Chapter 12: Frica’s Cleric (1)
Tick, tick, tick…tick!
The spinning of the disc gradually slowed down and eventually stopped. The number pointed to by the arrow on top of the disc was seven!
Ding!
[7 gnoll skeletons are summoned.]
Swoosh.
Fog flowed out from the ground, and soon seven gnoll skeletons materialized.
Enemy?
Kai, startled, readied himself for battle, but the text [Gnoll Skeleton LV.50] floating above their heads was green, not red.
Monsters, but on my side?
In fact, the skeletons just stared at him blankly without showing any intention to attack.
"Fully treated as summoned creatures. Can I also give them commands?" Kai immediately tried a simple command. "Sit!"
Plop!
The gnoll skeletons promptly sat down.
"Dance!"
Boom, bop! Boom, bop!
"Headbutt!"
Thud! Thud!
The gnoll skeletons followed every command of the summoner! They seemed cute as they listened well like well-trained puppies.
Hmm. Then what about…XP?
Kai immediately used Sunlight's Warmth on one of them.
[Summon healed. Current health: 100%]
"As I thought, it doesn't work."
They were indeed treated as allies. Therefore, they wouldn't yield XP as they weren’t recognized as enemies.
"That's disappointing…."
As Kai smacked his lips, the gnoll skeletons shivered, rattling their bones in fear.
Let's check the other items.
Kai shifted his attention to another item.
[Shining Undead Gnoll Chieftain Bone]
Grade: Magic
Description: A rare crafting material obtained by defeating the Undead Gnoll Chieftain.
"This is a Magic-grade item too."
There was no need to be disappointed because it wasn't a rare item. Most material items were of normal grade. In fact, the materials from this dungeon were abnormally high quality.
"Fifteen gold was obtained. So, 1.5 million won!" Kai grinned broadly.
This is the real charm of solo play.
Typically, a party consisted of four players. This was proven to be the most efficient way to split XP and rewards through various experiments.
If four people share fifteen gold…
Split evenly, it would only amount to three gold and seventy-five silver each. That wasn’t bad, but it was little in comparison to hogging the rewards all to oneself, especially since about half of four gold would be spent on repairing equipment and buying potions.
Solo play is definitely the way to go. This is the answer.
If one didn't have the capability, it might be a different story, but if capable of solo play, there was no need to rely on party hunting.
Creeaak!
Just as Kai was about to use a Return Scroll, one of the gnoll skeletons grabbed his sleeve. It was the first time one of them acted on its own without a command.
"Huh? What?" As Kai tilted his head in confusion, the skeleton pointed to one side with its bony finger. "Huh?"
What was located there were the stairs where the Undead Gnoll Chieftain had been.
"You want me to go there?"
The gnoll skeleton nodded.
With a reluctant expression, Kai headed up the stairs.
Rumble.
As he reached the top of the stairs, the wall in front collapsed, revealing a hidden passage. Passing through the dark corridor, the light from the stars densely packed in the night sky and the large moon shone on him.
"Wait, this is…."
Kai immediately opened his minimap.
[Red Gnoll Forest]
"Ha, hahaha!"
Kai turned his head to look at the dungeon entrance, the swamp. The passage connected from the boss room was only about two meters away from the dungeon's entrance.
Now I see.
Kai's eyes lit up. He had thought the way back would be impossibly long. That's why he had given up on walking back and decided to use the Return Scroll. But that thought was a mistaken thought.
I’m playing a game. And in games, anything can happen and it's not strange.
Jumping to conclusions and giving up without even trying was a fatal flaw that limited a player's thinking. If Kai had been a bit more experienced, he would have carefully examined the cleared boss room.
I didn't know until now.
That was because he had always been a Cleric who just followed others, a passive player. But now, he needed to change.
I can learn what I don't know. Just like now.
Kai was confident in his effort, if nothing else. He felt the sense of achievement of learning something new rather than the shame of not knowing something.
"Thanks." Kai stroked the gnoll skeleton's skull.
Click, click, click!
The creature rattled its jawbone happily, then vanished like smoke as if its summoning time ended.
***
"Ugh, I'm hungry…."
The moment Han Jung-Woo stepped out of his room to satisfy his hunger, a gentle voice tickled his ears. It was the voice of his mother, Mrs. Kim Hyun-Jung.
"Jung-Woo, my dear son, you didn’t see me?"
"Huh? I really can see you. Why can I see you?"
Han Jung-Woo turned his head to look outside the window. The sun was up. Normally at this time, she should be at work, busy with her job.
"Did you get fired from your job by any chance?" Han Jung-Woo asked.
"Hahaha. You’re funny. Your mom's the boss, you know."
"I know. Was just joking around."
"Silly jokes. Today's Sunday."
"Is it already?" Han Jung-Woo scratched the side of his head.
It was no surprise he lost track of dates since he spent all day gaming.
"First, go take a shower. You smell."
"Alright. What about noona and dad?"
"I sent your sister to the market, and I sent your dad to do the recycling."
"......"
Although it had been a while since he last saw his mother, she was still charismatic. She was the true power behind the scenes...no, rather the outright power in the house!
As soon as Han Jung-Woo, who had hastily retreated, finished showering and came out, his mother asked in a gentle voice, "What are you doing next Sunday?"
At his mother's question, Han Jung-Woo shrugged. "Well, the same as usual, gaming…."
He stopped mid-sentence, because his mother's gaze had turned as cold as a blizzard in the tundra.
What's wrong? What did I miss?
Han Jung-Woo turned his head to look at the calendar.
Next Sunday is…
The date looked familiar.
"Oh!"
Realizing something, Han Jung-Woo quickly continued, "Of course, I’ll have to celebrate your birthday."
"...So you do remember."
"Aye, of course."
Han Jung-Woo, having narrowly averted a crisis, his back drenched in cold sweat.
"We're having a family dinner that day, so keep your schedule free."
"Okay, and look forward to your gift."
Although he had just started earning, by next Sunday, he felt he could afford a birthday gift.
Solo play earnings are incomparable to my Cleric days.
At Han Jung-Woo's words, his mother tilted her head. "It's been a long time since I stopped giving you allowance. Where do you have money from? Did your dad give you some pocket money?"
"No, it's not that."
As Han Jung-Woo shook his head, his mother smiled softly.
"Don't strain yourself over money you don’t have."
"...It's not a strain."
Han Jung-Woo was about to retort but then stopped.
To see is to believe.
Rather than saying a hundred things now, giving a wonderful gift next week would look much cooler.
"I'll keep that day free," Han Jung-Woo answered with a subtle smile.
***
[You have logged into the game.]
"Now, let's start dealing with the backlog."
Kai, who had appeared in the central square of Frica Village, immediately got up from his spot. He planned to sell the loot he had obtained from the Tomb of the Gnolls to gather money for his mother's birthday gift.
Well, if they don't sell, I can use the gold I have.
Currently, Kai had about seventeen gold, including the dungeon clearance rewards.
With the wealth he had gained from just one dungeon run, his steps were leisurely.
This is why one needs a full wallet.
With his back and shoulders straightened unnecessarily, he headed toward the blacksmith on the outskirts of the village.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
It was still early morning, so there were no other players around the blacksmith.
Lucky me.
Considering the usual bustle around weapon shops, general stores, and blacksmiths, requiring a long wait, today was a lucky day.
As Kai knocked on the blacksmith's door, the sound of hammering stopped.
"Come in!"
Hearing the robust voice from inside, Kai opened the door and stepped in. Entering felt like walking into a sauna, with intense heat covering his face.
"What do you need?"
Maxim, the blacksmith NPC of Frica Village, was a muscular old man in his 60s with a distinctive white beard braided in two.
"Do you have any items that can be made with these materials?" Kai immediately took out the Gnoll Skeleton Bones from his inventory.
"Hmm? Bones, I see..." Maxim tapped the bones, felt their surfaces, and inspected them thoroughly. After fiddling with the bones for a while, he turned his head, "These bones are of superior quality. They have a high mana conductivity, and their black color, which doesn't reflect light, makes them advantageous for concealing in the night."
"Oh, then can you make a set item with them?"
"How many bones do you have?"
Kai took out all the bones from his inventory and handed them to Maxim.
After counting the bones, Maxim nodded, "With this amount, I can make a set from helmet to shoes."
A set item of Magic-grade!
Magic-grade set items were worth a lot. Each part was inferior to rare items in performance, but the combined effect when all parts were collected was excellent. They also had the advantage of being cheaper than covering oneself in rare items.
"What about this?" Kai handed over the Shining Undead Gnoll Chieftain Bone.
Maxim inspected it and nodded again, "Better material than the last, but there's not enough to make a set...though a weapon could be made."
"A weapon, you say."
It was about time to change his weapon. The Cleric mace he currently used had a level limit of 38 and was of normal grade, so he rarely used it and only carried it around.
"Would you be able to make a mace?"
"Of course."
"Then I'd like to request that."
"Alright. Come back in a week. The crafting fee is five gold and requires prepayment."
"Hm."
He was providing the materials himself and still had to pay that much!
Although using the blacksmith is free after I defeat the wyrm lizard…
He wasn't confident in taking down the level 65 field monster with his current equipment.
It can't be helped.
Kai handed over five gold. "Thank you in advance."
After leaving the blacksmith, Kai headed straight to the Frica branch of the Church of Solaris. There was one reason for heading there.
Now, let's learn some skills.
In MID Online, one could learn skills at the Class Tower every 10 levels.
Especially for a Cleric who had crossed the so-called devil’s threshold of level 50, the rewards were exceptionally sweet. It was now time to taste how sweet that fruit was.
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