00255 Tears of the World
– “Everyone, look at me! Ehehe! This is the real Ha Yuri!”
“Even better than I thought? Hah… totally pro, a complete pro.”
At Choi Seulgi’s words, I nodded without realizing it. To be honest, all we wanted from him was a few words while parading naked on the castle walls. However, the joy expressed by his insufficient performance was causing a full-blown explosion.
“I’m going in! Going in! Puhahaha!”
“I’m watching. So you had such a side, huh?”
Clapping and whistling could be heard from all directions as he continued his taunts. Strangely enough, even Mev and the Goblin siblings looked at Iwan-yong on the castle wall like idol fans, sending cheers towards him. Glancing at Queen Han So-hye, she seemed to be avoiding eye contact as much as possible. Her reddened face was an added bonus.
“Looks like the Queen doesn’t seem to like this… or not?”
“She’s a bit weak in these matters, but as long as her subordinates like it, she won’t mind too much.”
“Hmm…”
“Anyway, he’s really amazing… it’s a bit regrettable, though. Even though I’m happy now, it’s a bit disappointing…”
“Sending him now wouldn’t be useful. I can identify him with magic; however, if I send him later when his ability has grown a bit more, it will be more effective. At that time, we may not be able to identify him with magic, and just the sight of him will be enough to be threatening. Besides, it’s not safe to send him out now. Even if I send him, I’ll probably keep him inside with magic power. But, just the sight of him could be enough to intimidate them, don’t you think?”
“Ah, I see…”
Actually, in terms of combat, he wasn’t very useful, but just the fact that he could change his appearance was enough to demoralize the enemy. He seemed to understand that quite well.
“Damn, he’s so capable… Isn’t he a bit dangerous for us too?”
“He can’t afford to be. He’s just trying to survive. Providing a safe place for him is as beneficial as having a cheap player carry the game.”
Cost-effectiveness, indeed.
If he had such ambition and ability, he would have made a name for himself even in his previous life. What he wanted was simply survival. Just providing a safe place for him was enough, similar to having a cheap player carry the game.
“He’s really talented… we’re lucky to have an ally like him.”
“Will he really come in three days?”
“He probably will. As people who claim to be just, keeping a promise like this is only natural.”
“So, we can continue to watch that spectacle for three days. Kikik.”
It was quite exhilarating. Revenge hadn’t even started yet, but I already felt satisfied.
“Well, we could try analyzing him around this time, but I don’t think there’s anything we’ll find.”
“Fuck, you’re not thinking he’s some kind of secret weapon, are you? Puhahaha!”
“It’s possible.”
It might be interesting to think that way. In any case, even if we analyzed him now, there would probably be nothing coming out. While we were exchanging various stories, Choi Seulgi opened his mouth again.
“Oh, it’s almost time for the meeting. Do you want to come too?”
“I’m not involved in the siege, so I have something else to prepare. The Black Spear will go out today from our side.”
“Ah, the troll guy. Well, there’s nothing we can do. Alright, then I’ll be going. See you later.”
In response to Choi Seul-gi’s words, I nodded my head. We had already held numerous meetings, and today’s meeting was likely about the siege. The participation of the long-range attacker, Black Spear, indicated such. The Greenskins moved when the fortress walls were breached, and with that in mind, Choi Seul-gi probably thought there was no need to take me along.
As the battle was nearing its end, it was also essential for me to prepare personally. It had been a long time since I visited the item shop, so I decided to spend time with the subordinates after checking the shop. Given the scale of the upcoming battle, there might be casualties. Thorough management seemed appropriate.
I decided to go straight to the shop and immediately felt my body rising.
“Checking the points for the Seat of Sorrow and Despair, and the Blood Dagger.”
“Remarkable. Achievements such as discovering a new continent, liberating the Elves, and becoming the Seat of Sorrow and Despair have earned Blood Dagger 10 million points.”
It was a staggering amount of points, enough to buy the highest-quality weapons. In my elation, I shivered.
“Take your time choosing, my friend.”
Certainly, I’ve revised the passage to enhance clarity and readability. Here’s the refined version:
The goblin shopkeeper, not seen for a while, appeared quite courteous. With 10 million points, it seemed like I had gained some VIP status. Although he didn’t seem particularly fond of me, his newly polite tone was evidence enough.
“I’ll take my time choosing.”
Looking at the goblin with an arrogant expression, his mouth protruded slightly. First, I needed to check the weapons. My current weapons included the [Legacy of Many], which could control blood and had excellent killing power but came with penalties.
There was also the oversized greatsword [Too Big to be Called a Sword], used as a shield substitute. The [Chieftain’s Hammer], which became heavier as it soaked in more blood from Chieftain Agar, and the [Leviathan], which emitted flames, were also in my arsenal. The [World Tree’s Purified Wooden Spear], a recently stagnant growth, served as a lance.
For defense, there was the [Aegis’s Torn Ring], and for accessories, the [Critical Ring], which increased critical hit probability. It was an incredibly flashy lineup with strengths and weaknesses, but each was a treasure in its own right.
My personal highest evaluation was in attack power and unpredictability. The ability to switch weapons and the lack of a specific class allowed for tremendous advantages in combat. Moreover, with the recent ability to use my tail, the range of options had expanded even further.
“Hmm…”
The first thing that came to mind was the sealed greatsword in the secret shop. With the ability to summon iron chains to bind enemies, it was valued for this feature alone. Considering it was inaccessible now, it remained a mere desire. However, the thoughts of other items crossed my mind.
[Sealing Greatsword]
“A greatsword created to seal someone. Tempered with Hell’s flames and the grace of silver, this greatsword can summon large iron chains. These chains, reacting to the user’s magic power, can bind or tear enemies apart. Only those acknowledged by the owner can wield this greatsword. Dark attribute resistance increases.”
[Magic +6, HP +6, Strength +6]
The price was 5 million points. It would be better if it could handle iron chains in addition to blood and flames, but for now, it was out of reach unless I could access the secret shop. Another item that came to mind was the [Hammer of the Gods].
[Hammer of the Gods]
“A hammer once wielded by a hero of a continent, inheriting the power of five giants. The hammer, which somehow found its way here, carried the hero’s power for a long time, gaining divine properties in the process. In addition to the sealed attributes of forest, volcano, wind, and waves, it possesses additional sealed attributes.”
[Strength +30]
A whopping 10 million points. With my current points, it would wipe out everything. Although not a frequently used weapon, it held considerable value, considering the power inherited from a hero. For now, the question was whether I could enter the secret shop. I looked at the goblin shopkeeper with a strange gaze and slowly spoke.
“Can I pay points to enter the secret shop?”
“Impossible. The secret shop can only be accessed through quests.”
‘Well, darn.’
Even if there were fantastic items in regular shops, I was fixated on the sealed greatsword. I hadn’t imagined getting stabbed in the back like this. I had plenty of points now, with 10 million points; spending 500,000 points wasn’t a big deal.
However, looking at the goblin’s expression, I hesitated to hand over 500,000 points willingly. I could explore various places in the shop myself. Although I tried hard to recall information about the secret shop, nothing came to mind.
Weapons tab, enhancement tab, armor tab, potion tab—there were various tabs, making it even more challenging to find things. Even
[Joy Amplification Potion]
[Owner’s Dog Necklace]
Among the adult toys, a rather unfamiliar shop caught my eye. Even ten years ago, when I explored, such shops were undoubtedly impossible to find.
[Quest Shop]
Now, quests were being bought and sold. I began to understand why quests hadn’t come to mind until now, as my crumpled expression prompted the goblin to speak as if it were nothing.
“After reaching a certain level of growth, quests are no longer given separately.”
I quickly entered the quest window, where I could see several pieces of parchment. Each quest cost 1 million points, akin to robbery. Some quests even reached up to 10 million points. What was even more unfortunate was that the quest rewards were mostly undisclosed. Naturally, there was no description of which quests led to the secret shop.
[Choose the Successor.] – 2 million points
[Win the War!] – 3 million points
[Revenge against the Holy Sword! Revenge! Revenge!] – 5 million points
[?????????] – 10 million points
It was a bit troublesome, but I had done well to investigate. Otherwise, I would have wasted 500,000 points. I closed the quest shop for now, thinking that gambling should come after purchasing necessary items.
In reality, there were designated places to spend points.
[Purified Wooden Spear of the World Tree – Possible – 4 million points]
[Can be reinforced using special materials. Materials: Tears of the World Tree (0/1), Petals of the World Tree (10/10), Roots of the World Tree (1/1)]
A wooden spear purified by the World Tree, available for reinforcement for a whopping 4 million points. If I could solve the Tears of the World Tree, I could immediately proceed with the reinforcement.
“This Tears of the World Tree…”
“It will be as you think.”
“…………………”
In other words, it seemed that only Jung Hayeon’s tears could save it. As I pondered for a moment, the goblin murmured as if he knew what I was thinking.
“T-Taesung, wh-what’s happening?”