Chapter 148: The Final of the Scramble of the Holy Grail (2)
“Bbook- Bboo-bbook-!”
The golden turtle Bbakbbak(?) paid no attention to Bbookbbook, who circled around him as he picked a fight, and slowly approached Ian.
Bbakbbak opened his mouth.
• To meet a human that knows about my past, I’m moved. Did you say you were Ian?
On impulse, Ian nodded his head.
“Huh? Yeah…”
• Thank you for finding my name, Ian. To show my grat.i.tude, I will give you a present.
“…”
Of course, Ian wore a dazed expression.
‘What exactly is even happening? Then was his actual name Bbakbbak? For real?’
Ian didn’t know the reason why, but he held out his hand for now at the word that he would receive a gift.
Since, even if he didn’t know what kind of case this was, there was no reason to turn down free things.
To be honest, it was an obvious that Ian didn’t know, but a quest took effect as soon as Bbakbbak(?), a hidden NPC, was named by the first Summoner user he met.
More specifically, you could call him a NPC-monster.
However, for Ian, who would have had no way to find out that truth, couldn’t help but be taken aback.
• This is one of the most valued possessions. I hope that you will handle it with care.
And as Bbakbbak opened his mouth, a sphere that shone brightly popped out and floated in the air.
It was a brilliant sphere that was the size of a fist of an adult male.
Ian grabbed it and lifted it up.
As he did so, a message rang out.
Ring-.
• You have obtained the item ‘Turtle Spirit’.
‘Turtle Spirit? What’s this? It’s Chinese characters I don’t know…’
Firstly, as he didn’t know what kind of item it was used as just from looking at it on the outside, Ian opened his inventory and checked the item information.
• Turtle Spirit
Cla.s.sification: Talisman (Charm)
Rank: Legendary
Equip Limit: Can be equipped onto one ‘Familiar’.
Durability: 55/55
Option: All combat abilities +55%
Cooldown times for all Inherent Abilities -15%
*If equipped onto an ‘Ancient Turtle’ species, Defensive Power will additionally increase by 50%.
*If equipped onto an ‘Ancient Turtle’ species, 0.5% Vitality will be recovered per second.
*If equipped onto an ‘Ancient Turtle’ species, Inherent Ability ‘Curtain of Water’ can be used.
Curtain of Water is made 30m wide and 10m high within range, and no kind of projectile will be able to pa.s.s through the curtain.
Curtain of Water lasts for 15 seconds.
(Cooldown time: 1 minute)
*This is an item belonging to user ‘Ian’.
This item cannot be transferred to another user or be sold, and even if the character dies, it does not drop.
(Transferrable only once for the first time.)
This is a marble that has part of the spirit of Golden Turtle ‘Bbakbbak’, a turtle from ancient legends, placed within it.
It is an item that has the secret required to ascend an ancient turtle into a turtle dragon.
Ian, who read through the explanation on the Turtle Spirit item, felt his mind snap into place.
‘It ascends an ancient turtle… Into a turtle dragon?’
Ian’s gaze immediately turned towards Bbookbbook.
‘Based on their appearance, I’m certain that Bbookbbook is of the same species(?) as Bbakbbak, so then?’
This could perhaps be the clue to the method on evolving Bbookbbook, which he had no idea on until now.
Ian was almost certain.
‘Bbookbbook, I was wondering what you would become to be eating so much, but you were to become a dragon!’
Towards Ian, who was thinking of this and that, Bbakbbak opened his mouth again.
• Ian, by any chance, could you do me a favour? I have been asleep for too long. I want to find my forgotten memories.
Following that, a quest window popped up.
This time, the quest window popped up in front of all the users that belonged to Ian’s party.
Ring-.
• Golden Turtle ‘Bbakbbak’s Request (Hidden Quest)
Golden Turtle Bbakbbak, who had been asleep in the grave of the giant, G.o.d-like people in the ancient ruins, had woken up from a long sleep.
However, Bbakbbak, who had been asleep for too long, is not able to remember his past.
In order to find his memories again, the ‘Cintamani of the Golden Turtle Dragon’ that is hidden somewhere in the grave must be found.
Find the Cintamani of the Golden Turtle Dragon and return to Bbakbbak.
Quest Difficulty Level: SS
Quest Condition: A user that has obtained the trust of Golden Turtle ‘Bbakbbak’.
A user that has succeeded in killing Holdream.
Time Limit: None.
Reward: Egg of the Golden Turtle (Can only be obtained by one person amongst the party members)
Scale Armour of the Turtle Dragon (Given to all party members)
Fame (Graded payment given depending on the clear rank)
Ian’s pupils expanded.
He needed to have obtained information from Bbakbbak to solve Bbookbbook’s evolution secret anyways, but as he was even granted a hidden quest like this, he at least wanted to dance.
‘If I successfully complete a hidden quest like this, then my Affinity with the NPC will probably go up a lot, right?’
As it was obvious that the higher the Affinity, the more information you could obtain, Ian couldn’t help but be in a good mood.
And it wasn’t as much as Ian, but the expressions of the other users also became incredibly bright.
“Ian, have you clicked on this Scale Armour of the Turtle Dragon item?”
“No, why?”
“This is a freaking Legendary-rank item!”
As Fiolan spoke with excitement, Ian tabbed the Scale Armour of the Turtle Dragon item that popped up in the quest window.
As he did so, an armour with a fancy design drawn on it appeared in front of Ian’s eyes.
“Keu, it is cool.”
At Ian’s mumbling, Herz added on with a glowing tone.
“Yo, the problem isn’t that it’s cool right now! It’s a freaking Legendary-rank. I haven’t even been able to look at a Legendary-rank item yet, even in the auction house!”
At those words, Ian wore a puzzled expression.
“Oh, really? You don’t have even one Legendary-rank item yet?”
Herz asked back.
“Do you have one to be like that?”
“Of course. Let’s see here… I think I have about three.”
“…”
For an instant, everybody’s gazes filled with jealousy were aimed at Ian, who wore a sheepish expression.
Ian was fl.u.s.tered, so he stuttered as he smiled awkwardly.
“Ha, haha, I thought everybody at least had one…”
To be honest, Legendary-rank items were rare, but still, a user that has obtained one uploaded a proof shot in the community every now and then.
The only reason why it was hard to find a Legendary-rank item in the auction house was because most items starting from Legendary-rank were obtained as bound items.
For a moment, silence flowed.
The one that broke that silence was none other than Kaizar.
“Lord guy.”
“What, retainer.”
“You know that you have to give me that Scale Armour of the Turtle Dragon or whatever, right?”
“…?”
At Kaizar’s unexpected words, Ian became speechless.
“Why, why do I have to?”
At Ian’s question, Kaizar responded lightly.
“If you don’t give it to me, I won’t work. Lord guy.”
“…”
Because the fighting power of Ian’s party was already too weak to make it through this dangerous dungeon, he couldn’t do anything else but cry as he bit the bullet and nodded.
“Ah, understood.”
In case their items would also be taken from them, Herz and Fiolan quickly turned away from Ian, and he wore a sullen expression.
* * *
Because of Bbookbbook’s affair(?) that was not part of the schedule and the meeting with Bbakbbak that followed, they were momentarily delayed, but after receiving the quest, Ian’s party proceeded with hunting like planned.
It wasn’t easy to hunt with high-level monsters that were around lv 150-170, but because Kaizar, who was to receive his daily wage(?), worked diligently, their hunting speed was getting faster little by little.
Before they realized, it had been 5 hours since they had begun hunting.
Bang- Ba-bang-!
• Retainer ‘Kaizar’ has attacked the ‘Ancient Forgotten Revengeful Spirit’ and has dealt critical damage.
• The ‘Ancient Forgotten Revengeful Spirit’s Vitality has been reduced by 24,875.
• The ‘Ancient Forgotten Revengeful Spirit’ has been killed.
• You have obtained 248,590 EXP.
• You have leveled up. You have reached lv 133.
Along with the system messages that popped up one after another, Ian’s whole body was covered in a white light.
As he felt the pleasure of leveling up, Ian wore a satisfied smile.
“Keu, as expected, you need to go hardcore.”
At Ian’s words, Herz, who stood in the front holding his s.h.i.+eld as he blocked the projectiles, grumbled.
“Yo, let’s rest from time to time while hunting. Do you think everybody else is like you as well? Everybody’s utterly exhausted now.”
At those words, Ian turned his head as he looked around.
And just like Herz said, everybody’s shoulders were drooping.
Ian, who saw that, licked his lips.
“Jjup, then shall we rest a bit?”
As soon as Ian said those words, everybody plopped down on the spot.
Fiolan, who sat next to Ian, shook her head as she opened her mouth.
“Ha, after I hunt with you, Ian, I become completely drained, but because my EXP goes up so well, I can never turn you down.”
At those words, Herz smirked as he spoke.
“It’s not that you cannot turn him down, but that you hang onto him to go with you, Fiolan.”
“Did, did I now? Still, thanks to you, I’m already at lv 131. Hehe.”
“I’m a bit jealous about that.”
Before Ian sat down, he rotated through all of his buff skills before beginning his break.
“Speaking of which, how should we do the quest? This Cintamani of the Golden Turtle Dragon or whatever… I have no idea as to where we even need to be looking for this.”
At Ian’s question, Fiolan replied without much thought.
“That, well, since it’s the Cintamani of the Golden Turtle Dragon, shouldn’t it come out if we can catch that Turtle Dragon or whatever?”
Herz also added on with a soulless voice.
“What could a Turtle Dragon be? Is it a dragon that looks like a ghost?[1]Ghost dragon?”
At Herz’s words, Ian scolded him.
“You idiot, the ‘Gwi’ is turtle in Chinese characters. Such ignorant words.”
“Really? Then it’s a Turtle Dragon? Is it something like Hyunmu[2]…”
However, Ian’s conceited act was derailed by Fiolan.
“Ian, I saw Hoonie teach you earlier already.”
“…!”
Ian laughed embarra.s.sedly, while Herz turned his head with a surprised expression towards Hoonie, who was wearing an arrogant expression.
“Oh, kid! You’re smarter than you look.”
Hoonie grinned with a triumphant expression.
“Huhu, this is the body that will become the Black Magician of the legends. It would be weird if I wasn’t smart.”
Ian smirked as he made a sarcastic remark.
“He must have learned it from his worksheet that he solved yesterday.”
At Ian’s taunt, Hoonie flew off the handle.
“Are you looking down on the heir of the darkness right now?”
However, this fuss was immediately cleared by Kaizar.
Smack-!
Kaizar had lifted his sheath and hit the back of Hoonie’s head.
“You’re too loud, Subordinate guy!”
Unable to say anything, Hoonie wore a sullen expression as he just spun his head around.
For some reason, Ian felt sorry towards Hoonie.
“Suddenly, that kid looks a little pitiful.”
There was a momentary fuss during the break after hunting, but the limp party had recovered enough of their strength, and they stood up from their spot in order to begin hunting again.
However, just then.
The sound of a weak vibration began to be heard from a stone wall on one side of the grave.
Ku-reung- Ku-reu-reung-.
And Bbookbbook, who heard that weak vibration sound, began to crawl towards the direction that sound was coming from.
Bbook- Bboo-bbook-!
‘Yo, Bbookbbook, where are you going now?”
Ian hurriedly grabbed Bbookbbook and put him on his back, and during that time, the vibrations grew bigger and bigger.
Ku-reu-reu-reung- Ku-gu-gung-!
“Everybody, be careful! Rocks are falling from above!”
Baang-!
As soon as Fiolan’s words ended, quite a large rock fell between the party, and Ian, who saw that, was startled.
“If you couldn’t dodge a size like that, you would end up kicking the bucket.”
While the party busily moved as they escaped the dangerous area, one of the stone walls of the grave began to split, and Ian hurriedly began to activate all of the buffs as the cooldown times ended.
“I think something will come out from over there. Everybody, get ready for combat!”
And shortly after.
Ping-!
A strong light that made it hard to even open their eyes exploded from between the cracked stone wall, and enveloped the party’s vision.
[1] In Korean, Turtle Dragon is ‘Gwi-Ryong’. ‘Gwi’ alone means two things depending on the Chinese character it is derived from. One meaning is ‘ghost/spirit’, which is what Herz thought it meant, and the other is ‘turtle’, which is the correct meaning.
[2] Hyunmu = The Black Tortoise; a mythical creature that is a hybrid of many animals, much like a Griffin. Also known as Xuanwu in Chinese and Genbu in j.a.panese.