Chapter 19
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: City of Snakes and Sea (4)
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After leaving the swamp and returning to Azelchen, Cheisi opened her status window.
Cheisi, First Visitor of Azelchen
After swapping out the title that wildly boosted her faith in Siurug, Cheisi fell deep into thought.
Her attack power was currently at 58.
The dagger gave 40, her base was 10, and she'd put 8 points into it from level-ups.
She needed to raise it even higher.
-But how much higher?
A chat message popped up.
"It's a hassle, but I guess I have to go find the Merman King and check if my attacks even land."
The trip from Azelchen to the Merman King was quite a distance, and the swamp air where he lurked was unpleasantly steamy hot.
She had zero desire to visit that place multiple times.
-Can't I just go to the priest guild?
"The priest guild...? Priests...? Oh...!"
After a moment's contemplation, Cheisi caught on to what the chat meant and headed straight for the priest guild.
She donned her sunglasses and even slipped a pair onto the lens monster before stepping inside.
In a dim corner of the guild, a training dummy lay toppled over, its straw stuffing hacked to shreds in a pitiful state.
Cheisi asked one of the priests to heal the dummy, then propped it up and adjusted its stats.
The Training Dummy's HP and Defense have been set to match the 'Merman King'.
The training dummy could copy the stats of any enemy she'd encountered so far.
As expected, it could replicate the Merman King's stats too.
Cheisi swung her dagger at the dummy.
The blade bounced off the straw, sending a sharp tingle up her arm.
The dummy's HP had dropped by a grand total of 1.
"Hitting the dummy like this will let me easily measure the damage I'd deal to the Merman King."
This made things much easier.
"...So now I just need to figure out how to boost my attack power."
Cheisi stared at the unscratched dummy standing blankly before her.
She had to raise her attack until she could slice through that straw.
Cheisi decided to return to the priest guild after boosting her attack power and stepped outside.
"Right now, four ways to raise attack power come to mind."
Weaving through the wooden buildings, Cheisi began explaining for her viewers.
"First, swapping weapons."
The dagger she'd repaired and inscribed back in the tutorial—she'd used it for so long.
It was definitely strong in Runein Village, but here in Azelchen, its limits were clear.
"Either switch to a weapon with higher attack, or find a way to upgrade this dagger. Something's gotta give."
Cheisi pinned a map marker on the weapon shop.
"Let's check out the weapon shop first."
As she headed there, she continued.
"Second is leveling up."
The most common method. Leveling gave +2 attack.
Cheisi was in the late levels of 5.
Hunting mermen took time, but they gave way more EXP than goblins, so she could level fast.
"Third is food that boosts attack. That hotpot bumped my defense big time, so there must be attack-boosting dishes too."
The Riebpstar hotpot Nell made at the restaurant.
It tasted great, and her defense stat soared after eating it.
If there was defense food, attack food had to exist.
"And fourth."
Cheisi pulled the fish guidebook from her inventory.
"This fish guidebook. Filling it gives attack power."
The Serpent Sea Fish Guidebook from Adin.
Completing it granted +3 attack, plus a bit more based on level.
-Won't that take forever?
Cheisi thought the same.
"It's at 60% now, so yeah, filling the rest will take a while."
Like compendiums in other games, completing the Serpent Sea Fish Guidebook wasn't quick.
"But if I end up scraping for every point of attack, I might have to finish this too."
"Sorry, stock refreshes tomorrow."
Cheisi's expression naturally hardened at the shopkeeper's words.
"...Is this really everything?"
Sales List
City of the Sea Special Hammer: 400 donghwa
Siurug's Guardian Cross: 60 donghwa
Siurug's Guardian Shield: 130 donghwa
Dagger Engraved with Sea Serpent: 60 donghwa
*Items refresh after 00:00.
The weapon shop's stock was utterly disappointing.
"Priest-only cross for healing boosts. A shield stacked purely on defense..."
Cross and shield. Two useless items for her.
Of course, there was a dagger that fit her style.
But Cheisi had already checked its stats.
"Same attack as my current one, so better to save up for something superior..."
Dagger Engraved with Sea Serpent
A dagger with Azelchen's symbol Siurug engraved on the blade. Popular with boatmen.
Grade: Common
Durability: 1520/1520
Requirement: Level 5+ users only
Stats: Attack +40
The dagger offered +40 attack. Identical to her current one.
Hers had the inscription advantage, but she didn't have one ready to apply anyway.
Better to save for a superior dagger later.
-Why only sell this junk?
-Gonna use the hammer?
-Ahh... hammer main?
"Hammer's off the table..."
Cheisi had painful memories of being toyed with by goblins while wielding a hammer. No way she'd touch one again.
-Wait for refresh?
-One day is too long tho.
"Exactly. Can't wait a full day."
In the end, Cheisi admitted it was a bust and left the shop.
"...It's fine. I'll just level up."
Back in the merman swamp, Cheisi started hunting.
Find a merman, stab with dagger, loot, find another, loot and EXP, repeat.
Sometimes collecting fish they threw.
As she roamed the swamp leveling up, she hit late level 6 and realized something.
"They don't throw fish at all if I get too close."
Why she could sometimes snag their thrown fish: she closed distance and attacked immediately upon spotting them.
Up close, mermen skipped fish and went melee.
"From now on, let 'em throw both fish, then kill."
The reason was obvious.
"Gotta fill the guidebook now."
Mermen fish were unique—not catchable by rod—and counted for the guidebook.
From then on, spotting a merman, Cheisi held back, drew aggro to collect fish first.
Two per merman. Loot all fish, then hunt.
This way, she gained EXP and guidebook progress.
Hunting efficiency boosted.
While farming mermen like this, Cheisi spotted a viewer chat.
-Equip title for faith boost, toss coin in fountain for buff?
Very persuasive.
"Worth a shot."
Cheisi returned to Azelchen's fountain, equipped the title, tossed a coin.
Splash—
The coin swirled in the cascading water, slowly sinking to join the others at the bottom.
Prayed for a blessing from Azelchen's symbol.
All EXP gained increased by 20% for 1 hour.
A buff actually appeared.
"Whoa. Hitting the head gave four hours of -50%..."
The debuff and buff potency were worlds apart. Cheisi was baffled.
-Random?
-Try again
As viewers suggested, she tossed another coin.
6 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, 33 seconds until next blessing.
The fountain had no more buffs to give.
"Well, it's still a decent buff. I'll take it."
Cheisi headed back to the mermen.
Fish-guide-filling method, plus 20% EXP buff.
Efficiency on efficiency—she weaved through the swamp slaying mermen and soon hit level 9.
Gained 15 EXP.
After reaching level 9 and killing one more merman, Cheisi checked the EXP message and grimaced.
This happened when she accidentally killed a slime—same issue.
"Hunt EXP is dropping."
Slimes gave 3 EXP at level 1, nothing at level 4. Now mermen were tapering off too.
"Rough math... 2000 of them."
Even grinders had limits. This was beyond hers.
"...Leveling's tapped out for attack boosts."
Cheisi realized she couldn't raise attack via levels anymore.
Her attack was now 66.
She went to the priest guild, stood before the dummy, and tested.
One attack: dummy HP -1.
-Still short
-Need more attack
As viewers said, she needed higher attack.
Cheisi roamed Azelchen searching for "food."
Fish grills of every kind. Bizarre octopus dishes shredded thirty-six ways.
Her hunt for attack-boosting fare amid the chaos didn't pan out.
The best so far: Grilled Marshmallow & Chips, a measly +5 attack.
Not nearly enough.
Her aimless culinary search halted at Nell's restaurant.
"Got it. A dish that majorly boosts attack. If you want, I can make it."
The youthful redhead grinned mischievously as she said it.
"Never had a request for this dish before. Feels great. Hehe."
Cheisi smiled, watching Nell head to the kitchen.
That retreating figure felt like a savior.
-Ooooh
-Great Sage Nell
-She's helping ㅜㅜ
Viewers reacted the same.
"Phew, nearly hit another wall..."
-Fr real, glad
-Dodged 2000 mermen grind
As Cheisi and viewers celebrated dodging nightmare grind, Nell returned from the kitchen—with just a parchment.
"...S-Sorry. All ingredients are out, and no time to fetch more before customers arrive..."
Nell looked genuinely apologetic as she handed Cheisi the parchment.
"...Here's the recipe at least. Easy to make if you gather materials. Sorry I couldn't do more."
Taking the parchment, a message appeared before Cheisi.
Acquired recipe: Sea Serpent Scented Riebpstar Skewers.
A dish she'd never seen before.