Light of Arad: Forerunner

Chapter 58

In the game *Dungeon & Fighter*, equipping an avatar changes your appearance.

You can create a unique look with your own combination or purchase pre-made sets sold by Neople to enhance your style.

But what if a player likes all three options: an existing avatar set, a combination recommended by other users, and an upcoming avatar set?

Sure, you could buy all three sets, but that’s not the end of it.

You also need to maximize your stats with the attached to avatars, and once an emblem is inserted, it can’t be removed. Plus, purchasing an emblem for each avatar is not cheap!

‘No matter how rich you are, nobody in their right mind would do that. Even Pure wouldn’t go that far.’

To address this issue, *Dungeon & Fighter* offers a solution: the Clone Rare Avatar.

An avatar that, as the name suggests, can replicate the appearance of other avatars.

If you insert the most efficient emblems into the and equip it:

‘It allows you to copy the look of any other avatar. You can combine it with different good-looking avatars, keeping the style while benefiting from the Clone Avatar’s emblem and set effects.’

Thanks to this feature, the has become a must-have for users who reach a certain level!

Sharak, Jinseong was browsing a catalog handed over by NPC Dalbi.

It contained a list of avatars that other users put up for sale.

‘It feels fresh to flip through an actual paper catalog like this, instead of scrolling down on a monitor. Hehe, maybe this is one of those pleasures that only a possessed person can enjoy.’

It was like looking at a high-end fashion magazine.

The only difference was that every page Jinseong saw featured male Ghost Knights, unlike ordinary magazines.

‘Hmm… the options are… no, no.’

The Dark Knight, as described as the ‘most perfect Ghost Knight,’ shares items and classes with the male Ghost Knight group.

In other words, among the sets divided by class, Jinseong, as a Dark Knight, needed the male Ghost Knight version.

Therefore, Jinseong was checking out the ‘Clone Rare Avatar’ sets for male Ghost Knights, but he kept having to flip through the pages.

‘Tch, I guess it’s because there aren’t many Dark Knight users. There’s hardly anything available.’

In *Dungeon & Fighter*, avatars can enhance abilities for each part, and you can choose these enhancements when purchasing an avatar.

Especially for , the upper and lower parts have options to increase ‘Skill Level,’ and Jinseong, as a Dark Knight, couldn’t find any items with the applicable options.

This was a disadvantage from the Dark Knight’s perspective, who shares the male Ghost Knight’s .

Even if items were shared, most were set up for popular classes with more users, with ‘skill and emblem setups’ tailored to those classes.

As a result, many items had unnecessary options that didn’t apply to Jinseong’s Dark Knight body, making it hard to find anything truly useful.

Sharak, sharak, sharak…

‘Not this one, not that one, oh… selected options include and platinum emblem ? And the bottom part… okay, it’s also with platinum emblem work.’

Finally, he found it.

An option setup that was the most common among Dark Knight users.

It had the avatar selection conditions as well as skill-enhancing ‘Platinum Emblems’ inserted, making it a highly popular setup.

‘The rest of the enhancements aren’t bad either. No, they’re good. Excellent!’

The item was fully equipped with enhancements that boosted stats like strength, intelligence, attack speed, and cast speed with ‘Brilliant Emblems.’

After flipping through a few more pages and confirming there was nothing better, Jinseong made his decision.

‘Hehe, perfect. Even though I haven’t learned the skill yet, it’ll be useful someday. The options themselves are perfect for a Dark Knight… but.’

The price was not perfect.

The , chosen as if picking items from a luxury fashion magazine.

Despite being a full 8-piece avatar with various emblem setups, the price was also akin to that of a ‘luxury fashion magazine.’

“180,000,000 gold?”

180 million gold.

The gold bars he diligently collected with Taco from the Golden Cave.

After appraising their value through Sharan and converting them into gold, Jinseong’s total wealth amounted to about 280 million gold.

‘…Looks like I’ll need to hit the Golden Cave one more time.’

Seeing more than half of his total wealth vanish on a single set of items, Jinseong had to muster a bitter smile.

* * *

Sharan flinched the moment she encountered Jinseong.

“Something… something’s….”

“You think it’s changed but can’t quite pinpoint what, right?”

“I know it’s the effect of new equipment, but I can’t tell exactly what… As the Guild Master of Mages, even I can’t figure it out.”

Although Sharan realized that Jinseong had grown stronger by equipping the , his appearance remained completely unchanged.

It wasn’t just that NPCs couldn’t see the difference; Jinseong himself saw no change when he looked in the mirror, which made sense.

Since its appearance wasn’t predetermined and it only copied the looks of other avatars, the lack of a target look meant no visible change at all.

“By the way, is just entering Hills’… that unknown place all you want, Jinseong? Just that?”

“Hm? No, no, that’s not it. I paid out of my own pocket in the end. Sharan, there are still many things I’d like to ask of you.”

“Hm, like what…? Should I prepare in advance—”

“You know Abello, right?”

“Of course. He’s also Queen Meia’s cousin.”

Sharan nodded.

NPC Abello, a Dark Elf.

He was in charge of training for the ‘professions’ in *Dungeon & Fighter*, such as alchemists, magic enchanters, puppeteers, and dismantlers, as well as selling items related to these professions, including tuning, synthesis, and upgrades for dismantling/magic enchanting.

“Good, good… and Kiri. Kiri the Lady is also one of your apprentices, right?”

“Well, yes. Though she hasn’t been coming by to learn much recently.”

NPC Kiri the Lady, known as ‘Kiri,’ a Celestial.

Located on the West Coast in *Dungeon & Fighter*, she was one of the most infamous NPCs among users.

‘Because she handles enhancements, amplifications, and reforging.’

In any game, the NPC who manages the system for upgrading equipment inevitably becomes a target of frustration.

For now, Jinseong merely checked with Sharan and packed teleport potions.

Sharan’s large eyes wavered as she watched Jinseong.

“Uh, Jinseong? Why are you asking?”

“Ah, just… just knowing this much is enough.”

“Huh? What are you planning to do, knowing that? What kind of—”

“I need to go somewhere briefly. Oh, by the way, it’s okay for people from the Duchy to be wandering around the Kingdom of Pennes now, right?”

“Well, yes. It can be considered a de facto alliance. Besides, Jinseong, you’re… No, no, don’t change the subject! Wait, why were you asking that earlier? You’re making me uneasy!”

Sharan asked, eyes wide open, looking at Jinseong.

However, Jinseong knew.

That someone as sharp as Sharan couldn’t have failed to understand the intent behind his questions.

Thus, Jinseong simply smiled.

At least to Sharan, it looked like a devil’s smile.

“No way… Jinseong. It can’t be, right? Wait. Especially Kiri—she was left half-trained because of her lack of talent! I can’t just go and ask her for the kind of favor you’re thinking of!”

Naturally, Sharan had understood.

Why Jinseong emphasized Abello and Kiri, especially Kiri.

If Kiri, the only one on the West Coast with enhancement/amplification machines, had been even briefly Sharan’s apprentice as the Guild Master of Mages—

Jinseong was clearly asking Sharan herself to take care of something difficult!

“I’m asking because it’s not easy. If it were easy, I’d have done it myself, wouldn’t I? Besides, Sharan, you said I should give you a heads-up to lay some groundwork.”

“Groundwork? What groundwork?!”

“Haha, you know what I mean. Anyway, thanks in advance. I’m just going to make a quick trip to the Kingdom of Pennes.”

Jinseong interrupted Sharan, uncapping the teleport potion.

And just before drinking it, as if something had crossed his mind, he said:

“Oh, right, when you try to start a conversation with Kiri, casually bring up the Celestial Realm. Someone’s likely to fall over here from Celestia aboard the Magata soon.”

It was a reference to upcoming events.

The main scenario quest’s flow, which would lead into the next episode, was casually hinted at by Jinseong.

Sharan’s eyes widened further.

“What? Huh? Are you talking about that ‘ability’ so casually?”

Because she had an inkling of what Jinseong was hinting at.

Foreseeing things like the plague spreading in the Dark Elf country, those ‘future predictions,’ and the pending interactions with the Celestial Realm, which hadn’t resumed thus far—

He spoke of such pivotal moments as if they were nothing.

“That’s

right. Alright, then. I’ll be off! Please help me make use of the item soon, even though I can’t use it right now.”

“Wait, wait, Jinseong—”

─────────────!

Jinseong disappeared after gulping down the teleport potion.

Sharan could only heave a deep sigh.

“Will they let him use the enhancement or amplification machines for free… at the very least, I have to set it up so that he can get a discount on the materials. And a Celestial airship crash? That’s a bombshell for the Duchy, not to mention the Empire, and he just says it like it’s nothing….”

It was what Jinseong intended to ask soon.

And as he foresaw, what would soon unfold.

Pondering it all, Sharan sighed again.

“First, let’s deal with what’s in front of us. How did I end up tangled with someone like him…? No, I’m the one who brought him in, but still, phew.”

Though she grumbled, her expression wasn’t grim.

Despite everything, she didn’t feel as if she was being unreasonably pushed around by the Guild Master of Mages.

The equipment set that Jinseong had entrusted to her was neatly placed in front of her.

Although she thought she had gone through many things during her tenure as Guild Master of Mages, the past few months had brought far more diverse and rich experiences than ever before, which was certainly no exaggeration.

Shooooo…

Magic began to gather at her fingertips.

“It doesn’t seem to be an item sealed by magic, but it’s peculiar. Even though Diregie’s energy is clearly present, it hasn’t yet exerted its effects… Maybe I should try activating its inherent energy to bring out its full potential.”

Could the energy of an Apostle truly be harnessed?

Could it be controlled in this way?

If it were possible, could other Apostles’ powers be utilized similarly?

“The power of the Apostles… a force far beyond any creature in Arad… To harness the energy of the Apostles, we must consider the possibility of it changing according to the will of the Apostles themselves.”

Shooooooo…

The power gathered at Sharan’s fingertips grew stronger.

Depending on the outcome of Jinseong’s item, it could influence the future of Arad.

More importantly, could the power of the mighty Apostles be controlled, independent of their will?

Sharan pondered this but did not hesitate to act.

“…Jinseong… Truly a fascinating individual. Just where and how did he obtain such a thing… Hmph, I also wonder how he plans to handle this.”

Sharan knew more about the person who brought this item and the extraordinary feats he had achieved than anyone else in Arad, the Guild Master of Mages herself.

That is to say, she trusted Jinseong’s power and capabilities more than anyone.

───────────……!!!

That’s why she could now infuse the equipment set with magic.

The surging magic swirled around the five items.

As Sharan observed this reaction, her eyes suddenly widened.

“The magic is being absorbed—ah!?”

She stepped back in shock.

Then she immediately opened the door and shouted.

“Get Jinseong! Call him back right away!”

It was clear that what had happened was significant enough to alarm even the Guild Master of Mages, who wouldn’t easily back down, not even in Sky Castle.

The equipment set currently in the Mage’s Guild was unlike any gear seen in *Dungeon & Fighter*.

“This is impossible, how could such…”

Most of all, the black energy emanating from the equipment felt ominously unsettling.

It couldn’t be helped.

After all, Jinseong obtained this item through a deal with Diregie.

It was an existing plate armor, one that Jinseong had used in the past, altered by imbibing Diregie’s energy through a method entirely separate from the ‘game system.’

Thus, its effects were inevitably different.

It was an outcome that players couldn’t even fathom, and for NPCs, it was akin to a nightmare.

Just then, a sound emanated from the equipment.

It wasn’t just noise.

[Hehehe…]

A grim laugh echoed from the Black Plague Black Wolf.