94 – Hot Springs (1)
[The territory’s development score has reached 2000, so you have completed the ‘second clue’.]
[Second Clue: Meet the mysterious merchant and talk about ‘Outskirts’.]
Kim Hyun-woo unknowingly murmured as he looked at the notification window that appeared before his eyes.
“A mysterious merchant…”
He had heard stories before, when talking to Elena or Adriana, that the mysterious merchant had completely disappeared a few years ago. However, Kim Hyun-woo looked at the second clue with an expression devoid of any particular excitement.
Because he knew how to meet the mysterious merchant who was rumored to have disappeared a few years ago.
“I just need to buy a cash item…”
In the basic setting of Arteil, cash items that players can purchase are obtained through three different merchants, each specializing in a specific type.
Basic materials and gacha that can be used in the game are obtained from the Blue Merchant.
Items sold through special events or limited materials were sold by the Red Merchant.
Finally, in the game, it was set that heroes or players could purchase almost all items from the Mysterious Merchant.
In other words, even at this point, Kim Hyun-woo, who could open the cash window, could meet the Mysterious Merchant if he bought something right away.
As for the Blue Merchant, it appeared randomly in the game, so you never knew when it would appear when buying something, but it wasn’t the Mysterious Merchant.
However, the reason why Kim Hyun-woo had a strange expression and hesitated, even though he knew that fact, was because…
“…Why is it the Mysterious Merchant?”
It was because he was well aware that all the items sold by the Mysterious Merchant were expensive.
“Tsk…”
However, it didn’t mean that he wouldn’t buy cash items, so Kim Hyun-woo immediately brought up the cash window.
[Chakram’s Soul 87,220 won [Stone]]
[Buksan’s Gauntlets 142,200 won [Stone]]
[Yallan’s Necklace 98,000 won [Stone]]
[Shalya’s Finale 55,500 won [Stone]]
“…Ugh.”
As soon as he brought up the cash window, Kim Hyun-woo, without realizing it, made a puzzled expression at the equipment list that could call the Mysterious Merchant.
From Noble mtl dot com
Of course, it was a situation where Kim Hyun-woo had to exert all his efforts to earn 7,500 stones right away, but he immediately scrolled down.
Scrolling down, like a touch screen, responding to Kim Hyun-woo’s light gesture, he made a bored expression.
“Just how many are there?”
Even thinking back to ten years ago, the number of cash items had clearly increased.
There, as Kim Hyunwoo watched, the prices of equipment became more brutal as the scroll descended. Patiently, he continued scrolling.
After a few dozen gestures, when he had almost reached the bottom of the scroll,
“I found it.”
Kim Hyunwoo found the cheapest item among the items sold by the mysterious merchant.
[Proposal Ring 10,000 won [Stone]]
…”
Looking at the item, which was the cheapest among the goods sold by the mysterious merchant and rumored to be bought only by those who used magic in Arteil, Kim Hyunwoo made a thoughtful expression.
‘Is this right?’
Of course, to meet the mysterious merchant, he had to buy something, and the cheapest item was the Proposal Ring.
While quickly scrolling down and checking the prices of all items, Kim Hyunwoo couldn’t even see anything in the price range below 10,000 stones.
‘Maybe there’s something?’
Not knowing if there was something he hadn’t seen yet, he scrolled up to the end to check and soon scrolled down again.
… What he realized through this action was not an item with a price lower than the Proposal Ring but the fact that Arteil’s development team was crazier about money than he had thought.
‘The cheapest accessory other than the Proposal Ring is 23,000 stones… Ridiculous.’
Certainly, even after Kim Hyunwoo folded, there seemed to be a tremendous number of items showing that many updates had been made. However, feeling awkward because there was nothing cheaper than the Proposal Ring, he looked at the ring.
‘But… it’s not really useful.’
This item called the Magic Ring among players was not useful to Kim Hyunwoo. No, considering the setting of the mysterious merchant advertising in the neighborhood that a lord proposed with the Proposal Ring while the mysterious merchant was burning down the bakery, it was actually negative.
‘Well, there’s no help for it.’
Honestly, until the labyrinth layers became deeper, Kim Hyunwoo decided to buy the Proposal Ring because collecting the red stones needed to maintain the labyrinth city was a pain.
“Well, to be honest, I’ve earned a lot of money through the magnifying glass until now. So, using this much is inevitable.”
With that thought, Kim Hyunwoo sighed and looked at the inventory window.
[Red Stones: 770] [Blue Stones: 6,023] [Gold Coins: 89,422] [Magic Stones: 492,141]
“…Gold coins are getting a bit dangerous.”
Of course, the decline in Lartania’s finances to 80,000 gold coins was largely Kim Hyunwoo’s fault.
Although he was steadily making a profit of practically 10,000 gold coins a day through the magnifying glass, at this point, that sum of money was not accumulating in the territory at all; it was being reinvested in the territory.
Among them, 60% was used for the development of the territory.
The remaining 40% was used to purchase magic stones, so Lartania’s financial situation couldn’t be good.
Certainly, taxes, which were collected once a month, had increased significantly, approaching 5,000 gold coins, but the financial situation was precarious.
“Perhaps I should have built up the processing plant a bit more steadily.”
Kim Hyunwoo unknowingly clicked his tongue.
The reason Lartania’s finances were in trouble was that Kim Hyunwoo did not follow the proper and conventional method of building.
Originally, when cultivating a territory in Arteil, it was crucial to raise the levels of various processing plants regardless of the form the territory took.
The reason was obvious; as the level of all buildings increased, the demand for a tremendous amount of resources increased, and it was too expensive to purchase all those resources externally.
However, Kim Hyunwoo was investing money as it came to accelerate the development of the territory, and that’s how the current situation came to be.
“…I should probably focus on strengthening the foundation rather than accelerating the development of the territory.”
Kim Hyunwoo descended at a frightening speed, pondering as he looked at the gold coins, barely maintaining that amount due to the magnifying glass, and glancing at the magic stones.
“490,000…”
At the rate it was increasing, he would hit 500,000 by the end of the day. If that happened, he could open a total of twelve labyrinth breaks.
“If I open a total of twelve labyrinth breaks, the red stones I earn will be… 15,000, right?”
To open the Labyrinth Break right away, Kim Hyun-woo needed to collect at least 100,000 Ma Stones, even if he couldn’t gather more. However, he wasn’t overly concerned about that part.
There was plenty of time until he needed to use the Red Stones to maintain the next Labyrinth City, and even at this point, mercenaries were still increasing.
“I might have to buy a few more Skeleton Scrolls when Adriana comes next time.”
Kim Hyun-woo recalled her request to get Skeleton Scrolls before she left, and soon after that…
“…First, let’s get ready as soon as the Red Stones reach 600,000.”
With that thought, Kim Hyun-woo simultaneously contemplated the next topic.
More precisely, he thought about the hot spring that had boosted his territory development to 2,000.
While he had initially built the hot spring for the territory development, Kim Hyun-woo never intended to use it carelessly.
For him, the hot spring was a tourism product that would bring in new income immediately.
“Of course, right now, it’s far from enough to call it a tourism product.”
Since the main purpose was to raise the development level by building a hot spring, the currently constructed building had many shortcomings. Nevertheless, he thought it was okay.
He was well aware that it would take some time to label the newly built hot spring as a ‘tourist attraction.’
So…
“Well, while you’re in charge of remodeling the hot spring, why not try turning it into a tourist attraction?”
With a confident smile, Kim Hyun-woo began to prepare something in earnest.
####
At the moment when Kim Hyun-woo earnestly started working on the hot spring.
“…Is the army fully prepared?”
Duke Landon, nodding to Kelba’s question, which came much later than the originally promised date.
“…All preparations have already been made.”
In reality, Duke Landon harbored a desire to criticize Kelba like a chimney.
Immediately, he raised his forces upon hearing Kelba’s words. However, due to the forces not returning after being raised, he began to receive suspicions from King Norba instead.
In other words, he was very displeased because he needlessly raised the difficulty.
But despite harboring such displeasure, Duke Landon couldn’t bring himself to speak.
“…Was something terribly wrong?”
Kelba, who consistently wore a relaxed expression, had a face so furrowed that even Duke Landon was taken aback.
“Is it starting now?”
Thus, Duke Landon, without saying anything to Kelba, asked with a question.
“Yes, it’s starting now.”
Soon after hearing Kelba’s words, Duke Landon confirmed that something enormous, pulsating with dark magic, was seeping through Kelba’s hands.
And in the next moment,
Crackle!
From that dark pulsating thing, black mist scattered.
■■■■■■■■■■-!
Within the black mist, emitting a violet glow, figures began to emerge.
And, along with those figures emitting a creepy aura to the point of sending shivers down one’s spine.
“Now, it’s time to announce our arrival to the world.”
In the intermediate realm, the demons were being born.