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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Shadow Flower and the Clockmaker
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A flower emitting a lustrous black light.
What the Madness Merchant Janet pulled out was a Shadow Flower.
"You might not know the value of this item, but it's not something I'd normally sell to a first-time customer, you know?"
"…A flower?"
"That's right! A Shadow Flower that boasts vibrant energy for decades without faltering."
[Shadow Flower]
Rarity: Rare
Recommended Level: None
Weight: 0.1kg
A flower that grows wild in Phlegeria, but one you'd be lucky to see even if you wandered your whole life.
Special Ability: Allows you to forcibly use Shadow Summon on an opponent with a level gap, just once. At this time, the summoner's level is treated as 10 higher, but even with the Shadow Flower, if the level difference doesn't narrow to 10 or less, the Shadow Summon fails.
'A Shadow Flower… and I can get it already?'
Kang Seol knew about items like the Shadow Flower.
In a way, they were objects with properties similar to disposable abilities.
Scrolls containing powerful magic.
Potions that grant superhuman strength to escape dangerous moments, and the like.
These could play a decisive role in the success or failure of an adventure at crucial times.
'And there's no downside to having it, at least.'
If you have it, you just decide when to use it.
Janet watched Kang Seol's reaction, gauging him.
She had spoken dismissively of Kang Seol, but there were other Madness Merchants out there besides her, and with substitutes available, the deal wasn't set in stone.
"How's the item…."
"The price?"
"Exactly 3000 Madness? Have you realized its value?"
"...."
"Does it feel expensive?"
Kang Seol was pondering right now.
The item was highly valuable, but the other two he'd picked first were also quite convenient if he had them, and without knowing the market rate for Madness as currency, it was hard to judge.
'Is it expensive or cheap?'
As Kang Seol furrowed his brow, Janet, like her feet were itching, made an offer first.
"Then, if you buy the Shadow Flower from me, I'll throw in the items you picked earlier. How about it?"
"The spice jar and the pouch too?"
"Yes! You know that adds up to over 600 Madness, right?"
Before Kang Seol could nod, Janet added an explanation.
"But in return, just promise to trade exclusively with me until the next deal."
"Next time?"
"I'm taking a slight loss on this, so I need steady trades to make up for it. Don't you think so?"
Kang Seol nodded, having gleaned something from Janet's words.
"You mean no dealing with other Madness Merchants until the next trade with you."
"Yes, exclusively with me until then."
Loss or gain.
She was throwing in two items, making the Shadow Flower purchasable, but now Janet's proposal was the dilemma.
"You don't have to buy. Just look over my items."
"…Fine."
"Then, deal! I've delivered the goods."
Since this was a dream, they must have been delivered somehow.
Assuming Janet, the Madness Merchant, was one of the transcendent beings he imagined.
"Looking forward to our next meeting, I'll take my leave! Survive until then."
[Acquired Shadow Flower.]
[Acquired Various Spice Jar.]
[Acquired Fresh Ingredient Pouch.]
* * *
Sure enough, upon waking, the items were neatly placed on the inn room table.
The sound of birds mingled with a refreshing breeze slipping through the slightly open window.
No matter where in the world you go, sleeping there resets your body's clock to match.
Kang Seol's current state was the same.
Closing his eyes in Pandea and opening them felt natural.
'This Madness thing… it's a more fun system than I thought?'
- Ohio
- Snow-! (Do Snowman!)
- Bought that from the Madness Merchant, huh! You even got that crap lololol
- A month of rest is gonna be boring AF, why bother watching…
- That's savage. I read various stuff, and there's apparently a lot to do during rest. Sure, pure slackers taking real breaks ain't worth watching….
- Snowman proved it! I'm sticking with this for good.
Kang Seol was planning to go all out for the best rewards anyway, so naturally, he'd draw eyes from other worlds.
No one else would pull off as many gimmicks and wondrous feats in adventures.
'If I can't avoid it, I'll use it.'
Like Cordon said, since it helped him too, he planned to make use of it.
Now, he sorted out what he needed to do during rest.
First, allocate stat points from acquired abilities.
Second, check the next adventure.
Third, check other players' movements.
Fourth, clear the side quest for the pocket watch from Pointy Rock Mountain.
And recently, he'd learned one fact.
'My memories… they're spotty in places.'
Kang Seol had thought he remembered most of his Eternal World adventures.
But that was an illusion.
He didn't remember how some adventures started, or at key junctions, what choices he made or outcomes he faced.
'My memory's not that bad, so what the hell?'
It felt like waking from cryogenic sleep after ages.
For Kang Seol, vaguely recalling things was shocking.
'Even if adventure contents change, if I can't remember the originals, it's useless. Damn….'
Having trusted his memory, anxiety was inevitable.
'Regrettable, but I'll have to be cautious for a while.'
Knowing or not could turn easy adventures hard.
He decided to postpone or skip ones he didn't remember well.
Having finished bathing and maintenance, Kang Seol stepped outside.
The glaring sunlight was stripping shadows from buildings, when he spotted unusual movement.
'Was the plaza this close?'
A cloud of people gathered in the city square.
Some who'd slept here yesterday had dark circles under their eyes. They all looked like players.
Someone was shouting from a podium.
He had an ordinary face, but somehow seemed ruthless.
"So, we're in the worst crisis in human history right now!"
"The government… what's the government doing!"
"Government my ass! Does anyone even know where we are? How's the government supposed to find us without that!"
"W-Wait, not everyone got dragged here, right?"
"Scary… so scary."
"We're getting dragged to hell again after a month?"
While Kang Seol watched the man on the podium, he addressed the crowd with odd words.
"Everyone, what we need most right now is unity and cooperation, right?"
"Unity and… cooperation?"
"You mean band together?"
"Yes. Why scatter and court death? Think of those dying in these adventures or whatever!"
"Hmm…."
[Discernment activates.]
[Eloquence 1 is in effect.]
[Escaping influence.]
"How about it? We need a center, right?"
"Yeah! Who do we trust and gather around? Just grouping up means nothing!"
Kang Seol had no interest in speeches unrelated to him and left to save time.
Right after Kang Seol vanished, the podium man continued.
"So, I've brought this person."
A man stepped onto the podium.
His packed muscles made him look like he belonged in primitive life.
"Who's that guy?"
"Who is he?"
"Everyone, you know this. The top ranker from the last adventure kept their identity hidden."
The crowd buzzed.
"Right! That's it!"
"No way…."
The podium man introduced the newcomer.
"Yes. This is the number one adventure scorer who hid their info."
"T-That guy's…."
"We're supposed to trust him and group up?"
"The choice is yours. I'm just proposing. In this danger, the surest thing isn't gods or friends—it's pure strength. Can anyone deny this man has the highest survivability around?"
"That's…."
"W-What do we have to do?"
The man smiled brightly.
"I'm thinking of forming one community."
Similar scenes unfolded across Kongori's various spots.
So-called 'guilds.'
Well, in a game-like world, better they call it what they want than 'co-op' or 'vigilantes.'
Kang Seol witnessed many forming communities, excluding the first man.
Watching the process, he chuckled.
Organizations made to protect people, but how many would uphold that noble intent.
Kang Seol had little interest in real-world people from the start. Indifference and distrust.
Raised in an orphanage since childhood, with 17 years of bizarre shared dreams, he couldn't be normal.
He trusted only himself, even more after gods abandoned him.
'They'll handle it.'
He was now at the job training ground.
Shadow Summoning of the black magic lineage.
Entering the wooden building named 'Dark Forespeakers,' Kang Seol met a robed man.
"What brings you here?"
Facing him, choices appeared.
[This is a place researching black magic. The apparent caretaker asks your business. What will you do?]
1. [Requires: Stat Points] I want to learn a new ability.
2. [Requires: Stat Points] I want to strengthen an existing ability.
3. I want to test an ability.
4. Do you have something to entrust?
5. [Requires: Shadow Summoner, Wall of Enlightenment] I heard there's a Shadow Summoner here.
...
Option 5 was unavailable, grayed out.
"I want to strengthen abilities and learn new ones."
"Good. Follow me."
Kang Seol followed the man.
During rest, checking abilities like this was essential.
"Here. Go in."
"Got it."
A pitch-black room, darkness everywhere.
The man left Kang Seol there.
Like solitary in a brutal prison, darkness blocked all vision.
Then, something surfaced.
Whoooong…
A tree-like illusion.
At its roots: Shadow Summon and Shadow Hand engraved, with branches sprawling across.
'So the skill tree's implemented like this.'
Kang Seol adapted quickly, knowing the system.
He touched to strengthen or unlock desired abilities.
[Strengthening Shadow Summon.]
[Using 2 stat points.]
[On Shadow Summon success, inheritance to summon flows more smoothly than before.]
[On Shadow Summon success, summon stats preserve at least 40% more.]
First, bolstering the key ability [Shadow Summon].
Spent 2 stat points on main ability [Shadow Summon], leaving 2 stat points.
'Next level needs 4 points, huh.'
Checking others, he found what he wanted and caressed the text.
[Persistent: Awaken Summon Strengthening.]
[Using 1 stat point.]
[Owned summons' stats rise 5%.]
[Persistent: Awaken Shadow Space Expansion.]
[Using 1 stat point.]
[Summoner's Shadow Space expands 10%, securing more summon space.]
- Always worrying about summons… Snowman not even pumping his own stats!
- His mindset's different. Why pump summoner stats when summons do it all.
- Leave the summoner alone! Leave the summoner alone!
- Jamad and Karuna about to become monsters ㄷㄷ
- This man harbors two beasts in his chest.
Testing another ability's text brought a message.
[Insufficient stat points.]
'Can't power-level as I please.'
Regretfully, he thanked the keeper, finished allocation.
[Snowman]
Titles: The One Who Dropped the Moon +4 others.
Race: Human
Level: 5
HP: 690/690
MP: 1320/1320
Owned Stat Points: 0
Strength 10(+1) Agility 10(+1) Vitality 14(+2)
Intelligence 14(+2) Wisdom 40(+18) Mental Strength 14(+3)
Talents: Cooking 1, Discernment 1, Troll Tongue 1
Abilities: Shadow Summon 2, Shadow Hand
Persistent: Summon Strengthening 1, Persistent: Shadow Space Expansion 1
Shadow Space: 800 / 1320
'This is decent enough, right?'
After ability check, he headed to the tavern next.
"So, someone's trying to take you somewhere weird?"
"I was a NEET in reality, but here I'm popular. Weird, huh?"
"What's the world coming to…."
The tavern buzzed with guild talk even midday.
"Steel Heart or whatever…. Name's so tacky, right?"
"Better than Black Tiger. Some old dude made it."
"Impressive, really…."
- Lololol I'm Black Tiger!
- Cringe! Stop making them!
- Fine, your naming sense is so lame I wanna die.
- That old dude's guild… kinda appealing?
- Snowman joining a guild?
- Legend hidden ranker doesn't move lightly.
- Hiding power nerd…
- Reason for hiding power) No one asks…
- Social distancing OP…
Kang Seol's reason for avoiding guilds was simple.
No help from them, no direct aid he could give.
Cordon's words lingered.
- Note: Speaking of heavenly matters aloud gives gods reason to intervene. You will die. Be wise. Good luck, Snowman. Hope we meet again.
If Kang Seol helped others with his experience, its source might leak.
'Solo for now.'
That was his judgment.
'Anyway… who'd know about this pocket watch.'
Clink.
Pondering the broken watch's side quest, he felt eyes from somewhere.
Swoosh.
Kang Seol checked the source.
A white-haired elder, mid-drink, stared piercingly at Kang Seol's face.
Scrape…
Then suddenly stood and approached.
'What? Who?'
Kang Seol readied Shadow Summon for contingencies, watching.
The elder neared, ruddy-faced, and spoke.
"That…."
"Yes?"
"That watch…."
Watch.
The elder eyed not Kang Seol, but the pocket watch.
"That pocket watch… looks like one I know. Mind if I check?"
He'd been dizzy at the thought of searching the whole city.
But by heavenly luck, the quest NPC was right there.
"…You know it?"
"Of course. Seems like…."
Kang Seol shut his mouth at the elder's words.
"It's a watch I made."
Found the clue for the ownerless watch.