Chapter 45
"Hehe."
The 7-star skill pack, the highest tier for beginners, wasn’t something he even dreamed of acquiring.
The 6-star, specifically a pet-exclusive skill, would be worth bowing towards the direction of Lase's headquarters.
It was truly the best possible outcome.
Out of sheer curiosity, he checked the remaining four cards to see if a 7-star might be hidden among them, despite the astronomical odds. As expected, the cards turned out to be 1, 2, 2, and 1-star cards.
[You have acquired a 6-star skill card - 'Enlarge'.]
Having opened all the skill packs, he immediately learned the skills.
[Haste Lv. 1 – 4 stars]
- Increases the target's attack and movement speed by 10% (Effect and number of targets increase with skill level).
[Wind Cutter Lv. 1 – 4 stars]
- Sends a blade of wind towards the target, with a low chance of causing bleeding (Damage and probability increase with skill level).
[2 skill points have been consumed by acquiring these skills.]
Carpe wasn’t satisfied with just that and invested additional points into some useful skills.
"Perfect!"
The current state of Carpe's skill window was as follows:
[Skills]
10-star - Unlock Lv. 20
9-star - Dresshyr Puppet Mastery Lv. 10 (M)
8-star - Magical Engineering Lv. 10 (M)
7-star - Elemental Mastery Lv. 10 (M)
4-star - Wind Cutter Lv. 1 (New!)
4-star - Haste Lv. 5 (New!)
3-star - Elemental Arrow Lv. 1
3-star - Striking Lv. 5
[Summoning Skills]
0-star – Repetition Lv. 20
- Bonus skill points available: 22
He raised the Haste and Striking buff skills to level 5.
Buff skills can be applied to up to 3 people at level 5.
Including himself, he raised it just enough to also apply it to Mukhyan and Tina.
"Striking only boosts physical damage, so it’s not necessarily needed for Hyang, but... the damage boost per level is pretty good."
- My, my. You should’ve just mastered those useful skills. After all, you earn skill points at three times the rate of others.
Despite playing based on instinct, he was unnecessarily cautious about these aspects.
"If you spend everything as soon as you earn it, you'll end up bankrupt. You should always keep at least 20 points on hand. You never know when you'll get two consecutive 9-star skills and need to master both."
- Crazy fool.
Though Cheonma scolded him, planning for the future was actually a smart decision.
Especially since there was a hidden piece not far from the Luana region that guaranteed a 7-star skill.
He hadn't mentioned it yet because he wasn’t at the required minimum level, but it was one of the must-have hidden pieces.
"I’ll decide whether to invest more in Wind Cutter after testing it in battle... Hyang, it's your turn now."
"Squeak!"
[Your follower Mukhyan has acquired the 6-star skill - 'Enlarge'.]
"Kree!"
‘Enlarge’ was a beast-type pet-exclusive skill that, as the name suggested, enlarged the follower.
As the skill level increased, the maximum size would grow, boosting strength and stamina in proportion to size, but lowering magical power.
In other words, it was a tanking skill.
"But with Tina around, will Hyang even need to tank?"
- Having more options is important. You might need two tanks depending on the situation.
"Squeak squeak!"
Mukhyan, seemingly delighted by the new skill, hopped around and used the Enlarge skill.
With a brief flash, Mukhyan's size increased to that of a small dog.
"Squeak?!"
Fascinated by its transformation, Mukhyan began inspecting its body.
However, someone was more excited than Mukhyan himself.
"Truly magnificent."
Tina, usually expressionless, now wore a strange fervor on her face.
After jumping down from Carpe’s pocket, she approached Mukhyan.
"Hyang, your form is splendid. You are worthy as the lord's foremost retainer."
"Squeak squeak!"
"However, there is one thing I find lacking."
"Squeak?"
"Since ancient times, divine beasts have earned their renown alongside their riders. Moreover, a noble being like you should have a rider that matches your dignity."
"Squeak?!"
"Indeed, this is the absolute truth."
An empty back is a disgrace to a divine beast!
Tina declared this with the utmost seriousness.
"This is true for knights as well. A knight without a comrade to ride into battle with is only half a knight."
"Squeak squeak..."
"I believe the lord's first retainer, you, and the second retainer, myself, can complement each other perfectly."
"Squeak! Squeak!"
"Hmm, I understand that offering your back is not an easy decision, as you say... Then how about this? I’ll provide five acorns every day. Two in the morning, and three in the evening."
"Squeak..."
"No? Then how about three acorns in the morning and two in the evening?"
"Squeak squeak!"
Mukhyan nodded vigorously.
Watching the exchange between the two followers, Cheonma shook his head in disbelief.
- What the heck are they doing?
"Let them be. It seems important to them. Let's focus on planning our next route."
Carpe’s level was currently 20.
He still had five levels to go before he could tackle the next job scenario quest.
- It’s a good idea to start looking for the materials needed to upgrade your room. You can level up in the process too.
"Oh, right. You mentioned you had an idea where to find them?"
- Yes. Not too far from here.
The material needed to upgrade the room was called ‘Bark of the Ancient Tree Soaked in the Sea’.
Even Cheonma hadn’t heard of this item before, but the name provided a big hint.
- Follow the coast of Luana and you'll find a hunting ground called 'Seawood Forest' at the end.
The trees there are unique, growing by absorbing seawater that flows in with the tide.
Some of these trees absorb so much magical energy from the sea that they transform into monsters.
"Wait, tree monsters? That’s a classic fantasy trope, isn't it?"
- Exactly. Seawood Forest is a hunting ground where Treants are the main monsters.
The forest also has a leader among these Treants.
The field boss ‘Elder Treant’. It’s the first field boss Lase players encounter when they cross over to the mainland.
- Since you only need one, it’s probably a boss mob drop. How does that sound? Pretty likely, right?
"Not just likely, it seems certain."
Although there was a small chance it could drop from regular Treants, it was clear that the material came from a Treant.
- But there’s one problem.
"What is it?"
- The fact that it's a field boss. Unlike dungeons, it randomly spawns in a specific area.
"Oh."
In other words, whoever finds and defeats it first gets the prize, making it a matter of luck.
Even if he found it first, there was no guarantee he could defeat it alone, and other players might not just stand by and watch.
Lase allowed player killing (PK).
- The penalty for attacking first is steep, so it’s unlikely, but you never know. Some players act without thinking.
"...Why are you looking at me when you say that?"
- Should I talk to the air instead? Let's head back to town and prepare for the raid. Solo raids require a lot of prep.
* * *
Back in Luana, Carpe took on some small quests related to Seawood Forest.
"Excuse me, young man. If you have the time, could you gather some sea mushrooms from the eastern forest? I’ll make sure the reward is worth it."
"Sure. Leave it to me."
[You have accepted the quest ‘Gather Sea Mushrooms’ from Chef Mike.]
"The Treants sometimes appear near the village, causing concern for our safety. We’re doing our best, but we’re short on manpower... Could you lend a hand?"
"Understood."
[You have accepted the quest ‘Eliminate Treants’ from the Luana Guard.]
"There are quite a few quests related to the Treants."
- Which means the forest is going to be crowded.
"Damn, it’s going to be tough to get that field boss..."
Carpe sighed. No matter how he thought about it, it all seemed to come down to luck.
"Is there an item that tells you when the boss spawns?"
- No item, but there is an 8-star skill called 'Boss Detection'.
“But with a 6-hour cooldown and the need for magical materials, it’s not a very practical skill.”
“There’s no choice but to rely on brute force… Hmm?”
At that moment, someone in a robe approached Carpe as he was walking towards the general store.
“It’s been a while, descendant.”
“Huh?”
• Oh? Why is that old man here?
The person approaching Carpe was none other than Drek, the elderly man who had been disguised as a junk dealer and was secretly a high-ranking figure in Akram.
“Drek?”
“Hehe. I’m glad to see you’re in good health. Since it’s so crowded here, shall we move to a quieter place?”
Drek then led Carpe to a secluded alley.
There, he pulled out a scroll from his pocket and tore it.
Flash!
Carpe and Drek were instantly transported to a different location.
It was the very place where Carpe had advanced to the Sorcerer Lord job.
“It’s been a while here too. But why have you come?”
Carpe was full of questions due to the unexpected encounter.
“Hehe. I will explain now. But before that…”
Drek bowed deeply towards Carpe’s chest pocket.
It was the most respectful bow imaginable.
“As a humble servant of Akram, I pay my respects to the first sword of the Sorcerer King.”
“Ah…”
To the figures of Akram, the Sorcerer King Dretsu was indeed a legendary founding hero.
Naturally, Tina, who had served right next to this hero, was also regarded as a legend.
“Oh! To witness a legend with these old eyes, I have no regrets even if I die now. I will preserve this moment in a memory spell forever!”
Although it seemed a bit excessive in its reverence.
Drek then praised Tina with elaborate flattery until Tina, visibly annoyed, narrowed her eyes, prompting him to quickly change his tone.
“Ahem. I apologize. Being old, I tend to babble…”
“It’s fine. More importantly, what brings you here?”
“I came to give you something as you have grown stronger.”
“Something?”
• Ah, that must be it. I just leveled up a bit ago.
At the moment Carpe was about to speak, a notification appeared before his eyes.
[You have achieved a reward for reaching Level 20.]
“Ah? A level-up reward?”
Receiving rewards for reaching specific levels is a common system in many RPGs.
Carpe hadn’t expected it to be in Lase, but here it was.
• Level-up rewards, shortened as ‘Level Rewards’. It’s a sort of bonus given every 20 levels, such as at levels 20, 40, 60, and so on.
“Oh, there’s such a system. It seems there’s a lot of detail in this game.”
• Usually, these rewards are automatically provided by the system. But since you didn’t get your class from a system entity, an NPC has to deliver it.
Level-up reward boxes typically contain useful potions or buff scrolls to aid in player growth.
• It varies by class, but sometimes equipment is included. However, high-grade items are not to be expected.
Of course, that’s for ordinary classes.
• Mythical ones are naturally different, but…
• Hard to say with the sample size available. However, it is unlikely to be ordinary.
Carpe took a deep breath.
“Can I open it now?”
“Hehe. Of course. Please, go ahead.”
Click.
Carpe carefully opened the box.
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