◈ Episode 11. My Patience Has Reached Its Limit (1)
As if a rock had turned into a teacup.
The shape of the teacup began to change.
It was like a shield made of stone.
I had altered the teacup’s form and set it up as a wall.
There was no way arrows could pierce a stone wall.
Thud-thud-thud—even if they shot dozens, hundreds of arrows, they couldn’t reach me.
I checked my mana consumption. ‘Isn’t the efficiency abnormally good?’ Maybe it was because this was no longer a [Skill]
but 『Magic』.
It was certainly different from what the alchemist on NetTube had said.
—Ta-da! See? The shape changed, right? Changing only the shape consumes relatively little mana. But that only applies when it’s small, like a teacup. The larger it gets……
The mana consumption increases exponentially……. ‘I’m sure that’s what he said.’
My mana was still perfectly fine even after erecting a barrier that had to be at least three meters tall. Even with [Natural Enemy Relationship]
active, it was efficiency shocking enough to surprise me.
Well, it had to be one of two things.
Either the efficiency of 『Magic』 was overwhelmingly better than a [Skill],
‘Or that alchemist was selling snake oil on NetTube.’
You know, the type you often see in games.
To avoid being accused of relying on nerfs or an overpowered character.
Players who whine and act like their character is weak.
‘Try raising a demon hunter once. Then you’ll know what a truly weak character is.’
Of course, whatever the case.
At this moment, what I had to do hadn’t changed.
Leaving the defense to the barrier, I prepared to counterattack.
Equipped bow and arrows.
I nocked an arrow on the bowstring.
‘A crude arrow.’
A low-level arrow used by gnoll archers.
Naturally, its attack power was fairly low.
‘But what if I change its shape?’
I had plenty of mana.
I quickly tried altering the shape of the arrowhead.
Let’s see, so that it would look painful just by looking at it.
Like a drill or a hook…….
[Modified Arrow]
[Grade: Normal]
[Restriction: None]
[Effect: On attack, has a high chance to inflict the status abnormality “Bleeding”]
[Description: A transformed arrowhead has maximized its lethality.]
……
What is this?
It’s better than expected.
Not only did it have attack power, it even had a high chance to inflict a status abnormality. Indeed, staying up for several nights scribbling with a pen was worth it. As expected, effort never betrays you.
Creak—
Separate from that delighted feeling.
I calmly drew the bowstring.
Right, all I had done was change a single arrowhead.
To Granfell, that must be an act not even worth mentioning, let alone making a fuss over.
Whoosh—
Indeed, even an Olympic gold medalist archer would weep at that composure.
Was that thanks to it?
The arrow I fired struck a bandit hiding in the bushes.
[Natural Enemy Relationship].
[Modified Arrow].
And even [Shooting Mastery],
which was better than nothing.
The result of those three elements meshing together.
Thuk—
A hit.
[Bleeding has occurred on the Blood-Stained Bandit.]
Bleeding occurred.
Thud-thud-thud—
And while I hid myself from the rain of arrows pouring down again.
[You have leveled up.]
…….
The bandit who had fallen into “Bleeding” died.
Once again, my level rose by four.
I opened my status window and checked the stats.
[Level: 80]
[Stats]
Strength: 25 / Agility: 30 / Mana: 18 / Luck: 2
[Available Points: 13]
Arcana’s system, where the experience required to level up skyrocketed with each level gained.
No wonder even the number one in the rankings had barely surpassed level 400.
And Arcana had been in service for over ten years.
‘It’s definitely fast.’
Considering that system.
My growth rate was on a nonsensical level.
But it was still too early to be happy.
Even before blaming Granfell’s personality.
‘This much is only basic.’
If I raised a toast now.
By the time the class quest was over, I felt like I’d have no way left to celebrate.
Without the slightest agitation, I invested my available points.
‘Strength and agility can be raised by repeating the class quest.’
So for now, I’m going all-in on mana, which will help in battle immediately.
[Mana: 31]
Let’s check the mana amount that had risen sharply.
Naturally, the targets were the blood-stained bandits.
I modified an arrow once more.
‘This time, shall I link it with “Ignition” too?’
It consumed far more mana than magic that simply altered form. But since I had invested in mana, it was necessary to test its power at least once.
‘If the efficiency is bad, I just won’t use it next time.’
……
Besides, I wasn’t exactly in a position to be picky, was I?
Whatever my heartbeat was doing, this was clearly a crisis situation.
I was surrounded by monsters well over level 200!
Of course, there were other players nearby.
But I didn’t expect them to care about my life too.
To look after my own life.
To keep from sinking under this heavy pride.
It meant I had to struggle with everything I had.
Whoosh—
Soon, flames bloomed at the tip of the arrowhead.
A so-called handmade “Fire Arrow.”
Watching the flaming arrow fly forward, I thought.
……
Well, it seems much faster than the original too?
*
“That guy is seriously out of his mind?!”
That was what Leoni had shouted.
But soon, her words trailed off.
“……
Whaaa, huh?!”
W-wait a second.
What is that?!
The teacup turned into a giant stone wall!
Despite how she looked, Leoni was a ranker.
She had plenty of knowledge and experience regarding Arcana.
Yes, she could guess what kind of skill it was.
It hadn’t risen from the ground; the teacup had transformed.
It had to be an alchemy-type skill.
But there was another reason she couldn’t understand it.
‘Why is an alchemist in a rift? And alone?’
Alchemists weren’t a combat-type class.
Like blacksmiths or jewelers.
Alchemists were classified as a production-type class.
But as if that weren’t enough…….
How high is that stone wall going to rise?
“Crazy. Boss, what the hell is that?”
It looked to be three meters tall.
Arrows broke powerlessly against the stone wall blocking them.
Leoni flinched.
“……
He really wasn’t ordinary after all.”
Alchemy was rumored to have extremely poor mana efficiency.
If he had created a stone wall that large with alchemy…….
Just how great was his absolute amount of mana?
But the astonishment didn’t stop there.
Because the man suddenly drew a bow.
Leoni assessed the situation with a ranker’s eyes.
‘Still, it seems he’s run out of mana.’
He had summoned a stone wall that size.
Common sense said that had to be the case.
He must be thinking of buying time with the bow until his mana recovers.
But she wondered if that would mean anything.
If an alchemist could shoot arrows well too, that would be absurd…….
Thuk—!
“……
Th-that makes no sense?! Boss?!”
Just one shot.
One bandit staggered, then soon collapsed with a thud.
By that point, their attention shifted from the bandits surrounding them to the mysterious man.
Unable to hold back his curiosity, one guild member activated “Hawkeye,” then stammered.
“……
Wait, what is it this time?”
“Why? What is it now?”
“That looks like Fire Arrow? What is he? Scary.”
An alchemist.
Not satisfied with being an archer.
This time, a mage?
In that instant, Arcana knowledge flowed through Leoni’s mind.
‘I have absolutely no idea.’
But no matter how much she searched her memory, she had never heard of or seen such a class.
Of course, one player could use alchemy, a bow, and offensive magic.
But look.
Look at the trajectory of that Fire Arrow shooting forward.
Its speed alone couldn’t be compared to that of most mages.
The Berserker Guild’s mages whispered among themselves.
“Can you shoot like that?”
“……
No. How could I?”
“But wasn’t that guy not even holding a staff?”
Moreover, there was no hesitation in any of his actions.
Beyond being full of confidence, he even looked elegant.
Click—
The man’s attire played a part in that.
Only now did Leoni begin to understand the man’s suit.
‘So it wasn’t that he was just crazy, but an expression of confidence?’
A suit and dress shoes are enough.
Because a monster’s blood would never splash onto him.
Was that it?
“As expected, he’s not easy from the start.”
She had thought it was just a warm-up, but to think a hidden master would appear from the beginning.
The berserker’s instincts began to stir.
Leoni raised her twin swords.
Clang—!
“We’re not planning to just stand here and watch either!”
“All right, let’s go!”
“Buffs, please.”
Tat-tat-tat—!
Good, it’s a competition.
Leoni and the guild members charged toward the bandits.
The man, Hoyeol, looked at the falling bandit and thought.
‘If I’d known they were going to help, maybe I should’ve shared at least one teabag.’
*
Outside the rift.
In the sky nearby, countless filming drones hovered.
Broadcasting stations from all over the world.
NetTubers.
Even guilds.
Their affiliations were all different.
But they were all watching the rift for the same reason.
“Which guild will earn the title of first clear for this new rift?”
A common sight whenever an update occurred.
That was only natural.
There were countless interests entangled with guilds and players.
Depending on their achievements, stock market prices—and beyond that, even the order among nations—could fluctuate.
“In particular, we can say that this assault on Askura Fortress carries great significance. After all, isn’t Count Askura the highest-level monster since the demon race update?”
“Yes, that’s right. A demon race monster at level 430, no less. At present, it’s being evaluated as an impregnable monster……. We can only hope our players do their very best.”
“Fortunately, reports of victories are coming in from all over. Let’s take a look at the submitted footage.”
Footage was broadcast.
Indeed, it was a smooth start.
The outskirts of the territory.
Since the recommended level was in the mid-200s, it wasn’t a big problem for famous guilds or high-level players.
Of course, there were occasional videos that revealed the viciousness of the demon race.
“Oh dear, there was a player who fell into a status abnormality.”
“Ah, it’s all right. They have a reliable healer supporting them from the rear, don’t they? A status abnormality of that level should be cured cleanly. Now, look.”
“As expected of the world’s number one ranker! It’s Shining.”
Producer Hyun Yongseok, who was watching the monitor.
He sniffled.
As expected, the Russian wind was fierce.
He curled up as much as he could inside the padded jacket he was wearing.
“Sniff. Still, the demon race really is tricky. Even Shining slipped up once right from the start, didn’t they?”
“Come on, Director. They recovered right away~ That doesn’t count.”
“Well, that’s not exactly wrong……. But has there ever been something like this before?”
Today Arcana.
A program directed by Hyun Yongseok, with an average viewership rating of 11 percent.
Even though it wasn’t a terrestrial broadcast, it had ratings over 10 percent.
Because, at least in Korea, there was no other program that provided as wide a range of information about rifts and players as Today Arcana.
That viewership rating was a measure of the public’s interest in rifts and players.
‘……
I don’t think there has.’
Hyun Yongseok had directed Today Arcana from episode 1)
up until now.
But even looking back through past episodes, there had never been anything like this.
What kind of guild was Shining?
It was the undisputed strongest guild in the world, possessing no fewer than four rankers in the upper tier of the top ten.
And that Shining had taken damage in a rift with a mere recommended level of 250.
“The numbers are definitely unusual from the start.”
The monsters surrounding the Shining Guild.
If they let their guard down for even a moment, they would be attacked.
Hyun Yongseok reached a conclusion.
“The demon race. There must be something about them that can’t be expressed by level.”
In that sense, he was looking forward to the current development even more.
Round and round—
Hyun Yongseok gestured to the cast.
It was a signal to raise the tension a little more.
“Indeed. With that level of difficulty, attention can’t help but be focused on which guild will clear the rift first, can it? It would be no different from making an unmistakable impression on the world.”
The moment the caster said that.
The assistant director monitoring the filming drones shouted.
“Huh?! Senior, it’s up! First clear!”
“Where’s the rift location? Send the reporters out, quickly!”
“Let’s see. Where is it? If it’s around here……. First of all, it’s not Gaon.”
“Tsk, that’s a shame, but it can’t be helped.”
An unavoidable Korean sentiment.
Inwardly, he had hoped Gaon would take the first clear.
But apparently, that wasn’t the case.
The assistant director scratched his head vigorously.
“Damn. Mother Russia. Why the hell are the trees so dense?”
“You zoomed in as much as possible, right?”
“Yes. I did, but the trees are blocking the view. Where the hell is it?”
Just then, a radio transmission came from the reporting team running toward the drone’s location.
—Senior, are these guys really the first clear?
“That’s right. Would I be joking in this situation? Where is it?”
—……
It’s Leoni. The Berserker Guild.
“……
Wh-what? Berserker?”
—Wait, who’s that man in front of Leoni? He looks Korean. Hold on, Senior! Other reporters are starting to gather. I’ll get an interview first!
……
Korean?
Was there a Korean in Berserker, the European Union guild?
While Hyun Yongseok searched his memory.
Soon, the radio crackled again.
Hyun Yongseok asked sharply.
“What did he say? Is he Korean? What’s his relationship? Is he with Berserker Guild?”
—……
Yes, Senior. He does seem to be Korean.
“And?”
A bewildered voice continued through the radio.
—Out of nowhere, he said, “Move aside.” So I couldn’t properly interview him……!
Whooosh—
“……
So you missed the interview?”
—N-no! Senior, that’s not it. He said, “Move aside,” and “My patience has reached its limit.” Just like that. There was some kind of presence that couldn’t be defied……!
“Ahh, his words have presence. And mine don’t?”
—…….
“Get the interview even if you have to chase after him. Got it?”
A frigid radio transmission.
Whooosh—
And the Siberian high-pressure system was no less frigid.
Hyun Yongseok wrapped his padded jacket tighter around himself.
As expected, Russia was cold.