by Yoo Seong
But what Ark had experienced was still less than 1 out of 100 of New World.
Ark keenly realized this truth after he crossed a hill.
“Oh……!”
His exclamation naturally burst out.
Endless unfurled plains before a towering citadel city that rose into the sky. The truth that a building made of black stones could be so beautiful was simply shocking. But the Harun Village NPCs had said that Jackson Castle was not such a big city in New World.
‘It’s unbelievable, but that must mean that there are cities that are bigger and more awesome than this.’
After thinking that thought, his heart fluttered like a youth’s.
Anyway, he’d finally parted from the beginner area and had arrived at the real meaning of a city.
When he went into the castle, it wasn’t as beautiful as he’d thought from what he’d seen outside. But the castle was overflowing with vitality.
Now when it came to writing someone off as a beginner from the people there were users at level 50~60, and the streets that couldn’t be compared to the ones in Harun Village were chock full of crowds. The reason was that there were numerous unexplored dungeons left in the area around Jackson Castle.
“For those who’d enjoy warmth and coziness, please come to Hades Guild.”
“If you’re a valiant warrior who wants to experience the battlefield, to Black Axe Guild!”
“The best priced rods, selling at the minimum price! ‘Tis Nook’s Stall.”
“Those who need a mercenary, please contact me.”
He heard shouts from every direction. The bulletin boards laid on every street corner publicized guilds and shops, and the boards were pasted full of flyers for getting parties.
With stalls covered with items strewn about on the ground it wasn’t even easy for people to walk. Having spent over twenty days in the carefree and quiet Harun Village, Ark had unintentionally become a hick and could not adapt easily.
Besides the unexplored dungeons, what made Jackson Castle this bustling was that the NPCs related to job changing and the NPCs associated with guilds were all gathered here.
The guilds were an extremely important element in the game.
If many beginners gathered they could even gain more information, and they were very helpful when trying to accomplish difficult requests. That’s why every guild representative’s eyes were lit up in order to procure even just one more high-level user. But Ark had no thoughts of joining a guild.
The first reason was his deep-rooted mistrust of users. The second was that even if he sometimes forgot, his motivation for playing the game was different from other users. To Ark, New World wasn’t simply a game, but an employment exam. It’d be tough to needlessly join a guild and waste time doing useless things.
What Ark was interested in was the job change possible from level 15.
It was the biggest reason why users flocked to Jackson Castle after reaching level 15.
In New World, there were twelve broad classes of jobs.
Warrior, Archer, Magician, Thief, Priest and so on… and if you went into details there were several branches included in each class of job. So one would do up to 2 or 3 job changes.
“Stat.”
Character Name
Ark
Race
Human
Alignment
None
Fame
150
Level
16
Profession
None
Title
Mouse Hunter
Health
360
Mana
100
Strength
67
Agilitiy
77 (+2)
Stamina
67
Wisdom
16
Intelligence
17
Luck
17
Equipment Effects
Sharply Shining Sword: Attack speed +5
Black Bear Mouse Leather Armor: Agility +2, Cold Resistance +20
Though they were meager stats, if meager at all, but considering that he was level 16, they were at a decent level.
If you just looked at his stats, his wisdom and intelligence were too low for him to choose a profession in the magic division. The jobs that matched him were combat-related; up until now Ark had mostly done combat, so he’d unconsciously poured all his stats in Strength, Agility, and Stamina.
‘Should I just use this chance to job change to a Warrior?’
Even if they were the same level 15, the difference between a character that had job changed and one that hadn’t was enormous.
If he changes profession, he would learn new skills that were particular to the job, and a lot of bonus stats would be added. In addition, if he did the job change quest, he would acquire the matching branch of that Profession.
It was truly like turning over a new leaf!
But Ark shook his head.
‘I don’t even know the job characteristics properly yet…’
Ark hadn’t seen any scenes of job-changed users fighting yet.
Although he could basically see the characteristics of the classified jobs just by looking at their names, there were slight differences between each game.
What skills would form, what skills he couldn’t learn if he job changed, he had to meticulously consider them and make a decision. It wasn’t a matter he could just choose based on his mood without personally experiencing them.
‘In New World, Ark is my one and only alter ego. I’ve gotta choose carefully.’
If it was another game he could job change and if he didn’t like it he could just raise a new one. But there was only one chance to choose in New World. There could be no limit to his cautiousness.
‘Okay, for now I’ll hunt with Jackson Castle as my base and watch job-changed users. ‘Cause right now I’ve got other things to do too.’
Ark opened his bag and looked over the slate with an affectionate glance.
It was the Mysterious Slate that the demon mouse had watched over. When Ark looked at the slate, he sank into a feeling of delight. Ark had earned many benefits simply from the journey to find this slate.
He’d earned 12 bonus stats, and he’d learned Survival Cooking for free. On top of that, he’d earned 2 of the enchanted equips that were difficult to see at his level. It was enjoyable to simply entertain the thoughts of what other benefits this linked quest might bring him.
‘For that I’ll have to meet Viscount Haverstein first.’
Ark went and found the Lord’s castle with hurried steps.
“What do you need?”
As he’d been wandering about as a hillbilly wrapped in some kind of animal leather, the guard glared at him.
Well, it was a virtual reality game, so he’d expected that response.
“I have come to meet Viscount Haverstein-nim.”
“What? You mean the Lord?”
“Yes, if you show him this he will probably meet with me.”
Ark pulled out the parchment he’d discovered in the cave.
The guard shot him a doubtful glance and went into the castle. After about 10 minutes had passed, he ran back outside along with a man. He was a middle-aged knight with a bushy bearded face. Seeing as he was wearing modest chain mail, it looked like he wasn’t Viscount Haverstein.
The middle-aged knight introduced himself as Cross, the General of Defense in charge of the castle’s guards. Once Ark also introduced himself simply, Cross asked with an urgent voice.
“Alright, Ark. Were you the one who discovered this parchment?”
“Yes.”
“Did you by any chance discover some strange item near the place where the parchment was?”
“I discovered it.”
Ark quickly took out the slate from his bag and showed it to Cross.
Cross blew out the breath he’d been holding.
“I don’t know whether I shou
ld call this the guidance of God, or the devil’s prank.”
“What do you mean?”
“That slate is an item Viscount Haverstein-nim has been searching for a long time. However, none of the people he sent to find the slate have returned.”
“What is this slate for?”
“I don’t know the details either. I only know that it’s connected to the ruins that were discovered near this territory. As the years passed and its whereabouts couldn’t be found, Viscount Haverstein gave up on the slate in the end. And then he struck off for the ruins while leading the Slyphid Knights. But for the slate to appear after the Viscount left…”
Cross clasped Ark’s hand tightly and requested.
“If it’s okay, can’t you personally deliver the slate to the Viscount? If you hurry and follow him now, you might be able to catch the Viscount before he arrives at the ruins.”
At the same time, the quest name was updated to ‘Secret of the Slate = Secret of the Slate II’. The content was about meeting Haverstein, who had left for the ruins that held a connection to the slate.
‘Wahahaha, this is it. I’ve been waiting for something like this.’
As a spark fizzed into Ark’s mind, the formula of ‘quest + dungeon = huge treasure’ arose.
There was no reason to hesitate. Ark quickly nodded. Cross gave him a horse and 2 soldiers.
No matter how busy he was, he had to take care of some business before he left. Ark found the blacksmith, had all his equipment repaired, and mounted the horse. But it was impossible for Ark, who organized a mart warehouse in reality, to have ever ridden a horse.
“Eehuk, eeeeeuhhh!”
Thinking since it’s a game, it should work out somehow, was a mistake.
Before he was able to go a few kilometers he rolled and fell off the horse five times. He paled beside the soldiers, who held the reins of Ark’s horse for him.
“Put your strength in your thighs and lay flat on the back of your horse. We shall guide the horse.”
« o »
“Can’t, can’t we rest a little before we go?”
“If we were to follow and catch the Viscount before he arrives at the ruins, there is not a moment to be lost. Giddy up!”
‘Damn it, I’m sayin’ I’ll DIE before we arrive!’
Though his stomach churned, there was nothing good about (antagonizing) the NPCs who were affiliated with the lord’s castle.
Despite that, for the sake of the new skill he had learned, he had to endure.
- Riding skill has risen by 3. Horse riding is a little bit easier.
The Riding skill that formed when he was about to hurl (went up by 3 when the urge to spring away penetrated his lower back and he desperately restrained himself.) After that Ark was able to straighten his back and hold the reins himself. And so after a day and a night of spurring the horses on like crazy, the hazy shape of the ruins appeared.
Thankfully it seemed like they weren’t late, as the sight of the Slyphid Knights gathered at the ruin entrance came into view.
Ark and the soldiers he’d come together with got off their horses and ran over.
“My Lord, we found the slate!”
“What?”
The person who turned his head was a noble of approximately sixty years of age.
His coarse, white hair fell to his shoulders, and his face looked blue from lack of oxygenation. But his eyes shined with a penetrating light. This was precisely Viscount Haverstein.
With a dignified gait, he approached Ark.
“Are you the traveler who brought the slate? Can you show me?”
“Yes.”
“There is no doubt. This is exactly the slate I was looking for.”
After Ark pulled out the slate for him, Haverstein looked over it with squinted, trembling eyes for a long while.He needed a very long time before he was able to turn his eyes on Ark again.
“You probably cannot even imagine what a huge help your good deed has become for me. The rule is that good deeds have a price. Therefore, I, Haverstein, have a responsibility to reward your pains. Say what you desire. If it is the request of a man of your merit, I will listen to anything.”
Starlight rustled and fell from Ark’s pupils.
He could finally receive the reward he’d waited and waited for.
And that he would listen to anything!
‘Should I ask for a magic item? Or should I ask for money?’
As Ark agonized over this and that, he belatedly discovered something strange. Then he noticed the cleverly hidden trap in the words of Haverstein’s quest.
“It’s a request appropriate of my merit?”
Thinking carefully about it, it was a peerlessly ambiguous statement.
Though Haverstein had said ‘anything’, the condition ‘appropriate of merit’ was attached. In the end that meant there was a upper limit. But since the merit wasn’t simply put out in numbers, he couldn’t know what the limit was. Then what method could he use to guess the upper limit?
‘It’s the difficulty!’
Ark opened the quest window and checked it. The difficulty was G. From what he’d experience so far, this kind of difficulty would only earn him a reward of 1 gold at most, or a follow-up item.
‘Is that all I can earn with this quest?’
His feeling of excitement disappeared and was replaced by dismay.
To obtain the slate, he’d had to kill hundreds of mice and defeat the demon mouse. He’d raced the horse to meet Haverstein to the point where his back had almost broken. But the reward was just 1 gold?
Then yet another question rose in Ark’s mind.
‘Is pulling out this slate truly the end? But then why did the General of Defense send me all the way here? He could have just used the soldiers. And the quest says to meet Haverstein, but there’s nothing written about giving him the slate. That’s right, this is a branched quest!”
A branched quest was one that changed based on the user’s choice.
At the end of many inferences, Ark was sure that this was a branched quest. A different quest related to the slate. In other words, the way to obtain the real reward that Ark wanted was different.
Ark suddenly raised his head and replied.
“What I desire is to go into the ruins with the Viscount.”
“What? You can’t do that!”
“Why do you say that? Since I brought the slate that’s related to the ruins, I think I’m qualified enough. Did the Viscount not promise a reward appropriate for my merits after all?”
“Do you not know? I’m saying this for your own good. That ruin is not just a commonplace dungeon. This is the lair where the devil incarnate is holed up in. I can’t drag in a civilian like you inside that place!”
“Are you breaking the promise that you yourself made?”
Ark pressed Haverstein with a sharp voice.
One should always maintain a good relationship with the NPCs. That was Ark’s ironbound principle. But it was a different matter if there was an even greater profit on the line.
There were many ways to re-raise intimacy that had fallen, but there were no ways to get back a quest item that he’d failed to hold onto. Whether the NPC was a Lord or a Viscount, if it was necessary he would even go into a head-on clash to obtain the profit.
“You’re really… guk, cough, cough!”
Haverstein, who had been glaring at Ark, suddenly fell to one knee as he vomited blood.
“My Lord!”
The soldiers who’d been in the area urgently rushed over. But there was a person who rushed and helped Haverstein quicker than they. It was Ark.
“Please leave him to me. I have a lot of experience in taking care of patients.”
As he quickly used the Nursing skill, the color returned to Haverstein’s face.
Ark spoke as he furtively smiled.
“You seem deeply ill. To explore the ruins with a body like this… and isn’t it true that there aren’t any people here who kno
w how to take care of a patient?”
“I don’t need a caretaker or whatever. Cough, cough!”
“No, I can see the state of a patient. You will not be able to walk, let alone swing a sword, like this. Surely you do not wish to become baggage to your subordinates by flaunting your pride?”
“How-however….”
“Please give me permission to nurse you, my Lord. No, you must do so. I too am merely a caretaker. I cannot just leave a patient and walk away.”
Ark spoke with a resolute expression.
Haverstein heaved a sigh.
It was a sigh acknowledging his defeat.
When the ringing sound of drumbeats followed,Ark was sure that his choice had been the right one.
Quest has been updated.Secret of the Slate II = Secret of the Slate III You must explore the ruin with Viscount Haverstein to uncover the secret of the slate.
Term for quest failure: If Viscount Haverstein dies, you will automatically lose the quest.
Difficulty:+E
« o »
“Attack, sweep away the accursed monsters!”
“Ooohhaaaahhh!”
Over 50 Sylphid Knights stampeded and bravely swung swords and maces.
The Gargoyles and Goblins obstructing their way jumped out, explosively. Then, in the hands of the Magicians, flames burst out and turned the passageway into an inferno. The Goblins swallowed in the path of fire let out horrible shrieks and crawled out, but what was waiting for them was a baptism of swords and maces.
Clearing scores of monsters didn’t even take 10 minutes.
Ark was watching the battle with surprised eyes.
‘Strong.’
Two days had passed since they had entered the ruin.
The insides of the ruin was tangled with complicated, maze-like paths, so it was impossible to distinguish the path, or be aware of the direction. And every time they went around a corner, an incredible number of monsters charged at them. However, they were no match for the Sylphid Knights.
They were knights that the lord had personally led here. Even their equipment was on a different level from ordinary soldiers. They were Knights armed with shining armor and weapons. And their related skills must be at an extremely high level, because they were able to defend every attack with their shields, and whenever they swung their swords, fatal blows were dealt.