Chapter 22

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Gulp.

Gulp.

The top of the stone tower where only the sound of the old man drinking echoed.

Around him, 20 empty bottles were neatly laid out.

“Hyung, is he really okay? Drinking like that?”

“Leave him be. He’s originally like that.”

– Grandpa is quite the drinker;

– Isn’t it non-alcoholic?

– Even if it’s 20 bottles of water, I’d GG.

– For real, so full.

Yeon-woo was watching worriedly, but that man didn’t lose his composure.

If one were to even attempt a stealthy attack right now, he would react instantly.

“Kahaa!”

Having finally emptied the last bottle, the old man wiped his mouth.

Standing up from his seat, he turned his body around.

“It was a not-so-bad liquor.”

Contrary to the mild evaluation, a vastly satisfied face.

Han-bit knew well that that was his grandest review.

‘After I put so much effort into making it.’

After seeing the Elementalist in the city.

Han-bit went around gathering ingredients here and there to craft special alcohol.

It was a method he learned from an ethnic minority he serendipitously met at the ends of the earth during his 7th playthrough.

“I’m glad if it was decent. We can talk now, right?”

“… Yes, so you brought this.”

The old man held up the cloth that was tied to the bottle.

He examined the emblem of the green sword drawn on it and spoke.

“Hah. To think that Balder truly sent it.”

Surprise mixed in a short sigh.

The one who knew Swordsman Balder’s pride the best was the old man.

For such a disciple to acknowledge someone’s skill and send him, it was hard to simply nod in agreement.

“What did Balder say?”

“He said I would be able to attain a completely different teaching.”

“Yeah right.”

Snorting a laugh, the old man tucked the cloth holding in his hand into his waistband.

Then, he spoke in a cold voice.

“Go back. I cannot let you inherit my sword.”

“Why? Because there hasn’t been a single disciple who succeeded in learning it?”

“… You are quite perceptive.”

The Swordsman of the Wind had a fair amount of disciples.

However, there was no one who succeeded in manifesting his sword.

When even Balder, the last disciple who showed talent, failed.

He gave up hope and quietly hid himself away.

“The talent required for my sword is not simple. It means nothing if one merely swings a sword well.”

Whoosh!

Muttering quietly, the old man slowly raised his hand.

The winds blowing around naturally intertwined towards that spot.

It felt as though it moved with its own will.

“That talent is about elemental affinity, right?”

“… It seems Balder spouted unnecessary words.”

The old man mistakenly thought it was a tale heard from his disciple.

However, Han-bit was someone who had personally clashed against and experienced the importance of that talent.

– Is it really a spirit?

– To think this appears here.

– Innate Origin Theory of Spirits 1 Win.

– Why is talent needed even in a game.

– The reason why you’ll be Bronze, Silver, Gold for life.

– Why are you attacking me.

‘Talent is important indeed.’

Han-bit wasn’t someone with high elemental affinity from the beginning.

He just stubbornly struggled to commune with the spirits.

The fascinating part was that the results of those efforts stacked up neatly as the playthroughs repeated.

Later on, to the point he could get close to them right away by just going through a minimal process.

‘Right now even that kind of time is precious.’

A technique so familiar it could be counted on one hand.

The best technique one could learn in Edlen.

A technique absolutely required to open the floodgates for spirit communion.

If he were to list the merits, there’d be no end.

To that extent, he had to learn this technique as quickly as possible.

“Hmm.”

The old man quietly observed Han-bit.

The first test he created was arriving here by pushing through the traps.

He had scrutinized the process Han-bit took to climb up without missing a single detail.

Movements swift without superfluous actions, and a calm, flexible judgment.

If he were a disciple for ordinary swordsmanship, it was excellent enough for him to extend his hand first.

That is, provided it was strictly for ordinary swordsmanship.

“Go back. I have nothing to teach you.”

The old man, who had resigned entirely, turned his back with a bitter voice.

And an alarm popped up along with a message.

Ding.

[Quest has been completed.]

[Linked Quest will be unlocked.]

[Hidden Quest]

You must convince Asla and learn his technique.

First, it seems you have to change his mind.

Objective: Choose an option on which method would be best.

1. Shall I properly prove my sword skills?

2. Shall I try to persuade him with words as much as possible?

3. Won’t it be fine if I somehow become close with the spirits?

Reward: 100,000 Gold, Asla’s Secret Manual, 10 Stat Points, 10,000 Experience Points

– Gasp.

– F*ck a hidden quest popped.

– To think this appears like this?

– What about the skill? Is that a hidden skill?

– Doubting until the end.

– It gives a f*ck ton of rewards. Lol.

[ㅇㅇ has supported 10,000 won.]

[Did it say it’s genuinely a hidden quest?]

[J-Bug has supported 20,000 won.]

[It’s a j-bug.]

The chat window ignited at the sudden appearance of the hidden quest.

“Gasp.”

Yeon-woo also widened his eyes in surprise.

‘So this is how it appears.’

The hidden quest was different starting from the message window itself.

Because a luxurious golden border was flashing on it.

Han-bit re-examined the objectives written in the quest details.

1. Shall I properly prove my sword skills?

2. Shall I try to persuade him with words as much as possible?

3. Won’t it be fine if I somehow become close with the spirits?

Asla, who has no intention of teaching his techniques.

It was a quest to discover the best method to change his mind.

‘No need to even pick.’

Extending his hand, Han-bit pressed number 3 right away.

That action provoked shock from the others.

“… Hyung, did you just pick number 3 right now?”

– You’ve finally gone crazy.

– Is he throwing away the hidden skill?

– Do we have to camp out here now?

– It probably won’t work even if he camps. Lol.

– I believe in Black Dragon.

– Yeah, not a chance.

While doubts and confusion went back and forth.

Swoosh.

The blowing wind lightly brushed his cheek.

‘It’s here.’

The way a spirit expresses curiosity.

This sensation he had felt countless times was piercingly familiar.

And regarding who this spirit was, he knew far too well too.

Rustle.

The texture of the softly blowing wind gradually thickened.

Holding a painfully vivid will.

A spirit like a playfully abundant child.

Han-bit, who closed his eyes for a moment then opened them, murmured quietly.

“Sylph.”

Whoosh!

The Low-grade Wind Spirit, Sylph.

As he recited that name, the wind raged violently.

And an alarm popped up along with a message.

[A new effect of the Title: The 55th Recorder will be unlocked.]

‘…!’

Han-bit, reacting immediately, quickly opened the title information.

[The 55th Recorder]

The experiences accumulated by the Recorder are unlocked.

1. The proficiency of all experienced skills accumulates extremely quickly. Performance is scaled up proportionally to the depth of experience.

2. All Elemental Affinities are activated, and the effects governing the power of spirits increase drastically.

3. Unlocked (Keyword: Item)

‘It worked!’

Seeing the contents, Han-bit clenched his fist.

When he first obtained The 55th Recorder, the 2nd list detail was in a locked state.

The keyword written there was Spirit.

Han-bit, who sought to acquire the Swordsmanship of the Wind early on, had naturally anticipated this moment in his head.

The moment of communing with a spirit for the first time and calling its name.

‘The problem is how it will be implemented now.’

Spirits don’t carelessly approach humans.

Moreover, intimacy wasn’t something you could figure out through numerics.

How are spirits implemented in the game system?

Is the method to communicate with them identical to his memories?

These questions continuously lingered in his mind.

Swoosh.

Before he knew it, the wind lightly coiled around Han-bit’s hand.

That moment, a new message popped up along with an alarm.

Ding.

[Wind Spirit Sylph feels a strong curiosity towards you.]

– Did a spirit message just pop up right now?

– You just had to call its name, huh.

– If that worked, no one would ever have struggled.

– Just how did he do that.

– Rafina weeping.

– Vanguard Elementalist <<<<< Black Dragon

He didn't need to interpret that content.

Han-bit, smiling broadly, looked at the old man and said.

"I just have to prove my elemental affinity, right?"

"That is not something that can be proven so simply. If you incur their wrath needlessly, they might throw you far away…"

The old man, who merely turned his head slightly, couldn't finish his words.

"Huh."

A gaze fixed entirely frozen.

At some point, an even greater amount of wind was gathering around Han-bit.

'It's working.'

The sensation of the gentle wind was vivid.

No, strictly speaking, it was a little different from his memories.

Perhaps it was one of the limitations of the Level 2 gear, but there were no problems.

Now was the time to welcome the spirit.

Slide.

Han-bit, who raised his hand lightly, moved slowly as if embracing the wind.

Spirits favored this sort of communion because they were akin to animals.

Ding.

[Wind Spirit Sylph laughs as if amused.]

[Wind Spirit Sylph shows a greater interest in you.]

[Wind Spirit Sylph expresses astonishment at your high elemental affinity.]

…

The wind intensifying along with continuously sequentially appearing messages.

When a bit more time passed, it broadly enveloped Han-bit's surroundings.

"… O Spirit."

The old man is someone who deeply understands the wind spirits.

To that extent, he keenly felt how nonsensical this situation was.

Whoosh!

The swirling wind seemed ready to swallow everything around it.

Han-bit, standing in the center of it, felt the wind with his entire body.

And the moment a cozy sensation nestled into his embrace.

[Wind Spirit Sylph wishes to be together with you.]

The spirit's will surfaced as a message.

Rustle.

The wind gradually taking shape beyond the flickering sentences.

It, which progressively gained contours, soon transformed into an appearance much like a single bird.

Chirp!

A size similar to a human's hand.

The translucent exterior flawlessly represented the mystery of spirits.

[Low-grade Wind Spirit Sylph]

Flap!

Spreading its small wings, the bird alighted atop Han-bit's shoulder.

At that moment, the alarm rang in his ears once more.

Ding.

[Title: Friend of Spirits is added to the list.]

[Friend of Spirits]

The potency of all skills based on the power of spirits increases by 20 percent.

– It even gives a title.

– Isn't 20 percent too broken OP?

– They became friends out of nowhere.

– Spirits are easy;

– I'm heading there right now to make friends.

– Breaking News) People are still falling off the cliff.

– Entry check is f*cking intense. Lol.

'Friends already, huh.'

A tremendous result achieved by leapfrogging numerous stages.

Being a Friend of Spirits held that much meaning.

To the extent that they, who do not readily reveal their figures, manifested themselves like this.

Stroke.

Han-bit carefully stroked the spirit's head with his finger.

Thereupon, the little guy fluttered its wings as if in a good mood.

"…"

The old man, who blankly observed that spectacle, couldn't part his lips.

Han-bit, who walked right up to him, smirked and asked.

"You'll teach me your swordsmanship, right?"

"… Keuk."

At the confident inquiry, the old man let out a bizarre sound.

And then burst into laughter all of a sudden.

"Kuhahaha!"

Numerous emotions were contained within that boisterous laughter.

After laughing for a good while, he looked at the small bird perched on Han-bit's shoulder.

"Have you not waited far too long."

The soliloquy spat out casually was directed towards the spirit.

Turning his head, he retrieved a green book from his bosom and handed it to Han-bit.

"From now on, you are my disciple."

Ding.

[Quest has been completed.]