The Artisan Race's Pride (Part 2)
Most floating islands in the E-rank zone only had safety zones, but there were many places simply called public islands that lacked any safety zones at all.
However, Hasben Island was a bit unusual compared to the other floating islands.
Although monsters spawned in huge numbers, making the place quite dangerous, the Black Gate that created this island had considered the hunters' safety.
While monster numbers were high, unlike other public islands, safety zones did exist. Yet it was not large enough to form a village, so no notable species claimed a base here.
It was simple to think of it as a basic hut where tired hunters rested.
That's why hunters who wanted to earn points quickly often visited Hasben Island in the E-rank zone. The safety zone allowed them to rest when tired, and the floating island feature with a portal inside the safety zone made it a safe area even if they were chased by villains.
And on Hasben Island, a party was hunting non-stop.
“This place is really amazing.”
“Hehe, I agree.”
“Pretty good.”
Lee Do-hyun and the others, who were sweating, couldn't help but agree with his words. Monsters that appeared just by turning slightly were everywhere, so it felt like a paradise for points.
It had been three days since they started hunting on Hasben Island. In other words, it had been four days since entering the E-rank zone.
During this time, Lee Do-hyun, Hana Rin, and Ji Yu-chan had grown considerably.
**Ji Yu-chan**
**Trait: Platinum Sword King [S]**
**Skills**
▶「Swordsmanship [A]」
▶「Sword King's Intuition [A]」
▶「Mana Manipulation [D]↑」
▶「Intimidation [E]↑」
▶「Ambush [E]↑」
**Stats**
▶「Strength: 30▶37」
▶「Agility: 25▶28」
▶「Stamina: 24▶27」
▶「Mana: 26▶31」
**Hana Rin**
**Trait: Sorceress Supreme [S]**
**Skills**
▶「Aether Heart [S]」
▶「Empress's Dignity [A]」
▶「Intermediate Element Magic [D]」
▶「Intermediate General Magic [D]」
▶「Intermediate Concept Magic [D]」
……(See more)
**Stats**
▶「Strength: 15▶18」
▶「Agility: 20▶25」
▶「Stamina: 17▶23」
▶「Mana: 33▶38」
Ji Yu-chan's growth had been especially notable.
His strength had already surpassed Do-hyun's and was close to Hana Rin's main stat, mana.
Naturally, Do-hyun had also grown considerably.
**Stats**
▶「Strength: 32▶35」
▶「Agility: 39」
▶「Stamina: 26▶29」
▶「Mana: 43」
His strength and stamina had increased mainly, mixing the mana-focused Hana Rin with the strength-focused Ji Yu-chan in a weird stat profile.
It was finally time to attempt a promotion, but Do-hyun wanted to prioritize points over this growth.
Roughly three thousand points were earned per day by them.
In reality, they were earning points equivalent to defeating a dungeon boss each day.
So far, they had earned an additional nine thousand points.
**Points**
▶「P: 41,986」
▶「AP: 16,270」
‘At this point, I'm not afraid of the President's status window anymore.’
If he went through the Black Gate again and used these points to buy the President's skills, he could achieve truly ridiculous growth.
Do-hyun was satisfied with this thought when he noticed that Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan looked quite tired.
No matter how obsessed with points Do-hyun was, he wasn't crazy enough to ignore his party members, so he quietly said, “Should we head back?”
The daily three thousand point quota had been met; any more would only make them overworked, so they both nodded.
They were definitely tired, so they agreed to listen and stood up from their resting spots.
Watching Ji Yu-chan and Hana Rin stand at the same time, Do-hyun led them toward the safety zone. After a short walk, the only safety zone on Hasben Island appeared.
Today too, there were many other races present, so Do-hyun skimmed their status windows to charge AP efficiently.
During this, he spotted a greasy dwarf.
He had a bushy beard and mustache, a greasy physique, but an impressive warrior's body filled with muscles all over.
Together with elves, it was one of the two major races, the dwarf.
‘Oh?’
Do-hyun checked the status window since there were dwarves here too, and he realized the guy was a pretty skilled warrior.
**Talgrin Anvilson**
**Trait: Lava Fighter [B]**
**Skills**
▶「Axe Technique [B]」
▶「Heat Resistance [B]」
▶「Mana Manipulation [D]」
▶「Crafting [C]」
▶「Bellows [D]」
▶「Leap [E]」
▶「Appraisal [E]」
**Stats**
▶「Strength: 40」
▶「Agility: 26」
▶「Stamina: 38」
▶「Mana: 21」
※ Dwarf.
※ Hunters killed: 11.
[Analysis successful.]
[500 AP acquired.]
‘Oh ho?’
Killing only eleven hunters seemed too few to be a villain, so Do-hyun shrugged it off.
After all, he himself had killed eight.
As for the skills, Do-hyun quickly skimmed the pretty good ones and acquired them.
Axe Technique was something he could learn anytime, so he skipped it.
He managed to get three skills: Heat Resistance, Leap, and Appraisal.
Even after acquiring Heat Resistance, Leap, and Appraisal, he couldn't gain additional stats in the E-rank zone.
But gaining skills was a gain anyway.
Watching the gradually increasing skill window, he felt satisfied.
Then Hana Rin asked, “Is there anyone you know?”
“Huh? No. Let's go back.”
Do-hyun said that, boarded the portal, and returned to Radon.
The dwarf he had been watching earlier tilted his head at Do-hyun and muttered, “Hmm, sounds like a necklace that raises senses.”
Talgrin, muttering to himself, was overheard by other dwarves.
“Why?”
“Hmm, looked like I saw a usable item.”
“That human party, right?”
“There were only three of them.”
“What kind of item then?”
The other dwarves, interested in items as artisans, asked.
Talgrin nodded, “Yeah. The necklace one human was wearing seemed like an item that raises senses.”
“Senses?”
“An item that raises senses.”
“If it's something that raises senses, it must raise some inspiration too, right?”
“It's like a pearl necklace around a pig's neck.”
Dwarves, true to their artisan nature, showed greed upon seeing the rare item.
Watching them, Talgrin smiled faintly and nodded.
The additional effects of items that raise senses were about enhancing physical senses, so most dwarves would covet such an item.
That's why Talgrin said with greed, “Since it's a lower race, they can't Appraise properly, so we'll try trading for it.”
Smiling, Talgrin pulled a long sword from a fist-sized leather pouch in his pocket and nodded.
“Roughly this much garbage and they'd swap happily.”
The moment Talgrin spotted Do-hyun's item, Do-hyun, who had already returned to Radon, scratched his head at the strange tingling feeling and looked at the necklace he was wearing.
Reading the signal the senses were telling him, he instinctively felt, “Ah! Something good will happen to me thanks to the necklace tomorrow.”
By training the senses, he could even interpret them slightly.
So Do-hyun hoped tomorrow would come soon and rested in his accommodation.
***
Thus, the next day at Hasben Island's safety zone, it was the fifth day since Do-hyun's party entered the E-rank zone.
Do-hyun arrived at Hasben Island in a very refreshed mood.
Based on yesterday's senses, the necklace would bring something good.
Of course, relying on intuition, he didn't have full expectations and often got it wrong.
Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan looked at him curiously, wondering why he was so cheerful.
‘Did he find a dungeon?’
‘Did he discover a villain targeting us?’
Since they knew Do-hyun too well now, they were a bit uneasy and scanned the surroundings.
But there was no sign of finding a dungeon or a villain.
Normally they'd fight and clear, but they wanted to hunt as much as possible, so Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan suddenly thought the same.
‘If we get loot in a dungeon, we can just rest.’
‘If we catch a villain, we'll have met the daily point goal and can just go back.’
Anyway, the thought of not resting even one day made Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan smile too.
Seeing Do-hyun's cheerful face, it was an unusually harmonious party.
They looked so happy that other races around them whispered.
“I've never seen human parties like this, smiling and chatting.”
“The things they'd see in a long life.”
“Humans are usually tense and nervous because they're scared, right?”
“Must be crazy humans.”
They knew something weird about Do-hyun's party and avoided them.
At that moment, as the party was about to hunt, people blocking them appeared.
They were dwarves of the artisan race.
Among them, when Do-hyun saw Talgrin, he immediately recognized him as one of the dwarves from yesterday.
But why were they blocking the way?
Do-hyun looked at them curiously.
The dwarf standing at the front, Talgrin, looked at Do-hyun and trembled, saying, “You're wearing that necklace right now?!”
Talgrin shouting while trembling made Do-hyun flinch and look at him.
This small commotion drew everyone's attention.
Everyone was looking at Do-hyun and Talgrin, wondering what was happening.
Talgrin ignored the reactions and stared at Do-hyun.
Do-hyun nodded at Talgrin's words and answered, “Yes, the necklace's effect seems good.”
In reality, he knew the effect, but he felt like the necklace was saying not to tell the truth, so he answered vaguely.
Talgrin’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Do-hyun.
Then he declared, “I swear on my artisan's pride! That necklace is cursed!!”
The way he said it felt so real that Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan, standing behind Do-hyun, stared at the necklace with trembling eyes.
Other races were also staring at Do-hyun in surprise upon hearing it.
But Do-hyun thought to himself while looking at Talgrin's sparkling eyes.
‘Is it because he doesn't have pride?’
---