Chapter 86

Chapter 11. The Flame of Life (2)

Yeonwoo started sweeping through the 11th floor's hidden pieces, beginning with the albatross's nest, at a rapid pace.

In the cave where hundreds of shadow snakes wriggled, the players slaughtered them en masse to replenish their collections.

In the territory of the Lycer Dragon, he extracted a kaga heart.

He also swept through the 11th floor, collecting all the notable幻兽, such as the blue crane's crest, the gargoyle's wings, the Jack O'Lantern's tail feather, and the unicorn's horn.

Thanks to this, he was able to quickly accumulate rewards and merit points.

However.

On the contrary, this also caused a significant upheaval.

The residents of the 11th floor.

"Damn! Again?"

"Who the hell is doing this...! What the—!"

To complete their trials, they also needed good materials. But before they could even get their hands on them, everything was already gone.

No, it wasn't just gone.

Some habitats were so depleted that it was questionable whether they could ever be restored.

Of course, given the nature of the幻界, they would eventually recover.

But it would take a considerable amount of time.

The players were always pressed for time and roamed around with a fire in their eyes, trying to find the culprit behind this situation.

But Yeonwoo moved very secretly.

Moreover, after obtaining the materials, he immediately vanished, making it difficult to track him.

'Sorry, but I have no choice.'

Yeonwoo pulled his robe deeper over his head as he heard the players' voices, who were venting their frustration over the difficulty in obtaining materials.

He went to a city where players often gathered to obtain the wings of the sky beetle.

All he heard was the denunciation of himself.

But Yeonwoo had no choice.

The materials needed to create the vessel for the Flame of Life were all such things. What else could he do?

'Well, even if they weren't materials, I was planning to sweep through them once anyway.'

Even if Yeonwoo hadn't taken them, someone else would have. There was no reason for him to be denounced.

In the tower, the one who had the power was right.

'Anyway.'

Yeonwoo narrowed his eyes as he looked around.

'It seems a bit strange to say that the atmosphere changed just because of me. The atmosphere is completely different from what Jeongwoo mentioned.'

Barrack was the largest city on the 11th floor.

It boasted a unique architectural style and was always lively due to the rare幻兽 found on the streets.

Especially, with well-established accommodations and markets, it was a popular place not only for long-term residents of the 11th floor but also for players from other floors who needed items.

However.

It was different now.

The city, which was always filled with enthusiastic people, had become dark overall.

Some people were venting their anger about Yeonwoo, but most had a gloomy expression.

They seemed to be afraid of something.

They were on high alert, as if they were worried about getting involved in something else.

The merchants and residents all seemed to be on edge.

'Is something happening?'

Yeonwoo felt something was amiss but soon shook his head. It had nothing to do with him.

He thought it would be better to leave Barrack as quickly as possible to avoid getting entangled in unnecessary matters.

At that moment.

"Everyone, move!"

A murmuring sound was heard, and the people split to the sides.

Yeonwoo, curious, peeked at the path that had opened in the crowd.

A group of players dressed in black armor was crossing the road.

The red monster emblem on their chest plates caught his eye.

'The Behemoth Clan? What are they doing here?'

Yeonwoo narrowed his eyes.

The Behemoth Clan was a well-known clan in the middle floors, known for its oppressive nature as a subordinate of the Blue Flower Path.

However, they rarely appeared in the lower floors. Why were they here?

It seemed to be related to the tension among the people.

'Something must be happening.'

The Behemoth Clan is a subordinate of the Blue Flower Path. Their movement suggests a connection to the Blue Flower Path.

'I need to find out.'

Yeonwoo slipped back into the crowd.

He didn't want to confront the Behemoth Clan, but he was curious about what they were planning.

Perhaps he could obtain some information related to the Blue Flower Path.

Fortunately, the place Yeonwoo planned to visit to obtain the sky beetle's wings was also well-known for information.

'Here?'

Yeonwoo opened the door of a pub with a sign that read 'Starlight Pub' and entered.

Inside, rough-looking players were drinking and smoking.

Yeonwoo crossed the smoke and sat next to the counter.

The bartender, who was wiping a cup, smiled slyly.

"First time here, huh? Your mask is quite unique. Can you tell me where you got it? I collect masks as a hobby."

Yeonwoo ignored the bartender and threw a bag of gold coins, which he had exchanged for points, onto the counter.

Clang.

The bartender's eyes gleamed strangely.

"I want to buy something."

The bartender chuckled and pocketed the bag of gold coins.

"Rich customers are always welcome. So, what do you need?"

"The wings of the sky beetle. I want as many as possible. Do you have them?"

"Of course, we have such small items..."

"Only from the species residing in the Valen Forest on the 31st floor."

"...Right. They are a bit expensive, but with this amount, I can certainly provide them."

The Starlight Pub was a well-known shop among experienced players.

It had branches on each floor, buying and selling items and information.

Therefore, players who needed items for their trials or hints to solve them often visited.

The prices were high, but Yeonwoo had already prepared points by selling parts of the various monsters and幻兽 he had caught.

He didn't touch the merit points he had accumulated through hidden quests. To receive a high reward after completing the trials, it was necessary to accumulate as many merit points as possible.

"Here they are."

The bartender went into the back storage and returned after a while.

Yeonwoo checked the contents of the bag he handed over and nodded. Using his dragon eye, he confirmed they were genuine.

"The wings of the sky beetle are highly sought after as food for幻兽, so the demand on the 11th floor is the highest. If you need more later, come back."

"Sure. And I have one more question."

"Out of curiosity?"

Clang. Yeonwoo added another bag of gold coins.

"Hehe. You're a generous friend. So, what is it?"

"The Behemoth Clan was wandering outside. Is something happening on the 11th floor?"

The bartender's expression became strange.

"Hmm? Is this your first time on the 11th floor?"

"I've only been in uninhabited areas until now."

"I see. Then you might not know."

The bartender scratched his neck.

He seemed perplexed, not reluctant, but unsure where to start.

"Then, have you heard about the war that might break out between the Red Dragon and the Blue Flower Path?"

"What?"

An unexpected statement.

Yeonwoo's eyes widened slightly.

Whoosh—

A surge of energy followed Yeonwoo.

The bartender and the other people in the pub involuntarily gasped, feeling a chill down their spines.

Some of them even reached for their weapons.

Then, Yeonwoo realized his mistake and calmed his energy.

'Too hasty.'

He couldn't help but react strongly to the news of a war between the Red Dragon and the Blue Flower Path.

'But it's happening much faster than I thought.'

He had anticipated a war between the major clans since the mysterious merchant needed a large amount of mana stones.

But he didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

Moreover, the Red Dragon was ranked second among the clans, and it could be said that they practically dominated the tower, except for All for One.

If they moved, it would cause a significant impact.

'A major upheaval. A very major one.'

Yeonwoo's eyes turned cold as he stared at the bartender.

"Tell me more."

The aura Yeonwoo emitted was very intense.

The bartender swallowed hard.

"W-What do you mean?"

"What you just said. Tell me more."

The bartender finally realized that Yeonwoo had no intention of harming him and nodded.

However, he couldn't joke around as easily as before.

"Indeed... a war between two major clans is exciting."

The bartender began to explain, trying to make sense of it himself.

There was a conflict between Bahal and Leont, and Leont barely escaped with his life.

During this process, declarations of war were exchanged, and the relationship between the Red Dragon and the Blue Flower Path rapidly deteriorated, leading to the brink of a full-scale war.

'Bahal and Leont clashed?'

Yeonwoo suddenly wondered if the reason Bahal visited him when he was outside the tower was to chase Leont.

It was clear that Leont had moved to the tutorial stage after hearing about the Arangdan.

'Something interesting is happening.'

If high-ranking players representing the two major clans clashed, a war was inevitable.

Moreover, the bartender's additional information intrigued Yeonwoo even more.

"And the first battlefield of the two clans is likely to be the 11th floor."

"This floor? Why specifically?"

The bartender, who had just hung a glass he was wiping, answered.

"There are various reasons. First, the 11th floor is the start of the main floors, so it has symbolic significance. Also, it's easy to obtain幻兽, making resource supply easier."

'Sure.'

The幻兽 on the 11th floor would greatly enhance the players' power.

Especially, players who wanted rapid growth desperately needed the inner cores of幻兽, making it suitable for war preparations.

'Of course, the inner cores of幻兽 wouldn't be much help to high-ranking players or those of similar level. But they would be a great help to mid-level players.'

Yeonwoo couldn't help but chuckle.

'In such a situation, sweeping through all the幻兽 must have made the resentment even stronger.'

Yeonwoo stroked his chin.

'If so, I need to complete my trials before more players arrive on the 11th floor.'

He needed to quickly create the vessel to receive the Flame of Life.

At the same time, he understood why the atmosphere in Barrack was so gloomy.

With all kinds of clans and players roaming around, it was impossible not to be tense.

Yeonwoo asked a couple more questions.

After obtaining various information, he spent some time organizing his thoughts before paying the remaining amount and leaving the pub.

* * *

After Yeonwoo left.

The bartender carefully put down the glass he was wiping. The man sitting opposite, drinking, groaned.

"What kind of killing intent is that...? I thought I was going to freeze to death."

The bartender pointed to the door Yeonwoo had left through.

"Check that guy out. There might be something interesting."

"Huh? Are you telling me to die? Can't you see? If he sees someone he doesn't like, he'll stomp on them without a second thought. He's a predator, a predator."

"I know. Just do it."

"What...!"

The man seemed to want to say something but, seeing the bartender's narrowed eyes, had to back down. He couldn't completely hide his dissatisfaction, so he pouted.

"What do you think he's up to?"

"Are you wearing your eyes as decorations? Or are you a dummy? Can't you see?"

"Huh? Who?"

The bartender chuckled. His mustache curled slightly.

"That mask, isn't he a monopolizer?"

"…!"

The man's eyes widened.

Monopolizer.

A super rookie who had made a big stir from the tutorial to the beginner area.

But now, his reputation was overshadowed by the war between the Red Dragon and the Blue Flower Path.

"He seems to be up to something. Follow him. He might be the culprit who has been sweeping through the habitats of幻兽. Such information is expensive, you know?"

* * *

Yeonwoo left Barrack and moved to another location.

The saquis, who were waiting at the outskirts of the city, followed him. They had guarded the items he had entrusted to them better than expected.

Yeonwoo sent the saquis back to his collection and slowly walked, organizing his thoughts.

'First, the war between the Red Dragon and the Blue Flower Path... I need to find a way to get involved somehow.'