abcnovels
Chapter 46
Chapter 46
Chapter 46: Overwhelming Gap (1) >
[Opening the Shop window.]
+
[Shop]
– Current Coin Count: 3
– List
– Items under 10 coins (?)
– Items under 50 coins (?)
– [Unavailable for viewing]
– [Unavailable for viewing]
– [Unavailable for viewing]
+
‘There are so many things that are locked here, too.’
Theo chuckled. Why did there have to be so many secrets everywhere?
It was clear that the unavailable items likely belonged to the 50 coins and above category. In any case, since Theo’s current coin count wasn’t nearly enough, he wasn’t particularly curious about those.
Instead, he was more intrigued by the two accessible categories.
Items under 10 coins and under 50 coins.
What on earth could be in there?
+
[Items under 10 coins (?)]
– Weapons
? One-handed weapons (?)
? Two-handed weapons (?)
? Ranged weapons (?)
? Secondary weapons
– Armor (?)
– Accessories (?)
– Collectibles (?)
+
‘So, it’s categorized by type.’
Just as [Weapons] were divided into subcategories like ‘One-handed weapons’ and ‘Two-handed weapons,’
[Armor] was divided into ‘Upper body’ and ‘Lower body’ categories,
[Accessories] into things like ‘Necklaces’ and ‘Rings,’
and [Collectibles] into subcategories like ‘Potions’ or ‘Talismans.’ The list went on and on.
‘This is pretty interesting.’
However, Theo decided to set aside exploring the Shop window for now.
That was because Selperd and Natasha were approaching him.
“How’s your body holding up?”
“It’s fine, thanks to you.”
Theo nodded casually in response to Selperd’s question, but he didn’t forget to keep the Moon-White Sword pointed at Natasha, who was following behind.
“What are you doing? I’m the one who helped you.”
Natasha looked slightly offended.
She had risked even going against the Central Intelligence Bureau to assist him under the orders of the Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace.
And yet, she was being met with hostility in return.
“Are you asking because you truly don’t know?”
“What don’t I know?”
“Ask Felix directly.”
“Felix…?”
What in the world was he talking about?
‘Could it be…?’
Suddenly, Natasha came to a realization.
Felix had been found in critical condition in the Gathering of the Hidden Dragons’ territory. Up until now, she thought it was because Felix had fought with them and ended up like that. But if that wasn’t the case…
“Hurry and confirm it. If it’s true that we made a mistake… I’ll formally apologize. Just know this has nothing to do with the Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace’s intentions.”
“…”
Theo didn’t respond hastily.
Although he knew the true intentions of the Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace, now was not the time to recklessly reveal his feelings.
This, too, was merely an extension of politics.
Natasha bit her lower lip tightly, then bowed her head once again to Theo before quickly leaving the place.
“Well, I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but don’t hate them too much. Just like our commander, they’ve been thinking of you fondly for a long time.”
At Selperd’s words, Theo quietly nodded.
“By the way, I’ve been late in introducing myself. I’m Selperd Gardner. If you come to join our White Armored Dragon Cavalry, I’ll be your direct senior. I look forward to working with you.”
As Theo grasped Selperd’s outstretched hand, he was a little surprised inside.
If he was a Gardner, that meant he belonged to one of the Six Snow Families, a house renowned for its exceptional unity, often referred to as the ‘House of the Wolf.’
Because of this, they rarely sent people outside, yet someone had been assigned to the White Armored Dragon Cavalry…!
Crunch!
“…?”
Theo glanced at Selperd in response to the pressure being applied to his hand.
What is this guy doing?
Selperd was grinning.
“You’ll come, right? To the White Armored Dragon Cavalry?”
Theo gave an awkward smile.
“When our big-hearted commander would go on and on about you, I always wondered why. But now that I’ve met you in person… I can see why. Even I want you now.”
Even when Theo tried to pull his hand away, Selperd wouldn’t let go.
As if he had no intention of ever releasing it.
“You’ve got not only the skills but also the personality I like. Anyway, you’d better come. Got it? Hm? Hm?”
Selperd leaned in closer, his eyes gleaming, making Theo take a step back in discomfort.
At that moment, a hand reached out and yanked Selperd by the nape of his neck.
“Stop forcing him. Just looking at your repulsive face is enough to make someone lose any interest.”
“What’s wrong with my face?!”
“Look in a mirror before you talk and until he officially becomes our junior, Theo Ragnar is still a legitimate successor. Did you bite your tongue or something? Show some respect and use honorifics.”
The one pulling Selperd back was a woman of a somewhat smaller build.
She, too, wore the examiner’s uniform with the symbol of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry.
“I’ll make sure to properly discipline this rude idiot. Please forgive his behavior.”
“No, it’s fine. Thank you for your help today.”
Theo offered a polite greeting.
The woman, Arin Negative, looked slightly surprised.
She had never seen a Ragnar of Theo’s age with such good manners before.
“Is that why the Captain is so protective of him? Evelyn took him in as a swordsmanship disciple, and he’s got such a great personality too? Almost too good, really.”
For Arin, who admired Evelyn more than anyone in the world, her affection for Theo was quickly growing.
“Geez, you’re not my mom, stop nagging…”
“What did you say, punk?”
“Hehehe, nothing! I didn’t say anything at all, really.”
Selperd brushed off Arin’s sharp gaze playfully, then turned back to Theo.
“Anyway, I’ll be waiting for you to join us as our junior… once the Blossoming Ceremony is over, come find us right away. You understand? Oh, don’t worry about the cleanup, we’ll handle it all.”
Selperd, who was about to drop the formal speech again, quickly switched back to polite language after receiving another sharp glare from Arin.
Theo couldn’t help but burst into a small laugh.
With such a free-spirited atmosphere, he began to think that the White Armored Dragon Cavalry might not be a bad fit after all.
Although he wasn’t entirely convinced yet.
“I’ll think about it positively.”
“Not just positively, why don’t you decide right here and now…”
“Please ignore him, we’ll be off now.”
Arin, sensing that the conversation was dragging on too long, offered a brief farewell and dragged Selperd away from the scene.
“Whew…”
Left alone, Theo took a long, deep breath.
The place, which had been filled with chaotic battle just moments ago, was now eerily quiet.
He had a lot to organize as well.
* * *
Theo not only gathered up all the demonic seeds from the monsters Axion had summoned, but also managed to seize the demonic seeds that the Gathering of the Hidden Dragons had been collecting.
Their base had been piled high with the seeds.
Thanks to this,
He not only earned points but also a large number of ciphers for the Attribute Breathing Techniques.
‘They figured out the hidden piece regarding the totems, but it seems they didn’t know about the one for the mantras.’
The fewer people who knew about the Attribute Breathing Techniques, the better it was for Theo, so this was a fortunate turn of events.
Theo had now collected a total of seven mantras for the Thunder Breathing Technique.
Only two more remained.
In addition to this, he also managed to gather quite a few mantras from the Flame and Frost breathing techniques, which would prove to be useful.
And finally…
‘I’ve reached level 20 and unlocked new privileges.’
[Observing ‘Theo Ragnar’.]
+
Theo Ragnar (Age: 15 / Male)
· Level: 20
· Stats (?)
Strength: 102
Agility: 42
Stamina: 26
Magic Power: 228
Intelligence: 24
Luck: 5
· Skills (?)
– Lesser Drake Fear
– Hatchling Synchronization
· [Access Restricted]
· Current Coin Count: 3
+
Theo silently rejoiced over the fact that he had finally surpassed level 20.
It was simply a change in the leading number, but even that gave him an immense sense of accomplishment, one that couldn’t be easily described.
The feeling of growing step by step was invigorating for him.
Especially since his [Agility] had increased by a significant margin.
He had funneled all his additional stats into Agility, thinking he should make it his next stat to reach a 100 coefficient after Strength.
‘The more agile my body becomes, the faster my attack and movement speed will be.’
But the most eye-catching part of his status window was elsewhere.
[Current Coin Count: 3]
Coins.
The coins he had received as rewards thus far were meant to be used in the shop window.
+
[One-handed Weapons (?)]
– Gem-Crafted Dagger
– Asadal’s Dagger
– Folded Nine Times Dagger
.
.
+
The item list appeared in the lowest category.
Theo tapped on the item at the top of the list with his hand.
+
[Gem-Crafted Dagger]
· Type: Dagger
· Attack Power: 5~10
· Equip Requirement: Strength 5
· Effect: 15% durability loss at a fixed probability
· Price: 1 coin
+
‘As I thought, these coins are currency. I can buy whatever items I want.’
It seemed that beginner-series weapons and equipment were mostly given as quest rewards, but from now on, it was up to him to buy the items he wanted.
For Theo, this was a welcome development.
Most of the equipment he had been given so far, except for accessories, had become too worn or damaged to be of any use.
And it seemed like the quality of the weapons sold in the shop wasn’t bad either.
Even the dagger he was looking at now had attack power comparable to the [Beginner’s Training Sword], and its effects were superior.
A forced reduction in equipment durability.
Depending on how it was used, it could destroy the opponent’s equipment and give Theo an advantage in battle.
Compared to actual artifacts, acquiring an item of this quality would normally require a significant amount of gold.
If this was the lowest-grade item, what about those above it?
There was no need to look further to see their potential.
‘I have a total of 3 coins left. Should I buy something decent with this? Or should I save up more coins?’
Or was there another way to earn coins besides quests?
‘A shop usually allows you to buy things, but you can also sell items…!’
With that thought, Theo opened his inventory for the first time in a while.
Theo tapped on one of the items he had secretly collected while hunting monsters, thinking it might be useful as artifact material.
+
[Sap of a Sandworm]
· Description: The sap of a unique sandworm found in cold regions, where perennial snow piles up. It seems to be a good material for crafting cold-resistant items.
· Price: 2 coins
+
‘So, I can sell these too.’
Theo proceeded to sell all the materials he had gathered over time, along with the beginner-series items that were no longer of use to him.
Some items were valued at 0 coins, indicating they had no market value, but despite that, Theo managed to increase his coin count significantly to a total of 19 coins.
This allowed him to browse items priced under 50 coins.
‘I hope I can find something good.’
Fortunately, while scrolling through the list, he found an item he had been looking for.
+
[Death-bit]
· Type: Throwing Dagger, Dagger
· Attack Power: 25~30
· Equip Requirement: Level 20
· Effects
– A certain chance to inflict ‘Critical Injury’
– High probability of triggering the ‘Bleeding’ curse
– Accuracy +36%
– 15% chance to pierce through armor
– Automatic recovery of position
· Price: 4 coins
+
[Would you like to purchase ‘Death-bit’?]
‘This is it.’
Telekinesis had already proven to be incredibly helpful in battle, acting like an invisible hand in various ways.
From his hidden techniques involving pebbles to capturing Axion’s fleeing party with the “Invisible Giant Hand.”
However, it had its limitations.
Theo’s current weapons, like the Moon-White Sword and Drake’s Blade, were too heavy for effective use with telekinesis.
‘So, for smoother use, I needed a decent-sized dagger… and this is even better than I imagined.’
The options on the Death-bit were exceptional.
With Critical Injury and Bleeding effects, it was perfect for hunting monsters and killing enemies.
And the fact that it automatically returned to its position meant Theo wouldn’t have to go through the hassle of retrieving it.
How convenient was that?
It was as if this weapon had been made specifically for him at this moment.
[You have purchased ‘Death-bit ×4’ for 16 coins.]
[Remaining Coin Count: 3]
Though it was a considerable expense, the satisfaction outweighed the cost.
‘Now that I’ve bought them, I should test them out.’
Theo pulled the four Death-bits from his inventory and activated his telekinesis.
Whishhh—
The Death-bits rose into the air with a soft clattering sound, floating steadily in the space around him.
With a few more adjustments, the daggers began spinning in a neat line around Theo, circling him smoothly.
This was the result of the constant telekinesis practice he had done with pebbles whenever he had the chance.
Theo’s gaze shifted to a nearby patch of grass, where nothing seemed to be.
Swish!
One of the Death-bits shifted horizontally, then shot forward like an arrow.
The rest of the Death-bits followed closely behind.
Theo’s eyes gleamed more intensely than ever, like a child who had just discovered a new toy.
* * *
A few more days passed, and finally, the last day of the second Blossoming Ceremony arrived.
1st. Theo Ragnar (1,321 points)
2nd. Ray Ragnar (1,002 points)
3rd. Erika Ranke (826 points)
4th. Wellington Narcio (789 points)