BXBX NOVEL Chapter 739
“Ugh, let’s not even think about experimenting with that. That would be insane.”
If he had swallowed it without spitting it out… at least one death would have been certain.
“Considering the achievements obtained this time, when totaled up– Character Window!”
Name: Ha Leeha / Race: Human / Occupation: Musketeer / Level: 252 (4%)
Title: Shadow Hitman / Achievements: 151
Stat Points: 8,520 (5,964) HP: 3,210
Stats:
Strength 675 (+590)
Agility 4000 (+1,382)
Intelligence 550 (+334)
Stamina 305 (+198)
Mind 200 (+150)
Remaining Stat Points: 248
“About a hundred Stat Points, approximate– Huh? Two hundred? … Two hundred and forty-eight? What is this!”
Leeha, who had been moving with a determination not to waste even a second, had to stop in his tracks. With 248 Stat Points, which would have amounted to nearly 50 levels worth when converted straightforwardly, stacked up in the character window in one go.
“No bug issues, right. Wow… unbelievable.”
The achievement ‘Heir of the White Reaper’ and the three additional achievements he had gained by inflicting significant damage on Chiyou/Bathory were each providing immense stacked bonuses.
“Indeed… when you think about it, it’s obvious.”
“The discovery of the Everlasting Bloodline’ achievement was of S+ grade. But what about the other two achievements?”
Everything that confirmed Leeha as Chiyou=Bathory was all thanks to those achievements.
[Achievement: Insulting the Pride of the Blood Maiden (S-)]
May glory be upon you! You have dealt a fatal blow to ‘Bluebeard’s Deputy’, the ‘Blood Maiden,’ leading the vampire kin. Although you did not bring her to death, in order to restore her life as the supreme being ruling as the leader of the vampire kin, Bluebeard’s Deputy had to consume a considerable amount of the blood she had gathered.
If one wanted to increase their kin, they could increase their compatriots by hundreds, even thousands of quantities. Though now, like a wounded beast, she focuses solely on recovery, she remembers you. The one who dealt her a deadly blow as soon as she followed Bathory, she will seek out with all her might once she regains her all power.
Reward: 21 Stat Points Conditional debuff ‘Resentment of the Blood Maiden’ acquired
You are the first registrant of the achievement [Insulting the Pride of the Blood Maiden]. Up to the third registrant of the achievement will be recorded in the Hall of Fame, with an additional 200% application of existing effects.
Effect: 42 Stat Points
“The ‘Blood Maiden’ is not just a moniker for Bathory… it refers to the leader of the vampire kin.”
And in that position, unmistakably stood Chiyou.
While Chiyou’s death could not strip her of the title of Blood Maiden, it had, at least, significantly depleted the power Bathory, the previous leader by a lot.
“Ugh, that’s not enough. Although receiving 63 Stat Points including entry into the Hall of Fame is amazing… a debuff! What’s more, its content–”
‘Resentment of the Blood Maiden’
Description: The leader of the vampire kin can trace the scent of blood touched by the injured pride. One will discover just how intense a woman’s rancor can be. Effect: Once a month, you must publicly reveal the location of one inflicted soul (skill use status undetectable) to Chiyou. If lucky, when she’s at a place like the Papacy of Eswelle, might be the right timing. However, if unlucky–during hunting, turning around could reveal a freshly reborn Chiyou smiling back at you.
Leeha shivered for a moment.
[Achievement: Nightmare of a Setting Sun (5-)]
Beware. You have earned the enmity of not only the ‘Blood Maiden’ but all kin who share the blood.
“Even now, they remember only the name Ha Leeha, and after the sun has set, they are still coming for you. Draining your blood is the only thing that pleases their queen. The moment they catch the scent of your blood, they will be drawn into the mad world of the moon. To prevent you from sleeping at night, all we can offer are small gifts.”
Reward: 21 Stat Points
Alarm function when vampires are nearby
vampire’s movement speed and attack speed +20% when fighting against vampires
You are the first registrant of the achievement [Nightmare of the Setting Sun]. Up to the third registrant of the achievement will be recorded in the Hall of Fame, with an additional 200% application of existing effects.
Effect: 42 Stat Points
vampire’s movement speed and attack speed +40% when fighting against vampires
However, that was not the only problem. Once the leader of the vampires marked him, it was impossible for the subordinates below to leave Leeha alone.
“With this, I’m being chased by Igor’s Guild, pursued by the Midnight Circus in Petyr, and now also being pursued by Chiyou’s vampires… Man, seriously. Moreover, the effect is just an alarm, it’s like getting hit by a stick. They say the person gets faster. The mad world of the moon.”
Instead of increasing the movement and attack speed of the player in battles with vampires, does the movement and attack speed of the vampire increase instead?
“Giving a lot of points doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good… Hmm.”
A game that provides great rewards while eliminating the corresponding risks!
With a hesitant step, Leeha finally arrived at the Bottleneck’s Smithy.
“You guys-“
“You’re here! You made it! Lord, come in quickly, come in!”
“Why? What’s going on?”
Normally, when Bottleneck sees Leeha, who usually greets him as if asking what he’s come to find again, how will Leeha react from this welcome?
Leeha was led into the forge by the dwarf with swollen cheeks.
Setting aside all other matters, the only thing Bottleneck has been absorbed in recently was one thing. With this kind of reaction, then there was a high possibility that there was something important for Leeha himself.
“Do you have good news to share?”
“It’s still a theory… but I’ve finished negotiations with those damn monkeys.”
“Excuse me? What do you mean?”
As Leeha tilted his head in confusion, Bottleneck pointed to the table. There lay a rifle that resembled the [Cobalt Blue Python] in a way, but its color and shape were subtly different.
The ‘variation’ Cobalt Blue Python made by Koba.
After establishing the [Partisan(빨치산)] operation, Leeha had brought it to Bottleneck from Koba, and Bottleneck had been dismantling and studying it until now.
“Let me tell you the conclusion first.”
“Me.”
“I can make Black Bass stronger.”
“Strengthen? If that’s the case-“
“No, not strengthen.”
Bottleneck chuckled, rubbing his beard.
Although faced with an unpleasant smirk, Leeha did not turn away.”
Synthesis. I saw the possibility of synthesis.”
“Syn…thesis??
And effort (?) always came with a price. The words pouring out of Bottleneck’s mouth were a situation that didn’t care for Leeha.
“I don’t know if I should call it ‘synthesis,’ or what to call it! That ‘derivative’ came from the original Cobalt Blue Python.”
“It came out?”
“Dammit! Don’t you even know the characteristics of your own rifle?”
“Why are you suddenly getting mad like that? If you say something out of the blue, I might not be able to understand.”
“That’s it! Listen carefully. What is the biggest feature of Black Bass, huh?”
“Uh, um… There’s the original musket form, but under certain conditions, it can be ‘evolved’ into a rifle tailored for specific users, right?”
“What was the explanation that came from there!”
“Explanation?”
I cautiously opened Black Bass’s item window. A single sentence in the detailed description caught my eye.
“This thing…is alive, right?”
“Exactly! That’s it! That dumb master artisan collected it from the Cobalt Blue Python and made that thing! It’s not just about copying the structure, but about creating it to mimic its characteristics! Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Um, I think I get the gist of it by intuition.”
Leeha was completely clueless.
Even unable to properly understand such banter, Bottleneck continued, “So, I mentioned it! If separation occurs after collection, then is ‘synthesis’ of similar properties possible between them?!”
“So? Is it possible?”
“That is!”
And whoooooosh!
Bottleneck slammed the desk.
“I don’t know either.”
“Huh?”
“Curses, it’s frustrating that I can’t fully control that with my own power. If I had just one more test item, I would try it out. It’s a shame that I can’t handle it due to the level. It’s out of my league. I can’t even think about using a regular rifle. I need something at least on par with Black Bass, cobalt Blue Python, or Crimson Geckos. I can’t even create something like that myself.”
Bottleneck, who had just been excited like a young girl, suddenly transformed into a white-haired old man.
“Ah, it means impossible. No one among Leeha, Kidd, or Luger will dare to put their own items to the test. This is a challenge that not even Leeha can easily attempt. It’s not just a simple enhancement, it’s a synthesis. In other words, adding something to something implies that even if successful, they will be combined into one item.”
“My firearms are not up to the task. It’s obvious for those idiots.”
“Anyway!”
Bottleneck’s additional words were clearly a “hint,” and Leeha caught the hint perfectly. What was the grade of Bottleneck’s created item until now?
“Heroic grade! Right, Bottleneck is treated as a Dwarf Hero! And the firearms of the Three Musketeers are—”
Legendary grade.
If the story of the levels not matching was about this?
“Just find a Legendary grade rifle. If you can obtain one more Legendary grade rifle, you can try synthesizing it with Black Bass.
As Leeha’s eyes widened with realization, Bottleneck looked at him with a mysterious gaze.
“Is there something bothering you?”
“Maybe there is, maybe not. Yes, maybe there is. I may not know what I want, but I have perfectly identified where to start searching!”
“Great! Then—”
“Oh, by the way. This, there is one Toon’s Bone remaining, maybe with this—”
Before Bottleneck could finish his sentence, Leeha handed him another task. It was the reason he had come here in the first place, so it was only natural. After assigning him a mission that bewildered Bottleneck, Leeha could finally leave the smithy.
Even though it was midnight, he entered the lord’s office to complete the tasks that had piled up, confirmed that enough settlement funds had been accumulated, and was finally able to leave the castle grounds.
“Mom’s store is doing really well these days, so there shouldn’t be any immediate financial issues… Hehe, should I splurge on some items with the profit I made?”
After confirming the amount that made his mouth hang agape, he set his next destination with a newly refreshed mood.
“Since I don’t know what dangers may lie ahead on the way, I’ll decide as I go and take it step by step… Shall we go?”
The map in his hands pointed somewhere in the northern part of the old continent.
“The House of the White Reaper.”
As he was about to warp through the gate, a voice resounded in his head.
Kijung: Eong-ah! Are you free now? You’re not a celebrity to keep me waiting all night.
Leeha: Ah, right. Yes, Kijung-ah. What’s up?
Kijung: Kidd wanted me to tell you something important. And there’s something else you need to know.
Leeha: Good timing. Let’s talk briefly. I have something to tell you too. Chiyou has turned into Bathory. I thought I could stop it, but I couldn’t. Sorry.
He pondered on how to deliver this information in the gentlest tone possible.
Leeha: Oh, and by the way, there’s news about Luger. I contacted hyung to come to the village being constructed by Ram Hwayeon.”
Shortly after, the three people who met there all had to put on similar expressions.
“Luger has turned into a monster?”
“Chiyou has become Bathory?”
“Where did Hwajung go? What kind of dragon?! And Chimera was right nearby!”
It took quite a bit of time for the shock to completely dissipate.
Before they could regain their composure and discuss the surprising facts that left them astonished, it took over two hours to organize the information.
“Luger… was turned into a Chimera by Ghibrid,” Kijung began.
“It’s more accurate to say that it was done by a manticore. It’s not a perfect Ghibrid creation.”
Hwayeon added.
“It seems that while a manticore was in the process of turning Luger into a Chimera, a bit of Ghibrid’s power was unintentionally involved, right?”
Leeha nodded as he listened to Kijung and Hwayeon’s accounts.