Chapter 24: Beginner's Request 4
Han Se-ah gazed at me, her eyes filled with countless emotions.
More specifically, she was fixated on the low-grade magic stone resting silently in my hand.
It was slightly larger and more vibrant than the lowest-grade magic stones obtained from goblins.
While the lowest-grade ones resembled flawed glass beads with muted colors, this particular stone emitted a faint blue glow.
She had been preoccupied with the viewers' mission, startled by my sudden shout, and feeling a bit dejected.
However, as the scolding came to an end and words of praise for her magic followed, she finally blinked and let out a laugh.
I had intended to nag her some more, but her shield spell was so fast that she didn't need my protection.
"Wow, so this was the boss of the 10th floor..."
"I used too much force since it's been so long since I've been on the lower floors. I'll have to find another monster."
"You said that even blocking with a shield could result in death? Blocking with bare hands is just as deadly?" she questioned.
"Well, my grip strength actually is stronger than the shield's rebound force."
Han Se-ah knew in her mind that my stats were far superior to those of other NPCs, but she still struggled to grasp the reality of it.
She blinked her eyes, deep in thought, and only snapped out of it when she overheard the conversation between Grace and me.
"You can kill it by blocking with your shield?" she asked, surprised.
"Didn't you hear earlier? Last time, when I blocked with my shield, a slight deflection snapped the neck of the horned wolf, killing it. But let's first take care of the leftover items."
After briefly explaining the situation to Han Se-ah, I collected the magic stones while Grace picked up the items that had fallen to the ground. Observing the two of them, I glanced down at my palm, focusing on the sensation of opening and closing it.
I had used minimal force to block, so why did the monster die?
No matter how strong my grip may be, it shouldn't make a difference if I don't exert any pressure. Otherwise, the women I've encountered would have already suffered broken waists, and their limbs would have been severely damaged. It's truly abnormal for a mere block to cause a monster's skull to be crushed by recoil.
After 10 years, I still couldn't control my strength.
Although I may not know how to use skills, I am confident in my application of magic to augment my physical abilities, like a knight from a typical fantasy world.
There was only one thing I could guess.
Like Grace, who had received a beautiful appearance, and other novice female adventurers who had gained skin-whitening effects
"We've gathered everything!" Han Se-ah announced.
"Then let's resume exploring. I'll make sure not to kill the next Horned Wolf."
***
Raei Translations
***
After 10 years, my passive skill has finally activated.
To be honest, I don't remember Roland's skills very well. Unlike the usual pre-release character information, the "Six shining stars!" event didn't reveal any details about the characters.
I, who didn't know this and spent 850,000 won to acquire a male character, would not have been born into this world if I hadn't been spamming malicious comments with a macro. When I saw that it was a male character...
I only caught a brief glimpse of the stat window that appeared when he was created; I didn't check the skill window.
But then again, is there anything unusual about tanks in RPG games? It's a defensive character equipped with a large shield and a warhammer, with high health and defense stats, and decent stats in other areas as well. A typical HP tank character. So I assume it has an attack skill based on the defense stat and some form of ally protection ability.
It's not like a health-focused mage would swing a warhammer and summon meteors.
So, was my passive skill damage reflection?
It's a fitting skill for a tank.
"Are we lucky today? We found the Horned Wolf right away and even obtained its eye."
Grace, carefully collecting the byproducts, held up a fist-sized gem from Han Se-ah's inventory. The eye of the Horned Wolf wasn't an actual eyeball dripping with bodily fluids; it was a round, red gem that resembled a magic stone.
Han Se-ah, after receiving the Horned Wolf's eye, didn't store it in her inventory. Instead, she lifted it up to the sunlight, examining it like a banknote. The claws and fangs appeared to be made of jade, and the skin wasn't rawhide but could be used as a blanket or cloak. It was quite remarkable.
"Is this the eye?"
"Yes, it's my first time seeing a Horned Wolf, so it's the first time I've seen the real thing."
With all the other by-products gathered, Grace and Han Se-ah examined the Horned Wolf's eye and then turned their attention to me. Their curious eyes sparkled, and it seemed the viewers were equally intrigued.
Well, it was their first time witnessing a player hunt a boss...
"Since it's a material infused with magic, it's like a magic stone. Most of the by-products found in the tower look like this. Otherwise, adventurers coming out of the tower would be covered in all sorts of messy fluids."
"I see. Are the by-products of other boss monsters similar?"
"Yes. The Orc Hunter on the 20th floor and the 30th floor's Serpent Lord also yield gem-like by-products."
After briefly explaining, I pretended to be on guard while opening the chat window.
As expected, it was in chaos with messages scrolling by so fast they were difficult to read.
There were even a significant number of messages in English and other foreign languages.
-Is that really the same horned wolf?
-That guy died to a wolf that could be killed with just bare-handed defense...
-If BB Games goes under her, will she give capsules to subscribers?
-yessss we don't have to carry around a bunch of slimy wolf eyes
-With this much of a head start, Han Se-ah might actually take over BB Games
What bothered me was the talk of a streamer dying to a wolf.
It seemed that someone had already reached the 10th floor and challenged the horned wolf.
They apparently met a tragic end, judging by the mocking messages in the chat.
Of course, it was only natural for a novice adventurer to die if they encounter a horned wolf.
Just like the one that recently attacked us, it hides in the bushes and strikes from ambush. If it detects a scent tracking its movements, it circles and attacks from behind.
If it charged with its horns, it would easily pierce through leather armor.
If the vanguard fails to notice the ambush and fails to block it in time, one party member would be dead right from the start.
It also wasn't like a boss from RPGs that would also charge head-on at the tank.
"We've gathered everything except the leather. If we catch a couple more, we'll have more than enough for the quest, right? I'll take another look around. Hanna, how much longer will this lure last?"
"Um... it should last about three hours. As the scent fades, the effectiveness will gradually decrease."
Having checked the number of spoils and stored them in their inventory, the two girls stood up and began to walk.
Grace's voice was not just bright, but almost soaring with excitement.
After all, by-products are randomly obtained, so they must be delighted when they find a lot of them.
Han Se-ah, you seem to have exceptionally good luck.
The instructor NPC is 6, and the first companion is 3. Both Grace and I are the highest grades that Han Se-ah can encounter, and our roles don't overlap. On top of that, the rare by-products needed for the quest have all dropped precisely as required. How fortunate can she be?
"I think we really made a wise choice in choosing you as our party leader. Let's stick together always, okay?"
"Ack! Sister! The scent lure is on your armor!"
Grace seemed to have similar thoughts as she attempts to embrace Han Se-ah, only to be met with her desperate squirming.
Being a woman from a poor farming village, Grace must feel like she's experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime stroke of luck.
After all, just before meeting Han Se-ah, she had been in a party with the 2 female swordsman, Kora.
Han Se-ah discreetly distanced herself, worried that the scent lure might rub off on her leather armor.
It wasn't that she disliked the hug, but she seemed to cherish her armor like any other beginner adventurer.
Sensing this, Grace playfully teased Han Se-ah.
Of course, after being ambushed by a horned wolf once, both of their eyes diligently scanned their surroundings.
'I wish Han Se-ah would check my skills and post them on the forum.'
While the camera captured the girls' playful interaction, I secretly read the forum and chat from behind them.
Many viewers were admiring my strength and there were posts mocking other streamers who had died to the horned wolf, but no one had analyzed my skills.
Last time, she had openly posted her stat window, but are her skills private?
Since I could only see the chat and not Han Se-ah's actual stream, I felt a bit frustrated.
Just then,
[Increase the members of the 'Hanna Party' 3/5]
The quest, which had momentarily paused after Han Se-ah learned five spells, received an update.
The fact that the quest requires a party of five must be influenced by 'Heroines Chronicle.' If there are indeed two more people, as planned, we'll need a sub-vanguard and a priest.
But why is the update happening just now...?
Did we need to hunt a Horned Wolf to be recognized as the 'Hanna Party'?
"Um, do you think this scent lure would attract goblins as well?"
"It seems so. Considering how they charge directly at you..."
We spent a considerable amount of time wandering the plains in search of the next horned wolf.
Startled by the unusually large number of goblins, Grace asked Han Se-ah about the lure's effectiveness with goblins while pocketing several round stones for throwing.
It seemed to work on goblins as well, likely due to its rotten meat and blood smell.
Of course, our party was not one to struggle against mere goblins. They were turned into magic stones one by one, filling Han Se-ah's inventory.
***
Bonus! Thank you Illidan, dust and Draemyn!
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