Episode 43
Rune Stone I don’t know much about it, but just hearing the name made it seem like it was a special stone. Such rune stones were the energy source of old trees. X, convinced, nodded.
‘Well, there are so many old trees that have lived for tens of thousands of years.’
This would be impossible growth on ordinary land. X slightly opened his tightly clenched fist. It was to have a conversation with the polluted spirit. The binding of the stem has become loose. X asked.
“I understand, but what about rune stones…?”
– Since the situation is urgent, I will explain briefly.
Is my mind clouding?
The spirit let out a small moan for a moment and continued speaking.
-Runestones are monuments that support the Fate World we live in. There are dozens of rune stones spread throughout Fate World. The rune stone in the Forest of Old Trees is one of them.
A monument that supports Fate World!
The runestone at the end of this dungeon plays a role in supporting the vast Fate World. As expected, it was a stone with an unusual name. I didn’t think anything good would come of it if I let it get contaminated. X spoke to the spirit.
“If the runestone that supports the Fate World is contaminated… even if you don’t tell me, I think it will cause great chaos. Do you know who the person who stretched out his magic hand is?”
At first, I thought it was just a naturally occurring dungeon boss. However, after listening to the spirit’s story, it became clear that there was a bigger conspiracy hidden there.
‘You’re trying to throw Fate World into chaos.’
Considering that he was contaminating the runestone that supported the Fate World, it was clear that he was an incredibly bad guy, even if he had some purpose. The spirit opened its mouth in a breathless voice.
-We… didn’t know who he was either. However, I felt a very evil and alien energy in him that could not be considered human. Please decontaminate the runestone as soon as possible…
In the end, the spirit could not hold out any longer and lost consciousness. All that remains is a completely contaminated spirit.
Kuuk! As X closed his fist, the stem disposed of the contaminated spirit.
X, who was contemplating the spirit’s words, muttered as he gathered up his loot.
“I don’t know for sure, but it’s clear that he’s a very bad guy.”
Those who wish for chaos in the Fate World!
The conclusion is that such a bad guy is contaminating the runestone at the end of this dungeon. Raise your level, increase your stats, and earn money! I think I’ve finally gotten used to Fate.
“The confusion is shit. Who wants it? “Yongyong, you’re not that good either, right?”
“Kyuuuu!”
Before that happens, I will crush you in one fell swoop!
X smiled coldly and advanced towards the end of the dungeon. puck! The contaminated spirits that attacked were quickly dealt with through a joint attack with Yongyong. Kuddeuk! The speed was possible because the power of the dancing stem increased significantly.
‘Now I finally understand this crazy level of difficulty.’
A quest with difficulty level B-.
In fact, even if it was B- difficulty, I thought it was too much. Even by simple calculation, X’s current stats reach level 500. The current top rankers are around 300 levels. No matter how good the equipment and skills are, there will be no user with higher stats than X.
“And there was Yongyong there too.”
This is a dungeon where X must do his best to advance…
Probably, among the dungeons revealed to date, the number of dungeons in which X will struggle this much can be counted on one hand.
‘I guess we’ll have no choice but to change our plans.’
I never thought such an urgent situation would await me. The plan to extract mulberries from the dungeon had no choice but to be withdrawn. But there was no sign of discouragement on the face of greedy X.
“What reward awaits us?”
“Kyuu? Wow.”
Anyway, isn’t this a very large-scale quest? Rewards also increase depending on the difficulty of the quest. If I succeeded in the quest, I could expect a huge reward. There was also the possibility of performing additional linked quests.
X, who spoke to Yongyong for no reason, moved forward vigorously. Considering what the spirit said, it seemed like there was a time limit to this quest.
“what?”
The thing that stopped X was a huge shadow.
Thump thump! The sound of footsteps echoing in the dungeon.
It was definitely different from the polluted spirits that had appeared so far. X quickly took a fighting stance. I stared at the shadow that was getting closer.
The guy who appeared in the cave leading to the heart!
“So is it a bear this time?”
This guy was a spirit bear that looked like a giant piece of wood.
As expected, black energy was flowing out of the contaminated spirit bear’s body. Perhaps because he was so close, it seemed as if his body and mind were completely controlled.
The black energy spreading out was particularly thick.
‘I feel intimidated.’
It was X who invested all of his bonus points into Haki. Thanks to this, X was able to avoid penalties even when dealing with monsters of a higher level than himself.
However, even his spirit could not offset the intimidation of the polluted spirit bear. This meant that the level was extremely high.
X’s face instantly became cold.
‘It may be stronger than the guardian of the ancient kingdom.’
Perhaps this time too, I might have to prepare for death. However, X has definitely grown since then. Moreover, he has now received the effect of the opposite sex’s cooking!
X chanted a spell.
“Dancing stems!”
Quad deuk!
A thick trunk extended towards the tainted spirit bear. Even with its huge size, it seemed difficult to shake off the well-buffed dancing stem.
“Yongyong, don’t rush in!”
“Kyuuu!”
But the truly scary thing about the polluted spirits is not hand-to-hand combat.
A black energy flickered in the guy’s eyes, and then black flames erupted.
Grumble! The roots of the old tree inside the dungeon were burned.
The black flame did not go out easily.
‘Does it inflict status abnormalities and damage at the same time?’
The cooldown time for Bear Stance still remains. No matter how much magic resistance you had, it was doubtful whether you could block the black flames.
‘Plus, my strength doesn’t drop.’
Clumsy! The bonds of dancing stems slowly loosening. How high of a monster level does it have to be so strong? Even though X sighed, he did not lose his smile.
“I guess I can really gain real-world experience?”
It was X who did his best even in the most trivial moments. I couldn’t help but feel glad because the moment had come when X had to really do his best. X judged the situation as he did when he faced the guardian of the ancient kingdom.
‘It doesn’t matter whether you are weaker or stronger than the ancient kingdom guardian. I am much stronger than then. You can win without using Death Denial.’
Excellent at giving estimates!
X saw the odds in this fight. Crack! Soon, X moved his body quickly. Yongyong flapped his wings above X’s head.
“Yongyong!”
On cue, Yongyong rushes towards the polluted spirit bear!
The effect of the dancing stems was still effective.
Phew! Thanks to this, Yongyong’s attack landed a direct hit on the guy’s head. At the same time, X’s sword grazed his side.
‘It’s minor, but there is damage!’
Then, they said that even if it took a year, they could continue to pour in their attacks.
But it was easier said than done. Avoiding the black flames, maintaining a dancing streak that requires considerable mental concentration, and pouring out attacks in succession. Moreover, we had to watch Yongyong’s every move.
‘It’s this way.’
Hana X’s eyes were calmer than ever. It was not only calm, but even serene.
As if time had stopped, X did not miss a single moment of this complicated battle situation.
“Yongyong!”
“Kyuuuu!”
X also felt a change in himself.
The skills from his prime that he talked about every day!
I could feel that the sense I had in my prime was slowly returning in the face of a powerful enemy.
It’s not flashy, but it’s a simple movement.
A combination of skills that may seem complicated but produce the highest efficiency.
Even tactics that draw the big picture in a melee without a plan.
That’s how X fought in his prime.
There was nothing anyone could do to overcome that situation.
It seems to be still valid even after several years have passed.
X raised the corner of his mouth with a grin.
“I won.”
thud! A polluted spirit bear falls down with a huge sound!
[Your level has gone up!]
[Your level has gone up!]
[Your level has gone up!]
[Your level has gone up!]
[Your level has gone up!]
The level has gone up 5 levels in one go!
Taking a deep breath, X reviewed the situation. I was running out of mana to maintain the dancing stem, and my stamina was also running out due to constant movement.
“Yes, you have to do this to avoid being embarrassed in front of War Machine.”
However, vitality was maintained at maximum.
X did not allow a single attack during the melee.
X stroked Yongyong sitting on his shoulder.
Yongyong seemed to have used up quite a bit of his stamina as he was breathing hard.
“Good job Yongyong. “I’ll prepare you a meal of beef.”
“Kyuuu!”
Exhilarating victory!
Yongyong’s level also increased by 10 levels through this battle.
But it was still too early to raise a toast. Because the polluted spirit bear was not the boss monster of the dungeon.
“I’m a little worried….”
I can’t believe that such a strong guy isn’t a boss mob. Although it gave him goosebumps, X placed his hand on the spirit bear. Even in urgent situations, you have to take care of what you need. Soon the loot came to mind.
-A ring with the blessings of an old tree spirit (Unique)
A ring made from the hardened resin of an old tree.
It contains the power of nature.
Limit: Level 100↑
Magic Resistance: +50
Special Effect: Increases proficiency in all natural magic by 20%.
X was shocked when he saw the effect.
“crazy.”
Unique accessories!
Not only is the level limit low, but it also has a magic resistance of 50. If that was all, I wouldn’t have been surprised. There is even a special effect that increases the proficiency of all natural magic by 20%!
“Right now, the skill level for dancing stems is 13%…”
Just by wearing it, the skill level soars to a whopping 33%. X wore the ring without hesitation. Like an old tree. It couldn’t be considered a good design because it was so plain, but it couldn’t help but look lovely in X’s eyes.
‘Do you feel like you’ve become stronger again?’
Very satisfied!
It was a natural review after wearing it.
Proficiency is not something that can be easily raised. In particular, raising the proficiency of general skills rather than job skills requires great effort.
The power of the skill also increases slightly depending on the skill level. However, this ring had the effect of increasing skill level by as much as 20%.
Currently, the only natural magic that
“Yongyong, how about your ring? “Isn’t it cool?”
“Kyuu?”
“Not so good? “Well, as long as it’s pretty in my eyes, that’s fine.”
X patted Yongyong, who had regained his energy, and stood up. All that’s left is the rune stone at the end of the cave guarded by the spirit bear and the evil bastard in the world who polluted the rune stone!
“I will hold on to it even if it means turning me into a bone.”
The loot given by a spirit bear, which is not even a boss, has such a deceptive effect, so what effect does the item the boss drops have?
Also, I had no choice but to expect a reward when I succeeded in the quest. X, with a sinister smile on his face, advanced towards the runestone at the end of the dungeon.
Munchkin that I eat all by myself
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