it?”
It was the first time since Arcana became real and they became players.
Looking at the nostalgic tavern scene, they felt like they were back in those days for a moment.
“Wow, seriously, those mobs?”
A large screen on the outside wall of the tavern.
The screen playing reminded me that this wasn’t a memory, but a reality.
Not just for the players, but for the Arkanians who were no longer NPCs.
It’s still broad daylight.
The drunken leader of the Shadow Mercenaries spoke up.
“Uh-oh. That. Tell him to get that lump out of my hair.”
Kichi’s hand twitched in his drink.
It was the muscle mass blocking the screen that irritated him.
“Just punch it and dodge it.”
It was Rocky.
His size made everyone else uncomfortable.
“What the hell are you doing, you bastards!”
” ……, ma’am. You’re getting deaf.”
“What? Say it louder. I can’t hear you!”
Just a cold glare.
There was nothing
Rocky downed the entire beer.
Gulp.
A predator’s territory, with all the fighting.
My throat is burning with excitement just thinking about it.
Rocky drained his glass in quick succession.
“Hey, Chief, aren’t we planning on going there?”
“Hmph. I’m going, but I’m not taking you with me, sucks.”
“What, what?! What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Just cover the screen. I’m not going to take you with me. Hmph!”
Ugh.
Kichi stretched his drunkenness out on the table.
“Wait, Chief!”
Rocky got up from his seat to shake Kichi out of his reverie.
“I can see something now.”
“I don’t even know what to call that…….”
“Come on. You know that musclebound hunk’s personality.”
The players stuck their tongues in Rocky’s face.
Some could hardly keep their heads above water.
Arkanians, like the Shadow Mercenaries.
The Explorers’ League.
“Such an embarrassment. You’re making me blush.”
“No, it’s just the way things are.”
“Still, it’s a predator zone, so it’s understandable that you’re excited.”
Explorers’ League.
A literal group of explorers.
The requirements to join the League were simple.
One, you had to be an explorer.
Naturally, if you were an Explorer class player, you had to join the Explorers’ League.
In order to level up, the Explorer class needed to explore dangerous areas.
However, the combat capabilities of Explorers pale in comparison to the Combat class.
What kept them alive was their intelligence.
“Why, there’s a lot of rare stuff in the Predator Zone.”
Explorers must exchange information with each other, help each other, and live together.
Park Huigang’s eyes sparkled at the words of the League explorer.
“You mean the loot that monsters fight over?”
“Well, that’s common knowledge. There are other loots as well.”
“Oh, there’s other loot, too, in that swamp?”
“Of course, but is it because I keep saying this, my throat is burning a little~”
Of course, exchanging information with your bare mouth is not the way to go.
The explorer’s face broke into a smile as Park Hwigang ordered a beer.
“Oh, that’s fine, thank you, then.”
Ouch.
And then he said in a low voice.
“Ugh. You’ve heard of herbs, right?”
Herbs?
Of course, I know.
You know, the grasses that make up potions.
“Exactly. The ones you think of as potion ingredients, but that’s just the effect of the more common ones. There are some really rare ones out there. But, oh, yeah. It’s one that very few people, even among explorers, know about…….”
Slurred speech.
No snacks to go with the beer.
Park Hwigang, always the shrewd one, ordered.
“Can I have chicken here?”
You see, this is the modern Korean culture.
You can’t go without giving away information, can you?
Sure enough, after tearing off one of the chicken legs, the explorer spat out the words.
“A precious herb is said to permanently increase your physical abilities.”
” ……, is that possible?”
“It is possible, which is why they’re so rare. The best of them are elixirs that permanently increase magic power. It was once rumored among explorers in the know that if you found one, you could play and eat for months.”
“!”
“I’ve heard that such rare elixirs are more likely to grow in specialized areas, like predator zones. Explorers like us would have to really risk our lives to get them, but they’re worth every penny.”
Does it permanently boost physical abilities?
That meant it would permanently increase [stats].
Park’s mind raced.
“I don’t know how much it raises stats.
Even if it was only 1, the effect was enormous.
It was equivalent to the value of one level.
Except for leveling up, of course.
There were ways to increase stats.
But there was no need to consider it.
“Class quests aren’t for everyone.
Only one of the classes.
And even then, only those who meet the requirements can start them.
Not relevant to the vast majority of players.
So it’s not an exaggeration to say that herbs are worth a fortune.
“The higher you go, the harder it is to gain a level.”
Soon, Park Huigang was praying like a fan.
“Please!”
We’d love to see how Ho-yeol manages to learn at least one herb……!
Wasn’t it because of Ho-yeol that Park Hui-kang had gotten so many subscribers and views on NetTube? In my heart, I wanted to pass on this valuable information to Ho-yeol. …….
There was no way, so the only thing I could do was pray.
But.
“Crazy. What is that skill?!”
Park’s thoughts didn’t last long.
The angle changed.
Ho-yeol’s figure appeared on the screen.
There wasn’t even any magic there.
He had a sword in his hand.
“What is that?”
Rocky was the first to react.
You can only see what you know.
Rocky recognized the way Ho-Yeol held the sword.
The corners of his mouth twitched upward.
“That old man wasn’t talking for nothing when he said that!”
They were right, Ho Yeol was a strong man.
Rocky’s fighting instincts kicked in.
His blood boiled, even though he knew he shouldn’t be challenged.
But he was only just getting started.
Next, Ho Yeol’s magic, Frost.
At its manifestation, the tavern erupted in astonishment.
“He’s freezing the swamp.”
“I don’t think this is normal freezing magic!”
“Hey, you specialize in the freezing element, what’s the name of that skill?”
“I don’t know. I’m still a long way from learning that skill.”
Rocky, who had been watching the screen for a while, nodded.
“Yeah, getting snowed on in Frost is cold enough for me.”
The truth is, even Rocky had to control his anger.
At that sight, Park Huigang couldn’t help but think.
Does Ho Yeol even need an elixir?
Yes, what he needed was faith, not prayer.
Enlightened, Park Huigang reverently recited.
“Homen.”
* https://pindangscans.com
A vast swamp of predators.
The players, each focused on their own hunt, heard the news.
” Ho Yeol is here too, really?”
-I didn’t realize it. They said he went straight into the rift.
“No, bro, I’ll bring you some of your favorite tea!”
Brothers Nam Tae-min and Nam Chul-min are happy to see each other.
“Sis, did you hear?”
“…….”
“They’ve entered the Lee Ho-yeol rift~”
Did we say it clearly?
Can’t you make the excuse that you didn’t know because you were fighting?
Leonie, a berserker completely immersed in battle.
“You have no morals, really!”
And to the Shining Guild.
Dmitri was his usual stern self.
For once, I could sympathize with him.
Pot!
Camilla let go of the bowstring and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face.
“You’re greedy. My Mr. Ho-Yeol.”
A greedy man, Lee Ho-yeol.
As if Jesse wasn’t bad enough, he came to clear this crack.
“……My Ho-yeol? You two don’t even know each other, do you?”
“Is that what you’re asking?”
“What? What does that even mean?”
“Nothing~ No wonder you’re not popular with girls~”
“No, why are you being such a dick again?!”
The two bickering.
Rox, the Guild Master of the Shining, did not join the argument.
The battle continued.
Heads rolling away from him.
Realizing that he was the underdog.
He couldn’t afford to waste time on himself.
‘Lee Ho-yeol has entered the rift.’
Did he find this rift because he lacked experience?
I was pretty sure not.
Hunting in a decent level 500 rift wouldn’t even come close to meeting his experience requirements. So yes, there had to be another reason for him to find the rift.
Rox’s guess seemed to be correct.
“Wait.”
Bowmaster, the pinnacle of the archer class.
Her vision was as vast as her title.
Camilla’s vision picked up an arc of heat.
To be precise.
“I wonder what my Mr. Ho-Yeol is up to?”
A staircase in thin air.
He walked up them with confidence.
Ho-yeol’s figure, heading somewhere……!
“I knew it.”
Of course, that’s Lee Ho-yeol.
Including Rox, who had already guessed.
No wonder all the players’ attention was focused on Ho-yeol.
* https://pindangscans.com
……It’s understandable that ranked players would have a hard time with this.
The amount of experience required per level increase is significant.
[Savage Predator Anaconda : Lv.530]
[Brutal Scavenger: Lv.550]
As you can see, I hunted higher level monsters.
You gained 10 levels.
[Level: 324].
I don’t fully understand Arcana’s complex experience system.
I’m guessing there’s a significant difference between killing a level 500 monster at level 200 and a level 500 monster at level 300.
And it did make a difference.
“I’ve got more room.”
Swordsmanship and magic at the same time.
I was able to take down enemies without having to strain myself like I had in the beginning.
Of course, this terrifying adaptability.
I have a vast magical talent.
It’s all thanks to Grandfell’s unrivaled physical potential.
[Blighted Frost Crossbow] – [Rank: Magic].
[Plague Frost Crossbow Bolt] – [Rank: Magic].
[Trivial Storage Sash] – [Rarity: Rare].
The loot from defeating the [Cruel Scavenger] is also three.
You were carrying something around for a reason.
Of the three loots, the [Trivial Storage Belt] is probably the most notable, as it has the practical effect of slightly expanding your inventory.
Of course.
“You’re out.”
It sucked from a Grandfell aesthetic standpoint.
“‘There’s no point in selling it.”
Innocence aside.
I had the reward money for clearing the rift.
I had a large sum of money in my bank account that would have made the old Lee Ho-yeol unable to sleep at night. I’ve got a lot more to settle than that.
“So you have to utilize it properly.”
Today’s experience made that clear.
As for the well, the more holes you dig, the better.
Then I remembered.
Of the twenty schools of magic in the tower, Enchantment was one of them.
I’d read dozens of books on Enchantment in preparation for our regular conferences, and the core of the school could be summarized in two lines.
“You can extract an effect from an item.
You can apply the extracted effects to other items.”
It sounded easy enough.
The problem was the process.
Items and tools were one of the areas that not even the Heavenly Magic Tower had conquered.
I’d heard of more than one item being blown to smithereens in the process of extracting and applying its effects.
‘It was always downhearted. I guess.”
Kiko Armin, Senior Enchantress.
A tiny little figure.
As if that weren’t bad enough, she was bent over from the waist down.
If the Mage Tower were a company that focused on performance.
Kiko’s enchanting department must have always been a department that recorded losses.
It means that Kiko’s attention has its own story.
But none of that mattered to me.
I declared brazenly.
“For every success, there must be a failure.”
Yes, I was determined to uproot the pillars of the Tower.
I will sacrifice its resources, its items, to advance the science of enchantment.
The material that would be used was the [Trivial Storage Belt].
The more inventory space I have, the better.
I figured I’d have a lot to carry from the Rift in the future.
Why, just like now.
Myself–
I manifested the stairs as soon as the battle was over.
The reason for the stairs was simple.
An elixir that glowed atop the Chukira tree.
It was to harvest the Four Colors of Mistletoe.
“Four-color mistletoe from the beginning.
[The Pentagram of Pure Knowledge].
His vast knowledge spoke for itself.
This is a big deal.
Mistletoe of Contemplation had the ability to permanently increase your physical abilities, meaning it would permanently increase your stats.
Ponder.
The Four Lights lived up to its name.
A whopping four points of stats.
A whopping four levels of value.
What’s that worth, a couple of horrible temperament class quests?
Plus.
Cultivation of elixirs at the preliminary verification of the regular conference.
Didn’t you witness the potential of that research?
If that research turns out to be successful…….
“We can mass-produce medicinal herbs like the Mistletoe of Contemplation.
I wasn’t making a fuss for nothing.
I realized again.
After all, a well is a well, and you have to dig a lot of holes to live in……!
Befitting its enormous effect.
The mistletoe grew in an inconspicuous place.
Human or monster.
It had a look and effect that mesmerized the onlooker.
I never thought I’d see it at the top of a tree like this.
“I almost walked right past it.
If it weren’t for the [cruel scavenger] gnawing away at the tree.
“Thank you for your sacrifice.”
I appreciate your sacrifice.
I praise myself for investing points in [luck].
I climb the stairs, dreaming of an exciting future.
I reach the top of the giant tree.
I find mistletoe.
……But what is it?
More than the mistletoe.
“……!”
A rare ‘existence’ drew my attention.