The Bleeding effect following a critical hit!
Bleeding not only deals continuous damage but also reduces healing effectiveness, meaning the Blade Magic Fragment would significantly advance Lokan's attack power. This was why Lokan had targeted the tricky Blade Mine Carter among the five variants. Of course, he hadn't expected the item he wanted from the beginning to actually drop.
"I'm really lucky this time."
When he checked the quest window with a happy smile, the Mutated Monster confirmation had changed from to . The original Blade Blade Dangsu monsters didn't even have a defined boss entity.
"I still have to hurry."
The other two types of monsters he was looking for were simpler than this one. Only time was the issue. Since he didn't have the capsule-only suit yet, his access time limit was short. Lokan, who quickly returned to another hunting ground and fulfilled the quest completion condition to , terminated the connection and returned to reality.
"It's like people who can't keep a secret."
Concrete hints on how to get to the 3rd city were already sparsely popping up online. He didn't know who had been caught, but it seemed information had either been carelessly leaked or spread among guilds. With everyone desperately searching for a way to the 3rd city, it wasn't surprising that the method was uncovered.
"There will be more people soon."
The movement method was revealed not only for the Crossroads but also for a number of other regions. While there were some slight differences based on race or starting region, the general movement methods were the same, meaning tertiary city entrants would likely appear soon in the remaining areas.
"I'm glad I'm ready."
Fortunately, he had prepared to meet them in advance. He could widen the gap even further while they repeatedly wasted time and money at his vending machine due to false information.
Lokan searched for some information as he reviewed his next plans, specifically looking for guilds and individuals who were famous in his previous life.
"After all, I can't help it."
Quite a few people advanced to the tertiary city early thanks to the powerful equipment he had spread, but the true leaders were those with top-tier control. While there were some variables, most of those who did well were already moving quickly. Unless they were in the same region, it was not easy to properly disturb them, let alone bring them down with false information alone.
"Is this the beginning?"
In that sense, the real race had just begun. This was the moment for true competition, the time when various races would meet, merge into guilds, create synergy, and grow rapidly. This was when he had to widen the gap.
"I look forward to it."
An excited smile crept across his lips.
After connecting to The Road again, Lokan returned to the Crossroads. He had to organize the items piled up in the vending machine, and he had to pass through the city to head to his next destination.
'You are doing well.'
The shop he found while hiding was already crowded with quite a few people. As if they believed it was the only way, they were hunting the prescribed monsters and selling the by-products. It wasn't intentional, but rumors were circulating that 'doing a lot of trading with shops helps your reputation work.'
Thanks to this, the by-products that made money were piled up, and the consumables that were inflated to several times the market price had been considerably reduced. After taking out and restocking the items, Lokan ran out and headed straight to the east.
'Everyone is here.'
The last variant was a herd of Murlocs that inhabited the seashore. They were fish-like mutants, but were strangely divided into two classes: Shaman and Rogue. It was a combination that didn't readily match, but it was precisely why they were tricky.
If you rushed in to defeat the Shaman, who fired various curses and enchantments, you would be stabbed by a stealth Murloc Rogue. This could have been more difficult than the Blade Dangs, but Lokan had a certain point of trust.
'Blessing of the Half-Spirit. Without this, it would have been difficult.'
The Anti-Spirit's Blessing increased all elemental defenses by . This did not mean adding to his magical defense stat; it was equivalent to reducing the enemy's magical attack power by . Since maximum magical defense was , and reaching that was nearly impossible in his previous life, this elemental defense was a significant boost. It meant Lokan would only take about damage even if he was hit by magic with his bare body.
"Let's see…"
Reaching the front of the Murloc habitat, Lokan first checked the terrain. The Murloc habitat, a popular mid-level hunting ground, had a fixed basic topography but fluctuating elements.
"Are six confirmed at once?"
He was looking for 'Giant Clams' that the Murlocs were farming. Murloc habitats were classified into Shipwrecks and Farms. The Shipwrecks contained 'Treasure Boxes' that randomly dropped normal to rare grade items, while the Farms contained Giant Clams that dropped 'Mana Pearls'.
It was the Giant Clams that made Lokan's eyes light up. While the Treasure Chests were good, the Giant Clams had a high probability of dropping expensive Mana Pearls, and a low chance of dropping an item called Five-Colored Pearls. Mana Pearls, used as gems and crafting materials, were valuable, but crushing the Five-Colored Pearls and sprinkling the powder had the effect of temporarily increasing attribute defense. Besides selling them, they were highly useful as a combat aid.
'If I get enough Five-Colored Pearls… I might be able to break through there too.'
That was the real reason Lokan was aiming for the pearls: the Secret Dungeon of the Crossroads that could only be attacked by increasing attribute defense! He knew the location, but the magic damage was too burdensome, so he was preparing for that secret dungeon.
"First, I have to catch the clam spots."
Although the number of Giant Clams was small and their positions appeared randomly, this was not a major concern. He was the only user hunting here right now, and their regeneration speed wasn't slow. If he could manage the Murlocs stably, he could efficiently farm them. The goal was to move in a loop, killing Murlocs and Giant Clams within the circulation.
"I don't have to go into the water."
The problem was that many of the Giant Clams were half-submerged. He would have to swim to get to them, and being in the water, where his movement was restricted, would leave him vulnerable to the Murloc Shaman. So Lokan lightly skipped the submerged Clams. Given the regeneration speed, he could hunt repeatedly without pause even if he didn't aim for all of them. Lokan scoped out an area on the beach and moved toward it.
He also put on one more ragged vest, which he had made using his Mechanical Engineering skill.
[Ragged Machine Vest] [Superior]
A mechanical vest that protects against an enemy's physical attack only once. When any attack is hit, it blocks and destroys it instead.
-Defends one attack below a certain level
– Automatic destruction when the effect is activated
It was an item that cost dozens of silver just for the material, but Lokan didn't spare the effort. He needed to raise his Mechanical Engineering proficiency, and the Murloc Rogue's attack power was intimidating. Even a single attack could seriously wound Lokan.
'But it's different if you have a little bit of time.'
However, it was a different story if he was given time to block an attack and react. He could use a guard, suppress them with Force, or use Berserk to deal with whatever came his way.
[Tainted Murloc Shaman] [Lv 141]
"Leaf Attack, Fatal Blow!"
Lokan jumped to where the monsters were hiding in stealth, a whopping 20 or more levels above him. He focused his power and smashed the Murloc Shaman on the top of its head.
Kag!
The Shaman's head, like a rotten fish, was instantly severed. Since the damage boosted by his combination skill was already applied to casters with low vitality, it was a one-shot kill, despite the level difference of over 30.
Knuckle!
But he couldn't be complacent. The moment the Shaman's head exploded, a Murloc Rogue burst out of hiding from behind. A small but sharp dagger cut through the air, aiming for Lokan's neck.
"Huh!"
Lokan reacted quickly. He took a light turn and slammed the Murloc Rogue. Since the distance was too close, he swung the handle of his axe like a blunt weapon.
Kwok!
The side of the Murloc Rogue's head was crushed instantly. Its eyeballs protruded, and it spewed mucus from its mouth, but it was still breathing. Lokan's expression hardened, and he stomped his foot.
"Strike!"
The power increase from his skill didn't just apply to his hands and weapon. Lokan stomped on the crushed head of the Murloc Rogue with his full weight. He briefly swung his Battle Axe, flattening and splitting the area between its fixed head and torso.
Knuckle! Knuckle!
Then, three more Murloc Rogues attacked simultaneously. Since this was a hunting ground no one had entered yet, the number of monsters on the field was abundant.
"Guard!"
It was intimidating to be attacked by multiple rogues in stealth, but Lokan responded calmly. He adopted a guard stance, striking one dagger with his left arm and blocking another with his right hand holding the Battle Axe.
[The Ragged Mechanical Vest has been destroyed by the Murloc Rogue.]
The last attack hit his body. He hadn't expected to use the vest already, but it was worth it considering the Murloc Rogue's focus on one-shot attacks. Crucially, that last attack was its combination skill: the Curse of the Deep Sea. If he were to be afflicted by this skill, which overlapped and reduced the enemy's stats with each dagger stab, his hunting would be greatly hindered.
'The best thing is that it doesn't hit at all.'
Lokan used the resulting gap to activate his new skill, intending to dispatch the three attackers at once.
"Twist Attack!"
Force had been activated the moment the battle started. The Murlocs were swept away by the vortex of power, their bodies torn and howling. He didn't stop after the first room, continuing to turn three full revolutions to use the excess power.
"Whoa."
None of the Murlocs that attacked him were in good shape. Their bodies were ovulated, or they were barely holding on with at least one arm limp.
"It's soggy!"
Lokan wielded his Battle Axe to finish them all. If they weren't the weak Shaman and Rogue classes, he might have had a lot more trouble. As their level rose, their stamina had also increased significantly, making a one-shot kill difficult without a critical hit. Of course, a well-placed critical hit would melt them instantly.
"Then let's see."
After confirming there were no more attacks, Lokan calmly stood in front of the Giant Clam.
'Five-Colored Pearls, Five-Colored Pearls…'
He opened the huge mouth to see what was inside.
"Damn."
He found nothing in the clam. No Five-Colored Pearls, not even Mana Pearls. Lokan's expression wrinkled. When did he say he was lucky, anyway?
[Nothing found.]
The moment he thought this, a translucent window appeared in front of his eyes.
[Finding the Traces of the Lion King] [Quest]
The Lion King's sealed helmet sensed some kind of power. Let's find it and reveal it.
Completion conditions:
compensation: