Chapter 227: The Most Beautiful One
"Did I hear incorrectly? The color of your clothing?!!" Bluebird shouted. He thought his ears had played a trick on him. There was no way this absurdly trivial matter would be Lomyok"s problem.
"No, you heard me correctly. Which one do you think is better? The blue one will give of the atmosphere of being calm and collected, but the red one will let me seem wild and rousing. I really can"t choose." Lomyok pointed his fan at the two Fairy Queens. His face told the team that he was serious.
"Can I kill him? He is too annoying, and I can"t take it anymore." Bluebird started rolling his sleeves up, but he was stopped from doing anything else by Sila.
"What exactly is going on?" asked Sila.
The three newcomers were on guard against the Fairy Queens, but both of them seemed to only care about glaring at each other. They didn"t pay attention to Sila"s group at all
Lomyok coughed once. "Ahem. The story begins with me entering this exact cave, in which I discovered a beautiful lady sleeping. I didn"t want to waste my time waiting, so I turned off the clock on my screen. I heard from you guys that the time will go faster this way—"
"So you were the one at fault," Bluebird complained. If someone were to completely shut off the clock, it was understandable that the time would flow extremely fast like it did.
Lomyok didn"t mind Bluebird"s complaint and continued. "...Soon enough, she woke up. I quickly explained my intention to acquire clothing made by her. I also handed her the Soul Crystal according to the tale—"
"Mister Lomyok, do you have the Soul Crystal?" Burapha interrupted. Soul Crystals were rare and expensive. They had a very specific use, however, so they weren"t popular.
Lomyok nodded. He showed everyone the Soul Crystal in his system window. It was a transparent stone with two souls within that kept spinning around in circles.
"I got my hands on it long ago. It"s pretty so I always keep it with me. According to the legend, I have to give the Soul Crystal to the Fairy Queen in order to obtain the clothing made by her."
Bluebird nodded. The legend indeed stated that. It was unexpected that Lomyok was this well-prepared.
In fact, Sila also had one Soul Crystal in his treasure room. It dropped from the Snow Dragon Dorolia. Still, it was thanks to his Greed Card which fraudulently increased the drop rate of all items that he got his hands on it. Part of him wondered where Lomyok got one from.
Lomyok tossed the Soul Crystal in his hand up and down. "...Then, there was a system notification telling me I got a hidden quest named "The Queen"s Masterpiece". Next, the Fairy Queen emitted a bright light and split into two as you can see."
"That was all?" Bluebird was disappointed. "What does it have to do with the color though?"
"...After that, I asked the fairy in front of this cave what I needed to do, and she replied "You must choose". She repeatedly told me this, so I was sure that I must choose the color, either red or blue. I couldn"t decide so I went to ask both Fairy Queens which color would suit me the best. From then on, the two of them began fighting."
Sila frowned. "How can you be so sure that the quest is about you choosing the color of the clothing?" Having heard what happened, Sila couldn"t link the situation to the clothing"s color at all.
"Aha!! In this kind of situation, what can be more important than the color that would best fit my beautiful body? Well, it"s also a first for me, seeing someone command their subordinates to kill their former allies just to choose which color I wear," Lomyok said proudly.
Sila decided to ignore Lomyok"s haughty remarks. He continued with his questions. "What else do you know? Do you know how to accomplish the quest?"
Bluebird dismissed the discussion. "Oi, oi. No need for that. You, come with us first. Once we exit the kingdom, you are free to return and proceed with your quest."
Lomyok waved his fan leisurely. "I will have to decline. I, the embodiment of handsomeness, don"t like being forced to take action. Moreover, if I exit this kingdom before I finish the quest, it will count as a failure. I won"t allow that to happen."
Bluebird could no longer tolerate Lomyok. He imbued lightning magic power in his hand and intended to paralyze Lomyok before carrying him out of the kingdom. Unfortunately, Lomyok was quicker. His eyes showed a glimpse of playfulness as he slammed Bluebird"s wrist using his fan. Then, he waved his fan to blow Bluebird away. His actions were so fast that even Sila couldn"t help Bluebird in time.
"Some ladies also like to charge at me. Well, this is my first time receiving such admiration from a man. Most of them only send me gazes of envy from a distance," Lomyok said nonchalantly.
Lomyok"s casual defense forced the three to rea.s.sess Lomyok"s ability yet again. His speed was on par with Sila, and that was why Sila couldn"t react in time if Lomyok acted first. It was due to Qi of Little Fish having been infused in his body. With it, in melee range, Lomyok could move agilely and precisely. In addition, he could rely on his Gorgeous Female Fan to strengthen his insignificant attack power and send Bluebird flying without bringing him any harm. His control over qi was even greater than Sila"s.
Bluebird felt ashamed. It wasn"t like he had looked down on Lomyok. However, he always saw Lomyok being charged at by his female fan club without fighting back, so he didn"t think Lomyok was that competent. Unbeknownst to him, Lomyok had a personal rule, which was to never harm a woman. Because of this, even if it meant dying, he refused to use his qi against his fan club.
Sila noticed a flash of qi aura in Lomyok"s eyes but it didn"t emit from his body. That meant Lomyok possessed Qi Concealment. Not only had Qi of Little Fish and Recovering Qi been infused in his body, but Lomyok"s previous attack also showed the power of Worlds Crossing Bridge and Cruise Breeze. Sila couldn"t tell which of the other qi techniques Lomyok possessed.
Lomyok"s weakness was his low rank, resulting in his low stats. Nevertheless, the undead race had no vital spots. With Lomyok"s flawless movements, he would be able to avoid most of the powerful attacks while using Gorgeous Female Fan to defend himself against the rest. Moreover, if he got a chance, he could deal a decisive blow to his enemies using the Elegant Male Chinese Sword. Still, Lomyok always had his everlasting playful smile on his face. No one was able to tell what was really on his mind.
This was the first time Sila encountered someone whose true strength was indiscernible, who had a unique fighting style with no clear weaknesses.
Lomyok folded his fan and turned to Bluebird. "By the way... why do you want to drag me out?"
Finding there was still room to talk without conflict, Burapha explained. "The thing is, all four of us have to exit this kingdom together."
"Mn.... Is that so?" Lomyok finally gave it his thought. "In that case, back to the main topic, red or blue?"
It seemed Lomyok would never leave this place before getting his hands on the clothing. Therefore, Sila decided to help him solve the problem. If Lomyok were to quit playing and get serious at fighting them, Sila was unsure whether he could subdue him without killing, not to mention he didn"t want to resort to violence. As a result, the quickest way for them to get out of this place was to help Lomyok get the item he desired and leave together.
"If we pick the color, what do we have to do next?" asked Sila.
"It said that I have to bathe the Soul Crystal in the blood of the most beautiful one in order to acquire the clothing I desire," replied Lomyok.
Bluebird walked back to the rest. Even without speaking, just looking at his eyes showed that he was still angry at Lomyok for humiliating him. He inspected the two Fairy Queens. However, except for the color, they shared the exact same appearance.
"They completely resemble each other."
"Well, they did split apart from the one body," Lomyok said while shrugging. He unfolded his fan and explained the characteristics of the fairy race that he had discovered through research.
"Fairies are magic-type monsters. Each of them possesses two souls in one body, granting them the ability to wield two contrasting magic abilities. The fairy race is popular among magic type players who specialize in techniques. Well, that"s not important. The important thing is that fairies are kind and beautiful, both in body and mind. The legendary clothing knitted using one of the Fairy Queen"s souls is transcendentally beautiful and possesses mysterious magic power. It is rumored that the clothing"s beauty is eternal with the power of the Ancient Magic she wields."
Burapha shrugged. "Since the two of them are the spitting images of each other, how about we just pick one and be done with it?"
Lomyok shook his head. "The legend said I need to choose the most beautiful one. It"s clearly the difference in color."
Bluebird released a sigh of contempt and spoke sarcastically. "It"s easy. Kill whoever you think is the most beautiful and dye the crystal with their blood. Oh? Don"t you always say that you are the most elegant one? How about stabbing yourself to death? This ridiculous quest will finally come to an end that way."
Unexpectedly, Lomyok couldn"t tell that Bluebird was being sarcastic. He folded his fan and snapped his fingers. "You are right!! Aside from me, who can possibly be the most beautiful one? Truly, thank you."
Lomyok walked in between the two Fairy Queens. The Soul Crystal was in his left hand while he transformed the fan in his right hand into a Chinese sword.
"Oi, oi. He won"t be serious about that, right? I just—" Bluebird was cut off when Lomyok slashed his wrist and his blood poured onto the Soul Crystal.
The trio leaped forward to try and help. However, an invisible barrier blocked them from approaching Lomyok. It was a barrier that didn"t belong to anyone. It seemed the system decided that the trio could only be spectators in the event that was unfolding.
The Soul Crystal continued to suck Lomyok"s blood. As a result, the previously transparent crystal was now a dark red. Lomyok"s face became noticeably paler. His rank was only Squire. Losing this much blood could be lethal.
Once the blood filled the crystal, Lomyok raised it up above his hand and declared, "No one is more beautiful than me!! This is it—the Soul Crystal which was bathed in the blood of the most beautiful one!! Take it!"
Lomyok collapsed on the ground, but the crystal remained fixed in the air. Both Fairy Queens gave Lomyok a gentle look before combining back into one. The fused Fairy Queen extended her hand and the crystal flew onto it. Once the crystal landed on her hand, the blood in it dissolved and its color turned pure white.
The Fairy Queen began to speak. Her voice was so dreamy and captivating. It bewitched those who listened and put them into a daze.
"Dear beautiful traveler, you sacrificed yourself for others and you held no greed for the treasure. You refused to kill others for your own personal gain. If there is someone worthy of being called the most beautiful, it can only be you-who is beautiful both in body and mind."
"...Of course. You don"t have to tell me something so obvious." Even when he was suffering from major blood loss, Lomyok still continued to praise himself.
"All of the previous travelers always intended to kill me for their own good. Only you chose this path. Only you are worthy of wearing the Queen"s Spirit Raiment."
"...Obviously, since it was born for me." Lomyok struggled to stand up. He recovered his vitality by circulating Recovering Qi while drinking a medium-grade Health Potion for Ladies through a straw. (The normal variation has to be gobbled, which was too unstylish for Lomyok.)
The Queen gave him a warm smile and a slow nod. The crystal transformed into a thread ball and flew to envelop Lomyok"s body. The thread was as beautiful as crystals and glowed like the souls previously held within. After a short period of time, the clothing was finished. It perfectly fit Lomyok"s body. The clothing was green like jade, and gave off an elegant aura that was stunningly captivating.
"With the power of the Ancient Magic in my possession, the wearer of this clothing shall become incomparably beautiful. However, it comes with a price. The attacks you receive when you are wearing it will become five times more harmful than usual."
Sila, Burapha, and Bluebird gaped. No matter how attractive this clothing was, by wearing it, one would die easily.
Surprisingly, Lomyok didn"t let out a single sound that expressed discontent. He inspected his new clothing with pleasure. "These clothes are indeed peerlessly beautiful. Honestly, I wouldn"t mind even if the damage was increased to ten times the normal amount."
Once again, the Queen smiled and nodded. "You are truly a traveler devoid of greed. Upon hearing its downside, others would argue. However, you didn"t. Your heart is exceptionally beautiful."
Lomyok had never shied away from praise. He puffed his chest up confidently. "That"s true."
The Fairy Queen smiled. "I apologize for my previous behavior. I was just testing you. If you showed even a tiny bit of dissatisfaction, the clothing would indeed have that downside. However, since you praised it from the bottom of your heart—"
The clothing on Lomyok"s body emitted a warm aura. "From now on, you won"t have to fear energy oppression, curses, illusion, or poison. In addition, with the power of my Ancient Magic, all low-tier magic spells can"t cause you harm while mid-tier magic spells shall be half as effective against you."
Bluebird, as the magic-type player, immediately realized the fraudulence of this clothing. His mouth opened even wider.
Magic spells ranged from low-tier to high-tier. The tier of the spell directly affected casting time and power. The prominent point of low-tier spells was that they were chantless and required little time to utilize. This made them ideal for disturbing an opponent"s actions. With Lomyok"s clothing, this tier of magic spells wouldn"t work on him anymore.
As for mid-tier magic spells, they usually required around thirty seconds to cast, but this could change depending on each spell and the caster. They were relatively more powerful compared to the low-tier ones. However, if their effect was halved, it could be said that they had lost their lethality.
Lastly, regarding high-tier spells, they required long casting time. There were only a handful of people who could use them in the middle of real combat.
"Dear traveler, for you and your comrades, I still have one more reward to give to you; it"s the secret method for promoting weapons made of Orichalc.u.m to Emperor Rank," the Fairy Queen announced.
Bluebird and Burapha were interested in the news. It was rumored that even Montra, who had owned a weapon made from Orichalc.u.m for the longest time, was still unable to promote his weapon to Emperor Rank. Players speculated that there must be some special condition for the weapon to reach that rank.
The Fairy Queen waved her hand once, and magic particles fell down on Lomyok"s Chinese sword and Sila"s armor. Then, the two pieces of equipment emitted some kind of white smoke.
"When they are created, weapons made from Orichalc.u.m randomly choose one monster to be their nemesis. Once your weapons reach Level 1,000 Lord Rank, you should seek out that monster and pour their blood on your weapon. When that is done, your weapon will advance to the next rank. Normally, no one can tell which monster is your weapon"s nemesis. However, with my ability, you can take a peek at their appearance for an instant. Please don"t look away."
As the Fairy Queen finished speaking, the images of the monsters appeared in front of Sila and Lomyok"s eyes for a brief second. The one before Lomyok was a monster completely covered in white fur. No one could tell what kind of monster it was, except for one man.
Seeing the monster, Bluebird exclaimed, "Ah! That"s—"
Once he could guess the monster"s ident.i.ty, Bluebird shifted his eyes to the image in front of Sila. Sila could recognize the monster in the group of smoke instantly. Both Burapha and Bluebird also recognized the monster"s ident.i.ty. Their eyes were wide open.
The image disappeared. Still, it no longer important. The monster"s ident.i.ty had already been ingrained into Sila"s memory.
A dignified and graceful fallen angel with twelve wings. The supreme being who stood at the zenith of all qi type beings.
"Lucifer..." Sila muttered.