Chapter 4
Chapter 4
“Lеt mе fоrmаlly introduсе mуsеlf. I аm Khan, the mаgе.”
As Leе Huseоng sаid thаt, а briеf silеnce flоwed betwееn the thrее реоplе.
Bуutek was а bit surрrisеd uрon heаring Leе Huseong’s wоrds.
Nо, cold sweat wаs аlready streaming dоwn his bаck.
‘This pathetiс bаstard is a mаge…?’
In Вуutеk’s еyes, Lee Нuseong’s first imрrеssiоn—no, just his outwаrd арpeаrancе—looked truly wеаk and frail.
Тhеre wаsn’t a single musсle on his bodу, and his build wаs quitе small.
At best, he was а bit tall аnd hаd а deсent faсе, but hе seemеd to hаvе nоthing еlsе.
Yet, fоr sоmе reаsоn, when he introduced himself as a mage, Byutek felt he might understand the identity of the strange sense of incongruity he had felt when he first saw Khan.
He didn’t sense any particularly special power.
‘But I feel some immense aura from him. Something indescribable.’
Moreover, he looked like he would collapse at the slightest touch.
‘Is he really a mage?’
Even Byutek, a lowest-rank knight, couldn’t properly discern the truth.
He was a knight, but he was the weakest, a lowest-rank knight among those currently affiliated with the Sinsiniel territory.
‘I should observe the situation first.’
If the guy named ‘Khan’ before his eyes was truly a mage, picking a fight recklessly could lead to trouble later.
He had heard that mages possessed power capable of annihilating an entire continent with a single gesture.
Of course, there were also many fools who impersonated mages.
So, for now, Byutek decided to observe the situation.
“Um… are you really a mage…?”
After Khan formally introduced himself, it was not Byutek but the village chief, Duzan, who asked again in a trembling voice.
“Yes.”
When Khan answered in an indifferent voice, even Byutek, who had picked a fight out of nowhere, bowed his head.
“Haha… I, I apologize. I came down to this remote village and was a bit on edge. Please forgive my rudeness generously.”
“It’s fine.”
Khan’s tone suddenly changed to a somewhat arrogant one.
He had to seize the momentum when he had it.
As expected, Byutek and Duzan couldn’t say anything.
If the person before their eyes was truly a mage, they had to be careful with their actions.
If they carelessly offended him here, who knew what situation might arise.
“Would you like to come inside and talk first?”
“Let’s do that.”
Khan followed Duzan’s guidance and entered the house.
The three moved to the living room and sat on chairs placed around a round dining table.
“By the way, adventurer… no, Sir Mage, how did you come to such a humble village?”
“Didn’t I say? I got lost in the forest.”
“Ah… then the reason you came to find me is…?”
“I plan to stay in this village for a while. I’d like you to provide lodging for me during that time.”
Khan’s personality was quite different from his original one.
The timid person who couldn’t properly speak to someone he met for the first time was now speaking without hesitation for some reason.
‘Did all this change because of just one skill?’
Another heart inside Khan’s right chest.
Thanks to the Sage’s Heart, his personality had completely changed.
Of course, Khan didn’t think his current personality was bad.
Moreover, having gained ‘composure’ from the skill’s effect, Khan was continuously thinking of the most efficient way to gain benefits in the current situation.
“Ah, if it’s Sir Mage’s request, of course we can provide lodging…! It might be a bit humble for Sir Khan to stay in, but we’ll prepare the best room.”
“I’d appreciate it if you do that.”
“Ahem… By the way, Village Chief, shouldn’t we finish the conversation we were having?”
After Khan and Duzan’s conversation ended, Byutek, who had been quietly sitting, cleared his throat and spoke.
“Well… although there are quite a lot of monsters appearing in the village now… With Sir Knight’s skills, it should be possible, right…?”
“Hah, are you telling me to face all those monsters alone now? I believe I said I didn’t want to risk my life fighting to the death in this remote village.”
“That’s… well then……”
Duzan, the village chief of a remote village so obscure its name wasn’t even well-known, made a troubled expression.
Watching that, Khan could understand what the current situation was about.
‘It seems I arrived a bit earlier than I thought.’
In <Geo Arc>, after escaping the Tutorial Forest and coming to this village, you immediately receive a quest.
A request from the village chief to exterminate the monsters appearing here.
Khan recalled the conversation he had with Duzan in the game back then.
‘I’m sure he said a knight died fighting the monsters before I arrived.’
Khan had arrived here before that knight fought the monsters alone.
But with Khan’s current power, could he really face all those monsters?
That knight guy, Byutek, also had a pitifully low level when Khan checked.
‘Even if I fight together with a lowest-rank knight at level 3, it probably won’t make a difference.’
Khan planned to just stay quiet for now.
If he didn’t clear the quest, the game wouldn’t progress, but for now, his life was more important.
This was no longer just a simple game, so protecting his life was the top priority.
Next was escaping this game.
‘For now, I need to see <Geo Arc>’s ending.’
It wasn’t certain, but perhaps defeating the final boss monster and seeing the ending would allow him to get out.
As Khan was lost in such thoughts, for some reason, he no longer heard the two’s conversation.
The two were silently glancing sideways at Khan.
“What is it? Do you have something to say?”
“Um, well…”
Duzan, the village chief, couldn’t easily bring himself to speak.
For some reason, Khan anticipated what he wanted to say.
It was to exterminate the monsters appearing in the village.
‘That would be troublesome…’
Khan still couldn’t properly wield magic.
The goblins he encountered in the Tutorial Forest were the weakest monsters at level 1, so it was possible, but against monsters of higher levels, he definitely wouldn’t stand a chance.
His ominous premonition hit the mark.
“By any chance… could Sir Khan help us a little…? It’s a rude request to make upon first meeting, but I beg you to lend us your strength.”
“……”
Khan was about to refuse immediately, but he couldn’t.
As Duzan spoke, a message appeared before Khan’s eyes.
[Village Chief Duzan of Burun Village’s Request]
-
Will you accept the quest?
-
If refused, progression to the next quest will be impossible.
-
Reward: A tiny amount of experience points, progression to the next quest
Damn…
As soon as Khan saw that message, his head throbbed.
If refused, impossible to proceed with future quests.
‘This didn’t exist before… Did entering the game create new, different conditions?’
If he refused the quest here, he would be trapped in this game forever.
‘I guess I have no choice but to accept for now.’
Khan slowly opened his mouth.
“Alright, I’ll help.”
“R-really?”
“Yes, mages do not lie.”
“Th-thank you. Thank you so much! Sir Mage coming to our village is truly great fortune…!”
“I should also express my gratitude. I wouldn’t be able to defeat all those monsters alone.”
Additionally, Byutek, the lowest-rank knight beside him, was also conveying his thanks to Khan.
“First, let’s hear the details tomorrow. I’m a bit tired today.”
“Understood. I’ll guide you to your lodging right away…!”
“Alright.”
Khan followed Duzan’s guidance and moved to the lodging.
[Quest accepted.]
Following behind Duzan, Khan checked the quest acceptance message.
* * *
Late at night.
After finishing his shower at the lodging and lying on the bed, Khan sank into thought.
Upon escaping the Tutorial Forest and arriving at Burun Village, you immediately receive a quest from the village chief.
Khan couldn’t avoid it either and had to exterminate the monsters together with Byutek.
Now that it had come to this, he had to somehow gain power and face the monsters.
‘He’s only a level 3 knight, but having him around should make things a bit easier.’
Recalling his memories, Khan thought of the things obtainable in this Burun Village.
In <Geo Arc>, there were various classes like swordsman, archer, necromancer, martial artist, etc., but among them, mage was the least popular.
First, the difficulty of raising the character was extreme. The mage class itself was fundamentally too weak.
But Khan could cover all that with the ‘Sage’s Heart’.
The reason he became famous and made a name for himself in <Geo Arc> was also because he achieved the undisputed ranking number one as a mage.
‘Once I learn just one magic skill, I can solve it easily.’
The method of obtaining skills in <Geo Arc>.
Every time the level increases by 10, you can randomly obtain a skill.
But leveling up in this game is incredibly difficult, to the point of being unspeakable.
At least, having obtained the 8th-rank skill ‘Growth Acceleration’, leveling up should be easier than before.
Alternatively, there are skill cardbooks sold in shops, but those would be extremely expensive.
Like the method by which Lee Huseong obtained the 10th-rank skills ‘Sage’s Heart’ or ‘Growth Acceleration’, there are skills hidden all over the world.
Users called such skills ‘Hidden Skills’.
Because you could use the obtained skill regardless of class.
‘I’m the only one who entered the game. Then, the hidden skills here should still be present, right?’
There was one obtainable Hidden Skill in Burun Village as well.
Overall, it wasn’t that great a skill, but there probably wasn’t a better skill in the early stages.
‘I should go look for it as soon as I wake up tomorrow.’
The rocky area located east of Burun Village.
A skill is hidden between the two particularly large rocks there.
That skill was 1st-rank, the weakest skill, but it wasn’t ordinary either.
Khan quickly fell asleep for tomorrow.
* * *
The next day.
As soon as Khan woke up early in the morning, he headed to the rocky area.
And he easily found the large rock he knew.
“That’s it, right.”
Because it was so large, it was noticeable from afar, and Khan soon arrived before the rock.
The gap between the rocks was so narrow it was almost invisible, but Khan could confirm the pure white light inside.
He immediately stretched his hand into the gap.
Then, a cluster of white light was completely sucked into his body through his hand.
[Hidden Skill ‘Arrow’ has been acquired.]
Confirming the message, Khan smiled.
“This shouldn’t be a problem at all.”
[Skill: Arrow]
-
Skill Rank: 1st-rank
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Skill Description: Creates a magic arrow using mana.
-
Cooldown: 1 minute
‘Arrow’ is a skill with really good efficiency for a 1st-rank skill.
“I’d like to check its power before fighting monsters.”
He whispered softly to himself.
Thud. Thud.
Thud. Thud.
As if hearing Khan’s muttering.
Three monsters appeared immediately.
Creatures about 50 centimeters in diameter, with only arms and no legs.
[LV.2 Kid Stone]
Kid Stones.
They are stronger than goblins but similarly the weakest monsters.
He wanted to level up before officially starting the quest, and those guys seemed sufficient.
“Perfect timing.”
Thud. Thud.
Thud. Thud.
Thud. Thud.
The three Kid Stones began approaching Khan.
Since they had no legs, they moved by leaping their bodies once, but their speed was quite fast.
Standing on the rocky area, Khan looked down at them leisurely and recited the incantation in his mind.
‘Arrow.’
Whoosh…!
Whoosh…!
Whoo…!
Unlike ordinary mages, there was no casting or such.
As he recited the incantation in his mind, three magic arrows appeared, and
Flick.
Khan extended his hand toward the three Kid Stones.
Sssshwaaaak!
Sssshwaaaak!
Sssshwaaaak!
Crash.
Crash.
Crash.
The Arrows precisely pierced the Kid Stones, and their bodies shattered into pieces.
[Due to the effect of the skill ‘Growth Acceleration’, experience points gained are increased.]
[Level has increased.]
Simultaneously, the level up message appeared.
Smiling, Khan leisurely walked back to the village.
All preparations to clear the quest were complete.
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The title said that level 10 is the strongest. I got clickbaited