Blossoming in the Swamp (3)
Yusra Kingdom. The ancient kingdom, infused with capital and labor, had by now taken on the guise of a proper city. A bustling one rivaling the great metropolises of Arcana in its heyday.
"Man, it looks different every single day."
In front of the Golden Palace Square, at the corner, players had gathered at the Golden Calf Tavern. Back when Arcana was just a game, they'd kill time in taverns like this. "Being here like this really takes me back, doesn't it?"
It was the first time since Arcana became reality and they became players. Gazing at the nostalgic tavern scene, they almost felt like they'd slipped back to those days, if only for a moment.
"Whoa, those mobs are no joke."
A massive screen hung on the tavern's outer wall. The footage playing on it hammered home that this wasn't nostalgia—it was reality. Not just for the players, but for the Arcana natives who were no longer mere NPCs.
It was still broad daylight, yet their utterly wasted Shadow Mercenary leader was throwing a drunken fit.
"Ugh, damn it. Tell those chunkheads to move alreadyyy."
Kichi's hand, clutching her glass, twitched. What had set her off was the musclebound lump blocking the screen.
"Just wham! Hit 'em and whoosh! Dodge."
It was Rackid. Plenty of people were annoyed by his bulk, but...
"What the hell are those idiots doing?!"
"...Goddamn, my ears are ringing."
"What? Speak up! I can't hear you!!"
Glared daggers wouldn't cut it. Rackid, hooked on modern gadgets, was unstoppable. He grabbed a whole pitcher of beer.
Gulp gulp— A predator zone where fights never stopped? Just thinking about it made his throat burn with excitement.
Downing glass after glass in a row, Rackid said, "Captain! We heading to a place like that anytime soon?"
"Hic. Even if we do, I ain't taking you, kiddo."
"Wh-what?! What kinda nonsense is that?!"
"You're blocking the whole damn screen. Makes me wanna smack you just for that... Hic!"
Thud—
With that, Kichi face-planted onto the table, out cold.
"Hang on, Captain!!"
Rackid stood to shake her awake. "Finally, I can see something."
"Can't even call that guy out... what a mess."
"Just bear with it. You know that musclehead's personality."
The players clicked their tongues at Rackid's antics. And among them, one group couldn't even lift their heads in shame—they were Arcana natives like the Shadow Mercenaries: the Explorer Federation.
"What a nuisance. Makes my face burn red."
"Nah, that's just how people are. Whatever."
"Still, it's the predator zone. Can't blame 'em for getting hyped."
Explorer Federation. A group of explorers, as the name implied. Joining was simple: be an explorer. Naturally, any explorer-class player would sign up as a matter of course.
Explorer classes had to venture into dangerous zones to level up. But compared to combat classes, their combat prowess was pitiful. What had kept them alive this long was their information network.
"Predator zones are full of rare stuff, y'know."
Among explorers, sharing info and helping each other was the way of the world. Park Hwigang's eyes lit up at the federation explorer's words.
"You mean the loot from monsters fighting over territory?"
"Eh, that's common knowledge. There's other spoils too."
"O-other spoils? In a swamp like that?"
"Of course. But talking this much's got my throat dry~"
Of course, info wasn't free. Park Hwigang quickly ordered beers, and the explorer's face broke into a grin.
"Hey, no need, but thanks. I'll gladly take it."
Gulp— Then, in a hushed tone: "Ahh. Ever heard of rare herbs?"
Rare herbs? Sure, he knew. Grass-like stuff for potion ingredients.
"Right? The herbs everyone thinks of as potion mats. But that's just the basic ones. There are truly rare rare herbs, known only to a handful of explorers..."
Trailing off like that meant he wanted snacks with his beer. Quick on the uptake, Park Hwigang ordered.
"Chicken work here?"
How's that for modern chimaek? No way he holds out without spilling. Sure enough, after tearing into a drumstick, the explorer spilled the beans.
"Rare herbs permanently boost your physical stats."
"...Pardon? Something like that exists?"
"That's why they're rare. The best ones permanently increase mana. Word spread like wildfire among my explorer buddies once. Find one, and you could chill for months."
"!"
"Places like predator zones have a high chance for those ultra-rares. Us explorers risk our lives for 'em, but the life insurance payout's worth it."
Permanently boosting physical stats? That meant permanent stat increases.
Park Hwigang's mind raced. 'No idea how much they boost, but...'
Even +1 was huge—worth a whole level. Sure, there were other ways to raise stats besides leveling. But those didn't apply to most players.
'Class quests aren't for everyone.'
Only one per class, and only if you met the conditions. Irrelevant to the masses. So yeah, those herbs fetching top dollar wasn't hype.
'Higher levels make each one tougher anyway.'
Soon, Park Hwigang prayed with all his fanboy heart. 'Please!'
May Hoyeol snag even one rare herb...! After all, Hoyeol had skyrocketed his NetTube subs and views. He wanted to pass this intel on, but with no way to, prayer was all he had.
But.
"Holy shit, what's that skill?!"
Park Hwigang's thoughts didn't last. The angle shifted. There was Hoyeol on screen—not just casting magic, but gripping a sword too.
"What the—?"
Rackid reacted first. The more you know, the more you see. He recognized Hoyeol's sword stance and grinned unwittingly.
"See? Captain and the old man weren't bullshitting!"
Hoyeol was undeniably a powerhouse, as they'd said. Rackid's battle instincts boiled over, blood pumping despite knowing he shouldn't challenge him.
But Hoyeol's show was just starting. His next spell, frost. The tavern erupted again.
"The swamp's freezing over."
"That's no ordinary freeze magic!"
"Hey, you're ice-specialized. What's that skill?"
"Dunno. I'm nowhere near learning something like that."
Even silent Rackid nodded. "Yeah, Frost was snowy enough."
Hoyeol taming even troublemaker Rackid's rage. Park Hwigang had to rethink. Did that Hoyeol even need rare herbs?
Yeah, it wasn't prayer—it was faith. Enlightened, Park Hwigang murmured reverently.
"Ho-men."
*
In the vast Predator Swamp, word reached players focused on their hunts.
"Hoyeol's here too? For real?"
—Didn't know. Heard he dove straight into the rift.
"Bro! At least grab some tea for him!"
From thrilled Nam Taemin and Nam Cheolmin brothers, to:
"Sis, hear that?"
"......"
"Lee Hoyeol entered the rift~"
We did tell you? No excuses about being busy fighting!
Berserker Leoni, fully immersed in combat. "No manners at all!"
Even Shining Guild. Dmitri whined as usual, but this time, everyone agreed.
Twang! Camilla loosed her bowstring and swept back her hair.
"So greedy. Our Hoyeol."
Greedy Lee Hoyeol—clearing Jessie and this rift?
"...Our Hoyeol? You two aren't even that close."
"That's what you question?"
"Huh? What's that mean?"
"Nothing~ Now I get why girls don't like you~"
"Why the hell are you suddenly bitching?!"
The bickering pair. Shining's master, Rocks, stayed out of it. Endless battles. His mind raced separately. As an underdog now, no time to waste.
'Lee Hoyeol entered the rift.'
Did he need the exp? No way. Hunting in a Lv.500 rift wouldn't dent his requirements.
Yeah, Hoyeol had another reason. And Rocks's guess hit the mark.
"Hold up."
Bowmaster Camilla, pinnacle of archer classes. Her vast field of view caught Hoyeol.
Or rather.
"What's our Hoyeol up to now?"
Stairway etched in midair. Hoyeol ascending boldly toward... somewhere!
"Knew it."
That's Lee Hoyeol for you. Rocks included, all players' eyes locked on him.
*
...Now I get why rankers whined. Each level's exp requirement is brutal.
[Brutal Scavenger: Lv.550]
Hunting higher-level monsters like these only netted 10 levels.
Level: 324
I can't fully grasp Arcana's complex exp system, but hunting Lv.500s at 200s versus 300s is worlds apart.
And it showed. 'Got some breathing room.'
Simultaneous swordplay and magic. Unlike before, I could drop foes without tensing up.
Of course, this insane adaptability—on top of monstrous magical talent—was thanks to Grandfell's untapped physical potential.
◈ Slightly expands inventory space.
Three spoils from the [Brutal Scavenger]. No wonder it was lugging all that junk. Among them, the noteworthy one was the [Pathetic Storage Belt]. Practical inventory expansion.
Of course.
"Disqualified."
By Grandfell's aesthetic standards, it was trash. 'Selling's pointless anyway.'
Beyond integrity—rift clear rewards filled my account. Amounts that old me couldn't sleep over. And more settlements incoming.
'Gotta use 'em right.'
Today's lesson: more wells, more lifelines, the better.
What came to mind? One of Mage Tower's twenty schools: Enchantment Magic.
Prepping for the conference, I'd devoured dozens of books on it. Core summary in two lines:
『Extract effects from items. Imbue extracted effects onto other items.』
Sounds simple. The process? Not so much. Even Mage Tower hadn't conquered item enchantry fully.
Extracting and imbuing wrecked items left and right, I'd heard. 'Always so deflated. Probably.'
Senior enchantment mage Kiko Armin. Tiny frame, perpetually hunched. If Mage Tower graded by performance, her department would be perennial red ink.
Hence her constant caution. But such sob stories meant nothing to me.
I declared shamelessly. "Every success demands its failures."
Yes—I'd vowed to uproot Mage Tower's pillars. Feed its capital and items into advancing enchantment magic.
The first guinea pig: [Pathetic Storage Belt]. 'More inventory room's always good.'
Lots to grab from rifts ahead. Like now.
Whoosh—
Post-battle, I manifested stairs. Simple reason: harvest the glowing rare herb atop the Chukira tree. Four-Colored Mistletoe.
'Four-Colored right off the bat.'
[Pentagram of Pure Knowledge]. Its vast lore confirmed: jackpot.
Four-Colored Mistletoe permanently boosted physical stats—permanent stat ups. Four points, fitting its name. Worth four levels flat. Several hellish class quests' value?
Plus, conference previews showed herb cultivation research potential. If successful...
'Mass-produce Four-Colored Mistletoe.'
Not hype for nothing. Reminder: dig more wells, more lifelines!
Worth the hype, it grew hidden. Irresistible to eyes—human or monster.
Who'd expect treetop? 'Almost missed it myself.'
If not for [Brutal Scavenger] gnawing the tree.
"Gratitude for thy sacrifice."
Prideful thanks offered. Praised my [Luck] investment. Pictured a thrilling future, ascended briefly.
Reached the canopy summit. Spotted the Four-Colored Mistletoe.
...But what was that?
More than the mistletoe.
"......!"
A rarer 'existence' seized my gaze.