Chapter 112

Chapter 112 – Black Tree (2)

5 .

Whistling .

His story started right after he parted ways with Hyrkan .

– I did what I said I would do . I stayed behind the Baheim tribe’s town, and I did every Quest available to me .

The Baheim tribe had a significant number of Elven NPCs, so Whistling had been very busy doing the Quests .

At first, Whistling had done much lower level Quests compared to his current level . It didn’t move the needle in increasing his level or profit . However, he reached a point where he was receiving Quests that was great help to his Level Up .

At the same time, he was able to gain numerous Titles . This was the reward for digging a deep well . He had received a good amount of rewards .

– I was somehow able to earn the Title ‘Baheim Tribe’s Tree’ . When I earned the Title, the other Elven tribes also asked for my help .

Whistling had obtained one of the ultimate Titles that increases All Stats by 3% . .

When he received the Baheim Tribe’s Tree Title, Whistling started being treated like a very competent problem solver . He provided solutions to the Elven Tribe’s problems . This resulted in other Elven Tribes asking Whistling for help . This was the fantasy adventure he had pined for, so he didn’t turn down any requests sent his way .

– That is when I received a request from the Tehkee Tribe . I earned the Curse of the Black Tree Quest .

Currently, the Tehkee Tribe had come to Whistling, they wanted him to take care of the Black Tree’s Curse . However, he was unable to carry it out .

The Quest itself wasn’t some insanely hard puzzle . It didn’t require endless grind either .

– I’ve already found out what the Black Tree’s Curse is, and I’ve also found out the location of the Black Tree . It hadn’t been too hard to find it .

On the other hand, the Quest had come to a full stop at carrying out the last part of the Quest .

– The problem is I can’t catch the Black Tree by myself . I tried it just in case, but I couldn’t come up with an answer .

If he wanted to put a period to the Quest, he needed help . Moreover, he needed someone who could carry out a Boss Monster Raid .

– Currently, I’m at Puree Forest where the Tehkee Tribe is located at .

When he heard those words, Hyrkan was able to accurately assess the situation in his mind .

“The Puree Forest is in the Big Smile guild’s territory . So that’s why you contacted me . ”

The Puree Forest was a level 130 hunting ground, and it had been discovered first by the Big Smiles guild . Moreover, the Big Smiles guild built a village at the entrance of the Puree Forest . Naturally, everyone came to accept that the Puree Forest was under the territory of the Big Smiles guild .

Of course, it was Big Smiles’ territory, but it wasn’t as if they acted like tyrants . The Puree Forest wasn’t worth that much to act that way there . Whistling had been soloing inside the Puree Forest, but no one from the Big Smiles bothered him .

Soloing was ok, but it would be a problem if a different guild operated within the forest .

In addition, the only place Whistling could ask for immediate help was the Fighters guild . However, they were an Underfoot guild, and they were rumored to be gunning for Big Smile’s position in the 30 great guilds . Big Smiles wouldn’t welcome it if the Fighters Guild appeared in their territory . On the other hand, the Fighters guild had no reason why they should take that the risk to help Whistling . Whistling was a regular guild member only in name . Moreover, his fame had diminished recently, so they didn’t show much interest or love towards Whistling .

– My personal connections doesn’t reach that far, so you are the only one I could request for help .

This was the reason why Whistling had contacted Hyrkan .

‘It couldn’t have been easy for him . ’

After hearing the whole story, Hyrkan started thinking hard on it .

There were two reasons that put him in a bad mood . The first reason was the Big Smiles guild .

‘I don’t know what those bastards are thinking . ’

He definitely had to resolve his unknown issue with the Big Smiles . He wasn’t too happy about boldly going into their territory by himself .

‘Moreover, Black Tree isn’t easy to catch . ’

The second reason was the difficulty level of the Black Tree . Black Tree was a really valuable monster . It was very difficult to catch it .

‘The Black Sap is too troublesome . ’

Black Tree looked like a normal tree on the outside . It wasn’t black at all in its appearance . However, it was named the Black Tree, because it let out a Black Sap when it was injured .

When one touched the Black Sap, it ate away at one’s HP . However, the Black Sap was neither a poison nor a magic . He would have preferred it if it had been a poison . In that case, he could have used an antidote magic or he could have easily taken care of the situation by wearing an Item Setting that was highly resistant against poison . However, the Black Sap ignored any physical barrier and magic as it gave damage .

It wasn’t as if the damage was weak . One had to have Stamina akin to a Tanker or one’s HP would drop in an instant like a bad stock .

On top of all of that, the Black Tree’s Bark boasted a very high defense against physical and magical attacks .

The raid method was to attack the knotholes . The knothole had a very low defense, so one had to focus on taking off the Bark covering the knothole . Then all of one’s attack had to be directed towards that single location .

This was obvious, but the Black Sap appeared the moment one stabbed the knothole . One had to widen the hole while the sap was expelled . It was a very tricky job .

If a Tanker wasn’t familiar with Armor Breaking than a Striker had to take a big risk in attempting the Armor Break . It was a very troublesome job .

Of course, Warlord was a game, and there were multiple ways to Raid a Boss monster .

‘If I had the Circlet of Purification, this won’t even be considered work . ’

Circlet of Purification!

The Item was the master key to the Black Tree raid . The Circlet of Purification had the Option of ‘Immunity from all Negative Effect’ . The Black Sap would be acknowledged as something that would cause a negative effect .

Of course, the Circlet of Purification wasn’t easily obtainable . It was almost impossible .

‘Shit . I went through so much hardship that time . Shouldn’t it have at least given the Item to me as a courtesy?’

After Hyrkan had finished the Corrupted Elf Quest, it was required of him to return the Circlet of Purification . He had held out hope for the Item, but the Chieftain of the Baheim Tribe didn’t give the Circlet of Purification nor a useful Skill Book to him .

On a side note, the Ingredient Coins and Gems from the Black Tree could be used to make Rare Rank Items . When one wore the 5 parts Black Tree set, the Option of ‘Black Sap’ was activated . When the defensive gear was damaged, the armor would let out the Black Sap . It would eat away at the opponent’s HP if the Black Sap makes direct contact . .

It wasn’t as good as the Greestone Imoogi set, but it was still a great Option .

On top of that, the Black Tree was a large monster . A lot of Ingredient coins was given when the Black Tree was caught, and there was a large probability of receiving the Ingredient gems .

A single Black Tree allowed one to be able to form 3 to 4 parts to the whole set . If one hits the jackpot, one would be able to create more than that .

“Let me ask you one thing”

– You can ask as many as you like .

“What if I do catch the monster called the Black Tree? What’s my cut?”

– If you can catch it, you can have everything . I won’t be able to catch it anyways without your help, Hahoe Mask .

‘His words is making this decision much harder . ’

The risk was large, but the return was large too . Of course, he was conflicted .

It was as if Whistling had read Hyrkan’s heart .

– If you want it, I can give you this Quest’s reward .

Whistling landed a solid blow on Hyrkan’s shaking heart . Hyrkan fired back with a question .

“What’s the reward?”

– It says it’ll give me a pouch .

“Pouch? What kind of pouch?”

– I have no idea . However, Chieftain Drah did say that it will help me dispel the Black Tree’s Curse . If you can dispel the Black Tree’s Curse, you can have this pouch .

Hyrkan’s brain brain started to spin quickly .

“Drah? Do you mean the Chieftain of the Baheim tribe?”

– That’s correct .

“Do you perhaps know what the pouch looks like?”

– It is a very plain pouch . There isn’t anything special characteristics I can describe to you .

“What’s in it?”

– There’s some unknown silver liquid in there . I don’t know how to use it, so I’m just keeping it in there .

As Hyrkan’s brain spun quickly, he gave a very quick answer .

“You stay right there! I’ll immediately ride my Golem over there, and I’ll blast the Black Tree’s head away!”

6 .

A small village had been built at the entrance of the Puree Forest . There weren’t even buildings built within the wooden barricade . Users were the only ones within the enclosement . It was so shabby that it was hard to call it a village .

Amongst the run down place, the Big Smiles’ guild members were present .

They were basically guards dispatched to look out for potential trouble . They were the lookouts .

Since they were actual Users being chosen to be a look out in a game, they felt crappy . They were basically wasting their time here . Time was EXP and EXP was Level . There was nothing that felt worse in Warlord than wasting one’s time .

“Did you see the newest video? It’s the Red Bulls Raid video . ”

“I saw it . It was awesome . ”

“What is up with our guild in comparison to that guild? I should have gone for Red Bulls instead of Big Smiles . ”

Of course, these were the words that came out of the dissatisfied guard .

“Hey . Watch your mouth . ”

“Who cares? No one here will tattle on us, and it isn’t as if I’m saying anything wrong . ”

“Still, you should be careful . ”

“You worry too much . Anyways, do you really think the Hahoe Mask is Red Bulls’ hidden ace?”

Even a king’s pumpkin seed was peeled when no one was looking . However, at his comrade’s warning, he discreetly changed the subject . His partner immediately took up the thread of the conversation .

“If it’s true, it’s big news . If the Hahoe Mask was added to the Red Bulls’ 1st Raid team, they’ll be able to take down all the monsters that’s been discovered . That’s the truth . ”

“The Hahoe Mask is really awesome . He’s doing everything by himself . He doesn’t even need to enter into a guild . ”

“It’s possible for him to do that, because he has money . I heard a rumor that said his family is incredibly rich . He is hiding his face, because he is the son of a mega millionaire . People will probably recognize his appearance . ”

“As expected, money is everything . If I was the son of a wealthy person, I would put pressure on the Big Smiles with money to gain an officer’s seat in the guild . Then I would be able to do whatever I want to do inside the game . ”

“I’m jealous . The Hahoe Mask could buy anything he wants to eat, and he purchases whatever he wants inside the game . ”

It happened at that moment…

“Excuse me . ”

The User spoke to notify the two of his presence . The two guards, who had been carrying on their conversation, tensed up a little bit . They looked at the approaching User in a guarded manner . It wouldn’t be good for them if someone heard the content of their conversation . It was a justified response .

However, their wariness was squashed when they saw the other User’s face .

‘What the hell? He looks like a pushover . ’

‘He has a really soft face . ’

The User that appeared possessed a face that was very relaxed and soft .

“What is it?”

The Big Smiles’ guild members immediately relaxed, and they spoke as if they were talking to someone inferior to them . There was no indication of suspicion in their manners .

“I’m planning on hunting inside the Puree Forest . Do I have to make a reservation or wait for my turn?”

There was nothing suspicious to his questions . Even a large hunting ground had prime spots, and these prime spots were popular .

“The normal hunting region has a designated hunting time . It isn’t crowded enough where you would have to wait in line . ”

The guard gave an immediate answer .

“Are the Big Smiles guild perhaps getting ready for a large scale hunt?”

This question was a bit more sensitive in nature .

“Why do you want to know that?”

In truth, the Big Smiles guild weren’t occupying the Puree Forest for the profit it generated . This place was kept for leveling up . The guild members of the Big Smiles would come here for a smooth hunt .

“Of course, I’m trying to avoid getting in the way of the Big Smiles guild’s business . ”

From a normal User’s perspective, it would be best if one’s activities didn’t intersect with the Big Smiles guild . This was why one had to plan with the traffic in mind .

However, guild members of the Big Smiles wasn’t obligated to tell everyone of their schedule .

“We are having a group hunt in 3 hours . You should plan accordingly to get out of our way . ”

If the User didn’t have such a disarming face, the guard would have never answered that question .

“In three hours…… Thank you . ”

The User gave his farewell, and he disappeared . The two guards continued their conversation immediately .

“Why’d you tell him about what we are going to do?”

“Does it matter in the end? At a glance, he looks like someone afraid of unwittingly offending our guild . We have to help the less fortunate . ”

“He looked and acted like a pushover . I’ll be really frustrated if a party member like him is in my group . ”

“He looks like a burden . ”

They laughed as they spoke . It didn’t take long for them to forget about the User .

7 .

“It’s been awhile . ”

Whistling Pitbull greeted Hyrkan, who appeared with his Hahoe Mask on . However, Hyrkan didn’t return the greeting .

“Let’s cut the long chatter . We are moving immediately . The members of the Big Smiles are doing a large scale hunt in three hours . ”

Hyrkan wanted an all-out attack at once .

Whistling asked in surprise at Hyrkan’s words .

“Three hours? How did you find out about it?”

“I asked the question to the Big Smiles’ guild members residing in the village . They told me pretty readily . ”

“That’s fascinating . I tried to ask them a question, but they became guarded at just my greeting . They looked as if they were going to fight me . ”

Whistling tilted his head in puzzlement, since he didn’t know why they had responded that way to him . Hyrkan didn’t know whether he should laugh or cry . Hyrkan knew better than anyone else why the members of the Big Smiles guild had told them about their planned activities .

This was why he decided to bury that particular topic .

“That’s enough talking . Three hours isn’t a lot of time . Is the Black Tree located far from here?”

“With our speed, it should take us a little bit over an hour . ”

If possible, Hyrkan wanted to wrap up the hunt in 3 hours then leave the Puree Forest . Nothing positive would come from meeting the Big Smiles guild .

“It’ll be very close . ”

Whistling’s eyes narrowed when he heard Hyrkan mumbling to himself .

“Do you have some enmity with the Big Smiles guild?”

“Huh?”

Hyrkan showed a slightly surprised reaction .

“No . Not really . ”

Then he immediately changed his expression as he spoke his denial .

“What made you think that?”

Whistling shook his head slightly at Hyrkan’s response .

“It’s nothing . It seems I spoke something unnecessary . Anyways, is the Item within this pouch really that amazing?”

Whistling wanted to change the mood, so he took out the pouch he received from Chieftain Drah . As intended, Hyrkan’s expression changed immediately when Whistling pulled out the pouch . When Whistling handed him the pouch, Hyrkan’s expression turned covetous for a brief moment to an absurd degree . Fortunately, the Hahoe Mask hid his expression .

However, his covetous expression turned into anger .

‘I’m not part of the Baheim tribe, but I toiled to bring peace to this continent . However, they didn’t give the reward to me . Instead, they gave the Circlet of Purification to someone, who just carried out some Quests for the Tribe? That damn Baheim Tribe . ’

His stomach ached from just thinking about it . He had worked as much as anyone else, yet someone else got the golden prize for reward . He was just given more work to do . Of course, it wouldn’t feel great for him .

This was why Hykran confirmed it once again with Whistling .

“You said all the Coins and Quest reward from the Black Tree hunt is all mine? Are you sure?”

At those words, Whistling vigorously nodded his head . Whistling treated this as a given, and this made Hyrkan frown . He asked another question .

“It is a bit awkward for me to say this, but are you sure this is fine? You won’t get anything . ”

Was he worried about someone else?

These kinds of words was the hardest for Hyrkan to push past his mouth .

However, Whistling spoke in a very composed manner at Hyrkan’s words .

“The Black Tree’s Curse Quest has a time limit . If I don’t catch the Black Tree within the time limit, the Tehkee tribe will be wiped out from this world . I want to stop that from happening . I don’t care about the reward . ”

Hyrkan didn’t say anything when he heard those words . He didn’t laugh bitterly or awkwardly . He didn’t even furrow his eyebrows . He tried hard to suppress any expression from forming on his face . If he didn’t, Hyrkan would somehow feel as if he himself was very lame .