Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Kobold Treasure Vault
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Bang!
A kobold crumpled with the gunshot. Several more kobolds lay sprawled dead around it already.
Before long, they all turned into loot bundles. Yuseong picked them up leisurely.
‘Is that it?’
A pang of regret rose in him. The linked quest from Tar, “Gaedo’s Kobold Sweep,” had now been fulfilled through his hunting. That meant the end of his steady supply of free hardtack.
‘No helping it.’
Yuseong clicked his tongue once to shake off the disappointment.
‘Strategy Guide. Recommend the next quest.’
【Here is a list of recommended quests.】
A list of quests appeared. What he needed most right now was money, above all else.
‘What quest gives the most money?’
【I recommend this quest.】
‘Good.’
Yuseong gave it a quick check and headed for Tar.
* * *
After claiming his quest reward, Yuseong stopped by the shop before picking up the next one. He wanted to check armor prices.
‘Expensive.’
He let out an involuntary groan upon seeing the price of the priciest armor he could equip.
Armor wasn’t just one item lumped together. There were chest guards, arm guards, leg guards, gloves, boots, and helmets. In other words, six items in total to fully kit out.
He wasn’t even thinking about the undergarments worn beneath.
‘Six pieces…’
Yuseong pulled up his inventory to check his gold.
5,524.
That included the sword dropped by Moonlight Starlight last time, plus the results of his recent efforts focused solely on making money. A decent sum. But it still wasn’t enough to buy six pieces of armor suited to his level.
He needed ammo too. Buying skills was out of the question.
‘Guess I need to earn more money.’
That’s when another item caught his eye.
Sturdy Leather Armor Set.
A low-level item unfit for his current level. But with his current funds, he could buy the full set.
‘Hmm…’
He hesitated. Naturally, gear matching his level would be best, but with his finances in a pinch, this option tempted him greatly.
‘I need armor, but do I really need the absolute best?’
From his battles so far, just reducing damage a bit should suffice.
‘Alright, let’s go with this!’
Drop rates and quest rewards would only increase going forward. If he strategized to buy gear one or two tiers below each time, he could save a ton of money.
‘If it doesn’t work out, I can always buy the best later.’
The fact that dying in the game didn’t mean dying in reality made his heart light. Yuseong bought the Sturdy Leather Armor Set.
[Sturdy Leather Armor (Chest)]
Defense: 10
Durability: 25
Required Strength: 12
Set Effect: Defense +2
[Sturdy Leather Armor (Helmet)]
Defense: 8
Durability: 22
Required Strength: 10
Set Effect: Defense +2
[Sturdy Leather Armor (Arms)]
Defense: 7
Durability: 21
Required Strength: 9
Set Effect: Defense +1
[Sturdy Leather Armor (Gloves)]
Defense: 5
Durability: 16
Required Strength: 7
Set Effect: Defense +1
[Sturdy Leather Armor (Legs)]
Defense: 7
Durability: 19
Required Strength: 9
Set Effect: Defense +1
[Sturdy Leather Armor (Boots)]
Defense: 8
Durability: 21
Required Strength: 10
Set Effect: Defense +1
Yuseong touched the arm guards now equipped on him and felt satisfied.
As he planned to restock bullets with his remaining funds, he fell into thought again.
‘Should I buy just a few of these?’
[Enhanced Bullet]
A bullet with improved powder quality for greater power.
Damage: +9
Required Gun Durability: 7
Required Strength: +10
3G
Special ammo that boosted his already powerful gun even further. With these, he could hunt irregular bosses far more stably.
But money was the issue, as always.
Regular bullets cost 1G each, but these ran 3G apiece.
The damage boost was appealing, but at three times the price, it drew a sigh.
Plus, they required even more strength.
‘…Haven’t needed it yet. I’ll get them later.’
Yuseong left the weapon shop.
Even as he walked, regret lingered. More special ammo would appear later, likely at steep prices too.
‘Strategy Guide. Any way around this?’
【You can craft them yourself, Player.】
‘Myself?’
Come to think of it, back when he’d just started and asked for stat advice, it had mentioned crafting guns and ammo.
‘It was alchemy, right?’
【Yes. Learn Alchemy, and you can craft items yourself. Even powerful ones not sold in shops.】
Tempting indeed. Not just using strong items, but selling them too. The stronger, the higher the price.
But of course, there was a catch.
‘I’d need to buy the skill for Alchemy, right?’
【Yes.】
Back to money again.
‘Not feasible right now.’
After armor and bullets, his gold had dwindled to single digits.
‘Time to make money.’
That was the priority.
* * *
The quest the Strategy Guide pointed out seemed like a hidden one, with fairly complex prerequisites.
But for Yuseong with the guide, they posed no obstacle.
He cleared them in a flash and claimed the quest he wanted.
Stolen Heirloom Sword of the Clan.
Received from a fallen noble NPC in one corner of Tar. Decent rewards, but that wasn’t why Yuseong took it.
[You are the first to discover the dungeon ‘Kobold Treasure Vault.’ Experience gained for first discovery. 1 bonus point awarded for first discovery. For one week, experience, money, and item drop rates inside the dungeon increased by 200%.]
A dungeon where kobolds supposedly hoard their plundered loot.
Only accessible after taking the Stolen Heirloom Sword quest, and as a treasure vault, it dropped more items and money than others.
Bang!
Yuseong shot a charging kobold. It took a direct headshot and tumbled forward with its momentum.
Unlike any kobold he’d seen before. Not just regular ones or even kobold warriors—this was far better equipped.
A kobold soldier.
Clearly stronger than the others he’d faced.
But a single bullet to the head dropped it all the same.
Kobolds hunted in packs, so others leaped over the fresh corpse to charge. They too soon became fodder for the Eonir pistol.
Yuseong picked up the bundles that appeared in place of their bodies. A grin spread across his face.
‘Plenty, as expected.’
The dungeon’s trait plus the first-discovery drop bonus tripled his earnings.
To cash-strapped Yuseong, this place was a true treasure vault.
The dungeon was simple but maze-like, decently sized.
With the Strategy Guide, the maze was no hurdle. Yuseong combed every corner, ignoring the direct path entirely.
He had to maximize the week-long drop boost.
‘Every one is money.’
Thus, he swept the labyrinth clean.
Deeper in, kobold soldiers increased, along with elites like kobold captains, kobold archers, and kobold mages.
But no mob halted his advance.
Only after thoroughly clearing the dungeon did Yuseong reach the boss room.
Kobold Legion Commander.
That’s what the Strategy Guide named this dungeon’s boss.
With kobold soldiers as regulars, its strength was predictable—but to current Yuseong, it was just a piggy bank.
‘Here goes.’
Yuseong flung open the boss room door.
True to the name treasure vault, heaps of treasure filled the interior. But Yuseong wasn’t thrilled. If anything, mildly annoyed.
‘Can’t take those, right?’
【Just background props.】
Like the hidden sage’s relic lab before, mere set dressing to make it look the part.
Better if they weren’t visible at all—no temptation then.
‘This boss drops a lot of money, that’s what matters.’
He focused on the positive.
The kobold legion commander sat greedily before a treasure chest, scooping and dropping coins from it repeatedly.
Hard to read kobold expressions, but it looked plenty pleased.
Suddenly, its movements stopped. Its eyes shifted from gold to Yuseong.
-Grrr!
It rose, drawing the glaive at its side. The blade gleamed menacingly.
-Kwaaaargh!
Roaring, it charged Yuseong. He aimed his gun. The Eonir pistol’s magazine was full.
Bang!
The muzzle flashed, and battle began.
The kobold legion commander was tough. Its glaive swings were fearsome.
But Yuseong didn’t flinch.
‘Weak.’
Stronger than prior kobolds, sure—but far weaker than the irregular boss “Master of the Old Mansion.”
‘Even weaker than the Hidden Sage’s Relic.’
Yet Yuseong’s stats were much higher now. His gear, more complete.
Bang!
Kwooo!
The final shot rang out. The furiously charging commander let out a agonized cry and collapsed.
Yuseong reloaded while waiting for the corpse to turn into a bundle. Soon, light enveloped it, leaving loot. He snatched it up.
‘Jackpot!’
Checking his inventory, Yuseong beamed. Nearly 4,000 gold.
‘How much have I made this run!’
Roughly 10,000 gold. Six days of boosted drops left. If he kept at it…
‘Might even afford real-world white bread… no, actual white bread.’
The height of luxury he could imagine. Flavor and fullness together.
Just thinking made his mouth water.
He wanted to hunt nonstop. But boss respawn timers prevented it.
‘No choice.’
Shoving aside regret, Yuseong moved to hunt more monsters.