Translator: HunterW
Editor: RED
“Open Stats Menu.”
==[Name: Lee Jiwon
Level: 675 Death Count: 0
Title: Earth’s First Deva
HP: 8,865,700/8,865,700 MP: 357,800/357,800
Strength: 20,474+ 2,463 Agility: 14,051 Vitality: 14,151
Willpower: 3,518 Intelligence: 3,248
Unassigned Stat Points: 500 + 135
Fatigue: 0
Special Effects: Luck Boost (X+1), immune to all Status effects, Dungeon Seeker 14 points
Physical Attack: 77,106 Physical Defense: 31,347
Magical Attack: 11,304 Magical Defense: 19,384]==
It took a month and a half to gain 25 levels. Like always, that was a very fast pace, but I still wasn’t satisfied.
“I’ll need to work harder if I want to get my base STR to 20,000 as soon as possible.” I put all of my unassigned Stat points into STR again, took out a Werewolf Clan Warp Scroll and ripped it. It was the fastest way for me to get back home. I warped to the Faroe Islands, used the Teleporter there to London, and from there warped to the Store in Seoul.
——
-It’s always busy here.-
Every time I came back to Seoul via the Faroe Islands and London, I couldn’t help but compare the three places. What I really noticed was that Seoul always had more people. London was no doubt a main city in its own right, and was definitely busier than the Faroe Islands, but still fell behind Seoul.
I had even spent a month in New York at the behest of the Shire Guild, and even then, Seoul was busier.
-Seoul definitely wasn’t like this in the past.-
I put on my hat and sunglasses and walked towards Store 72, to check on the quest notice before I headed home. Thankfully, everyone else was too focused on the quest to notice me.
——
Inside the Store was even busier than the outside, all because of the quest.
“Dream on!”
“Why? What’s wrong with this item? It boosts all Stats by 50 points and boosts VIT another 250. It even boosts defensive skills by 4.2%.”
“What rank is it?”
“Why is… does rank have to be important?”
“Dude, think about it. Do you really think anything under Rank 7 is going to cut it with this quest?”
“But still…”
“But still nothing. Don’t do it you don’t want to get embarrassed in front of the entire world. You need at least a Rank 8 if you want to get in the top 50. Anything lower will get you nowhere, no matter how good the effects are.”
“But there aren’t that many Rank 8 items out there.”
“Right; which is why we don’t have a chance with this quest. We’re just here to see what kind of crazy items are out there.”
“…” The man who came hoping to register his item and get into the top 50 fell silent when his friend shot him down. What his friend said definietely wasn’t wrong.
Just then, a shout came from the quest board. “Hey! Someone put up a Rank 9 item!”
“Russia’s D. Nerv registered the Hailing Snowstorm.”
“Damn!”
“Check out those effects!”
“Shit, man. Where do you get items like that? If a Rank 9’s this strong, how powerful is a Rank 10?”
“If I had an item like this, I’d be leveling like crazy; at least ten levels a day!”
“Yeah, dude! If I had that, I’d even jump into the Sea of Reset and switch to an Ice Mage.”
—
A Rank 9 had entered the quest and people were scrambling to check it out.
-I used to be like that, too.- I remembered how I used to stand where they stood; dreaming about what it would be like for me if I had those items. I stayed behind the crowd instead of heading to the quest board and focused on the “!” mark above it.
==[Bring Me Your Best Treasure! (No Rank)
Gulman was known as the greatest blacksmith to ever exist. His worst pieces were all Rank 8, his average pieces were Rank 9 and all of his masterpieces were Rank 10. Anyone who touched his work was filled with awe.
However, Gulman has not crafted any items for the past 200 years. His fire and inspiration to once again craft masterpieces has completely died out. Since then, Gulman has been searching for a treasure that will reignite his passion once more.
Bring an item great enough to reignite Gulman’s passion to craft once more.
Quest ends: 30 days remaining.
Accept/Decline]==
==[If you accept the Bring Me Your Best Treasure! quest…
Each person can only register up to three items at a time.
Registering items means will they will be revealed for others to see through the quest board while you still have them equipped.
You will receive points based on the items’ rank, rarity and effects.
Only 50 participants with the highest points will have their names and items revealed to the public and only they will receive the rewards when the quest ends.
Rewards can vary from Rank 8 Random Item Chests, Special Random Skill Chest, to golden rings, skill points and Stat points.]==
“Accept,” I said as soon as I read through the quest description. It was the perfect quest for me.
==[You have accepted the quest, Being Me Your Best Treasure!
You will be granted 3 slots to register your items. Once they are registered, they cannot be removed or cancelled from the list until the quest ends.
You have received the command, Register Item.]==
Once I accepted the quest, I left the Store without registering any items. The quest had just started and for the next month, it was going to be a fierce battle of wits between the largest guilds. There was another problem for all of us, though; once an item was registered, it was going to be revealed to the public, even the items we had been hiding away and saving as last resorts. Then again, some guilds would still do it if it meant becoming famous. That was what Wakabi of the Baobab Guild did in the past after he assembled the Lightning Boots of Azazel.
“Everyone participating in the quest is going to have to make the choice; is revealing their best item going to be worth whatever the quest reward is?” That was just how valuable items were. I hadn’t realized that in the past, and had only watched in awe and envy as new items were registered every day. Things were different now; I had many overpowered items of my own and knew different people who also had some of their own.
“Still… I should participate. The quest reward is going to be too good to just pass up and watch from the sidelines.” In the past, a fierce battle of wits had broken out between the larger guilds who had revealed their best items to get in the higher ranks. The smaller guilds and solo players eventually got caught up in the flow and registered their own secret items. It was then that everyone realized the treasure of an underdog could very well become the origin of disaster; as if it was all part of someone’s well written screenplay.
——
Back at my house in Seoul…
“Welcome back, young master.” I had already called ahead that I would be home soon and a few members of my new family were waiting outside to greet me.
“Thanks. I’m back.”
“Go on in, sir. The madam has been waiting for you.”
I headed inside and saw my mom waiting by the foyer. “Others get too tired and can only hunt for a week at a time, but you…I just don’t get how you find it so fun,” my mother complained.
“But a week’s too short.”
“Oh, whatever. Go wash up. I’ll have your meal ready.”
“Alright. I want a lot since it’s been a while since I’ve had your cooking!”
“Okay, okay. I bought a lot of beef since you like it so much.”
“Thanks, mom.” It was nice coming home to a hot, home-cooked meal and people waiting for me. After I had dinner with my mother and grandfather, I went up to my room to put my feet up. The quest had yet to start and all I had to do for now was to wait.
——
The next day…
‘Banana candy!’
I was watching TV as I fed the Dungeon Mole a piece of candy while petting it from head to tail. All of the channels were talking about this new quest.
—
“Obviously the larger guilds will have the best items, won’t they?”
“It would seem so. The best way to get items of Rank 8 or higher is to defeat dungeon bosses as many times as possible, after all.”
“Then will this quest be monopolized by those guilds?”
“I doubt that will be the case. I’m sure there are a few solo players out there who have items we did not think existed.”
“I see. Also, it has only been a day since the quest was announced, but there aren’t many Rank 8 items registered. The highest is a Rank 9 as well. Does this mean that there just aren’t that many Rank 8’s out there?”
“That is true, but this is more because of a battle of wits?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“This quest is 30 days long and only one day has passed. No one is quite willing to reveal their hands quite yet.”
“That makes sense. Then…”
—
Someone knocked while I was immersed in fiddling with the Dungeon Mole, but I had an idea who it was and why they were here.
“Tell him to come in.”
“Sir?” the guard on the other side of the door asked in confusion.
“Song Haechang is out there with you, isn’t he? Tell him to come in.”
“Oh. Yes, sir.”
The door opened and Song Haechang walked in. We were meeting quite often these days, and it was usually he who came knocking first.
“Hey there.”
“Welcome. Have a seat.”
“Thanks.”
I poured each of us a cup of tea and lay back against my armchair.
“I think you know how this new quest is causing quite a stir recently,” Song Haechang said.
“I do. I heard about the quest mid hunt and just came back.”
“I see. Well, I came here to tell you one thing about the quest.”
“What is it?”
“The Rank 9 King-Emperor’s Mantle is yours, not Sunbin’s. You can feel free to register it and don’t have to worry about us.”
I gave a small smirk at what he just said.
“Oh, I’m not saying this because we’re looking down on you or anything. I’m just saying in case something happens so that you have one less thing to worry about. And don’t forget that if Cheng Long ever gives you a hard time, the Sunbin Guild is always ready to get them off your back.”
I knew exactly what Song Haechang meant. The King-Emperor’s Mantle did belong to the Sunbin Guild at first, and was an item Cheng Long could still be hung up on. Sunbin was just looking out for me in advance, in case I ended up hesitating about it.
However, I should be the one asking for their understanding, not them. I was planning on registering my Rank 10 King-Emperor’s Commitment to get first place in this quest. Once Sunbin and Cheng Long saw the item’s name on the list, they could easily figure out what happened in the Tomb.
“Thanks for looking out for me.”
“Don’t worry about it. I want to thank you for understanding our intentions.”
“It was easy enough to understand what you meant. But…”
“What is it?”
“I think I should be the one asking for your understanding.”
“What do you mean…?”
Song Haechang wasn’t there at the Tomb that day, but everyone already knew what items were rewarded and what I did to the boss.
“Open Item.” I revealed the King-Emperor’s Commitment that I hadn’t shown to anyone else yet. He and Sunbin were bound to find out about it once I registered it anyway, so I might as well show them first.
==[The King-Emperor’s Commitment (Rank 10)
The King-Emperor’s true treasure.
All Stats increased by 450 points
Increase Mana Conversion skill level by 2
Add Blink Skill
Increase CRIT rate by 9%
Increase CRIT damage by 500%
Increase Penetration by 240 points
Increase EXP gain from monsters by 15%
DEF 1000, MDEF 1000]==
I watched Song Haechang’s shocked expression for a while. I completely understood what he was probably thinking right now.
