Chapter 18
“Do you guys know the Korean Ha Leeha? And since I'm also a Middle Earth user, you should also know me. Anyway, Squirrel and Ram Hwajeong, we should part ways here. It wasn't my intention, but I had fun hunting together with you.”
Leeha bowed and turned again.
But he had to stop again after two steps.
“Buwak Herb is over there.”
The blue-haired Hwajeong's voice stopped Leeha's steps. Did she already know what Leeha was trying to do?
“Buwak Herb? Hwajeong, what is that?”
“Quest Item. This person is looking for it.”
She was able to tell? However, stopping my footsteps is already the same as admitting it.
Leeha remembered the quest conditions. I think I told you not to tell anyone. Will the quest fail if someone finds out this way?
So he quickened his pace to get away from those two.
“It's okay between users. You cannot tell it to the NPCs.”
Hwajeong spoke as if she read Leeha's thoughts.
“I-is that true?”
“Heo，What the. Did you just try to keep away from us in case we try to steal the quest item? Our Ram sisters?”
He knew that the Blue-haired Ram Hwajeong had strong ice magic, but this red-haired woman and Ram Hwayeon, where was she getting her confidence from? Was it because she was going around with her younger sister and they were a package, was that where the Ram sisters come from?
But he couldn't even ask, and most of all, she was right about the quest item, he really did think that they might take it.
“Oh，umm. Haha.”
“Haha?”
He laughed awkwardly.
Looking at Leeha, Ram Hwayeon's eyebrows frowned, but she didn't look bad or ugly. No, even while frowning, her pretty face is still maintained.
‘I was nervous so I didn't notice, but the two of them were good-looking and one-of-a-kind.’
“I saw it from a distance. Killing Black Angus in one shot.”
Hwajeong raised his finger and pointed at Musket.
“Right! How did you do it? No matter how much I look... … Um, level 5? I don't think you are level 7 anyway. Besides, the Black Angus you shot wasn't even the one who got hit by magic. How did you kill a full health Black Angus in one shot?”
“Yes? I got good, no, I got lucky.”
Leeha tried to talk casually too. There's no need to explain it to the sisters as they will be leaving anyway.
“Oops.”
“What?”
Leeha remembered the notification he put away because he was busy reloading and running away.
‘That's right, and it turns out I. Did I catch it in one shot?’
Leeha read the system messages he received.
The sound effects rang belatedly.
[Achievement: Black Rabbit Hunter (E)]
Congratulations! You have succeeded in hunting the Black Angus, the king of the Candle Castle ferocious rabbits.
Effect: Strength +1, Agility +1, Intelligence +1, Stamina +1, Spirit +1
[Achievement: One shot, one kill - Black Angus(D-)]
Congratulations! Instakilled Black Angus in one blow! Aren't you ashamed of playing in the beginner zone at your level? Get out of the beginner zone quickly! But you still receive a small gift for the achievement, right?
Effect: Strength +2, Agility +2, Intelligence +2
[Title: Knows a little about weaknesses (E-)]
You know a little about critical hits and instakills.
Effect: Agility +3, Intellect +1
"Oh oh? Oooohh!”
“Why? Why?”
Hwayeon was surprised by the sound Leeha made. One title and two achievements! In addition, Leeha was pleased as this is the first title he got.
‘An achievement that gives +1 to all stats? Well, since I don't know what kind of job I will get, isn't it better to have all stats increase by one? Good, good And one shot... … What is this?’
They don't compliment a kill in one shot, this explanation is strange.
Aren't you ashamed of playing in the beginner zone at your level? Is that something you say to a Level 5, no, to someone who has just reached level 6?
‘No, no. Okay. These two women were surprised. What if catching Black Angus in one shot in the first place isn't something you can do at this level? Still, seeing that the Hall of Fame didn't open, there must be more than three players who achieved this. Anyway, they're amazing people.’
High level users are like hungry hyenas looking for achievements. The 100 million cumulative subscribers should not be underestimated. Leeha felt good because he got something that only high-levels acquire. And Leeha even got a hint in the title. The stat raised by the title that mentions critical hits and weaknesses.
‘Intelligence? It means that it's not just something that only users with Jobs from the Wizard System need to get. That's right. At the training center, the instructor with a prosthetic leg said that combat is done with the head and not the body. Why did I only realize it now.’
In the end, it means that no matter what job it is, it is inefficient to focus on a single stat. Of course, there will be some priorities, but it is not unreasonable that the job characteristics constantly change depending on the method of allocating stats.
‘As I reached level 6, there were 5 stats that I haven't used yet.’
“E-Excuse me? I'm not going to steal the quest item, so let's have a talk, yes?”
Red-haired Hwayeon crossed her arms and stepped back.
The system window would only be visible to Leeha, so she stepped back away from him, who was suddenly fumbling in the air.
“Ah! Hmm, hmm. I see. Wait here. I'll get back soon!”
It was a little disgusting that he had to remove the herbs from the rabbit poop, but he could see the glistening grass from the direction Hwajeong pointed.
It was fortunate that he didn't smell the sticky stuff on his hands, no, if no one was looking he would have smelled it out of curiosity. Rabbit poop.
Anyway, Leeha collected the Buwak Herb and satisfied the conditions related to the black-furred rabbit.
“Yes!”
And the Ram Sisters were looking at his delighted appearance.
“Chaaa! Then, to commemorate that we are alive, cheers!!”
“C-cheers.”
Candle Castle's Pub. When Leeha and the Ram Sisters returned to the village, it was already dawn, and most of the shops were closed.
Of course, the users of the town square were noisy, whether day or night.
“Paha-! I can drink this much beer! Right, Hwajeong-ah?”
“It tastes awful. I want to drink cola.”
“I agree that it does not taste good. What beer is this?”
Hwajeong and Leeha frowned for different reasons. With a concept like a butter beer, it has a mild aroma and a sweet taste. Even carbonic acid makes your throat itch, but at least it's different from the beer Leeha knew.
The red-haired Hwayeon is drinking deliciously with bubbles overflowing, so she looked like a child.
“But what do this people do? You look like a beginner, but you look like an expert. Thanks for letting me see something good.”
Leeha, who took another sip of butter beer, opened his mouth. One of the things that surprised him the most when they entered the village were these women.
As the Red-haired Ram Hwayeon confidently said, Blue-haired Ram Hwajeong was a celebrity of Middle Earth.
Much, much more than Leeha imagined.
Even the guards of Candle Castle are making a fuss at Ram Hwajeong, the Cryomancer.
If the NPC looks at a user with an attitude similar to looking at their superiors, it meant that their reputation or national achievement is enormous.
Of course, it's not just NPCs. There was no way that general users will not know the user who is famous to the guards.
The fact that the town square, which used to be crowded with business people and people looking for parties, became quiet in no time, all because Ram Hwajeong arrived.
Even if you look at it roughly, there were close to a hundred users grouped together, and wherever Ram Hwajeong looked at and stepped on, the path opened like the miracle of Moses.
‘Thanks to them, I also drew attention.’
It was not unreasonable that users were interested in the two people who went with Ram Hwajeong.
No, Leeha could still feel the glances towards them right now.
“5th in the Asian level ranking and 9th in the world level ranking. You really don't know our Hwajeong?”
“Pooheup.”
“Kyaak! You, you.”
“Ah, sorry. Sorry.”
Leeha wiped the butter beer flowing on his chin.
‘What? What is her ranking? World ranking 9?
If 100 million cumulative subscribers are lined up at that level, the person who can stand in the ninth is that blue-haired kid?’
“You really didn't know. Hmmm, then I'll overlook your cheeky attitude before.”
“Hey, I didn't know. Why is that cheeky? What did I do to you? And when we came to the village, you're talking informally again, and I'm much older than you. Did you say you were twenty-three?”
“T-twenty，kuheum,kuheum! Why is that important!”
‘What if that doesn't matter?’
Although Leeha pointed it out, Ram Hwayeon did not seem to want to use formal language again. Should I be happy that she is not calling me a ‘Bastard’ anymore. In the end, Leeha gave up on the thought.
“Anyway. You're the big sister?”
“Right. Ram Hwajeong, Cryomancer and Ram Hwayeon, the Pyromancer!”
“Wouldn't it be a little embarrassing to call yourself a Pyromancer when you couldn't even catch Black Angus?”
“What can I do, that's the name of my job!”
“Ah, so you were confident of your job name. Ram Hwajeong was just fiddling with the beer, as if she wasn't interested in their banter."
“So. What are you? What did you do to catch Black Angus in one shot?”
“I shot it, it died.”
Leeha drank a bit of a butter beer.
“W-what, that tone! Can't you speak faster?”
“What more should I say? What should I say other than saying that I shot it and it died?”
“What is your level?”
“Do I have to tell you that?”
“This-!”
Leeha chugged and smiled. Looking at the personality of Ram Hwayeon, he thought that she will be ignorant of the NPCs at Candle Castle. If you don't take the initiative in conversation like this, you won't be able to learn the “bargaining” skill in your life.
‘Why does it seem that my speaking skills improved after I came to Middle Earth?'
Ram Hwajeong, the Cryomancer, opened her mouth as she looked at his smile.
“Instakill.”
“Hmm?”
Ram Hwajeong looked at Leeha.
No, are you looking at Leeha? Her eyes looked at Leeha, but her gaze was unfocused.
“Level 6, Agility 55, Lesser Crude Musket ATK 233. It is impossible even if you consider the increase in attack power with the agility correction and the accuracy correction due to the musket mastery. In this state, even if a critical hit is blown, it is impossible for one shot. So Instakill.”
“Oh? Oh?”
Stat? Item? Skill? How?
Suddenly, Leeha's face became hot, after getting the feeling of being naked, without being able to stop it.
“No way! There's no way a Level 6 can catch that monster in one shot! No, I mean, we caught the second one and leveled up, so he was level 5 then.”
“I told you. Instakill.”
Ram Hwayeon's eyes grew as if they were popping out.
Ram Hwajeong also spoke straightforwardly with her eyes shining, showing considerable interest on Leeha.
“How much do you need to kill Black Angers in one shot?”
“If you catch it with a normal attack without a critical hit, it should be around 90.”
“What 90? Strength?”
“Level.”
Heok，Ram Hwayeon took a huge breath and stared at Leeha. It was so silent that the sound of Leeha's blinking eyes could be heard.
Leeha and Hwayeon's eyes met while blinking.
“Oh my gosh……. You just got to level 5? No, looking at the 55 agility, he seems to have gotten some achievements, but that kind of stat is similar to a level 9 player, right? Can you overcome more than 10 times the level difference? Is that even possible?”
When Hwayeon is excited, her voice and movements get exaggerated.
Even while sitting, she was relatively tall. From her body, which raises her voice with her hand gesture, something fluttering came into her eyes.
(To be continued…)