Emperor of Solo Play

Chapter 173 – Bone Dragon (3)

8.

‘Let's see....’

Ahn-jaehyun, who had been looking at his Tablet PC, repositioned the glasses on his face. Then he started flicking his finger on the Tablet PC.

“I spent 3,223 gold for magic recovery Items, 2,550 gold for health recovery Items, and 10,000 gold for Bone Ingredients....”

He already had a rough estimate on how much he had spent, but the calculation was concluded faster than expected. The final total hadn't come out yet, but Ahn-jaehyun stopped moving his finger.

“Ah.”

In the end a very soft and spiritless sigh came out of his mouth. It was a wretched sound.

‘This is driving me nuts.’

He was having a hard time letting out a sigh. Afterwards, the words he was about to say got stuck in the back of his throat. Ahn-jaehyun could only complain and moan about his problems with a small voice inside his head.

In the end, his fermenting discontent led to annoyance.

‘Bone Dragon... How can they only made such expensive Skills?’

It had been 10 days since the Hahoe Mask hunted inside the Highwood Forest, which was under Big Smiles' management.

‘It isn't as if I could abstain from using it, since I have to increase the Skill Rank... I caught so many Wood Devils, yet I came out at a loss.’

For the past 10 days, the Hahoe Mask's hunt to level up had proceeded very smoothly. It wasn’t just smooth. He had worked at peak efficiency. In 10 days, he had raised 4 levels, and he had reached Level 235. Before he returned to the past, Hyrkan had worked with the Hahoe Mask guild to level up. It took them 31 days for him to go from Level 230 to Level 240. His current Level Up speed was ridiculous.

However, the drain on his money was as fast as his Level Up speed.

“Shit. Was this Skill really made with the intention of Users using it?”

Of course, the main culprit of his loss was the Bone Dragon Skill.

In their own ways, the Skeletons under the Hahoe Mask was great at eating money, but the Bone Dragon Skill was on a whole different level compared to the Skeletons. He had to dress, decorate and feed the Skeletons.

It felt like pouring water into a jug with a hole at the bottom. The Bone Dragon Skill made him feel as if he was pouring the water straight onto the floor.

The scarier part was the fact that he hadn't really even started using this Skill yet.

‘The current level 200 Dragon Type Boss Monster is called the Crypt Dragon. If I wanted Bone Ingredients equal to a whole Dragon... Seventy thousand gold.’

This was the real deal.

When one went over Level 200 mark to find a large Dragon Type Boss Monster, the price jumped up to a whole different level. This was especially true for the Dragon Type Boss Monsters that were in the large category.

On the high side, the Skill could require around 100 Bone Ingredients. Of course, the price to gather such a high number of Ingredient Coins was exorbitant.

Moreover, the Bone Ingredients one paid for an exorbitant price dissipated when the battle ended. When he thought about it, his body shook.

After his body stopped shaking, Ahn-jaehyun decided to stop worrying about it.

‘First, let me worry about increasing the Skill Rank. The terrifying problem of.... Let's ignore it for now.’

If he worried about it right now, it would only lead to a stomach ulcer.

Ahn-jaehyun once again started to tap at the Tablet PC's screen. He restarted the calculation he had stopped a moment ago.

‘If I want to buy additional Consumable Items, and the Ingredients for the Bone Dragon.... I'll have to purchase around 100,000 gold. I'm spending my gold much faster than expected. I purchased 100,000 gold not too long ago.’

Then he started to worry once again.

‘The transaction fee involved in swapping 100,000 gold... It'll be higher than what I spend on food each month.’

“······Uh-whew.”

At that moment, Ahn-jaehyun gave up on his calculations.

9.

The Bone Wyvern flapped its wing as it landed at the Heard Fortress ruin town's main square. Its wings was made out of bones, so it didn't cause the winds to stir. The Bone Wyvern was pretty large, but the landing process was quieter than expected. However, the commotion it caused in its surrounding wasn't quiet at all.

“What the hell is that?”

“Is it a NPC?”

“The Wyvern Delivery NPC possesses a Bone Dragon too? Doesn't it normally use 5 normal Wyverns?”

The Users in the square caused a large commotion, and it caused the other Users to gather. They came to see what the fuss was about. When the Users were about to converge into a mass resembling a cloud, a User on descended from the back of the Bone Wyvern. This user used the Bone Wyvern's bones as handholds. The User was wearing pouches and bags, which were filled to bursting, like clothes.

When the crowd recognized the User's face, it created a ripple within the crowd.

“Hahoe Mask?”

The restless energy within the crowd was akin to when a celebrity exited an expensive sports car. As the crowd became excited, Hyrkan's shoulders were pulled back in pride.

‘Yes, this is what it is all about.’

In a short amount of time, Hyrkan had used the Bone Wyvern's Riding Skill to fly from the Highwood Forest to the Heard Fortress ruin town. Moreover, this was the first time the crowd had seen a User use a Bone Wyvern as a mode of transportation.

This was obvious, but Hyrkan had expected such a reaction.

‘As expected, a man is all about the car.’

He had worried about the Riding Skill, but the Bone Dragon flew pretty well in the air. It was impossible to do any tricks in the air, but it was much better than the Wyvern Golem made using the Clay Play Skill. It could fly much higher, and it was a much safer ride.

Of course, it was a great mode of transportation, but a high cost came with this convenience.

[The Bone Wyvern has returned to the earth.]

Accompanying the System Announcement, the Bone Dragon collapsed into a white pile of dust. The dust from the bone was so fine that a small breeze, which couldn't be felt by the Users, scattered it into the surrounding.

The strength that had kept Hyrkan's shoulder and neck tense also dissipated.

‘Ah, my 200 gold...’

When the Riding Skill was used to travel a long distance, the Bone Dragon disappeared as soon as one arrived at the destination. Basically, it meant the long distance travel using the Bone Dragon Skill was a one-off Skill. It wasn't even a round trip. It travelled only one way.

Thankfully, he could use the lowest flight-capable Dragon Type monster. It was a level 90 normal Wyvern. This was why he only burned 200 golds on this flight.

Of course, he said it was merely 200 gold, but if he converted to real money, it was the price of an airplane ticket.

This was why his back look strangely bleak as he head towards the Item Storage center.

10.

At the Item Storage center, a room was provided, so a User could always change one's Item Setting in privacy. It was there as a considerate gesture for the Users. It allowed one to put Items into the Slots, and when one yelled for the Slot On of the Items, one could see how one looked liked. Of course, one would look silly if one kept yelling out Slot On deep within a forest just to check how one looked in an equipment. This was why this room was provided.

Hyrkan was within such a room with his equipments off. He was standing inside wearing only his underwear, and the his body looked bizarre.

It was reminiscent of the Frankenstein. His arms and legs looked like it was patched together, and tattoos covered his whole body.

Hyrkan grabbed the flesh of his left side like a handle. When he pulled on his skin, the flesh around his stomach opened up like a door. It revealed a six-sided space that was akin to the inside of a safe.

‘I'll put the health recovery Items and Buff Items inside my stomach.....’

Hyrkan stacked the consumables he had bought into his stomach. He kept putting in Items until there was no available space.

Then he moved on to his thighs.

‘The left will hold the Skeleton Fragments, Bone Explosives, Bone Spear... The other side will hold the offerings for the Bone Dragon.’

He opened his right thigh first then he opened the left. He put Items into the available space. Afterwards, he meticulously put in Items into his arms and even his palms. It was as if he was replacing his bones with Items.

After finishing his work, he manipulated his wristwatch. It took only 2 seconds for his bare body to be equipped with heavy armor.

Hyrkan's work wasn't done yet. There were Item storage pouches placed in various location of the Dark Spot set, and he started filling them with consumable Items.

He also filled his bag and pockets.

“Hoo-ooh.”

Hyrkan could breathe easily only after he had finished his work... This task had taken him 20 minutes.

After he let out a sigh, a bitter smile hung around Hyrkan's lips.

‘I paved the road in front of me with money.’

Every User thoroughly prepared for a hunt and quest by purchasing consumable Items. However, there was no other Users that was as thorough in his preparation in regards to consumable Items like Hyrkan. Hyrkan's preparation was meticulous, and the consumable Items he used were overly expensive.

‘Currently, I'm probably the most expensive being walking inside Warlord.’

Just the cost of the Items on his body could be measured in the hundred thousands.

It didn't end there. None of Hyrkan's Items present in his slots were cheap Items.

Moreover, He possessed Unique Items that most of Warlord didn't have like the Circlet of Purification and Anugas' Necklace. On top of it all, a good number of his main Items were bound, and he wouldn't lose any of them if he had his wristwatch stolen. On the other hand, this meant that if someone did manage to steal Hyrkan's wristwatch, the probability of the Circlet of Purification and the Anugas' Necklace dropping was high.

It was as Hyrkan had said. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the most valuable character one could catch in Warlord was Hyrkan.

‘I'm such a tempting target, yet the Big Smiles is leaving me alone. It doesn't make any sense.’

The Big Smiles guild had left Hyrkan alone.

From time he started hunting inside the Highwood Forest, he had been curious about their absence.

In truth, Hyrkan hadn't planned on hunting for 10 days within the Highwood Forest. If he could do it, it would have been great. However, he had thought the Big Smiles guild wouldn't allow him to hunt in an important region under their control. He had been sure that the Big Smiles would have mobilized their forces to interfere with Hyrkan's hunt.

This was why he had been bold and visible in the beginning. He started earnestly hunting down the monsters in plain sight.

The Hahoe Mask displayed his full might as if he was advertising himself, and from the Big Smiles guild's perspective, they would have to make thorough preparations to hunt down the Hahoe Mask. Naturally, this preparation would take time, and it would have given the Hahoe Mask the time to hunt a little bit longer.

This was why he allocated 3 days for his hunt.

He would hunt for 3 days within the Highwood Forest, and when the Big Smiles guild interferes within him, he would give up the hunt. He would have crossed over into the Red Desert.

However, the opposite of his expectation occurred. The Big Smiles guild didn't even sniff near Hyrkan. They didn't show any indication that they will attempt to catch him. As time passed, Hahoe Mask's exploits and activities increased. The ridicule and criticism against the Big Smiles were getting louder. However, they treated Hyrkan as if he didn't exist.

‘This course of action worries me more.’

If it came to it, he was ready to fight the Big Smiles guild. However, when the Big Smiles guild stayed silent, it frightened him.

However, it was also the reason why he had firmed his resolve.

‘These guys aren't the kinds of bastards that would stay put doing nothing.’

When the calm before the storm was long, the destructive power of the storm was stronger.

There was no need for him to overstay his welcome at the Highwood Forest. There was no reason why he should stay until he triggered a trap laid out by the vindictive Users of the Big Smiles guild.

‘Well, if I go into the Red Desert, I don't have to worry about facing the Big Smiles for a while.....’

Since he had tweaked the nose of the Big Smiles guild, he had to go to the Red Desert as soon as possible.

The Red Desert was north of the Highwood forest, and it was a region officially given up by the Big Smiles guild. They didn't hunt, manage, and search inside the Red Desert. It wasn’t just the Big Smiles guild. All of the Five Stars guild had given up searching the Red Desert.

It was a highly dangerous region. It wasn't even known what types of monsters appeared inside this region. There were no information on what characteristics these monsters possessed.

The only thing confirmed was the fact that it was more difficult than the Highwood Forest! It was assumed to be a level 250 hunting ground.

Of course, the Red Desert was filled with more dangerous beings than the mediocre members of the Big Smiles guild.

Moreover, Hyrkan would have to meet a Warlord NPC known to be very unfriendly towards the Users. The Blacksmith Olf did whatever the hell it wanted, and he had no clues on its location. He just knew the NPC was somewhere inside the Red Desert. He had to find the NPC with just this information.

‘If I could end this game, I really would just end it.’

It was a pipe dream, so Hyrkan's mind boggled at the thought. He fixed the Hahoe Mask on his face.

11.

“If things continue this way, wouldn't we become a laughing stock?”

At Heh-bibin's words, Apollo didn't move his pouting lips. Heh-bibin spoke to him again.

“In all fairness, you are the master of this sub-guild now. The only thing holding me back from moving on is the big picture for this guild. The Big Smiles guild is basically your guild now. Moreover, don't you want revenge on the Hahoe Mask?”

“······Sinclair didn't budge. How are we going to kill the Hahoe Mask?”

Apollo finally broke his silence, and Heh-bibin looked at Apollo with a hardened expression instead of answering the question.

There was a brief silence, and Heh-bibin didn't show any signs of wanting to talk.

“I want to catch the Hahoe Mask. I want to kill that bastard.”

As if he couldn't take the silence, Apollo spoke with anger in his voice.

Heh-bibin took a peek at Apollo. Several thoughts flitted through his mind.

‘As I thought, the answer was to poke Apollo.’

When this thought went through his mind, Heh-bibin tried hard to push down the smile that was trying to break out on his face.

“We are of like mind. If the Big Smiles guild allows the Hahoe Mask to act with impunity, it'll damage us greatly. At the very least, you and I should stand together.”

“However, we don't have a plan ! If it isn't Sinclair, who'll be able to go toe-to-toe with the Hahoe Mask?”

Apollo reacted in a very temperamental manner. If one considered Apollo's personality and his past relationship with the Hahoe Mask, it was a predictable reaction. There was no reason why Apollo would be happy about this topic.

“Even if we don't have a User of the same caliber to confront him, there is no reason why we can't kill him if we go in large numbers. If we decide to catch him, we'll be able to.”

“We couldn't catch him after sending 1,000 of our Users.”

“Wasn't it, because the Stormhunters guild interfered with us? If we think about it logically, even the Hahoe Mask can't fight a force of 1,000 Users.”

“I've heard those words before.”

“We have to hunt him in a way where we’ll turn a profit. Even if we send 100 or a 1,000 Users, we'll turn a profit. The Hahoe Mask is basically the most expensive monster in Warlord.”

“If we send a thousand User, he'll avoid them. Hahoe Mask isn't dumb. This is how he handles such situations.”

Heh-bibin shut his mouth again.

“Moreover, the bastard doesn't have a guild, party, team or even a family! It is impossible to threaten him by kidnapping someone near him. So how are we supposed to pin him down? In recent rumors, it is said he travels by riding a Bone Wyvern. He can fly now, so how can we catch him?”

At that moment...

“Ah.”

Apollo had an idea. When he had this idea, he had a dazed expression on his face.

“Now that I think about it, there is one User, who’s close to the Hahoe Mask.”

Apollo's dazed expression turned into a bloody smile.