During the grueling five-day push, Hyunsoo had raised his level by a full three.
In gold and miscellaneous loot, he had also earned a fortune worth roughly 150 million won.
It had been possible because he had obtained Owlbear Ruler.
And then there were the thousands upon thousands of materials he had obtained through the gathering quest.
If he sold those, he could make even sweeter money, so Hyunsoo regretted it.
Why?
Because Mandara was merely the owner of a small general goods shop.
He would not get back as much as he had given.
Even as he woke, Hyunsoo felt disappointed that it had all been his own misjudgment, brought on by burning up alone over the fact that he had been “toyed with” by Mandara.
However.
“Thanks to you. For more than ten years, I was unable to grow. It was because I lacked the materials. I resented you because Alrod sent you, so I played a prank on you. But you accomplished this.”
Hyunsoo looked at the elixir in his hand.
“The only Transcendent Elixir made in the current age.”
[You are the benefactor of Legendary Alchemist Mandara.]
[You can purchase all potions from Mandara at a 30% discount.]
At the notifications he heard, he felt that giving away all those “materials” was no longer a waste.
Also.
“I completed it by mixing the Mountain Owlbear’s materials with the best fusion liquid I had on hand. The rest are in the storage room, so you may take all of them.”
[You recover all materials related to the Owlbear.]
Mandara even returned the rest to him.
An elixir.
A rare miracle medicine.
Rankers across the entire world would pay hundreds of millions to buy one.
Its value was impossible to describe.
But even elixirs had grades, and Legendary elixirs were so precious that they had traded for roughly 1.5 billion won.
On top of that, only about ten Legendary elixirs had ever appeared in the world until now.
Yet now, an elixir likely worth several times more than those Legendary elixirs was right in front of Hyunsoo.
Should I check it?
No, he meant to check by drinking it.
POP—
The liquid, as though it held stars in space, flowed down Hyunsoo’s throat.
Hyunsoo had expected a decent taste, but soon grew flustered.
I can’t eat that twice......
It was an elixir made from extracts taken from teeth, fingernails, claws, and hide.
After gulping it down, Hyunsoo thought that no matter what effects it had, he never wanted to eat it again.
However.
[You have consumed the Transcendent Elixir.]
[All stats increase by 3%.]
[All attack power and defense increase by 3%.]
[Total HP and MP increase by 3%.]
His eyes flew wide at the notifications.
What......?
Until now, every elixir had raised things by a fixed “number.”
Legendary elixirs.
Even those, of which only about ten had ever been released, had raised all stats by 10, or Strength by 200, HP by 150, Wisdom by 150, and so on.
Percentages were different.
The higher a user’s level and the greater the number of their stats, the greater the benefit.
At low to mid levels, increases by fixed numbers might be better, but once someone passed Level 500 like Hyunsoo, it was different.
And because it was Hyunsoo, it was even more special.
All the stats that had risen each time he made a crafted item had accumulated and accumulated, producing even greater power.
Simply a 3% increase to all stats, and a 3% increase to all attack power and defense?
Since it included all stats, that meant more than 300 stat points had risen.
I’m at least 10% stronger than I was a moment ago.
Smack, smack—
Canceled.
If he had another bottle, he wanted to drink it.
What had tasted awful now felt sweet.
Even Hyunsoo’s tongue was capitalist.
But he focused on what he needed to do now.
He had collapsed as it was.
Hyunsoo gazed out the window with eyes steeped in lingering emotion.
“......?”
Mandara looked puzzled when the man who had been smacking his lips just moments ago suddenly had reddened eyes.
“The reason I worked so hard to complete it was because of Lord Alrod’s desire to convey his feelings, even if only like this.”
“......!”
Only then did Mandara realize it.
Hyunsoo’s face, as he turned his head, was haggard.
Of course it was. He had only just woken up.
But since that collapse had been for the matter between Alrod and himself, Mandara could not help being deeply moved.
Alrod believed they could not reconcile.
But today.
“Where is he?”
After ten years, Mandara made up his mind to meet him.
[Something special may happen.]
The notification he heard was a bonus.
*****
Haruto.
He was the team lead of the Japan Special User Management Team.
With a bold-looking appearance and a height of around 170 centimeters, he hurriedly arrived at Narita Airport.
What on earth is happening?
After getting into a taxi, he headed for the Japanese branch.
There were two reasons he had returned to Japan so suddenly.
The first.
Mandara? That Mandara became Legendary?
Mandara was someone who was supposed to become a super-famous NPC in Japan about a year later.
That was because he would become the only Legendary alchemist on the entire continent.
Yet that had been moved up, and as Haruto listened to the world message, he could hardly believe it.
The other reason was the call he had received from the Story Team lead.
—Kimura’s been handling work incredibly well over the past few days. He’s been telling us how we need to prepare for the story, but it looks like he’s hit his limit now. He’s been working overtime for too long.
After entering headquarters, Haruto went into the Special User Management Team.
There stood Kimura, who had been working overtime for a full four days.
“Team lead......”
Haruto soon heard the whole story.
The Japanese server was centered more on NPCs who made things than on powerful NPCs.
Japan is not exerting much power in Ares right now.
But these were precious NPCs who, if they someday became Legendary, would gradually turn Japan into a major Ares power.
“What do we do?”
Looking at the tearful Kimura, Haruto fully grasped the current situation.
“And now he went to meet the compounder Henya?”
“That’s right. What worries me most is that he’s looking for the new god the Korean branch team mentioned. They’re precious NPCs of the Japanese server......”
At Kimura’s words, Haruto placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Ha, hahahaha!”
Kimura seemed cute to Haruto.
“Don’t worry, Kimura. Ares’s story settings aren’t that easy!”
Haruto spoke with confidence.
Just then, on the monitor, user Hyunsoo was meeting Henya.
“Watch closely, Kimura.”
Henya, too, was giving him a quest with an displeased expression.
Haruto checked the quest before Kimura did.
Just as expected.
It was exactly as he had predicted.
Haruto showed Kimura the quest.
CLICK—
[Linked Quest: Noble Material.]
Grade: SSS
Reward: Henya’s formula.
Failure Penalty: Intimacy with Henya decreases.
Description: Henya is a compounder who can compound anything. She wants a special material. For her sake, bring her material from an outstanding and astonishing monster or animal that does not exist in this world. It must be at least Legendary or higher.
“The quest grade is SSS. Also, according to the description, it says ‘does not exist in this world,’ doesn’t it?”
That was right.
A noble being that did “not exist” in this world.
“If Mandara hated Alrod, Henya’s feelings go beyond that into contempt. Mandara’s issue was something that could be solved through effort. But Henya’s is different. It’s an area that can’t be solved through effort. It’s SSS-grade, but in truth, it’s on a level even higher than that.”
Kimura voiced the part that worried him.
“But user Hyunsoo has pets, so wouldn’t it be easier than expected?”
“......Do you think we’d be that easy? I also discussed this with the Story Team when we made this quest. Here, look.”
On the monitor.
Henya spoke.
—Anything bound to someone cannot be used as my material.
Those were Henya’s words before Hyunsoo could step forward.
“That means we accounted for those things too. Lucky Lump? He can’t obtain materials through him.”
Haruto massaged Kimura’s shoulder.
Surely he would be relieved now?
“But shouldn’t we keep doubting him until the end?”
“???”
Haruto was flustered.
Kimura changed?
But Haruto thought it was needless worry.
“Kimura. Now, relax......”
Then.
A chat arrived in front of Kimura.
—You should prepare yourself.
“......?”
It was the Korean Special User Management Team.
After hearing the story from Kimura, Haruto grew slightly angry.
What fuss were they trying to make this time?
Haruto tapped at the keyboard.
—This is Haruto, Japan team lead. That is too far-fetched. And what do you mean, prepare ourselves? From what we can see, there appears to be no way for user Hyunsoo to clear this quest.
Haruto explained why.
—The reason is......
A reply soon came.
—Even without pets, user Hyunsoo has someone from whom he can obtain materials on Lucky Lump’s level.
“......?”
Haruto looked puzzled.
Who was that?
—White Tiger.
“......?”
Seeing that, Haruto was dumbfounded.
To obtain that material, Hyunsoo would need at least something other than his claws or nails.
He’s going to go to White Tiger and ask him for that? They’re completely insane!
Haruto excitedly typed on the keyboard.
—Is the White Tiger, known as the strongest of the divine beasts, supposed to be his friend?
The reply was shocking.
—......Yes.
“......?”
—A friend he even helped in a difficult time, actually.
“......What?”
Haruto was bewildered.
But beyond the monitor.
“Firebird.”
Burning hot, Hyunsoo arrived not in the present world, but in the land where the three kings connected to the Tower of Honor lived.
The three kings.
The Northern King.
The Eastern King.
The Western King.
They were the kings of one nation, tigers, and White Tiger, and they greeted Hyunsoo exactly like friends he had “helped in a difficult time.”
—It has been a long time.
—You have grown even more, Hyunsoo.
—I am very glad to see you again.
Haruto could not understand this situation.
Who was White Tiger?
A divine beast.
And among the four great divine beasts, he was the one in charge of strength.
In terms of raw force, even Hydra could not be compared to him.
Looking at them, Hyunsoo was saying:
—Hi, everyone~
Was he insane?
But the three kings gathered around Hyunsoo, and he spoke as though it was nothing.
—If it isn’t rude, could I get White Tiger’s whiskers and some trimmed fingernails or toenails?
The next words made Haruto even more dumbfounded.
—Should I pull out one tooth for you?
“......????”
For a friend who had helped him in a difficult time, was one tooth such a great matter?
Haruto gradually lost his words, and Kimura’s voice came from beside him.
“......See? I told you we can’t let our guard down.”
“......”
What was even more ridiculous was that Hyunsoo was actually pondering while looking at the three tigers, who had somehow transformed into a single White Tiger.
—Hmm, what should I take......
Soon, Hyunsoo’s eyes shone.
—Good. Decision complete.
*****
Henya was flustered.
“I didn’t know what you’d like, so I brought him. Pick whatever you want.”
GRRRRRRRR—!!
That was what Hyunsoo, the man she had practically driven out, said after returning in only ten minutes.
Beside him stood the divine beast White Tiger, larger than her house, growling with narrow yellow eyes.
Looking at the gigantic white tiger, White Tiger, Hyunsoo calmly said:
“Should I pull out one tooth for you?”
“Ye......no!?”
“Or do you want to pull it out yourself?”
“I-I’m sorry!”
First of all.
She thought she had indeed done something wrong.
It was absolutely, definitely her fault!
Anyway.
Right there, White Tiger pulled out a bad tooth as though spitting it out with a “PTOO!”
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!!”
Henya bowed and thanked him at least twenty times, even as White Tiger slowly scattered away.
Meanwhile, the disappearing White Tiger had been happy to see Hyunsoo again after so long.
Warmly.
Having someone he could talk with casually, without barriers, like a true dear friend, was a happy thing.
Also.
Just as Lee Jihui of the Special User Management Team had truly feared.
For a friend who had helped him in a difficult time, he wanted to do anything he could.
And so, before disappearing, White Tiger sent a sound transmission.
—Take care of my dear friend.
GRRRRRRRRRRRR—!
Th-that’s how you ask a favor!?
Later on.
It was said that Legendary compounder Henya swore loyalty to Hyunsoo because she was afraid of White Tiger.
[Intimacy with Henya reaches MAX.]
Hehehe, this quest is really easy!
That was the truth only Hyunsoo himself did not know.
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