Chapter 34

Chapter 9. Akasha's Serpent (2)

Yeonwoo moved northeast, catching and killing orcs along the way, in search of where Galiard was located.

However, the "Baotri" the orcs spoke of referred to a rugged stone mountain.

It was not easy to pinpoint a specific location in an area entirely covered by stone mountains.

Moreover, the orcs were not fools.

After realizing that their scouts kept dying, they began to move in groups of more than a dozen or even search for Yeonwoo themselves.

Fortunately, around that time, he managed to find the small wooden hut where Galiard was staying.

"Is this it?"

Yeonwoo stood in front of a stone mountain, looking up and murmured softly.

The tallest and sharpest stone mountain in the vicinity.

It was so tall that the other stone mountains around it looked short and low.

Yeonwoo narrowed his eyes, enhancing his vision.

Then, like zooming in with a camera, he could see something precariously hanging at the top of the stone mountain.

A small wooden hut supported by a few thick wooden pillars on a slightly cut cliff.

It looked so precarious that it might collapse at any moment, but Yeonwoo let out a light cheer.

It was exactly the same as Galiard's house he had seen in the diary.

Later, he found out that Galiard moved the location of his house every time.

Therefore, it was incredibly annoying to have to thoroughly search the area each time he visited.

Even his brother didn't know why Galiard kept moving his house.

He could only speculate that it had something to do with chasing Akasha's Serpent in the tutorial.

'Shall I go in first?'

Yeonwoo lightly pushed off the ground and started climbing the stone mountain.

It was too steep and rugged to climb without safety equipment, but it wasn't difficult for Yeonwoo, who had steadily increased his stats and skills throughout the tutorial.

He only needed to accurately find a place to step with his enhanced vision and push himself up with his strengthened leg strength.

Yeonwoo quickly climbed and soon landed in a small courtyard in front of the wooden hut.

Then he lightly knocked on the door.

"Excuse me."

There was no sound from inside.

Just in case, he expanded his sensory range and lightly scanned the inside of the wooden hut.

But he couldn't feel anything.

"Is no one here?"

He couldn't just barge in without the owner's permission.

In fact, Galiard was the type who often wandered around outside rather than staying at home.

In the end, Yeonwoo sat on a chair in the courtyard and started waiting for Galiard.

* * *

"What are you, who are you?"

Galiard returned when the sunset was deepening.

Yeonwoo was meditating to adjust his body's condition while waiting.

He immediately opened his eyes and greeted.

"My name is Cain."

"Cain, whatever. What are you doing loitering in front of someone's house?"

Galiard looked at Yeonwoo up and down with a suspicious face.

But Galiard was just as surprised as Yeonwoo.

'This is a different race. I didn't think it would really exist.'

Standing at about 190 centimeters tall, with a lean but sturdy build, brown skin, and a handsome face with sharp features that made it hard to guess his age.

And, long, pointed ears.

Galiard was not human.

He was an elf, one of the Ain races or different races, specifically a Dark Elf, classified as a natural warrior.

"I came here introduced by a colleague. I want to buy something. Are you Galiard?"

Galiard stiffened his expression, threw the beast he had just caught on the ground, and lowered the bow from his shoulder.

He was ready to fight if necessary.

Dark Elves were often treated as oddities even among elves. While most elves loved peace and cherished nature, Dark Elves were more like cruel and sometimes ruthless hunters.

They often abandoned their comrades without hesitation and pursued the interests of the community.

Was that why?

Galiard was initially very suspicious and wary of others.

"I want to buy 'Undine's Chalice.'"

Galiard frowned slightly.

"Who told you that?"

"Brahm."

"That damn kid. I told him not to say anything, and yet again?"

Brahm was the name of Galiard's old friend. He was originally a person who intended to conquer the tower with him.

'And he was also Jungwoo's second teacher.'

Yeonwoo had never met Brahm, but he didn't care. He planned to pretend not to know Galiard after buying the necessary item.

'Just because he was close to Jungwoo, does that mean I have to get close to him?'

Galiard was a person far removed from the betrayal his brother experienced. He had never entered the tower and had no intention of getting involved.

But revealing his true identity wouldn't be beneficial.

No, it would only cause headaches for both of them.

Yeonwoo was content just knowing what kind of person someone who had a 'connection' with his brother was.

"There's no choice."

Galiard sighed deeply, put the bow back on his shoulder, and picked up the beast he had dropped.

"Come in."

Yeonwoo followed Galiard inside the wooden hut.

The interior of the wooden hut was not much different from where a typical hunter would stay.

Various animal heads were mounted along the walls, and various hunting weapons were hung on the floor. On the table, a piece of leather that was being tanned was carelessly placed.

"Sit somewhere. Wait until I finish this work."

Galiard pointed to a chair and moved the leather on the table to place the beast on it.

The beast resembled a deer but looked very different from those on Earth.

It was twice the size, with muscles bulging on its legs. Its horns were intertwined and solid, like those of a mountain goat.

Galiard quickly dissected the beast. He drained the blood, skinned it, and exposed the internal organs.

Yeonwoo let out a small exclamation at his amazing skills.

"Are you interested in this?"

Galiard glanced at Yeonwoo.

Yeonwoo nodded.

"A little."

"We were in similar situations."

Galiard chuckled, looking at the backpack Yeonwoo brought. Inside, a few butchered materials were visible.

Yeonwoo felt that Galiard's suspicion had greatly eased.

After all the dissection was done.

Galiard put down the blood-stained knife and looked at Yeonwoo.

"Alright. Let's talk about the deal. You want to buy Undine's Chalice?"

"Yes."

Undine's Chalice.

It was a one-time artifact necessary to bring Akasha's Serpent to the surface.

'Actually, it's more like the favorite food of Akasha's Serpent.'

Akasha's Serpent only appears at a specific time to satisfy its hunger. Naturally, to feel full, it must be one of two things.

A large quantity.

Or.

'An equivalent amount of nutrients.'

The 'Akasha' in Akasha's Serpent refers to the smallest unit of material that constitutes the spiritual world.

It is also known as ether or spirit particles.

Akasha's Serpent feeds on this Akasha.

It wanders the earth, absorbing a large amount of geothermal energy and raiding monster villages to steal their life force.

Therefore, the area where Akasha's Serpent stays often turns into a barren wasteland where not even a blade of grass can grow.

The eastern region of E-sector is full of barren wastelands and stone mountains for this very reason.

And now, this is the time when the last remaining Akasha in the eastern region is about to disappear.

It is the time when Akasha's Serpent suffers the most from hunger and thirst.

Undine's Chalice is a very useful bait to bring Akasha's Serpent out at such a time.

Undine's Chalice is the artifact that contains the most Akasha, and naturally, it is also the favorite food of Akasha's Serpent.

However, the biggest problem is.

'Only Galiard knows how to manufacture Undine's Chalice.'

Therefore, people who need Undine's Chalice for other reasons sometimes secretly seek the tutorial through Brahm's introduction.

Most of the time, Galiard hides because he finds it bothersome.

"Do you know the conditions for obtaining it?"

The conditions, not the price.

Yeonwoo nodded.

"Yes, roughly."

"Good. Let's start without delay."

At that moment.

[The Dark Elf, Galiard, wants to test you. You can only obtain the desired reward by taking this test.]

[Do you accept?]

Galiard's persistent gaze seemed to pierce through the mask Yeonwoo wore.

'So this is it. Galiard's test.'

The condition for Galiard to give Undine's Chalice was very simple.

Pass his test.

He would never accept payment, no matter how much you offered.

He only gave Undine's Chalice as a reward to those who passed the test.

The reason was unknown.

Just like he only chased Akasha's Serpent, he seemed to have some desire for those who passed the test.

No one who exhibited such behavior had ever appeared, and for decades, the same test had been repeated.

It was such a 'quirky' action, but it had become so commonplace.

The tower's system accepted his test as a hidden quest for this very reason.

Yeonwoo nodded.

Then the message disappeared, and a new window appeared.

[Hidden Quest / Galiard's Test]

Content: The Dark Elf, Galiard, has been testing many players for a long time to find someone 'qualified.'

He is a swift-footed person blessed by the wind. Play hide and seek with him. You must catch him at least 5 out of 10 times to pass the test.

Reward: The reward varies depending on the number of successes.

-3 or more: Undine's Chalice

-5 or more: Undine's Chalice + ???

Yeonwoo's eyes sparkled.

'So, I need to succeed more than half the time.'

Hide and seek.

Galiard insists that you must catch him.

The method doesn't matter.

You can dig traps, use artifacts, or move with colleagues.

But you must 'touch' Galiard within the set time to be considered the winner.

And.

No one has succeeded more than five times in the past few decades.

'But if I can succeed all the time, I can acquire Galiard's skills.'

Yeonwoo knew what the hidden content in the quest window was.

He could obtain a skill from Galiard.

Instant Step.

A unique skill passed down only to the successor among Dark Elves.

'Instant Step makes the body extremely agile and blocks any presence. It's a very suitable skill for me.'

For Yeonwoo, who primarily used stealthy movements and sharp attacks, there was no better skill.

He included Instant Step in his plan for this very reason.

However, the main reason Yeonwoo coveted Instant Step was different.

Instant Step might seem like just another skill that doesn't even make the list.

But after seeing a colleague who obtained Instant Step, he realized that its strength lay not just in quick movements.

...Instant Step was the key to 'Shrinking Earth.'

Rank 1.

One of the highest skills symbolizing 'All for One,' the key to unlocking it.