[Dorma’s Heart]

[The essence of Dorma, the drake who tried to dominate the Balder Mountains after Caruso disappeared.

Rating: Unique

Restrictions: Pet

Effect: Stats will randomly increase when taken (a maximum of 200 points per stat). There is a low probability of creating a skill.]

“Uhh! Please be something else!” Hyeonu shouted as he lifted the gold bead to his face. He was desperate.

‘Please... Please... Item Information.’

[????’s Stone]

[????????

Rating: ???

Restrictions: ????

Effect: ????????]

“Uwah!!!”

This wasn’t a golden bead. It was a lump of shit that was useless to everyone. Hyeonu nervously placed this piece of shit into his inventory.

‘I killed it after so much hard work, but it gave me something like this?’

Still, peace soon filled Hyeonu’s face. The thought of three failures in a row started to dominate his brain, but he held hope for the last item.

‘Item Information.’

[Dorma’s Red Blood]

[Dorma, one of the common drakes, was given the title of ‘red-blooded’ due to his red scales and blood.

-A mask made from Dorma’s scales and blood.

Rating: Unique

Restrictions: Drake Hunter

Defense: 730

Effect: ‘Red Blood’ can be used.

Red Blood: All stats will increase by 15% in combat. Every battle increases attack power, defense, and movement speed by 1%. (Up to 20%. However, if you die, all numbers will be reset.)]

“It came out!!!!!” Hyeonu finally received the jackpot. He grabbed Tang-E’s paws and started banging on them. “It came out! Tang-E! It came out!!”

Hyeonu became the central axis, and Tang-E was quickly spun around like a needle.

“Uwaaah! I know! Stop it!” Tang-E yelled at Hyeonu’s sudden and terrifying action while looking frightened.

‘I could’ve hidden it...’ Tang-E thought.

Dorma’s Heart, the red bead that had been thrown to the ground by Hyeonu, was Tang-E’s favorite. Attracted by the enchanting scene, Tang-E looked for Dorma’s Heart. Then he finally found it. All he had to do was stretch out his foot and pinch it.

Just then, Hyeonu lifted up Tang-E.

“Let go of me quickly! Damn master!!!!!!”

Tang-E had to pick it up as quickly as possible to eat it or hide it. He just didn’t know when he could escape the clutches of his damn Master dude. Of course, he would never give it to his Master dude. Tang-E had eaten all the essences that dropped previously.

‘Once it is in my hands...’ Tang-E remembered the essence that fell to the ground and let out a burst of laughter, “Hehe.”

Then that laughter soon disappeared. It was because Hyeonu put down Tang-E and picked up Dorma’s Heart.

“Do you want it?” Hyeonu asked.

Tang-E nodded violently. “Give me. I want to eat it. Quickly.”

Despite Tang-E’s earnest words, Hyeonu repeatedly threw Dorma’s Heart into the air several times. Tang-E’s gaze naturally followed Dorma’s Heart. It went up when Hyeonu threw it and went down when the bead fell.

Tang-E watched with trembling eyes in case it might fall to the ground.

“A~h.”

“Ah~”

Going along with what Hyeonu said, Tang-E obediently opened his mouth wide, and Hyeonu carefully placed Dorma’s Heart into Tang-E’s mouth.

[The pet ‘Tang-E’ has taken Dorma’s Heart.]

A red glow burst from Tang-E’s mouth and soon encircled Tang-E’s entire body.

[The strength stat has increased by 67 points.]

[The agility stat has increased by 162 points.]

[The physique stat has increased by 81 points.]

[The magic power stat has increased by 182 points.]

‘The stats went up well.’

At this level, it was an intermediate effect. The total number of stat points was 492. Just by level, it was an amount that could only be acquired after Tang-E gained 50 levels.

[Your pet ‘Tang-E’ has taken Dorma’s Heart, and a new skill has been created.]

[Heart Production]

[You can make a heart, one of the necessities for high-ranking monsters.

Type: Continuous

Rating: Unique

Skill Proficiency: F

Increases magic power by 30%. Increases magic power recovery by 30%. The power of magic power is increased by 30%.]

“Oho?” Hyeonu made an unexpected sound at the message that followed. Even the low probability of creating a skill had succeeded.

“It wasn’t the mask that was a jackpot. It was this?”

The biggest jackpot was something else. Tang-E’s rise in power—this was the biggest harvest.

[Status Window]

[Name: Tang-E

Level: 223

Species: Marionette Bear (Second awakening)

Title: Bung Bung Island’s Heir

Stats: Strength: 1,484 Agility: 1,535 Physique: 1,738 Magic Power: 3,278

The heir of Bung Bung Island. Bear-like physical abilities and high magic power are racial characteristics. He is very affectionate, unlike his prideful tone.

Intimacy: 100

Skills Possessed: Bear's Momentum, Forest’s Blessing, Magic Power Affinity, Lightning, Giant Transformation, Roar, Ice, Fire, Subspace, Burning Magic Power, Breath of the Wind, Heart Production

Retained Attributes: Corrupted.]

Tang-E’s status window was gorgeous. They were the same stats that other rankers had. The only special thing was that it wasn’t biased to one stat. Generally, all of them were high.

‘It is terrible to imagine if it was biased to magic power.’

If just 1,000 points were subtracted from the other stats and invested in magic power, Tang-E’s magic power would be over 6,000. Magic based on 6,000 stat points... Just imagining it was horrifying.

‘Of course, it is horrifying for the opponents but not for me. After all, he isn’t going to shoot me.’

Hyeonu imagined it while the red glow was absorbed by Tang-E. The light that covered his body gathered on Tang-E’s chest.

“Pfft!” Hyeonu laughed when he finally saw Tang-E after all the light had disappeared.

It wasn’t a ridiculing laugh. Rather, it was a pleasant laugh. It was because Tang-E’s appearance was so cute.

“Master dude, why are you laughing?” Tang-E cocked his head like he didn’t understand when he saw Hyeonu laughing at him.

“Tang-E, your paws lost their color.” Hyeonu stretched out a finger and pointed at Tang-E’s paws. Tang-E’s paws, which had been red and blue, had regained their original black color.

“Eh? It is true. Master dude, my paws are back!!” Tang-E checked his paws again and again before rushing to Hyeonu. However, Hyeonu didn’t hug Tang-E.

“Why are you... Did something strange happen to your chest?” Hyeonu once again pointed to Tang-E.

This time, it was at the center of Tang-E’s chest. Tang-E looked down slowly. It was like watching a scary scene in a horror movie. Finally, Tang-E’s gaze reached his chest and found it had red fur.

“Eek!” Tang-E screamed.

“I guess it’s because you ate that. I’ll try to cover it up well. I told you many times that you shouldn’t eat anything just because it is delicious. Sigh,” Hyeonu rebuked Tang-E.

Of course, it was a joke. Tang-E’s red fur was precisely shaped like a heart, and it was symmetrical without any discrepancies. As he grabbed onto Hyeonu’s pants, Tang-E cried while shaking, “Uh... uh... uh!!! Uhhhh!!!”

They were sobs.

“It is a joke, a joke. You are much cuter than before, okay?” Hyeonu saw such a Tang-E and hugged him.

Then he met Tang-E’s eyes. Hyeonu had removed his mask, so Tang-E could see himself reflected in Hyeonu’s eyes. Tang-E looked fine. The shape of his red fur seemed stylish in its own way. It didn’t feel like a blemish since the main version was awesome anyway.

“That’s right. I’m cute. That’s right.” Tang-E quickly regained his composure.

“Yes, you are a bit cute,” Hyeonu affirmed.

***

Hyeonu didn’t log out. He tore the return scroll and moved to Yusma. His first stop was the imperial palace, where the emperor was staying. Hyeonu arrived alone at the place where the monster breathed. The moment he opened the door, the emperor would be waiting. However, Hyeonu didn’t enter and stopped at the door.

‘There is no Clear Mind... Pill.’

So Hyeonu took a potion out of his inventory instead and drank it once before entering the emperor's palace. The potion’s refreshing sensation passed through his throat, and his mind seemed a bit clearer.

“Why are you staying there without coming in?” The monster’s voice could be heard from inside.

Hyeonu practiced smiling several times and barely managed to reply, “Yes, I’m coming in, Your Majesty.”

Hyeonu moved very carefully without making any footsteps.

The emperor smiled at Hyeonu. “You are completely different from your master in this respect. This is a side I can’t find in him. It is very interesting.”

Hyeonu bowed and greeted the emperor without saying anything about personal matters. “Sorry for coming all of a sudden...”

The emperor interrupted Hyeonu’s words, “Just tell me why you came. We don’t know each other. Why take so long to speak?”

Hyeonu saw the impatience on the emperor’s face and hurriedly brought out why he came. “In fact, I am able to go back to the East Continent now.”

“Hmm... This is a bit later than I thought. I think it has been a while.”

“There were conditions other than the contract. Still, I am the first adventurer to gain this authority,” Hyeonu responded to the emperor’s blow with some slight bragging.

“Really? So why don’t you say why you came?”

“I came because I wondered if Your Majesty has anything for me to do? For example, an exchange with the East Continent, or if there is anything you need or want.”

“You want to run my personal errands?”

“Your Majesty is the empire. I want to know if you need me to do anything to help the empire.”

The emperor chuckled at Hyeonu’s sly reply and threw a white scroll that was beside the throne. The white scroll flew slowly toward Hyeonu.

“Clever fellow. This type of thing is very similar to the previous situation. Good, take it.”

Hyeonu stretched out both hands without thinking. “Ugh...”

‘My hands are a bit numb,’ he thought.

It was unknown what joke the emperor was playing, but Hyeonu’s body was now numb. It was only after pulling out his magic power and fighting energy that he could barely reach out to grab the white scroll.

“There is a royal family on the East Continent, right? It is good if they’re royalty. Pass this on to the master of the greatest force and receive an answer. Then I’ll give you the title of earl. You can bring the rest on your own. Ah! If they don’t know the language, do it yourself, be it translating the letter or explaining it with your body.”

[A quest has been created.]

[Emperor’s Message]

[The emperor of Yusma, the ruler of the West Continent, wants to deliver a message to someone on the East Continent.

Get an answer.

As a bonus, bring back some East Continent specialties.

Rating: MS

Conditions: Someone’s reply 0/1

Rewards: Experience, imperial contribution, promotion to earl, and a reward from the emperor (However, the emperor’s reward depends on the level of goods you bring).]

Hyeonu was too afraid of the emperor’s words to bring just anything.

‘If you want something, then say it. What is this? It’s not like eating some random thing at Kimbap Heaven.' [1]

“I understand, Your Majesty.”

***

After exiting the imperial palace, Hyeonu headed for a workshop in Yusma. It was a place to manufacture items and convert the appearance of items. The reason he came here was simple. It was to change his new mask, Dorma’s Red Blood, to the present child’s mask. Hyeonu ran in front of an empty capsule and inserted Dorma’s Red Blood.

[Please determine the shape you want to convert to.]

Hyeonu continued moving after seeing the rising message. He depicted the child’s mask that he knew best. The one difference was that it was smiling brighter than before.

[You have insufficient materials.]

“What?!!!”

[1] restaurant chain all over South Korea)

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