BJ Archmage Chapter 57

Guardian (3)

10.

Players realized after the tutorial mode that G.o.d Wars was a troublesome game.

When they arrived at the Dorido Mine after the Beginner's village and the Stinky Forest, they thought, “Oh, now I feel like I'm getting used to this game.”

Only then did they think that they could now brag about themselves playing G.o.d Wars.

It was understandable since players had at least 5 skills, enough items, and experience when it was time for them to graduate from the Dorido Mine.

They had confidence.

“When things go wrong, I can just run away.”

They thought that they acquired the best way to avoid game over in the worst case.

“….Players realize here.”

Their confidence became deadly poison at the Swamp which was a hunting field for level 50 players.

“That this game is a trash game. They can't run away even though they want to.”

Their confidence was based on their theory that they could run away or they could back off and come back anytime, but it didn't work that way.

That was the reason why players' swear words came out everywhere at the Swamp which was so wide that no one could figure out how big it was.

“f.u.c.k, seriously!”

“Oh, seriously!”

“Wow, seriously!”

The swamp swallowed players' ankles or sometimes up to their hips and didn't allow them to move properly.

Sha!

On the contrary, the lizardmen moved much better than them since the swamp was their habitat.

The environment didn't allow players to run away.

“The Cursed Forest is better!”

The place was worse than the Cursed Forest where players could run away when needed because the swamp only allowed fights in the mud.

Woof!

The swamp's reality affected Lucky too.

No, it was worse for him since Lucky's legs were shorter than players and the lizardmen.

Besides, the most critical part was that Lucky lost his mobility which was his specialty.

Whine……

Lucky whined because he couldn't play actively.

Bam!

[ You have hunted the lizard man. ]

However, Midas's hunting speed was faster than ever.

“Yea, I like this hunting field.”

Whine…..

“It's ok, Lucky. This is my mealtime.”

The Swamp was the best hunting field for Midas.

When everything was slower, there was a high probability that Midas could hit a target well.

“Besides, it's slow food.”

At the same time, he could hit a target more since it was coming slowly.

Bam!

[ You have hunted the lizard man. ]

Moreover, Midas's damage was already beyond common sense.

“That's why I'm spending money on this game.”

His stats were unbelievable at level 40.

His damage from his four skills, which were Long Toss, Ballista, Dragon's Eye, and Dragon's Dignity, was on a completely different level.

None of the monsters endured more than three skills from Midas.

“Fire Spear and FireBall.”

It was like a nightmare for the lizardmen due to the continuous attacks using Double Casting.

[ Fireball's rank has risen. ]

[ Ballista's rank has risen. ]

[ You have acquired a t.i.tle, 'One hit kill the lizardman!' ]

It was such a bad nightmare.

'One hit kill already?'

It was surprising for Midas since the hunting field was for level 50s.

It wasn't usual that a level 40 player acquired the one-hit kill t.i.tle at the field.

[ One hit kill the lizardman! ]
– Content: It's a t.i.tle for a player who has killed the lizardman in one hit.
– Reward: Strength +3

That was why Midas was smiling even though the t.i.tle wasn't that helpful.

At that moment, the pendant in the necklace on Midas's neck moved like a snake's head and started to look toward the left side.

It was pointing to where the quest was.

'This quest will be an easy victory again.'

Midas didn't have any worries about the quest.

'I'll happily hunt 1,000 monsters!'

He moved to the quest area with confidence.

11.

“Oh.”

Midas slowly put his arm in between two trees that were twisted.

Then information popped up in front of Midas.

[ The Lizardmen's Nest (Hidden) ]
– Grade: Main Scenario
– Level to enter: Level 60 and under
– It's the lizardmen's nest. So many lizardmen stay here and watch for invaders. You have to kill all of them.
– Only players with the cursed necklace are allowed to enter.

It was a hidden field dungeon that only players with the main scenario could enter.

This wasn't weird.

It was actually good.

It meant that he wouldn't be bothered by anyone from outside while he proceeded with the quest.

So, Midas yelled with delight when he saw it the first time.

! Remaining lizardmen to hunt: 1,998

However, the number under the quest made Midas have a blank face.

“f.u.c.k.”

Midas couldn't help swearing.

“f.u.c.k!”

'How can I hunt 2,000 alone!'

2,000.

It wasn't impossible to hunt alone.

The problem was the environment.

The hidden field dungeon must be limited s.p.a.ce. As soon as he entered it, he would be surrounded by the lizardmen.

'While hunting them, I'll get logged out forcibly!'

If he couldn't hunt all of them within 5 hours, he would be forcibly logged out.

And what if there were lizardmen right in front of him when he logged in again?

There were more variables that were disadvantageous for players.

'Oh, s.h.i.+t….. This is absolutely for a party…'

Of course, it wasn't difficult if he played with a party.

That was somehow common sense.

This game didn't set the difficulty of the quest for solo playing.

Also, he couldn't get help for the quest since Midas was the only player who was conquering the main scenario quest.

It didn't mean that he was going to give up on the quest.

“f.u.c.k seriously.”

That was why he was gnas.h.i.+ng his teeth that much.

He had to do it by himself.

“Lucky.”

Woof!

“Let's make guardians first.”

Woof!

Midas moved for that.

12.

An armed lizard warrior was against a lizardman without any equipment.

Bam!

A fireball flew toward the front of the lizard warrior's face and made an explosion sound.

The lizard warrior's face burst into a blaze by the one attack.

However, there was no scream.

[ You have hunted the lizard warrior. ]

The lizard warrior couldn't even scream and fell to the ground.

Thud!

The swamp started to swallow the collapsed lizard warrior.

When the lizard warrior was almost completely sunken, Midas and Lucky appeared.

Midas stared at the lizard warrior's dead body.

It lost its own color and became like a dummy.

There was nothing to do with the dead body except for looting the items.

“Summon guardian.”

Midas casted the spell in front of it.

Soon, an alert rang.

[ Would you like to make the lizard warrior your guardian? ]

“Yes.”

As soon as the short conversation was over, the lizard warrior's body started wriggling.

Its monochromatic body regained its own color which was green and white and its injury recovered fast.

Slos.h.!.+

The lizard warrior strongly picked up its body and it didn't have any trace of death.

Only one, its eyes were different.

There was only one difference which was its eyes.

Flas.h.!.+

The golden eyes were more like a dragon's eyes and they were telling that this existence wasn't just a normal monster but a guardian who would sacrifice its life to protect Midas.

“My lord.”

The guardian kneeled one knee and bowed its head.

He didn't care at all that the bottom was a swamp.

“I pledge allegiance with this body you have given me.”

Midas felt something familiar when he saw his guardian speaking out loud about his loyalty.

Woof!

At that moment, Lucky sat next to the guardian and barked towards Midas as if he couldn't lose.

They looked like they were competing with each other.

Midas smiled and said, “Ok, I'll get your…..”

At that moment.

“Huh?

Midas lost his words and stared at his guardian.

'Why does he have a question mark above his head? He's not an NPC though.'

It was a moment for Midas to face a new world that no one had ever experienced.

13.

Guardian.

Archmages could learn all the magician's skills and only they could learn the skill, Guardian.

The skill was cool.

A player summoned a guardian that protected him just like a dragon had a guardian that protected its lair.

“Summon Guardian? Well, it's not bad, but……..”

Its recognition was high, but its popularity wasn't.

Its recognition was mostly thanks to the extraordinary player, Azmo. Other than him, there were barely any archmages who could properly use it.

“It's good if I spend some money…..”

It was useful if one invested in it.

“With the money, I could……”

However, they could get stronger if they bought another skill instead.

It was a clear reason.

“Also, there's no reason for archmages to obsess about the useless skill.”

Just because someone had the job, archmage, that person was treated like a king or a queen in a guild or a party.

They didn't find any meaning in having a Guardian.

Of course, they couldn't know.

! [ The appearance of the loyalty ]

! When the guardian protects his owner while not moving for 33 minutes, the loyalty grade rises to grade 8.

! When the loyalty grade rises to grade 8, his stats strengthen and his attack ability improves.

! When the loyalty grade rises to grade 8, he can have a close conversation.

They couldn't know that there was a loyalty system, unlike a normal skill.

There were other systems like this.

'Is it like Spiritualist's Sociability?'

One of the magician cla.s.ses, the spiritualist, could gain additional damage or a special skill through a relations.h.i.+p between the spiritualist and his spirit after they acquired Spiritualism.

Also, druids could develop a high stat or a new skill through the familiarity with a creature that they tamed.

The guardian had loyalty in his skill and could get stronger through the system.

'By the way, protect his owner for 33 minutes……. he can't even move……'

The reason why no one figured out this fact was simple.

'Azmo can't keep this condition.'

It was a very troublesome condition that the guardian had to protect his owner for 33 minutes.

It could also mean that the monster also had to be alive for 33 minutes.

It was impossible for players like Azmo to accomplish this condition since they killed a monster within seconds with their overwhelming power.

Even most of the archmages except Azmo didn't hunt a normal monster for 33 minutes.

It was meant for a boss monster.

'It's not easy to stay in the same spot.'

Also, there was an additional condition that the guardian must not move.

It wasn't weird to keep the same spot when fighting a boss monster.

Range dealers sometimes stuck to the same spot while risking game over.

'Archmages are so n.o.ble that they have to stay safe.'

However, archmages were located in a safe place since they were the core of the strength in a boss raid.

Certainly, archmages were very rare and they didn't use the Guardian skill actively.

If they knew there was something like this, they would definitely use it.

However, there was only one player who knew about this fact in G.o.d Wars where so many players existed.

'Ok.'

When Midas thought about that, he didn't worry anymore.

“Gold, it's your first battle.”

Midas called his guardian and he approached and asked, “Is it my name, my lord?”

“Yes. It's from 'Geum gang bul goe' because I want you to be strong as a guardian. A short word is 'Geum goe' which is Gold in English.” ( 'Geum gang bul goe' means adamant body in Korean. )

His naming sense was horrible.

The guardian answered, “The name is too n.o.ble for me to receive from you. I can't be more thankful than this. I'll repay your heavenly kindness with every fiber of my body.”

Gold already showed his firm loyalty.

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