Chapter 79
by lion“W-what was that just now?” “W-well… it happened so fast.” While they were exchanging bewildered words, Jun-sang slowly got up, recovering from the after-effects of using Blood Sucker. Smoke was still billowing profusely from his body, but perhaps thanks to the increased regeneration rate and life-drain ratio, the duration and intensity of the after-effects had significantly decreased. Of course, such regeneration didn’t alleviate the pain.
“I guess successive skills are still too much.” As the smoke emanating from his body subsided somewhat, Jun-sang finally slowly got up, his body drenched in sweat. “Morning Dew. Wipe away my sweat.” As soon as Jun-sang spoke, the water spirit absorbed the moisture from his soaked body. Enjoying the sensation of his drenched body slowly drying, he stretched his still aching joints. Suddenly, the squirrel hopped onto his shoulder. Despite its grotesque appearance with blood and flesh clinging to its mouth, Jun-sang couldn’t help but chuckle at its bewildered gaze.
“Let’s see…” Jun-sang first scanned his surroundings. The Seeds were nowhere to be seen, likely already picked up by the squirrel, but something very familiar, coiled like a rope, caught his eye amidst the scattered flesh of Huka and the shamans. Well, since he looked exactly like Buka, the items dropped might be similar too. Jun-sang checked the information just in case. As expected, Huka’s Tongue had the same performance as Buka’s, with only a slight difference in name. Of course, considering its healing effect, this was still definitely a formidable item. But if one were to wield these two tongues like whips to heal injuries, who knows what kind of impression that would leave on people’s minds… The mere thought was grim.
Checking the mini-map, Royal Guard Captain Tashas, General Saphatan, and the main force they led had not yet arrived in Belkaras. Jun-sang decided to first check the Seeds he had obtained from Amungan and Huka. “Alright, bring them out.” At his command, the squirrel hopped off Jun-sang’s shoulder and emptied the items and Seeds from its pouch onto the ground. It had collected quite a lot in that short time. Jun-sang first pushed aside things like gold coins, then picked out the Seeds that were emitting a particularly strong ominous aura.
“Three?” Since a normal Seed had come from Ashdal, even including Huka and Amungan, there should only be two Rare Seeds, but now he held three in his hand. Jun-sang tilted his head and began to check them.
Item Information
- Name: Toad’s Geniality
- Level Requirement: 15
- Type: Seed
- Grade: Rare
- Effect:
- Physical Resistance increased by 8%.
- Poison Resistance increased by 7%.
- Regeneration Rate increased by 10%.
- Description: A special Seed carried by Supply Captain Huka. It can be equipped into items or cards with Seed slots to enhance their abilities. To remove an equipped Seed, the special function ‘Detach’ is required.
- [Click here to equip this Seed to an item or card.]
The first Seed was from Supply Captain Huka. Unlike Buka’s, which had fire resistance, Huka’s Seed had poison resistance, but there wasn’t a significant difference in its other stats. Jun-sang nodded and checked the second Seed.
Item Information
- Name: Proof of Death
- Level Requirement: 5
- Type: Seed
- Grade: Rare
- Effect:
- Poison Resistance increased by 5%.
- Curse Resistance increased by 7%.
- Life Steal 4%.
- Description: A special Seed that can be rarely obtained from zombies. It can be equipped into items or cards with Seed slots to enhance their abilities. To remove an equipped Seed, the special function ‘Detach’ is required.
- [Click here to equip this Seed to an item or card.]
“Zombie?” Despite having killed over ten thousand zombies, this was the first time such a Rare Seed had dropped. It was impossible to even calculate how low the drop rate was, but what he liked most was the rare combination of Curse Resistance and Life Steal options. Although the values were a bit low, considering that the maximum value for most normal Seeds was around 7 percent, and that its level requirement was only 5, its utility was even greater. Jun-sang nodded and checked the last Rare Seed.
Item Information
- Name: Giant’s Grit
- Level Requirement: 15
- Type: Seed
- Grade: Rare
- Effect:
- HP increased by 7%.
- Physical Resistance increased by 11%.
- Physical Attack Amplification 6%.
- Description: A special Seed carried by Assault Captain Amungan. It can be equipped into items or cards with Seed slots to enhance their abilities. To remove an equipped Seed, the special function ‘Detach’ is required.
- [Click here to equip this Seed to an item or card.]
Amungan’s Seed, unlike Rangdajal’s which had a strength increase option, was characterized by its Physical Resistance. Jun-sang equipped the three Seeds into the slots of his newly acquired Heroic-grade Blood-Soaked Card, then organized the remaining items the squirrel had laid out and stored them in the cabinet.
He was about to move towards the main force but paused for a moment. “Hmm…” Normally, Jun-sang’s pattern of action was to approach the enemy using the Courier combo, quickly eliminate them, and then disappear. But at this moment, he was thinking of Heness. He didn’t know how far this place was from her hometown, or even if it was the same country she belonged to, but considering that he didn’t know when the next quest would be activated, he decided he shouldn’t go directly to the main force. Instead, he needed to return to Belkaras and gather information.
Jun-sang rinsed the blood and flesh from the squirrel’s mouth with Morning Dew, then immediately summoned Heness. Heness, dressed in a tracksuit, appeared with a halo of light. “Here…” Heness looked bewildered for a moment at the unfamiliar streetscape.
“Put on your shoes first.”
“Yes.” Jun-sang took out a cabinet and retrieved her shoes, then quietly said, “This place is called the trade city of Belkaras. Do you know it?”
“…” Heness tilted her head, trying to recall the name Belkaras from the knowledge she had learned in school. “Hmm… I’ve heard of it. If you go far east from where our Delodran is located, you’ll reach a country called Zertinskaya, where people with red skin live. The largest trading port there was named Belkaras.”
“Far… How long does it take by carriage?” Heness gave a wry smile and replied, “Well, it would probably take more than a few months even by ship to go from Delodran, located in the southwestern mountains of the continent, to Zertinskaya, located almost on the southeastern coast of the continent.”
“…” He didn’t know the level of shipbuilding technology here, but if it took more than a few months by ship, it would surely take over a year if transportation methods like carriages were used. Considering the conditions of this world, where transportation was undeveloped, it was rather surprising that Heness even knew the name of this place. Jun-sang frowned.
Heness looked at Jun-sang and quietly said, “Surely… you’re not thinking of leaving me here?”
“If I leave you, can you go back?” Heness shook her head at Jun-sang’s question. “It would probably be difficult. Even if I mention the Brea family of Ibelua, no one here would know them, and especially since this place thrives on slave trade…”
“…” He didn’t need to hear the rest to understand. If she had no power to protect herself, and no one knew she was here, she would simply become good prey for slave traders. Of course, the best method would be for Jun-sang to take her back himself, but that was realistically difficult. Giving up the quest could also be an option, but he couldn’t take such a risk without knowing what kind of penalties would be imposed.
Jun-sang thought for a moment, then spoke again. “Even if you can’t go back, couldn’t we at least send a letter?”
“A letter?”
“Of course, I might be assigned a mission near Ibelua again before that, but it might not happen either. If we send a letter by ship, it should arrive in at least a few months.”
Heness nodded at his words and smiled brightly. “Thank you for worrying about me.”
“I’m just doing what needs to be done.” Jun-sang unsummoned Heness for now, then activated his invisibility and used Phase Shift to infiltrate the center of Belkaras. When he summoned Heness again in an alley, she thought for a moment, then said to Jun-sang, “Excuse me, but could you please get out the dress I used to wear?”
“Dress?”
“Yes, the crimson dress.”
“But that one was soaked in blood, so I was going to wash it…”
“It’s alright. It might even make a stronger impression.”
“…” Jun-sang understood the intent of this cute girl, whose baby fat hadn’t even fully left her cheeks, and nodded. “Alright. But is there a place to change…?”
“You have a tent, don’t you?”
“It’ll be uncomfortable.”
“It’s fine. It’s not the first time.”
“…” Jun-sang shook his head and handed her the crimson dress and the tent.
“Thank you.” Heness immediately went into the tent, quickly took off her tracksuit, roughly put on the dress, and then came out of the tent. Then, she turned her back to Jun-sang, who quickly averted his eyes from her partially clothed figure, and said, “Please help me.”
“…” Jun-sang internally marveled at the girl’s boldness, yet maintained a poker face as he reached out to her back and tied the various laces. Fortunately, since she was a girl who had just undergone her coming-of-age ceremony, the dress itself was not overly complicated. If she were a girl of marriageable age, diligently searching for a husband with a hawk’s eye, she wouldn’t have even imagined putting on a dress so simply. (For reference, girls in Ibelua undergo their coming-of-age ceremony at seventeen.)
Once all the laces were tied, Heness turned around and said, “Do you have something to comb my hair with?”
“…” Jun-sang again retrieved a comb and mirror from his cabinet and handed them to her. Heness took them and neatly combed her tangled hair, completing all her preparations. Dark red bloodstains remained here and there on the crimson dress, but at this moment, it conveyed a strong impression, like a lady who had just emerged from a bloody battlefield.
“Let’s go. To the place where the highest authority of this city resides.”
“Highest authority?”
“We could ask merchants, but wouldn’t it be better to find the most certain method if possible?”
“That’s true.” As Jun-sang nodded, Heness smiled brightly and added, “Besides, if we’re lucky, we might even get another favor.”
“…” So that was her ulterior motive. Jun-sang silently clicked his tongue in amazement. And, thinking that he would send her back anyway, he casually opened her stats, which he hadn’t checked until now.
Pet Information
- Name: Heness Brea
- Type: Hiddixian
- Level: 1Lv
- Experience: 0
- Grade: Unknown
- Category: Complex
- Growth: Precocious (Large)
- Attribute: Water
- Skills: Negotiation 2Lv, Connections 1Lv [Info]
- Affection: 90
- Loyalty: 55
- Card Slots: 5 [Info]
- Description: Born in Delodran, located in the southwestern part of the central continent of Planet Hiddix. Born as the youngest daughter of the Brea family, the de facto rulers of Ibelua, a walled city facing the Forbidden Forest. Currently attending the second year of Lindergel Boarding School, renowned for its high-level education for young ladies of prestigious families. Her high negotiation skills, based on natural affinity, and her ability to build and utilize relationships through such negotiations are particularly noteworthy among her abilities.