Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 22
>Chapter Title: Arde's Back Alley
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Beginner City Arde, back alley.
This place, called the most secretive spot in Arde, had one small door.
It was sized so that even an average adult man had to duck and squeeze through to barely fit.
The door was old and tattered, exuding a gloomy, somewhat unpleasant vibe.
But once inside, everything changed.
"Oh... It's totally different from outside."
"It's like magic. How can it be so different?"
The space itself wasn't altered, nor was the size different from outside.
It was just the atmosphere that was worlds apart.
Unlike the crumbling exterior, the interior unfolded in luxurious splendor that made you question if it was the same place.
Everything you could want was packed into the small space, yet it didn't feel cramped.
If anything, the compact area enhanced the ambiance, showcasing the pinnacle of space utilization.
'No wonder construction folks draw so much inspiration from Godose.'
And it wasn't just construction—people in various literary fields felt the same.
As a world called another reality, Godose offered intricate, realistic depictions of a fantasy realm different from the modern one, opening new perspectives.
With non-combat classes outnumbering combat ones, Godose contributed greatly to the modern world.
"I've obtained the blood of the variant goblin!"
"Hmm. That's definitely variant goblin blood. You're good to go."
Just then, someone cleared a quest, bowing their head before leaving.
At that moment, a robed man lightly gestured, then paused.
"Hoo, plenty of promising folks today."
Sensing Do-hyun's group arrive, the man—Kalde—curled his lips.
Combined with the room's atmosphere and his half-hidden face under the robe, even his smile felt sinister.
"Somehow, he gives off bad vibes."
"Yeah... Feels like he'd research dark magic."
"Shh. Don't judge by appearances."
As the group muttered about Kalde, Do-hyun stared straight at him.
Their eyes met, and Kalde tilted his head.
"Hm? Didn't you stop by earlier?"
"Yes."
"What, you're not here to give up, are you? Plenty of people can fetch it, but research needs a ton of blood... Huh? What's this."
As Kalde frowned in annoyance, Do-hyun extended his hand.
In it was a small glass vial. Kalde's eyes widened slightly upon seeing it.
"This... blood of the variant goblin?"
"Yes."
"Ha... You got this already? It's only been about 40 minutes?"
Kalde seemed genuinely surprised.
Which made sense.
Even assuming a first-try clear, the dungeon averaged over an hour.
Nicknamed the newbies' graveyard, 'Variant Goblin Warrior's Lair' required countless attempts to conquer.
It wasn't without a time limit for nothing.
It meant take your time fetching it, so Kalde didn't memorize every client's face.
Many took requests, but few delivered soon after, causing mix-ups.
Unless it was a special case like this.
"It's been a while since I saw something like this... Impressive. Taking down that variant so quickly."
[The effect of the title 'Max Affinity from the Start?' activates. Affinity increases significantly.]
[Kalde's affinity has risen.]
'Oh, really?'
Raising Kalde's affinity was supposed to be tough, but he scored an unexpected gain.
Not that a slight bump did much, but at least no harsh words.
Indeed, Kalde looked very pleased.
A faint smile—rare for him—as he approached.
"As promised, your reward. Perfect timing; this'll speed up my research."
Ding-.
[You have cleared the quest 'Blood of the Variant Goblin.']
[Rewards: 1 gold, a large amount of EXP, Silver Ring crafted by Kalde.]
[Your level has risen.]
[Your level has risen.]
Hitting level 12 with two instant levels, a quest popped up as if waiting.
[You have met the conditions.]
[The warp to the main continent unlocks.]
[To use the warp, you must pass the Continent's Trial.]
[Beginner Graduation]
-Rank: 0th Trial
-Description: You have qualified to graduate from Beginner City Arde.
You can head to the main continent via the warp at the city's edge.
-Clear Condition: Reach level 12
-Clear Reward: Lower Skill Draw Ticket
-Time Limit: None.
The so-called graduation quest.
It inevitably appeared for users reaching each city's graduation level, and completing it was required to move to the next city.
True to names like 'trial,' later ones got trickier.
Accordingly, graduation scores determined rank and rewards...
[You have passed the 0th Trial.]
[The 0th Trial does not record rankings.]
[You can now proceed to the main continent.]
[As reward, you have obtained a 'Lower Skill Draw Ticket.']
'Beginner cities sure cut you some slack on convenience.'
Irrelevant for Arde, though.
Just hopping the warp was baby stuff.
"Finally...!"
"Good work, everyone. Kaiser... Do-hyun, you worked hard too!"
"You worked hard."
Still, their first graduation had the group excited.
Now able to head to the main continent, how could they not be thrilled?
'Finally, the main continent.'
The stage where all content unlocked, unlike beginner cities—a global arena mixing all races.
Vast lands dwarfing Arde, brimming with adventures and mystical fantasy sights.
Only after stepping on the main continent could you truly feel Godose.
'Can't wait.'
How fun would the main stage be?
Unlike the drab Delrock, a future era with advanced civilization amped expectations.
The thrill from first starting Delrock now tickled Do-hyun's chest. As excitement bubbled unchecked,
"Your skill level... should be fine."
Kalde approached after casually tossing out the line.
The thrilled group froze, turning to him.
Kalde was infamous for shooing people off with a wave after rewards, deeming them nuisances.
His attitude sparked fights with users, showing his disdain.
Of course, after some got rewards revoked, challengers vanished.
And their common refrain:
'Unbelievably strong.'
Strong enough to question if he was an alchemist.
Even level 12 newbies—four of them—got wrecked without a fight.
His home and all screamed mystery-wrapped NPC...
Not hugely famous on the main continent either, so little attention.
'What gives?'
Such a figure lingering post-business was odd.
What followed was odder.
"Take one each."
"Huh?"
"This is...?"
Now right in front, he handed each of Do-hyun's group something.
It was a single postcard.
More precisely, a postcard styled like a letter.
At that instant.
Ding-.
[Special condition met; bonus reward acquired.]
[Obtained 'Postcard in Kalde's Handwriting.']
[Postcard in Kalde's Handwriting]
-Rank: Rare+
-Description: A postcard in Kalde's handwriting.
'...Special reward?'
Do-hyun nodded at the sudden message.
Delrock quests sometimes hid conditions.
Fulfilled only by those meeting them: special rewards.
Naturally, Godose—drawing much from Delrock—had this system too.
'Bonus for top time limit rankings, huh.'
No wonder rankers fought for spots.
A hidden piece with hefty rewards.
'No clue what it's for, but...'
Rare+ special item; bound to be useful someday.
These often served as materials.
"Whoa... Rare+?"
"Title and item were jackpot enough; this is pure honey."
Yubinkkung and Migantakdae gawked at system windows, eyes wide.
Spotting each other, they startled, glancing around furtively.
Shield Supreme stepped forward first.
"...Thank you."
"Hm?"
Undeterred by Do-hyun's puzzled reaction, he continued.
"Thanks to you, we got way more rewards than deserved. And..."
Pausing, Shield Supreme met Do-hyun's eyes.
His clear gaze held pride, gratitude, and subtle elation.
Yet hesitant, prompting Do-hyun's head tilt—then he added,
"...Truly, thank you. In every way."
"Yeah, we really appreciate it."
"If you ever need our help, just say the word, bro! We'll drop everything!"
Yubinkkung and Migantakdae joined, showering thanks.
Their eyes and tones brimmed with admiration beyond mere gratitude.
Too much for just rewards.
'Why the sudden change?'
Unaware of their shift, Do-hyun found it burdensome.
Dodging sparkling eyes with a nod, their faces lit up instantly.
As they chirped like baby birds, Do-hyun responded aptly and turned away.
His gaze landed on the card pack.
[Use Lower Skill Draw Ticket?]
'Here it comes at last.'
Godose's highlight: skill draws.
The moment Do-hyun awaited most since the Pantheon.
Grinning, he used the ticket. A soft beam burst, revealing ten cards.
'Big difference.'
After Pantheon's cards, these looked sparse, lacking flair—but irrelevant now.
Staring at the cards, a message appeared, triggering change.
[Truth Eye activates.]
'Yes...!'
Truth Eye fired again, revealing card colors.
No flashy hues like before.
Just a chestnut-brown shit color teasing his eyes.
Lower draws only yielded Common cards—expected.
Yet Do-hyun couldn't contain excitement.
'Works on skill draws too.'
Proving Truth Eye applied to all draws, not just god draws.
Guaranteed picks forever—pure joy.
'Skill tickets show job-related cards.'
Why Godose dodged hate despite RNG hell.
Non-tradable tickets made high skills brutal, but guaranteed usable ones.
Swordsmen got sword skills, mages magic, crafters production...
So what for Do-hyun?
He reached out, heart pounding.
The card flipped with a faint shit-glow.