Chapter 94

Chapter 94 – Waltz (1)

Ddahk ddahk ddahk!

Every time the chin of the Skeleton Magician moved, it clacked . It was as if a crazy magician was laughting .

Accompanying the bizarre laugh, the Skeleton Magician threw a big fireball . It flew quickly through the air in an arc . At the end of the arc, the body of the Corrupted Comrade was present . The size of its body had decreased significantly .

Puh-uhng!

When the fireball reached the target, it exploded . Accompanying the explosion, the flame blew apart into sparks of flame, and they stuck to the Corrupted Comrade’s body .

Hwah-roo-roo… .

Up until now, the flames had quickly extinguished itself . However, the flames continued to burn, and it let its presence be known .

Hyrkan was watching all of this from a nearby location . He gripped his sword as he stood 2 meters away . Hyrkan lowered the point of his sword towards the ground instead of pointing it towards the Corrupted Comrade .

Battle Complete .

However, Hyrkan didn’t let go of his feeling of tension .

He still hadn’t heard the announcement . There weren’t any announcement indicating that his Quest had been completed, and he hadn’t received any Titles . This meant the battle was over, but the instance wasn’t at an end .

Hyrkan looked at the Corrupted Comrade, and he stood vigilant of his surrounding .

More time passed, and nothing special was happening .

“Whew!”

Hyrkan was finally able to let out a short sigh . When he let out the sigh, his mind had some available space to think .

The available space was occupied by idle thoughts .

‘Tsk . ’

Hyrkan’s idle thoughts were filled with self-reflection .

‘I got hit twice . ’

He took out a candy from a secret pocket located near his chest, and he put the candy into his mouth . There were various spots on his clothes that was blackened . This was the trace left behind after he was hit by the Skeleton Magician’s magic .

He hadn’t been hit by the full brunt of the magic spell . When the fireball exploded after hitting the Corrupted Comrade, the sparks of flame had hit him . This was what had left behind the marks on his clothes .

It was hard to see this as a big problem . The clothes worn by Hyrkan was a Defensive Set made from of the Clear Spider’s webs . It wasn’t an item that could be destroyed by such minor damage . To be truthful, he hadn’t taken much damage . Moreover, it had been necessary for him to stick to the Corrupted Comrade, so the amount of damage he suffered was inevitable .

It wasn’t something that should make him take time for self-reflection .

‘I’ll have to practice a little bit more . ’

However, Hyrkan was still not satisfied with this battle, so corner of his mouth drooped .

Hyrkan chewed on the candy as he had an introspection . The flame that had been burning the Corrupted Comrade’s body started to subside . When the flames died down, its muscular body was gone . Hyrkan saw a skinny body that was akin to a skeleton .

“Thank you . ,”

It was burnt black, and an unpleasant voice emanated from the skeletal body .

Hyrkan realized what was happening, so he moved closer to the Corrupted Comrade .

When Hyrkan approached the Corrupted Comrade, it spoke while standing upright .

“Thank you from freeing me from this pain . ”

Hyrkan took off his glove . He spoke as he displayed his golden ring, the Proof of the Secret Society .

“Ah, you are…… . ”

Its eyes were already burnt black, so it was impossible to see Hyrkan through its naked eye . However, the Corrupted Comrade had no problem identifying Hyrkan . As with the other NPCs, it could sense the distinctive energy emitted by the Secret Society’s ring .

“Please take my keepsakes to Maeung . Then… . Tell Maeung that he was right . Please deliver those words for me . ”

After he spoke those words, the Corrupted Comrade dropped to his knees . This was the first time the Corrupted Comrade had fallen to his knees .

Pshhhhhhh!

Then he started to disintegrate into ashes .

[Quest ‘Elf’s Keepsake’ has been completed . ]

[The Quest ‘Will of a Comrade’ has started . ]

The Quest Announcement immediately popped up .

‘Great . ’

He could wrap this up .

Hyrkan released the built up tension .

[You’ve earned the title ‘Destroyer of Corruption . ]

However, Hyrkan became tense once again .

‘Uh?’

Something unexpected had happened .

The thick blue fog made it hard to see even an object right in front of their noses . Five users walked together through the blue fog .

It seemed this group had gone through several battles already . Their clothes were a bit rumpled .

On the other hand, that was a huge accomplishment . This place wasn’t an easy to place to fight . They had fought several battles within the Blue Mist Forest, yet only their clothes were rumpled . This meant they hadn’t taken much damage . It was evidence that their skills and levels were extraordinary .

The five of them came across a boulder that could be used as a chair within the thick fog . For a brief moment, they slightly relaxed as they started a conversation .

“It really is hard to hunt here . ”

“How can there be so many monsters here? No matter how I think about it, this is an abnormal amount of monsters . ”

“Even though there used to to be a Block Field here, there is a good reason why the Users aren’t flocking to this place . This place is the worst as a hunting ground . ”

“Doesn’t that make it more appealing as a place to conduct the Sweep?”

Sweep .

If one overheard this word, anyone could discern their identities .

Sweepers!

The five of them were part of the Sweepers guild . They were an advance party sent to investigate the location they were going to do a full-scale cleaning .

Their average level was 130 . They all possessed high level, and they were masters at survival .

Moreover, they were outstanding at evaluating monsters .

“Will it be possible for us to Sweep this place? The level of the monsters seem quite high?”

“But isn’t their Health and Defense weak? I’ll be an easy Sweep . The problem is whether we will be able to take footage in this place . ”

“I guess the fog is a bit much here . ”

“How about clearing the fog with the Wind type magic? We can push away all the fog then we can commence our magical bombardment . Wouldn’t that make a great vid?”

“Bring a magician here to check if it’ll work . ”

“Anyways, it’ll be hard for a small party to hunt here . At least, we confirmed that . There is no way anyone is hunting here . ”

They were holding a conversation to get rid of their nervousness when it happened .

“Prepare for battle!”

One of the user hadn’t been participating in the conversation . The user, who had been keeping watch, suddenly let out a yell .

The party members immediately got into their battle stance when they heard the shout . The Tankers stepped forward, and the Priest got his Heal magic ready . Moreover, they were cautious . They didn’t try for pre-emptive attack . No matter what happened, they were confident that they’ll be able to cope with the situation . They were veterans affiliated with one of the 30 great guilds .

‘Huh?’

‘Uh?’

The being that was approaching them was most definitely a user .

They could see a rough outline of the figure, but it was completely different from the shape of a Smogrian . If one considered the sight one could actually make out, there were plenty evidence that suggested that the person in front of them wasn’t a Smogrian . The Smogrians had a similar coloring to the blue fog, so one couldn’t see it unless it was really close to a user .

The deciding factor was how fast this being was approaching them . When this user discovered the Sweepers guild members, he stopped . Only a user would stop when one sees another user .

‘Who the hell hunts in this place?’

Moreover, the user was alone .

‘Crazy!’

‘He’s hunting by himself here?’

The five users had a dazed expression on their face .

Eventually, the distance between them narrowed . The two sides were close enough to be able to see each other’s faces .

“Hahoe Mask?”

Someone spoke .

A reply came immediately .

“Which guild are you affiliated with?”

It was a pretty unfriendly answer . It was a non-answer, and that point couldn’t be argued .

He didn’t even confirm his identity, yet he asked for their affiliation . They couldn’t consider his words to be a proper answer .

However, the Sweepers guild members answered without making any fuss .

“We are affiliated with the Sweepers guild . ”

At that moment, Hahoe Mask finally came fully into view . Hyrkan asked the five users a question .

“Did the Monster Sweep already start? When I saw the announcement, it said the Sweep would be starting five days from today . ”

“We are the advance party . ”

After a brief conversation, the two sides looked at each other .

Hyrkan’s appearance was bizarre in the eyes of the Sweepers guild members . The most striking part of his appearance was the big bag he was carrying . It was a large duffel bag that a soldier might use . The bag looked as if it was about to burst .

It was evident that the bag was filled with Ingredient Coins . As members of the Sweepers guild, they were well aware of this fact .

This was why their surprise was much larger .

‘My god . He really was hunting here?’

‘By himself?’

The number of Ingredient Coin was basically the number of monsters Hyrkan had taken down .

They were beyond being impressed . The Sweeper Guild members were shocked .

‘Incredible . ’

‘Recently, I heard the 30 great guilds were competing with each other to recruit him . I now understand why . ’

The five of them were still trying to process their surprise when it happened .

“Then I’ll…… . ”

Hyrkan was about to leave, but he stopped as if he just remembered something .

‘Ah . ’

Soooohk!

Hyrkan extended his hand towards them . He wasn’t asking for a handshake . He had his palm up as he extended his hand . If he wanted a handshake, he would have extended his hand straight .

The Sweepers guild members were confused as they looked at his palm .

What was the meaning of this?

Then doubt started to creep into their expression . Hyrkan gave a curt explanation .

“I’m retreating since I saw the Sweeper guild’s Announcement to clean this place . Don’t I qualify for the compensation?”

The Sweeper guild members put on awkward smiles at his words .

‘My god . ’

‘If he sold the the Ingredient Coins he has right now, won’t he be able to gain several thousand gold in return?’

He was probably making a lot of money from the views he got on his videos . It was an amount of money that a regular person couldn’t even dream about making . This was the first time the Sweepers guild members met Hyrkan, so they were also having a hard time imagining it .

“Are you perhaps saying one of the 30 great guilds is going back on their word?”

Hyrkan spoke again, and his words were strict, earnest, and serious .

“I’m in a hurry, so it would be great if you can settle the account right now . ”

If he didn’t immediately receive the compensation, it felt as if he was ready to make this situation bloody! That was the vibe he was giving off .

In the end, Hyrkan left after receiving 100 gold .

Ahn-jaehyun wordlessly stared at his Tablet PC . He was staring at a particular Item’s Option .

He stared fixedly at the Tablet PC, and it seemed Ahn-jaehyun’s vision became blurry . He turned his eyes away from the Tablet PC . He closed both his eyes, and he cover his face with both his hands . His eyes throbbed .

It was easy to read the Item’s Option . If one knew Korean, even a child could read it . Ahn-jaehyun was overly knowledgeable regarding the game of Warlord, so he could understand the content just by glancing at the Stats .

This was the reason why he reacted this way .

‘Wow . ’

Ahn-jaehyun knew the value of these Items better than anyone . He couldn’t help, but be surprised .

‘I never expected to get my hands on these items through such a method . ’

These were the Items that made Ahn-jaehyun so surprised .

[Corruption Destroyer’s Necklace]

*Main Properties

– Unique-rank Item

– Increases class-specific stats proportional to level

– All stats +33

– Class related Stats +33

– Chosen Stats +33

– Required Level : 100

– Required Condition: Title ‘Corruption Destroyer’

*Sub-properties

– When one wears items related to the Pursuer of Corruption, Destroyer and Arbiter, chosen Stats + 99

– When equipped, damage received is decreased by 10% .

– This item reverts to its owner .

*Miscellaneous

– It is a necklace for Corruption Destroyers, who resist against the power of Corruption . It holds a strong power .

[Member of Society, Ivan’s Sword]

*Main Properties

– Unique-rank Item

– Strength +77

– Stamina +66

– Intelligence +55

– Magic Power +44

– Required Level : level 120

– Required Condition : At least, 1000 points Strength

*Sub-properties

– When equipped, 15% of monster’s defense is ignored

– When equipped, it is possible to use the Skill, ‘Haste (C)’ . (Cool time 15 sec)

– This Item cannot be destroyed .

– This item reverts to its owner .

*Miscellaneous

– This is Ivan’s Sword . He was a member of the Secret Society . As expected of a sword made by the Blacksmith Olf, it contains a strong power .

These were the two items left behind by the Corrupted Comrade . It was the Keepsakes left behind by Ivan .

He had to take the 3 Keepsakes to Maeung, which included the Secret Society’s Ring . As the reward for the Quest, Maeung had given him this two items .

When he received the Items, Ahn-jaehyun was in a state of disbelief . He threw away the Pursuer of Corruption Necklace, and he equipped the Corruption Destroyer’s Necklace . He stored the Ivan’s Sword in his storage, since he couldn’t equip it yet . Then he exited the game, and he had been staring at the two Item’s Options until now!

‘I never expected such a jackpot to show up . ’

Ahn-jaehyun had a hard time believing in his current situation .

He had gained incredible Items that was well beyond his expectations .

Ahn-jaehyun removed his hands from his face . He opened his closed eyes . It was hard to believe, but reality was reality .

‘There is no reason to be flustered . There is no need to be worried . ’

Ahn-jaehyun simplified his current situation .

He had been lucky, so he had gotten a Spec Up . Now he just had to use the Spec Up to his advantage to play the game .

No, he had to ride this momentum .

‘Yes, I have to keep this momentum going . ’

Ahn-jaehyun had his savings and the money he received from his sponsors . He thought about his financial situation .

He worked hard to save his money, so he had a good amount of money saved .

‘I have to burn it all . ’

He hadn’t used his money , since an unexpected situation could crop up in the future . Still, he hadn’t been planning on spending the large sum of money .

‘This is the time to let it all hang out . ’

However, he had to build upon his momentum, so he would have to make a direct investment . It was time to spend his money even if his spending money for food decreased .

‘I have to seriously invest in the defensive gear of my Skeletons . ’

If he upgraded his Specs a little bit more, he would be able to hunt in level 140 hunting grounds at level 110 .

Currently, the level 140 hunting ground could be considered the front lines right now . The number one ranking player, Perfect One, was at level 164 . The top 100 Ranking started from level 152 .

If he was going to hunt in the frontlines, he had to equip himself with the latest items . As always, the latest gears were the top-selling items .

Ahn-jaehyun made a fist .

‘Yes . I have to charge for my footages from now on . Then I’ll be able to bring in the real jackpot when I sell my footages . ’

He had to get a little bit more serious about bringing in more profit .

‘Wait, what should I do with the footage?’

Ahn-jaehyun thought about the footage of him battling the Corrupted Comrade . When he gained the Corruption Destroyer Title, he hadn’t been able to think of anything else . This was why he hadn’t given any thoughts to his footage .

‘At best, I don’t think I’ll be able to hit a million view with this…’

Truthfully, the footage wasn’t that appealing in the eyes of Ahn-jaehyun .

Hahoe Mask fans liked Hahoe Mask fighting a full-fledged battle with a monster . However, in this footage, he hadn’t even attacked . He avoided, baited and danced .

‘I guess I’ll leave it to the Romani Films . ’

Ahn-jaehyun thought about the Romani film company . If Ahn-jaehyun did a poor job editing the footage, he was sure his reputation would take a hit . This was why he needed help from a professional .

Ahn-jaehyun prepared his video file, then he contacted the Romain film company .

The conversation was brief . It was as if they been waiting for Ahn-jaehyun to contact them . They happily accepted the job . When he sent the video file to the Romani film company, Ahn-jaehyun had a small wish .

‘I hope there will be enough views to offset the cost . ’

When the file was sent, any thoughts about the footage containing his fight with the Corrupted Comrade left his mind .

‘What should I spend my money on? Shall I buy a staff that can be used by the Skeleton Magicians?’

From that point on, his mind was filled with thought about equipping his Skeletons .