Episode 173. Penalty and Quest
[Evolution Failed! A penalty will be given.]
[The quest will be given as a penalty for failing to evolve swordsmanship (Gifted).]
―Titling!
[Quest: Efforts to become a genius]
[Downward slash 0/1000000]
[Side slash 0/1000000]
[Stab 0/1000000]
[The pain due to evolution failure continues until the quest is completed.]
[Unable to evolve until the quest is completed. [
The evolution rate of swordsmanship increases according to the performance at the completion of the quest.]
[Evolution points are obtained according to the performance at the completion of the quest.]
“Keuk.”
Before I could even check the message window that filled my eyes, a pain that was different from before hit my body.
I fell to the floor in so much pain that I couldn’t even breathe.
―Hi-yung!
– Kreur.
Dalgrak?
He vaguely felt the undead roaming around, but he had no time to care.
In the end, I couldn’t stand the pain and lost my spirit that was getting farther away.
* * *
When I opened my eyes again, I had no idea how much time had passed.
The pain was still there, my head was dizzy, and my throat was badly burned.
“go….”
Nickel handed over the water.
I unconsciously tried to say thank you, but the pain that ran up my neck automatically kept my mouth shut.
As soon as I drank the water, tears welled up along with the tearing pain.
“Huh.”
I never thought drinking water would be this hard.
I ate water and rice, barely enduring the pain I couldn’t get used to.
The meal itself was so painful, but I had to eat to live.
‘Check again… ….’
I remembered that a message window popped up right before I passed out.
When I opened the screen again to double check and read it, I was breathless.
Swinging a sword when even drinking water is so painful?
A million times, three times in total?
‘It’s crazy.’
I couldn’t do that either.
Because I can’t live with this pain for the rest of my life.
Apart from the fact that evolution is impossible, you will not be able to lead a proper life.
“Huh.”
I shuddered and got up from my seat.
I could feel the undead watching me with uneasy feelings.
three million times.
It felt like my heart would break at that faraway number.
‘I never thought the evolution failure penalty would be this tough. I wonder if the penalty is different depending on the grade.’
First of all, I pulled out Galaksur and slowly lowered it.
It was a messy cut down because it was so painful.
‘…The numbers don’t go up?’
The quest window that came into the corner of the field of vision remained unchanged.
Looking at the quest that was still pointing to 0, this time I lowered it as straight as possible.
-One.
I laughed out loud when I finally saw the rising numbers.
Does it mean that you won’t even give three weeks to wield it roughly?
I felt like I was going to lose my mind at the harsh penalty of swinging the sword 3 million times with this body in a straight posture.
less so
As the frustration sets in, Nickel suddenly walks up to me and stands next to me.
And then… ….
Whoo!
Silently, he started swinging his sword.
Timur, who saw such a nickel, came next to me when I was empty and started shouting.
Huang!
Are you willing to do it together?
I bit my lip as I watched the two of them start to move their bodies silently but cautiously and with the best effort on either side of me.
‘I’ll try it.’
I don’t know if it can be done and how long it will take… ….
I slowly started moving my sword.
* * *
“Didn’t you find it?”
“sorry.”
“What do you have to be sorry for? It’s all down to their own luck.”
Hoir waved his hand and looked around.
The inside that he already knew had long since disappeared.
At least, the experience accumulated over many years has only been able to read the road so far.
The state of being scattered due to the movement of the world tree.
Seir and some elves were nowhere to be seen.
At least Hoir, Hougen, and one of the young elves, Miller, were able to stay together.
“Elder. Maybe this time is because of that person?”
Miller asked, but Hoir could not answer.
It has been active for quite a long time and I could tell that the inside of the World Tree was moving little by little, but it was the first time that a movement as dynamic as this was visible.
‘Is it because of that person or is it related to the fact that new shoots haven’t sprouted recently?’
The possibility that it was simply bad timing could not be ruled out.
“First of all, I am a human who has been entrusted with an oracle. Now, we should prioritize searching for him.”
The other elves didn’t have much to worry about, but it was a problem because Adrias Cromwell disappeared along with them.
Even the fact that humans entered the World Tree was unprecedented in the history of elves.
The oracle is also an oracle, but since humans do not know what they will do to the World Tree, they have to find it as soon as possible.
“I can’t find it.”
Then Hougen appeared muttering.
“ah! Elder, are you here?”
“You suffered.”
Hugen went out to find the missing people, but in the end, he couldn’t find anyone and came empty-handed.
He frowned and sighed as he spoke to Hoir.
“There are no traces at all. The world tree is moving, and it seems that the traces of others are all fragmented.”
“okay. Quite a bit of time has passed today. Let’s take a break here for now.”
“Since it is inside the World Tree, it is difficult to grasp the flow of time. Is it that time already?”
“Probably ten hours since we came in.”
10 hours… ….
Hougen murmured softly and thought of Adrias, who might be stuck somewhere.
The last time I saw him was swinging his sword against a tree trunk and being dragged somewhere without being able to cut it off.
‘The World Tree only dragged him? There must be something.’
Like the oracle and the World Tree, there were many suspicious corners.
What on earth does Tapio want?
“I don’t know what tapio means.”
Thoughts came out of my mouth involuntarily.
However, there was no need to hide it, so I looked at Hoir as if seeking an answer.
“How can we fathom that? But there’s no way the high priest spoke of a false oracle.”
“I also checked the oracle myself. I’m sure it’s not a lie. It was just frustrating.”
“For now, let’s try to find it slowly. It probably won’t be that dangerous.”
Hugen nodded and sat down.
The inside of the World Tree was huge and wide enough to form its own ecosystem.
That’s why all kinds of creatures were living, but there were also slightly dangerous monsters.
Of course, it wasn’t a high probability of encountering it, so I didn’t worry too much.
‘I’ll have to look for it again tomorrow. If I can’t find it, it will take days, months, and years.’
I don’t know if he’ll be alive by then, but I’ll even get him a corpse.
The elf’s time was long.
* * *
The sword drew an arc and stopped exactly where it was expected.
At the same time, the number went up.
[Quest: Efforts to become a genius]
[Down cut 1000000/1000000]
[Laverse cut 999997/1000000]
[Stab 1000000/1000000]
Finally, the number in sight made my body itchy enough to forget the pain.
I don’t know how much time has passed.
I checked little by little, but even that was limited to one year.
In the first place, it was a meaningless act because it was impossible to know day and night.
Whiik!
[Short cut 999998/1000000]
Wouldn’t it have been at least two years?
The remaining food was roughly calculated.
– Crow!
right!
Whoo!
Timur’s swearing made a sound, and the nickel’s sword struck with tremendous wind pressure.
Since the undead didn’t need food, sleep, or rest, they had been moving their bodies without a single break.
In particular, Nickel madly piled up the [Destructive power increases the more you swing the sword in place] stack. It seemed that it had reached its maximum stack right now, but it felt like it would be torn to shreds by the wind pressure alone if it was nearby.
Seeing them like that, I gathered my strength and swung my sword again.
Whiik!
[Short cut 999999/1000000]
“Whoa.”
once.
There is only one left.
I couldn’t believe it when I thought this pain would end.
Should I say I’m used to it now?
To be honest, it seemed a little crazy.
And finally, the last sword fell.
Poof!
[Horizontal cutting 1000000/1000000]
―Teeling!
[Quest completed!]
[Reward given.]
[Goal achievement 100%]
[Swordsmanship talent evolution rate increases by 21%.]
[Evolution points given 6300 points.]
[Penalty disappears.]
“Ah….”
It felt so far away that I couldn’t remember a moment without pain.
However, the pain that disappeared in an instant rather caused cognitive dissonance.
My whole body trembled and unexpected tears flowed.
I suppressed my emotions, but my body was reacting first.
―Hi-yung?
Mirina touched my crying face.
Nickel and Timur also stopped swinging their swords and shouting at me before I knew it.
“are you okay.”
My body reacted like this, but it was really good.
Rather, it was because positive emotions welled up.
Seeing how difficult it is to control one’s body and emotions, I wondered if something in my brain was broken… ….
“thanks.”
Now I just wanted to say thank you guys.
If I had been alone in a space like this, I would have gone crazy.
If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have been able to stand it.
[Adrias Cromwell: 52% chance of evolving swordsmanship (gifted talent)]
[Do you want to evolve?]
And knowing that fact, I was able to challenge again.
“It evolves.”
I could have said it was a bit early, but… ….
‘If you count the things that fail once again, you have to evolve them quickly.’
My head was spinning rationally.
Now there is only enough food left to last for about three years.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to linger over my emotions.
[Adrias Cromwell: Swordsmanship (Gifted)]
[Evolving… ….]
[Remaining time: 310 hours 57 minutes 00 seconds]
The evolution time has been reduced.
As the probability increases, the time seems to decrease.
less so
Nickel’s worried feelings were conveyed.
Do you think I’m overdoing it?
“It was painful enough to die, but I hate dying more.”
I will definitely survive and return.
It didn’t matter even if I received a failure penalty again for that.
‘Evolution… …13th.’
The aftereffects of evolution are now tickling.
Rather than that, I looked at a new system that suddenly appeared at this time.
[Evolution Point 6300pt]
A strange point obtained by breaking the penalty quest this time.
There were various points in the game, but this is the first point to see.
Where are you using it?
It’s clear that it has a use, but it’s the first evolutionary feature itself, so I don’t know where it’s used.
It was the first time that evolution failed itself, so I didn’t even know such a thing existed.
While staring at the evolution point for a moment like that.
An amazing thing happened right away.
[You have acquired points (regardless of type) for the first time.]
[Daily quest opens.]
[Shop opens.]
