Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 124
>Chapter Title: Testing New Rewards
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>Chapter 124
"Man, this isn't gonna work."
-...Master, you look really pitiful.
-Liza-liza.
-Ahem.
Jihad and Eliza, their eyes grown cold with disappointment.
And Charlie, who wanted to defend his lord's dignity by opening his mouth, only to close it again, at a loss for words.
Do-hyun paid no mind to his guardians' reactions.
"Couldn't be helped. If I hadn't done that, I'd have eyes on me all day long."
It wasn't some idiotic blunder—it had been a calculated move.
- The third Piece of Fate slumbers here. Acquire a clue to the Piece of Fate.
With the main quest doubling as his class quest forcing him to obtain a clue to the Piece of Fate, drawing too much user attention would make it impossible to move freely.
Eyes would follow him everywhere he went.
And that was the best-case scenario—some might even start suspecting something was up.
'Getting exposed now wouldn't do me any favors.'
He was confident he could take on anyone now, even with a level gap of around 10.
Whether it was ten foes or dozens, it didn't matter.
Users at this level couldn't hold a candle to Destroyer Geymon, no matter how they ganged up.
That's why he'd boldly uploaded the video...
'But interfering with the main quest is another story.'
Until he hit max level 100... no, at least until he reached the Empire, it was best kept secret.
Ideally, even longer.
-As expected...! Truly worthy of my lord. This foolish blade failed to grasp your profound wisdom.
-Well... now that I hear it, that does sound plausible?
-Liza-liza!
Do-hyun smirked at the three, who flipped their attitudes in an instant.
These guys were nothing if not consistent.
The problem was, even they had to admit the plan was brilliant—yet it had yielded zero results.
'And to think nobody even knew the first thing about it.'
Despite all his efforts to divert attention and investigate, not a single NPC knew so much as the word "Fate."
Over a thousand years had passed; even history had faded away. Who could know?
Even the castle lord tasked with guarding the Piece of Fate didn't realize what it was.
The Eye of Truth revealed nothing either...
'It has to be inside the castle after all.'
Gamillion had said the lord was protecting it unknowingly, so that was probably it.
In the end, he had no choice but to enter the castle.
Having assessed the situation, Do-hyun smacked his lips in regret.
'Ah, it would've been perfect if this had worked.'
Diverting user attention was the goal, sure—but he hadn't literally slammed his head into the ground for nothing.
Truth be told, he'd had some real hopes riding on it.
[Red Phoenix Feather Badge]
- Grade: Heroic
- Description: A specially crafted badge depicting a red phoenix feather, symbolizing the great Knight Commander of the Lyre Holy Knights, Sir Rebed. Only seven were ever made. It proves a close connection to him.
Do-hyun had received this very Red Phoenix Feather Badge from Sir Rebed after becoming his benefactor.
The description mentioned proving a "close connection," so he'd figured it might vouch for his intimate ties to Rebed and get him inside...
'Struck out spectacularly, though.'
It had backfired big time.
A mere connection to some famous powerhouse wasn't enough for a private audience with the castle lord.
-This is... Sir Rebed's badge... Forgive our ignorance. But most regrettably, the lord is away at the moment... We can pass it along when he returns, but please don't hold your breath.
The guard had looked terribly conflicted upon seeing the badge, fumbling for words, but ultimately delivered the rejection.
Do-hyun was convinced: even if the lord returned, the chances of a callback were slim to none.
Hell, the lord might already be inside, and the guard was just stonewalling him.
'Something's off, though.'
Stroking his chin as he recalled the guard's reaction, Do-hyun soon dropped his hand.
No point dwelling on it now—he had no way to know.
He couldn't enter the castle anyway; it'd just waste time.
"Let's go, guys."
-Yes, my lord.
-Liza!
-Where to?
Do-hyun grinned at their individual replies.
"Time to test it out."
You always had to try out new loot, right?
The most thrilling moment in any RPG was firing up that first reward you'd scored.
* * *
Just before nightfall, in a forest under a slanted moon.
A beast howled faintly through the moonlit underbrush.
Grrr...
It was a wolf.
Razor-sharp claws that could tear through anything, fangs like daggers, golden eyes that sent chills down the spine, gray fur shimmering in the moonlight.
And that low, menacing growl.
Grrrrr...
Everything about it screamed wolf—but this was no mere wolf to be dismissed.
It walked on two legs, not four.
A muscular frame ready to burst, towering at 3 meters tall.
[Lycanthrope]
Kin of the full moon: the Lycanthrope.
A staple of fantasy, the so-called werewolf!
As often portrayed as a powerhouse, God of Oath's Lycanthropes were no pushovers either.
"What? Orcs are the real deal? Pfft, you haven't met a Lycanthrope then."
"Nah, Sargis is the true legend. Orcs were just dumb brutes, but these guys swarm you in packs!"
"And that's not even the worst. Night turns into hell. Damn PK scum..."
Their sheer power had turned orcs into "mere" threats in beginner alerts—and their raptor-like cunning in battle!
A regular mob that forced party hunting!
That was the Lycanthrope.
Whine...
But this Lycanthrope held no majesty or menace now.
It cowered like a terrified mutt, trembling violently.
Its pupils shook wildly as it backed away.
Reflected in those quivering eyes: two armored men, and
Slash, stab! Crunch!
Yelp! Yip!
Its comrades being brutally slaughtered by them.
[Heavenly Variant transforms into Radiant Taksnell's Blue Sword.]
[Monster Slayer effect applied: Damage increased by 8%.]
[Swordsmanship Proficiency LV15 additional damage applied.]
Whenever the man in dark armor swung his sword, comrades fell lifelessly.
Growl! Yip yip!
They lunged at openings, only for him to slip far away, denying them closure.
Unbelievable footwork for someone in such heavy plate.
[Light Body effect nullifies plate armor speed penalty.]
[Nimble Footwork activates.]
[Movement speed increases the more you move. Currently 3 stacks: +6%.]
Thanks to the effects of Taksnell's dark plate armor and boots.
He moved faster in armor than before.
And that wasn't all.
Yip!
Ta!
As Do-hyun leaped back, his comrades seized the moment, charging from all sides.
Surrounded front and back—no escape.
Pop.
His only option: the air.
As Do-hyun jumped skyward, the Lycanthropes slashed in wait.
This was their hunting tactic.
Encircle, corner, force a jump—or skewer them outright.
-Once surrounded, you're done. Always check your space.
That's why users always partied up here.
Situations like this left no way out.
In other words, Do-hyun was now a sitting duck, airborne and ripe for skewering.
Yip?
Grrr...?
That should've been normal.
[Air Step effect: One additional jump possible in midair.]
Tap.
Until Do-hyun double-jumped in the air.
It looked so natural, like invisible platforms in the sky—the Lycanthropes froze in stunned idiocy.
Swish—
Black threads revealed: linking the leftmost tree, rightmost tree, and their position in a triangle.
[Wick - Apply 'Enshroud in Darkness' to the thread.]
A wick he'd prepped to lure them here.
Too dark and faint to notice before.
Gr, grrr!
Sensing doom instinctively, the Lycanthropes turned tail—but
[Wick - Detonate.]
Do-hyun was a step faster.
---!!!
A silent explosion.
Like black fireworks chaining off, engulfing the Lycanthropes—yet the forest stayed eerily quiet.
As if you'd muted a movie scene by accident.
[Lycanthrope defeated.]
[Lycanthrope defeated.]
....
[Level up.]
"Whoa."
Do-hyun whistled, stunned they'd all drop in one go.
'No way the damage output's this nuts?'
He'd stretched it to max range, sure—but even accounting for that, it was insane.
Lycanthropes specialized in regen over raw attack.
Tough vitality and high IQ made them a user headache.
He'd spiced the trap, yeah—but one-shotting them?
'Maybe Dobung really is the strongest?'
Not seriously, of course.
If so, thieves would rule mob trains.
The secret to this absurd DPS lay with Do-hyun himself.
Already stacked specs, now massively boosted from downing Geymon.
'And can't discount Heavenly Variant's upgrade.'
He credited Heavenly Variant's glow-up big time.
[Heavenly Variant devours Radiant Taksnell's Blue Sword.]
[Devouring weapon higher grade than current. Measuring if user can digest.]
[Measurement complete.]
[Devoured successfully. Grade adjusted to user's level.]
[Heavenly Variant grade: Heroic+]
[All devoured weapons' base options adjusted and applied to Heroic+ grade.]
Before hitting the field, he'd fed it Taksnell's sword, meeting upgrade conditions.
Now he wielded every weapon at Heroic+ attack power.
Instantly adding at least five Heroic+ weapons.
Special options varied, but still—a massive leap.
'Damn... total cheat. This is why mythics are addictive.'
No wonder it held the title of a weapon infused with that Kashyar's power.
And the cheats didn't stop there.
Slash—!
Gack! Yip!
Do-hyun turned at the sounds nearby.
-Hmm!
Charlie was there, tangling with three bound Lycanthropes.
Outnumbered three-to-one, yet he showed no fatigue.
Calm-faced, he fluidly parried and repelled attacks, dictating the fight advantageously.
'Seemed solid, but this exceeds expectations.'
Lycanthropes were strong solo, but deadlier in groups.
Handling three with ease? Not your average guardian.
But Charlie's standout skill wasn't raw combat prowess.
Grrrr... grr...
-Where do you think you're going? Your foe is me.
Masterful aggro control.
Not even a tank, yet he held them glued to his single sword without stray threat.
Same during Destroyer Geymon, and now.
Not one Lycanthrope he'd tagged had broken off toward Do-hyun this hunt.
-Such crude combat. And you call that bipedal? Tsk tsk, a waste of legs.
-Tch, full of openings. That trash couldn't kill an ant.
Gack! Yip!
"......"
Even monsters got his sharp tongue—maybe he taunted with mouth aggro? Reasonable suspicion.
Objectively, though, the aggro secret was his swordsmanship.
Swish—stab.
Arlen Citadel secret art or Charlie's own style, it flowed attacks in and out.
Yielding softens the rigid.
Softly absorbing massive force—like riding a giant wave.
'Come to think of it, never checked Charlie's info.'
Too hectic from debut to now, but watching sparked curiosity.
What was Charlie's trait?
'...Looks like he can handle himself solo.'
Monsters remained, but Do-hyun trusted him.
A true lord backs his knight, right?
[Viewing Charlie's information.]
Self-justification flowing smoothly, Do-hyun leaned back as a spectator and opened the info window.