Chapter 46
Upon opening the chest, four items were inside.
[Akrum’s Special Small HP Potion x10]
[Akrum’s Special Small MP Potion x5]
As the Heavenly Demon mentioned, the potions were there. These were special potions, approximately 30% more efficient than the regular ones.
“Huh? A robe?”
Inside was a genuine equipment-type robe, not just a custom-made one like the one Carpe was currently wearing.
[Akrum's Magic Robe]
[Requirement: Recognized by Akrum]
[Grade: Hero]
[A robe designed for players acknowledged by the secret organization Akrum. It contains magic that aids in mana circulation.]
- Additional Option 1: Increases MP recovery speed by 10%
- Additional Option 2: Reduces MP consumption when using skills by 10%
* Outerwear equipment has no defense or stat attributes.
"So there’s such a thing as outerwear.”
- It’s treated like accessories such as necklaces or rings. It’s a rare slot to obtain.
Though its options seemed a bit modest for a Hero-grade item, according to the Heavenly Demon, outerwear generally only provides auxiliary abilities.
Another excellent feature was the pocket on the left side of the chest, large enough for Tina to fit inside.
"But these two…"
The remaining two items appeared special even at a glance.
One was a thin book, and the other was something that seemed oddly out of place.
“A radar?”
The palm-sized object had a very familiar design.
It was almost identical to the radar from a classic cartoon about collecting wish-granting dragon balls.
“No way…”
At the sight of the radar, Carpe’s heartbeat quickened.
A radar is meant to locate something, after all.
And whatever it was meant to find, there was a high chance it would be something valuable.
Ding.
[FB Radar x3]
[Type: Consumable]
[Grade: Unique]
[An ancient radar restored by Akrum’s scholars after extensive research. It carries Akrum's wish for the descendant’s rapid growth.]
[When used, it displays the location of boss monsters appearing in the current field. If not yet spawned, it shows the remaining time until the next spawn.]
*Non-tradeable
“Wow!”
-…Unbelievable. They actually have an item like this?
Boss Raids.
Boss Raids, one of the most popular activities in Lasse, were fiercely competitive.
In lower-level or extremely high-level areas, the competition was less intense, but in mid- to high-level areas, raids were a chaotic battlefield.
A struggle of all against all!
Knowing the boss's spawn time and location in this world, where first-come-first-served is the rule, meant being at least ten steps ahead of everyone else.
- If those raid maniacs find out, they'll foam at the mouth. But with only three of these, it’s not too much of a balance breaker...
[You’ve obtained the blueprint for ‘FB Radar.’ The crafting recipe has been recorded in the ‘Magitech’ skill.]
- Damn it, Lasse, you crazy bastards! This game keeps getting me worked up!
The last thin book in the chest turned out to be the blueprint for the radar.
Of course, the exact materials required for crafting still needed to be checked, but just the fact that it could be mass-produced was a huge advantage.
‘This game is too good for words. Ladies and gentlemen, we are living in the era of Lasse!’
- Good game, my foot. It’s more like the era of luck, and it’s driving me insane.
Seeing the smile creeping up on Carpe’s lips, Drek chuckled and nodded.
“Seems you’re quite pleased.”
“It’s perfect. Exactly what I needed.”
“Glad to hear it. I’ll be staying in this city for the time being, so if you need anything, feel free to come find me.”
“Oh, sounds like you’ve got other business besides the chest.”
“That’s right. There are those who seek to harm Akrum, so naturally, I must investigate.”
“Ah…”
The death of the gravekeeper, Geas.
That was what Drek was referring to.
“In fact, there have been those who have persecuted Akrum for a long time. But this is the first time they’ve attacked so openly.”
Drek’s eyes darkened.
“It seems they’ve realized the descendant of the Demon King has appeared.”
“Wait a minute. Does that mean…?”
The fact that Carpe had advanced to the Archdemon Lord was only known to Akrum.
In other words...
“Yes, there is a traitor within Akrum.”
According to Drek, a member of Akrum had already been dispatched to the gravekeeper’s hut and was investigating the truth.
“The remains of the intruders in the ruins have been thoroughly examined. It was likely the descendant who vanquished them, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Could you tell me what kind of person it was?”
“She was a priest in white, serving a malevolent spirit.”
When Carpe defeated her, the spirit she served had even descended personally. However, it seemed the spirit was somewhat taken aback by the situation.
“Hmm…”
Drek nodded slowly as he listened to Carpe.
“Not all false gods share the same agenda. Just as humans do, these false deities, when tensions rise, often tear each other apart.”
Or it could be a third faction trying to exploit the rift between these malevolent entities.
“It’s complicated.”
“There’s no need to overthink it. Leave the minor details to us. All we ask of you, descendant, is to focus on amassing your strength.”
“Fortunately, that’s something I’m confident in.”
“Splendid. Is there anything else you wish to know?”
“Well, do you happen to know anything about the second relic?”
“Hmm. I’m afraid I cannot speak on that yet. It’s a dangerous matter. But when you grow a bit stronger, I’ll be able to tell you.”
Ding.
[You do not meet the level requirement for the next quest. This quest will become available at level 25.]
“Locked.”
“Locked? What do you mean?”
“…Just talking to myself.”
I wondered if I could bypass the level lock somehow, but it seems that’s not possible.
It appeared that even the quest levels couldn’t be cheated.
“Best of luck.”
And with that, the meeting with Drek came to an end.
* * *
There’s nothing quite as satisfying as getting free stuff.
“With these potions, there’s no need to stop by the general store anymore.”
- It saves time too. Are you heading out right away?
“Hmm… That Elder Trent raid monster, it’s probably tough, right?”
- Of course. Not quite as tough as Mainades, but still a challenge.
Raids in Lasse typically required a party of four, as that’s the maximum number of people a party can hold.
If you wanted to form a larger group, you’d need to create a raid guild, but that came with its own set of conditions.
First, you’d need permission from the lord of the area, and second, you’d have to pay a hefty sum of gold in taxes to the territory.
- The game’s lore says it’s to prevent large gatherings of fighters from posing a rebellion threat, but really, it’s just a gold sink.
Because of these restrictions, large-scale raids were only formed when there was certainty of profit, and most raids were done in 4-man teams.
- The standard setup is tank, DPS, support DPS, and healer. That’s the classic composition.
However, since healers were so scarce, it became common to substitute a healer with a support DPS who could at least self-heal or use minor healing skills, as that was the current meta.
More often than not, parties would fail due to the lack of a healer, or break apart due to unbalanced compositions like two tanks and two DPS.
- In short, you need to be capable of at least four times your strength to attempt a solo raid.
“Tina can tank, Hyang can be the support DPS, and I’ll be the main DPS. We’re just missing a healer.”
- Nothing you can do about that. You’ll just have to rely on potions.
Unless a healer companion magically appeared out of thin air, that was the only option.
“Then I’d like to improve my damage output a bit more.”
The reason Carpe had been able to defeat Mainades was partly due to his physical skill, but mostly thanks to his 7-star skill, Holy Sacrifice.
“I’m not expecting anything on that level, but is there a way to boost my damage, even slightly?”
- Oh, that’s easy.
“Easy?”
It was just a passing thought, but to hear there was a straightforward solution?
Carpe looked surprised, but the Heavenly Demon responded with a tone that suggested it was obvious.
- I find it strange you didn’t think of it yourself. You’ve played a lot of games, haven’t you?
“…What exactly are you talking about?”
- Follow me to where I say. It’s in the city, so it won’t take long.
Carpe, following the Heavenly Demon’s directions, made his way to the commercial district of Luana.
After walking for about five minutes…
- Here we are. Turn right at the intersection.
“Huh?”
The moment Carpe turned at the spot the Heavenly Demon mentioned, the atmosphere changed.
The air was noticeably warmer than elsewhere in Luana.
Clang! Clang!
The sound of hammering echoed, indicating what kind of place this was.
“A blacksmith?”
- Yes. But more than just a blacksmith. This is an artisan's street, where all sorts of crafting professions are gathered. Weapons shops and armor shops are all here too.
The artisan’s street was bustling, reminiscent of a marketplace in real life.
“Here it is! The famous Gary’s Blacksmith, run by Luana’s best craftsman, Gary! We’ll make the finest weapons you’ll ever wield!”
“Hey there, soldier of the gods! That shabby shield you’re holding won’t cut it on the frontlines. Even if you had nine lives, that’s reckless. Come, let me introduce you to our finest shields.”
The main street was lined with various crafting buildings and shops, with crowds of people browsing, while NPCs stood in front of their stores, calling out to passersby.
“It’s lively, I’ll give you that… but why are we here? I’ve already got some pretty solid gear, don’t I?”
Not just solid, but overflowing.
From head to toe, Carpe was decked out in rare-grade gear or better, including two legendary items.
No one else could match such a setup, no matter how much they spent.
- Do you think I brought you here to upgrade your gear? We’re heading a bit further in.
“Ugh, just tell me already.”
- Heh heh.
As Carpe walked deeper into the artisan’s street, observing the various shops along the way, the atmosphere shifted again.
The lively calls of shopkeepers had turned into lamentations.
“Oh my, young man, you're far too handsome to be passing by like this.”
“Oops! My hand slipped.”
“Argh! You stupid NPC! What are you going to do about my weapon?”
“I was simply entranced by the beauty of the moonlight caught on my hammer…”
The conversations were ominous, to say the least.
Carpe finally caught on to what the Heavenly Demon had been hinting at.
Some refer to it as "the ultimate content of RPGs"—a graveyard for players.
A place where 100 people’s despair fuels the slim chance for one person’s miracle. The Las Vegas of RPGs.
- Hey.
“Yes?”
- Think you’re lucky enough to survive the enhancement workshop?
“…”
The momentous occasion of Carpe’s first enhancement had arrived.
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