Chapter 65. Enhanced Phantasmal Species (1)
“Ppodong?”
“…uh?”
A small sound suddenly came from the side.
As if whispering and approaching.
Or, as if softly crawling.
That’s what it sounded like.
Thanks to that, Lloyd suddenly came to his senses.
Just as I was covering my nosebleed with my sleeve, I looked around.
“Ppodongah?”
“Ppodong!”
On the blacksmith’s workbench, Poitpoit was poitpoit.
When he came up, he was looking up at us with puffy cheeks and black eyes.
And that wasn’t all.
“Bell!”
“Hamang!”
Following Pudongi, Bell crawled over and over from the corner of the table.
Hamang-i also came rolling, not to be late.
He looked up at me with the same round black eyes.
“Um, you guys? What are you doing?”
“Ppodong!”
“Bell!”
“Hamang!”
“what? You want to play?”
“kiss!”
“room!”
“under!”
The three phantom species lined up side by side and nodded vigorously.
To come and play with me in the middle of the night, when I was in the middle of my troubles.
I got a little bit annoyed.
“I’m sorry, but can we play next time?”
“Ppodong?”
“Bell?”
“Hamaman?”
“Hey, I’m a bit busy today. I have a lot to think about and study. It has to be successful.”
“Podo-dong?”
“A drop of water?”
“Hope…?”
“Sorry. So let’s play next time. huh? Even though I’m bleeding from my nose right now, I can’t rest and I’m just hanging on here. Actually, I also want to play with you and rest.”
“Ppodong!”
“Bell! Drop!”
“Hmmmmm!”
“Oh no, I’m not playing or resting right now….”
“Podo-dong?”
“It means that only the heart is like that. Sorry for making you expect. I’m really sorry. huh? So let’s play next time.”
Lloyd laughed awkwardly.
He really wanted to rest too.
I also wanted to play for a while.
But I thought it couldn’t be.
It was a construction order that he had won from the Count with courage.
He said that he had his own new construction method, and that he could build it successfully if he used it.
It was a judgment that made such a loud voice.
However, it was blocked from the preparation stage.
Making cement was much more difficult than I thought.
I didn’t want to imagine tripping over rocks and overturning construction work here.
“So now is the moment when I have to overcome even if it is difficult and difficult. Don’t worry though. I’ll do my best. huh? When this is all over, then let’s really have fun.”
Lloyd laughed and patted the three fantasy species.
They were good children who listened to the original body well.
I thought that if I did this, I would be heard again.
But this time it was different.
“Podo-dong!”
“Bell!”
“Hamang!”
For some reason, the three fantasy species resolutely(?) persevered.
No, I insisted and lay down in my seat.
It was rolling around on top of the cement mixing notebook that this side had scribbled down while thinking about it.
“Podo-do-do!”
“Bell! Baba drops!”
“Hamaman! Haman!”
“Huh? Guys?”
Even after that, Lloyd soothed and froze the three phantom species.
He hugged me and gave me a pat.
He also worked hard and played hard.
But to no avail.
For some reason, the three phantom species didn’t listen to themselves for the first time and insisted.
No, later on, he even looked up at me and wet his dark eyes.
“Podo-dong….”
“Bell….”
“Hamaaaaaa….”
She twisted her body and was ready to shed tears like chicken droppings.
In fact, the three fantasy species had their own reasons for doing so.
This wasn’t just whining or stubbornness.
A sense of duty to protect Lloyd.
That heart was moving the three phantom species.
‘Pododong Pododong….’
In fact, companion animals know their companions much better than people think.
There is only one reason.
This is because they live looking at their companions all day long.
That’s why the three phantom species knew Lloyd’s current condition better than Lloyd himself.
‘Bell….’
In the eyes of the three fantasy species, the recent Lloyd has been overdoing it.
I haven’t been able to sleep properly for several days.
Even when I was awake, I hung on to worries and experiments all day long.
Excessive immersion and chronic fatigue.
As a result, the field of vision narrowed.
Judgment was also lower than usual.
‘Ham….’
So I had to give it a little rest.
It seemed necessary to put down work for a while and change the mood.
So, the three phantom species became more stubborn and stopped Lloyd’s work.
He vigorously shook his butt.
He whimpered and rolled around.
He licked the back of Lloyd’s hand and cheek.
It waggled its tail and stretched out its short legs.
It looked like a dog herding to go for a walk.
It was the same in Lloyd’s eyes.
Appearances of three phantom species whining.
Suddenly, a furry friend from the past overlapped.
‘Autumn.’
A dog I had as a child.
A friend who is gone now.
Maybe that was it, I don’t know.
Lloyd unknowingly put into his mouth what he had said every day in the past.
“Then shall we go for a walk?”
“Ppodong!”
“Bell!”
“Hamang!”
The three phantom species nodded their round heads.
Podongi and Hamangi congratulated themselves on the success of the operation and gave a high five with their short hands.
The bell without hands also joined in the high five with a chubby tail.
“Am I really that good?”
As I watched it, I burst into laughter.
He held three children in his arms.
I left the blacksmith workshop.
came out into the dark night.
‘It’s cold.’
It was a pier in early winter.
It wasn’t just a normal bladed wind.
Lloyd pulled up the collar of his coat and looked down at his bosom.
“Are you all right?”
“kiss! room! under!”
The three phantom species in the inner pocket answered in unison.
Lloyd’s wry smile grew thicker.
“hey? No matter how you look at it, this is not a walk, is it?”
“kiss? room? under?”
“I walked and you boarded me. And that too for free.”
“Poo? Baang? ha?”
“Ugh. Pretend you don’t know, tilt your head. then it’s cute yes it is cute cute. what the.”
Isn’t this enough for me to be taken for a walk by them?
Lloyd stopped laughing.
Three children looking up at themselves.
It was because the face of the old puppy suddenly overlapped with that look.
‘Autumn was like that too.’
It was a white puppy with curly hair.
Did you say it was a mixture of a poodle and a maltese?
I was going to immigrate to the US.
But he said he couldn’t take him.
Those were the words of the person who entrusted Autumn, who was less than a year old.
From that day on, Autumn became a family.
It was when I was in middle school.
I only knew that I would always be by your side.
Even taking a walk every day.
It was like that while playing ball.
Autumn often grunted and complained.
Especially when I was studying for an exam.
Let’s play next time every time.
Let’s go for a walk next time.
I used to smile and procrastinate.
So I didn’t know.
The fact that it can’t be forever.
The fact that all those days pass by someday and never come back.
‘I should have played a lot back then.’
You become a high school student and become a college student.
In the meantime, Gae-gae grew old together.
Suddenly, I grew old.
When I was in the military, it was difficult to even take a walk.
But even so, I didn’t pay much attention.
The shadow of a huge debt over the house.
The whole family suffered from the darkness.
It was a very difficult day.
That’s why I didn’t have the energy to pay attention to one small puppy.
Just like that, around the time of early winter.
One afternoon in mid-November on an exceptionally clear day.
Autumn quietly crossed the rainbow bridge as if asleep.
It was full of regret that I couldn’t take care of it more and play more.
‘Oh Mr. I didn’t want to think about it.’
It was an upsetting memory every time I thought about it.
So I tried not to think of it as much as possible.
Lloyd walked down the street at night, burying the emotions that had surfaced in this way.
Sometimes, blowing his hands in the cold wind, he chatted with the three phantom species in the inside pocket.
At that time, Pudongi and Bell’s eyes were shining brightly.
I smiled as if I was enjoying this fun time.
Seeing that, Lloyd thought. I regretted it.
‘Maybe I was just taking advantage of them.’
Podongi, Bell, and Hamangi too.
Before all of them were fantasy species, they were children who felt emotions with a warm heart.
But what was he like in the past?
‘I only found them when I needed them.’
treated like a tool.
It was considered as a construction equipment only.
‘This is why nothing has changed from the time I regretted leaving Autumn.’
When I thought about it, I felt like I was being selfish.
I clenched my fist between regret and reflection and a promise for the future.
That was the moment when he returned to the blacksmith’s workshop.
Ding dong.
Suddenly, an unexpected message appeared before Lloyd’s eyes.
[The fantasy species are feeling your sincerity.]
[The fantasy species look at you more warmly than before, just like a family member.]
[The sympathy level with the fantasy species you possess has increased from < master-servant relationship > to < group member >. .]
‘Huh?’
It was an unexpected message.
The message did not end there.
Lloyd’s eyes were busy.
[A new function is activated as the sympathy level with fantasy species increases.] [The
< Enhance fantasy species > function has been opened.]
[500 RP is required for < Enhance fantasy species >.]
[The < Enhance fantasy species > function Through this, you will be able to equip new skills.]
[Once executed < Phantasmal Species Enhancement > cannot be undone. Please execute it carefully.]
‘What is this…oh my god.’
Lloyd’s eyes widened.
Phantasmal species enhancement.
The creation of a new skill?
He really didn’t know that this was possible.
‘I never thought I would get these benefits as a result of choosing to stop what I was doing and go for a walk with the kids.’
They told me not to be new to life.
Sometimes the way around is the fastest high pass.
‘Enhancement by investing 500 RP.’
What kind of skills are created?
Lloyd was half curious and half excited.
His eyes turned to his pockets.
Three phantom species still wriggling in the inner pouch.
He asked the guys who were looking up at him with dark eyes.
“Hey you guys.”
“Ppodong?”
“Bell?”
“Hope?”
“Oh, did you feel it too? The contents of the message I read?”
“kiss! room! under!”
The three phantom species nodded their heads in unison.
Apparently, they know that they can be strengthened.
No, that wasn’t all.
“Bell! drop! Bell!”
For some reason, the bell jumped up and down with its eyes exceptionally bright.
as if asking for oneself
or he will do it
It was like a baby bird coming out with its mouth open and snapping.
And that wasn’t all.
“Ppodong! Podo-dong!”
“Hamang! Damn it!”
Podongi and Hamangi lifted the bell up.
I pushed it towards this side like lifting a trophy.
It was as if he had to choose a bell.
Lloyd asked just in case.
“Do you guys think the bell needs to be strengthened?”
“kiss! room! under!”
“Then can you feel what kind of skill you will develop if you strengthen yourself?”
“kiss! room! under!”
“what? The bell will be of great help this time?”
“Bell!”
The last answer was given by Bell himself.
“Bell! drop! Bell!”
“Trust me and try to strengthen it? There will never be any damage, right?”
“Bell!”
A bell that nodded wildly.
Seeing that, Lloyd thought.
‘If Bell is so confident, maybe I can put my hopes on it.’
Gradually, that kind of trust came into being.
Podongi, Bell, and Hamangi too.
These are the children who have helped me in many ways so far.
They were always the ones who took on the most appropriate role at the moment of greatest need.
It was something the kids who did that confidently recommended.
There must be a reason for that.
So, I thought to believe it.
‘Yes, it’s worth the bottom line.’
It was a whopping 500 RP.
Even so, the RP I had accumulated was ample.
No, not enough, but piled up enough to overflow.
‘Let’s try it.’
If it fails, break even.
As these guys say, it’s great if you have the right skill.
Thinking so, Lloyd chose the ‘enhanced phantom species’ menu.
Ding dong.
[Activate the fantasy species enhancement function.]
[Select the fantasy species to enhance.]
‘Bell.’
He placed the drop on the palm of his hand.
That’s how I chose him.
[The selected Phantasmal species is ‘Bell’.]
[Enhancement cost for the bell: 500 RP]
[Currently owned RP: 2401]
[Do you want to perform enhancement?]
[YES / NO]
‘Yes.’
Lloyd nodded.
[Phantom species strengthening.]
It was from then.
“Bell?”
Whoaaaaagh!
The drops were enveloped in a transparent yet mysterious light.
hold on for a while
The long-awaited message finally came to mind.
[Enhancement of the bell has been successful.]
[Enhancement level: +1]
[ A new skill
has been created as a reward for successful enhancement.
]
(Lv. 3)]
[Steel Knockout (Lv. 5)]
[Volcanic Explosion (Lv. 1)]
‘…what?’
Lloyd’s gaze read the message meticulously.
His gaze reached the last line.
‘A volcanic eruption?’
When he heard the name of the new skill, his eyes were colored with surprise.
