The Returnee's Hidden Strategy Stream

Chapter 59

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter: 59

"I don't remember this situation." Hanbit approached Lia immediately. The box beneath her feet looked like a cleanly cut piece of wood. "What happened?"

"...While I was looking at you and Flona, something came to mind."

"Something came to mind?"

"When I was little, Cowen gave me a white wooden sword. I spent a lot of time poking it into gaps in the wood, especially in this workshop. Camon just laughed."

Lia pointed to the sword at Hanbit's waist.

Suddenly, his confused thoughts cleared up.

'So, this is how variables arise.'

This was vastly different from the countless experiences he had repeated in the past. It was the newly created sword. Without intending to, the mere existence of the sword seemed to have triggered Lia's hidden memories.

"Can I see it?"

"Sure." Lia handed the note to Hanbit.

Thin sheets of paper were layered together.

<If you found this, then I assume you are someone who was very close to Lady Liventia. Have you succeeded or failed in punishing Brook and Barres? Even if you have failed, there's no need to be disappointed. There's a final option.>

The first page contained words of comfort and profound meaning.

Hanbit flipped through the layered pages.

<The power hidden in the Norton ring cannot be used by people like Brook or Barres. Therefore, I will tell you how to use the remnants of the spirit king to destroy them.>

Rustle-

<The scroll under the note can forcibly activate the power dormant in the ring. It will completely erase your enemies without them even noticing. However, the user will inevitably die, so only those who are prepared should use it.>

Rustle-

<This technique is from my close friend and master, the dwarf Gorik. If you look further into the future, go to the Hedric Kingdom in the Amethyst Forest. Show them the scroll and note, and they will help you.>

-??

-Dwarfham ??

-He even prepared for a suicide...

-It's time for Roper to make his move.

-I'll remember that.

"..."

That was the end of the note.

Hanbit, unable to take his eyes off it, had a complicated expression.

'Why is this showing up now?'

He knew that the dwarf Gorik and Camon were friends. He also knew that Gorik had the technology to activate the remnants of the spirit king.

However, he never expected the scroll to appear at this point in time.

"What does this mean? It says the person who uses it will die?" Lia asked, confused.

Hanbit, who had taken the scroll from the box, nodded. "It's about awakening a completely dormant power. We're going to forcibly activate it using this ring and scroll."

"..."

Lia had never heard of this before. Even William, the original owner, probably didn't expect this situation.

"Huh. So this was possible." Asla, who had approached quietly and was examining the scroll, sighed. Gorik's technology was truly extraordinary.

"...He must have thought of this." Artsvel, who had also approached, had a bitter expression.

Even though he wasn't close to Camon, he understood his feelings.

"It makes sense if it was his last resort. It must have been the best option for Camon."

Cowen nodded in agreement. If he had lost William and Liventia, he probably would have used it too.

"...I hate it. The person who uses it will die in the end." Lia frowned, expressing her dissatisfaction. More than anything, she wanted to prevent her loved ones from leaving her.

Swish-

Hanbit, who had been listening to the conversation, tried to put the scroll into his inventory. At that moment, an alarm sounded.

Ding!

[Sub-quest unlocked.]

[Sub-quest]

You have found a way to activate the remnant of the spirit king hidden in the ring.

Should you use it, or proceed as planned?

Objective: Choose an option to determine the course of action.

Use the scroll.

Don't use the scroll.

Reward: Sub-quest completion

-Huh?

-A sub-quest here?

-It's settled right away;

-If you're brave, go for number 1.

-Go Roper Go!

-Safe option number 2 gg

A new sub-quest appeared.

While the chat was debating the choices, Hanbit had already made up his mind.

He immediately chose option 1.

Ding!

[Sub-quest completed.]

[Sub-quest settlement completed.]

[Main quest branch point reset.]

[Total reward for the main quest increased.]

[Main quest #12 completed.]

[Progress increased.]

[Main quest #13: Preparation]

It has been decided to use the evidence obtained from Brook to initiate a formal trial.

It seems it will take some time for Barres to make a decision.

Until then, could we do something with the Norton ring and the scroll?

It might be a good idea to consider various possibilities over time.

Objective: Consider ways to use the ring while waiting for the results.

Reward: None

*Current progress: 85%

*This quest can be cleared by clicking the 'Complete' button. It will immediately connect to a cutscene, and Main Quest #14 will begin.

-Did the reward increase again?

-Wow, only 15% left. ??

-But what if you use the scroll?

-A big decision?

-Sylph, do it.

-Master, do it.

-You've already done it;

A newly set branch point and an episode with 15% remaining.

Viewers focused on the scroll that caused it.

It was clearly stated that the user would die if they used it.

Certainly, this would lead to death, but there was a way.

Swish-

Hanbit tried to put the scroll into his inventory.

Then, Lia grabbed his arm.

"What are you doing, putting that away?"

"Don't worry, I'm not going to commit suicide."

"It says you'll die if you use it! Besides, only I can use the ring!" She insisted, wanting him to discard the scroll.

It was a very reasonable argument, but it didn't apply to Hanbit.

[55 Times Recorder]

The experiences accumulated by the recorder are opened.

Proficiency in all experienced skills increases extremely rapidly. Performance is adjusted upward according to the level of level.

All spirit affinities are activated, and the effects of spirit power increase dramatically.

Freed from the wearing and usage conditions of all items with previous usage experience. (However, performance degradation due to stat differences remains, and the value is minimized.)

Unopened (Keyword: NPC) The effect of the third title obtained when attacked by the Nesto Guild.

He had also used the Norton ring dozens of times. To repel the continued attacks of the Holy Kingdom, he had to eliminate the remnants of the spirit king.

However, this title did not eliminate the risk associated with using it.

"You keep the ring for now."

"For now, not forever. Only I can use it!"

"Not right now."

"No..." Lia was speechless with astonishment.

Hanbit put the scroll into his inventory and turned towards the exit.

"I'll be right back."

* * *

“Can this be used as a strategy guide?” Yeonwoo, who was following Hanbit out into the streets of Edlen, asked.

“Strategy guide?”

“It's clear that things are completely different from the guidebook now, right? But can people who have entered the story follow what you're doing?”

-LOL, it's true

-You can do this and that. It's really easy, right?

-I can't stand it. Let's write a strategy guide and punish them.

-That... that's enough...

[HappyDeath has donated 10,000 won.]

[???: I've prepared a generous 10-part guide because you seemed to have trouble. ^^;]

-Kyaaak.

-Help me.

-Another innocent newbie has disappeared.

When the topic of a strategy guide came up, the viewers recalled a recent memory.

After reading through the comments, Hanbit smirked and said, "Since you all like it so much, I guess I can do that. How about I make a 20-part series and organize everything for you? Does that sound good?"

-Huh?

-Take it easy, you guys.

-But I liked it.

-Same

-The story could be really tough without a strategy guide.

Different opinions started to emerge.

After thinking for a moment, Hanbit nodded and said, "Well, I won't make 20 parts, but I'll organize the necessary parts for you. But I'll do it when I have some free time."

-Free service is appreciated.

-It's okay since I've already cleared Episode 1.

-Newbies, suffer.

-Good luck. ??

The viewers agreed. They seemed to be enjoying themselves as long as nothing was bothering them. It was probably because most of them had already cleared Episode 1.

"I'm fine with you making a strategy guide, but what about the scroll? Do you have a plan for it?"

"First, tell me how to use it."

"How to use it? Why suddenly...?"

Yeonwoo looked at Hanbit's screen.

Then, he continued, looking even more puzzled.

"RP Trader? Why that?"

It was a dedicated trading app for the Record Project.

Every player was interested in it, but it wasn't something that would come up in this conversation.

"I'm going to find an item to modify the scroll."

"Modify the scroll... Oh, Ether Ink?"

"Do you know about it?"

"It's an item used in Episode 3's quest, right? It's a drop item, so it's pretty common."

-Yeah, it's an Episode 3 quest.

-But the efficiency for modifying scrolls is really low.

-He's enthusiastic but doesn't know much.

-Green beard is all he has lmao

Many viewers responded, as they knew the name.

'Green beard... I know who that is.'

Hanbit, who was looking at the chat, realized who the person was.

Fortunately, it was a common item, regardless of the reason.

"Let me explain how to use the trader first."

Yeonwoo explained how to use the trader step by step.

Thanks to the good integration with the game, it wasn't difficult at all.

The only unusual thing was that both in-game gold and real-world money were used as currency.

"But how are you going to modify the scroll? I heard that even if you use ink, the efficiency is less than 5%."

"What efficiency?"

"If you use ink, you can strengthen the scroll."

"...Oh."

"The skills players learn through quests only result in a slight enhancement of the scrolls."

However, creating and modifying scrolls doesn't always yield simple results.

Depending on what you want to achieve, it can require quite complex techniques.

Swish-

Hanbit typed the item into the trader's search bar.

[Ether Ink]

Search results: 68,640

'There's so many of these?'

Although it was said to be a common item, there were more than he expected.

Well, considering the number of players, it wasn't surprising.

'It's also incredibly cheap.'

Ether ink was listed for 50,000 gold each.

The price was affordable, so Hanbit decided to buy some extra.

[You have purchased 3 Ether Inks.]

Ding-!

An alarm sounded, and the amount of gold decreased, while a mailbox icon appeared.

There, three Ether Inks had arrived.

"Then I'll start working on it right away."

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]