Be true to your desires.
"…And done! The gate between Fosfosie and Rabbits is linked, Pepper-han," Aitoile announced.
In a secluded Fosfosie alley, Aitoile emerged from Pepper's cloak, opening a gate to Rabbits.
"Thanks, Aitoile. Once we're there, open one to Secandil," Pepper said.
"Pepper-han, it's 'that thing,' isn't it?" Aitoile asked, tilting her head.
"Well… yeah. After hearing that, I can't just sit still," Pepper replied.
He recalled the weapon shop smith's words minutes ago: specific mineral items could evolve the Madness Breaker into three distinct growth forms.
"I never imagined the Madness Breaker could have multiple evolutions," Pepper said, a manic grin spreading. "Hearing that, how could I not want to collect them all? Full completion's the only way!"
A retro gamer who obsessively cleared games 100%, including every collectible, Pepper's eyes gleamed with fervor. His gamer soul screamed: Gather them all, evolve them all, push them to their ultimate limits!
"What's a little traumatic mining? I'll dump all my points into Luck, dig up every spot in the Marshland of Toil, craft two Madness Breakers, and evolve them into every form!" he declared.
No sooner said than done, he pulled an MP Potion from his inventory, handed it to Aitoile, and dumped all 10 remaining stat points into Luck. Checking the Lock-on Breaker Secret Blueprint+, he memorized the materials needed for a single Madness Breaker, mentally charting quantities.
"Do it, Pepper! Gather materials for two Madness Breakers today, collect the specified minerals tomorrow, and evolve every form!" he hyped himself.
"Pepper-han, you're on fire… like the summer sun!" Aitoile said, eyeing the dark aura and blazing gamer spirit radiating from him, her expression a mix of awe and unease.
Back at Rabbits' Rabbit Palace, Pepper darted through a gate to Secandil's alleys, layering Accel and High Beat to sprint toward his destination. He returned to the nostalgic Marshland of Toil, where he'd once grinded Mad Frogs for pelts and mined for the Marsh Dagger, Marsh Hammer, and Madness Breaker.
While High Beat's stamina penalty lingered, he hid in the shadows of rocks, the evening's cool breeze mingling with the marsh's dusk. Ensuring no players were nearby, he concealed his Madness Breaker under his Traveler's Cloak, equipped it in his left hand, and began mining.
(Stay calm… stay calm… Mining's all about a clear mind. The greed sensor's the enemy. Keep your heart steady…)
Crafting a single Madness Breaker required five Marsh Bounty Rocks, the rarest mineral in the Marshland of Toil. Other materials like Marsh Coffin Fossils, Gray Steel, and Silver Steel were also needed in bulk. Normally, hunting Garock Worms for Lock-on Breaker materials and upgrading them here was cheaper, but Pepper's Lycaon's Curse Marking made monsters below his level flee. The Garock Worm, deep in Fasteia's early-game mines, would likely sense the curse and bolt before he could engage.
(Be empty, yet fervent. Detours, side paths, long routes—all are my path. The greed sensor's nothing to fear!)
The Madness Breaker hummed as Rush activated. Pepper hammered the mining point with relentless focus, striking with unyielding precision. His Luck investment, enhanced stamina, upgraded skills, and Explorer's Child background meshed like gears, generating immense momentum.
He exhausted one mining point, inspected the yields, crushed some for Madness Breaker's durability recovery, and moved to the next, repeating the cycle.
(Dual-wielding hammers would speed this up… but let's accept what is and move on.)
Regret paved no paths; past failures fueled future success. With what he had, he'd do what he could. Silently, he mined, his inner fire burning as he cleared point after point.
Another player noticed him and approached, but—
"Sorry, I'm busy with important work. Don't interrupt," Pepper snapped, his silent intensity shooing them away.
By 9 p.m. in the real world, after hours of marathon mining in the Marshland of Toil, Pepper secured 11 Marsh Bounty Rocks and a haul of byproducts. Returning to Rabbits, he ended his Shangri-La Frontier session.
Dinner, too late to cook, was a convenience store bento and vegetable juice.
The next day, with no university lectures or work shifts, Pepper logged into Shangri-La Frontier, waking in the Rabbit Palace's lounge. Aitoile was absent, but the blacksmith Bilac stood tall, arms crossed.
"Finally, Pepper! Took you long enough—I came to you. I was tired of waiting," Bilac huffed.
"Hey, Bilac-san," Pepper greeted, rising.
With a snort, Bilac approached. "Your Marsh Hammer and Vorpal Sledge are fully repaired. And… that 'thing' you requested? Done."
Bilac transferred the repaired hammers to Pepper's inventory, then revealed a stunning piece of gear: greaves gleaming with iron-like luster, tipped with sturdy, sharp Quad Beetle horns, and bandages studded with conical needles glowing ominously.
Crafted from Quad Beetle's durable carapace and iconic horns, the greaves could repel any attack and deliver devastating kicks. The bandages, infused with Empire Bee Queen's lethal venom, turned close-range knee strikes into a deadly hidden blade.
"Using Quad Beetle and Empire Bee Queen materials, shaped by your idea, I present Master Bilac's custom Gand Legs! Behold… Expyde Warlegs!" Bilac roared.
"Hell yeah! That's so badass!" Pepper shouted, ecstatic.
Bushikatzo's Lielle had used the Rejector Armor, but Pepper never imagined it could evolve into this. Eager to equip it, he was halted by a quiz-show buzzer and a message: "Cannot equip due to insufficient stats."
Beside it, the requirements read: Level 35+, Strength 70, Skill 50. His joy plummeted into despair.
Detours and Side Paths, the Essence of Gaming
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