Chapter 68: Result of the Bet (1)

TL: Haku

Editor: Hungry Panda

On the other hand, Ian, who had no idea what was going on in the imperial family, was grinding hard deep down in the bas.e.m.e.nt of the Scorching Land.

'd.a.m.n it! What the h.e.l.l is this?'

From a cliff with a narrow angle as if it was chipped away, Ian was, more specifically, narrowly hanging just above a pit of lava, digging out something using a tool similar to a pickaxe.

'When will this crazy, endless gathering end?'

The quest that he received just after the contaminated monster capturing quest was also quite satisfying.

As it was a quest requiring him to kill 100 contaminated monsters.

'The reward was a little salty, but it was ok since it was a quest that I could do while hunting anyways.'

However, after that quest, the connected quests up until now were quests that required him to poke around the dungeon and gather minerals or medicinal herbs.

'The quests I hate the most are these kinds of quests.'

Ian morbidly hated quests like these where he needed to go around the dungeon and gather miscellaneous ingredients. It was simple grinding, where he couldn't gain EXP or raise the Proficiency of his skills, nor did he even get a lot of gold.

Of course, depending on the reward he received at the end, his mental att.i.tude could be different, but as he didn't even know what was at the end of the connected quests, a characteristic of quests like these, it was even more irritating.

'I dare you to try and give me something useless. Whether you're the Guardian of Lava or whatever, I'll destroy everything!'

He had already come too far.

Ian had already spent 24 hours in full unable to level and had only been doing quests. However, as he had already come this far, he needed to see the end of this.

Ring-.

As Ian looked at the message telling him he completed his gathering, he let out a deep sigh.

'Please tell me this is the end…'

Ian, who had crawled up the cliff, headed towards the Source of Lava again.

His footsteps that went towards Helian were out of energy.

'It's the end, right? It's probably the end, it has to be the end.'

Ian, who mumbled this incantation as if he was memorizing it, handed the ingredients to Helian with shaking hands.

"Here, I've brought the ingredients."

His voice was incomparably weaker than when he first started the quests.

Helian smirked as he saw this Ian.

While watching Helian, who disappeared into the lava again with the items he was handed, Ian collapsed on the floor.

'Ha, it's the same pattern.'

He was certain that the bright red lump of fire would come out again and give him another d.a.m.n gathering quest.

Ian gave out a deep sigh.

"Hoo…"

It was to the point where Ian was seriously considering giving up the connected quests if another gathering quest was to come up.

'It's alright if there's still quests left to do, just please no more gathering quests…'

Ian closed his eyes as he sat down.

And he began to desperately pray even though he didn't even have a religion.

'G.o.d, Buddha, Allah. Please just listen to my prayer this once. You know that I usually don't expect much in life. Heuk-heuk…'

The desperate prayer of Ian, the easygoing gamer; would his prayer reach the heavens?

The lava of the fall that poured down in front of Ian began to rage left, right and centre.

Kwaaah-!

At the boom that rang out at an unbelievable loudness, which sounded as if the dungeon would collapse, Ian was frightened to death.

"What, what the h.e.l.l?"

And he felt despair.

'I don't want to become the first Kailran user that dies from a dungeon collapsing onto them…'

Just when Ian was seriously considering logging out, the vibrations that violently shook the whole dungeon gradually began to calm down.

And the lava that poured like a fall right in front of Ian's eyes disappeared, and a calm lake of lava appeared.

Ian stared at it with a dazed expression.

'Is it finally the end?'

Many things definitely changed.

The heat was the same, but the gloomy energy that took over the whole Source of Lava map had brightened, and the blackish lavas that spilled here and there in the dungeon had recovered into a bright red colour.

And lastly, the calm lake of lava shook and the Guardian of Lava, Helian's form was revealed.

"Don't mention it."

Ian, who responded with a bitter expression, carefully asked.

"But is the purification of the Source of Lava completely finished now?"

Helian nodded his head.

Ian, who felt something was weird, asked again.

"What do you mean by I've worked more than you expected?"

'I just did what he asked, though?'

While looking at Ian, who wore a puzzled expression, Helian smiled brightly.

Ian listened to Helian's story without saying a word.

Helian continued his words as he gazed at the bubbling lava.

While listening to Helian's words, Ian's expression slowly began to contort.

However, Helian, who didn't catch that, opened his mouth again wearing a touched expression.

Plop-

As Ian's legs lost their strength, he immediately plopped onto the ground.

'Ah… For it to have been a quest with a fixed time.'

If it was based on Helian's words, it meant that he just needed to follow through with the quest until he made one essence.

He felt like tears would fall from his resentment.

'No wonder, he made me gather the same ingredients multiple times…'

Ian had simply just diligently gathered them in order to completely finish the connected quests as fast as possible.

He didn't grind this hard to do a good deed for Helian.

'If I knew this was the case, I should have hunted in between instead of just gathering.'

If he had done that, he felt he could have filled his EXP gauge at least up to around 40-50%.

However, he couldn't get mad at Helian, asking why he deceived him here.

As he couldn't throw away his Affinity with NPCs that he collected well up until now just before he received his reward.

Strictly speaking, Helian hadn't deceived Ian, he had simply just not told him.

And Helian, who wouldn't know Ian's current mental state, looked like he was in an incredibly good mood.

Ian, who heard those words, mumbled inwardly.

'Then give me my reward now, dude.'

And as if Helian had somehow heard those words, his words continued.

And a notification that notified the end of the connected quests rang out to Ian's ears.

Ring-.

He had reached lv 71 and even had over 50% EXP filled up afterwards.

In full it was 24 hours, but it had technically invested almost two days, yet the reward was amazing enough that it was worth investing that much time.

Starting from the capturing quest, as he had completed each connected quest with his fullest potential, his clear rank was also a triple S.

However, Ian's expression was sullen.

'If I had even hunted in between, wouldn't I have leveled up one more level?'

While Ian shook with regret, another message popped up.

'Hm… What's the Sealing Stone of Lava?'

Ian, who read the system message, asked Helian before he even realized.

"What is this, Helian?"

Helian smiled as he responded.

'Guardian…?'

Ian opened his inventory with a thumping heart.

And as he checked the Sealing Stone, a monster's stat window opened up largely in front of his eyes.

Level: 80

Cla.s.sification: Drake

Rank: Heroic

Personality: Valiant

Evolution impossible

Offensive Power: 1975

Defensive Power: 975

Agility: 527

Intellect: 609

Vitality: 23,537/23,537

Mana: 9,750/9,750

Inherent Ability

Damage that is fire-type will be 30% less effective.

As a fire-type breath is launched, the front will receive a damage of 475% Offensive Power. (Cooldown Time 30 minutes)

There is a 30% chance to invoke the 'Ruler of Lava' ability with a basic attack.

If the Ruler of Lava ability is invoked, a flame is emitted and deals 175% Offensive Power to the opponents in the front.

(It is sprayed out in a fan-like form 4 metres forward)

This is the king of Lava Drakes that was born from within hot lava.

It specializes in fire-type attacks, and boasts an incredibly strong Offensive Power.

Ian, who read the monster information window frantically, was deeply moved.

'A Heroic-rank monster… On top of that, its Offensive Power is almost at 2000.'

As Ian saw the unbelievable number of 1975 Offensive Power, his jaw dropped.

It was equipped with breath as a basic, an ability that most drakes had, and the pa.s.sive skill called Ruler of Lava was also an AoE attack skill that Ian desperately needed right now.

As expected, the 'evolution impossible' part was a little disappointing, but it was just a speck of dust in comparison.

After all, as there was no user that had even seen a Legendary-rank monster yet, in reality, a Heroic-rank monster was the highest rank monster with the current standard.

If he had expected an evolution possible option on top of this, it would have instead been considered theft.

'Because of the evolution impossible option, its limit is already decided, but for me right now, when leveling up urgent, it is truly the optimum Familiar.'

He eagerly wanted to make a contract with the Familiar immediately and use it, but he lacked Leaders.h.i.+p.

'I should go to the village immediately after and change all my items after purchasing items that raise my Leaders.h.i.+p.'

If all else failed, he even planned on clearing his contract with Clopia, his Possession shuttle[1].

Of course, he felt if he used a little bit of money, he could roughly raise his Leaders.h.i.+p to accommodate even without clearing contracts.

His guilty conscious that made him feel like he only helped others while wasting his time disappeared instantly.

'Even if I used the time I gathered to grind-capture Lava Witches, I probably wouldn't have been able to gain one better than this one.'

He felt he could gain the EXP he lost from the time he spent gathering if he hunted with this 'Lava Drake King'.

Ian smiled brightly, acting as if he was never bitter, and showed his grat.i.tude to Helian.

"Thank you, Helian. I'll use the drake well."

Ian, who said goodbye to Helian, hurriedly used the return stone that would send him back to the village.

Ian only wanted to quickly use the drake even for a moment right now.

Around when Ian wore a happy smile as he looked at the Lava Drake he received as his quest reward, Canoel, who was another Lava Drake owner, was absorbed in leveling up with his other self.

"Yongyong, Breath!"

Keu-oohh!

The monster that was shooting out a bright red breath towards the front was precisely Yongyong, the Lava Drake.

'No matter which way I look at it, I think I've named him well. Hoo-hoo.'

Canoel was satisfied with his naming sense.

The name Yongyong was a name that had quite some meaning(?). It was a name that took the first letter of lava and dragon and combined them together[2].

It was Canoel, who had an amazing(?) naming sense that was almost equal to Ian's.

Hwaaaak-!

The five Peragons that charged forward immediately turned into a grey light as Yongyong's breath burst out.

Kyaak-!

Yongyong, who felt triumphant, wore an arrogant expression as he let out hot smoke from his mouth.

And Yongyong wasn't the only one wearing a conceited expression.

"Muahaha! How does that taste, you jerks?"

While Canoel slaughtered the Peragons of Nareuhan Swamp, who made it hard for him a couple days ago, he let out a loud shout.

It was the height of satisfaction.

In comparison to the Half-Moon Bear who kept missing in the air, the lovable Yongyong was on an another level to it.

"Yongyong, good job!"

Canoel's Affinity with Yongyong was also almost to the max.

Different from the Half-Moon Bear he easily abused, it was thanks to the infinite affection he poured onto Yongyong.

Truthfully, it was obvious that a Peragon, a Common-rank monster around lv 26, won't stand a chance against Yongyong, who was an Unique-rank drake that was over lv 30, but Canoel, who was very pleased with the current leveling-up speed and the result of the fights, had no self-awareness towards that.

"Hoo-hoo, now Nareuhan Swamp is too boring, Yongyong. Don't you think so?"

Keu-reu-reu-reu-!

It was a warm image of a Familiar and owner that got along well together.

'Hm… It's about time to move hunting grounds now.'

Thanks to wiping Nareuhan Swamp for 3 days already, Canoel had leveled 6 levels up and reached lv 30, and had also received the t.i.tle 'Peragon Slayer'.

On top of that, Yongyong, who was at lv 32 when he first received him, was in a situation where he also had reached lv 36, so Canoel's confidence was sky-high.

'The Goblin Camping Ground should be suitable enough as my hunting ground now.'

While thinking of going to a camping ground he wouldn't have even been able to dream of if it was before he received Yongyong, he automatically smiled.

"Yongyong, let's go to Saumur Canyon!"

After Canoel Summon Released Yongyong, he went to the village using a return stone.

If it was with Yongyong, Kailran's greatest drake(?), Canoel wasn't jealous of anyone.

[2] lava in Korean = yong-am and dragon in Korean = yong, so 'yong' from yong-am was combined with 'yong', or dragon, to make 'Yongyong'