BXBX NOVEL Chapter 154
Chapter 154
Chapter 154: Opportunities
Numerous demi-human races lived on the Caesar Continent. Among them, the most prominent were the Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, and Barbarians.
These demi-human races, along with the Orcs, were known as the five major powers.
The war with the intruders who suddenly appeared one day was inevitable.
The Witch and the Ice Dragon.
They fought fiercely against them.
And they were all ruined.
The witch’s forces grew endlessly, while the demi-human forces dwindled endlessly.
Whether it was the Barbarians or the Gnomes.
Now, only a few tribes remained, fighting a desperate resistance.
They thought they were doomed…
“Chief! The undead have disappeared!”
“The fortress is empty too?”
“Huh?”
The apostle’s army suddenly retreated.
At first, they suspected it was a trap, but the fortress remained empty for days.
Moreover…
“Th-the sun!”
“It’s warm!”
Warm sunlight poured into the eastern continent where the gnomes lived.
The gnomes, their faces softening in the warmth of the sunlight they hadn’t felt in so long, lay down on the ground. The chief did the same.
How long had it been since they felt such warmth!
Then,
“Excuse me.”
“…Human?”
A human man and woman were staring at them and talking.
It wasn’t strange.
Although demi-humans were the majority on this continent, it didn’t mean there were no humans.
“Greetings. I’m Kim Minwoo, commander of the Northern Resistance. This is my summoner.”
Northern Resistance?
The gnome chieftain, tilting his head, asked.
“This is the first time I’m hearing this?”
“I guess the news hasn’t spread here yet. Anyway, you see that the weather has gotten warmer, right?”
“Uh… yeah?”
“I saved the continent. I caught the Ice Dragon and took the witch as a prisoner. I did it all.”
“And you expect us to believe that?”
“You know what a witch looks like, right?”
The gnome chieftain nodded.
Of course, he knew.
Not only him, but all the other gnomes knew as well.
“Then it’ll be easy to explain. Hey, come out.”
“A w-witch?!”
“Eek! It’s a witch!”
The gnomes were terrified at the sight of the woman who slowly revealed herself from the side.
Witch Iris!
Her notoriety was such that every gnome, from children to the elderly, knew her appearance by heart.
Merhen reached out her hand towards the gnomes who were trying to run away in all directions.
The gnomes’ bodies stopped abruptly.
Merhen then stared intently at Iris. Iris’s mouth opened like an automatic door.
“…Calm down. I have no intention of harming you.”
“…?”
The gnomes tilted their heads and rolled their eyes in confusion.
“I’ve reflected on my past and decided to follow Kim Minwoo here. You saw it, right? The weather has cleared up.”
“R-reflected?”
“A wicked witch like you?”
“…Yes. A wicked witch like me.”
Iris glared at the gnomes for a moment, as if anger had welled up inside her.
—Keep your eyes kind.
“Oh, yes. Of course.”
With a single warning from Merhen, Iris’s eyes quickly softened. Her hands naturally came together politely.
The gnomes’ eyes widened at the sight.
“Uh… Is she really a witch?”
“That wicked witch can’t be like that…?”
Kim Minwoo looked at the gnomes and said,
“As you can see, she’s a witch. So, if you’ve received a favor, it’s only right to repay it, right?”
“Uh… If you really caught the Ice Dragon and took the witch prisoner, then yes. We should repay you.”
The gnome chieftain quickly nodded and replied.
It was hard to believe because it was so sudden, but if what he said was true, they had received a great favor.
Just a few days ago, they were thinking about the extinction of their race.
And this human was speaking with a smile, but he was a monster who controlled the witch like his own limbs.
It was best to understand quickly when they were talking and laughing together.
In that sense, the gnomes were quite adept at survival.
“I heard that gnomes make runes and use them on equipment. Can I see one?”
“It’s not difficult.”
The chieftain handed him a dagger.
Kim Minwoo examined its details.
[Elsica’s Dagger <1>]
[Rank: Magic]
[Restriction: Level 200 or higher]
[A sharp-looking dagger.]
[Effect 1. Causes severe bleeding when stabbed.]
[Effect 2. Agility, Stamina +20]
[Rune Additional Effect]
[Cutting Power +20%]
It was a truly ordinary magic dagger.
But…
‘This rune is insane.’
The rune, that is.
It was something special.
Even with just one embedded, it had an effect that rivaled the options of most items.
‘There was such a great crafting technique?’
They say the world is vast and there are many hidden gates.
This was exactly that situation.
“What exactly is the mechanism behind these runes?”
“Let me explain it simply. You can embed up to three runes per piece of equipment, with the number decreasing for lower ranks.”
“So you only put in one because it’s Magic rank?”
“That’s right.”
“And what about that?”
“II means it’s a Tier 2 rune. You can only embed runes up to Tier 2 on Magic-rank equipment.”
“So it’s Tier 3 for Rare and Tier 4 for Unique, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“The sword’s performance seems a bit lacking for a chieftain, doesn’t it?”
“…We gnomes aren’t like dwarves. We’re not good at crafting things. On top of that, we’ve been fighting for a long time, and all our weapons are broken.”
“You can create high-tier runes, but you don’t have any weapons to put them in?”
“That’s about it.”
“That figures.”
“That’s why racial connections are important.”
“If the dwarves and gnomes had joined forces?”
“They could have really shown what min-maxing equipment is all about.”
“But what can you do?”
“I heard the demi-human races around here don’t get along very well.”
“On top of that, they all live in different places, so I heard there wasn’t really a reason for them to join forces.”
“Anyway,”
“I really like this.”
“Our rune crafting skills are pretty good, I’ll give you that.”
“Can you put them in accessories too?”
“Of course, but there are limitations.”
“What kind of limitations?”
“Accessories are small, aren’t they?”
“That’s true.”
“You’re lucky to fit one rune on a ring. A necklace can hold up to two.”
You can put one on a ring?
‘That’s even better.’
The maximum number of rings that can be worn is ten.
Because there are ten fingers.
In other words, it meant that ten runes could be embedded in the ‘ring’ category.
On the other hand, armor or helmets?
At best, you could embed three.
So, rings had the highest potential.
“I really, really want to learn this.”
Even if it meant threatening them with a sword.
Kim Minwoo stared intently at the chieftain with burning eyes.
The chieftain, rolling his eyes, said,
“I-I can teach you, but… it will take a long time to learn, is that okay? It’s not easy.”
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
It didn’t matter whether it was difficult or not.
He wasn’t the one learning the production skill anyway.
It was the skeletons.
They just had to keep practicing until they learned it.
Kim Minwoo and the chieftain continued their conversation.
“So, you’re saying you want to send rune crafters to the center?”
“Yes. You can teach them there. I’ve cleaned up all the dangerous things, so there’s nothing to worry about. Just come. I’ll treat you well.”
“Let’s do that.”
“Thank you. By the way, you all look a bit thin?”
The chieftain smiled bitterly at those words.
“It was winter until a few days ago. It was hard to find food.”
“Here, take this.”
Food?
He had packed plenty of it in his subspace ring, just in case. The Orc Gate was a place full of starving creatures.
“What is this? It looks like a fish is drawn on it.”
“It’s called a can. You open it like this and eat it.”
The gnome chieftain opened the can as shown and looked inside.
A steel can filled with what looked like fish flesh.
It was a strange sight.
The gnome chieftain’s eyes widened as he tasted the contents.
“I-it’s savory!”
How long had it been since he tasted fish!
The gnomes devoured the tuna cans. But the canned food didn’t stop there.
“This is corn. This is canned fruit. This is meat…”
The gnomes ate all sorts of canned food. Not only that, but they were also given plenty of other food, starting with bread.
There was so much that the gnomes even brought carts to carry it all, bowing their heads repeatedly. Perhaps because of the warm support, their eyes were much more respectful.
“Th-thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Then, the craftsmen…”
“Wait a moment.”
Soon, all the rune craftsmen, including the chieftain, gathered.
“Rune skills are precious. There are only thirty craftsmen, including myself. Is that okay?”
“Of course. Let’s go, then.”
Merhen beckoned.
Suddenly, the bodies of the craftsmen floated into the air.
“Huh?”
“We’re flying?”
“There’s no need to be afraid. We’re just moving quickly.”
Merhen, whose skills had changed to SSS-rank, was now capable of such feats.
Riding the wind,
The gnome craftsmen and Kim Minwoo began to move towards the center.
* * *
The barbarian group also met with Kim Minwoo.
“Human?”
“Hello.”
“A witch?”
“Yes, I’ve repented.”
Iris spoke with her head bowed in resignation. A conversation similar to the one with the gnomes took place.
Warm food support.
And the talk of repaying a ‘favor.’
After that.
“Tattoo, you say you miss me?”
“I’m quite curious about that.”
Chuuap.
Chuuap.
The Barbarian chieftain, his fingers slick with grease, peeled off his animal hide. A bear tattoo, poised to strike with its paw, was revealed on his chest. But the tattoos didn’t end there. Ankles, back, even his bald head—they were everywhere.
Upon closer inspection, their effects became clear.
[Bear Tattoo]
[Level 4]
[Area: Chest]
[Effect 1: Strength +12%]
[Eagle Tattoo]
[Level 4]
[Area: Shoulder Blades]
[Effect 1: Agility +12%]
[Cheetah Tattoo]
[Level 4]
[Area: Ankles]
[Effect 1: Movement Speed +12%]
[Skull Tattoo]
[Level 4]
[Area: Head]
[Effect 1: Mana +12%]
“Ha.”
It seemed like every ounce of honey in the world was gathered in this gate.
Kim Minwoo lamented.
Not knowing about this hidden gate felt like committing a sin all this time.
“About the tattoos. Is the number of areas limited to four?”
“No. You can add as many as you want, as long as you’re willing.”
“But why do you only have four, Chief?”
“Because I can’t accept any more.”
“Can’t accept?”
“I heard the former chieftain had eight tattoos. But four was my limit.”
“What happens if you try to get more?”
“There’s no effect.”
“So you have to try it to know?”
“You’ll know if you try. You’ll get a feeling. Want me to give you one?”
“Ah, before that, just one question.”
“Speak.”
“Does it have to be as big as yours? Is it possible to make it smaller?”
Chest, shoulder blades, skull, ankles.
The areas themselves weren’t that big, but the tattoos seemed to cover his entire body.
It would be difficult to live like that in Korea.
Small tattoos could be passed off as a hobby, but this was practically a full-body tattoo.
“You want it small?”
“Yes.”
“Why? They’re so cool like this.”
The chieftain asked, genuinely unable to understand.
“It’s just my preference. Please respect it. Is there a difference in performance if it’s smaller?”
“Of course. The amount of material used is different.”
“What if you use the same amount of material for a small one as a big one?”
“Never done that, so I don’t know.”
“Then we can test it out this time.”
“Sure. Go get the materials. I don’t have any.”
“Alright.”
He casually hunted some nearby monsters and brought back the materials.
Since it was just a test, they decided to go with a level 1 tattoo.
On the ankle.
According to the chieftain, removing tattoos was easy, so they could try it without worry. After applying the tattoo ink a few times in the size of a pill…
[A level 1 Cheetah Tattoo is engraved on your ankle!]
[Effect 1: Movement Speed +3%]
“It works?”
“It does. Though I don’t know why you’d want to do it this way.”
Kim Minwoo grinned.
The reason for wanting smaller tattoos?
Aside from Korean sensibilities, the deciding factor was…
‘Skeletons can’t have big tattoos.’
They were, after all, just bones.
There was no space to continue the tattoos. The best they could do was small ones on the bones. But now it seemed like it might be possible.
The chieftain said four tattoos were the limit for his kind.
Then what about Cedric?
He was quite curious.
“I really, really want to learn this.”
“Shake my hand.”
Kim Minwoo extended his hand.
The Barbarian chieftain grabbed it and began to squeeze.
He was strong, but…
Kim Minwoo’s stats were well over 1,000. He wasn’t going to lose in a strength contest. As he subtly increased his force, the chieftain’s face grew redder.
Soon after.
“You pass.”
“Yes.”
“You pass.”
“Yes.”
“No, I said you pass!”
“Yes. I heard you.”
“Krrgh…!”
The Barbarian chieftain finally revealed his true feelings.
His knees then buckled, and he fell to the ground.
“I’m pretty strong, huh?”
“I… I admit it. I lost. So please, this hand…”
“I want to learn about tattoos.”
“I’ll teach you! Now please, just let go…”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously! I’ll even research how to draw them smaller! It hurts!”
“Alright.”
Only then did Kim Minwoo release his hand.
For these kinds of creatures who wanted to confirm his strength, a clear demonstration was necessary.
That way, the hierarchy would be properly established.
Just like now.
Patting the chieftain on the shoulder, he said,
“Call the artisans. Let’s go. To the center.”
* * *
When the crafting artisans arrived at the center, other races were already gathered there.
The Barbarian of tattoos.
The Elf of alchemy.
Even the Dwarf of forging.
‘I finally gathered all four divine instruments.’
Hayang had summoned artisans from four races while feeding on the fragment. One might ask if he hadn’t already learned from the Dwarves and Elves.
‘But they were still D-rank.’
His crafting skill rank was low.
With a teacher?
Naturally, the speed of raising his rank would also increase. Now that his Mana had increased, and the number of skeletons had grown considerably, dividing his focus to learn four things at once wasn’t an option.
The groups from different races exchanged awkward glances.
“Hey there.”
“What’s the Orc doing here again?”
—Chwiik?
The Orcs tilted their heads in confusion.
Urkan stepped forward as their representative and spoke.
— Chwiik! I’m in charge of chores! Tell me if there’s anything you need help with!
Strong and enduring, the Orcs.
They were perfect for chores.
They were expected to take care of all the annoying tasks while the other races taught the skeletons.
The skeletons, in turn, would use that time to absorb every bit of knowledge they could.
Clap!
Kim Minwoo clapped his hands, drawing the attention of the four races.
“I know it’s awkward. But let’s take this opportunity to get to know each other. We’ve all been through tough times, haven’t we?”
“Ahem.”
“Well…”
It wasn’t wrong.
They weren’t the only ones who had suffered. The other races had probably gone through their own hardships.
He knew that.
It was just a little awkward since they had gathered so suddenly.
He summoned the skeletons.
Level 370.
Plus, the necklace he had recently acquired had a +150 bonus to all stats.
His Mana was now well over 1,400.
Converted to mana, that was over 14,000.
Translated into apprentice skeletons?
Well over 5,600.
Divided into four, that was about 1,400 skeletons per racial skill.
Considering he had summoned about a thousand skeletons when he first entered the Orc gate, this was a remarkable improvement.
Clatter!
The Dwarves and Barbarians were surprised by the sight of the swarming skeletons.
While they were astonished by the sheer number, the Elves and Dwarves were different.
In just a few days, the skeletons’ appearance had changed beyond recognition.
“Oh, now they look like blacksmiths. They even have bone hammers.”
“…Bone flasks?”
Apprentice blacksmiths and apprentice alchemists.
These were on the skeleton’s class change list.
If they learned rune crafting and tattooing, the list might grow even longer.
Rune crafters, perhaps.
Tattoo artists.
Things like that.
[203 Skeleton Apprentice Blacksmiths are learning Dwarven Crafting Techniques from ‘Obern’…]
[404 Skeleton Apprentice Alchemists are learning Alchemy from ‘Elrond’…]
[303 Skeleton Apprentices are learning Rune Crafting Techniques from ‘Ultron’…]
[1,707 Skeleton Apprentices are learning Tattooing from ‘Tobaba’…]
[Each is learning a different crafting skill!]
[Collective Intelligence Sharing!]
[Crafting skill proficiency is increasing very quickly!]
Pleasant messages began to appear.