Chapter 88 – Blooming in the Swamp (5)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Since the days when Arcana was a game.

To the Players, spirits were existences in fantasy.

“No, but do spirits really exist?”

“If anyone had seen one, it would have been uploaded on NetTube already.”

“Well, isn’t it like bait they threw out? After just mentioning them to raise expectations. A new Elementalist class will appear in a new update!”

It was natural to think so.

Why, even if there were no Players who witnessed a spirit.

Or Players who had a class related to spirits, it was certain that spirits existed. The stories talked about by books and NPCs were the proof.

“But, so when are they going to do that update?”

“There’s no such detail this week or this time either, though?”

“No, wait. I’ve been waiting for months without even advancing my class, though?”

However, that was a huge misconception.

As stated, the existence called a spirit was.

A rare existence that only an extremely small minority could witness.

Naturally, interest in spirits had no choice but to cool down gradually.

It was needless to say after Arcana became reality.

When rifts appeared and monsters roamed in reality.

A spirit whose existence isn’t even known?

It was no different from grasping at clouds.

“This is breaking news that just came in. It’s said that an unidentified message popped up in the rift. We will deliver that message to the viewers right now!”

That’s right.

The Swampland of Predators.

Until the message popped up for the Players who entered the rift.

[Someone has formed a contract with a spirit.]

It said someone formed a contract with a spirit.

“No, they would have been busy just fighting. A contract!”

“And what kind of ordinary contract is that? It says it’s a contract with a spirit. That spirit that only had abundant bait!”

“For us who are just watching, it cannot be anything but hard-to-believe news.”

And in the Swampland of Predators, which is no different from a colosseum.

Who is the someone who contracted with a spirit?

Predicting it was not a very difficult task.

Wasn’t there only one person?

The swampland.

The unending mud fight.

Among that, someone like a lotus blooming in a swamp.

There was a Player who stood nobly alone.

It was clearly none other than Lee Ho-yeol.

“See! Didn’t I clearly say there was something?!”

Who is Lee Ho-yeol?

A Player who returned perfectly fine even from a recommended level 900~1,000 rift. Such Lee Ho-yeol probably wouldn’t have sought out the Predator’s rift simply for experience points like other Players.

-Actually, didn’t everyone guess it when the stairs popped up??

-Real lol That’s why everyone was super focused and super expectant lolol

-But this is beyond expectations, no?

-I really couldn’t even imagine a spirit *shiver*

The pouring chat, it was as they said.

Since it was none other than Lee Ho-yeol, not just any other Player.

The expectations that had heightened to the fullest.

And as if taking those expectations for granted.

Lee Ho-yeol answered.

“Player Lee Ho-yeol never disappoints!”

The Swampland of Predators rift.

It was no different for the Players who checked the message themselves.

No, if they were surprised, they would have been even more surprised.

“He formed a contract with a spirit?”

“No, seriously, what is this! As if swordsmanship wasn’t enough, now it’s a spirit?!”

“Stop whining. What are these messages keeping on popping up?”

The messages popping up one after another.

Because their contents were unusual.

[The Spirit King of the Forest, Dryad, blesses the contract.]

[In the Swampland of Predators, the blessing of the Forest Spirit King, Dryad, dwells.]

[The experience points acquired in the Swampland of Predators increase by 20 percent.]

[The value of loot acquired in the Swampland of Predators increases by 20 percent.]

The blessing of the Spirit King.

The effect of the blessing was a whopping increase in experience points and loot drop rate.

That was the rarest buff since the days when Arcana was a game. Even the Players who knew the Arcana system well enough to match their high levels.

“E-Experience points and drop rate increase buff?!”

“It’s a buff I’ve only seen once or twice too.”

“It’s not 10 percent but a 20 percent increase, though……?”

“Just what kind of great thing did you do again, Lee Ho-yeol!!”

It means they couldn’t help but make a fuss.

They were guessing in their own way, but.

Rox let out a hollow laugh.

“You properly exceed those guesses.”

Indeed, proportional to the level gap.

It must mean there is a gap in the level of insight between himself and Lee Ho-yeol.

Naturally, the picture they saw couldn’t help but be different.

“Wow man. I couldn’t even think of a spirit. As expected!!”

Nam Tae-min let out pure admiration.

Even though he prided himself on knowing more about Ho-yeol than other Players. It seemed Ho-yeol’s capacity was much larger than he had thought.

“……A contract with a spirit? Suddenly?”

……It’s hard to even get a cup of tea, really.

Is it because of the message, or because of the Berserker’s madness.

Leonie’s face was full of bloodthirst.

Since each person’s relationship with Ho-yeol was different.

It was natural for their reactions to the message to be different.

However, one thing was clear.

That the someone in the message was definitely Lee Ho-yeol.

So it was natural for the majority of interest to turn to the stairs floating in the empty space.

To the stairs where Ho-yeol would reveal himself.

NetTubers were already licking their lips.

“I will clearly deliver what a spirit looks like to you!”

Actually, what does it matter what a spirit looks like?

Simply having the title of ‘the first’ is what is more important.

Right, they had thought so.

Click

“!!!”

Until Ho-yeol revealed his appearance.

*

『Contract with a Spirit』

Even if it’s scratching the surface, that is Granfel’s strict standard.

I am telling you I also read several books related to Spiritology.

It means I have basic common sense regarding spirits. Naturally, I also knew what a contract with a spirit meant. So actually, I was inwardly relieved.

‘What if, let’s say, I met an intermediate spirit.’

Information about the Arcana continent, a contract, whatever else.

Everything would have merely been a pie in the sky.

That was because of the contract clause.

『A spirit is closely influenced by the nature of the contractor.』

The nature refers to the entirety of the contractor.

If I put that simply, since I am a Player.

When considered from the perspective of a Player.

‘It means it’s influenced by my status window.’

The Senior Mage of Spiritology, Feiyan Lot.

The reason she was a big eater was also because of her contract with a spirit.

-“As you can see, I am not fuel-efficient.”

The High-ranking Fire Spirit, Fire Drake.

The Fire Drake must have been demanding many things from its contractor, Feiyan.

In a word, it meant it acted its rank.

Even that was because their relationship was completely severed, so it ended at the level of meal sizes, Feiyan had continued speaking with cheeks puffed up like a squirrel.

-“Still, compared to the time when I was suffering from mana exhaustion, this is better.”

What kind of existences are the Senior Mages of the Mage Tower?

Above all, I had witnessed his mana amount during the battle with Bangrit Tom.

That was an overwhelming mana amount that I wouldn’t even dare to think of catching up to.

Since they are fellow Senior Mages.

Feiyan’s mana amount wouldn’t have a huge gap from Bangrit’s either.

Right, a high-ranking spirit is.

An existence that makes even Feiyan, the possessor of overwhelming mana, complain of mana exhaustion……!

‘Even a low-ranking spirit is more than enough for me.’

So grasping my standing ended naturally.

Moreover.

“I will swear on the name of the Spirit King of the Forest, Dryad.”

Contract established.

Because I started to feel it as soon as the Nymph finished speaking.

……I mean the feeling of my meager mana draining out!

Thank goodness I practically went all-in investing the points I acquired through leveling up so far into Magic. And raised mana regeneration with the [Hexagram Brooch] and [Masterpiece – Duke Swalin’s Treasured Item]…….

Spirits aren’t spirits for nothing, really.

It wasn’t for nothing that Spiritology was called the study of chosen mages even in the Mage Tower.

However, there is no way I’d reveal these bewildered inner thoughts.

I calmly opened my mouth.

“That appearance has changed.”

The contractor’s nature.

I mean, under my influence, the Nymph was changed starting from her exterior appearance.

Although her size was still as small as a fairy.

For some reason, from that small size.

Different from before, dignified elegance seemed to emanate.

“Is that so? This must also be due to Ho-yeol-nim’s influence.”

……By the way, what is with that tone?

A polite tone that doesn’t go against Granfel’s strict standards.

I only then realized.

The true meaning of the saying that a spirit is influenced by the contractor’s nature.

Since it received the influence of me, Granfel.

The changed Nymph’s appearance is also understandable.

Wasn’t I the one who was called ‘Sir’ by Harkon even in times when I had much less than now? As if that wasn’t enough, up to the influence of the [Aesthetics] stat existing in my status window.

‘Looking just at this exterior, it’s not a low-ranking spirit.’

Doesn’t she look like some Spirit Queen?

I swallowed a groan while looking at such a Nymph.

This is exactly what mirror therapy, an anti-example, is.

‘Thanks to contracting with meager me.’

The appearance of the Nymph that only became plausible on the outside.

A bad influence.

I feel a sense of responsibility as it seems I infected her for no reason.

Sincerely.

The Nymph examined her changed appearance with restrained nods.

Elegantly drooping butterfly wings, abundant and lengthened hair, and up to an attire that is hard to find a flaw in even with Granfel’s aesthetic eye.

Then she said to me.

“I like my change. What do you think, Ho-yeol-nim?”

Right, still, it’s a relief that the contracting party likes it.

Still, how I wanted to do something about the burdensome historical drama tone but.

Inner thoughts are inner thoughts because they cannot be revealed.

“There is nothing to point out.”

The conversation with the Nymph ended there.

I immediately reached out my hand toward the Four-Colored Mistletoe.

Because I didn’t have the luxury.

‘Mana is draining out even in this moment of conversing…….’

It wasn’t to the extent of making a fuss but.

It wasn’t a consumption amount where I could afford to take it easy either.

Moreover, I had checked the message.

The congratulatory message containing the blessing of the Forest Spirit King, Dryad.

‘Increase in drop rate up to the experience points.’

Because the blessing was bestowed upon the [Swampland of Predators].

It means the other Players also enjoy the same effect.

Even if I hesitate a little bit, there will be no monsters left.

I don’t even have the time to whine while blaming my weakness.

Right, if my level is lacking, I can just raise it.

If reaching an unapproachable level of mana through just leveling up is impossible.

It’s a matter of reaching it even if I have to chew and swallow elixir herbs.

I have ample possibilities!

It was the moment I was thinking like that.

Sallang sallang

The Nymph elegantly flew toward the Four-Colored Mistletoe.

“If you are in need of this Four-Colored Mistletoe.”

“?”

“I shall bestow a blessing upon it.”

……Blessing you say?

Why a blessing all of a sudden.

My knowledge about spirits was merely at the level of scratching the surface.

However, a detailed explanation was not needed.

Sareureu

Just once.

Even though the Nymph merely caressed the Four-Colored Mistletoe.

Gooooo

Because the light of the Four-Colored Mistletoe became even clearer.

“……!”

The more the Four-Colored Mistletoe grows, the deeper its light becomes.

[Pentagram of Pure Knowledge].

The knowledge about all plants on the Arcana continent acquired through it.

‘This, by any chance?’

And there I witnessed it.

『The Cultivation Method of Elixir Herbs』

The direction that the research with tremendous potential value should advance!

*

Click

The sound of shoes heard from above.

The waiting NetTubers swallowed their dry saliva.

“Lee Ho-yeol. No, it seems Ho-yeol-nim is coming down……!”

There were also broadcasting stations broadcasting the NetTubers’ streaming in real-time.

Wasn’t it a spirit that had been treated like a fantasy existence all this time?

The situation where the true identity of a spirit is revealed.

Because it seemed clearly a hot topic that would record high viewer ratings.

As if that wasn’t enough.

Who was the one who contracted with such a spirit?

It was exactly Lee Ho-yeol.

“Real-time viewer rating surpassed 15 percent……!”

That expectation was showing as viewer ratings.

Still, knowledge about spirits was relatively well known through Arcana’s books or word of mouth.

Thanks to that, there were also those who viewed the situation realistically.

“Because they say putting abilities aside, high-ranking spirits are existences that don’t easily reveal themselves.”

“Even if it is Player Lee Ho-yeol, is it not easy to form a contract with a high-ranking spirit?”

“That is true. But what does rank matter? Isn’t the fact that he is the first Player to form a contract with a spirit the important thing?”

Of course, such opinions.

Disappeared the moment Ho-yeol revealed his appearance.

The appearance of the spirit fluttering its wings.

The dignity flowing from every single movement.

“T-That’s a spirit……?”

“What’s with the halo.”

“That goes beyond pretty, it’s beautiful…….”

Its figure was to the point of not fading even by Ho-yeol’s side.

What that appearance meant was simple.

Someone opened their mouth fussily.

“No matter who looks at that spirit, isn’t it at least high-ranking, no, Spirit King-class?!”

.

.

.

Stare

Gazes are felt from everywhere.

The Nymph opened her mouth.

“Indeed, Ho-yeol-nim, you are in answers position like this.”

Then she elegantly continued.

“I too, as a contracted spirit, will get used to these gazes.”

You, you are properly infected by Granfel.

However, those words are wise.

Because my personality will never change.

Nymph, it means it’ll be more comfortable for you to adapt.

‘Of course, it’s none of my business if the gazes are concentrated on me.’

As I said.

I’m a busy person.

Unlike those rankers over there, my level is terrible.

It means my position is one where I regret every single minute and second of the experience points and drop rate buff.

So I didn’t hesitate.

This is the Predator Zone where battles never cease.

I immediately pulled out my sword.

[Level : 324]

I am still hungry for experience points……!