Chapter 83

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Translator: Ryuma

Chapter: 83

Chapter Title: Rewards and Dire Tidings

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With Karen's refreshing kick came a steady stream of rising messages.

Whoosh...

Kang Seol stared blankly at the light bursting from the chest.

'The light's a bit dim? Well, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠there's a good reason for it.'

The previous adventure had been the monumental task of slaying Anakin Dria's descendant, so the rewards had been equally spectacular. For an adventure of similar level, this amount of light was about right.

Kang Seol began checking the rewards one by one.

'Hmm... what do you think?'

Moonlight Knight Karuna's current Evil Spirit Armor had a lower level range, so its stats were slightly inferior, but its special ability was far superior.

'This special ability feels way too niche.'

Of course, faster turning speed was always better.

But was doubling turn speed an appropriate main option for armor, which was core equipment?

As Kang Seol pondered, Karen whispered from behind.

"Perfect for me, right?"

Kang Seol asked.

"Why?"

"Who's spinning around like a top here besides me?"

"Spinning like a top? ...Oh!"

Karen's ability, Flower of Fire.

Using it, she spun at tremendous speed, creating a whirlwind of flames.

That vortex dealt massive area damage, laying waste to the surroundings.

'So the armor's effect applies to Flower of Fire too.'

The unique thing about Flower of Fire was that it dealt damage per rotation.

Spinning faster would mean massive damage in even less time.

Karen was already grinning with the armor in hand.

"No objections to me using it, right?"

"......"

"......"

"Alright, I'll go change into it!"

Swish!

As Karen went off to change, Mountain Sorcerer Jamad spoke.

"Check the next one quick."

"...Yeah."

Perfectly serviceable options.

Nothing standout, nothing bad—deliberating would be a luxury.

"I'll put it to good use."

Swish!

Mountain Sorcerer Jamad vanished into his shadow space, and Karen returned in his place.

As Kang Seol reached for the ring, Karen spoke up.

"Mind if I take that ring?"

"...Why?"

Karen said nonchalantly.

"To remember what happened here."

Kang Seol shrugged and handed the ring to Karen.

If that was the end of it, Kang Seol would've gotten zero gear from this adventure, but it didn't matter.

He had the necklace faintly glowing at his neck.

In the long-distance adventure, Kang Seol had chosen to raze Twilight Village, incurring various penalties—but he'd gained this necklace.

In the end, every member of his party had grown stronger, even if just a little.

'Oh, right—titles left too.'

'...Bigger haul than expected?'

Insight proficiency was always in short supply—any increase was welcome.

The new doctor title had solid base options, but being usable as an identity was the real boon.

'Adventurer identity isn't always enough.'

Times like needing to meet high-status folk, or entering a city terrorized by adventurer-masked thieves.

Other identities beat adventurer in those cases.

Even a quack doctor identity was handy.

"Done."

"All set? Then check this out—the gorgeous curves my armor makes and..."

"Hmph. Still just a clunky full plate that doesn't breathe. No matter how fancy, it can't beat quality leather."

"Huh? What's that? Can't hear a naked primitive tribe member."

"Elves shun iron for leather and plants, or so the rumors say—but rumors aren't reliable. Or maybe someone's the weirdo?"

"What? Hey! You done talking?"

Ending the adventure would return them to Nobira, but Kang Seol hated the uncertainty of long-distance travel—what mishaps, emergency landings? So he held off and arrived in Audenin first.

"This Audenin? Whoa... it's huge. Bigger than Nobira?"

"No time to sightsee. We're heading straight back."

"Already?"

"Schedule's tight. Gotta make it to Chao on time."

"Mm... too bad."

"Might come back here soon. Sightsee then."

"Sweet! Disappointing now, but it'll do."

Adventure time limit was razor-thin.

Kang Seol hurriedly set Audenin as the rest base.

Roll roll roll...

The die stopped.

'Damn it! Again?'

Kang Seol hadn't planned to stay in Audenin, but a bad roll still rattled him.

Base relocation could drag him into another random adventure.

Unfortunately for his misfortune-enjoying viewers, he had ways to handle it.

'Phew... close one.'

Kang Seol relaxed and ended the adventure.

Since the base was here, no teleport happened.

Beep.

Adventure scores going public upon city entry gave Kang Seol useful info.

'Ahead of Nobira here.'

Other adventures progressed meanwhile, but compared to Nobira's #2 barely scraping 500k, Audenin's top adventurers were quality.

'Once Nobira business wraps—Chao and Karen's gear—can shift base here.'

After confirming the rest area message, Kang Seol asked plaza folk where carriages gathered and headed there.

Ten minutes into his walk, streets buzzed with transfer-looking adventurers.

"See that? Almost 2 million points?"

"Who? Brother Changsik was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hyped for over 1 mil this run—2 mil monster?"

"Heard some monsters in lower bases."

"Those scum? Even they ain't this good."

"Insane... I can't even hit 600k, let alone 1 mil."

"Brother Changsik's crew must be freaking. Sudden pop-up?"

"Probably."

Kang Seol found it amusing how just relocating stirred this.

Of course, he didn't flaunt it.

At the carriage depot, he sought a direct Nobira ride.

"Nobira? Why go there? Got a death wish?"

"Pardon?"

"Scram if you're talking nonsense."

Oddly, drivers treated him like a weirdo. One approached with shocking words.

"To Nobira, huh?"

"Yes. Why no carriages to Nobira?"

"'Cause trouble there."

"Trouble?"

The driver scratched his nose.

"Nobira got raided not long ago."

"What..."

"Shops, everything burned. Tons of people kidnapped."

Kang Seol's arm drooped limply.

While he'd cleared the long adventure, trouble hit Nobira.

'Raided?'