Chapter 43
Surviving With An Sss-Rank Inventory Chapter 43
Episode 43
Dio and Sepia regroup once again before entering the cave.
Unlike Sephia, who carefully packed her weapons under the pressure of meeting the witch, Dio only took out a few items from his inventory.
“Don’t worry too much. “Because there will be no need to fight.”
As Dio spoke, Sephia, who was soaked in the blood of the orcs, poured the remaining water in the water bottle on her head.
“But we still have to prepare.”
Sepia where the blood was roughly wiped away with running water.
Seeing that she has become quite tough, Dio wonders if his education policy is right? I had a thought.
‘Being brave isn’t a bad thing, but…’
Dio, who didn’t want to argue anymore with Sepia’s personality change, shook his head.
Anyway, after completing all preparations, they moved forward toward the cave where the witch was.
Tiring!
[The orc cave in Hafner Valley has been discovered.]
Entry message provided by the system.
Dio traced his memories and moved forward in a familiar manner.
While walking deeper into the cave following the torch attached to the wall, Sepia opened her mouth.
“Are they all just the orcs outside?”
Dio shook his head in response to Sepia’s question.
“No, there are no orc shamans left.”
He is an experiment that the Shadow Witch put a lot of effort into and is the seemingly fake boss of the Orc Den.
If you catch the orc shaman and perform a complex gimmick, a secret room will open and you will encounter a witch.
“Then do I have to fight the orc shaman too?”
“No, if you kill that too, the witch won’t even listen to your story.”
Dio’s purpose is to seek the witch’s cooperation.
There was no way I would feel good about defeating the orcs who were already the witch’s experiments and workers.
Additionally, dealing with the orc shaman and making conversation with the shadow witch even more difficult is something Dio would not like to do.
“Then how…?”
Dio stopped in his tracks at Sepia’s question and pulled out the torch from the wall.
Then, Dio’s action is to light the lower part of the wall with a torch instead of the deep passage.
“We will avoid the orc shaman and go straight to the witch’s laboratory.”
Where Dio pointed, there was a hole that a person could only enter by leaning forward, and Sephia looked at it as if it were dumbfounded.
“…Isn’t it a drain?”
“no. It’s a shortcut. “If you look at the entrance like this, it’s quite spacious.”
“Is it really okay to come in here?”
“Do you see the knee marks inside here? “It must be a sign that they were still passing by until recently.”
Squeak –
Dio opened the iron door that looked like the entrance to a drain, bowed his head and entered, and Sepia reluctantly followed behind him.
At the time when D.O. discovered this hole, there was a story about it in a chatroom where people were talking about it.
‘The people were excited to see if they would find the first bug on the order board, which is famous for being bug-free.’
However, as time passed, the consensus was that the stagnant items were not bugs.
Order board with high degree of freedom.
I realized that the witch’s actions, which were just a program, were strangely realistic.
The established theory is that a witch who was too lazy to perform a gimmick when entering a room seems to have dug the hole herself.
‘That’s why the order board seemed more realistic.’
Anyway, Dio and Sepia went forward through the shortcut and soon kicked out the exit, which was barred just like the entrance.
Kang –
Dio, who came out of the hole first, straightened his bent back when faced with a large space and looked around.
“Whew-”
Dio pushed aside the pile of books hanging at his feet and let out a deep breath.
The place where Dio and Sephia arrived was none other than the witch’s laboratory.
Miscellaneous objects presumed to be research materials were lying around on the floor, and flasks containing various drugs were lined up on the desk.
And a person sitting in a rocking chair in the center with his back to him.
“Are you there?”
Dio’s greeting, pretending to be polite even though he clearly saw that there was someone there.
Kikigeek –
At this, the witch’s head slowly turned.
“Hee haha… hee hee….”
The sight of the witch laughing as if she were delirious was truly terrifying.
“You’ve come to the right place.”
“Is that a witch?”
Sepia whispered softly.
Well, it was worth it.
Tangled hair. Crooked makeup.
A dirty dress with a lot of fraying.
The Witch of Shadow is much more gaunt and shabby than what you would normally think of when you think of a ‘witch’.
“Hehe… Orcs… my potatoes… have to last another half a year…”
“It’s the same that we’re running out of food.”
“Are you going to talk calmly now?”
The witch’s shadow began to sway, and Sephia pulled the hem of Dio’s clothes in response to the creepy hostility radiating towards the witch.
“I had prepared it in advance…”
Unlike Sepia, who felt ominous, Dio was rummaging through his inner pockets, looking for something.
The witch got up from her chair and slowly approached them, extending her hand.
“Each piece costs a lot of research money… Now there are no orcs to harvest the potatoes…”
Ugh –
the shadows created by the light illuminating the room begin to shake and sway.
“Tch!”
While the witch was chanting a spell, Sephia tried to aim her bow, but was blocked by Dio’s hand.
“die!”
The moment the witch screamed and stretched out her hand, all the shadows she controlled moved towards Dio and Sepia.
Jangle-
A pouch that came out of Dio’s arms.
The clear sound that predicted what was inside brought back a vitality that had never been present in the witch’s eyes.
“…!”
The witch, who had come back to life, stopped and the shadow that was right in front of Dio’s feet also stopped moving.
Silence lingered in the room for a while, and the shadow witch was the first to come to her senses.
“What is it!”
A shadow witch stammering and shouting. Dio, looking at her, began to speak the lines he had prepared.
“hello. “I am Dio, a councilor from the East who came here across the Eastern Sea.”
“lawmaker?”
“In our Eastern Continent, there is a custom of giving guests what they want most when hosting a housewarming party.”
“What kind of houses? “Why you?”
“I heard that there was a witch seeking knowledge in Hafner Valley, so I came here to get help.”
“The guy who wants to help me annihilates my orcs!?”
Through the conversation, the Shadow Witch became angry again, but Dio explained without losing his composure.
“I never dreamed that the orcs blocking the road were the witch’s minions.”
“How do you know my secret passage?”
“I found it by chance while wandering down the street. “I would like to let go of my anger and have a mutually beneficial conversation.”
As Dio
nodded toward the pocket on the table, the witch followed his gaze and headed back to the pocket.
“….”
The witch looked.
Something shining through that gaping gap.
“What do you think of me?”
A shadow witch who takes her eyes off her pocket.
But it didn’t change that her eyes were shaking.
Tak –
Dio left the confused shadow witch behind and took out another bag filled with gold coins.
Churrrrrrrrrrrrrr –
Gold pouring out from inside the second pocket.
“I guess this isn’t enough. “I had no shame.”
When Dio took out the third pouch from inside his arms, the shadow witch swallowed her saliva without realizing it.
Gulp-
‘How much is that? With that money, you don’t need to buy a hen…no, you don’t need to buy a hen, right?
Master said.
The path of a witch is always difficult.
The lesson is not to lose your dignity and dignity in seeking knowledge even if you are starving and struggling in poverty.
I will not be deceived by money given by that suspicious uninvited guest.
“Are you… going to buy me with money? “It’s impossible… it’s impossible!”
Because it was too much money to say, the Shadow Witch looked restless even after spitting it out.
“Ah, these are the price of the lives of the orcs outside. “The real gift is here.”
Dio smiled at the witch’s gaze moving along his hand.
“How about this?”
“Huh!”
A red bead that Dio placed on the table.
When the shadow witch saw that, she took a breath and opened her mouth.
“That is the essence of flame!?”
The item that the Shadow Witch recognized was none other than the Essence of Flame piled up in the Rivernos warehouse.
While Dio was taking the essence of flame for his skill requirements, he put a few more in his inventory.
Flame Essence, an extremely strong material that is difficult to obtain separately, is coveted not only by players but also by NPCs on the order board.
‘In particular, the Shadow Witch and her teacher were conducting research related to fire.’
Dio recalled the witch’s research journal he had read when he looked through her laboratory.
I don’t know why a witch specializes in manipulating shadows and is interested in fire.
It may be that he was researching to overcome his compatibility, or he was thinking of converting to fire, but it is not important to Dio.
The only thing that matters is that the Flame Essence is currently one of the Shadow Witch’s most coveted items.
“It is a beautiful stone mined from the Eastern Continent. It is great for ornamental purposes and is perfect as a housewarming gift. “I thought it would brighten up the room and fit well in this place, the witch’s residence.”
“A stone? “You’re using this precious thing for ornamental purposes?”
“Oh, by the way, I heard that it is used as a rare ingredient here. I have a lot, so I will give it to the witch. “If you need it.”
“A lot of yams?”
Gulp –
The sound of the witch swallowing her saliva is heard.
Even Sephia, who was in the third party, could only watch in amazement the sight of the witch she had only heard of through rumors fidgeting.
“This…”
Did he remember his teacher’s teachings about self-esteem?
A shadow witch whose tightly clenched hands were shaking.
Her efforts to not be deceived by the wealth in front of her are incredible.
“Well, if this isn’t what you want, there’s nothing you can do. There were so many that I was going to give you as much as you wanted…”
“Wait!”
When Dio raised the flame essence again as if he was disappointed, the shadow witch quickly grabbed his wrist.
“Please sit down first.”
Master said.
Dignity and dignity.
And if you’re looking for something more important than a witch’s pride, don’t miss the opportunity.
“What do you need?”
The potatoes the orcs were harvesting no longer remained in the shadow witch’s mind.
The opportunity the Shadow Witch wants is money. And it was just more money.
* * *
“aha! That’s the kid you heard about back then. “I’ve heard a lot of stories.”
Before starting a full-fledged conversation, the Shadow Witch opened her mouth to Sepia, who was sitting across from her.
“Do you know me?”
“I know. “A chosen one with the power of the sun!”
The Shadow Witch’s first words after recognizing Sepia’s silver hair.
Not only Sepia was surprised by this, but Dio was also quite embarrassed.
‘How does the Witch of Shadow know that? Is this person related to Ludens? Then it’s not that surprising. Any vampire who has lived for over a thousand years would know most witches. However…’
Their relationship is such that they share the story of Sepia, who is said to have the power of the sun.
This was completely unexpected for Dio, so he couldn’t help but feel confused in his mind.
“My name is Evelyn Lapis. I am a disciple of the great but miserly Witch of Balance. Feel free to call me Evelyn.”
The Shadow Witch, who noticed that Dio was wary, formally introduced herself.
Is it really necessary to mention the word miser? It was a passage that showed that Evelyn was somewhat dissatisfied with her teacher.
“How did you hear about us from a person called Master before you could recognize us?”
Dio did not take a low-key stance because a meeting that came for a simple favor could turn into a very important story.
The witch’s help was optional, not mandatory, and she knew that asking for help alone would be limited in uncovering the truth.
Even if you have to attack the Shadow Witch…
“Oh, don’t be too wary. Our teacher is one of the seven stars of Walpurgis Night. After hearing the same story from Ludens, I also received advice from my teacher.”
“Walpurgis Night?”
Dio frowned at the unfamiliar words Evelyn uttered.
“Oh, should I tell you this first? But… it’s a top secret…”
Evelyn, trailing off, glances at the essence of flame placed on the table.
“take it.”
“haha! Really? “You won’t get bitten later?”
Evelyn said he would give it to her from the beginning, but she couldn’t get her hands on it because it was so precious.
When Dio’s permission was clearly given, Evelyn quickly snatched up the essence of flame in case he changed his mind.
“So? What is Walpurgis Night?”
Dio snapped his fingers and urged Evelyn, who was ecstatic at the fact that she possessed the essence of flame.
“Oh, that’s right…”
Surviving as an SSS-level warehouse character