◈ Episode 168. The Effects of 2-Piece Set Items Vary.
As rare as they are, their effects aren’t widely known either.
According to the players who possess them…….
—“Just something you’d miss a little if you didn’t have it?”
—“Considering the rarity, it’s still worth the price.”
—“It’s the small differences that make a masterpiece, right?”
So I didn’t have high hopes.
No, really.
I do have a conscience, you know?
With an effect that increases all physical damage by 10%, expecting a massive set bonus from just two out of six pieces would be a bit much.
[Hexagram Brooch 2/6]
[Set item effect applied.]
[Currently active set effect: 2/6]
[1. All basic stats increase by 2 points.]
…….
But wait, what’s this?
‘If it’s all basic stats…….’
[Strength], [Agility], [Magic], [Luck].
It increases each of the four stats by 2 points?
Simply put, it’s the same as gaining 8 levels!
And if you consider the exponentially increasing experience required to level up…….
This is completely different from what I heard?!
It’s just that I couldn’t feel it because I’ve been steadily raising my stats through class quests. Ordinary players literally stake their lives on every single stat.
‘Though depending on your class, some useless stats might increase.’
What is my class?
One where nothing particularly stands out.
A Demon Hunter who must carefully nurture every single stat.
There was no effect more welcome than this for me.
This alone was beyond expectations.
But it didn’t end there.
Since wearing two brooches had activated two effects.
I immediately checked the second effect.
And then I muttered.
“Not bad.”
[2. When attacking a boss monster, all damage increases by 10 percent.]
……
No, this isn’t just “not bad”—this effect is tremendous.
What kind of monsters are boss monsters?
Monsters whose strength surpasses their level.
They are monsters that become tens of times stronger than normal monsters, and in some cases, even stronger than Named monsters of the same level. It’s only natural that their vitality is enormous.
And yet, all damage increases by 10 percent?
I could say for certain.
It is an effect that makes an 8-point stat increase look trivial.
Especially for me, there was no more welcome effect.
Because I’m a Demon Hunter who stops at nothing, using every trick in the book?
Even setting that aside since I just mentioned it.
The Demon King and great evils.
And even demons like Raksioros, the ruler of the western demon realm.
It wasn’t just the immediate Demon King Scramble.
The monsters I would meet in the Holy War to come would each and every one be boss monsters.
For guys who are not only boss-class but also boast monstrous levels, wouldn’t there be no more impactful effect than this?
Alright, that was as far as my thoughts went.
Screeeech!
Soon, a horde of griffins charged.
Clang—what I drew were a sword and a crossbow.
There was no time to act leisurely.
Train like it’s real combat.
Fight real combat like it’s training.
Rather than relying on the magic I was all too familiar with, it was right to engage in combat to improve my relatively lacking close combat ability.
Tails or whatever, wings, claws or whatever.
I had spoken arrogantly, but these guys were absolutely not easy.
[Level: 544]
[Stats]
Strength: 102 / Agility: 112 / Magic: 455 / Luck: 12 / Aesthetics: Medium
[Available Points: 0]
Even though all stats had risen by 2 points thanks to the set item effect.
I still had a long way to go with my Strength and Agility stats.
They were probably at best on the level of a melee player between level 200 and 250.
Level 500-range monsters.
Fighting griffins with only physical abilities was logically impossible.
But for me, for Grandfell.
He had a talent that made levels nothing but numbers.
『His innate magical talent was such that he could imitate most magic just by seeing it. Not to mention a physical potential that rivaled it.』
Karimzeva and Senios.
Watching the battle of the two demigods, he attained the 『Realm of Magic』.
Having witnessed a rapid procession of images on the Arcana Continent, I had risen to the ranks of 『Sword Gang』.
Grandfell’s setting, which was packed with every good trait imaginable, meant that he gained enlightenment from any experience.
And so.
He had witnessed something once again.
Something so shocking that it led to enlightenment.
Swish—in an instant, my body accelerated.
“Screech?”
So fast that even the eyesight of an eagle spotting prey in the blue sky couldn’t follow. At best level 250—a speed that my body’s level couldn’t possibly handle.
‘No, leaving that aside.’
This wasn’t a speed that could be produced by a “human” body.
That’s right. What I had imitated was a race treated like dragons.
The movements of Elsidore, who had rushed at Rakid the elf.
Slash—!…
After Rakid had fallen from his injuries.
The commander of the Shadow Mercenaries, Kichi, had come to find me.
Entering the office of the Golden Palace, Kichi spoke to me.
“I hadn’t mentioned it, but we Shadow Mercenaries have a saying: you must pay back what you’ve received. Where is he? That big-eared fellow.”
I could understand the desire to pay him back.
Elsidore’s attitude was truly enough to piss even me off.
But.
“Can you be confident of victory?”
Elsidore was excessively strong.
So strong that even Kichi couldn’t guarantee victory.
Kichi swept back her long black hair and smiled meaningfully.
“I may not be confident of victory, but I am confident I won’t lose. I hold grudges more than I look, you see.”
No, actually it was because I was the one feeling guilty.
Because I was the reason the elf had fled his homeland, Sisley!
Strictly speaking, it was because of the [Blessing of the First World Tree]…… but Grandfell’s pride would never shove matters concerning an elf and himself onto a third party.
I declared to Kichi.
“I understand your feelings. However, bear this in mind.”
“……?”
“I am the one who takes responsibility for you.”
Moreover, the Shadow Mercenaries were currently hired by the Yusra Kingdom.
I, who had activated the [Authority] function in the Yusra Kingdom.
It was only natural that Grandfell would take responsibility for the Shadow Mercenaries.
“!”
Kichi hesitated, then laughed.
This time, it was not a meaningful smile.
“As Wolf said, this is unfamiliar—such treatment.”
Of course, this wouldn’t be something the Shadow Mercenaries could easily overlook either.
Because I understood her feelings, I continued.
As was typical of me, plain and simple.
“Furthermore, I shall make him spit out something more valuable than his life.”
“……!”
As long as he could not prove his pride.
Elsidore had no freedom.
Perhaps Kichi understood Grandfell’s theory of pride, if only a little.
Only then did her eyes return to normal.
“As expected. Then I shall trust you, Commander I Hoyeol!”
……
“Commander I Hoyeol”?
It was truly a terrible title to be heard by anyone.
I just couldn’t get used to it….
The greatest mercenary corps on the Arcana Continent.
A being who had crushed Rakid, the lowest member of the Shadow Mercenaries, and whom even their commander Kichi could not guarantee victory against.
The elf, Elsidore.
But that wasn’t due to a gap in skill or combat power.
‘As Elsidore said, it was simply the gap in birth.’
No matter how talented Grandfell was, the gap in birth was impossible to overcome.
Then how, at this moment, was I able to accelerate my body abnormally, just as the elf had done?
Swish—!
An accelerating body.
It should be impossible to endure with human muscles and joints.
Yet I was perfectly fine.
[The Blessing of the First World Tree rejects rupture.]
[The Blessing of the First World Tree refuses fracture.]
So that was it.
The difference in birth that elves boasted so much about seemed to owe quite a bit to the influence of the [Blessing of the First World Tree].
In other words, I could imitate Elsidore’s movements thanks to buff power…!
“You might as well be wingless.”
“Screech?!”
“Infinitely slow.”
Slash—!……
Shameless as always, Grandfell, thanks to a buff.
“As I’ve said many times, numbers are meaningless before me.”
……
You may not care for numbers, but surely you know shame, Grandfell.
Fallen griffins.
Silence that arrived in an instant.
As expected, this is what it means to be level 500?
The all-physical-damage increase effect from the second brooch is considerable too.
Not to mention the added elf’s movements.
More than making up for my miserable Strength and Agility stats.
‘Now that I’ve felt it firsthand, I look forward to it even more.’
The set effect, the boss monster damage increase—how will that be?
So they do have some sense after all.
The griffins no longer charged.
Well, let’s let bygones be bygones.
I didn’t enter the rift to hunt anyway.
“Now you’ve finally learned basic manners.”
Forced etiquette injection.
Once the surroundings quieted down, I raised my magic.
To assess the situation on the Arcana Continent through Hiel and Diende.
Soon, Hiel and Diende revealed themselves in the air.
But what are you two doing together?
“Hiel, answering your call.”
“O my liege, the endlessly deep darkness.”
Hiel, who greets me with noble courtesy as always, is one thing.
Diende is quite burdensome.
“My liege”?
You weren’t that kind of character.
Soon, Hiel spoke proudly.
“I have discussed basic etiquette with Diende.”
……
Truly, my alter ego.
Yes, etiquette education is important.
I can imagine what sorts of things were said without even hearing it, Hiel.
Still, it must have been quite a handful.
To the point where my cheeks feel hot from the weight.
So this is what the weight of summoning two spirits feels like.
‘……Let’s summon them one by one whenever possible.’
Especially you, Diende. It would be better to converse with you where no eyes can see.
Of course, my inner thoughts remained hidden. I muttered generously.
“I know your labors.”
“It is nothing.”
“It is an unworthy statement, my liege.”
……
Please, can’t you two just listen quietly?
However, despite my inner scream.
Diende loyally did not forget his duty report.
“By my lord’s command, the survivors of Dreadsen have taken refuge in the Iron Castle. Though even calling them survivors, their numbers are barely twenty.”
Certainly, there is no safer place on the Arcana Continent than the Iron Castle at present.
Given the scale of the Iron Castle, accommodating the citizens of Dreadsen was no great difficulty.
“According to Chainwalker, the dwarves have accepted the Dreadsen survivors. Of course, there has been virtually no interaction between humans and dwarves, so it appears time will be needed before they integrate.”
You infer ten from one, Hiel.
That was exactly what I was curious about.
As the last survivor of Akshan, my relationship with the dwarves was at maximum from the start, but that wouldn’t be the case for others. Still, Chainwalker’s intervention eased my worries.
“Furthermore, the demons have begun to move.”
“I’m listening, Diende.”
“The scattered forces are rallying.”
It seems the time has come: the [Demon King Scramble].
Let’s see, taking into account the time difference between the Arcana Continent and reality…….
It might even appear in the next regular update notes?
Of course.
“I warned them. Typical of an inferior race not to understand.”
It was something I had been preparing for since entering the Arcana Continent.
And this time, I hadn’t agonized over it alone.
Yusra, Frost, Muion, Magic Tower, Player Alliance…….
I had put our heads together and prepared with reliable allies, both on the Arcana Continent and in reality.
So I could be confident.
“I shall make you regard the humiliation of your crushing defeat at the hands of the Demon King with gratitude.”
Add to that Grandfell’s setting of always making his words come true.
Of course, cleaning up afterwards was my job, I Hoyeol.
Until then, let’s prepare as much as we can.
I asked Hiel.
“How is the Ghost Iron processing, Hiel.”
The greatest dwarven blacksmith, Wolswail.
He had taken charge of refining the Ghost Iron.
Surely there must have been some progress.
But Hiel’s expression wasn’t good.
“There is something I must tell you regarding that.”
*Iron Castle.
Fwoooosh—!
An ultra-high-temperature blast furnace heated by super high-purity magic stones.
Ghost Iron shouted out while completely melted.
“Not enough! Who do you think my master is!”
Ghost Iron had witnessed everything.
“He is. The endlessly deep darkness.”
“No, a single ray of light within the endlessly deep darkness.”
“At the same time, the one who hunted the evil dragon.”
Because it had witnessed everything.
The following words could only be long.
The Iron Castle was filled with the shouts of Ghost Iron.
“The savior of another world, who, not content with saving that world, struggles without a moment’s rest to save the Arcana Continent, which has nothing to do with him. A noble being.”
“Therefore, I must be born as a weapon befitting him.”
“That is the reason for my existence.”
Ghost Iron provoked Wolswail, the greatest dwarven blacksmith.
“This measly quenching is more lukewarm than the tea he drinks!”
“……!!!”