Chapter 190
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 190
Chapter Title: Drop Rate Explosion
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Jeong Hoon vanished through the portal, and the NPC lapsed into serious contemplation with a grave expression.
"Who did this?"
He muttered softly, lost in thought.
A limit prevented the Heavenly Energy from reaching 100 capacity.
That's why he'd been guarding this empty space all alone.
Loneliness had long since seeped into his very bones.
But that would all end soon.
Once the countdown finished, the limit would lift automatically.
So how had this intruder arrived?
The answer was simple.
"By receiving the Heavenly Energy."
Someone with the authority had handed it over.
"But why give it away?"
He couldn't fathom the reason.
Jeong Hoon emerged from the portal outside the Heavenly Hall.
They called it Sky Field? The vibe's pretty similar.
'Yeah, it is.'
Just as Mukho and Anima had said, the field outside resembled the Sky Field.
The very place where he'd hunted the Lord Wyvern.
Unlike the Sky Field crawling with wyverns, though, not a single monster stirred here.
Just three portals shimmering in the distance.
Lv.240 Raplanta of Pleasure
Lv.255 Gloomy Harmaind
Lv.260 Great King Raust
Monsters holding the materials the NPC wanted.
Dungeons harboring only boss monsters, not a single regular one.
'Alright, time to prepare.'
Instead of entering a dungeon, Jeong Hoon headed into the Achievement Shop.
A method usable only after reaching Achievement Shop Lv.5.
Achievement Shop (Special) Lv.5
-Installables
-Consumables
He skipped the installables.
The item Jeong Hoon wanted was under consumables.
Countless items filled the consumables category.
He scrolled quickly and stopped at one spot.
-Drop Rate Boost Elixir
The Drop Rate Boost Elixir.
One of the new items added upon hitting Lv.5.
It cost 10,000 points.
An elixir that tripled drop rates.
But that wasn't enough.
Even at 3x, it was only 3.
Time was too tight to farm the materials like that.
So he planned to craft something new.
-Lucky Four-Leaf Clover
One of the items needed for that: the Lucky Four-Leaf Clover.
Used solely as crafting material, sold for the steep price of 8,000 points.
Jeong Hoon bought it without hesitation.
-Strengthening Mortar
Next came the Strengthening Mortar.
Using this mortar to craft a new elixir would enhance its base options.
-Amplification Powder
With the Amplification Powder purchased last, the recipe for the Drop Rate Explosion Elixir was complete.
The Strengthening Mortar ran 20,000 points, the Amplification Powder 10,000nearly burning through the 50,000 achievement points he'd earned entering the secret theme.
'Perfect.'
But a smile crept across Jeong Hoon's lips.
Now he could farm materials far faster.
Jeong Hoon dumped all the purchased materials into the mortar.
Then he pounded them together with the pestle.
Creation success rate receives a positive adjustment.
The 'Junior Creator' title he'd earned crafting the Unique Restoration Powder earlier.
It only boosted creation success rates, useless in everyday situations, but invaluable right now.
He pounded until they were thoroughly mixed, and light began to flicker inside the mortar.
'Got it.'
'Drop Rate Explosion Elixir' created.
'Title Junior Creator' upgrades to 'Title Mid-level Creator.'
Crafting the Drop Rate Explosion Elixir had upgraded his title.
Drop Rate Explosion Elixir
-Type: Consumable
-Rarity: Unique
-Drinking once boosts drop rates 10x for '1 hour.'
The elixir that should've only tripled drop rates had transformed into one granting a massive 10x boost.
"Perfect. 10 is workable."
At this rate, he could make the timeline.
Jeong Hoon carefully bottled the elixir into glass vials.
He filled a total of 23 vials.
Enough to last 23 hours if chugged back-to-back.
Isn't 10 still kinda low?
'Low, yeah... One success out of ten tries.'
Hardly a great probability.
But Jeong Hoon thought differently.
"Getting one drop every ten kills? That's actually pretty good."
This was a quest to ascend to the Heavenly Realm, after all.
Other quests had been far stingier, so this was practically generous.
Jeong Hoon downed a vial of the elixir.
Drop Rate Boost buff (10x) applied.
Duration: 60 minutes.
Alright, time to get started?
Enter the Lv.240 Raplanta of Pleasure dungeon?
'Enter.'
The Raplanta of Pleasure.
The dungeon was blanketed in flowers and plants.
They all looked breathtakingly beautiful and alluring at first glance.
But reality was far uglier.
The creature specialized in mental attacks.
Whoa, what are these flashy things?
'Stunning. In all my years, I rarely saw flowers this gorgeous.'
Even Mukho and Anima were awed.
Yet the fragrance wafting from the flowers carried a potent hallucinogenic toxin.
Heavenly Poison Immunity fails to resist.
Vitality decreases.
A deadly poison even Heavenly Poison Immunity couldn't block.
Jeong Hoon hurried forward.
Though it held only a boss monster, the dungeon was vast beyond imagination.
The deeper he went, the thicker the scent grew.
His vitality drained rapidly.
To make matters worse, hallucinations made it feel like he was looping the same area.
Master, isn't that the flower we saw earlier?
'Feels like we're circling.'
Jeong Hoon nodded.
"I'm going straight. Don't worry."
It was an illusion.
Designed to trick him into thinking he was looping, keeping him from reaching it.
But Jeong Hoon had cleared similar dungeons countless times.
The intensifying hallucination meant he was closing in.
He relied on his senses to scan the surroundings.
'Here.'
He came to a sudden halt at one spot.
It looked just like the flowers and plants from the entrance.
Whoa... we back at the start?
'No... something's off.'
Unlike Mukho, Anima had noticed.
That's right.
This wasn't the entrance.
The dizzyingly thick fragrance, rapidly dropping vitality.
And unlike before, a faint trickle of mana.
Barely perceptible without focus.
Jeong Hoon raised Anima and drew back the string.
'Heavenly Strike.'
He released, and the arrow flew.
It struck the alluring red flower dead center.
Heavenly Strike activates.
A barrage of 100 arrows rained down on it.
Hallucination dispelled.
The haze clouding Jeong Hoon's vision lifted, revealing the Raplanta.
It bore a dazzling, seductive flower, but thorny vines writhed below, sticky fluid oozing from hallucinogenic poison glands.
That fluid had spread through the dungeon, mingling with the thick scent to induce hallucinations.
"Kieeeek...."
It groaned in agony from the arrow storm.
Whoa... nailed it spot-on?
Mukho let out a short gasp.
'Felt the faint mana flow.'
Hallucinations made it hard to spot, but Jeong Hoon's stats far outstripped its level.
Fooling him completely at Lv.240 was impossible.
Jeong Hoon nocked another arrow.
'Ultimate Arrow.'
A devastating 1,700 damage Ultimate Arrow.
He released the string, and it shot forth.
The arrow embedded perfectly in the thorny vines.
"Kieeeek!"
It shrieked.
As it screamed, the flower petals parted, revealing sharp teeth and a wriggling tongue inside.
Ew! What the hell is that?
'The flower's pretty, but seeing that? Grotesque.'
The Raplanta hid its ugliness behind the flower.
A bizarre monster that pursued pleasure through hallucinations.
Raplanta of Pleasure uses Seduction.
Raplanta of Pleasure uses Intense Pleasure.
Powder scattered from the flower.
It spread explosively, engulfing Jeong Hoon before he could react.
Debuff: Seduction applied.
Debuff: Intense Pleasure applied.
He couldn't resist, despite it being only Lv.240 power.
'It can't be helped.'
The dungeon was designed to make all resistances impossible from the start.
Jeong Hoon felt his vision spin.
Heat surged through his body, an urge welling up to plunge straight into the Raplanta's maw.
Master! Your face is flushing!
'You okay?!'
But Jeong Hoon's expression brimmed with composure.
He wouldn't crumble to something this weak.
"Right."
He drew Leviathan.
Black Field activates.
All stats boosted 1.5x.
All stats of monsters invading the Black Field territory reduced 10.
As always, Black Field first.
His base stats already rivaled Lv.350 usersnow multiplied by 1.5.
All stats increased 15.
Damage reduction 20 applied.
Duration: '1 hour.'
Then the Stat Amp Ring.
'Poison Attack' activation chance 4 for 1 hour.
Merhen's Guardian activated, doping complete.
Newly acquired: Grasp of the Dominator.
Grasp of the Dominator special ability activates.
All stats 10.
All weapon attack power and proficiency 10.
Finally, the Divine Beast Soul Headpiece.
Divine Beast Soul Headpiece special ability activates.
Attack and defense 25.
Jeong Hoon unleashed Divine Step, soaring toward the Raplanta.
Midair, he swung his sword in a massive straight line.
1st Form: Entry Strike activates.
The first form of Annihilation Sword.
The Entry Strike rent the Raplanta's body vertically in a single blow.
Instant death from one attack.
All debuffs removed.
Escaped Poison status.
With every item maxed out, this was only natural.
Jeong Hoon checked the item dropped beside the corpse.
His lips curled into a grin.
"Alright. Got one."
A large black seed.
The exact seed the NPC demanded.
The first kill went smoothly, but after that, it was pure grind.
The 10 rate didn't deliver as hoped.
On good runs, he'd snag an extra after 4-5 kills.
On bad ones, 20 kills yielded nothing.
Shit-tier luck, but Jeong Hoon collected all ten seeds.
'All gathered.'
If at first you don't succeed, grind till you do.
He'd felled 178 Raplantas total.
Whoa... finally!
'...That's barely half the work, no?'
Anima dashed his excitement.
"Yeah. Now for ten Gloomy Harmaind Wills."
Ten Gloomy Harmaind Wills.
And one King Raust Axe.
Jeong Hoon downed another Drop Rate Explosion Elixir.
Drop Rate Boost buff (10x) applied.
Duration: 60 minutes.
No time to rest.
Jeong Hoon headed straight for the portal harboring the Gloomy Harmaind.
Enter the Lv.255 Gloomy Harmaind dungeon?