Chapter 20: Maintenance and Preparation (1)
TL: Hanguk
Named monsters were overwhelmingly stronger than regular monsters, and boss monsters were even more powerful than those named monsters.
It was a battle in which we couldn't get the upper hand even once, excluding the last moment, so it was a great joy to have won against the succubus Kallia.
"Whoo-hoo!"
I cheered and hugged Woof-woof.
[Woof-woof (Grand Dire Wolf) / Level: 20]
Perhaps because it played a crucial role in defeating the boss, Woof-woof's level had risen by 5 at once, and his body size had grown significantly larger, so I had to raise my head to see his face.
"Heh, phew..."
How long had I been holding on to Woof-woof while hugging like that?
I decided to read the messages I had been putting off.
[First dungeon clear. Your great achievement is recorded in the Hall of Fame.]
I didn’t know what the Hall of Fame was or how it existed, but the title of being the first didn’t feel bad.
And most importantly,
[Mongma’s Dungeon Clear, additional rewards will be given.]
[First Clear of Mongma’s Dungeon, additional rewards will be given.]
[First Dungeon Clear, additional rewards will be given.]
The additional rewards attached to the title of being the first were incredibly sweet.
The rewards were as follows:
- 1 premium equipment draw ticket (Mongma's Dungeon Clear)
- 1 premium equipment selection ticket (First Clear of Mongma's Dungeon)
- 1 rare item draw ticket (First dungeon clear)
Two draw tickets and one selection ticket.
Moreover, one of them was a rare grade.
"If only the rare grade was an equipment selection ticket instead of an item draw ticket."
It was disappointing, but I decided to be satisfied with the free reward.
'When I receive the quest reward from Willia, I'll get another premium equipment selection ticket, so I'll decide then.'
I decided to use the two draw tickets first.
First, the 'Premium Equipment Draw Ticket'.
-Poof!
When I used the draw ticket, light gathered in the empty air and soon formed a shape.
It was an effect motion that seemed very familiar.
Why?
Why am I reminded of a gacha from a Korean game?
And the description of the item that was drawn appeared before my eyes.
[Shield Scale Gauntlet / Premium]
- A defensive gauntlet made of carbon fiber overlaid with wyvern scales.
- It possesses excellent strength and high resilience.
- Allows user to use low-level shield 3 times a day.
A gauntlet on one side with a small shield-shaped device attached to the forearm.
“Is it light?”
It was equipment designed to be actively used for defense.
In addition, being able to use a low-level shield up to 3 times will help in various ways in combat.
The only disappointment is that there were no additional stat bonuses added, which I interpreted as the equipment being exceptional in itself.
I equipped the gauntlet on my left arm.
"It's nice, it covers up to the forearm so it looks safe."
Satisfied, I took a look at the next draw ticket.
The highlight of the day, the rare item draw ticket.
'God, Buddha, Allah, Lucky Talisman! Please give me equipment!'
I already possessed a rare item.
It was an item called 'Lucky Talisman'.
I'm not sure if it's because of this item that I'm lucky, but I hoped for a piece of equipment that would help in combat anyway.
-Poof!
And then,
Did my desperate prayer work?
[Light-Woven Helmet / Rare]
- A helmet that protects the entire head of the wearer, a conceptual piece of equipment with no physical form.
- It has a strength greater than mithril alloy, and cannot be easily destroyed even by top-grade skills.
- It provides fresh air to the user even in water or fire.
- Light attribute, Magic Power +6
"Oh?"
I was surprised.
Though it's not an over-spec weapon that could break a boss monster with one swing, the best helmet that could at least protect my own head has appeared.
-Swish.
"It really doesn't feel like I'm wearing it."
As soon as I hurriedly put on the semi-transparent helmet, I felt a wind wrap around my head, and then it disappeared.
A conceptual piece of equipment that doesn't feel like it's being worn at all.
Isn't this the ultimate armor?
I was curious if it would interfere with using other equipment, so I tried wearing silhouette goggles, and they were worn without any problems.
‘There’s no need to avoid attacks flying to my face, right? Then it would be a great help in battle?’
I won't recklessly trust the item and lean my head into the enemy's attack, but it seemed good to use as a high-stakes gamble in crucial moments.
And what I liked even more was that it increases my magic power by a whopping 6, as expected of a high-grade item.
My current magic power is 14, including the item stats.
If +6 is added to that, it's almost a 50% increase.
An increase in the number of times skills can be used means an increase in combat power and survival ability.
'I'm not sure what the effect of adding a light attribute is, but...'
-Clang?
I felt good, so I hummed a song and danced with Woof-woof.
At my actions, Woof-woof made a foolish expression.
‘The equipment draw is over for now.’
I don’t know if it’s the effect of the lucky talisman, or if this level of item is originally supposed to come out, but I think it’s the best result I can get from drawing.
'But the rewards don't end here.'
I still have the reward I got for defeating the boss monster.
I manipulated the message window to find the content immediately after the boss subjugation.
[You have gained 12,000 experience points for defeating dungeon boss Kallia.]
[Your level has increased.]
[All 'injuries' and 'abnormal statuses' are recovered when your level increases.]
The defeating experience points are in a different league from before.
But there was no case where my level rose several levels at once just because I killed a boss monster because, the required experience also increased as the level increased.
'It seems that named monsters or boss monsters with names give a lot of experience, but they don't give the first time subjugation bonus.'
Although the difficulty of killing is different in the first place, it seems to be a correct guess considering that the experience points of a named monster are 12.5 times that of a normal monster, and a boss monster is 60 times that of a normal monster.
Of course, it would be safer to kill 60 ordinary succubus than to kill a boss monster like Kallia.
However, when considering the time efficiency, I thought it was much more beneficial to take down a boss monster.
[The reward for defeating the dungeon boss Kallia.]
-You have gained 3,200 coins.
-You have obtained the skill book 'Sword Qi'.
-You have gained 4 inventory slots.
-You have acquired Kallia's Battle Suit.
Short four-line rewards compared to the effort put in.
But when I saw that the skill Kallia used and 4 inventory slots came as rewards, I clenched my fist.
I have experienced the Sword Qi skill firsthand, so I know how powerful it is.
I was hoping that it would be great if that skill came out as a reward while fighting with Kallia, and it really did.
A skill that can be used for close combat along with long-range magic bullets has appeared.
[You have learned the Sword Qi skill.]
[Your inventory has been expanded by 4 slots.]
In addition, the inventory has also increased from 10 slots to 14, which is an expansion that cannot be ignored.
Being able to store more items in the inventory means that there are more strategic options depending on the situation.
As it was in the sea and during the dungeon boss, didn't the pink Styrofoam play a great role?
Inventory was also an essential element in battle.
"I was wondering where Kallia kept taking out the daggers and throwing them, it seems that she had an inventory?"
I'm not sure if monsters can use inventory, but it's something to keep in mind.
"But this..."
I picked up the last reward.
[Kallia's Battle Suit / Premium Grade]
-A super-lightweight battle suit focused on mobility.
-It's thin but tough, so it doesn't get cut easily by blades, but it’s weak against stabbing attacks.
-If a man wears it, it can be very uncomfortable both physically and visually.
-Agility +2
A small piece of cloth that fits in one hand.
It's the battle suit Kallia was wearing.
It looks like a swimsuit...
I wondered where on earth I would use something like this.
Suddenly, the existence of Willia flashed across my mind.
“Hmm, should I keep it just in case?”
I thought there was no need to throw away an item I got, so I carefully put it in my pocket.
“Alright, let’s go back.”
And so, the reward time was over.
When I receive the quest completion reward from Willia in the safe zone, I will have two premium grade equipment selection tickets left, but I decided to save them for later.
***
As soon as I left the dungeon, I immediately reported the quest completion to Willia.
Of course, she was surprised that I finished so quickly, and in commemoration of breaking through 60% favorability, we planned to enjoy a pork belly party with the wild boar that Woof-woof caught.
"There's not much left until the favorability reaches 80% now."
"Is that when you become a companion?"
"Of course."
"Haha, I'm looking forward to it. I have a battle suit to give you as a gift later."
“Really?”
While having a friendly conversation with Willia and setting up the grill,
"Huh?"
"Why, what's wrong?"
"My smartphone..."
I felt strange because my smartphone was too quiet, and when I checked, I realized that the communication had been cut off.
"I'm sorry. I think I have to go to Gauido Island for a while."
"Yes, I understand. Take your time and take care of your business."
So, I apologized to Willia and transported to Gauido Island using the waypoint to check what happened.
-Poof!
"Sir!"
“Oh, you’re here?”
Perhaps he was resting in the safe zone of Gauido Island, Kim Yong-geun and a few residents who were sitting on a platform near the waypoint welcomed me.
"Uh, uh? Be, behind you! Behind!”
However, they soon discovered Woof-woof, which had teleported with me, and came off the platform behind me.
The already large Grand Dire Wolf got even bigger, its presence was terrifying.
"Ah, it's okay, this one has been tamed by me. Woof-woof, shake hands."
-Awoo!
"Heh, Oh my, you... you've tamed a wolf?"
Only after briefly proving Woof-woof's harmlessness could I explain the situation to him.
“We also lost communication. Fortunately, LT Telecom (TL: Name of telecommunications Company) was cut off late, so we roughly know what’s going on.”
"What is the situation?"
"Monsters are destroying infrastructure facilities. So, I heard not only communication but also electricity and water supply will be cut off."
Monsters are targeting infrastructure?
Organized?
Suddenly?
I frowned.
There must be a reason for the monsters to do this.
"How is the situation here?"
"The base station in Gauido was also attacked, but it’s not like we are the only ones with operational communication facilities, so there's nothing we can do. At least the solar power plant is not touched, so it's a relief that we can use electricity for now."
That is indeed a relief.
But the fact that I can't communicate with my parents is really annoying.
I had thought communication would be cut off at some point, but I didn't expect it to be like this.
But Kim Yong-geun, who noticed my behavior, carefully started a conversation.
"Do you want to call somewhere?"
“Huh?”
"There is a satellite phone installed in the village hall for disaster preparedness. If it's possible with that..."
"Really!?"
"Yes, yes."
Did the heavens help?
At Kim Yong-geun's words, I was greatly relieved.
Even if I didn’t know the satellite phone number to connect to my father, I thought I could connect indirectly through Gyeryong base.
"Where is the village hall?"
“Follow this road. Over there.”
"Woof-woof."
-Growl!
At my command, Woof-woof suddenly bit Kim Yong-geun's collar and threw him onto his back.
Kim Yong-geun who suddenly ended up riding Woof-woof had a stunned expression.
We rushed to the village hall at full speed.
"Huh?"
"Mom!"
Although we unintentionally scared the villagers, we were able to reach the village hall in less than 30 seconds.
"Oh!? You’re here… Aaaahh!"
When we arrived at the village hall, the village head recognized me and greeted me warmly, but was startled when he saw Woof-woof behind me.
Only after explaining to them that Woof-woof was harmless, I was finally able to approach the satellite phone.
"About 20 minutes ago, a call came from Gyeryong base. Isn’t Colonel Seo your father?”
"Yes, he is."
"Here, he left his phone number, saying to pass it to you if you called.”
As expected, my father.
His actions are quick.
I immediately contacted the number.
[Is it Baek-ho?]
"Yes, dad."
[Phew…]
I was able to talk to my father safely.
[It seems that creating a path to Gauido Island turned out to be a godsend.]
“It seems so.”
Even though we couldn't see each other's faces, we had a cheerful conversation.
No matter how much I grow in a game-like manner, the reality I was facing was not a game.
And my face hardened even more at my father's ensuing story.
[Higher-level monsters that can control other monsters have started to appear.]
*****
TL Note: Hi guys, I am back, but releases might be a bit irregular, and chapters might have different terms from those previously used or might not be properly edited. I will try to return to normal as soon as possible, so please bear with me for the time being. Thanks.
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