🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 4
[‘He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’ has requested a trade.]
He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?
There was only one person who would request a trade in this situation. Heyeon looked at the man trotting along behind her and asked,
“…Why?”
“Please accept the trade, okay? Please accept it, newbie.”
At first glance, he looked almost desperate.
Wearing an awkward expression, Heyeon decided to accept the trade request for the moment. A window divided into grids appeared before her, and all kinds of items immediately began filling it.
Judging from the flashy sparkling effects attached to them, it was easy to tell they were valuable items.
When Heyeon simply stood there speechless, the man smiled brightly.
“It’s the Newbie Settlement Fund! Our tradition!”
What the heck was that?
Why were they making up a settlement support system that even the game company hadn’t implemented?
What kind of tradition was that supposed to be?
Feeling bewildered, Heyeon canceled the trade.
He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was horrified by her choice.
“Why?! Why are you refusing?! Don’t you like them? Is it not enough? Newbie! Don’t go! It’s dangerous to enter the forest with nothing!”
[‘He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’ has requested a trade. Declined.]
[‘He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’ has requested a trade. Declined.]
[‘He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’ has requested a trade. Declined.]
[You have been affected by the skill <Slip It Into Their Sleeve>.]
[You have been affected by the skill <Slip It Into Their Sleeve>.]
[You have been affected by the skill <Slip It Into Their Sleeve>.]
“…What?”
As though mocking Heyeon for falling victim to such an absurd skill, a string of system windows appeared before her.
[You obtained ×150 <Golden Meru Tree Fruits>.]
[You obtained ×200 <Avicenna Recovery Potions (Crafted by: The Magic World Is Doomed)>.]
[You obtained ×50 <Condensed Malice (Crafted by: The Magic World Is Doomed)>.]
[You obtained <A Surprisingly Excellent and Sharp Beginner’s Basic Dagger (Crafted by: He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named)>.]
[You obtained <A Surprisingly Excellent, Durable, and Tough Beginner’s Basic Leather Armor (Crafted by: He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named)>.]
[You obtained <A Surprisingly Excellent and Swift Beginner’s Basic Leather Shoes (Crafted by: He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named)>.]
[Achievement Unlocked: <I Got Slip-It-Into-Sleeved…? Ugh!> ]
[Achievement Effect: Whenever townspeople see you, for some reason they will feel sorry for you and want to help you.]
“Well then, newbie! Adios!”
The sleeve-stuffing criminal swirled his black cloak and disappeared.
“…He’s insane.”
What kind of ridiculous skill was that?!
And what was with that achievement name?!
Who puts something like this in a game?!
The game that supposedly boasted unparalleled freedom had neatly ignored Heyeon’s wishes.
Standing there blankly, she examined the items she’d suddenly acquired.
[A Surprisingly Excellent and Sharp Beginner’s Basic Dagger (Crafted by: He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named)]
This is a legend.
A dagger forged from ordinary materials refined to the highest possible quality. Even masters who claim that “tools don’t matter” would covet such an item.
However, if one possesses enough skill to create this, it is gently recommended that they use better materials to produce even finer works.
“…”
In short, even the system seemed to express regret over this absurd situation.
At the same time, it meant the item was genuinely exceptional.
Although she reflexively cursed and agonized over it for quite a while, Heyeon eventually decided not to throw the gifts away.
The equipment was simply too good to discard just because it felt suspicious.
*
Equipped with the astonishingly excellent beginner set and holding the matching dagger, Heyeon ate a Golden Meru Tree Fruit—which increased movement speed, defense, and attack power for fifteen minutes—and entered the forest while carrying Condensed Malice in preparation for emergencies.
At this point, she felt confident she could survive even if a bear jumped out and smacked her.
Especially because of the item in her hand.
[Condensed Malice (Crafted by: The Magic World Is Doomed)]
A throwable potion item.
A bottle containing liquefied malice that inflicts confusion, despair, loss of motivation, and various curses.
Even someone who barely understood the game yet could tell this wasn’t an item meant to appear in a beginner area.
Since she’d received it, she’d use it if necessary…
With mixed feelings, Heyeon quickened her pace.
According to that player’s explanation, the amount of time spent taming an animal also affected the quest results.
It was better to hurry.
“I hope I find something cute…”
Animals that healed your heart simply by existing.
Spending time surrounded by creatures like that sounded wonderful.
Looking around the gray-tinted forest, Heyeon moved forward carefully, anticipation filling her heart.
The place she’d entered wasn’t Canaria Forest, but Echtech Forest.
Canaria Forest, true to its name, had been created entirely for beginners.
Echtech Forest, on the other hand, occupied a strange middle ground.
Long ago, a player revisiting the beginner spawning area accidentally dropped a potion deep within Canaria Forest.
As a result, part of the forest had been stained gray.
The animals and monsters living there adapted to the altered ecosystem and evolved.
Thus, Echtech Forest was born.
It was a perfect example of just how much freedom this game offered.
At its foundation, it still housed beginner monsters and animals.
However, the player who dropped the potion had been an extremely famous high-level player in that field.
As a result, Echtech Forest became neither a true beginner area nor a place suitable for veterans.
Unaware of any of this, Heyeon simply saw it as a gloomy forest where dense foliage prevented sunlight from filtering through properly.
Pushing aside gray vines, she looked around.
An eerie silence clung to the forest.
Not even birdsong could be heard.
“…Maybe I shouldn’t have come here.”
Since she’d obtained excellent equipment, she’d naturally assumed she should challenge a more difficult area rather than Canaria Forest.
But as chills gradually crept down the back of her neck, she began wondering if she’d simply been reckless.
Glancing at the brilliantly shining dagger in her hand, Heyeon crouched down and sliced through the stem of a gray wildflower.
It cut through with frightening ease.
[Gray Wildflower]
A common wildflower found within Echtech Forest.
It possesses mild toxicity.
“…Poisonous?”
That line alone clearly demonstrated that Echtech Forest truly was dangerous for beginners.
Stuffing the flower into her inventory, Heyeon decided she’d explore for only ten more minutes before heading to Canaria Forest.
Perhaps the game acknowledged her efforts.
After diligently pressing onward, Heyeon finally encountered another living being within Echtech Forest.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t an animal she could tame.
Instead, she discovered a man resting his hand against a gray tree.
At first glance, Heyeon couldn’t tell whether he was a player or an NPC.
He was just as distinctive as the veteran players she’d seen in the beginner area, yet somehow blended naturally into the surroundings.
His long hair gradually shifted from dark gray into pale violet toward the ends.
Tiny leaves nestled within his hair.
That detail alone made him seem inhuman.
He wore flowing white robes tied at the waist with deep violet cloth.
A small gemstone dangling from a two-stranded necklace of the same color chimed softly whenever it moved.
He looked like the spirit of Echtech Forest itself.
Is he an NPC after all?
After hesitating, Heyeon approached him.
He appeared to have already noticed her presence.
Without showing any surprise, silver eyes tinged with gold turned toward her.
“Excuse me…”
“…”
The man tilted his head.
His gaze seemed to ask, What is it?
But Heyeon couldn’t continue.
If he really was an NPC, what was she supposed to do?
Märchen Horizon’s popularity wasn’t solely due to its freedom and beautiful graphics.
Its realistic NPCs were equally beloved.
However, NPCs with strong personalities deceived players, lied to them, spread false rumors, and sometimes picked fights for no reason.
Among the many stories about NPCs, one rumor claimed that if you asked an NPC, “You’re an NPC, aren’t you?”
That NPC would immediately cut off your head.
Whether true or not, Heyeon had no desire to test it.
Nor did she want to die right after starting the game.
The man observed Heyeon—who looked unmistakably like a newbie victimized by Slip It Into Their Sleeve—before raising a hand and pointing somewhere.
“Are there animals over there that can be tamed?”
The man nodded.
Then he plucked a branch from a nearby gray tree and placed it in her hand.
“Feed this to the animals there. The creatures of Echtech prefer the leaves of young branches.”
Only then did Heyeon check the item she’d received.
[Young Branch of Echtech Forest]
A rare young branch found within Echtech Forest.
It is the favorite food of Echtech’s animals.
It possesses toxicity.
It seemed to be quite valuable.
Heyeon looked up, intending to thank him—
But the man had already vanished.
The kind NPC had disappeared before she could express her gratitude.
Players and NPCs alike kept vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Suppressing her disappointment, Heyeon headed in the direction he’d indicated.
Before long, she discovered her first animal in Echtech Forest.
And not just any animal.
A legendary creature.
A unicorn.
“…Wow.”
The word escaped her unconsciously.
The white unicorn’s elegantly curved neck was graceful.
Its abundant pale gray mane looked smooth and soft like cotton candy.
Around the spiraling golden horn protruding from its forehead, sparkling lights drifted like scattered stardust.
Seeing the magnificent creature resting with its legs folded beneath it, no one would dare claim that unicorns were merely horses with horns.
It was a legendary beast impossible to encounter in reality.
Heyeon carefully approached it.
The unicorn, which had been snorting softly, turned its attention toward her.
Its eyes were golden, gleaming like its horn.
Its gaze settled on the Young Branch of Echtech Forest in her hand.
As Heyeon slowly drew near, a system window appeared.
[Quest <The Desert Fox’s Sorrow> in Progress]
[Taming Target: Unicorn of Echtech Forest (Affection: -3%)]
Heyeon’s shoulders twitched.
A bizarre number had caught her eye.
What?
Why does it start in the negatives?
She hadn’t even done anything yet.
And somehow, the unicorn already had -3% affection toward her.
Before she had time to process her confusion, the system chimed again.
[If the unicorn becomes displeased during the taming process, it may attack you in a fit of anger.]
It was an ominous warning right from the start.
The unicorn’s golden eyes moved gently toward Heyeon, who wore an uncertain expression.
As she looked at it, only one thought crossed her mind.
It’s beautiful.
Did she really need any reason beyond that?
Beautiful things justified their existence simply by being beautiful.
And this was a unicorn.
If it was a unicorn, then pretending not to notice -3% affection was entirely possible.
