Ian, who returned safely from his date with Harin, logged onto the game as soon as he finished washing up.
And the moment Ian logged on, the guild chatting room became chaotic.
• Herz: Yo, did you come? And did your date go well?
• Fiolan: Harin was determined to do this for a couple days now, and it seems she finally succeeded in dragging Ian out and going on a date. I’m jealous…
• Kroban: Fiolan, how about a date with me? I can treat you like a princess.
• Fiolan: Ah, I will just go on dates with the monsters…
• Kroban: So harsh T.T.
• Mishyal: Since Ian has logged on, are we going to start hunting again now?
• Herz: That’s right, but we must finish the quest first. We must go meet Bbakbbak.
Ian, who read through the guild chatting room that bubbled up so crazily, smirked as he posted something in the chat window.
• Ian: Everyone has rested well, right?
• Mishyal: Those words… I’m not the only one that feels they are somewhat scary, right?
• Herz: Mishyal, you are not the only one like that. I’m also a bit fearful.
• Fiolan: Shall we charge forward now? Is probably what he’ll say, no?
• Ian: If you’ve rested, shall we charge forward now?
• Herz: As completely expected…
• Mishyal: …
Even though everybody was making such a big fuss, they immediately used the Base Return Stone and returned to the dungeon.
The Base Return Stone was an item that only guild members who had a base could use, and if used during hunting, it was possible to teleport to the Domain of the guild they were affiliated with, and if used again, it was an item that returned the user to their original spot.
Normally, it was impossible to use the return stone inside a dungeon, but it was possible to activate the return stone in a dungeon that has already been cleared like this.
The guild members, who were enjoying their break in the Domain for the first time in a while due to Ian’s absence, began to return to the dungeon one by one.
• Ian: But when is our second party arriving at the central continent again?
The second party that Ian was talking about were the guild members that couldn’t board the magical square and were coming the central continent joined with a line of the imperial army’s expedition.
Carwin and Kroban were leading them.
• Kroban: I think we’ll also be arriving around tomorrow now.
• Carwin: Kroban hyung’s right. If we’re fast, we’ll be there around tomorrow morning, and if we’re late, it will be around lunch time.
• Ian: Carwin, how many people are there in our second party?
• Carwin: About… 150 people? No, it’s probably about 170 people.
• Ian: Okay. Contact us immediately once you arrive. Since we need to meet up.
• Carwin: Understood, hyung.
Ian, who got a rough understanding of the situation through the chat, began to organize his plans internally.
‘Firstly, once we return to Bbakbbak and complete the quest, there will be about two days left of the dungeon buff, and once we join up with the second party, does that mean we just need to go up now to occupy a base?’
It was a situation where he had basically given up on the Base Occupying Quest due to lack of time, but that didn’t mean that he had even given up on obtaining a base.
Even though their fighting power was a little lacking compared to the top-ranking large guilds, he was planning on obtaining even one base that was in a hidden area at all costs and defending it.
‘Originally, it would even be difficult to defend a base in the central continent, but since we have Kaizar.’
Kaizar, who had leveled-up through the hunting they did for a couple days and was now at lv 249, was an incredibly big help to Ian.
‘His Loyalty did drop more and is now at 3, but since he hasn’t hit me yet…’
While Ian was thinking of this and that, all of the guild members that weren’t even logged on returned and the party was able to all get together, and that party began to head towards Bbakbbak.
As the dungeon was so wide and rough, it took a lot of time to even return.
While looking at the Cintamani that was in his inventory, Ian mumbled to himself.
‘If it was up to my heart, I would want to use it on Bbookbbook…’
Ian opened up the information of the Cintamani that he read at a glance in the morning again and checked it.
• The Cintamani of the Golden Turtle Dragon
Classification – Miscellaneous (Unknown)
Rank – Legendary
Equip Limit – Unable to Equip
Durability – 55/55
Option – In the case a Familiar possesses it, all combat abilities of dragon-affiliate Familiars will increase by 3%.
*Item Able to Use: If used on an ‘Evolution Possible’ Familiar, it has the strength to forcibly evolve the applicable Familiar. It is possible to use on an irrelevant species, but there may be side effects.
*Quest Item: This is an item filled with the memories of Golden Turtle ‘Bbakbbak’. If used or lost, you will automatically fail the quest and you will receive Bbakbbak’s rage.
*This is an item belonging to user ‘Ian’.
This item cannot be transferred to another user or be sold, and even if the character dies, it does not drop.
(Transferrable only once for the first time.)
This is a rare and precious Cintamani holding a bright golden light.
If sold, it’s possible that one could gain an incredibly high price for it.
As could be seen even from the explanation, the Cintamani was an item that could evolve a Familiar as Ian expected.
Of course, it was only possible on a Familiar that had the ‘Evolution Possible’ option attached to it, but to Ian right now, this was an ability that was quite a big merit.
This was because Bbookbbook, who had yet to evolve even once, was constantly on his mind.
The reason why he didn’t consider the other monsters was simple.
Since right now, when even Ly had evolved into a Legendary-rank, there was no other evolution possible Familiar besides Bbookbbook for Ian.
‘I think this is a chance… But somehow it feels a bit leery.’
Of course, it wasn’t because he was afraid that he would receive Bbakbbak’s rage(?).
This was because, although he was an interesting turtle that was a little more mystical and could even talk, a turtle that looked similar to Bbookbbook didn’t look that strong.
The part that pulled at Ian the most to use the Cintamani was because of the thought that the reward that Bbakbbak would give once the quest was completed could possible be something incredibly good.
If that was the case, then his worry was just one.
‘Will the reward that Bbakbbak will give be a bigger merit than Bbookbbook’s evolution?’
However, as Ian grew closer to Bbakbbak, he hardened his heart.
‘It’s a little disappointing, but since if this quest finished without me knowing what the reward is, I feel like I won’t even be able to sleep out of curiosity.’
And as the other party members wouldn’t be able to receive the quest reward because of Ian, that part also pulled at him.
And shortly after, Ian’s party was able to meet Bbakbbak again.
As soon as Bbakbbak saw Ian, he crawled over with a welcoming expression.
• Oh, Ian, you’ve returned!
Ian, who met eyes with Bbakbbak, burst out laughing.
‘He looks exactly like Bbookbbook, yet exceeds Grandpa Oakley’s way of speaking[1].’
Ian, who momentarily thought that Bbakbbak was cute, pulled out the Cintamani from his inventory and handed it to him.
“Here, I brought it back.”
And Bbakbbak, who received that and bit it with his mouth, wore a satisfied smile as he opened his mouth.
• Ian, you are truly a trustworthy human.
“Huh? Why?”
• For you to have returned this expensive Cintamani to me just as I requested without being greedy.
“Ah… Well, that, since it was yours originally.”
• Even if one knows it, it is not easy to control the desires within one’s heart. Ian, I’m truly grateful for your help.
Ian, who absentmindedly shared a conversation, suddenly developed something he was curious about.
“But Bbakbbak.”
• What is it?
“How much is that Cintamani worth for you to be like that?”
Bbakbbak, who momentarily thought about it, slowly opened his mouth.
• I do not know exactly, but amongst the ancient, giant, god-like people, this Cintamani traded for about 50 gold bars. Right now, I don’t know what it would be worth.
At Bbakbbak’s words, Ian, of course, but the eyes of even the other guild members that were next to him rounded.
“5, 50 gold bars?”
“We didn’t hear this incorrectly just now, right? It’s not gold coins but gold bars, right? For sure?”
Their surprise was not an exaggeration either.
Since one gold bar was worth 1 million gold.
50 gold bars meant that it was 50 million gold.
Even if they sold it and split it into ten shares, it was an item worth an incredible amount to the point that one could take at least 5 million gold.
Ian suddenly felt his legs lose strength as he lurched to one side.
“I, I see.”
However, there was no use crying over spilt milk.
The Cintamani was being held in Bbakbbak’s mouth, and the quest proceeded onwards.
Ring-!
• You have successfully completed the Golden Turtle ‘Bbakbbak’s Request (Hidden Quest)
• Clear Rank – S
• You have obtained 12,000 Specialty Points.
• You have obtained 39,456,000 EXP.
• You have obtained 10,000 Fame.
He had obtained an incredible amount of rewards, but Ian felt an unknown emptiness as he checked the system messages that popped up.
However, just then, right in front of everyone, the Cintamani that was held in Bbakbbak’s mouth began to shine brightly.
And along with that, Bbakbbak began to open his mouth as if he was mumbling, and his voice could be heard clearly by everybody’s ears.
• It seems now I’ll be able to find my forgotten honour.
Whooong-.
While in Bbakbbak’s mouth, the Cintamani began to vibrate strongly.
Ian’s party began to watch that scene with excited expressions.
And shortly after, the golden light that poured out of the Cintamani wrapped around Bbakbbak’s whole body and began to violently spin.
Hwa-reu-reu-reu-!
The wave of golden light wrapped around Bbakbbak’s surrounding, looking like a blazing flame.
Bbakbbak’s body, which was already golden as is, began to shine even more, and eventually, Bbakbbak’s whole body was covered in a white light.
No matter who saw it, it was an incredibly mysterious scene.
Different from the others, who were watching that scene with a blank expression, Ian thought that it was a familiar scene he had seen many times.
‘This… It seems similar to the scene when a Familiar evolves…’
Bbakbbak’s body began to grow bigger and bigger while wrapped in light, and at last, he turned into a larger size than Lake or even Halli.
The size of his shell just grew larger and his shape was the same; however, his short neck stretched out like a snake, and two more heads grew on each side, so he looked like a Hydra.
‘What the hell, he might even grow bigger than Ddukdae!’
And just like Ian said, Bbakbbak’s body continued to grow.
His four legs with sharp claws grown on them became sturdy.
His giant shell had unknown ancient patterns embroidered on it majestically.
And even the round face that was originally there disappeared and turned into three heads with sharp and cool appearances.
The light that was wrapped around Bbakbbak completely disappeared, but Ian still hadn’t come to his senses and was staring at him with a dazed expression.
The first one to break this silence that existed for a moment was Bbakbbak.
• Ian, thanks to you, I was able to find my past honour. Thank you.
With a bewildered expression, Ian opened his mouth.
“Ye, yeah… Well. It turned out well, haha…”
Ian slightly glanced at Bbookbbook, who was hanging on his back, before he stared back once more at the appearance of Bbakbbak again.
‘If I used the Cintamani on our Bbookbbook, would he have become that cool?’
He felt like his stomach was slowly hurting again.
However, in the next moment, Ian’s stomach ache was completely cured in an instant.
Bbakbbak’s three heads approached Ian as they opened their mouths.
• Ian, while protecting the riches of Holdream, I have spent over a thousand years in this dark basement.
“So?”
• Since the revengeful spirit of Holdream has also left this grave, I want to find freedom as well.
“…?”
Bbakbbak and Ian’s gazes met.
• I want to be with you. Could you accept me?
A system message popped up in front of Ian’s eyes.
• Golden Turtle Dragon ‘Bbakbbak’ wishes to become your Familiar.
• Will you take in ‘Bbakbbak’ as your Familiar? (You are lacking Leadership, but through the effect of the ‘Dragon Tamer’s Feather Ornament’ item, you may obtain Familiars without the restrictions of Leadership).
