Chapter 219

After suffering through more than a week of nonstop bullshit, Do-Jin managed to pinpoint several spots where Great Worms appeared far too often and in far too large numbers. Once they thoroughly searched those areas, they finally found the breeding grounds. Inside, several special variants sat in place, designed solely for spawning.

The breeding-type worms had bloated, spherical bodies and were laying eggs in real time. The small Great Worm hatchlings that had already been born scurried around, devouring monsters that respawned nearby and growing at a ridiculous pace.

Of course there aren’t any other monsters around... It’s nothing but Great Worms everywhere, Do-Jin thought dejectedly.

The moment humans approached the breeding ground, the Great Worms went into a collective frenzy. Even one or two were already a massive pain in the ass because of the level gap. With the entire group swarming together to defend the nest, breaking through was brutal.

Because of that, Do-Jin compensated for his lack of levels and raw power with something else entirely. In other words, he compensated with money. He bought a ridiculous number of mana stone bombs and scrolls, then dumped them out without hesitation. As he did, the Great Worms’ defensive line slowly began to collapse.

This fight had never been fair to begin with. The worms were forced to protect stationary mothers that couldn’t move, while Do-Jin could freely push and pull the front line while pouring in both time and cash.

At least they aren’t boss-type monsters, and they’re weak to magic. Thank fuck for that.

This approach was essentially buying progress with money, but it didn’t feel wasteful to him. Part of that was because it was money he had no choice but to spend. More importantly, once he accounted for what he had already obtained and what they would continue to loot and sell afterward, a significant portion of the cost would be recovered.

“I’m pushing in!”

After a prolonged battle, Do-Jin completely shattered the defensive line and charged straight into the breeding zone, turning himself into a walking human flamethrower. Shrill squeals echoed through the cave as waves of Great Worm hatchlings were roasted alive by fire.

Now that this “production factory” was wiped out, the number of Great Worms dropped so sharply that the change was immediately obvious. The path was still dangerous, but it had finally become usable.

***

Multiple wagons rolled into Steelpeak Village. They looked, for all practical purposes, like trucks running purely on mana. Each one was stuffed full of materials needed for relic item crafting.

Those dwarves who were scheduled to handle the crafting climbed down from the wagons one by one. Every single one of them had hauled in whatever materials they personally needed without holding back, and all of them wore the same stupidly happy expressions.

“Our savior’s got one hell of a wallet!”

Whenever dwarves said they needed something, Do-Jin bought it. Even if it was a nightmare to get, he had Elthomagia track it down and deliver it without delay. To the dwarves who lived and breathed crafting, he was basically a god. Just restoring the road they had lost would’ve been enough to make them adore him, but on top of that, he spent money with an almost inhuman level of generosity.

“If this is something the village’s savior asked for, then we’d better make it so good it scares people,” a dwarf excitedly exclaimed.

When it came to crafting, materials of course mattered and skill mattered just as much. On top of that, affection for the person who’d actually use the item mattered more than most people liked to admit.

Maglo didn’t need special mention. The other dwarves poured just as much care and goodwill into their work, all of it directed at Do-Jin and his companions who’d be wearing what they made.

While Do-Jin’s party kept hunting down the remaining Great Worms, the dwarves locked themselves into the workshops, forgetting to sleep and barely remembering to eat. At last, both sides finished their work.

“I’m never making something like this again in my life...” Maglo sighed.

The dwarves looked like they’d burned their souls to ash by the time they handed over the finished gear. Do-Jin’s share was a full set made up of a top, pants, and a cloak.

[Sleeping Curse Garment Set]

The stats were what one would expect from relic-grade items. On top of that, it had a special mode that had yet to be unlocked.

[Sleeping Curse]

A powerful curse lies dormant beneath this garment. Even in its sleeping state, it constantly bleeds cursed energy into its surroundings. Just imagining how vicious it must be when fully awakened is enough to make one uneasy. It continuously emits a curse aura that reduces all enemy stats by 20% within a 15-meter radius.

This was an oppressive relic set that took up three slots, top, pants, and cloak. Not only did it massively boost Physical Defense and Magic Defense, it also raised Attack Damage, Magic Resistance, HP, and Mana all at once. It was as if someone wiped the board clean and rewrote the numbers from scratch.

As if that wasn’t enough, the effect wasn’t limited to a single target. Every enemy within range would be targeted, and if hit, a full fifth of their stats would be shaved off like it was nothing.

Do-Jin stiffened slightly as he finished checking the detailed options. Ulla, the female dwarf who had crafted the set, burst out laughing when she saw his face.

“Hahaha. It’s insane, right? Quit just standing there and put it on already.”

Do-Jin did as she said and equipped the gear. The fit was perfect, no question about it. However, he didn’t even get a second to appreciate it.

[The relic set item Sleeping Curse resonates upon meeting its true owner.]

Do-Jin had barely finished equipping it when the fabric itself began to change, releasing a dark crimson glow as an ominous presence spread outward, like the curse sleeping within had finally stirred awake.

The gear had been made from a stone born out of a vampire’s curse, and when it met Do-Jin’s Sealed True Blood inherited from the Grand Duke, the two snapped together hard and kicked off a synergy.

[Hidden option “Awakened Curse” has been revealed.]

Just like that, it was unlocked.

[Awakened Curse]

A curse that seemed locked in eternal sleep catches the familiar scent of blood and finally opens its eyes. However, awakening even once requires the curse to be spread across a sufficient number of beings to gather strength.

It steals the reduced stats from all targets currently affected by the curse and converts them into the wearer’s own power. The maximum amount that can be stolen is limited by the capacity of the vessel.

Current cap: 57% of total stats

It was an ability that converted the stats reduced from his opponents into his own power. Even with the current cap, it amounted to a buff that boosted him to roughly one and a half times his original strength.

“Oho. Figures. It really does recognize its owner.” Ulla stared at her work with a look of pure ecstasy.

“This thing’s perfect...” Do-Jin blurted out.

Ulla didn’t say a word. Instead, she gave him a thumbs-up. Watching that, the other dwarves hurriedly stepped forward and shoved the equipment they had made into their rightful owners’ hands.

“Hey, you try this one too.”

Theresa was handed a hammer. It was just the right size to grip comfortably with one hand.

[Accumulating Curse]

Her hammer, as expected, carried a curse-related ability as well. The more she attacked with it, the more it applied a debuff that reduced the enemy’s attack power. Although that kind of effect was common enough, the stacks lasted a full thirty seconds, and at full stacks the reduction reached nearly thirty percent. Theresa looked like she might die of happiness.

Next came Tanto’s dagger, Excavating Curse, which carried the opposite effect from Theresa’s weapon. It reduced enemy defense and resistances.

The scepter Soso had ordered, Forced Sacrifice, carried an option that continuously siphoned her own HP and Mana and distributed them to party members. Soso looked at the feature of her item with an expression that clearly said she had no idea what she was looking at, but to Do-Jin, it was obvious this thing was also broken as hell.

“Don’t worry. Just look at the numbers. If you lose one point, everyone else gains one point. If you just build some HP and mana regeneration, this thing’s straight-up broken.”

Only then did Soso crack a grin. She hadn’t said it out loud, but it had bothered her that Theresa had a relic shield while she had nothing. Now that Do-Jin himself had certified her gear as broken, it was impossible not to feel good.

I was pissed that relics were impossible to buy even with money, so I guess this works out, Soso thought. Regeneration gear, right? She could just dump the money she had been saving into that instead.

She had started playing the game because of Theresa, following her around at first. Somewhere along the way, Soso had gotten genuinely serious about LOST.

“Hey, what the hell? Why is only one of them glowing and flashing like that?” a dwarf pointed out.

“Damn it. Are you saying what we made lost to Ulla’s?!” another one cried in disbelief.

The other dwarves looked visibly deflated.

When Do-Jin put his gear on, it had reacted like a legendary holy sword recognizing its chosen hero, so they’d all gotten their hopes up. Their own creations, however, showed no such reaction.

“Tsk tsk. Don’t get all disappointed. What can you do if your skills fall short? Don’t trip over your short legs trying to climb over the wall of talent and smash your faces. Just live your lives being reasonably satisfied.” Ulla laughed loudly, completely unbothered.

Watching her, the other master craftsmen ground their teeth in silence. In the middle of all that noise, Maglo walked up to Do-Jin.

“So, you like it?”

“I love it.” Theresa shoved her hammer forward and answered for Do-Jin. “I love it so much. I love it so so much. Especially this part here, the way the edge cuts in just a bit. This is insane.”

Still buzzing with excitement, she swung the hammer around in wide arcs.

“Right. That’s the point,” Maglo said, looking pleased at his work.

“It’s way beyond what I expected. Honestly, it’s beyond anything I imagined. I’m really glad we came here. And thank you to all of you. Because of you, my companions and I ended up with incredible gear.”

The other dwarves, who had been bickering with Ulla earlier, suddenly looked a little awkward. Even so, they couldn’t hide their pride creeping into their expressions.

“Huh. You’re so polite. What a strange kiddo.”

“Use it well.”

“We made that stuff because it’s you. Anyone else wouldn’t have gotten shit.”

The dwarves nodded together.

“We don’t trust humans. Humans lie too damn easily.”

“But you’re different. You helped us, then left without asking for anything in return.”

“And this time too. You could’ve just told us to handle the materials ourselves after you restored the road. Instead, you went and gathered everything personally. You even brought more than we needed.”

Their words and expressions made it obvious how high their opinion of him was.

“I’ve spent my whole life hammering metal, but I’ve never felt this satisfied before. I probably won’t feel it again either. It’s partly because what we made is incredible, but more than that, it feels good knowing you, no, knowing all of you will be the ones using it.”

“Yeah. That’s right.”

The dwarves nodded together again.

“Just looking at how you treated us tells us everything. You’ll use that power the right way. Help more people than just us. Make this world a little less shitty to live in.”

To Do-Jin, words like these, spoken by the people of Lostania to Regenians like him and his companions, carried a weight he couldn’t ignore.

“I will.”

With this, Do-Jin had gotten stronger. Every fight, every choice, and every step he’d forced himself to take stacked up into something real. He just hoped all of it was enough to prevent the disaster that was coming. Whether he liked it or not, Ruin was already tearing ahead of them.