Chapter 71

When people face something utterly absurd, they often find it hard to speak.

That was the case with Carpe now.

He felt like he should say something, but it was difficult to describe his current feelings in words.

"Damn, what is this..."

And it seemed that Cheonma was in the same boat, repeatedly spitting out and swallowing words that were a mix of curses and exclamations, something like "Damn, what is this."

After about 30 seconds,

Carpe let out a deep breath and exclaimed in amazement.

"Epic?!"

Carpe blinked in disbelief, rereading the item information several times.

Of course, nothing changed.

The two characters "Epic" engraved in the grade field seemed not just dazzling but sacred.

"Wow, I thought I was definitely dead."

He had expected to turn into an ice statue, but to his surprise,

not only did he not die, he received an unbelievable item.

"Ugh. This is what they call turning a crisis into an opportunity, right?"

"No, there's a limit to turning a crisis into an opportunity. Isn't this a bit too much? I've been playing for 10 years, and I've seen fewer than 10 epic items..."

For such an item to be casually thrown by the world's strongest being.

If he told others about it, they would surely think he was making up a story.

"That actually happened."

Indeed, life is what it is. Carpe once again realized the truth of the world as he stroked the ring.

"By the power of Sevingje."

It was the only option besides the all-stats increase effect.

However, that single option was undoubtedly worth the epic status, given that it was the power of the world's strongest being.

"How does it work? Does using the ring summon Sevingje?"

"Unlikely. If that were the case, overturning a country would be a piece of cake."

Lase wouldn't have added a feature that could ruin the game.

"It probably significantly enhances ice-related abilities. I've seen a few items that work similarly."

"Is that so? A bit disappointing. I wanted to use it in front of the top 10 guilds gathered in one place."

"...Why do all your ideas seem to specialize in pissing people off?"

"Me? No way. How many kind gamers like me are there?"

"No, I'm serious. You have a talent for pissing people off."

Given how many times Cheonma had wanted to strangle Carpe, his statement was quite convincing.

"But... what did he mean by 'interesting'?"

Sevingje didn't just throw the ring and leave.

He mentioned something interesting and the eternal shackles, leaving behind a mysterious hint.

"Let's see... there are two possibilities."

First, "Unlocking."

It was a unprecedented 10-star skill, something never seen before in history.

Even Sevingje, known as the primordial monster, would find it intriguing.

"And if it's not unlocking... it must be me."

A 0-star command, never seen before, would be enough to pique the interest of the Four Seas.

"Given the lack of information about the Four Seas, it's hard to judge, but I think it's about unlocking. I didn't get such a reaction from other Four Seas I've met."

"Huh? You've met them before?"

"Yeah. Once in the second cycle, and once in the third cycle."

According to Cheonma, he met Nanfengma and Donghaeryong while completing hidden quests.

"In my case, they didn't even acknowledge me. I only learned that the Four Seas can be interacted with through this quest."

"That's right, my lord. In the history I've read and heard, there's no mention of the Four Seas initiating contact with humans. Sevingje must have recognized your greatness. Indeed, you are my lord."

"...I don't like Sevingje. Master, should we throw the ring away? That bastard must have cursed it."

"Unlikely. If there was a curse, unlocking would have reacted."

Mirage, who had a deep grudge against Sevingje, pouted, but realizing it was a stretch, she didn't say anything more.

"Ugh. Whatever. Good is good."

It was pointless to worry now.

He decided to focus on the present and leave the future to his future self.

"Then, let's head to the next hunting ground. I'll need your high-performance navigation."

"Of course. Follow me. I'll get you to level 40 in the shortest distance and fastest time."

It was time for the Cheonma Secret Technique, which hadn't been used in the Elf Forest, to make a comeback.

* * *

"Hey! Did you see the video from yesterday?"

"Of course. Wow, finally, elves in Lase."

"I just saw someone spotted an elf in the Trent Forest. We should go check it out later."

"What? Hey, you should have told me earlier. Forget quests, let's find the elf first!"

"They say even top celebrities can't hold a candle to them... I might faint if I see one in real life."

As Carpe completed the quest in the Forgotten Forest, the elf race was revealed to the world.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that all of Luana's players were now focused on elves.

Some high-level players were even returning to Luana, willing to accept penalties.

The dedication of Lase players to elves was more terrifying than imagined.

"A bit frustrating, my lord."

Tina, in Carpe's robe pocket, said.

"Is it? Do you want to go back to the room?"

"I can't. Escorting my lord is a knight's duty! I will follow you anywhere, even if it's a bit uncomfortable."

As Carpe returned to the beach city of Luana, Tina was back in doll mode.

Tina's appearance was as eye-catching as an elf's.

If she walked around, she might attract even more attention than an elf, so there was no choice.

Incidentally, Mirage, who also had a striking appearance, had already returned to the room, claiming she was scared of crowded places.

"Wouldn't it be better to stay with Mirage? You might feel lonely without the elves."

"That's why I asked Hyeon. She will be a good friend to Mirage."

"...Is that so? Then that's good."

It seemed the relationship among his subordinates was going smoothly.

"You're lucky. Check out the pet tamer forums. They're always complaining about their pets not getting along."

"Is that so? Surprising."

"That's normal. Each pet has a different personality and background, so it's more unusual for them to get along."

If you favor one pet, the others might get jealous, and in situations where they need to work together, they might fight.

Pet tamers had to manage pet relationships, which often cost them a lot of money on items to improve affection.

"Another world. Really."

"Shh. Even the stories of the previous Demon King show that dolls don't have blind loyalty... It's strange. What makes them follow you?"

"That's an unwise question, my lord. You are just, wise, and benevolent..."

"Enough. Talking more will just make me sound crazy. Let's go."

The next hunting ground suggested by Cheonma was the "Wind Cave," a dungeon far from Luana.

"There, you'll mainly encounter 'Darkened Wind Spirits,' wind spirits corrupted by a curse. They offer great experience and drops."

However, Carpe was currently heading towards Luana's blacksmith district.

"There, turn there, and it's the third building. It's noticeable, so you shouldn't have trouble finding it. Talk to the NPC at the back of the building to get the quest."

It was a quest related to the Wind Cave.

"A quest for level 35 and above. Not a hidden quest, but the rewards are good. Especially the experience. Oh, you also get an item, but it's rare, so it's not very useful to you now."

"True, my items are a bit too good."

For Carpe, who had items that most players might see once in years of play, a rare item wasn't a must-have.

After entering the building Cheonma mentioned, Carpe stood in front of a bearded NPC at the back.

"Ah, you there. You look like a skilled messenger of the gods. Would you do me a favor?"

Ding.

[Blacksmith Zik has offered you a quest.]

[Quest: Wind Essence]

[Wind Spirits drop Wind Essence, a core element, with a low probability. Blacksmith Zik wants to create equipment imbued with elemental power for his family. Bring him the Wind Essence.]

[Quest Completion: Obtain a weapon or armor imbued with wind energy]

[Quest Failure: Decrease in Zik's affection]

"Oh ho."

A quest where you kill monsters and bring back materials to get equipment.

A classic RPG quest, no need for further explanation.

Just as Carpe was about to accept the quest,

"Excuse me, are you planning to take the Wind Essence quest?"

A brown-haired man standing next to the blacksmith suddenly spoke to Carpe.

"Yes, why?"

"You should give it up. The dungeon where the essence drops is the Wind Cave... Have you been there before?"

"No, I was planning to take this quest and go."

The brown-haired man nodded, as if saying "I thought so," and continued, sounding regretful.

"You seem new... It's an open dungeon."

There were two types of dungeons in Lase.

Regular open dungeons and instance dungeons.

Most dungeons Carpe had experienced so far were instance dungeons.

Dungeons that generate a map upon entry, often called "dungeons," where you