Ark Vol 4 Chapter 1
Giran Magic Inst.i.tute
BOOM, FLAAASH!
A ray of light struck the magic tower. Sparks came off the equipment attached to the transmitter as light particles gathered. The light particles that moved along the complicated tangle of gla.s.s tubes soon transformed into the shape of a person atop a magic circle.
It was a normal-looking youth, which was actually rare in the virtual reality game where 90% of players changed their appearances. He really couldnt be called handsome, and there was a surprising grain of truth in calling him ugly; this incomparably vague characters name was Ark.
"Pant, pant, arrived at last... bleh, BLEECH!"
Ark retched with a green face.
"I thought I was gonna go mad. Ive never even been carsick, this is really..."
From Jackson to Giran, letter movement only took 3 minutes. That was the time it took for cup noodles to become done at the perfect state for eating. But that mere 3 minutes dealt Ark mental damage that he didnt want to experience a second time. Still, it was quite fresh and fun at first. When he turned into particles of light, it felt just like he was leaving his body. The sense of weightlessly becoming one with the air! Since he was cutting through the sky in such a state, it was like he had become wind. Everyone has probably imagined it once; becoming a wisp of wind and speeding over mountains, valleys, and plains. That imagination had become reality.
"Woaaaah, this is awesome!"
That sense of liberation! That freedom!
A cheer burst out of him as he looked at the scenery that was speeding past. But it didnt even take 10 seconds for his cheer to turn into a scream.
The sudden jumps, dives, and turns that unfurled!
Would riding a rollercoaster without the seat belt feel like this? No, it felt like being in a c.o.c.ktail cup being swished around by a bartender. He jolted from side to side, and the sky and ground flipped countless times...
It still seemed like the floor was shaking underneath him, so he couldnt even stand up straight.
Dammit, what the h.e.l.l is this frickin over the top reality!
"Are you Ark?"
He heard a rough voice from behind him. Turning around with sunken eyes, he saw an old Magician with a beard that fell to his chest approaching him.
"Do you know me?"
"I just received word from the Jackson Magic Inst.i.tute. But I knew of your name before that, from the crewmen of the Silver Arrow who arrived a few days ahead of you."
"Ah, did they arrive well?"
"Of course. They couldnt come meet you because theyre out on other business, but they told me to send you their greetings." The old Magician laughed awkwardly as he shrugged his shoulders. "But it looks like youre not in any shape to ask after their health. Are you okay?"
"Honestly, I cant really say that Im alright."
"Well, letter movement is still in the testing stage, so it couldnt have been a comfortable journey."
"Its not just at the level of not being comfortable though?"
"Apparently the weather was particularly bad today so letter movement was also several times more unstable than normal. Even if we are the Magic Inst.i.tute, we cant do anything about the weather. So to speak, you had bad luck."
"Ah, is that so? Thanks so much for your kind explanation. Why didnt you tell me that a few days earlier?"
Ark glared at the old Magician who was smiling as he explained. But even if his insides were heaving, Ark wasnt one to talk carelessly to a NPC.
The Magic Inst.i.tute reward that hed been waiting and waiting for was right in front of him. There was no reason to complain and lower the Magic Inst.i.tute NPCs mood.
"But ah, the promised..."
Just when Ark was about to gingerly bring up the topic at hand, the old magician slapped his knee as if he had just remembered.
.
"Ah, just look at my state of mind. Introductions are late. My name is Bargenhart Shannen. Im the president of the Giran Magic Inst.i.tute."
The Giran Magic Inst.i.tute president?
Ark swallowed what he was about to say and stared in surprise at the old magician, Shannen.
There were about 20 Magic Inst.i.tute branches set up throughout the large cities of Schudenberg Kingdom. The Giran Magic Inst.i.tute was the place that centralized all those branches. Therefore, it meant the Giran Magic Inst.i.tute president was the NPC who had the highest status amongst the Magicians of Schudenberg Kingdom. Youd have to be a guild master affiliated with the Magic Inst.i.tute to meet this top NPC.
"If its fine with you, can you spare some time to drink a cup of tea?"
"Of course."
Ark hastily drew out his business smile as he nodded.
Truth be told, he wasnt in the mood to leisurely share idle prattle. Leaving the nausea from the aftereffects of the letter movement aside, Ark was only interested in the Magic Inst.i.tutes reward right now. But in both reality and the game, personal connections were the most important aspect. Whats more, it was hard for a normal player to even glimpse this high ranking NPCs face, and he had amiably approached Ark first. There was no reason to refuse.
You had to make an impression on people in lofty positions first. Also, in light of his experience so far, there was a 90% chance that a situation like this was connected to a quest.
"I was just wanting a steamy cup of tea because my stomach isnt feeling so well."
"Thats a relief."
Shannen pointed to one side and a door on the opposite side automatically opened. A table with refreshments was prepared in an tidy room that emitted the atmosphere of a study.
"The heroism I heard of from the former bosun of the Silver Arrow, Jabel, made a very deep impression." said Shannen slowly as he raised his teacup. "Not only did you remember in such a crazy situation and rescue the crewmen, but you also nursed the refugees out of your own accord even though no one forced you to, yes? Everyone knows that they were the right things to do and that they should do them, but its not easy to actually take action. I was truly touched."
"Im flattered."
"No, no. That was something anyone would praise. Is that all? The ingeniousness and boldness you displayed when succeeding an impossible operation by using the Spear of Thor was incredible enough to make me immodestly burst into a cheer. Well, though the Spear of Thor which cost thousands of Gold to make was broken beyond repair thanks to that."
"That... Im sorry."
Ark watched Shannen with a guilty expression. Surely hes not asking me to pay for it?
Thankfully Shannen wasnt thinking about it so seriously and burst into jolly laughter. "Hahaha, I didnt bring it up to blame you. An item has to be used where its needed to get your moneys worth. Theres no point if you spend ten thousand Gold to make it but you dont spend it where necessary. In any case, your deeds were great enough that its not out of place to call you a hero. However, that is not the reason I took an interest in you. It was actually what you did after that."
"Huh? After that?"
"You took 1st place in contribution in this operation, right?"
"How did you know that?" Ark asked back in a slightly surprised voice.
Since he had the Magic Inst.i.tutes Badge on him, of course the Magic Inst.i.tute would be able to check how much contribution he had acc.u.mulated. Only then would they be able to prepare a reward suitable for the contribution points. But Ark hadnt fathomed that Shannen would be aware of the ranking when even the Lord of Jackson hadnt known.
With a faint smile, Shannen lowered his voice. "The 3 Great Guilds are a larger and more ma.s.sive organization than you know. You might have thought you didnt reveal yourself, but the Magic Inst.i.tute, the Warrior Guild, and the Merchant Guild have memorized the name of Ark. Although, I cant say if that is a good or bad thing for you."
The NPCs of New World were really not to be underestimated.
Ark hadnt registered his contribution ranking in the Hall of Fame. Of course, he had been certain that the only ones who knew that would be himself and Global Exos. However, it seemed that it wasnt such a simple issue.
Besides the historical background, New World was no different from reality. Unlike existing games, the NPCs here didnt just move and think based on the information they were given. Like people in reality, they were existences with perfect AIs that thought and gathered necessary information on their own initiative. Like players, the experiences and thoughts of these NPCs produced variables separate from the system.
To think such a thing would be possible...
Actually, Ha Myung-woo had already explained something like this in the reception room before. But hearing the explanation and experiencing it yourself was a completely different feeling.
Well, I didnt register in the Hall of Fame because I didnt want to attract the attention of the players...
It wasnt much of a problem if an NPC knew. No, this could be a good thing, since there would be more NPCs like Shannen who approached him while praising Arks contribution.
"Thats why I definitely wanted to meet you. Just why did you hide the fact that you took 1st place? And why did you suddenly hide yourself, not even showing up while the foreigners who rose to the top 10, including Sir Alan, were all being praised? Can you tell me why?"
"There wasnt a great reason for it. There wasnt really a reason to hide, but I didnt want to put myself out there and show off. Shall I say that I didnt have the confidence to deal with the attention I would receive from it? I just did my best with what I was given, and I was more than satisfied enough with the fact that I helped."
"Its just as I imagined. Admirable! I dont know about others, but I rate that att.i.tude highly. It is never easy for a hot-blooded young man to control his ambition." Shannen nodded with a satisfied expression. Then he continued in a low voice, "In fact, Ive been waiting for a person like you."
"What?"
"A warrior with the strength and courage to win in any situation, no matter how difficult, and also has the prudence to keep a secret. I thought that such a person would be able to listen to my concern. How about it? Are you such a person?"
As expected!
Arks eyes glittered. He was right on the mark with his guess that this might be linked to a quest. Without delay, Ark gave the answer Shannen wanted to hear.
"Of course. I am always prepared to hear the concern of another person. In addition, I dont like speaking out in front of others, so no one will know my requesters trouble."
A request is always welcome! A thorough guarantee to safeguard the customers information!
Ark presented words that were like the advertis.e.m.e.nt phrases of a moneylender.
It seemed like he scratched the itch properly. Shannen nodded in satisfaction. "Good, youre very much to my liking. Then lets get right to the point. Ill tell you this in advance, but this is a very delicate problem. It could easily deal a fatal blow to the Magic Inst.i.tutes status if it were to get out. However, Ill believe in the actions you showed in Jackson and tell you."
Ah, how long is he intending to go around and around dodging the point?
Around the point when his annoyance was slowly boiling up, Shannen finally brought up the main subject. "The issue I want to discuss with you is about a stolen artifact."
"An artifact?"
"Its called the Heartsoul Bead. As one of the ancient relics, it is a dangerous item imbued with powerful and ominous magic. If this artifact were to fall into the hands of evil, there is no knowing what kind of horrible calamity it will bring about. Thats why it is something that the Magic Inst.i.tute has been sealing away since long ago... one year ago, it vanished completely."
Listening to the explanation, Ark tilted his head. "The Magic Inst.i.tute is an extremely large organization, right?"
"Of course. It is a guild with 70 branches all over the continent. If you add in the sub-guilds founded by foreigners, then theres too many to count."
"Then are you saying that the Magic Inst.i.tute wasnt able to find it for a year even with such power?"
"Thats..." Shannen shook his head, looking troubled. "I understand your question. However, the Magic Inst.i.tute is in a position where we cannot openly look for the Heartsoul Bead."
"What do you mean?"
"The Heartsoul Bead was being guarded by the Magic Inst.i.tute, but strictly speaking, it doesnt belong to the Magic Inst.i.tute. A long time ago, the Schudenberg Royal Family requested that the Magic Inst.i.tute safeguard it. If it gets known that the Heartsoul Bead was stolen, the Magic Inst.i.tute will have to take responsibility and will be put into a very difficult situation. That is why we couldnt openly seek the location of the artifact."
"So in the end, you mean that maintaining the secret you entrusted to me and being careful is so that the Royal Family doesnt find out."
"Its not just the Royal Family."
"Huh?"
"We have to be more careful of the Warrior Guild and the Merchant Guild than the Royal Family."
Shannen went on to explain that even if the Schudenburg Royal Family were to find out, they could use political force to soothe them to a certain degree. The Magic Inst.i.tute had that much influence. But those methods wouldnt work on the Warrior Guild and the Merchant Guild, who wielded influence rivaling the Magic Inst.i.tute. On the surface, the 3 Great Guilds solved the continents problems while holding hands, but they were actually rivals waging a cutthroat power struggle. If they were to find out about the artifact robbery, there was no knowing what kind of ridiculous demand either guild might impose using the incident as an excuse.
Hmm, Im roughly starting to understand the power structure of New World.
The relationship between the Schudenberg Kingdom and the 3 Great Guilds... the worldview of the New World that surrounded Ark was slowly becoming more complicated. It wasnt just New World, but most online games had a unique worldview. There were power relations between the various organizations and countries that existed within the game.
Of course, there was no need for you to give yourself headaches thinking about it in your beginner days. In addition, the power relations didnt often affect the players. But the situation would change as your level grew higher and you did harder quests. Depending on how the worldview was set up, situations would branch into countless choices, and the players experience would be affected based on their choice. For example, doing a quest for Party A could make you the enemy of Party B.
However, Ark didnt think about it too seriously. I cant be afraid to build a house for fear of splinters.
There was still more he didnt know about New World then what he did know. With the little knowledge he had, he was in no position to shirk this and that. No matter how realistic it was, New World was an online game; what the player Ark had to do and what he was interested in wouldnt change.
He would solve the quest given to him and receive a reward!
There was a need to know the NPCs inside story in order to solve a quest, but there was no reason for it to get more serious than that. Though of course, he needed to make a serious expression in front of the NPC...
"It seems like you have many concerns."
"Indeed, it has been a year since the Heartsoul Bead was stolen; it seems that the Warrior Guild and the Merchant Guild have gotten wind of it. They havent been frankly expressing their suspicion yet, but if theyve caught on, then the secret wont be kept for much longer. More so if we flounder to openly look for the artifact, of course."
"So thats why youre asking me, someone who has no direct relationship with the Magic Inst.i.tute."
"Thats exactly right. You proved that you arent one to betray someones trust because of greed with the Jackson incident. I can believe you and entrust it to you. How about it? Do you think you can help?"
"I have never turned away from a person seeking help"
"Are you saying youll accept?"
"Of course. If it is an item that could bring about disaster to the world, we have to recover it no matter what. However, I dont know where to start since there arent any clues."
"I wouldnt have even brought it up to you if we didnt have a clue."
"Is there something?"
"Its something that happened a while back. The Guards took care of one of the thieves that had infiltrated Giran, but something like this came from him. The Guards felt magic power from it, so they asked the Magic Inst.i.tute to examine it."
Shannen showed him a small shard of iron that glittered with silver l.u.s.ter.
"This is...?"
"Its a shard that fell off the Ward that was sealing the Heartsoul Bead."
"So that means someone among the thieves around Giran stole the Heartsoul Bead."
"Indeed."
"Are there any other clues?"
"Unfortunately, thats all we currently know."
Ark sighed at Shannens answer. One of the thief gangs around the extensive Giran had the artifact. Wasnt that information as vague as telling him to find a grain of sand in a desert?
Well, whatever. There must be some way to solve it since I received the quest.
Ark had intended to immerse himself in hunting around Giran for a while anyways. Rather than thoughtlessly hunting, he would be more motivated if there was some kind of objective. Moreover, the quest was about something very serious. Since it was such an important matter, that meant he could expect a considerable reward if he solved it. There was no reason to refuse.
"Ill do my best."
As Ark nodded, the quest information window popped up.
Find the Heartsoul Bead!
The president of the Giran Magic Inst.i.tute has offered you a secret task. One year ago, the Heartsoul Bead, which was under the protection of the Magic Inst.i.tute, was stolen. Shannen suspects that one of the thief gangs active near Giran is the culprit. You must gather more information from the thieves and find the Heartsoul Bead.
However, you must maintain completely secrecy for this task. If the task is exposed to an NPC within the Royal Family, Merchant Guild, or Warrior Guild, then the situation will worsen. Should that happen, Shannen will cancel the task and harbor animosity towards you, who was unable to keep the secret.
Should you cancel the quest or fail, Friendship with the Magic Inst.i.tute will become 0. In addition, if the secret is exposed, the Merchant Guild and Warrior Guild will become hostile towards you even if you succeed the quest.
Difficulty: ??
Quest Restriction: Within the top 50 for contribution in the Hero a.s.sembly quest. At least 50 Friendship with the Magic Inst.i.tute.
Eh? What is this?
After actually checking the quest description, the conditions were more particular than he thought. Ark had planned on gleaning information from the Guards that had executed the thief or from a mercenary NPC first. It would have also been good to ask a merchant NPC, who had to keep tabs on thief information at all times. But if there was a condition that he couldnt be found out by the Merchant Guild and Warrior Guild, then it would be tough to interact with them.
I have to find a single bead in the vicinity of this huge Giran in a situation where I cant even ask NPCs for information... dammit, Im starting to think I made a mistake.
However, he had already accepted the quest. His Friendship with one of the 3 Great Guilds, the Magic Inst.i.tute, would be reduced to 0 if he abandons the quest, so he had no choice but to try whether he felt he would live or die.
Its uncomfortable on many fronts, but it cant be helped. Ive accepted the quest, so Ive got no choice but to look for a way somehow.
Ark set aside his worries about the quest for now. That was because the reward for the quest he had already solved was more pressing than worries about a new quest. Also, Arks second objective, obtaining information about Snakes metamorphosis, was an urgent matter. Since it was something that had happened because of a magic ingredient, getting info from a Magician would be faster.
But Shannen just tilted his head. "I do know about the Fruit of Basium. It is used as a magic ingredient for various things, but the fruit itself has a fatal poison. If a Human, of course, or any monster were to eat the Fruit of Basium, they would perish. But to think that there is a creature that survived even after eating it... I dont know how that came to be. And I know nothing about the Alamone Larvae. Id have to look for materials on it, but I cant be sure since it is a race that went extinct long ago, even in the Netherworld."
"I see..." A quiet sigh flowed out of him on its own.
Snake only had 6 days left now. To be honest, he had half given up on successfully ending the metamorphosis. But there was no guarantee that another opportunity like this wouldnt come again. If at least for that time, he needed to figure out the secret to Snakes growth beforehand. But if even the Magic Inst.i.tutes president didnt know, then just where in the world was he supposed to find the information?
"Im sorry about that."
"No, it cant be helped."
"Then theres just one thing left to do. I should give you the promised reward," Shannen said, as if to excite the mood.
Needless to say, Arks depressed eyes became luminous as a result.
Shannen grinned as he nodded. "Actually, after receiving the report on the results, I had quite an enjoyable worry to consider until now. I didnt know that there would be someone among the Magic Inst.i.tutes volunteer troops who would acc.u.mulate more than 50 thousand contribution. You can be proud of yourself, since it means you contributed that marvelously. So you know, how about you choose the reward yourself?"
"Are you saying I can choose it myself?"
As Ark tilted his head, Shannen lightly clapped his hands. A door opened on one side as a young Magician walked out.
"Did you call, President?"
"Guide this friend to the repository on the 10th floor."
"To the repository on the 10th floor?" The young Magician asked back with a surprised expression.
"Yes, this young man is that qualified. Allow him to take one item of his choice, no matter what it is. He has already received permission from the upper echelons."
"I understand."
"Ark, Ill rise first."
At the end of those words, Shannen left the room.
The young Magician approached and politely bowed. "Please follow me."
Ark followed the young Magician to the 10th floor. Once he got out of the elevator that moved via magic power, he was blocked by a stone gate engraved with a complicated pattern. As if it had several layers of Protect on it, the stone gate crawled upwards with a heavy groan only after the young Magician worked on it for a while.
d.a.m.n, these, these are all items?
At the sight that was gradually being revealed with a radiant light, Arks eyes became as wide as saucers. All kinds of items were on display, packed closely and in abundance within the large stone chamber. Each and every one of them were shining brilliantly; he could tell they were Rare items in one glance. So to speak, they were lumps of money!
It was a spectacle that would set any gamer drooling.
"This is the repository where the Magic Inst.i.tutes most precious treasures are gathered," said the young Magician with a proud expression. "Even the cheapest one here would likely be well worth 100 Gold. Also, you are the first stranger to enter this place. Since you have Master Shannens permission, please select one of the items here. We will give that to you as a reward."
"One... you say?"
"Yes, one. Im saying this by way of caution, but you will only have one chance. Please choose carefully."
The young Magician replied firmly as he operated a device. Then there was a sound of machinery as the display case protecting the items was pushed up. As a result, the brilliance shining from the items became a level stronger, making his eyes hurt.
Be careful or whatever, you say...
Ark gulped down his saliva as he went around the room.
As the young Magician had said, any one of them would reap 100 Gold. No, they were Rare items well worth hundreds of Gold. Since he was surrounded in such items, it felt like he couldnt breathe.
Gulp, are you telling me to choose one from all of these?
The young Magician had spoken as if to do him a kindness, but to Ark, there was no greater torture than this. He had to pick just one item in a room filled with Rare items that were so close he could touch them if he reached out his hand? Rather than hearing that hed be given one, he heard it as taking away all the rest.
But Ark steeled himself with all his effort. Be, be cool, Ark. This is really a chance that doesnt come twice. One choice can bring in several tens of Won, no, several hundreds of Won. If I get excited and choose foolishly, I might regret it for the rest of my life!
There was a trap to the Magic Inst.i.tutes reward. If he put his hand on an item and checked its info, that would be the end of it. In other words, it was the same system as the blind auction.
Thankfully, Ark had a perceptiveness that had been polished and refined in the blind auction house. But that ability actually became a hindrance here. It would be easy if the good and bad were cleanly divided instead. However, this place was literally a treasure storage. The goods inside the room all looked incredibly awesome. No, all of them were good. Since had to choose the one that was the best out of them all, it was hard for him to appraise them properly because his greed kept flaring out.
Gasp, this sword... it looks good! Just what stats does it have?
Ark was stretching out his hand as if drawn like a magnet before he shook his head, startled.
No, no. Get ahold of yourself, Ark. Theres no time limit, so theres no need to rush. Look at them all and choose the one that looks the best out of them!
Ark composed his breathing, which had become rough. Then he began to carefully check out the items as he went around the repository. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead, as if he had just gone through a battle. Then, when he had gone through around half of the items—
Hiss hiss!
He felt his waist being constricted as Snake squirmed. Having as much interest in items as Ark, it seemed that Snake was also overexcited. But Ark had no time to pay attention to Snakes reaction.
"Dont distract me, Snake."
As Ark glared brusquely at it, Snake lowered its head with a sullen face. Snake pestered him a few times after that as well, but Ark had no leisure to pay attention to such a reaction.
Stats varied wildly between items, even if they were all Rare. It was common sense that an item with a high level restriction generally had higher stats; even if it was a Rare item, he wouldnt be able to expect much money or performance from a level 10. On the other hand, if it was level 100, then he would be able to get an enormous price for even a simple Magic item.
Therefore, Arks choice centered around the item with the highest level restriction. And after roughly 30 minutes had pa.s.sed, he was finally able to narrow it down to three items.
A longsword that emitted a frosty blue l.u.s.ter.
White plate armor engraved in a golden design.
A leather helmet decorated with jewels of five colors.
As befitting of items he had picked and found, the energy they exuded was unusual. Having picked three items for the time being, Ark agonized for a long time.
Im gonna go crazy. Im certain these three are items at the highest level here...
In the end, Ark started ruling them out one by one through the process of elimination. Theres no merit to getting an item and just selling it. Its best to use it for as long as its worthwhile before selling it. For that purpose, itll be better to give up on the item with a high chance of being for Warriors only.
Accordingly, the plate armor was out.
The rest are the sword and helmet... Dammit, this is as hard as choosing between black bean noodles and spicy seafood ramen. But even if they both have magic effects on them, its way harder and more expensive to acquire a weapon than armor. My ultimate objective is to sell it in the auction anyways, so if I had to choose between the two, itd have to be the sword. Alright, Ive decided. Huhuhu, now, how awesome an item will it be...
[T/N: Black bean noodles and spicy seafood ramen are very common Chinese-style foods in Korea.]
Having made up his mind, Ark stretched his hand towards the sword.
At that moment, something hed never even imagined happened.
Hiss hiss, HISSSSS!
Restless ever since Ark narrowed it down to three and started agonizing, Snake suddenly yanked on his waist. Having been concentrating on the item alone, Ark was dragged over with nary a chance to resist. Then, in the moment when he was about to catch his balance with a shocked face—!
Wasnt Snake desperately extending its neck and stretching out its tongue? And then, in the s.p.a.ce of a cry, Snake gulped down a frayed book that was lying on the side.
It was after that the display case closed with the sound of machinery.
"EHH? W-WHAT?!"
A message window suddenly popped up before his eyes.
Deadly Poison Preparation Tome (Rare)
Usage Restriction: Thief-related profession at level 50 or higher.
"A tome? A TOME, YOU SAY?"
Arks face went green. Just what kind of unexpected bombsh.e.l.l was this?! Out of all the items that he could get hundreds of Gold for, a f.u.c.king tome?
Granted, a Rare tome was also a considerably valuable item. But no matter how precious it was, it couldnt compare to a Rare weapon. Even worse, Deadly Poison wasnt even a tome for all professions. Since it had a profession restriction, he couldnt expect a very good price for it.
"W-what the h.e.l.l is this, Snake!"
As Ark screamed, Snake shrank away, startled. Ark ground his teeth before hurriedly staring at the young Magician.
"You saw, right Th-this is a mistake. I wasnt the one who chose, so please let me choose again."
But the young Magician replied with a smooth smile. "Of course, you cannot."
Th-th-thump, a quest window came up.
The quest Magic Inst.i.tutes Reward has been completed.
You, who contributed greatly to protecting Jackson Castle, received a reward worthy of your effort from the Magic Inst.i.tute. Even with many treasures left in front of you, you have decided to be satisfied with a small reward. The young Magician will report your humility, and Shannen will be deeply impressed once again.
With this, your contract with the Magic Inst.i.tute has ended.
+50 Friendship with the Magic Inst.i.tute.
"ARRGHH!"
Arks scream rang within the repository.
"...This is a disappointment. Snake!"
Having been rolling around on the ground hearing out his hair for a while, those were the first words Ark spat out.
With a very downcast face, Snake was on the verge of tears. It was a very pitiable sight, but there was not a whit of sympathy in Arks eyes.
The glamorous longsword that had emanated a blue chill was still shimmering in front of his eyes. There were many weapons with magic effects, but swords that showed such obvious magic effects were certainly few and far in between.
Just how much damage would it have had? What kind of options did it have?
Having been unable to acquire it, he came to think of the sword as an even greater item. In addition, a weapon with a frost-related magic effect was something that all players would drool over. Unlike other magic effects that ended with just dealing additional damage, frost-related ones activated the Slow hex at high rates. Thanks to that, there were cases where such items were sold with a premium of an additional several thousand Won, even if they were at the same grade of rarity. That had been replaced with an old tome right before his eyes.
Wasnt this like going into a buffet that cost a thousand dollars and coming out after eating just green beans?
It was to the point where it would actually be more strange if he didnt go mad.
"Just why the h.e.l.l did you do such a thing!"
Hiss hiss, hissss!
Snake put a lot of effort into justifying itself, flickering its tongue. But there was no way Ark could understand Snakes words, so he could only see it as Snake teasing him. Since the opposite party wasnt even Dedric, but the Snake he had trusted, the feeling of betrayal was even greater.
"Put away your tongue! Shut up! Dammit, do you know what the h.e.l.l you did? It was a chance for me to choose any item worth hundreds of thousands of Won, an item that could buy several thousand rolls of kimbap!"
Ahh, what poor imagination, to use just kimbap as a metaphor for the value of hundreds of thousands of Won; but Arks staple was the cheap and simple kimbap, so there was no helping it.
"You ate a thousand rolls of kimbap just now! Do you even know?"
At last, tears began to drip from Snakes eyes.
Dedric grinned as he added oil to the fire. "Kekeke, just look at you. And youre the one that always gets loved by Master! I knew a day like this would come some day! Master, you cant let it go. You have to use this chance to clearly teach Snake its place! Snakes place!"
"Shut up!"
"Che, whyre you getting mad at me? Im the one you always kill."
"You, really—!"
"Alright, I get it. Ill be quiet."
Ark pierced Dedric with a menacing look before abruptly tearing at his hair.
He knew. It was already spilled milk. No matter how much he raged and struggled, the quest was already finished; no matter what he did, there was no way to turn back what was done.
In a case like this, the usual Ark would quickly let it go. Ark was the type to carry out something to the end with all his power once he made up his mind, but he was also quick to give up on things that couldnt be done even if he tried. But this time, it wasnt easy to give up on it. A person who thought they had won the lottery, but found out the date was wrong would feel like this.
"Dammit, I dont need a Familiar that acts as it pleases, scram!"
For some time, Ark clutched his head, and Snake cried.
Once his agitation calmed down a little, he realized something strange.
Huh? Wait, how did Snake swallow an item?
Ark finally realized that there was a contradiction to Snakes actions. Snake had gone into metamorphosis through the Fruit of Basium. And during metamorphosis, it couldnt swallow or even spit out items. Hadnt it tried several times to eat items, but immediately spat them out? But Snake hadnt expelled the tome yet. Metamorphosis lasted 20 days. He had spent about 13 days in Jackson, so there were still 7 days left.
Just then, Skull, who had determined the atmosphere early on and had been laying low, suddenly leapt up as it forcefully clacked its teeth.
Clack, cla-cla-clack! Cla-clack!
"What, even you... eh? Snake!" Raising his head, Ark burst out in shock.
Snake was lying limp next to Skull. Startled, he urgently lifted Snake and felt it was as cold as ice. Then the scales lost their elasticity as Snake had gone into metamorphosis began to peel and fall away.
"What? Whats wrong? Whats happening? Snake!"
"Ehh? Why is this fella suddenly like this? Su-surely not obliteration?"
"Obliteration? Obliteration?"
"Dammit, this is because of you, Master! All because you said you didnt need him! Were Familiars. If our Master casts us away, we cant live on! How could you obliterate Snake because of a mere item!"
Dedric seized Arks hair and shook it around. His relationship with Snake wasnt good, but it was still a teammate that had been with Dedric so far. He had teased Snake accusingly, but it seemed he didnt actually feel that way. Not knowing what to do, Skull was also trembling. At the reaction of the Familiars, Arks heart plummeted.
S-surely not really because I said I dont need it...?
Was his relationship itself with the Familiar canceled? Thinking about it, Arks face blanched. Though he had gotten angry and snapped at Snake, who had disobeyed him, he didnt really mean it. Of course! There was no way he meant it, right? Snakes item storage function couldnt be traded for even several hundred Gold. No, no! What was important wasnt an issue of function.
The emotion Ark felt towards his Familiars was special. It wasnt important now that they were simply helpful in the game. Loyal Skull, Dedric, who always became Arks strength in the moment of crisis even as he complained incessantly, and Snake, who thought of Ark as a parent.
Though he had never expressed it, they were no longer just Familiars to him, they were friends who couldnt be replaced with anything. To the point that he couldnt even imagine a New World without them...
"Snake, get ahold of yourself. Im, Im sorry. I didnt mean it. It was something I just said because I was angry! Are you telling me theres a parent anywhere in the world who would throw away his child? You cant disappear, take strength. Ill forgive it all so please... please get ahold of yourself! I need you!"
Ark constantly cast the Nursing skill with a shaking voice. In that moment, he felt something slip from his hands. It was Snake. Snake had slipped out and had fallen to the ground, leaving only skin in Arks hands.
Surprisingly, Snakes scales had regained their former l.u.s.ter and were glossy again. Also, didnt Snake also have a red stripe on it that hadnt been there before? That wasnt all. As if amazed by its own transformation, Snake stared around dazedly before opening its mouth, as if it felt something there. When it did so, two sharp fangs, one on each side, were revealed. It had only been a snake in name until now, and it hadnt even had any fangs.
But those changes didnt matter to Ark just then. "Snake, Snake! You rascal, do you know how worried I was?"
Ark abruptly embraced Snake. Snake flinched, confused, before sniffling as it rubbed its body on Ark.
Hiss, hiss hiss hiss...
"Its fine, Ill forgive you now. Who cares if its a sword or a tome? Its okay, it might sell for more than the sword. Thats right. Lets think like that."
Hiss?
Snake flinched as it lifted its head.
It was then that a message window popped up in front of Ark.
- The tome Deadly Poison Preparation has been digested within Alamone Larvae.
"What? Digested? Does that mean its gone?"
Alamone Larvaes metamorphosis has been completed successfully.
A mysterious snake that lives in the Netherworld, whose state hasnt been completely disclosed.
The Alamone Larvae will undergo metamorphosis several times until it reaches adulthood. When started by a special magic ingredient, metamorphosis will end with the learning of a new skill. The Alamones adult appearance and characteristics will be determined based on the skills it learns during metamorphosis.
Alamone Larvae digested a tome and has acquired the skill Deadly Poison. Influenced by the skill it learned during metamorphosis, it has evolved into Poison Alamone.
Poison Alamone
The Poison Alamone has the special ability of producing deadly poison inside its body by refining poisonous plants. However, the Alamone cannot use the deadly poison itself. In exchange, it will temporarily add a deadly poison effect if applied to any kind of weapon belonging to the summoner.
The number of uses and additional effects of the deadly poison will differ depending on the kind of poisonous plant. In addition, it will be able to refine poisonous plants of higher grades as the skill grows, and deadly poison of a higher grade will have an increased number of uses and greater effects.
However, Alamone currently only has one skill slot. Only one skill can be loaded. In order to use the item storage function, the deadly poison skill must be removed and the item storage function must be reloaded. Skill swapping is possible at any time if there were no items being stored inside the Alamones body.
Race
Creature of the Netherworld
Alignment
Dark
Cla.s.s
—
Health
50
Loyalty
—
Strength
—
Agility
—
Stamina
—
Wisdom
—
Intelligence
—
Luck
—
* Usable Skills: Item Storage, Deadly Poison Preparation
*Currently Loaded Skill: Deadly Poison (Beginner, Pa.s.sive)
???
Huh?
Ark read the message with a dazed expression. It felt like he had been hit in the back of the head with a hammer. Come to think of it, why hadnt he thought of that? The easiest way to learn a skill was obviously a tome. But he had just thought there would be some kind of special method at the words "metamorphosis"— he hadnt been able to think of tomes, the most sensible option.
"You... you knew that tome was Deadly Poison?"
Snake nodded with uneasy eyes.
So thats how it was. Thats why Snake was being so annoying in the repository.
Only then did Ark grasp the gist of the situation. Well yeah, there was no way Snake would have disobeyed him without a reason when Snake considered him its parent. He was certain that Snake had known instinctively that the tome was an item it needed as soon as it discovered it. If he thought about the actions Snake had shown him thus far, what happened afterwards was obvious. It had probably thought that it could be useful even in battle if it swallowed the tome. Thats why it had prepared to be cursed and had gulped down the tome. Because it was Snake. Ark could guess that because it was Snake.
Goodness gracious. I cant even thoughtlessly scold it since its intention is way too obvious...
Ark stood up with a severe expression. "Alright. I said I would forgive you, so lets just say this didnt happen. It seems to all appearances like a useful skill, but next time you cant eat anything without my permission again. Understood?"
After saying it, it really seemed like something a parent would tell their child.
Hiss hiss, hiss hiss hiss!
Snake nodded in quick succession as it wrapped itself around Arks waist and charmingly rubbed itself on him.
In the end, Ark dropped the charges on Snake. He was particularly weak towards Snake.
I cant hate it because its like this.
At that, the Dedric who had been on the verge of tears when Snake had become strange soon burst out in complaint. "Che! Whats with the discrimination! When I did something bad, you beat me up like crazy for several days and nights..."
"So thats why Im telling you to behave properly at all times."
"What did I do?! Is there a Familiar as nice as me?"
"Are you going to keep talking back? Youre starting to feel hungry, I see?"
"Ah, Master. Who said anything? Skull, was it you? Did you defy Master?"
Clack clack, cla-cla-clack!
Skull stared at Dedric with pitying eyes, as if saying why did you act up if you were going to just dig your own grave like that.
At any rate, he had paid a big price and Snakes metamorphosis had ended with this.
Lets hurry and get out of here. I feel like theres just going to be more foolishness if we stay here. Ill know how useful the Deadly Poison skill is after I check it, but whats done is done, so lets just cleanly forget it.
Ark recalled Skull and Dedric and left the Magic Inst.i.tute.
"Selling level 40-60 items cheaply! Buying accessories!"
"Im seriously quitting the game today. Im taking care of my items so use this chance to get your equipment."
"Recruiting party members who will stay up all night with us. Two spots left. Cleric wanted!"
"Seeking level 70 merc! Payment will be determined later!"
As soon as Ark left the Magic Inst.i.tute, he was greeted by the sounds of the main street. Hundreds of players were using Shout to do business or look for parties, so it was a complete uproar. But for Ark, who had no interest in shopping for items or parties, it didnt matter.
Alright, now what?
Ark summed up the situation as he went through the market. The quests Ark currently had were « Find New Settlers » and « Find the Heartsoul Bead ». And although it didnt have anything to do with the quests, he had to find the Three Marvels. But he still had too little information to seek the Three Marvels, and he’d have to spend a lot of time finding settlers for the quest. In that case, there was only one thing he could do right now.
Hunt down the thief gang around Giran to solve the Magic Inst.i.tutes quest.
The problem is where to start...
Having opened up the map, he couldnt tell where to go. Simply put, it would be in Girans vicinity. Giran was 3-4 times larger than Jackson. Naturally, the area that could be called Girans vicinity was just as big.
From the Brandt Mountains in the North and all the way to the Argus Mountains in the South, all of it was within Girans vicinity. It was near impossible to find the thief gang in such a large area. Even so, he couldnt just grab an NPC and ask them, either...
Might there not be a way to easily find out the location of the thief gang?
He was able to find that method surprisingly easily.
The answer was the message board placed in one side of the square. Information about the nearby villages or events were posted on the message board. However, it played another role besides that. Information about Chaotic players or thief NPCs with bounties on their heads! He had just pa.s.sed by that information until now because of his lack of interest. Perhaps because Giran was a large city, the message board was 3-4 times larger than normal. Also, the information was managed separately in categories like Trade, Regional, and Event.
Ark searched the board where the WANTED bounty posters were put up. Are these all the WANTED bounty criminals?
Dozens of wanted posters with bounties were filling up the large board.
Eh? This guy is...?
Ark was able to find an unexpected face among the wanted.
Leo (Foreigner)
A thief who habitually plunders Merchants in the vicinity of Giran. Masterful at telling lies; requires particular caution.
Area last seen : Grey Ridge
Difficulty: ???
Bounty: 40 Gold
Bounty payer : Bambino (Foreigner)
This fellow, is he still thieving?
Ark grinned. Leo was the guy who had tried to rob Ark when he was first crossing over to Giran, but got served instead. However, he must have been unable to snap out of his misdeeds and continued to thieve, because his WANTED bounty poster which even had a bold likeness drawn on it was taking up a spot on the message board.
Since a bounty of 40 Gold was 400,000 Won (~$400) in real currency, it wasnt a trifling sum. It seemed Leo had incurred quite a lot of resentment from the player named Bambino.
If the authorities accepted a players request and a bounty was put on them, a WANTED bounty criminal would automatically be locked up in prison if they died at the hands of a hunter. Then they would have to pay a fine and stay imprisoned for a number of days to get rid of their Chaotic status before they were released. In other words, if you were unlucky enough to get caught, it would be a pain in the a.s.s. Because of that, there were many cases where people were careful not to incur too much resentment even if they did a Chaotic deed. It seemed Leo really didnt have any tact. Though well, it was obvious from just seeing that he had tried to take all of Sids trade goods.
In any case, Ark had no interest in the likes of Leo. Ark was interested in thief NPCs, and not just any old heinous thief gang, either.
The Grey Axe Gang (Group)
A thief gang composed of 7 Warriors. Will be rewarded with the bounty if you take down the gangs boss and bring back his grey axe.
Place last seen: Near Rodellin Village in northwestern Giran.
Difficulty: E
Bounty: 15 Gold.
Bounty payer: Giran Guard.
The Silver Arrow (Group)
A cutthroat thief gang composed of about 10 people. Will be rewarded with the bounty if you take down the gangs boss and bring back his bow as proof.
Place last seen: Old Forest in southern Giran.
Difficulty: F
Bounty: 10 Gold
Bounty payer: Giran Guard.
Unlike the other WANTED bounty posters that were, for the most part, already torn away, the thief gangs had barely been touched. In fact, among the WANTED bounty criminals, the most popular ones were the Chaotic players. If a Chaotic player died, they dropped an equipment item with a 100% chance. Since you could secure a bounty on top of that, you could expect a jackpot. The next most popular were the named monsters becoming well known in a nearby region, because depending on the case, you could get a fairly useful item.
On the other hand, the thief gangs had no merit to speak of. It was hard to subjugate them because they were high in numbers, but there was little chance that a useful item might come out since their overall levels were low. Despite that, the bounty was only 10-20 Gold, so there was no reason to struggle to catch them.
Its comfortable if I dont have any compet.i.tion.
Ark tore off the wanted poster of the thief gang that looked the easiest.
- A new bountied criminal has been registered in your information window.
You have partic.i.p.ated in bounty hunting for the first time.
Bounty hunting starts when you register a WANTED bounty poster on the city message board. If you take part and take them down, you will receive the bounty and your city contribution will rise. When your Hunter Rank goes up according to your contribution, you will be able to acquire information regarding stronger wanted criminals and will also be paid various kinds of different rewards.
However, the registration will be canceled if you perish while the bountied criminal is registered, and you can start hunting again after re-registering in the village. In addition, there is a 60% chance that you will lose an equipment item due to the special Looting characteristic of the thieves.
Arks current Hunter Rank is —.
The usual point was that he had to go back to the village and register again if he died after registering. Therefore, if he went and died while getting rid of the thief gang, he would have to start from the very beginning.
He also hadnt been aware that his city contribution would rise if he caught a wanted criminal. A Merchant raised city contribution through trade, but it seemed a combat profession raised contribution with a method like this.
There was a surprising amount of depth to the world of a bounty hunter, too.
How fun. Shall I try it once in earnest?
He would receive bounty money and get information as he hunted, and he could even raise city contribution. Once he thought of it in that way, his motivation surged greatly.
Ill be eating the pheasant, eating its eggs, and using its nest to kindle a fire!
Arks life in Giran began.