Chapter 93 – 93. Preparation Before Entering the Event
“Brother, what is that?”
Areumyi asked while munching on ramen. The other women were also wondering what this was.
“This is the pass to the Forest of the Missing.”
“Uh.. An event that said that was updated?”
“Huh. That’s right. That.”
I explained to them the things I bought from the peddlers this morning.
“Hmm…”
As she explained to the peddler about the forest of the missing people exactly as she had heard, Mer, who had listened silently, closed her eyes and nodded her head.
“Also. I must go.”
“Wait a minute, Ms. What is your sister going to do in the woods?”
As soon as she revealed her aspirations to go to the Merge Forest, Hwa-young argued and listened.
“That’s right, I’m the strongest, so I help my master…”
“It must be difficult to wield a scythe in the forest, right?”
In addition, Eunji stopped Mer from accompanying her.
“Even if I don’t have to be a scythe, I…”
“Because my sister is the strongest. I have to protect the mart when my brother is gone.”
“Uh…”
Finally, at Yewon’s logic, Mer nodded her head with a sad expression. Even if she thought about it herself, she seemed to want to protect her base while I was gone.
“At first, I planned to go with either Heesun noona or Harin. Because it’s a forest. I thought the two would be the best fit.”
“But there are two tickets.”
“Right. That’s why Harin and Heesun noona are Pilcham. Same for me. There is only one seat left.”
We coordinated our opinions with each other over the remaining seat.
Eunji and Hwayeong, Areumi and Aram, Yewon and Mer.
Among them, Aram and Mer decided to stay at the mart. It was judged that the weapons used were so large that combat could not be easy in the confined forest.
Also, Aram and Mer are quite strong. I think that the two of them should remain and lead Dullahan and the rest of the Awoken to guard the hideout. You never know what will happen in the week we’re gone.
Therefore, Yewon, who will scout the surroundings with summoned beasts and search for dangerous molecules, must also remain here. Because if I take the jet-black wheel and the shadow moth to the forest of the missing, Ye-won should take their place.
Therefore, the remaining candidates are Hwayoung, Areum, and Eunji.
Hwayoung, who can smell human blood incredibly well, is effective in tracking down other players who have entered the forest. Areumi has a very high fighting power in a 1v1 situation. Eunji could hide in the shadows in the dark forest and catch all the enemies and kill them.
“I’ll just stay at the mart with my sister.. I really hate bugs.
When Ah-reum imagined the insects that would appear in the forest, he rubbed his arms and trembled as if chicken skin grew on his own. Then he said he wanted to stay at the mart with Aram. Areum was automatically eliminated as a candidate.
Eunji and Hwayeong were looking at each other with smiles, leaving one seat left. A strange air current flowed and the fight between the two women began.
Hwa-yeong secretly regards Eun-ji as a competitor, and Eun-ji also does not want to lose to Hwa-yeong. The age difference isn’t too big…
The two of them were always competing with each other for my right spot.
“Isn’t Eunji conceding?”
“Hehe.. Hearing that makes me want to go more.”
“For a moment. Let Eunji and Hwayoung both calm down and decide to play rock-paper-scissors.”
This is the most fair way. If I single out one of the two, the one left behind might get hurt.
“Aww!!!”
After winning the rock-paper-scissors game, Eunji jumped up and down with joy.
“Good. Then me and Heesun noona. Eunji and Harin. Let’s split up into teams like this.”
I think it will be okay if I cover for Hee-sun noona, who has weak combat skills, and Eun-ji and Harin help each other.
I gave Eunji and Harin the ‘Couple Sleeping Necklace’ I bought from the peddler in half and handed it over.
“If one of you two is wearing it…”
The metal attached to the necklace floated through the air and tried to fly to his other half. It’s like a very strong magnet. Trying to stick with the other half.
“This way, you can find the location of the other person. When transported to the forest, we fall apart in twos. Let’s aim to meet as quickly as possible using the necklace.”
“Great. Harin is wearing this.”
“Yes, sister!”
“I’ll keep the other one.”
Harin and I can now know which direction each other is in.
“Then the next thing…”
I distributed the purchased items to the peddlers.
“For now, Eunji and Harin carry two bottles of the tears of the goddess. I’ll leave a bottle at her mart.”
When Mer became level 16, she learned a skill related to her healing. It’s not as good as my rising flesh, but it can heal minor cuts and fractures. I also handed over the champagne stone ring that speeds up magic recovery to Mer.
Mer, who has learned her healing skills, must always be prepared for emergencies. And I returned the earrings of the great mage that Hwang Soo-min was wearing and put them on. With this, there is a 45% chance that I can use the skill without consuming magical power.
“Next is the preservative…”
There are 5 ear guard charms.
‘The Forest of the Missing… It’s a bloody place right from its name.. There will definitely be ghosts or spiritual bodies popping out.’
It is an object that must be carried in to prepare for the mental attacks of ghosts.
I decided to give one to Hee-seon and Eun-ji the day before I went into the forest of the missing and leave the other three at the mart.
I found out last night that I am not possessed by ghosts, and Harin can detect and kill approaching ghosts before being possessed, so it is not necessary to have them.
And the reason why I leave 3 at the mart is because there are so many people in the mart that it is difficult to cover them all alone, Possession Warrior Lee Hoon. So I’m going to leave about three.
This also works around the wearer, so those left at the mart can split into 3 groups and spend the night together. I think we can group them into non-Awoken, Awoken, and my girls.
And anyway, next week when we’re wandering in the forest for a while, the peddler will stop by the mart again, so we can buy it again and make up for it. Talismans and tears of the goddess are always on sale.
“Lee Hoon will catch and eat the ghosts, so there is no need to worry about it. If you use this, it seems to have an effect on the people around you, so wear it well.”
“I understand, master. Don’t worry.”
Since there is a trustworthy Mer, I think they will be able to handle most things by themselves even without me.
We decided to take all 10 of the Dawning Seven. There are many people in the mart and it is easy to set up guards, but we could not sleep for a few days as we enter the forest.
“And the large-capacity bag is carried by Team Eunji. Because Heesun noona has an inventory for us.”
Heesun noona achieved her first achievement, and as her reward, she chose an inventory, not a zombie repellent or an antidote. Thanks to this, she can enter the forest with a bag full of daily necessities in 5 slots of her inventory.
So, it is right for Eunji and Harin to bring a large-capacity magic bag that can hold up to 1 ton. If we don’t meet each other on the day of transmission, we each have to survive in the forest until we make contact.
“That’s why you guys take the ultra-high-performance water purifier with you. We’ll take the deodorant.”
With Heesun noona, we don’t have to worry about water, but Eunji has to think about running out of water, so she brought a water purifier.
And in the case of body odor remover, Eunji team can avoid enemies in advance because Eunji can hide herself and Harin can detect approaching enemies first, but me and Heesun noona can’t do that, so our team decided to bring it.
You don’t have to fight a lot unnecessarily. Our goal, after all, is to quickly rob the shrine and get out through the escape hatch.
“Instead, you take the insect repellent…”
I took the training rope.
You never know what might pop up in the forest of the missing. However, judging from the things the peddler gave me, insects and beast-type enemies would definitely come out. Therefore, I plan to capture the animal in good condition with a rope.
So we packed the rest of the items we needed to survive in the forest.
“Oh, and if the peddler shows up before we get back, could you buy something for me?”
“All six?”
“Huh. All 6 items and regular items. Aram, hold out your wrist.”
“Huh? What about your wrist?”
As I learned from Cheshire at the black market the other day, I held out my wrist and handed over my coin to Aram. When I thought I was sending them with my wrists together, the coin passed to Aram.
“Oh…”
“I gave around 60,000 coins generously, so I can probably buy all the items on the stall.”
“Okay. I’ll buy them all.”
As if it was strange that coins could be exchanged, Aram was amazed by giving and receiving coins from one person to another.
‘Well then, now all we have to do is go to the arms dealer and jeweler. I have to go to the black market one more time on Friday evening.’
Buy what you need on the black market, buy a slave if you can use it, stop by a drug store and ask if they also sell birth control pills.
‘I have to say thank you to Cheshire…’
Although we couldn’t escape from the black market right away, Cheshire did his best to get me and Mer out of the black market. I’ll have to say thank you to her as I invite her to be her guide this time.
“Oh, and this too. I’ll leave it here.”
“This…”
I handed Totzmir’s blunderbuss to Mer.
“A ghost appears by any chance. Use the field boss gear when it comes out. First of all, just fight once and shoot if you feel like you can’t do it. You can probably catch and kill most of them in one blow.”
Among the remaining people in the mart, Mer has the highest strength, so it’s right for her to hold and shoot. If Ye-won or Areum-yi, who have low muscle strength, use this, they may be ricocheted off and killed.
‘I’ll take the full metal jacket… Hmm… What about this?’
I remembered Sesha’s serum. The Shedding One is a reward obtained by accomplishing her achievements. I remember asking them to talk before eating. I told them about Sesha’s serum.
“Becoming a true Nagaraja… Isn’t this just about turning into a snake?”
“Right? I think so too. I haven’t taken it yet.”
“Hmm… I think I did well. It looks too dangerous.”
Everyone is in a very unfriendly mood. I skipped Sesha’s serum this time too. I don’t even know what Nagaraja is, but I can’t administer it blindly.
“Then shall we go patrol the neighborhood?”
“Yes!”
“Great!”
Patrol in a destroyed world is almost half a date. Maybe that’s why everyone was excited when we went out on patrol. Being confined to a bleak supermarket almost all day is exhausting.
Time passed again.
In the meantime, Ha Jin-seong and the Awoken slaves brought several empty water tanks from a nearby building to the rooftop. While Heesun noona and I went into the forest, I was thinking of getting water here in advance for the rest of the people at the mart.
Thanks to that, the two undines called by Heesun noona had to stick to each other for 24 hours and fill the water tank with water.
*****
More time passed and it was finally Friday.
In the meantime, there was one attack by skeleton soldiers, and a few more refugees who fled to the mart were also accommodated. Gradually, there are too many slaves, and it is uneasy.
As the number of people increases, the food problem becomes more prominent. With more mouths to eat, it seemed that the mart would run out of food in less than six months.
No matter how much you save it.
‘If I want to survive for a long time, I have to go to the outskirts and start farming…’
As the population increases, it cannot be helped. I wish there were people with as much knowledge in farming as possible. And I wish I had a doctor or pharmacist.
While I was thinking that, Ha Jin-woo came to visit me.
“Here, brother.”
“Uh? Why.”
“That’s… Someone came to the first floor.”
“Who is coming?”
“Yes. But judging from the way he behaves and speaks. It looks like that peddler.”
“Ah..”
It’s coming
It must be the NPC who is on the first floor. The peddler has already been there this week, so it’s probably an arms dealer or a jeweler.
I went straight down to the first floor.
When I arrived on the first floor, there was a woman standing in a gothic black dress.
She crossed her arms and looked around her, and her appearance was like a very beautiful ‘doll’. Her skin also seems to be whiter than that of Hwayoung, a vampire. Her pupils were both purple. And there was no expression.
“Nice to meet you. Are you… A jeweler?”
“Okay. That’s right. But are you a servant of an evil spirit?”
“Uh.. Yes. You’re right.”
“Are all humans here slaves?”
“Yes…”
What? An NPC who hates slaves?
I thought the NPCs I met up to this point didn’t care because they didn’t show any dislike about the slaves…
“Hmm… Then you’re the only one who can buy my stuff, right?”
“Yes.. For now, yes.”
It seems that the problem was not the slaves, but simply that there were no customers on the first floor.
“Is there no room with a table and chairs? Should I spread precious metals on the ground?”
“Oh, wait a minute. Hey! Get two chairs here!”
With her arms crossed, I quickly carried her disapprovingly to the checkout counter on the first floor of her mart and sat her down.
If the peddler was an easy-going old man, she was a lady with a very strict personality.
Her way of speaking and behavior seems a bit sleazy, but I couldn’t handle her aftermath if I attacked her merchant NPC, so I decided to match her wishes. It’s not like you’ve asked me anything out of the ordinary yet.
“I heard from the peddlers. I heard the barrel is very big.”
“Yes. There are many slaves, so coin supply is good.”
“Good. I like rich people Coins are always important. Please note.”
After all, it was an NPC with a well-rounded concept.
“Now, I have a total of three items to show you. You can buy them all You don’t have to buy one. If you don’t intend to live, tell me clearly.”
“Uh.. Then you can’t get off work, right?”
“I am different from the peddlers. You can go when you want to go. There is no one who is pressuring you from above. Still, I’d love to buy one.”
“Yes..”
Upon closer inspection, she was not breathing at all. Also… The jeweler is not human. She’s a doll I think… But she didn’t ask. I’m afraid that I’ll be rude and my liking will be cut.
I definitely realized this while dealing with the peddlers. Sensitivity must always be high. When I said I was entering the forest of the missing this time, I could feel his kindness just by looking at the things the peddler gave me.
Soon, the jeweler pulled out a leather full of magical patterns from his bosom. Then he put it on the counter, took off his black gloves, and made a noise with his fingers.
Her knuckles were those of her doll.
– Right!
The moment she clicked her fingers, three trinkets floated on the leather spread on her counter.
A ring with a blood-red gem embedded in it. A necklace with a light blue jewel. A bracelet that seems to be made of opal.
[Florence’s Bloodstone Ring: The more the enemy bleeds, the more the wearer’s wounds heal. You gradually feel thirsty…] [Caution. If you use it for a long time, the race may change.]
[Price: 38000C]
[Necklace of Creation: Increases the wearer’s magic stat by 100. Strength, Agility, and Stamina stats drop by 30.] [Caution. Achievements cannot be achieved by increasing stats from accessories.]
[Price: 45000C]
[Bracelets of Overload: Allows the wearer to increase their physical abilities at the cost of life. The more you use the effect of the bracelet, the older you get.] [Caution. If there is not much life left, the effect is activated and you die immediately.]
[Price: 22000C]
All of these things are problematic. It is also a very attractive tool.
‘It’s expensive…But worth buying. And there’s no need to buy them all.’
It seemed like buying just one would increase the favorability.
‘I don’t need an overload bracelet. There is no need to raise your stats by changing your lifespan. Buy a Florentine ring. Seeing that the race changes, it seems to become a vampire. It doesn’t matter if he changes because Hwayoung found out that if he’s my slave, he can control his urge for blood to some extent. On the contrary, it might be nice to be able to engrave a phonogram if it changes…’
I liked the necklace of Changsung because it increases magic power instead of lowering physical abilities. To be honest, for a mage like Hwang Su-min, the higher the magical power, the better.
‘But can I burn so many coins…’
If you buy two, 83,000 coins will fly away. I have to visit the black market soon, but I wondered if it would be too much of an expense.
‘Still, I earned over 100,000 coins after defeating the field boss…’
I blindly closed my eyes and bought two.
“Really? Huh… That’s really big. You’re not going to buy an overloaded bracelet, are you?”
“Yes. I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“Good. It was a good deal. After all, going back to dictatorship is easier to sell. Make sure to come again next time I wish you well in the meantime. Sir.”
“Yes, thank you.”
The jeweler nodded in satisfaction and disappeared with the light. There was no change in facial expression from start to finish.
‘It’s a living doll…’
I would like a specific taste that feels sexual desire for a figure like Pygmalion. Because it was pretty
I took the accessories I bought and went up to the roof again.
