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Chapter 7: The Midnight Farmer

I once again went to monitor the cave right after I collected all the loots that the goblins dropped. I wasn’t swimming in gold and my funds are severely limited so taking everything I could turn into gold is essential. Since there were goblin warriors, I manage to get several fine swords, axes and spears along with a bunch of leather and copper armors. The goblin warriors also dropped 5-10 gold which was a pleasant surprise.

I see a change happen after about 4 hours of waiting. All the hobgoblins suddenly went out along with the Goblin Lord. I can see that the Goblin Lord is quite furious that no food has arrived yet. It screeched a few times to probably call the goblins that are out hunting. After several extremely loud “KIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’s”, it waited outside its cave. I can see the Goblin Lord’s fury slowly turn to worry or maybe fear with every passing minute. The Goblin Lord waited for nearly an hour then hastily went back inside its cave along with the hobgoblins. I waited patiently in my hiding spot until the very last hobgoblin entered the cave.

*Ding!!*

Stalking Skill has reached Intermediate level: 1

You can now hide as much as 80% of your presence from your target!

You will now slowly blend with your surroundings! The effect will be better with proper gear and by staying completely still!

You will now be able to acquire better information on your target! More information will be revealed the longer you spend stalking them!

Bonus stats shall be applied!

+10 Agility

+7 Intelligence

+5 Luck

Finally! I was wondering why my stalking exp stopped at 99.9 even though I’ve been stalking a lot. It seems to require some kind of special condition to advance since it was a skill from the Beast People, and noticing change in the target’s emotions was probably the trigger. My Pathfinding also stopped at 99.9 so a special condition is also necessary for it. I’ll just have to work it out as I go since I have no idea what the conditions are. The important thing now is to see how the Goblin Lord will react now that it lost all its food gatherers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the end, it did just as I predicted before. It holed up inside its cave. It only sends out 2 hobgoblins to hunt now and they don’t stray far from the cave. My first option is now available again and with the steam generator, my options have increased quite a bit. I was ecstatic that I can almost see the end of this nearly impossible quest; but since I’ve already learned from past experience to not be careless, I decided to further increase my chances. To do this, I will need to return to Spring village again.

I didn’t need to search at all for my target since he never moved from his location at all. Zeke the great inventor is still trying to sell his inventions but it’s clear that other than me, no-one has bought his steam generator. Seriously, if this guy goes to the big cities to sell his inventions then he’ll be filthy rich! Well, maybe he has his reasons so I shouldn’t meddle with his affairs. Deciding this, I walk towards the inventor that can’t sell any inventions

“Hey Zeke~ Been a while”

“Ah! Dear Customer! Are you here to buy another one of my steam generators?’

“Nah, I’m here to tell you that it works great! It dropped the targets straight to the ground! You should’ve seen it, they got shocked so much that they even lost consciousness~” I wasn’t technically lying here as well

“Really! Are they alright though? I warned you not to use too much water since it could be dangerous” It seems Zeke is a bit worried since I said I’ll use 10 liters of water before

“Ahahhaha no worries Zeke, 30 liters of water is overkill so I used far less. Anyway, since you’re a great inventor, I was wondering if you could make something for me…of course I’d be willing to pay for it”

“Heh ehe eheheh, please don’t praise me too much. But I am a great inventor aren’t I? ehehehehheh” I guess simple people are always easy to please

“Yes~ yes~ such a great inventor! So…..about my request……can you make me something?”

“Heheh Sure thing! What is it? So long as it isn’t making a magic propelled battleship then almost anything is possible!”

“Right……don’t worry, it’s pretty simple. I just need a simple smoke bomb”

“A smoke bomb?”

“Yes, preferably…….”

I then proceeded to tell Zeke “certain” specifications that I wanted in the smoke bomb. I told him that rather than smoke, I wanted it to release “special” powder instead. I then showed him the White and Green Powder that I have. I also told him about what effects it has. Hearing the effects of the powder made Zeke quite reluctant since it was way over the “limit” for pranks. He was about to refuse but I manage to change his mind when I said “Think about it, you can doodle their face while they’re paralyzed or asleep so wouldn’t that be great as pranks?” his eyes shined when he heard about it and I can tell that he can’t wait to test that out himself.

“Hehehehe Riyen! That sounds awesome! Why didn’t I think of that! Heheheheh doodling on Marie’s face while she’s paralyzed! I can’t wait! I already have something like that but I’ll have to modify it a bit…it’ll probably take 3 days tops so come back for it then” Zeke clearly wanted to start as soon as possible since he was already packing his things while talking to me

“Hahahahah, sure thing Zeke! I’ll see you in 3 days then!” I plan to continue keeping watch on the goblin cave but I needed to sell all the loots that I got first. I also need to get a few more things as preparation for the final fight.

~~~~~~~3 days later~~~~~~~~

Not much happened in the goblin cave these past 3 days. The hobgoblins always went out in pairs and only 1 pair is outside at any given time. I tried to use the same trick on the hobgoblins but it didn’t work. Since I couldn’t reduce their numbers, I reduced the amount of prey they could find instead. I want these hobgoblins to be starving so my trap can work better. There was also very few monsters that ever come near the cave so I didn’t have to work hard. This also helped to keep me safe when I logged-off from the game.

I returned to Spring village early morning of the appointed date. Zeke was already on the place where he usually sells his inventions as well. I can see that he’s quite exhausted but also very happy so I can assume that the smoke bomb was a success.

“Hey Zeke! Good morning, you seem tired”

“Heheheheh, I worked for 2 days and 2 nights to complete this masterpiece! Here! Come take a look for yourself”

Zeke then showed me 6 small boxes. The shape of the smoke bomb wasn’t exactly what I expected. I was thinking that he probably has a thing for boxes since his steam generator was also boxed shape.

“Um, how do these work exactly? And how do you use the White and Green powder for this?”

“Heheheheh, the top can be opened like this, and then you put the powder inside and close it again. The smoke is generated by a special device that mimics the way fire magic is cast just that instead of fire, only smoke comes out. The powder is then mixed with the smoke and ejected on the side! You can choose whether you want a timer or to detonate on impact but the timer only has a max of 10 seconds” He then activated one and large quantities of smoke suddenly came out and we choked for a bit

“*Cough*cough* …….a device that mimics how fire magic is casts….that’s really impressive Zeke”

“*Cough*cough*cough* isn’t it! Unfortunately, this was something the “Sage of the Hightower” developed so I can’t take full credit for it. I just tweaked it for my own purposes hehheheheh”

“I see. So…..How much are these?” Since it works properly, I intend to buy some

“Hehehehe, no need to worry about paying me with gold! Just trade me a bit of those powders and you can have all six of these!”

“Really?” Seeing Zeke nod, I put half of the remaining White and Green powder to the containers Zeke prepared.

This time, it was my turn to warn Zeke to not use too much since it’s quite potent. He just said “Don’t worry” and quickly ran off again after receiving the powder. After watching Zeke leave, I put the smoke bombs in my P.I. (personal inventory) and quickly head for Pine forest. I stopped just outside since I needed to do several things first. What I plan to do is to cook large amounts of meat to be used in my last trap. I needed to do this here because I can’t afford to have the hobgoblins get a whiff of the cooking meat and come and investigate. After cooking, I put them all on my bag and continue towards the forest.

I reached the cave and started monitoring it for a while. The hobgoblins doesn’t have a fixed time where they come out and hunt but once one pair returns, it takes about 10 minutes for another to come back out. I waited for nearly 2 hours before a pair of hobgoblins leaves the cave to hunt. After 15 minutes, they return without catching anything which was good news to me. 3 minutes after they enter the cave, I dash out near the cave and quickly set my trap. I took out a large barrel that I bought from Spring village and quickly set the container for the steam generator inside. I set the timer for 15 minutes and then covered the container with piles of cooked meat, I quickly run back to my hiding spot afterwards. It took just 4 minutes to prepare the trap which I consider ultra fast. A few minutes later, the next pair of hobgoblins was exiting the cave.

“Hihihihi…..all according to plan….now, they just need to carry the barrel inside and present it to the Goblin Lord……..Huh?” something unexpected, expectedly happen again.

One of the Hobgoblins ran back inside the cave while the other just watches no, it was eating some of the cooked meat.

“Maybe it’s calling for the Goblin Lord?” this was a possibility as well and actually better than me entering the cave. Unfortunately, what returned was the rest of the hobgoblins in the cave

“Ah shit!” Since the timer is nearly over and I was still within the range that the steam could hit, clearly I had to run, and fast.

You've used Zeke’s Steam Generator!

Haaaaaaa….another unexpected development but I was kinda expecting something like this to happening so it’s a good thing I have a back-up plan. One problem now is the fact that the steam generator activated near the cave and I was afraid that the Goblin Lord heard the loud explosion and came to investigate. I needed to find out what happened so I quickly head back to the cave. I reached the clearing near the cave and was shocked to see that not all the hobgoblins are down, 7 of them are still awake.

“Damn…..it seems hobgoblins are really a tier above goblins…….but they look like they’re about to drop so this is still a chance! (Stalking on)…” I activate stalking and observed the hobgoblins that are still awake

Ever since my Stalking skill reached intermediate level, the information on the targets have greatly increased. I can now tell if they’re happy, sad, anxious, worried or afraid. I can even tell if they’re hungry or tired so long as I observe them for long periods of time.

★★★ Hobgoblin[quart=Level,Health]90,89%[/quart]Status(Starving)(Drowsy-High)(Near-Fully Paralyzed)(Confused)TraitsPursuit, Adaptability

The hobgoblins are also damaged like the goblin warriors before and the White and Green Powders are also in effect. I can see that they’re a bit far away than the other hobgoblins so that’s probably why they’re still awake, that and their resistance are probably higher as well. They’re quite groggy on their feet so it’s best to finish them before they recover or worst the Goblin Lord suddenly making an appearance.

“………It’s like the old saying, “Hit them when they’re down and hit them hard!”…..gotta kill the moving ones first! ….....” I then run to one of the hobgoblins that are still awake. I could see its eyes flare up with anger when it saw me and tries to ready its sword

It was moving really clumsily because of the paralysis on its body but I decided not to take it lightly. I decided to dodge the hobgoblin’s first attack and counter right after. A hobgoblin is a head taller than goblins and got longer arms and legs. It was also known to be faster and stronger so I wanted to avoid getting hit. I can see the hobgoblin prepare to swing its sword with all its might so I………

“Huh? Hahahahha, The heck was that?”

The hobgoblin moved in such a awkward and funny way that I couldn’t help but laugh. If you want a comparison then imagine a really old lady with arthritis try to swing her cane at her naughty grandkid. I would have felt sorry for the hobgoblin only if it wasn’t so ugly

“Hmmmm~ guess this should be expected since you lot are Nearly-Fully paralyzed. Don’t hate me for this…it’s a harsh world after all….*Bang!*Bang!*Bang*”

Since there was almost no difference between this hobgoblin and one that’s asleep, I decided to aim at its head. The hobgoblin was only taking 7% damage with every hit so it took a bit longer to kill. This proved that I will never be a match against one in top condition so I decided to quicken the pace.

It took nearly an hour to kill all the hobgoblins and some even started to wake up near the end. This couldn’t be helped because my only weapon is a Black stick and the hobgoblins are even wearing helmets. I gathered all the loots that dropped along with the steam generator and rest for a bit. I also needed to prepare the smoke bombs that Zeke made.

“Fuuuuuuu…..that took longer than I thought……they were even starting to wake up so I got a bit worried but I still gained 4 levels so it ended well. That Goblin Lord will definitely have higher resistance so I can’t be stingy with using the powders…..”

I was a bit worried that the smoke bombs will only be able to hold small amounts of powder but it seems it was unfounded. Zeke also used the same type of container as the one for the steam generator but on a much smaller scale. Seriously! How does he make these things? Since I didn’t have to worry about any limits on the amount, I decided to use all the remaining White and Green Powders. In the end I have 3 smoke bombs filled with White Powder and 3 with Green Powder. I didn’t take any damage and my stamina is full again so I decided to head inside the cave and deal with the Goblin Lord.

*Ding!!*

You are the first player to discover Dacrule’s Lair!

Benefits: 2x Exp and Item Drop Rate

The first monster killed will drop the rarest items it can

+300 Fame

“Eh? This was a dungeon?” I didn’t expect that at all. I thought for sure that this was just a normal cave since the goblins were going back and forth without any problems.

“I thought dungeons are sealed areas where monsters aren’t allowed to either enter or exit? The heck is this…”

Dungeons normally contain stronger monsters than the ones on open plains. For this reason they can’t just leave the area as they please and wreck havoc outside. This was the known fact at least but then again, these goblins have only been spotted recently and they’re all V3 mobs while the boss was V4. I could explain all this as just something quest related but the time difference really doesn’t make sense.

“Haaaaaa…..I better stop thinking about this since it just makes my head hurt……..I should just get this over with” what comes will come…and it won’t come any other way was a saying of some great man so I stopped worrying and decided to just move on

I thought that the dungeon would be crawling with monsters but I haven’t encountered a single one. Since I have the Pathfinding skill, I didn’t need to search the entire dungeon and just have to follow the trail that the goblins made. I followed the trail for 20 minutes and then reached a large open space which is obviously where the Boss is. It took a bit of time since I moved really slowly, checking corners and hiding in small crevices. I carefully look inside the room and I saw the Goblin Lord sitting on its throne made of stone. I activated stalking the moment I saw it to know its current status.

BOSS MONSTER: ★★★★GOBLIN LORD “DACRULE”Level150Status(Hungry) (Frightened)Unique TraitTyranny, Leadership, Incredible Strength

“……….hungry and frightened ………and its traits are just what one could expect……”

Tyranny compels anyone in its rule to obey it without question while Leadership allows for better ruler ship even though it’s a tyrant. Incredible Strength meanwhile increases its power by up to 2x. These traits weren’t so bad since they’re useless if it’s paralyzed and asleep. I needed to watch goblins for long periods while their unique traits are active before but now I just need look at it to know what traits it posses. Anyway I can’t continue just looking at it so I prepare my smoke bombs.

“Time to end this quest!” I set the smoke bombs to detonate on impact and threw all 6 in quick succession near the Goblin Lord and then ran away.

You’ve used Zeke’s Smoke Bombs!

I ran straight back to the entrance of the dungeon, there was even smoke coming out of the cave so I had to back away even more. I waited until all the smoke was gone before going back in. I return to where the Goblin Lord was and saw it sprawled on the ground. I check it with just in case with stalking and its status was (Deep Sleep) and (Fully Paralyzed) which made me jump with joy. I can also see the duration of the effect now.

“Heheheheh 2 hours~ with that much time, I can bash your head with ease~” I collected the smoke bombs on the ground and prepared to bash the Goblin Lord’s head.

“Hmmm~ this is almost too easy~ but it’s like what the Top Car said……It’s all about what’s inside and that’s what decides a winner!” Yep, and what’s inside those smoke bombs were potent powders

*Bang!*Bang!*Bang!*Bang!*Bang*Bang*

It seems it wasn’t as easy as I thought. I’ve been banging on the Goblin Lord’s head for 30 minutes but its Hp has only dropped to 50%. I was thankful that the duration was 2 hours but the Sleep effect is slowly disappearing. It’s at (Sleep) compared to (Deep Sleep) before but paralyzed seems to have not change so I decide to continue bashing the Goblin Lord’s head. Its Hp just dropped to 30% when something dreadful happened…….

GOBLIN LORD DACRULE’S SPECIAL SKILL ACTIVATES

RENEW HAS BEEN ACTIVATED

“What? R-renew?” I, of course know that V4 monsters sometimes posses special skills. This was especially true for Boss monsters. What I don’t get was why the Goblin Lord possessed the Renew Skill

Renew is a special skill meant for monsters with “High Magic” attribute since they mostly have low hp and defence. It activates once the monsters hp hits 30%, they recover 20% of their max hp, gains 20% extra stats temporarily. And worse of all, it removes all de-buffs on the monster. This was one of the most dreaded special skills of Boss Monsters since de-buffing them was the most effective means of defeating such powerful monsters.

“Shit…I need to make a ru..” before I could finish, the Goblin Lord suddenly opened its eyes and looked at me

“Kiiiiiiiiiiiii so it’s just a huMaaan…..kiiiiiiiiiii I thought that demon returned!”

“…………..Damn it!” this time I really made a run for it

“Kikikikikikiki…..….no escaping huMan!” With great agility, the Goblin Lord suddenly stood up and jumped so far that it landed in front of the exit

With the Goblin Lord blocking the only exit, escape was no longer an option. This quest is now destined for failure. I already used all the White and Green Powders so I can’t even repeat this anymore. There was also no way of me beating the Goblin Lord when I’ll even lose against a hobgoblin.

“Haaaaa….I was so close but I guess this is my limit……all that’s left is to give it my all! Come Gob…..”

*BOOOOOOM!*

“Ughh…….”

You have suffered a mighty blow and will lose consciousness for 15 minutes in 5

4

3

2

*SWIIIIISHHHH*

Before I could even finish my final speech, The Goblin Lord suddenly closed the distance and swung its giant sword. I managed to block with the Black stick but I got blown so far away that I hit the dungeon wall. Its speed isn’t something I can hope to match let alone its strength. With that one attack I lost 80% Hp and a very bad status happened, but just before I lost consciousness I thought I saw……Red Lightning?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Something” suddenly walks in and interrupts the deathmatch between the Goblin Lord and a player. To be honest this “thing” didn’t really think that it was a deathmatch at all. To this “thing” they were just playing around with each other but this “thing” cannot allow the “human” to die. “It” has what can be described as “human” form and anyone who sees this “thing” will say so as well. But one thing is clear, “it” isn’t human nor does “it” have any humanity.

“Hmmmm………….He did better than I thought…”

“Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, Y-you! You said that you will let us leave once you’ve finished your task! W-what is the meanining of this!”

“Huh? Hmmm….I did say that before…..I apologize….that was a lie. You were meant to die……from the start”

“Kiiiiiiiiiiii! You think I’ll just let you kill me, you demon!”

*SWIIIISHHZZZZ*BOOOOM!*

“Hmmmm…yes I think so….it’s not like you have any other choice………..Oh~ still alive? For just a goblin you’re pretty sturdy”

The “Demon” then walks straight to the unconscious player that fought the Goblin Lord

“Heh~ I would’ve let you bring a large group in…..even that bird but you decided to fight by yourself….pretty impressive”

The “Demon” gazed at the unconscious player for a while but his gaze suddenly shifted to the Black stick in the player’s hands.

This “Demon” was the one that brought the Goblins to Pine Forest along with their cave. It’s just no-one knows this fact except the Goblin Lord and its underlings

This "Demon" is also the reason why no-one was able to approach the forest

The “Demon’s” aim is definitely the Black stick….no its completed form. That’s why it did all this.

The “Demon” then tries to grab the Black stick but then, the Black stick starts to fade away.

“Oh well~ Collecting it will come in due time……until then “Boy” take care of “En-Il’s Legacy”

The “Demon” then walks away from the “boy” and the near dead Goblin Lord and heads for the dungeon’s exit

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time remaining: 0:00:59

In Royal Road, one of the most dangerous states a player can get is getting knocked out. It isn’t hard to figure out why because when your avatar is unconscious, it will receive 200% more damage and there’s no way to defend whatsoever. Once a player gets knocked out, they can only wait until the timer disappears but normally they die even before half the timer gets used. The fact that mine is now under a minute is terribly confusing since I’m supposed to be in a fight with the Goblin Lord Dacrule

3

2

1

“Ugh……I’m still alive?” Light finally returns once I opened my eyes, waiting in darkness for your imminent death is something I definitely don’t want to experience again.

“Huh? The heck happened to the Goblin Lord?” Once my virtual eyes have regained sight, the first thing I see is the Goblin Lord twitching with smoke coming out of its body

I have no idea how this happened and why but seeing a near dead boss in front of your eyes, the first thing you would naturally do is………put it out of its misery. Questions such as why and how can come later so I did the most normal thing for every player.

“Stalking on!”

BOSS MONSTER: ★★★★GOBLIN LORD “DACRULE”Level150Health4%Status(Stunned)(Paralyzed)(Cursed)(Weakened)(Bleeding)(Demoralized)(Confused)(Shocked) (Burned)(Crippled)(Drained)(Dying)

“………………….Right………I’ll think about this later” The Goblin Lord will likely die even if I don’t do anything but that would be a waste.

*Bang!*Bang!*Bang*Bang!*Bang!*

Goblin Lord Dacrule has fallen

+300 Fame

Level up! x5

“Whew! Finally over! I levelled up 5 times as well….now for the important part….its drops” This was the main point of all my struggles after all so I checked all the dropped loots

You have obtained

Dacrule’s Ring of Renewal

Dacrule’s Goblin Bracelet of Strength

A Black object

Quest Complete! Return to the Elder for further compensation

“Hahahhah finally! Got the missing piece! Hmmmm? this Ring of Renewal?” I already have a very good idea of what it is but I needed to make sure

“Item info! Ring of Renewal! Bracelet of Strength!”

Dracule’s Ring of Renewal (Unique)

+90 Intelligence

+50 Wisdom

+20% Magic Resistance

Durability: 90/90

Requirements: Level 100 or more. Intelligence 200 or more

Special Options: Renew skill will activate if the wearers health drops to 30% or less.

A ring given to Dracule by a mysterious individual, it was made by ancient crafters that managed to imbue it with the rare skill Renew. It is made from the highest grade materials but how it is made is unknown. Some form of seal restricts it from showing its true powers but allows one to wear it more easily.

Dracule’s Bracelet of Strength (Unique)

+100 Strength

Durability: 70/70

Requirements: Level 150 or more. Strength 300 or more

Special Options: Gives knockback effect when attacking

A bracelet worn by Dracule since it was just a normal goblin. Dracule wore this through the years as such; some of Dracule’s power was absorbed by the bracelet.

“Incredible.....the bracelet is just as I expected but the ring……it says it was given to Dracule…who would gave such an ultra rare item to a goblin lord?”

Haaaaaa…..too weird…..everything was weird from start to finish. There was also the thing about the Goblin Lord being practically dead when the unconscious state wore off. Clearly, someone did that but why let it live? And all those abnormal status that the Goblin Lord received, it would have taken dozens of high level black mages to do all those. Haaaaaa…….mystery after mystery……anyway there is one mystery that I can solve now though. So I’ll start with that one

“Identify! Black Object!”

Failed

“Eh? Identify!”Failed

“Identify!” Failed

“Identify!”Failed

“Identify!” Failed

“…….Shit! Do I have to throw it in a fire as well?” I did manage to identify the Black stick when the Elder did that.

“Hmmm?” looking closely I see a hole on the Black object. I also remember that the Goblin Lord used it as a necklace with a chain so this was probably where it was tied to. Not to anyone’s surprise, the hole is also an exact fit to the Black stick

“It won’t hurt to try, I guess….” There was a hole so I put my Black stick in it. I see no change happening whatsoever on the Black stick but oddly enough, now that the Black object was connected, it looked like….

“A Hoe?”

*WOOOOOOOOOOOOOSHHHHHHHHH*

Bright light suddenly appeared from the Black stick and the Black object. It was so bright, it completely filled the entire place. Just as the light’s brightness hits its peak, images suddenly replaced the bright light. It was first images of beautiful “Beings” and then turned to images of lots of “People” and finally images of the “Beast People”. In all the images was the same person. He/she looked like a beautiful woman or a handsome man, an old lady or an old man, a child while also an adult. It was hard to describe what that person looked like but it was easy to understand that it was a “God”. After a while, I see several individuals talking…

“Are you really going?”

“It isn’t your obligation to do this”

“Why would you go to such lengths?”

“You will most likely die…En-Il”

The one with the indescribable looks just smiled and then left. Thousands no millions of Beast People are crying when they see their “God” leave but they can’t do anything because it was the will of their “God”. The images then shifts to where the God “En-Il” probably went to. The God was accompanied by two extremely large “Creatures” that makes 20-30 feet giants look like tiny dwarves. Before I realized, the image is now directly in front of me or was I in front of the image? Anyway, the way “God” has been looking straight ahead makes me feel like “God” is actually looking at me…..

“I am looking at you”

“Wha?! Did you just talk to me?”

“Indeed, but that’s not important right now. You have obtained one of my treasures, yes?”

“Huh? You mean the Black stick?”

“Yes, because of that, you have been taken to this “time” just before I would perish”

“Perish? You’ll die?”

“Perhaps, but again, that is not important. The treasure in your hand showed me something very troubling as such I am here to warn you to be very careful and…..to not let it leave your hands”

“Troubling? Hey! You’re a God right? Can you be more specific? No, can you do something about this “troubling” thing? I really don’t want to deal with something that troubles a God”

“Alas, I do not have any power that I can spare since I am preparing for a fight myself. It isn’t very clear as well since the treasure wasn’t completed at that time…..just….it showed that you have to be careful with anything that uses Red Lightning.

“Red Lightning? Again with this Red Lightning…”

“The power of the treasure in your hands will now awaken. This is the reason anyone who obtains a treasure is sent to this “Time” after all. This is the only thing I can do, I’m sorry I can’t be more of help” Once the God said this, the surrounding starts to fade and the Black stick with the Black object shined once more

“Wait!” Unfortunately, God doesn’t wait for anyone

*Ding!!!*

Your class has been updated!

Class change: Midnight Farmer

You class has been changed to Midnight Farmer! Primary skills have been changed! Any previous primary skill will be changed to that of a Midnight Farmer! Other skills have been updated!

Midnight Farmer is a class bestowed and recognized by the Gods hence Divine Skills are now available!

Bonus stats will be applied!

+100 Strength

+100 Vitality

+100 Intelligence

All other stats have increased by 50!

*Ding!!!*

En-Il’s Legacy has been found!

You have obtained: En-Il’s Hoe of Midnight Blessing!

En-Il’s Hoe of Midnight Blessing

Attack: 100/100

Durability: Infinite

Requirements: Midnight Farmer class only

Special Options: If equipped by a Midnight Farmer, Divine Skills will be available. Will rejuvenate any land to its top condition. Other options will be unlocked when requirements are met.

The Hoe of the Great God En-Il that brings life to all the lands. This Hoe was said to even return life to lands that are considered dead. The Great God En-Il used his divine powers to visit all the lands in the world at the stroke of midnight. Farmers in ancient times would suddenly see their crops shine brightly at midnight and see "someone" carrying a beautiful hoe gazing warmly at them. Most do not know who or what that person was but they all worshiped that being as the "Midnight Farmer".

“Eh? Eh? Eh? Eh? Eh? Eh?” I can only repeat this like an idiot. The stats boost alone was ludicrous but the special option on En-il’s Hoe kept me reading it over and over. The way it looks also completely changed. The black object turned to some kind of obsidian colored crystal while the Black stick isn’t black anymore. It turned to brownish with a tinged of gold with markings all over

“It completely rejuvenates any land? He heh eheheheheh and there even other options that probably will help with farming hehehhehehehheheheh” Any other thoughts at this point disappears from my mind.

“STATUS INFO!”

Status Window[quart=Name,Type]Riyen (Human),Neutral[/quart]

[quart=Level,Class]90,Midnight Farmer[/quart]

[quart=Health,Mana]4840,2760[/quart]

[quart=Title,Patron God]HeadHunter,En-Il[/quart]

[quart=Divinity,Divine Power]0.1%,0[/quart]

[quart=Strength,Agility]504(+100),137(+50)[/quart]

[quart=Vitality,Stamina]176(+100),250(+50)[/quart]

[quart=Intelligence,Wisdom] 111(+100),20(+50)[/quart]

[quart=Art,Faith]124,25[/quart]

[quart=Luck,Magic Resistance]15(+50),15(+50)[/quart]Power of Life0[quart=Offense,Defense]489,204[/quart]

“Whahahahahhahah, Even the super secret Divine Power has been added!” By this time, I was already rolling on the ground hugging the Hoe and laughing. If anyone saw this then they’ll definitely question my sanity

In the past, changing class will only award players with few bonus stats along with enhanced efficiency with their respective skills. Better usage of weapons and armors connected to their class is also applied. This all changed when the STARRED MONSTERS appeared. Billions of players complained at how strong these mobs are so R.R management decided to increase the class change bonus stat system. Of course the rarer the job class, the higher the bonus stats. The highest known bonus stats were that of the Emperor of Arpen with his class disclosed as Legendary Moonlight Sculptor. The actual stats aren’t exactly known but R.R management confirms this.

“Hehehehehe….let’s see my new skills…..Skills info!”

Skill Window☪ Midnight Farming Basic Lvl 1 0%

☪ Herding Basic Lvl 1 1.2%

☪ Animal Husbandry Basic Lvl 1 1%

☪ Veterinary Basic Lvl 4 67%

☪ Riding Intermediate Lvl 2 86.83%

☪ Trapping Basic Lvl 9 6.23%

☪ Stalking Intermediate Lvl 1 9.3%

☪ Pathfinding Basic Lvl 9 99.99%

☪ Cooking Basic Lvl 8 12.42%

☪ Blunt Weapon Mastery Basic Lvl 5 14.89%

☪ The Great Strike Basic Lvl 1 0%

Special

☪ Fairy Guardian Basic Lvl 1 0%

☪ Heart's Understanding Basic Lvl 1 0%

Divine Skills

☪ Divine Time Basic Lvl 1 0%

☪ Nature's Blessing Basic Lvl 1 0%

☪ Eyes of En-Il Basic Lvl 1 0%

☪ En-Il's Knowledge Basic Lvl 1 0%

“Whahahahahahhahah, DIVINE SKILLS! I even have the specialized skills from the latest patch God’s Among Us!” By this time, I probably have rolled around the entirety of the boss’ room and have even hit the walls several times

“Hmmm? What this “special” skill? Fairy Guardian?” this was a skill I’ve never heard of before and it isn’t listed as part of Divine Skills as well

“Ha! Finally you’ve summoned me! You sure have taken your time hum—“

*SMACK!*

There was something that suddenly spoke right beside where I was lying down. It was green and got several legs and looks like….well…..a BUG. As such, I instinctively squashed the little bugger with En-il’s Hoe. It was only after that, that I realized the little bug spoke.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Waah *Waah*Waah*

I was now outside Dacrule’s lair and was heading for Spring village. On my shoulder was the still crying little bug. I was quite reluctant to let the bug ride on my shoulders but seeing it cry pitifully when I, uh, squashed him, I reluctantly allowed it. The bug looks like a Praying Mantis and nothing like my dreaded foe the “Ant” but since I suddenly develop hate for insects, it couldn’t be helped.

“Haaaaa…..will you stop crying already? I already said sorry several times already….seriously”

“*Sniff*Sniff* H-how c-could you even hit a great fairy like me?*Sniff*”

“Haaaa……really now…..you suddenly appeared out of nowhere so the first thing you should have said was “Hello” and….have you looked at a mirror lately? You look nothing like a fairy” I was glad that the little ins- fairy finally started to settle down but he’s claim as a fairy is pretty dubious

“Kuuuuuu……I AM A FAIRY! It’s just that…..some things happened……and……….your skill level is still too low…..RIGHT! It’s because it’s so low that I can’t appear like a real fairy!” it seems the little “fairy” wants to pin the blame on my low skill level…

“You know little bu-Fairy, I just got the skill TODAY so I can’t help it if its level is low….also can you get off already? I’m half tempted to squash you again whenever I see you on my shoulder” With that, the fairy-bug flew off instantly away from my “reach”. It seems it’s capable of flight for some reason and little trails of light appears when it moves

“Humph! You know I have a name! And it would do you good to remember it! It’s MIDZUELFURUI HARTIEL!”

“Right…..it’s a bit long so it’s hard to remember so I’ll just call you Midz” It was a mouthful to say so even if I remember it, I wouldn’t bother to do it

FAIRY GUARDIAN’S NAME HAS BEEN SET

FAIRY GUARDIAN: Midz

“Huh? It’s been set? My name? Heyyyyyy what did you just do!!!!!”

The fairy “Midz” continued to complain even after we reached Spring village saying “CHANGE IT” over and over but I just ignored him. There were various things I needed to do and listening to complaints from a bug isn’t one of them. I needed to first sell of the loots I got from the hobgoblins since its just added weight for me. I, of course plan to keep the precious ring and bracelet from the Goblin Lord. After selling the loots, I plan to find Zeke again to thank him for all his help and also to say goodbye since I plan to return back to Vermillion soon.

“Hey Zeke! Finally, you’ve shown yourself again” it was already afternoon of the next day on R.R when Zeke finally arrived at his usual spot

“Ah…Riyen! Sorry about that! Do you need something else?”

“Hahahah nah! I’m just here to say that your inventions were great and that they helped me a lot! I’m also about to leave this place soon so this would be goodbye for now”

“So you’re already leaving….hehehhe, it’s kinda funny since I’m also leaving this place soon since I’ve been found already. I was just planning to wait here for you but I guess you beat me to it. Anyway what’s that hanging around you?”

“Hmmm? Ah this….it’s supposedly a fairy….”

“Hoh~ I’ve never seen a fairy that looks like a mantis before. That’s pretty unique”

“Yeah…….unique is one word for it…..Well; I guess this is farewell for now Zeke, I hope we meet again”

“Yep~ this’ll be goodbye for now~ let’s register each other as friends if that’s alright with you”

“Sure!”

After registering Zeke as a friend and saying goodbye once again, I finally head outside of Spring village. I intend to call Rak-ahn so we can return back to Darsheen village. Rak-ahn showed after a while with a not so happy expression but I already know how to fix that so it’s not a problem anymore. Like a trainer in Zoo’s, I toss several grilled meat in the air and watch as Rak-ahn catches and swallows them. If others see this then they’ll probably comment on what a well trained bird he is. Of course this bird will kill me if that happens so I made sure that no other people are around when I do this. Just after he swallowed the sixth piece of meat, he finally talked to me

“So…Finally decided to give up hyumen?”

“Heh~ Take a look at this~ why would I need to give up when the quest is already completed. We just need to return to Darsheen village Rak-ahn” I then take out En-Il’s Hoe from my personal inventory (P.I.) and waved it in front of Rak-ahn

I can see the greedy bird really shocked that I manage to complete the quest. His beak opened and closed several times and his eyes kept following En-Il’s Hoe that I was waving around. Perhaps he finally realized what he was doing because he quickly donned his “I don’t care about you” face. It was a bit too late since I already etched that memory in my Virtual Mind.

“*Tsk* Such a simple quest took you forever to complete. So, what is with the bag and the bug?”

“This? Just a few things I need to carry back with me and the bug isn’t a bug. It’s a self proclaimed fairy”

“It’s not self proclaimed!" the fairybug indignantly cried out

“A fairy? And you call this just a few?

“Hmm~ well we don’t need to carry it back if you’re too weak to carry such a small bag. I’m willing to pay for the extra service of course”

“Hyumen….do not call me weak! Such a small bag is not even worth mentioning. Hurry up and let us be on our way”

He is a birdbrain after all. The bag isn’t small at all since it’s filled with meat that I hunted. I already learned how to preserve them with salt so a 20 hour travel isn’t a problem. Rak-ahn just has too much pride so he won’t back down from a challenge. I put En-Il’s Hoe back into my inventory and then climbed onto Rak-ahn’s back. Once I was properly strapped with the support ropes, Rak-ahn then flies off, I was a bit worried since he left the bag but then he turned around and like a bird of prey in nature channels, he dived and grabbed the bag that was left on the ground. The fairy Midz got inside my leather armor since Rak-ahn’s speed seems to have scared him witless. With this we started our travel back to Vermillion continent.

~~~~~~~~~~ Zeke’s Perspective~~~~~~~~~~

I was looking at the back of the only player who actually bought any of my inventions. I was a bit lonely since we didn’t even have time to talk much nor any time to play around and prank people. I didn’t even have time to ask him how he used the smoke bombs that I made. I did manage to add him as a friend so a time will probably come where we’ll meet again.

“I would assume that you’re done with your farewells? Master Zeke, it’s quite time to go back to the Empire” A very strict sounding voice suddenly speaks out from behind me

“Heheheh, Come on Marie, I haven’t been away that long~ that greedy emperor won’t die even if I’m gone anyways”

“Master Zeke….please don’t say such things. You are a very valuable individual for the Empire. You can’t just leave without saying anything for months. We thought you got into a big mess with our enemy again”

“Pssshhh…Enemy? That greedy emperor just wants to prolong this war since his empire makes tons of money from it. He could end this anytime he wants but he won’t so long as the gold keeps coming into his hands” This was very true since I know firsthand how strong the Empire really is

“Even so….You’re the inventor of the first ever Magic Propelled Ship in Royal Road and you’ve made other great inventions as well. Even the Solar Generator that you just use as a pathetic steam generator is something no-one has even come close to making! And there are only 4 of those around!”

“Oh that? I only have 3 left since I sold one to someone~” It’s always fun to see Marie get excited over something I wonder what she’ll say when she heard the price I sold it for

“What? Who did you sell it to? We need to recover it quickly! Even if we need to pay hundreds of millions of gold, we must get it back!”

“Hmmm? That guy would make quite a profit if you had to pay that much since I only sold it for 1500g. And the large container was haggled to 200g. Heheh if that guy decides to be a merchant, I’m sure he’ll be just as successful as Mapan” There was no doubt about this with the way he haggles

“1500g!? The minimum price for that should have been 300million gold! And do you mean the special container that’s made from super rare heat resistant materials! That alone should cost 20million! W-we need to report to the empire quickly! What did the person who bought this look like!?”

Hehehehe, Marie looks like she wants to run and find the guy I sold the steam generator but is too afraid to lose sight of me again since I might disappear. It’s almost like she wants to take a piss so badly but can’t decide whether to do it in the full Women’s toilet or the Men’s vacant one. Heheheh I guess it’s as good as time as any to test my latest invention.

“Hey Marie~ stop worrying about that because I’m pretty sure it’s in good hands. Anyway come take a look at my new invention instead~”

“New invention? You’ve made a new one! Please let me see it!”

“Heheheheh, Sure! Here, just hold onto it for a while. I’ll just buy something from over there” I place the smoke bomb on Marie’s hand and quickly dashed off

*You’ve used Zeke’s Smoke Bomb*

To be continued…….