Chapter 111: Downtown Area (2)

Chapter 111: Downtown Area (2)

Due to the aftermath of the EX-rank quest, all the characters in this game world had been replaced and there were likely many changes to the dynamic elements linked to them.

One such example was this masked gentleman who was akin to an event boss or field boss.

It remained a mystery how he ended up drifting to Dungeon Island, but at least he wasnt the type to cause trouble everywhere he went.

All he did was perform magic shows and occasionally throw a hidden piece to the audience so there seemed no need to take any special action.

The academy probably knew about him and seemed to have decided he wasnt a threat as they hadnt dispatched anyone to subdue him.

However, the fact that this event boss had entered Dungeon Island meant that other field bosses might also appear. This was enough for me to raise my vigilance.

I thought it would be wise to ask Shin Byeong-cheol later to keep an eye on some of their movements.

After the magic show, as Seo Ye-in and I continued to walk around and explore,

We arrived at our first destination.

<Long Eared Magical Tool Shop>

I showed Seo Ye-in the coupons I had received the night before.

Your butler said you and I should get equipped with something from this place.

Mhmm

She nodded her head when I mentioned getting equipped but just like An Jeong-mi had observed, she didnt seem particularly interested.

Lets go in and take a look around. Who knows? Maybe youll find something you like.

She nodded her head again when I talked about getting equipment but she still showed little enthusiasm.

When Seo Ye-in and I entered the store, a friendly middle-aged lady greeted us warmly.

The woman seemed more like the owner than just a clerk working here.

And against expectations, her ears were not pointed at all.

Welcomeoh my, are you first-year students?

Hello.

What cute visitors we have here.

She shifted her gaze between us and smiled contentedly. She seemed to be under some great misunderstanding.

I felt it was too bothersome to correct her, so I just let it slide for the time being.

Although she was friendly, it didnt seem like she was expecting much from us.

The magical tools were all priced high, so realistically, what were the chances a first-year could afford them, and even if they did buy them, how much quality could they expect?

It seemed wise to make it clear that we had the means to purchase to facilitate smoother communication.

So I pulled out two coupons labeled [Coupon Long Eared Magical Tool Shop (B)] and continued.

Wed like to use these.

!

The shop owners eyes widened.

B-rank coupons were typically used by third-year students, yet here were two first-years with not one, but two of them.

Words like sales, performance, and results likely flashed through her mind.

She was already friendly to begin with but her demeanor became even more accommodating as she guided us to a specific section.

The B-rank corner is this way. Is there anything specific youre looking for?

Wed just like to look around for now.

Take your time, and feel free to ask if you have any questions.

Keywords associated with elves and long ears could include archery, wood magic, and nature.

Most of the items in this magic tool shop fell into that category.

They didnt quite match my preference for aggressive magic or Seo Ye-ins inclination towards magic engineering equipment.

Nevertheless, there were items that were universally useful regardless of class.

Lets focus on accessories.

Mhmm.

Now that I narrowed down our focus, I simply observed for the time being.

Choosing for oneself is always ideal.

However, it seemed that Seo Ye-in found this task rather difficult.

She passed by most items and, though she checked the options on a few out of curiosity, she quickly lost interest and put them down.

Eventually, I decided to make a suggestion.

Do you want to go with what I choose?

It seemed better for me to show her one or two items and follow her reactions from there.VIsit n0(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience

Seo Ye-in faced me and then slowly nodded her head up and down.

As soon as we entered the store, I had already identified all the items with decent performance.

Among them, I showed Seo Ye-in one that I thought she would like.

[Vision Collection Glasses]

Collects the vision of random targets within a certain range.

How about this?

Good.

She agreed immediately.

Without even looking at the item properly.

As a test, I showed her the second item I had picked out:

[Concussion Earrings]

Long-range attacks have a certain probability of causing concussion status ailment to the enemy.

[Processed Fairy Wood (B)]

A thick tree branch with a refreshing green color and palm-sized leaves.

[Branch of the World Tree (B)]

A glass bottle that looked like a pretty craft that was filled with translucent gas.

[Blessing of the Fairy Queen (B)]

The items I had chosen seemed quite unexpected to the store owner as she asked,

Its strange. Nobody has been looking for these. What do you plan to do with them?

Im trying to make something with my friends and seniors.

Theyre for crafting then.

The store owner finally nodded her head in understanding.

If its for crafting, it made sense to try out materials that arent commonly used.

Though the ranks were somewhat high for just experimenting, that wasnt her concern as the seller.

After paying with two coupons, I took ownership of the three items chosen from the storage room.

The lady bid us farewell at the door with a parting greeting.

Thank you; please come again.

***

We moved to a relatively quiet area a little away from the bustling streets.

A resting area lined with simple tables.

It was the perfect spot to sit and enjoy the evening air but it was currently deserted.

We found a table and sat across from each other.

I plucked the leaves from the [Branch of the World Tree].

As I did, the vibrant green life force that the branch had held seemed to fall away with the leaves.

Then, Seo Ye-in took them and carefully attached them to the [Processed Fairy Wood].

Here.

Mhmm.

Here.

Mhmm.

Stick them on carefully.

Carefully.

As I detached and Seo Ye-in attached, the fairy wood gradually became densely covered with green leaves, while the branch became increasingly bare.

And the moment the last leaf was removed, the mysterious energy that the branch had contained also vanished.

Now, it was just a piece of slightly better-quality wood.

The value of this B-grade item had plummeted but I didnt care.

I slowly sprinkled the [Blessing of the Fairy Queen] over the leaf-covered fairy wood.

As the leaves absorbed life force, they unfurled silently and bloomed like flower buds coming to life.

But the fairy wood that had been there was nowhere to be seen and was replaced instead by a jewel box that seemed to be crafted from grass and trees.

[Fairy Queens Jewel Box (B+)]

A random box made by combining life-type materials.

It was a B+ rank item which meant it was half a rank higher than anything obtained from the Black Market.

Of course, if that were all there was to it, I would not have risked my luck on a random box even with a B+ rating.

This one has known drop information.

What could come out of it and the approximate chances of each drop were known.

Based on that, there would be no loss unless you were extremely unlucky like Go Hyeon-woo.

And if Seo Ye-in opens it

The outcome could be even more unpredictable.

Still, since I wanted to maximize our chances just in case, I cautiously started a conversation with Seo Ye-in.

You know that card you got earlier

Before I even finished speaking, Seo Ye-in pulled out the [Lucky Trump Card] she had just received from the masked gentleman.

Her eyes questioned whether this was the right place to use it.

When I nodded my head,

Flash!

The trump card emitted a bright light and was absorbed by the jewel box.

The probability of a high-quality item appearing increased and the likelihood of a dud decreased.

Seo Ye-in shifted her gaze between me and the jewel box, then tilted her head slightly and asked,

Open it?

Please, go ahead.

I gently pushed the jewel box forward and Seo Ye-in slowly pulled it toward herself.

After looking down at it for a moment, she opened the jewel box and,

Boom!

Clouds burst forth like an explosion and engulfed the entire area.

********

TN: A Boom! From the accumulated luck is crazy.