Chapter 162
Chapter 162
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 162
>Chapter Title: Audience with the King
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>"Ah, you've already gathered them all? Thank you so much~ This is a humble token of my appreciation, so please accept it!"
[You have cleared the quest 'High-Quality Troll Leather.']
[You have obtained 70 gold, a certain amount of experience, and a high-quality troll leather top as rewards.]
"No way, you've already wiped out the entire troll colony? You're the real deal! Let me see... Here, take this necklace of mine! It's a reward for an outstanding hunter."
[You have cleared the quest 'Troll Colony Cleanup.']
[You have obtained 90 gold, a certain amount of experience, and Jepak's Necklace as rewards.]
[The effect of the title 'Max Affinity from the Start?' has activated. Affinity increases significantly.]
[Jepak's affinity has increased.]
"You caught a mutant troll? ...It's real. This concentrated blood is definitely from a mutant."
"......"
"Huh, I gave you that request half in doubt... You're quite the skilled hunter. Anyone with real talent is always welcome. If you need anything, just let me know anytime."
[You have cleared the quest 'Mutant Troll.']
[You have obtained 100 gold, a certain amount of experience, and an Intermediate Skill Draw Ticket as rewards.]
[The effect of the title 'Max Affinity from the Start?' has activated. Affinity increases significantly.]
[Bezel's affinity has increased dramatically.]
[Affinity is high. You can approach him anytime without being turned away.]
[Your level has increased.]
Having completed all the quests, Do-hyun stepped out of Bezel's house with a grin.
A status window floated in front of him.
[Player: Kaiser]
[Level: 58]
[HP: 7,350 / 7,780]
[MP: 1,740 / 4,470]
[Stamina: 630 / 1,150]
[Class: The Last Adventurer [Successor of Kashyar]]
[Titles (12)]
-Max Affinity from the Start?
-First Slayer
......(View more)
[Stats]
[Strength: 130(+116)] [Agility: 130(+116)]
[Stamina: 5(+130)] [Senses: 50(+104)]
[Mana: 70(+105)]
Remaining Points: 29
'Wow......'
No matter how many times he looked, these were truly astonishing stats.
No wonder he could hunt at such absurd speeds.
With these cheat-level stats, activating Thunder Dragon Descent and Freezing Aura while commanding an undead legion led by the Legion Leader Pain—it produced insane hunting efficiency.
Not to exaggerate, but at this rate, graduating in a month instead of two didn't seem like a pipe dream.
'Didn't expect to level up again.'
After hitting level 57, he still had some time left on Thunder Dragon Descent, so he kept hunting. Completing the quests pushed him to 58.
Thanks to that, he could neatly align his stats to multiples of 5, which felt satisfying.
-Pale...... burned...... it...... all...... Ugh......
-Hmm. Splendid work. I can still see you faithfully serving your lord. We should all take a page from your book.
-Liza-liza.
Unlike Do-hyun, Jihad groaned in a half-dead state.
It was the aftermath of Do-hyun, hooked on his legendary skill, hunting relentlessly whenever his stamina allowed.
Even though Jihad had improved a lot, he was still plagued by mana shortages. Pouring out mana nonstop without rest had to be exhausting.
'Hmm... Did I overwork him?'
He felt a twinge of guilt, but Do-hyun had no choice.
His first legendary skill was a whole new world, and in his frenzy to vent five years of frustration, he hadn't spared a thought for those around him.
Still, there were gains.
He'd gotten a firmer grasp on his current limits with Thunder Dragon Descent.
'Thunder Dragon Descent's mana consumption is insane.'
As expected of a legendary skill, it drained mana like running Freezing Aura and Dark Shroud at the same time.
And that was with all sorts of buffs active on top of it.
Even benefiting from the 'Benevolent Light' effect of the Saint King's Mark wasn't enough.
He wondered if he should invest more in mana stats...
'But that feels like a waste.'
No matter what, without attack magic skills, overinvesting just for mana pool didn't make sense.
To be blunt, his base mana stat was 70, ballooning to 175 with various effects.
That was higher than most same-level mages.
No wonder melee fighters in the Demrog era obsessed over mana-related gear.
If Thunder Dragon Descent scaled with mana stats, he'd pump them without hesitation.
But it scaled with strength, agility, and senses—perfect for his martial artist build, yet frustrating.
'Can't blame just Jihad.'
He'd have to hunt for more mana pool or recovery items later.
"Hey, it's Kaiser!"
A voice from somewhere snapped Do-hyun out of his thoughts.
"Whoa... He's been hunting nonstop, and now he's finally in the city."
"Huh? Wait. If he's in the city now... no way?"
Users had gathered around, staring at Do-hyun in disbelief amid expectation and doubt.
Do-hyun strode forward confidently.
He was used to these looks by now.
-Kehm!
Jihad, ever the attention-seeker, straightened up and struck a somehow imposing pose as he followed.
-Liza!
Eliza peeked out from Jihad's robe pocket with a grin.
And on Do-hyun's left opposite them, Charlie walked loyally with a stern face, escorting him.
No wonder the bunch was acting out of character.
"Whoa... Those are the Guardians, right?"
"They've got presence. That robed dwarf looks kinda shabby, though..."
"Nah. Rumor is that robe controls the Lawless King as a Legion Leader."
Whispers from the users.
"What? That make sense? Total cheat, then?"
"A Guardian that crushes all existing Pratels? Damn..."
"Obviously a divine beast, right? What breed? They hide it so well, can't guess."
"What divine beasts are necromancer-type?"
"But why's Charlie always got that stern face? He used to just frown at me."
"That's 'cause you... Never mind."
"Seeing Charlie again hits different. Knight Commander origin makes him reliable."
The topic was Jihad and Charlie.
Now, not just Do-hyun, but the Guardians were drawing eyes too.
-Kehm!
-Hmm!
No wonder they walked with such care.
Jihad aside, Charlie acting up was unexpected, drawing a smirk.
When he first got them, he wondered what kind of Guardians they were.
Now, he didn't envy other divine beasts... well, not entirely, but they were plenty useful.
Clack.
"Please place your hand on the orb."
Arriving at the castle entrance, a guard held out an orb.
The same measurement orb that filtered out troublemakers before.
[58]
He placed his hand without hesitation, and the number appeared. The guard nodded.
"Confirmed. What is your business?"
"I wish to see the king."
"...Please wait a moment. Ah, he says now is fine. You may enter."
Leaving the stepping-back guard behind, Do-hyun pushed open the heavy doors energetically.
'Let's see the face of this secretive king.'
* * *
"The king...? Hmm... It's hard to say. He's an excellent man."
"I'd rather not speak carelessly to an outsider."
"Lord Gilberun commands everyone's respect. Things were very different when 'that one' was around... Ah, I've said too much."
Asking NPCs about the king while taking quests yielded similar responses.
A respectable king.
An excellent king.
The greatest sage king in history.
Everyone answered as if scripted, but Do-hyun sensed something off.
'Their expressions are subtly dark.'
Proud descriptors for their king, yet the residents' faces were shadowed.
As if hiding something.
'That's why it felt weird.'
It perfectly tickled a K-gamer's instincts.
Do-hyun himself caught a strong whiff of hidden piece. That's why he was so curious.
No one had cleared it properly despite it screaming "Hidden piece here!"
'Guess I'll find out when I meet him.'
Rumors alone wouldn't cut it.
That's why he'd anticipated this moment for days. And now it was here.
[You have encountered Pratel's lord, 'Gilberun.']
[Gilberun has graciously allowed 10 minutes of conversation.]
[Recorded in the Book of Adventures.]
"So, you've come to see me?"
A heavy voice, yet lacking power for some reason.
Kind eyes contrasting firm lips.
A high nose bridge and long, drooping ears.
Warm impression, but hard to approach casually.
"What brings the Apostle to me? The same reason as the previous Apostles?"
"Yes. I wanted to meet the sage king in person."
"Sage king... I wonder if I still qualify for that title."
Do-hyun tilted his head at the king on the rough throne.
'He looks fine, not like the rumors.'
He'd worried if the guy was too deranged for conversation, but he seemed normal enough.
Sure, he looked weary and weak, but who doesn't when tired?
But that impression shifted as the talk continued.
"Who knows. Never thought about it."
"Could be."
"I'm not sure. If you're curious, I can introduce you to someone who knows."
"Well... time is limited, you see."
"Not particularly."
His thoughts on Apostles.
Any worries?
Feel free to ask for favors.
What led to using the orb for Apostle entry...
No matter the question, Gilberun responded in a dry tone, spitting out rote answers without pause.
Not annoyed with Do-hyun—just devoid of emotion.
Like something essential was missing?
'...That's it.'
He'd felt off during the whole chat, but now he got it.
Gilberun faced the world without attachment to life. Thus, his responses lacked soul.
"The allotted time is up, Your Majesty."
"Is that so? Sorry, I've got a lot on my plate. Let's end the talk here."
And so, 10 minutes passed with zero gains.
The nameplates above the king's guarding knights were all near-black with blood-red hues.
Each one a powerhouse.
'No wonder I got nothing.'
Residents clammed up, king gave soulless replies.
Push too hard or cause a scene, and those knights would nab him.
Imprisoned for "attempting to harm the king"—just imagining it was nightmare fuel.
'Master... We leaving like this?'
'No choice.'
Time to stand.
Infuriating to walk away from an obvious hidden piece, but jail wasn't an option.
'To meet the king again, I need to clear the knight escort quest.'
Bide time till then, focus on growth meanwhile.
Plus, he hadn't come just for the king. He planned to check something else first.
"...Please rise."
The pressure from the stern-faced escort knight grew heavier.
Do-hyun finished organizing his thoughts and stood, unfolding his knees.
That was the moment.
[The Eye of Truth has activated.]
"Huh?"