Episode 247 Slurp
[Bullet Time] that captures the moment.
And [Ghostless], which gives you incredible speed, evasion, and even stealth in an instant.
The synergy when the two are linked is truly enormous.
So, if there were any challenges left, I thought I would give the calligrapher a chance first.
Although I did not contribute anything in the process of obtaining the Ghost Shadow,
‘Because a deal is quite possible.’
If it were someone else, we would have negotiated from the beginning, but a desirable partnership has already been formed with the Hyesung Group.
I’m willing to pay a penalty even if you report it as a preemptive strike.
Even more so if it’s a powerful skill like Ghost Shadow.
Besides, since I’ve benefited so much from the luck of the fortune teller, I tend to be generous with my calculations.
However, human sloths have a habit of being less than half motivated on weekends.
If I had simply asked, “Do you want to come learn a skill?” there was a high chance that he would just fall back asleep.
So what I chose was,
‘Operation Curiosity.’
Once I summoned him, I demonstrated the ghost shadow technique right in front of his eyes, and the operation was very effective.
When I see the calligrapher’s eyes sparkling.
I ask a question subtly.
“Do you want to learn it?”
“huh.”
“Come this way.”
I took the calligrapher to the front of the square stage and briefly explained the test of the magic horse.
There is a welcoming circle set up, and if you enter it, the stone statues will attack you.
“—So, all I have to do is diligently follow the steps. Okay?”
“check.”
The calligrapher slowly nodded and stood in the middle of the stage, and in an instant the fog thickened into clouds.
Go Hyun-woo watched the scene with an excited expression.
“I wonder how many times So-Jeong Seo will try.”
“I think twice would be enough.”
“I expected that too.”
But our expectations were spectacularly wrong this time too.
After the fog cleared, the calligrapher looked at us one by one, then slowly raised one hand and made a V sign.
It means success.
“Ugh.”
“I’ll finish this in 1 turn.”
It was a violent talent that went beyond overwhelming.
The calligrapher came down from the stage and walked towards me.
I waited until the distance was somewhat close,
“Slurp.”
He retreated, using the Ghost Shadow ability.
When I gestured from afar to come here, the calligrapher looked at me blankly.
“Slurp.”
He chased me using the same Ghost Shadow ability.
Go Hyun-woo watched the scene with a fatherly smile.
Anyway, the 5 minute cooldown is already over, so let’s stop joking around.
I took two random boxes out of my inventory.
“While we’re here, let’s get this over with.”
“Good idea.”
Go Hyun-woo also smiled happily and took out the random box.
The calligrapher may not open his own, but he has the mindset to receive the energy of the lucky charm from the side.
Thinking so, I took out one more item.
This is the random box reinforcement order book.
As a reward for clearing Main Quest 2-1, Hong Yeon-hwa and I each shared the two cards that came out.
‘I don’t know if he wrote it well.’
Surely you didn’t write it in a D-rank box?
Then it’s a bit of a shame.
I put that thought aside and used the order form,
[‘Random Box Reinforcement Order’ was used.]
A bright light seeped into the random box of the evildoers’ gathering.
– Paaaaat!
[Villains’ Gathering Random Box (B+)]
[Villains’ Gathering Random Box (B)]
The order form is applied, one B+ and one B.
Now everything is ready.
I offered the random boxes to Bokdeungi with the utmost respect.
“Please open it.”
“… … .”
A calligrapher who receives them and looks down at them blankly.
First, pick up the B-rank box and open it.
– Flash!
“hmm.”
“hmm.”
A bright light burst out like a flash grenade, but since we had already experienced it many times, Go Hyun-woo and I had already covered our eyes.
Soon the light faded, revealing a coiled magic scroll.
[Skill Tuning Order]
“This is my first time seeing this. How do I use this item?”
“It’s literally like that. It’s about adjusting the detailed values of the skill.”
Each skill has various detailed values such as power, range, and duration.
This allows you to tweak the skill to suit your tastes a bit more.
‘That’s great. That’s what I needed.’
However, if we were to rate this, it would be around a B rank, so it is somewhat lacking in being called a jackpot.
It seems that the calligrapher also opened the B-rank random box first, so it seems that luck did not work on the first try.
I still haven’t figured out what that trait is, but it’s got a lot of quirky aspects.
So I asked.
“Shall I show you now?”
“……yet.”
The calligrapher looked at me for a few seconds and then shook his head.
And then he turned his gaze towards Go Hyun-woo.
“Okay, I’ll open it first.”
“Good luck.”
“Thank you. I have a good feeling about today.”
Go Hyun-woo smiled as he lifted my random box.
Still, since it was a B rank, he seemed a little nervous and cautious as he opened the lid.
– Flash!
“oh.”
“oh…….”
We both gasped in admiration at the same time, because the burst of brilliance was almost identical to what it had been just moments ago.
The fact that the effects are similar means that the level of the items that appear is also similar.
After the light had died down, Go Hyun-woo was holding a thick ginseng root in his hand.
[Inwangsam (C+)]
“The elixir came out just right.”
“That’s right. I think your fortune isn’t bad at this point.”
Go Hyun-woo had a satisfied smile on his lips.
For an unmanned unit, an elixir that immediately helps internal energy is more useful than a mediocre B-rank item, even if the rank is slightly lower.
Even with the distributed sewage, I managed to obtain two C+ rank elixirs during this dungeon run alone.
However, since an item lower in rank than the random box appeared, it was judged as a failure and one stamp was accumulated.
[Stamp Coupon (C)]
▷Stamp 6/10
‘That’s pretty good.’
Now all that’s left is the long-awaited B+ random box.
“Are you ready?”
“Okay.”
The calligrapher nodded slightly at my question and placed his hand on the box cover.
And the moment you open it,
– Kwaaaaaaa—!
A strong energy emanated from it, along with a blinding light.
It was so strong that it seemed as if it was pushing us backwards.
Soon, instead of a random box, the calligrapher was holding a dark blue hoodie in his hands.
On the surface it looks like a lifestyle item, but in reality it is not.
[Hoodie of the Hermit Master (A+)]
▷Automatic durability recovery
▷150% efficiency of the morning meal
▷Removal of harmful effects of Sojucheon City
▷Daejucheon City physical strength recovery
▷Sleep efficiency greatly increased
An item where all performance is focused solely on mana cultivation, that is, luck cultivation.
It has an incredible efficiency of 15 hours with 10 hours of mana training.
In addition, the side effects are also substantial.
‘It’s almost the end.’
This is especially true considering that it is an A+ rank and there aren’t many equipments specifically for the Unkijosik.
So much so that even Go Hyun-woo, who has almost no material desires, looks at him with envy.
“Huh, I’m tempted by that too.”
“No. You’ll have to be content with the special performance room.”
I can’t compromise since I practically live in the training center.
[Core] There isn’t much B rank left.
On the other hand, the calligrapher was gently stroking the hoodie, seeming to focus on the feel rather than the performance.
At first glance, it looks like it will be soft and fluffy.
However, even though I was a great calligrapher, I couldn’t give this to him, so I held out my hand.
“please.”
“… … .”
Then, Seo Ye-in hugged her hoodie tightly as if she didn’t want to.
To take it a step further,
“Slurp.”
He casts Ghost Shadow and retreats to a distance.
Has the cooldown time passed in the meantime?
But what can’t be done is what can’t be done.
I shook my head slowly and waved my hand.
“No. Come back.”
“… … .”
Then the calligrapher walked over and put the hoodie in my hand.
As soon as I received it, I put on the hoodie, turned the hat over, pulled the strings all the way up and tied them into a butterfly knot.
“Everyone, give up your greed. This is mine.”
Still, the calligrapher stares at the hoodie with a lingering attachment.
He slowly pulls on my sleeve and takes out a thick black card.
“… … ?”
“Not for sale. Not for sale.”
Despite repeated rejections, the calligrapher still couldn’t let go of the hoodie.
It looks like something you really want.
In times like these, we had no choice but to take special measures.
“Then I’ll give you a choice. Option 1, spend your summer vacation with Kim Ho-rang. Option 2, spend your summer vacation with Hoodie.”
“… … !”
As if it was difficult to give up either one, the calligrapher kept looking back and forth between the hoodie and me.
After thinking for a while, his eyes widen slightly as if he realized something.
“……butler?”
“No, choose one of the two.”
* * *
After sending Go Hyun-woo and Seo Ye-in away, I sat alone in the middle of the Manayeon studio.
I would have liked to test out the powerful capabilities of the Hermit Master Hoodie right away, but I needed to take some time to check it out first.
First, the item number 1 that Bokdeungi picked out, the tuning order form.
I had been feeling the need for it for a while, and of course I had already decided on how to use it.
[You have used the ‘Skill Tuning Scroll’.]
[Tune ‘Amplification (C)’.]
A closer look at the amplification reveals the following:
Designates one skill/trait of your/your allies and increases it by two levels.
‘Duration’ and ‘Cooldown’ are proportional to rank.
Unfortunately, among these, ‘One Target’ and ‘Rank Increase by Two Levels’ cannot be touched.
Because if you increase the target to two, the rank will drop by one level in return.
So what I’m focusing on is,
‘Duration.’
Looking back, the battle with the Bisan Twin Horses felt a bit precarious.
Because the poison resistance granted to the party only lasted at S-rank for 5 minutes.
If they had changed their minds and retreated midway, or if the war had been prolonged, we would have suffered a major defeat.
Of course, as the rank goes up, the duration of the amplification increases and the cooldown decreases.
But that’s not enough, so we’re going to do some tuning.
[Duration]
▷5 minutes → 10 minutes
[Reuse Wait Time]
▷30 minutes → 1 hour 20 minutes
We doubled the duration, but the trade-off was that the cooldown was more than doubled.
It’s much heavier than before.
‘Still, heavy is better.’
I’m going to be using octopus legs a lot in the future, so the cooldown will increase from a few hours to a few days.
If you have to wait a long time anyway, it’s better to increase the duration hotly when you use it.
In addition, in the second half of the game, you will be able to obtain time-related skills and items, so cooldown management will become more flexible.
That’s it for tuning.
‘Now, let’s get to the point.’
I took out the items I got from this dungeon run.
Various poisonous plants dug up from the weed field, and the wooden armors received from Jang Mu-geuk and Wang Chun-sam in exchange for the ghost warrior.
They were all saved for one goal.
‘Main Quest.’
The Witch of Corruption’s main skill is poison.
Even though he already has S-Rank [Poison Resistance], he cannot avoid poisoning, as proven by his fight against the Flying Horse.
We need to prepare more powerful characteristics.
For example,
‘Never invading with poison.’
The supporters ate it all
