Chapter 42: Signs (1)
TL: Hanguk
[A new owner of the second shard out of the 20 allocated for the Korean Peninsula has appeared.]
I, who had been lazing around inside the Safety Tent, immediately sat up in response to the unexpected message.
"The second scenario fragment?"
Was it because no one else had obtained a scenario fragment besides me up until now?
I never thought a message like this, about someone else obtaining a scenario fragment, would ever arrive.
I couldn’t help but wonder in what kind of bizarre place this second scenario fragment holder had found it.
‘In my case, I obtained mine in a dungeon on a deserted island.’
It’s possible that it could be in North Korea.
After all, the system had referred to it as a scenario fragment assigned to the 'Korean Peninsula'.
‘Is this something exclusive to the Korean Peninsula?’
‘And if there are scenario fragments in other countries, would they also have 20 fragments like ours?’
The system is filled with mysteries.
‘Come to think of it, there was a message in the Hidden Boss Room of the underground tomb that said there was about a year left until the scenario progresses.’
Right now, there’s so little information available that it’s impossible to make any predictions.
Willia didn’t know anything about the scenario fragments either.
"Ah, whatever."
I stopped trying to figure it out.
It seemed premature to worry about the scenario at this stage.
But then...
[Message communication is possible between scenario fragment holders. Would you like to send a message to Holder #2?]
[Complete anonymity is guaranteed unless you choose to reveal your identity.]
“What?”
I was surprised by this unexpected system feature.
I had been thrilled when I recently got my hands on the much-anticipated Communication Ring, but this scenario fragment apparently came with a built-in communication system.
My interest was instantly piqued.
The person on the other side must also be quite active, like me, and exchanging information could be beneficial.
[A message has arrived from Holder #2.]
It seems Holder #2 is just as curious about me as I am about them, since a message arrived immediately.
[Holder #2]
-I am Kang Yi-sol, the head of the First Strategy Division of the newly established Nation Revival Agency under the direct control of the President of South Korea. Please state your affiliation and name.[item_tag]
However, reading this content made me furrow my brow deeply.
Out of nowhere, a government agency had popped up.
‘My father once mentioned that the government was planning to gather skilled individuals from disciplines like kumdo and archery to form hunting teams, similar to the Adapted Military (leveled-up soldiers). Although the name of the division hadn’t been decided at the time, he thought it would likely become a direct agency under the President.’
I remembered the information my father had shared.
An elite organization, like the Adapted Military, nurtured by the government.
This message sender must be part of that.
"Just looking at the way this message is written makes me not want to respond."
I had heard that the owner of the 'Waypoint Co-movement Item', something I had been desperately searching for, was affiliated with the government.
That person might very well be this 'Kang Yi-sol'.
But in a system that guarantees anonymity, revealing one's identity and acting superior like this...
You could feel the sense of authority just oozing from the wording alone.
So I wanted to just ignore it,
But...
‘What if I could get some useful information out of this?’
Common sense urged me to think it over.
"Ah!"
Then, I thought of a way to make sure they couldn’t ignore me, even without revealing my identity.
‘Didn’t the system say it guarantees complete anonymity?’
I immediately sent a message.
[item_tag][Holder #11 (Me)]
-I am Seo** from Korea.
A short but powerful message.
At this point, the most famous Korean in the world was undoubtedly Seo**.
[Holder #2]
-Are you the one who achieved three world-first achievements?
See that? The tone had already become more respectful.
I can almost hear the sound of them racking their brains.
[Holder #11]
-Yes, that's correct.
[Holder #2]
-I apologize, but could you provide some evidence that you are indeed Seo**?
[Holder #11]
-Whether you believe it or not is up to you.
I acted as though I had nothing to lose.
The one getting anxious was them, not me.
[Holder #2]
-I apologize. I made an inappropriate request. Many people, including myself, are inspired by your achievements. It's an honor to meet you, even in this way.
[Holder #11]
-It’s nothing.
[Holder #2]
-Since fate has brought us together, would it be alright if I occasionally sent you messages? I’d like to maintain a cooperative relationship, exchanging helpful information with each other.
That was exactly the kind of relationship I wanted.
But instead of responding right away, I decided to make them sweat a bit by delaying my answer.
[Holder #11]
-I’ll think about it. I’m busy right now, so I'll be going now.
[Holder #2]
-I’ll be waiting for your response. Please feel free to contact me anytime.
This is getting pretty fun.
If they had approached like this from the start, things would’ve gone so much smoother.
It felt like they had exposed their sense of authority unnecessarily and ended up losing out in the process.
‘I don’t want direct contact with the government, but if we can just exchange messages anonymously, it could be beneficial in many ways.’
However, I started to find the whole thing a little strange.
Why was such a function provided in the first place? It didn’t make much sense to me.
"Hmm... I’ll probably find out when the time comes."
I decided not to waste any more time worrying about unnecessary things.
I woke up Willia, who had been dozing off in the corner, and together we left the Safety Tent.
Right now, my priority was clearing the dungeon.
‘Vision Enhancement.’
The space revealed upon leaving the Safety Tent was a path made of neatly stacked bricks in an arch shape.
At the end of the path, the area widened, and there stood a named intermediate succubus.
[Named Succubus Elite Tiav / Level: 35]
A new type called 'Succubus Elite' that I'm seeing for the first time.
Seeing a monster that could potentially offer rewards for the first clear, I couldn’t help but show a look of excitement and surprise.
"Goodness."
The reason was that her equipment was strikingly similar to the boss of Mongma’s Dungeon, Kallia.
While Kallia had been wearing a one-piece swimsuit and calling it her battle suit, Tiav, in contrast, was clad in a two-piece swimsuit.
I turned to Willia with a very serious expression.
“I’m counting on your backup.”
“Of course! But why did you suddenly get so serious?”
“Because I’ve spotted an item I must acquire.”
I used Vision Enhancement to carefully examine the enemy’s movements, but since Willia only had regular eyesight, she hadn’t yet noticed the specific outfit of the Named Monster.
Once she understood what I meant later, she’d probably smack me on the back.
But for now, I was dead serious.
“Let’s go!”
With that, I sprinted forward energetically.
[Kim** from Korea has unearthed an Artifact item.]
[The achievement of unearthing an Artifact for the first time worldwide will be recorded in the Hall of Fame.]
[Everyone, please congratulate Kim** from Korea.]
“Well, talk about killing the mood.”
A message about someone’s first achievement popped up, interrupting my flow.
“Kim from Korea?”
Well, 20% of Koreans have the last name Kim, so that wasn’t the important part.
However, the fact that it was an Artifact item somehow caught my attention.
‘Nah, it can’t be.’
I quickly brushed it off.
I needed to focus on the Named Monster in front of me.
***
[First-ever Artifact Unearthed. Your remarkable achievement has been recorded in the Hall of Fame.]
-As a reward for achieving the first discovery, you have been awarded a Special-grade Equipment Draw Ticket.
As soon as Kim unearthed the Artifact, a rod-like object buried in the ground, an achievement message suddenly appeared.
Thanks to this, Kim became even more excited and kept digging.
More than necessary.
“This guy is completely altering the landscape?”
Thanks to this, Herald had to step in and stop him, and Kim snapped out of it, awkwardly laughing.
“It’s just so fun when the rewards come out.”
Only then did Kim wipe the sweat off his face with a towel.
Herald shook his head as he watched Kim’s handiwork.
To the south of the Safe Zone was the Orc spawn area, and to the north was the Troll spawn area.
However, the layout of these monster spawn areas had changed.
Kim had dug deep pits in the monster spawn areas, preventing the monsters from getting out.
The reason he could pull off such an eccentric act was thanks to the item he had obtained from the reward for his first achievement.
[Monster Repellent Necklace / Grade: Special]
-When worn, monsters below level 30 will not attack first.
-However, if the wearer shows hostility, they can still be attacked.
Thanks to this, Kim was able to move more freely around the Safe Zone, and eventually, with all his digging, he effectively erased the monsters from view.
“If I make an underground monster activity area and cover it with a lid, wouldn’t that prevent additional spawns on the surface since the monsters are already active below?”
“Do you really think that’s how it will work?”
“Judging by your reaction, it probably won’t, huh? Well, even if I leave it like this, there’s no harm done.”
On top of that, Kim had also shaved down a mountain near the Safe Zone, greatly expanding the flat area.
At this rate, the shape of Wolgwang Island might completely change in just a few months.
Herald let out a faint laugh, remarking that he was witnessing quite a absurd person.
[Herald’s favorability has increased by 5%.]
“Huh? What does this mean?”
For reference, increasing Herald’s favorability was something only Seo Baek-ho couldn’t do, since he had already recruited a senior NPC.
When Kim noticed the sudden message, he raised an eyebrow in confusion. Herald shrugged and continued speaking.
“So, what are you planning to do with that dirty artifact rod?”
At that, Kim took the mysterious artifact out of his Inventory and inspected it.
“I’m going to give it to Baek-ho. I need either a blacksmith NPC or an appraisal skill to figure out its purpose, and that’s beyond my ability, isn’t it?”
“What if it turns out to be something amazing?”
“Honestly, I found it using Baek-ho's shovel, so why should I be greedy? Moreover, I can give that much to someone who saved my life."
Kim was someone who would give Seo Baek-ho his Monster Repellent Necklace without hesitation if he asked for it.
Seo Baek-ho wasn’t just the one who saved his life, he was also the person who helped him find his family.
“You’re such a pushover.”
[Herald’s favorability has decreased by 5%.]
“What’s with these constant messages? It’s starting to get annoying.”
Kim frowned at the fluctuating messages about Herald ’s favorability.
***
[You have defeated Named Succubus Elite Tiav, gaining 25,000 experience points.]
[You have received 10,000 experience points for being the first to defeat the Succubus Elite.]
[Your level has increased.]
[With your level up, all injuries and status abnormalities have been healed.]
[You have received a reward for defeating Named Succubus Elite Tiav.]
-You have obtained 8,552 coins.
-You have obtained 2 Intermediate Healing Potions.
-You have obtained 1 extra Inventory Slot.
-You have obtained the skill book ‘Mental Fortification’.
[You have received an additional reward for the first defeat of the Succubus Elite.]
-You have obtained 1,000 coins.
-You have obtained the skill book ‘Wall Climb’.
“Hmm…”
Two skill books had dropped.
[Mental Fortification / Advanced Skill Book / Active]
-Enhances the target’s mental strength for 30 minutes, increasing their resistance to status abnormalities.
-Mana Cost: 3
[Wall Climb / Intermediate Skill Book / Active]
-Allows you to walk on walls or ceilings as if they were the ground for 1 minute.
-Mana Cost: 1
Mental Fortification is clearly a support-type skill.
Since the mana cost is high, I thought it would be best to give it to Willia, who has a mana recovery skill.
As for Wall Climb, it could prove to be quite useful in indoor combat or urban warfare.
In the past, I had saved the Magic Rope Bracelet, a rather handy item I got after defeating a villain, but I hardly ever had the chance to use it. Now, combined with the Wall Climb skill, I felt like I could fully live out a Spider-Man fantasy.
[Magic Rope Bracelet / Premium]
-Allows you to attach a rope to any desired location, either to climb up or descend.
-You can also pull objects or specific targets towards you.
Yeah, this was the item.
So, I decided to keep the Wall Climb skill for myself.
"Here you go."
When I handed the Mental Fortification skill book to Willia, she chuckled.
“You look a bit disappointed. Didn't get the item you were hoping for?”
"Ah, no."
I was a little disappointed that the swimsuit, uh, I mean, battle suit, didn’t drop, but the skill books were what would actually improve my combat abilities for now, so I quickly brushed off the disappointment.
Besides, this wasn’t our last battle, and there would be more chances to get what I wanted in the future.
We continued our raid of Mongma’s Shrine.
"Mental Fortification!"
[Your mental strength has significantly increased, enhancing your resistance to status abnormalities.]
[Your enhanced mental strength blocks the charm skill of the intermediate succubus.]
The effect of Willia’s newly learned skill was far more powerful than I had expected.
Now, I didn’t need to shove earplugs up my nostrils to avoid falling for the succubus’s charm.
Curious, I raised my Silhouette Goggles slightly, and as expected, I was no longer affected by the charm.
"Ooh!"
When wearing the Silhouette Goggles, objects appeared in shades of gray while monsters were highlighted in red.
But thanks to the Mental Fortification skill, I could now see the succubi in their natural colors.
‘Is this heaven?’
While I was busy ogling, Willia spoke up.
“Seems like our hunting speed has slowed down.”
I awkwardly laughed, trying to brush off her remark.
Soon, we reached the entrance to the second floor.
‘How amazing will the second floor be?’
Excited, I swallowed dryly and headed up to the second floor.
[Intermediate Incubus / Level: 35]
“...”
Was this what it would feel like to accidentally walk into a male idol’s dressing room?
I stood speechless, staring at a near-naked men's bathhouse scene in front of me.
“Oh my!”
Seeing the group of male incubuses, Willia gasped and quickly covered her eyes with her hands.
But... her fingers were totally spread apart.
The incubuses, even more provocatively dressed than their female succubus counterparts, were hard to take your eyes off of.
Seeing Willia staring intently at them, I nodded with a serene, Buddha-like smile.
‘Yeah, I get it. I did the same.’
This was the natural reaction, after all.
Even as a guy, I had to admit, they were pretty impressive.
"Die! Die, you bastards!"
Just as Willia had been at full fighting power on the first floor, my combat abilities were now greatly enhanced on the second floor.
Thanks to that, we were able to clear the second floor even faster than the first.
At this pace, we’d reach the boss room in no time.
*****
Happy Halloween, everyone! 🎃 👻 ~Hanguk
*****
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