"Bastards!"
Perhaps because they were on the receiving end of their own tactics, they vehemently rejected Lokan's offer.
"Alright then. Nothing more I can do."
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
Lokan smiled and brought his Orc Battle-Axe down. They couldn't even catch their breath before they died, spilling a pile of items onto the ground. PK'ing carried a higher item drop rate than PvE deaths, and there was a greater chance of dropping multiple items instead of just one. Unfortunately for them, they hit the worst odds.
"You guys brought this on yourselves. No, wait... scout."
"You! Who are you?!"
After collecting all the loot, Lokan turned to the remaining PKer—the one who had acted as the scout, summoning the three others when users approached. His name wasn't red, suggesting he just signaled targets without engaging directly.
"Talk. I don't care who you are."
As Lokan menacingly gathered the remaining items, the scout hesitated, then decided to act.
"Insight!"
[Your opponent has used a hostile skill against you.]
[Self-defense is recognized for 5 minutes from now.]
[Self-defense time may increase if resistance continues.]
"You're a Hawk!" (Note: 'Hawk' might be the scout's class or a term for a lookout).
*Whish!*
Lokan had anticipated this. The moment the scout tried to read Lokan's information, Lokan lunged forward and smashed his head in. As a reconnaissance type, his level was low. He died with little resistance, his skull shattered.
"Tch! Even this guy drops junk. Are you all just trash?"
Their names and levels were revealed to Lokan through the combat log, but he didn't care. He focused on collecting their dropped items, even humming a tune. The loot was decent, fitting for players active around Trinsic. One even dropped his main weapon bow. The drop rate for weapons wasn't high, so that PKer must be heartbroken.
After collecting everything, Lokan waited a bit longer instead of heading straight to Trinsic. He anticipated they might resurrect and return for revenge, possibly with friends. But unfortunately, no one showed up—whether they were too frightened or couldn't gather allies in time.
"Not coming anymore, you cowards!"
The level Lokan had revealed through the fight was only 35; they could have tried again. "Damn it, I was hoping for a bit more fun," he cursed after waiting another 20 minutes, then finally continued towards Trinsic.
* * *
While most users found Cton impressive upon first sight, Trinsic was a city twice its size. It boasted numerous shops and NPCs. As a secondary city, it was built to accommodate a larger population. After all, anyone with enough time could make the journey from a primary city like Cton. Furthermore, the hunting grounds around Trinsic started at level 40, allowing players to level up sufficiently even if they hadn't fully explored Cton's Wild Forest.
"There are quite a few."
Perhaps because of this, Trinsic was unexpectedly crowded. Over a month had passed since *The Lord's* launch, and players with decent game sense had already arrived.
'But being fast doesn't mean being the best.'
Lokan knew better. Most of them were chaff, like the PKers he just encountered. Unless you were truly first, a slight head start meant very little.
"First... the general store."
Memorizing the layout of this large city wasn't easy without exploration. Of course, you could learn it by doing quests, but Lokan chose a more efficient method: buying a map from the general store. Relying solely on memory had limits, and the magic map had special functions. By purchasing a regional map and integrating it with his magic map, his current location, destination, and the shortest route would be displayed with dots and lines.
Holding the newly purchased map, Lokan commanded, "Navigation on. Destination: the Wizard's Guild." Though he recalled the way from his past life, this was more efficient than relying on hazy memories. He set off for the Wizard's Guild.
* * *
Unlike the perpetually packed Wizard's Guild in Cton, the one in Trinsic was quite quiet. It wasn't that the Wizard class had lost popularity, but because the number of wizard users who had leveled up enough to reach here was still small. Unlike melee classes who could manage with just health, a wizard's mana pool directly limited their sustainable hunting time. Therefore, the wizards here were either highly skilled, guild-supported, or those who had chosen wizard as a secondary class.
Lokan passed through them and approached a magic merchant.
"I'd like to purchase a rune book set."
A rune book was a magic item allowing teleportation to five saved locations while out of combat. It bound to the user upon use, so there was no risk of dropping it upon death. By paying more, you could even upgrade to remember twenty locations.
"The rune book, five mark scrolls, and twenty teleport scrolls. The total is 5 gold."
The problem was the exorbitant cost. The basic rune book alone, allowing five locations and ten teleports, cost 3 gold—a significant sum even for players active in Trinsic. Lokan wondered how the PKers who had three sets managed it. 'They must have been quite active,' he thought, feeling a twinge of regret for not farming them more.
"Is it the third floor this time?"
With the rune book acquired, Lokan headed to the third floor. Access was normally restricted, but thanks to his 'Steroian's First Assistant' title, he passed without issue.
"Yes, Steroian sent me."
Materian didn't test visitors like Steroian had. Still, Lokan secretly summoned the Bell of Truth to verify, but the wizard was genuine. After receiving the 'Improved Antidote' and 'Steroian's Letter,' Materian thought deeply before speaking.
"We definitely need to prepare in advance. Very well, you shall assist me." His scrutinizing gaze seemed skeptical, which was understandable given Lokan's level was only around 35. There were level 40 and 50 users in Trinsic he could ask.
"Leave it to me."
"With Steroian's recommendation and your confidence... Alright, I'll entrust this to you."
[Endless Research I][Quest]
After examining the improved antidote prototype from Steroian, Materian seeks materials to enhance its efficacy. Bring him the Forest Goblin Shaman's Elixir.
-Success Condition: Forest Goblin Shaman's Elixir 0/1
-Reward: 4 silver, normal experience
'It begins.'
This was the real start. Forest Goblins were gifted in alchemy and witchcraft. Starting with the 'Forest Goblin Shaman's Elixir,' Materian would request various monster parts and objects. Some seemed unrelated to actual research, earning him curses from players. But Lokan couldn't refuse. He accepted the quest and left.
"Efficiency is key."
Lokan knew roughly what items Materian would request later. There was no need to wander aimlessly.
"Only one thing to do. Check the auction house."
* * *
Lokan immediately headed to the auction house, a feature unavailable in primary cities like Cton but present from secondary cities like Trinsic. He immediately bought out all the known quest items he could find. Most were classified as vendor trash ('japtem') and listed for cheap, so it didn't cost much.
"Need to offload these too. Register items for auction."
Lokan listed the loot from the Savage Village, the Skeleton Warrior series from the Graveyard Under the Moon, and the items from the PKers at reasonable prices. While the gold would be deposited minus a 2% commission after sale, it was better than wasting time shouting in the plaza. He wasn't desperate for immediate cash.
As soon as he returned with the purchased auction items, ten quests were completed in rapid succession.
[Endless Research II][Quest]
After examining the improved antidote prototype from Steroian, Materian seeks materials to enhance its efficacy. Bring him the Forest Lizardman Blood and Heart.
-Success conditions: Forest Lizardman's Blood 0/1, Forest Lizardman's Heart 0/1
-Reward: 20 silver, normal experience
'Now things get interesting.'
As the quest title implied, the requests were endless. Lokan only leveled up once from the quest reward experience. While this method was fast, attempting to clear these quests normally would have been stressful even for him. Even using the auction house, he'd have to make multiple trips to sell loot.
Furthermore, items currently treated as junk would skyrocket in price or become scarce once the main questline activated later. He was capitalizing on this early window. It was a strategy only possible because he had rushed ahead while others were still grinding.
"But this one isn't available yet?"
This continued until the tenth quest. The eleventh quest target, the Forest Lizardman, was level 70. Although not stated in the quest, the Forest Lizardman Warrior, who dropped the 'Forest Lizardman's Heart,' was a level 80 elite. It was no surprise it wasn't available on the auction house yet; it required a raid-like group to defeat, unless you had exceptional power like Lokan. The items might have been sold to NPCs by players who didn't know their value, or simply not farmed yet.
"Well, no need to rush."
Having organized his thoughts, Lokan relaxed. While clearing the main scenario quickly was important, Trinsic itself held many gains: hidden items, secret dungeons, obscure quests, and information leading to new achievements and powers. He recalled them one by one and started searching for the easiest to acquire first.