Chapter 110
Chapter 110.
Karana examined the description of the item Lee Ganghan had handed to her.
[Earring Blessed by Shaman]
Grade: A
An earring blessed through a ritual by a high-ranking shaman. When equipped by the race 'Orc', strength increases by +1 and health recovery speed increases.
An accessory that increases strength when equipped by an Orc. If she wore this, she would definitely know whether she was an Orc or not.
"......"
She stared quietly at the earring placed in her hand. A white earring with a rough shape, made by grinding bones.
It looked a bit large for Karana's thin and elongated ears. But it seemed like she could still wear it.
'......If there's no effect when I equip it, then I'm not an Orc.'
Karana had believed without doubt that she was an Orc all this time. But after going through this incident, her faith had already been greatly shaken.
If she wore the earring here and her strength didn't increase. It would be confirmed that she wasn't an Orc.
"Hoooo......"
Karana let out a deep sigh. She closed her eyes tightly and brought it to her ear.
Then, Chak.
The white earring automatically attached to her ear. Even while equipping it, Karana thought.
'It won't increase......'
She secretly thought that the stat increase applicable to 'Orcs' wouldn't apply.
But Seuuuuuk...... The earring's size seemed to shrink to fit her ear.
Ttiring.
[Strength increases by 1.]
[Health recovery speed increases.]
"Huh?"
When this message appeared before her eyes.
Karana blinked her eyes several times with an expression of disbelief.
"What's wrong?"
"I...... my stats increased?"
"Huh?"
Her stats increased? Lee Ganghan was surprised by the unexpected result.
"Wait. Then you're saying you're an Orc?"
"Yes, yes! Chiiik!"
As her abilities increased due to the earring. Karana's face suddenly brightened and she started making chik sounds again.
"As expected......! I was an Orc! Chik! The system wouldn't lie, would it!"
She seemed to have completely forgotten her dejected appearance. She straightened her shoulders and became spirited.
"Right. Congratulations. But want to check once more?"
"Chiiik. Check again?"
"Yeah. The two S-grade equipment from defeating the Warlord are also at the Black Market."
"Hmm......"
Karana hesitated for a moment.
"Let's go! Chik! I want to confirm it for sure too!"
With a voice full of energy.
She agreed to go to the Black Market.
But.
"Um, Heavenly Demon, the S-grade equipment...... has already been sold......"
"Ah. Already?"
"Yes. There was a merchant who had been watching for this equipment since it appeared earlier."
The two S-grade equipment from the Warlord had already been sold.
"Should we buy them back?"
"No, there's no need to go that far. I just wanted to double-check just in case."
"It's sold? Chik! What a shame!"
Hearing that the two S-grade equipment had been sold out. Karana seemed disappointed but also somewhat relieved.
"......Why is she so excited?"
The Goblin Chief looked at the excited Karana with rolling eyes.
"She confirmed she's an Orc after trying on the earring."
"Ah...... so that's why she's like that. To think she's an Orc looking like that......"
While tilting his head in disbelief.
"Still, if the system determined she's an Orc, that must be accurate."
Saying the system couldn't be wrong. He readily acknowledged Karana as an 'Orc'.
"Chiiik! For the first time, I like you, Goblin Chief!"
"Shut up, Orc. So, when are you returning the earring?"
"What?" "That earring, Heavenly Demon put it up for sale. Now that it's confirmed you're an Orc, put the earring back up."
"Ah......"
At this, Karana touched her ear. Unlike when she first wore it, the earring that now fit her ear perfectly. She was holding onto it tightly.
"That......"
"Ha. Don't tell me you're getting greedy? That's an A-grade item!"
"That, that's......"
"The option is a strength-increasing item anyway, so you don't even need it. Return it quickly!"
The Goblin Chief, who was well-versed in item options. He pointed out that the item didn't match Karana, who played a shaman role, at all. He angrily told her to return the item quickly.
"That...... can't I buy it!"
"Ha. Buy it? Do you know how much that costs?"
"This earring...... is proof that I'm an Orc. Chik. No matter how much it costs, I want to have it......!"
"The merchant earlier mentioned 7 million TP, do you have that much TP?"
"7, 7 million?!"
She said she wanted to have it no matter the cost. But when she heard the price of 7 million TP, Karana lost her words.
"I...... understand....... I'll return it......."
She tried to remove the earring with a tearful expression.
'7 million must be TP, that's hard to handle.'
Lee Ganghan quietly watched their conversation. When she tried to remove the earring and hand it over, he waved his hand.
"It's fine, Karana."
"Chik......?"
"Take that, and later earn an A-grade item. That works, doesn't it?"
"Really......?"
7 million TP wasn't a small amount. But two S-grade equipment had been sold too.
'Since Karana values it so much as something that proves herself...... I'll give it to her and have her work.'
Actually, last time. There was an opinion about filming an advertisement using Karana as a model. Since I've given her the 'debt' of the earring. It'll be easier to proceed with such work.
"Right. Instead, when I ask for favors or when requests come in, help me carry them out. It seems like quite a few advertisement model requests will come in."
"Chik. Advertisement model...... what is that?"
"It's a role promoting products."
"Whatever, whatever it is, I'll do it......!"
While tightly holding onto the earring. Karana nodded her head earnestly.
"Eii. Heavenly Demon is too merciful."
The Goblin Chief expressed regret from behind. But since Lee Ganghan had already decided.
He didn't say anything more about putting the earring back up.
"Thank you. Heavenly Demon...... meeting you, coming to this place was really fortunate......"
Was she so grateful for the earring? Karana's eyes even welled up with tears.
"I will definitely succeed in Orc evolution this time!"
"She's just talking again. She'll fail anyway, won't she?"
"No! After meeting Master, I remembered more things. I didn't experiment because my identity as an Orc was confusing, but I think I can do it now! Chik!"
Despite the Goblin Chief's sarcasm, Karana firmly believed she could do it now.
"Right. I'll open a portal to the altar for you."
Lee Ganghan sent her, who had regained confidence, to the Orc Shaman's Altar.
"Then I'll be going too, so please take care of purchasing Human Race equipment."
"Understood! Heavenly Demon!"
After reminding the Goblin Chief of the purchasing mission again, he thought.
'There's no need to see the Lowest Grade Disciples right now.'
The Lowest Grade Disciples who were put into construction labor at the Sacred Fire's center.
Since the Sacred Fire was supervising them well. There was no need to go every day to check what they were doing.
'First Tower, I should enter now.'
Originally, I was going to just leave money at Ten Thousand Demon Battle and go. But somehow the First Tower entrance was delayed more than expected.
'But can I enter from Ten Thousand Demon Battle?'
Lee Ganghan opened his inventory and tried pressing the First Tower's seal.
['First Tower's Seal' cannot be used at the current location.]
A message appeared saying the seal couldn't be used here.
'I'll have to go back to reality and use it.'
Lee Ganghan exited Ten Thousand Demon Battle, returned home. He tried pressing the seal again. Then. Paaaat......! The seal worked normally and opened a red portal. When Lee Ganghan entered.
[Jester of Pride is summoning a battlefield suitable for himself......]
[The B2 battlefield is the Golden Palace (Domus Aurea).]
Just like with Columbus before. A message appeared saying a battlefield was being summoned upon entry.
'Jester of Pride...... his real name was definitely Nero.'
At first, he didn't want to reveal his name.
But later, saying there was no audience, he readily revealed his identity with his own mouth.
As he recalled the bronze statue that seemed to have a few screws loose.
Ttiring.
[Jester of Pride refuses the player's entry.]
"Huh?"
An unexpected message appeared. Tuk! Lee Ganghan's body fell into a dark space.
***
A space in darkness where almost no light could be seen. Still.
'There's a place to step.'
Lee Ganghan walked a few steps. He soon realized where this was.
"This is...... the place where I chose the Seven Deadly Sins?"
In the first roulette that was B1, it was Greed. The second was Pride. As Lee Ganghan recalled that time.
[Heavenly Demon!!!]
Paat! Light flashed in the air. The Divine Maiden ghost popped out from there.
"Oh. It's been a while, Divine Maiden."
[What in the world is this? How can an opponent refuse entry......]
"That's what I'm saying. This is where we spun the roulette, right?"
[That's right! I feel an unpleasant eeriness.]
The Divine Maiden looked around, showing a tense expression. Come to think of it, unlike a ghost, she used to be afraid of dark spaces.
'But now that I see it again, it wasn't simply dark.'
I didn't know at all before. But now I felt a sensation of the darkness gently pressing against my body. Was this why the Divine Maiden ghost said it felt unpleasantly eerie? Then. Paaaaat......!
[Oh? It's a portal!]
A huge golden portal appeared in the center.
'He said he'd refuse entry, but he's opening a portal?'
I don't know which tune to dance to. When Lee Ganghan, thinking this, approached the portal.
Buuuung......! A translucent barrier was generated on the portal.
Ttiring.
A message window appeared above it.
['Jester of Pride' declares that the following conditions must be met in advance before he will permit entry.
1. Apology for the Golden Palace plunder and execution of all Goblin Thieves2. Securing 100,000 simultaneous viewers
If both conditions are not met, entry to the Golden Palace will be impossible.]
Nero, who wouldn't fight without viewers. So I had plundered the Golden Palace with Goblins instead. It seemed he hadn't forgotten about that incident.
Moreover,
'100,000 simultaneous viewers, this means I need to secure other race viewers.'
If human viewers were also counted, it might be possible. But in the First Tower, only other race viewers could watch. The number 100,000 seemed impossible no matter how you looked at it.
[The conditions are too absurd. Isn't this the same as telling us not to come in?]
The Divine Maiden ghost also seemed to have seen the message window. She showed a ridiculous reaction to the conditions Nero had set.
"Exactly. When it was Columbus, he was desperate to get me into his battlefield, but Nero is different."
[What should we do?]
"Hmm...... should I try turning on TowerTube first?"
Last time, the viewer count was dismal. But this time, I have the achievement of defeating Gershu, so maybe there are more viewers?
'Ah. But before that......'
Before turning on the broadcast, Lee Ganghan looked toward the Divine Maiden ghost.
"Divine Maiden, do you know about the Heavenly Demon Sacred Blood Formation?"
[Yes. When the Heavenly Demon's successor ascends to the position of Heavenly Demon, they receive a ritual to inherit power from the Heavenly Demon Sacred Blood Formation.]
"A ritual?"
[Yes. And while operating this is the Divine Maiden's job, I don't really know what happens inside. What happens in the formation can only be experienced by the Heavenly Demon, and everyone keeps silent about this matter.]
The Divine Maiden only draws the formation. She doesn't know what happens inside the Heavenly Demon Sacred Blood Formation.
'Then...... does she know about this too?'
Seuik.
Lee Ganghan suddenly lifted his shirt.
[Su, suddenly what are you doing?! Why are you taking off your clothes......!]
The Divine Maiden ghost reflexively screamed at Lee Ganghan's undressing.
[......Huh?]
Seeing the Ma魔 engraved on his chest.
[How is this......?]
Her tone became seriously different.