Chapter 44

Chapter 19. Two Hearts (2)

However, a moment later.

The hope that Yeonwoo had held onto came to nothing.

Unlike what he had thought, there was a limit to the number of ghosts he could bind.

[Number of Bound Wraiths: 150]

‘So, 150 is the limit? Or is this the maximum capacity?’

Yeonwoo thought it was probably the former.

As he continued to capture ghosts, he began to feel a sense of fullness at some point.

While the vessel was originally very wide, it seemed to have compartments inside, giving him a sense that there was still a limit to how many more he could bind.

He thought that perhaps the capacity would gradually expand, or he would need to unlock sealed options to increase the number of ghosts he could bind.

However, even if the desired outcome didn’t materialize, he wasn’t disappointed.

‘This is enough.’

There were plenty of ways to increase the power of the explosion.

Yeonwoo slowly retracted his Dragon Eye.

The ghosts, fearing they might be bound to the black bracelet, had already moved a considerable distance away from him.

However, they didn’t seem to want to completely leave.

Instead, they huddled together tightly, following him like a tail.

‘Do other players have the souls of dead monsters following them?’

Yeonwoo looked in the direction of Galiard, but he couldn’t see anything like that.

He wondered if he could only see the ghosts following him, or if this was a unique feature for him.

The reason was unknown, but he didn’t care too much about it.

Since the ghosts couldn’t physically interfere with him or curse him, he decided to just ignore them.

‘Next, I’ll check the rewards for the monster rush.’

‘There were definitely four rewards listed in the quest window.’

When he pressed the button to claim the rewards, messages appeared one by one.

[You have obtained the title ‘Monster Hunter’.]

[Your Strength has increased by 10.]

[Your Agility has increased by 15.]

[You have obtained the ‘Goblin King’s Eye’.]

[You have obtained the ‘Monster’s Five-Colored Gem’.]

[You have obtained 3,000 additional merit points.]

One title and two artifacts.

Yeonwoo quickly checked the title.

[Title: Monster Hunter]

A title awarded to players who have driven countless monsters to ruin. When hunting monsters, you can exert greater power.

However, it is said that monsters killed by the title holder will become vengeful spirits after death and curse them.

Effect: Strength +10, Agility +15. The chance of landing a critical hit when hunting monsters increases by 15%. Your ability to provoke monsters is also enhanced.

‘So that’s why.’

Yeonwoo could vaguely guess why so many ghosts had been following him.

With this title, it was inevitable.

It seemed to be a necessary constraint in exchange for the excellent effects.

Since there was no reason not to use it, he kept it as it was.

Next, he checked the two artifacts.

Both were gems.

One was the eye of a monster, with bloodshot veins and a pupil that seemed to glare at Yeonwoo as if it had just been gouged out.

The other was a palm-sized gem that shimmered in different colors depending on the angle of view.

[Goblin King’s Eye]

Category: Gem, Amulet

Grade: B-

Description: The Goblin King, Kranum, left his eye behind to never lose sight of his enemy, even in death. By simply wearing it, you can be affected by Kranum’s grudge in various ways.

While it may bring bad luck, if you can handle it, it could be a useful tool.

* Goblin King’s Enemy

Kranum’s eye continues to seek out his enemy even after death. It constantly emits courage and grudge to protect the enemy from other foes.

The owner, influenced by Kranum, radiates a strong aura, increasing attack power by 10%. It also watches for invisible attacks like curses and poisons from outside, preventing them by 15%.

[Monster’s Five-Colored Gem]

Category: Gem

Grade: C+

Description: A gem born from the grudges of five types of monsters: goblins, kobolds, orcs, lizardmen, and gnomes.

It allows you to use some of the abilities of each monster.

* Goblin’s Foot

You gain faster feet.

* Kobold’s Ear

You can hear smaller sounds.

* Gnome’s Nose

You can smell more sensitively.

* Lizardman’s Eye

You can see farther.

* Orc’s Hand

You gain stronger hands.

‘All the items I’ve received are like this.’

Yeonwoo couldn’t help but chuckle.

It seemed the shock of the monster rush had been immense for the monsters.

All the rewards left behind were like this, with expressions of grudge and resentment.

However, most of the options utilized these grudges and resentments, and they were mostly well-suited to Yeonwoo.

The Goblin King’s Eye was, in fact, the best artifact he could obtain in the tutorial, aside from unique items.

Grade B-.

Considering that the lowest grade of artifacts that could be obtained in the tower was C, this was a very high level.

Moreover, it increased attack power and protected the owner from curses and poisons.

It defended against attacks that Yeonwoo couldn’t even sense, especially from a distance.

What Yeonwoo liked most about the Goblin King’s Eye was the grudge it emitted on its own.

‘This goes well with the black bracelet.’

Naturally, grudges and curses were effective in enhancing dark attributes, increasing attack power.

‘The same goes for the Five-Colored Gem.’

While there was the drawback of having to unlock and choose options individually, he liked how it enhanced various senses.

The eyes, ears, and nose would support sensory-enhancing skills, while the hands and feet would enhance movement speed.

‘It’s as if they were all prepared for me.’

Yeonwoo couldn’t help but smile.

Actually, it wasn’t that strange.

The tower’s system tended to give players rewards that suited them well.

The more significant the achievement, the more this tendency increased.

It helped players enhance their own characteristics.

With that, all the checks were complete.

Yeonwoo collected the rewards and moved back to Mo-Ok.

* * *

“Hm? A chain?”

“Yes. Something that can securely fasten something.”

Galiard narrowed his eyes at Yeonwoo’s sudden request and then chuckled.

“You must have obtained gems or runes as rewards.”

“Something like that.”

“I have blacksmithing skills, so if you want, I can help you craft artifacts… but we don’t have much time left.”

Yeonwoo nodded heavily.

The reason players often wanted gems or runes as rewards was that they were easy to carry and could be combined with existing artifacts.

This allowed them to carry one more item without the inconvenience of wearing it.

However, combining them required a blacksmith with metallurgy or alchemy skills.

The higher the skill proficiency, the less loss during the crafting process.

If given to a low-skilled blacksmith, options could be lost, or in the worst case, both the gem and the artifact could be damaged.

Despite meeting a skilled blacksmith like Galiard, Yeonwoo couldn’t immediately combine the gems with artifacts due to the lack of time.

He had to use a temporary solution, like making a necklace or bracelet with a chain.

“Then… wait here for a moment.”

Galiard went into the warehouse and started rummaging around.

He came out with something.

A common chain necklace, with thorn-like protrusions in the center to securely fasten something.

“Here.”

Yeonwoo took the chain necklace from Galiard.

“This should be able to secure one item.”

“Thank you.”

When Yeonwoo offered to pay, Galiard waved him off.

“It was just something rotting in the warehouse. Use it. And compared to the gift you gave me, this is nothing.”

Yeonwoo still thanked him and secured the Goblin King’s Eye to the chain necklace.

Click!

Strangely, the size was just right.

Whoosh—

A red glow briefly appeared and then disappeared, indicating the gem was successfully attached.

Yeonwoo put the pendant around his neck.

Instantly, the eye in the center rolled around as if it were alive, seemingly looking for Yeonwoo.

Galiard chuckled at the familiar gaze.

“Kranum’s eye.”

“Yes.”

“Kranum is smart and strong, and he never forgets his enemies. But I’ve never seen one continue to act like this even after death.”

Yeonwoo nodded in agreement and hung the Five-Colored Gem on his belt with a small chain.

‘I need to go to the tower and find the right place for this.’

Yeonwoo thought about the monster parts piled in his bag and looked back at Galiard.

“Thank you for your help.”

“Are you leaving now?”

“Yes.”

“You’re going straight to Sector F.”

Yeonwoo nodded calmly.

“Of course. I’ve already gotten everything I can from here.”

Galiard looked at Yeonwoo with a strange expression.

He had felt that Yeonwoo was different from the norm ever since he saw through his movement speed.

He seemed to remind him of someone from the past.

Then, Galiard looked at the ghostly white mask and wondered for a moment.

‘What kind of past does this kid have?’

When Undine healed his body, he had tried to remove the mask but couldn’t.

It seemed to be an artifact option.

However, Galiard didn’t ask why Yeonwoo wore the mask.

If he were to question it, he himself, who had been repeating the tutorial, would be the strangest.

Those who enter the tower have their own unique and tragic stories.

These stories are the driving force that moves them.

Without such a story, no one would leave their comfortable world to climb the difficult tower.

However, for players like Galiard, who had resolved their grudges, the story was different.

With the driving force gone, they didn’t know what to do next.

After repeating the tutorial, he no longer wanted to climb the tower, and he didn’t feel the need to return to his hometown, where no one would welcome him.

He couldn’t just stay in the tutorial meaninglessly, so he decided to take a break and think things through.

“Ah, by the way. Take this with you.”

“…?”

Yeonwoo turned his head to see what Galiard was giving him and caught a knife flying toward his head.

A sword about a meter long with a narrow blade, and a green cord tied in a unique knot at the hilt.

“What is this?”

“The last opponent you faced. It seemed like a good weapon, so I kept it. Use it if you want, or sell it to a mysterious merchant later. It should fetch a good price.”

Yeonwoo lightly swung the sword. The balance was good, and the edge was solid.

It was definitely a good sword.

However, Yeonwoo usually used greatswords or short swords, which were one-handed and had shorter blades.

He didn’t really need it.

But, as Galiard suggested, he could sell it to a mysterious merchant for a good price, so he decided to keep it.

Then, Galiard asked a strange question.

“By the way, how did you end up on bad terms with the Arangdan? Their base is in Sector F, so they’ll be quite a nuisance from now on.”

Yeonwoo turned to look at him, confused.

“What do you mean?”

“Hm? You weren’t on bad terms with the Arangdan?”

Galiard seemed even more puzzled.

“The green cord on the sword is a symbol of the Arangdan.”

“…!”

Yeonwoo’s eyes widened.

‘Not just a scavenger group, but the Arangdan? From Cheonghwa Island?’

Yeonwoo felt the pieces in his mind finally fitting together.

The scavenger group his brother had dealt with.

The sudden appearance of the Arangdan.

The human farm organized in a network.

Kan and Doyle’s sudden departure.

If the Arangdan was behind the scavenger group and had been hiding the presence of other players under the guise of protecting the tutorial’s safety…

If Kan and Doyle had discovered this and gone to deal with them…

“…”

Yeonwoo knew that Kan and Doyle had deliberately pushed him away.

They had parted ways because their paths were different, leading to the current situation.

However, he didn’t know what kind of danger they might be in. He thought they could handle the situation.

But if the opponent was the Arangdan, the story was different.

He didn’t know how many players were involved or how many strong individuals they had.

And with the backing of Cheonghwa Island, one of the eight major clans in the tower…

Could two people alone handle them?

Especially after being betrayed by Artya, they would be even more cautious.

If Kan and Doyle had defeated the Arangdan, the news would have spread in Sector E by now.

But the lack of such news meant that they had been defeated.

And.

Yeonwoo thought about what Kan and Doyle had become to him from Sector B to Sector E.

Were they close or distant?

Did he want to get involved, or not?

But.

Kan’s confident laughter and Doyle’s hazy but intellectual gaze.

Was there really a need to calculate such things?

Moreover.

My brother was a hero to me. I hope he hasn’t lost that even if he’s hurt.

The words his brother had left in the diary’s last entry.

In the end.

The answer was already decided.

“…Damn it.”

Whether he was speaking to Kan and Doyle, the Arangdan, or his brother, the words were unclear.

With a cold gaze, Yeonwoo quietly stood up.