Chapter 177
Chapter 177
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 177
Chapter Title: Amplification Jewel (2)
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“Problem?”
Everyone grimaced at Irinel’s statement.
These weren’t just anyone—they were High Masters. For her to call it a problem meant it was definitely no ordinary matter.
Amid the tension, Irinel spoke again.
“We’ve succeeded in creating something that can purify the power of corruption recently, but its power is still too weak. In its current state, it can’t even purify corruption at the Master level.”
“Then what do we do?”
“Is there a way to strengthen it?”
“What can we do?”
They’d found a method, but completing the research would take time.
In a situation where cities were surely being destroyed even now, this was undoubtedly a major issue.
By the time her development was finished, everything might already be in ruins.
“Two things are needed. One is Corruption Orbs, and the other is a medium that can contain and amplify the power of purification.”
“Corruption Orbs?”
“A medium?”
As everyone looked puzzled, Irinel let out a small sigh and spoke.
“There are various ways to enhance the power of purification, but the fastest is to utilize the strong repulsive force that occurs when using the power of corruption as a sacrifice. The purification power exerts greater strength to avoid being devoured by the corruption, ultimately overcoming and consuming it. So, we need an appropriate amount of corruption power that won’t inversely devour the purification—one that’s just right. That’s the Corruption Orb that corrupts monsters. Efficiency is lower, but there’s also the method of hunting corrupted monsters and then using purification power on their corpses.”
“Ugh, so how do we obtain those Corruption Orbs?”
Scratching his head at the somewhat complex explanation, he asked, and Irinel stated firmly.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
The dwarf High Master glared with a ‘are you kidding me?’ look, but Irinel only shrank back slightly without cowering. Whether it was her pride as a scholar, she gritted her teeth and held firm.
“There’s no choice but to find the Corruption Manufacturing Facility. It’s the hideout of the Corruption Colluders, whose tails we’ve only just begun to catch.”
Corrupted monsters, Corruption Colluders. Given their positions, everyone had heard stories about them.
However, they’d heard of the Corruption Manufacturing Facility being discovered, but also that it was so secretive it was hard to track.
In the end, it meant finding it on their own without any real hints—a neck-grabbing tale in their current impatient state.
At that moment, a savior appeared.
“How many Corruption Orbs do you need, by any chance?”
“Ten…… With about ten, we should be able to shake even considerable corruption power.”
It was Rokan. He already had dozens of Corruption Orbs recovered from Count Astape in his inventory.
The issue was that he might be suspected for possessing them, but that wasn’t a big problem either.
“Here, take them. And strengthen the purification power as much as possible. Enough to work on Grand Masters too.”
“Th-this……! Wait, Grand Master?”
Irinel was doubly shocked by his action.
Once by the dozens of Corruption Orbs suddenly appearing from thin air, and again by the mention of Grand Master.
But when Rokan shut his mouth, she didn’t pry further. She knew her place and role.
She had no reason—or qualification—to dig deeper.
What she could do, what she had to do, was maximize the purification power and create the Purification Jewel.
“I’m the one who first discovered the Corruption Manufacturing Facility. I kept these while doing some research of my own. Now, tell me in detail how to make the Purification Jewel.”
“Purification Jewel? Ah, yes. That seems like a fitting name. As I mentioned, creating the Purification Jewel requires a few mediums. One is a branch of the World Tree, and the other is the Amplification Jewel.”
“Nonsense!”
The one who snapped at those words was the half-elf High Master. And rightly so, for the World Tree’s branch was the treasure of treasures to the half-elves.
Though just a severed branch, it wasn’t dead and contained the World Tree’s life force intact, so with good fortune, it could give birth to a new World Tree without needing to search for sprouts or nurture saplings.
And that was just the beginning—if a mage used it, it became the ultimate magic staff; as a blunt weapon, it rivaled mithril in power.
To use such a thing merely to dispel corruption power—no matter how dangerous the ancient emperor was, it was unacceptable.
If they could achieve the revival of the World Tree, their greatest aspiration, they could wield power greater than the ancient emperor’s.
“What about a World Tree sapling?”
At that point, Rokan proposed a new solution.
“A sprout might not suffice, but a sapling…… It could work. Though one alone might not be enough.”
At those words, the half-elf High Master calmed a bit.
World Tree saplings also held ‘potential’ and great value, but he’d heard reports that, thanks to some human’s help recently, they’d succeeded in producing quite a number of them.
He didn’t seem to realize that human was Rokan.
“……We’ll procure it.”
Then Rokan didn’t need to step in. He could if he wanted, but the half-elves could invest that much themselves.
Now only one thing remained: the Amplification Jewel.
“How do we obtain the Amplification Jewel?”
“There are two methods for that as well. Gathering various materials to craft a new one, or acquiring an existing Amplification Jewel. But neither is easy.”
It was time for a choice. But they didn’t have to pick just one.
“Let’s do both. One team gathers materials, the other seeks a finished product.”
“Agreed.”
If it were up for auction in the unified auction house, they could snag it instantly, but for a High Master to say it was hard to obtain meant the chances of it being there were slim.
So they had to run around themselves, but with four of them, splitting up might be faster. Or maybe not—acquiring a finished product could be quicker.
“Tell us both methods.”
“Understood. For the materials, we know locations for some, but not others, so please bear with us.”
[Amplification Jewel Creation][Quest]
Gather the materials to craft the Amplification Jewel!
-Unbreakable Crystal obtained: 0/1
-Balanced Gem Dust obtained: 0/1
-Five-Leaf Clover obtained: 0/1
-Condensation Scroll obtained: 0/1
-Emission Magic Circle obtained: 0/1
-Success Reward: Amplification Jewel creation, massive EXP
[Amplification Jewel Acquisition][Quest]
Acquire the Amplification Jewel!
-Amplification Jewel obtained: 0/1
-Success Reward: Purification Jewel creation, massive EXP
Two quests appeared simultaneously.
In the end, it was about finding the Amplification Jewel to create the Purification Jewel. Touching the materials for Amplification Jewel creation showed locations for some and question marks for others.
As Irinel said, they didn’t know the locations for certain materials.
Some truly unknown, but for the Five-Leaf Clover, it was because spawn locations were random.
“Then shall we split into teams?”
“Before that, pass the info to the Black Dragon Legion too.”
The gnome High Master activated a mechanical messenger bird, and information sharing was done simply.
Now to divide teams. But preferences would naturally lean one way.
One side involved investigation and exploration, the other combat.
There were three locations with finished Amplification Jewels, all dungeons where ancient mages slumbered.
Given the Amplification Jewel’s nature, it was useful for spellcasters.
So everyone preferred acquiring a finished product through combat over hide-and-seek investigations, and teams were decided by rock-paper-scissors.
“Kuahat haha! Good luck then!”
‘……Damn.’
Dwarf and gnome, half-elf and human. The teams ended up like that. The losers were Rokan’s half-elf and human team.
The winners, dwarf and gnome, naturally chose to hunt finished products and headed straight to the first dungeon.
“Let’s move too. We should start with the ones whose locations we know for sure, then ask around for the rest.”
“Hm…… The Five-Leaf Clover should be doable somehow.”
No helping it. Then Rokan resolved to finish quickly and shove it in their faces.
“Do you know its location?”
“No. I don’t, but someone does.”
He grinned slyly and summoned a screen and keyboard, logging into the homepage. He posted a short notice on the trading board.
[Buying Five-Leaf Clover for 500 Gold.][Writer: Rokan]
-Buying Five-Leaf Clover for 500 Gold. Trading with any race.
Short, but it quickly became a huge issue.
500 gold! Equivalent to tens of millions of won in cash—an enormous sum.
Compared to Rokan’s wealth and current earnings, it was nothing, but to average users, it was lottery-level money.
To earn that just by finding one clover?
Clover types were common junk items seen in villages, fields, even dungeons, so everyone’s eyes lit up. Even low-level players could get it. Locations were just random.
Of course, he’d seen people claim four-leaf clovers, but no one had mentioned five-leaf ones existing—yet everyone held hope.
Even people picking up the gathering sub-job en masse appeared. They stopped hunting and scoured for Five-Leaf Clovers.
Thus began the so-called Clover Rush.
“Not bad.”
Seeing the hot response, Rokan went further, posting about info on Balanced Gem Dust and Unbreakable Crystal, whose locations were unknown.
Even if they knew locations, current user levels made acquisition tough, so he’d pay 500 gold for solid info alone.
Of course, after verification, with payment on confirmation if accurate.
But who was the poster? Rokan himself. No one thought he’d lie or stiff them.
With many hunting grounds destroyed by the ancient emperor and Red Crusaders, users flocked to this unofficial quest like it was perfect timing.
“Now let’s go.”
“……Yes.”
And by then, Rokan and the half-elf master were already heading to the locations of the Condensation Scroll and Emission Magic Circle, whose positions they knew.