Chapter 3: Coffee Date
KMC’s show about Weed’s quest achieved the largest viewership in broadcasting ever recorded. Since the broadcast was a hot topic among the audience these days, they organized a subsequent program in the media.
“We couldn’t complete the editing as it was a near real-time broadcast. Let’s put our efforts and resources in broadcasting it properly instead.”
They held a banquet to celebrate the success, and even Saturday was dedicated day and night to finishing work.
Thus, the full version of Weed’s adventure was published in 3 parts.
– Part 1: River of Mourning –
Weed repairs the sculptures and creates an alliance of leaders against the Church of Embinyu.
- Part 2: Landing on Jigolaths –
Weed’s long voyage across the sea to come to the mysterious Jigolaths.
- Part 3: Dark Mage –
Weed leading the undead armies in battle against the Warriors of Chaos and the Dragon.
The key parts of the live broadcast were delivered, however, in the midst, the viewers’ bulletin board were asking when there would be a second broadcast of the adventure and requested for one.
“When is the broadcasting day?”
“Not Sunday afternoon.”
Time was determinative to have the highest ratings. KMC media decided to broadcast the full version of Weed’s adventure on Sunday evening, and prior to that, they had to agree on the content of the 30 seconds ads.
The director of advertising was displaying his abilities.
“Part 1 is the repairing of the huge sculptures and some short scenes of the fight between King Hydra, the Lich Bar Khan and the Imugi. Part 2 is the volcanic eruptions as well as the arrival of Haven Kingdom’s army fleet and the pirates, and the fighting scene. And part 3…”
Directors were expressing their disapproval.
“For part 3, the time for the advertisement is too little.”
“The third part was simply showing the head of a dragon. The dragon’s roar will conclude the advertisement.”
The promotional video made was the work of KMC media, and was as good as it could be. The drifting of war clouds over the Weeping River, the army gathering with majestic music, the lava welling up in the background to attack humans, the Lich and the dragon!
The viewers were watching the trailer and eagerly waiting for the broadcast of the adventure. When they started the broadcast on TV, they had achieved a total of 63.9% of viewership. There was no better moment than that as it was the largest rating recorded, and there wasn’t anyone who didn’t know the name of Weed in Royal Road.
The story of Weed’s adventures in Royal Road was associated with every topic day after day on Internet message boards.
-I am wondering about that sailing skill. How soon do you think you can get on a large sailboat or a ferry and navigate?
-You can raise fish. There are a lot of unknown eggs; dolphins that were born 4 months ago, if you feed them well, they can help raise the speed of mastering the sailing skill. You can keep birds to help too. You are not alone in the open sea. As you navigate, nature will follow.
- Is it possible to find adventure on the sea? Weed discovered an island, can we too go and explore a new continent?
-You can. Assuming that there are many lands unknown in the sea. It is the dream of all sailors to find the legendary Treasure Island.
After the broadcasting of Weed’s adventures, the interest for the sea was triggered. Sailing into the vast ocean waters and advancing through its warm surging waves was romantic. The desire to be a necromancer also spread like wildfire.
-I am asking you because you are a former necromancer. After you have gone through your 2nd job as a wizard, were there any major changes?
-Lich! It is totally my dream job. Strong, mean… people under his orders!
Building intimacy with others is hard as a Necromancer, if you kill someone, notoriety will pile up fast, that’s the story, thank you. Originally, I did not have any friends.
-Why not create a party of necromancers for adventure? Make like 5000 skeletons, and kill all when exploring a dungeon.
Becoming strong enough to have an undead army, but lonely and alone, you mainly hunt at night. Solo career boasted the ultimate power of the Necromancer.
It was becoming popular again. In order to become a Lich, the existing Necromancers were eagerly exploring and leveling up. In the Versailles continent, they were often seen by others in towns and castles focusing on equipment or searching for a colleague.
-An adventurer that makes the impossible possible.
- Creating his path step by step.
- The God of War. A hero who does not give up.
Weed became tremendously famous. In Versailles continent, a hero was created instantly. Bards and dancers of the continent made a show about celebrities. They would dress-up as Weed and monsters in the streets, and hold performances to entertain people.
Changes occurred in the sculptures carved by Weed in Rosenheim Kingdom.
- Fox sculpture: Durability: 9 / 10 -
A finely carved sculpture of a fox.
The carved target is a fox that can often be seen outside of the Citadel of Serabourg.
Made in large quantities in a short time, the work is one of many. Is made from wood that can be easily found in a forest.
Despite a long time, it has maintained a vivid appearance since it was well kept.
Artistic value: Negligible
Optional: you can observe the appearance of a fox.
Sold cheaply for only a few silvers before, there was a surge in the value of these sculptures.
- Fox sculpture: Durability: 9 / 10 -
A finely sculpted piece of the fox.
The carved target is a fox that can often be seen outside of the Citadel of Serabourg.
Ordinary people might not know, but it was made by Versailles continent’s sculptor Weed.
A sculpture created in his early years, seems to be quite valuable among enthusiasts looking for souvenirs by the famous Weed.
Is made from wood that can be easily found in a forest.
Despite a long time, it has maintained vivid appearance since it was well- kept.Artistic merit: Seems to have some collectible value.
Optional:
-If you use it as a gift for a very big favor, familiarity can be obtained.
-Charm +2
It was not a big change, but Weed’s sculptures were bought by collectors. His sculptures prices in the stores tripled, and even the Sculptor guild’s requests for Weed’s sculptures have arisen.
“How much do you know about the adventurer named Weed? There is a job I want to entrust to him… you’re not reliable enough.”
“The dangers were high, but… Weed is truly a great adventurer.”
“The Warriors of Chaos are a very strong ethnic group. Such species will require great courage to fight.”
“In the North, Morata’s great lord has successfully completed this expedition. The people in this area are glad to be able to follow such a courageous lord. We are also relieved of the threat of monsters.”
NPCs, soldiers and residents were talking about Weed.
Even the drinkers would talk about it.
“Ttalkkuk! There is no liquor left. I want to drink more liquor, but I don’t have the money. When I get home, my wife would ask where the money is…today, I’ll sleep outside. I would give a drink to hear Weed’s story though … ”
For completing the first S-level difficulty quest, the praises for Weed reached new heights.
Drinpelt, Grobidune and the users of Hermes guild were burning with motivation to kill Weed.
“Weed, you will surely die by our hands.”
“You and your comrades will surely not get out of Jigolaths.”
“Take the bull and just kill it to make beef-rib soup.”
———-
Weed and Yellowy finally arrived at the mining area!
Ding!
- A sculptor came in the area to excavate ore in the mines.
Rewards: reputation increased by 460.
For one week, vitality consumption is slightly reduced for mining.
“huhu.”
Weed had a smile on his lips. He could sell the land of the mining area since it was a spacious place and he was not forced to keep it.
“My sixth sense was right.”
The mine’s name was connected somehow to monsters hunting, or he might not have an extra request. With his hard work, he might get something. The sculptor had to excavate the various ores scattered around in the land. Weed considered this case and brought Yellowy to help him transport them back.
You have obtained a feldspar.
The smooth surface will make a luxurious nice stone sculpture.
“Yellowy, I’m here.”
You have obtained a moonstone.
It will emit a fragrance in the moonlit night.
When you create a sculpture of a pond, fairies, butterflies and fireflies will fly to it.
“Yellowy, carry it.”
You have obtained a malachite.
The many pieces of materials were treated as merely things in spite of being fairly popular. Naturally, they are handy and can be exchanged for money.
“Yellowy, be careful when holding it.”
The pieces of materials and minerals were put in Yellowy’s backpack. They read what a sculptor had engraved on the wall, and these were what the words said:
The sculptures in the continent are declining.
A new strong challenge is needed for the sculptors.
The sculptures made of helium will give back glory to sculptors.
Is the legend of helium really true?
It is man-made fiction created by greed?
The helium that is an endless source of mana.
If it could be made into a sculpture?
Digging, and digging again.
Here, time is going away and you get old.
Now, there is the power of the pickaxe.
Why would Art be such a poor ability?
Pickaxe hit somewhere.
I was expecting helium, but it was a rock.
How many rocks did I dig?
I would rather have not come to this side…
His words were filled with regrets.
In fact, there were no sculpture made of Helium, but there were a few items made by blacksmith skills.
In the continent, several items such as swords, armor, holy relics and certain sacred stones made by Helium were able to emit limitless mana, and the value of such things were enormous. Weed thought Helium was surely here.
“It means I can openly work hard!”
Although it was easy to dig, digging something was not easy. If it wasn’t for the wedding food they had received, he would starve. Weed could not even imagine not working, since that would violate the laws of nature!
“Let me see that.”
Weed assumed that the sculptor might leave something important and was searching for it.
There was a sack of rotted wood with blunt ends whose performance seemed to be hard to demonstrate.
“In order to work, I need to create something …”
Weed used his blacksmith skills and, with a mixture of steel and a small amount of Mithril, created a pickaxe. He was using high-quality materials, but the loss could be recovered later by dissolving it.
kkang! kkang! kkang!
Weed’s song was top quality. Endless hours had passed.
He had been digging the ground for at least a day, but helium did not come out.
- You have obtained 2 iron ore that you dug up. -
- Found a small amount of copper. -
Sometimes, at least finding some minerals was the only consolation.
Ding!
- Skill earned due to repetitive tasks. -
Beginner Mining Level 1(0%): a miner’s skill.
-Skill needed to dig in the mines’ grounds.
-Slightly increases the effectiveness of pickaxes and shovels.
-Will increase in strength and perseverance as the skill grows.
-If you find high quality minerals, your luck and fame will increase.
“Damn!”
Weed was feeling remorse and was self-reflecting.
There were a variety of ways to work hard. From digging to be able to get the stats, I should have gotten the mining skills earlier.
“It’s still not enough.”
Weed was caught off guard for a moment, and his position was in a crisis, so he needed to work harder. He could also make sculptures to get the stats, but creating masterpieces would only raise them by 1 at the best.
“A couple of days to gouge what I wish out of the earth…”
After the skill was generated, Weed had improved it a little by digging out rocks. It slightly decreased vitality’s consumption and the range of his pickaxe widened.
“I still need to slightly increase the efficiency.”
Weed left the plow to take the Mithril that Yellowy had brought.
“I brought what you want. I am not eating for free now. I am working diligently to get my 2 coppers each day.”
While carrying, Yellowy made sure to flatter Weed in order to eat!
“I am glad to see the owner. It is really hard to do farm work without complaining while digging.”
With his flattery, Yellowy was able to eat a lot and the work efficiency increased.
However, the mining areas were broad enough to build apartment buildings.
“Nevertheless, there are limits to humans.”
Weed, after a long time, made a statue of the Orc Karichwi. An unmatched ugly-looking face, but it had grown much bigger. His robust muscular shoulders and strong legs were at least 50% bigger.
“Sculpture Transformation!”
He used Sculpture Transformation to transform himself into the Orc Karachwi.
“Chwiik! Let me see!”
In undead state, there were 2 advantages, infinite vitality and there being no need to eat food. However, when it comes to strength, Orcs were better. Weed was persistently hitting the ground where Helium was believed to be. Orcs were dramatically consuming vitality and had to eat constantly, but due to a significant increase in strength, the digging speed increased and Weed was able to gather quite a lot of ore.
Ding!
- Mining skill has reached beginner level 2.
When using pickaxes and shovels to aim at the gaps of the rocks, vitality consumption is decreased and you will be able to increase the speed of mining operations.
-Perseverance and luck are increased.
The skill proficiency has increased at a very fast speed.
Since robust strength is required for repetitive tasks, to be equipped with tenacious endurance is one of the most important requirements for a miner.
Mining skills has reached beginner level 3.
Mining skills has reached beginner level 4.
He did not know how much time had passed. Weed sang as his whole body sweat. Of course, time intervals were ignored and he was singing in joy and motivation to work.
“When you dig, money comes out, food comes out, rice comes out.
When helium comes out, it`s a jackpot.
With the money, where should it go.
Spend it on delicious food? Of course not, it’s such a waste.
Spend on clothing? After a few years I won’t fit it anymore.
I should keep it to myself and take it to my grave.”
Expressing love for money and thrift song!
The mining skill was increasing and it was now possible to see and determine roughly where they were buried. If you dig more and find better minerals, you could improve the mining skill proficiency. Weed’s strength and perseverance stats were also phenomenal, and in Jigolaths, you had high quality water and you can dig in mines.
“Let’s dig more and more. Gotta earn money without restraint.”
Weed and Yellowy continued to dig into the ground.
———-
In between his character hunting and adventuring in Jigolaths, Lee Hyun had his midterm exams in his Korean university. Also, the 2nd semester came sooner than expected in November. With the gradual falling leaves, he was waiting for winter break to come. Lee Hyun was walking while carrying his backpack.
“Human’s potential is scary. Living on the borderline of life and death is like waking up to eat while feeling every single cell in the body.”
He was describing the life in the jungle, the life-threatening beasts and insects. He had just gone on an expensive round trip and Lee Hyun felt that the world was weakened by money.
“Hello.”
In Korean University, Lee Hyun only needed to walk and Martial Arts students would greet him politely. Even the seniors would bow respectfully, but Lee Hyun didn’t feel awkward about it. The disciples where formally trained in the large dojo and they would encounter each other at the same place. They were showing respect and would bow their head to Lee Hyun according to the ranking system.
Lee Hyun went past them. Lee Hyun’s name had become famous among the students.
“How did it feel crossing the desert and jumping from an airplane?”
“Africa to Europe and home.”
The strange people who enjoy extreme sports spread the rumors that he had traveled to Europe during the break, among the students. Furthermore, it was difficult to hide his past, and the fact that he was called Princess’ Knight on the Internet was also known.
“Be quiet. I want to receive a scholarship.”
Lee Hyun sighed angrily and let it rest. He needed perfect attendance for a scholarship. Lee Hyun was hoping to be able to go home earlier after school. The spare time to make money was not a lot. He might as well just drop out.
After class began, Seo Yoon passed him a note.
‘Would you like to drink coffee after class?’
Naturally, Lee Hyun was extremely troubled. He wanted to get home early to play Royal Road. A few days is needed for the body to feel accustomed to the pickaxe. He needed time to dig and collect minerals, and could not have coffee or eat with a woman. It was Lee Hyun’s completely depraved standards.
He did not care for either women or extracurricular activities.
“I don’t know why I am called to drink coffee.”
However, it was hard to flatly turn down Seo Yoon.
“If I refuse, she’ll kill them? Golden Bird and Silver are taken as hostages…They are waiting at the entrance with her, waiting for me to get out, aren’t they?”
Seo Yoon was able to talk, but often when she wanted to say something, she mainly wrote notes. Lee Hyun gave a handwritten note.
“Adlay tea.”
After the lecture, Lee Hyun dragged Seo Yoon and headed for the vending machines.
“The price for Adlay tea is 300 won. Today, I have to spend 300 won here.”
Many students were swarming like blood there in the hallway trying to pull a coin to get a coffee. Seo Yoon pulled his collar.
“Why, you want some Adlay tea too?”
Lee Hyun raised his head, conscious of the stare of other students as he was still been pulled. This meant she wanted to drink at another place.
“You don’t want?”
He looked at Seo Yoon spending patterns, and took a guess. This means a place that was well-decorated, suited for conversation, and with a better atmosphere!
“No way, in the coffee shop?”
Lee Hyun did not understand why people went to the coffee shop. Throwing away money to drink a 3000 won and over coffee. Lee Hyun did not want to pay the price of the expensive coffee! His daily life was better now, but just 2-3 years ago, he did not even have enough money to buy rice. So Lee Hyun stayed in front of the vending machines, despite the fact that Seo Yoon was still holding his collar.
Seo Yoon took out her wallet. There were money and credit cards inside!
“You’re buying?”
Seo Yoon Nodded.
As Seo Yoon shook her head and led, Lee Hyun followed her.
“People gotta get a cultural life. But coffee is not really what I wanted to drink.”
———-
Seo Yoon gave a written note to the taxi driver for the destination. As they rode the taxi, it arrived at the foot of a five-star hotel along the river where the view was very good, a famous place. Again, the gap between rich and poor was showed to Lee Hyun. In the hotel, there was a space for a coffee shop and for watching drama movies.
“I can understand why people come here to drink coffee.”
Of course, if you were eating outdoors, it is especially awesome if you said you were eating on a ship. The drinking coffee as well as the atmosphere and the good place were all icing on the cake!
“I am starving. If you starve for few days, whatever you look at and eat is going to be delicious.”
Lee Hyun sat on a chair in a coffee shop while looking outside. Through the window of the bridge, he could see the passing river and the lights of cars the were on the road. Meanwhile, it had turned dark and the night came. The clerk put down menus on the table.
“Are you ready to order?”
Lee Hyun opened the menu to get something to eat, and froze up after reading what was written on the menu.
Americano 13,000
Hazelnut 13000
Espresso 13000
———————-
Herbal Tea 14000
Iced coffee 14,000
Coke 8000
———————-
Fruit juices 15000
Cocktails 19,000
———————-
Tax (10%), extra services fees (10%)
“Gasp!”
Taxes and services charge included, the official price for a cup of coffee was more than 15,000 won. One slice of cake with strawberry jam was priced at over ten thousand won, and hard liquors were priced at anything from hundreds of thousands to even over one million won.
A bottle of water was 6000 won and a small dining menu was between 30, 000 to 50,000 won. Of course, the price was excluding taxes and services. Lee Hyun’s respect for Seo Yoon was soaring quickly. People who usually eat food in these places are not ordinary human beings. Lee Hyun looked through the menu and ordered:
“An Americano, and one egg in it?”
“Excuse me?”
“I want egg coffee.”
Since it was an expensive coffee, not putting eggs in such a case was unfair. Seo Yoon pointed with her finger at the menu entries and ordered a set of coffee and waffles. Coffee with a good flavor, and you could hear calming music. And in front, was Seo Yoon. Since there were people around, it was difficult for Seo Yoon to talk.
She wanted to talk nevertheless. Lee Hyun had gotten used to spending a lot of time together. Looking at her attitude and her glances, he was able to guess what she was thinking. Even in Royal Road, whenever she ordered food, the line was quite impressive.
When she was hungry at the end of a tough battle, he would give her special meals since he knew what her favorite dishes were. He would give her the delicious and easy parts of the roasted meat to eat.
In a fight, he would take the lead since his damage was high. It was difficult to know the warmth of that man. Seo Yoon wanted to take it a step further and forge a dialogue with Lee Hyun.
She opened her mouth and said with a lovely voice:
“Hey, do you want me to tell you how they’re doing now?”
“I wonder.”
“Half Sauce half fried and the other chickens?”
“Have you not eaten them yet?”
“The eggs have hatched and newborn chicks came out.”
“A good earthen pot of chicken soup with ginseng.”
The conversation was running completely parallel.
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