Arkram's Treasures and the Forge Ahead

As soon as he opened the box, four types of items lay inside.

First off, just as Cheonma had mentioned, there were potions. These were special ones with about 30% better efficiency than the standard variety.

"Huh? A robe?"

And there was a real equipment robe—not the custom one Carpe was currently wearing.

"So outerwear exists, huh."

—Like necklaces or rings, it's treated as an accessory slot. Pretty hard to acquire.

The options felt a bit underwhelming for Hero grade, but according to Cheonma, outerwear was typically just for support abilities anyway.

Another great perk was the pocket on the left chest—big enough for Tina to fit inside.

"But these..."

The remaining two items looked special at a glance.

One was a thin book, and the other was something that screamed, 'Why the hell is this here?'

"A radar?"

The palm-sized device had a very familiar design.

...It matched 99% with the radar from that classic comic about collecting dragon balls that grant wishes.

"No way, is this..."

The moment he saw the radar shape, his heart started pounding.

Radars were classic tools for finding something.

And that something was likely to be very sweet.

"Whoa!"

—...This is ridiculous. An item like this exists?

Boss raids.

The most popular content in RaSe, boss raids were fiercely competitive.

Low-level or ultra-high-level area raids were manageable, but mid-to-high-level ones turned into total chaos.

A battle royale of everyone against everyone!

In this world where first come, first served ruled, knowing boss spawn times and locations meant being at least ten steps ahead of the pack.

—Boss hunters would foam at the mouth if they knew. Well, only three of them, so not total balance-breaking...

—Argh, you crazy bastards at RaSe! Can't even curse properly!

The last item in the box, the thin book, was the radar's blueprint.

Of course, he'd need to check the materials required, but being able to produce them himself was huge.

'This game is so OP, words fail me. Folks, we're living in the RaSe era!'

—OP my ass. Living in the luck era pisses me off.

Seeing the grin spread across Carpe's face, Drek chuckled and nodded along.

"You seem pleased."

"Best stuff ever. Exactly what I needed."

"Heh heh. Glad to hear it. I'll be staying in the city for a while, so feel free to drop by if you need anything."

"Oh, so you've got other business besides the box."

"Indeed. With attackers targeting Arkram, we must investigate accordingly."

"Ah..."

Geas the graveyard keeper's death.

That's what Drek was referring to.

"Truth be told, those who persecute Arkram ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠have persisted steadily over the years. But this is the first overt assault."

Drek's eyes grew heavy.

"It seems our enemies have caught wind that the Magic King's heir has appeared."

"Wait, hold up. You mean..."

Carpe's job change to Magical Fist Lord was known only to Arkram.

In other words...

"Yes. There's a traitor within Arkram."

According to Drek, an Arkram member had already been dispatched to the graveyard keeper's hut and was investigating.

"We've even examined the traces of the attacker slain in the ruins. Surely the work of the heir?"

"Y-yeah. That's right."

"Could you describe them, by chance?"

"A priest in pure white robes. They served a Patron Spirit."

After defeating her, the Patron Spirit she served had even descended personally... Though it seemed a bit flustered by the situation.

"Hm..."

Drek nodded slowly at Carpe's words.

"Not all False Gods think alike. Like humans, they turn on each other when conflicts escalate."

Or perhaps a third party exploiting those Patron Spirit rivalries for gain.

"It's complicated."

"No need to overthink it. Leave the small matters to us. Heir, just focus on growing stronger."

"Lucky for you, that's my specialty."

"Heh heh. Excellent. Any other questions?"

"Oh, yeah—do you know anything about the second relic?"

"Mm. Sorry, but I can't say yet. It's dangerous. Once you're a bit stronger, though..."

"Unlock."

"Unlock? What do you mean?"

"...Just mumbling to myself."

He'd tried Unlock on a whim, but no dice.

Seemed he couldn't cheat quest level requirements.

"Farewell, and good luck."

And with that, his meeting with Drek ended.

Nothing beat the high of freebies.

"No need to hit the general store now that I've got potions."

—Saves time too. Heading out right away?

"Hm... Think the raid boss, Elder Trent or whatever, is tough?"

—Of course it's tough. Not as bad as that Mainades chick, though.

RaSe raids were typically four-man jobs. That was the max party size.

Want more? Form a raid party, but the requirements were strict.

First, get permission from the local lord. Second, pay a hefty tax in gold.

—'Too many fighters could spark rebellion, so kingdom approval required!' Game lore bullshit... Really just the devs farming gold.

Anyway, due to these hurdles, massive raid parties were rare—only for surefire profits. Four-man raids were the norm.

—Standard comp: tank, DPS, sub-DPS, healer. That's the meta.

But healers were scarce, so folks subbed in self-healers or DPS with minor heals. Current meta.

Even that was hard to find, so three-man wipes and dual-tank/dual-DPS fails were everyday occurrences.

—Bottom line: solo means covering at least four roles to even attempt.

"Tina tanks, Mukhyang subs DPS, I main DPS. Just missing a healer."

—Can't be helped. Potions it is.

No way a healer familiar was dropping from the sky.

"Still, wish I could squeeze out more DPS."

Carpe had beaten Mainades thanks to physicals, but crucially, his 7-star Holy Sacrifice.

"Not aiming that high—just any way to boost DPS a bit?"

—Easy.

"Easy?!"

He'd just vented, but there was actually a way?

Carpe stared in shock, but Cheonma sounded more incredulous.

—Can't believe you didn't think of it. You said you game a lot?

"...What the hell is it?"

—Head where I say. It's in town—no time wasted.

Following Cheonma's directions, Carpe headed to Ruana's commercial district.

About five minutes in...

—Here. Right at that intersection.

"Huh?"

The air changed the instant he turned.

Much hotter than the rest of Ruana.

Clang! Clang!

The hammering echoed down the street, hinting at what this place was.

"...Blacksmith row?"

—Yeah. Not just smiths—every crafting trade crammed here. Weapons, armor shops too.

The forge street felt like a real-world market bustle.

"Behold! Gerry's Forge, run by Ruana's top artisan Gerry! We'll craft your dream weapon to perfection!"

"Hey, you there, messenger of the gods! Heading to the front with that flimsy shield? Even with nine lives, that's suicide. Let me show you our shields."

Lining the main avenue: workshops and shops of every stripe.

Crowds browsed, NPCs hawked aggressively.

"Lively vibe's nice, but... why here? My gear's already stacked."

Not just stacked—overflowing.

Rare+ from head to toe, even two Legendaries.

Setup no amount of cash could buy for most.

—Think I'd drag you here to shop? Deeper in—that's our spot.

"Argh, spit it out already."

—Heh heh heh.

Glancing around as he went deeper, the street shifted again.

Hawking turned to wailing.

"Oh my! That passing young man is so handsome~."

"Oops! Slippery hands."

"Gahhh! You psycho NPC! My weapon!"

"The moonlight on my hammer's tip was just too beautiful..."

Ominous chatter.

Then it clicked what Cheonma meant.

The gamer's graveyard some called "RPG's true endgame."

RPG's Vegas: 100 despairs fuel one miracle, maybe.

—Hey.

"Yeah?"

—That good at gambling? Follow me to enhancement hell.

"..."

His monumental first enhancement loomed.