49. Arcana Online
49. Arcana Online
49. Arcana Online
My friend who ran away from home... no, came up from the sea to land.
Kraken Lala.
After hearing about the merchant group, she came running and was now eating snacks in front of me.
If she could come running so quickly, she couldn't have been that busy, right?
"Is it just my imagination, or is your gaze strange right now?"
"The snacks are delicious, right? I got them from the celestial realm."
Lala, who was eating enthusiastically while praising that they were good enough to sell.
I told her my plan and asked if she was interested in being the only merchant group operating in Eldorado.
"So what kind of goods can be obtained here?"
"Gold, of course!"
Gold is everywhere, and it boasts enormous resources from various jewels to magic stones.
True to its name as one of the 7 Magic Realms, it was impossible to extract due to monsters, but now it's different.
When she heard that I would give all of that to Lala, her eyes lit up and she muttered something, probably doing calculations.
Having finished her calculations, she tightly held my hand and told me to trust only her.
"Just trust me! What are friends for!? I'll make you sit on a pile of money!"
Hearing those words, I took out a contract from my inventory and handed it to her.
She looked at it as if wondering what it was, then read the contract and started making a fuss.
"What kind of unfair contract is this!? The ratio is 8 to 2!? And I'm the 2!? Are you kidding me!?"
"If you don't like it, forget it. There are plenty of merchant groups who'd want to do it. Besides, Lala, you don't even have a merchant group yet, right? This is already generous."
"Let's make it at least 7 to 3! I need to make a living too!"
"It includes exclusive rights."
Hearing my words, she fell into contemplation.
As expected of a merchant. She maintains a good poker face. While she's happy inside.
To drive the point home, I took out a unique-grade magic stone, and her eyes widened.
She grabbed my collar and shook me, asking where I got this, and I barely managed to tell her that it could be obtained from the celestial realm.
"S-so you can buy one of these for 100 million gold in the celestial realm!? Just reselling it would be 200 million... no, if done well, it could even fetch 300 million...?"
Having finished her calculations, she hugged me with a bright smile.
"As expected! I knew I made a good friend!"
"Aren't I your only friend, Lala?"
"Don't poke where it hurts."
I added that other travelers would be able to purchase unique-grade magic stones soon, so if she wanted to sell, now was the chance.
While unique-grade magic stones that can be purchased from the celestial realm shop can be bought by other players, it's currently impossible.
It's operated on a membership system, and if it weren't for Michael-nim's recommendation, I wouldn't have been able to buy them either.
For some reason, I thought it was strange that she was hesitating.
When I handed over some of the quantity I had, Lala said with a touched expression to just trust her, and that she would mobilize all her connections to immediately establish a merchant group and bring me enormous wealth.
After seeing Lala off, I looked at the monsters pouring into the Golden City of Eldorado.
From the rabbits in Cradle Village to the monsters that were captured in the coastal village.
Numerous monsters flocked to the city and began to settle in their own homes.
Among them, there were monsters trying to fight for space, but they stopped due to Yong-yong's mediation.
The only rule that exists in the Golden City of Eldorado.
[Let's all get along well.]
I welcomed the monsters that moved to the city, assigned them places, and prepared spaces for various monsters to live.
But in doing so, a problem arose.
"Kyuung."
"Right? No matter how you look at it, they're too big."
Even the smallest goblin was close to 2m tall, and the huge 7 Magic Realm monsters were no joke.
It's not a problem right now, but we need a way to accommodate more monsters.
Invasion...?
No. We need a peaceful method.
While rummaging through my inventory for something useful, I found a black book-shaped item tucked away in a corner.
What was this again?
«??? Book»
I don't know what it is.
Even when I opened the book, it was full of strange characters.
As I was about to put it back because I couldn't read it, Yong-yong read it aloud.
"Kyuuung. Kyuung. Kyuuuung."
"Huh? What does that mean?"
With those words, the book began to emit a bright light.
[The special power of the little folk is unlocked.]
You have acquired the Active Skill: Shrink!
«Shrink!»
When the skill is used, you can make summons smaller.
Mana used: 0
Cooldown: None.
"Our Yong-yong is the best! I'll give you three magic stones for dinner today!"
"Kyuuung!"
As soon as I used the skill, it asked me to specify which summons to target.
"All summons currently in the city."
With my words, all the summons began to shrink.
The huge monsters suddenly changed into cute, miniature forms.
It's so adorable.
"A-amazing! They're so cute!"
"Kyuu?"
"Yong-yong is cutest at his current size."
When he asked why he stayed the same, I answered, and he showed a somewhat proud expression, which was cute.
As I approached the shrunken monsters, they seemed confused, checking their bodies and making all sorts of screaming noises.
"Now, now, attention! I've made you a size that's comfortable to live in, so are you all satisfied?"
However, the voices I heard were only voices of despair.
From rabbits crying and eating carrots saying their muscles had shrunk, to goblins shouting Valhalla.
The griffins that were flying in the sky showed tears, saying this wasn't the feeling they wanted.
It can't be helped.
"It might be uncomfortable for now, but please bear with it for a bit. You'll get used to it soon."
After spending time comforting and soothing the monsters, I said goodbye, lay down on the bed, and logged out of the game.
I stretched, changed clothes, and headed to Rea unni's house.
Today marks the beginning of another unfortunate time.
But I think I've gained some muscle lately?
I touched my arm and flexed, but it's still soft.
Maybe not...
The door opened, and Rea unni's expression as she welcomed me was strange...?
"Can we talk for a bit before exercising?"
"Sure!"
We went into the kitchen, and she handed me a cup of warm milk, nervously opened her mouth with difficulty.
"Monsters are flocking to the Golden City, Eldorado, one of the 7 Magic Realms. Could it be..."
"Yes, it's me! I wanted to create a comfortable home for my summons!"
"Th-then all those monsters are currently..."
"Yes! They're all summons! There are even more in the city!"
I drank the warm milk with a bright smile, and it was delicious.
It's slightly nutty and sweet, as expected, warm milk tastes better.
After finishing one cup, I gave her a look asking for more, but Rea unni had a serious expression.
"If it's to that extent, the Avalon Empire or Arcadia's upper echelons won't just sit still..."
"Don't worry about that! I made a treaty with them!"
Hearing my words, she looked at me with a blank expression, then got up from her seat and approached me.
And then she shook my shoulders!?
"T-tell me in detail!"
"Wait, Rea unni!? I'm getting dizzy! I said I'm getting dizzy!"
After hearing about everything that had happened, Rea unni thought for a long time, and I was about to escape saying I'd give her time to think and skip exercise today, but she grabbed my arm and said that wasn't allowed. After an hour of exercise, followed by a bath and meal, I returned to my house.
I had used up all my energy to the point where I couldn't move a single arm and wanted to close my eyes right away, but I couldn't.
I need to check the community.
With trembling hands, I put my phone on the stand and accessed the community.
[Have you heard of the Great Migration?]
In Arcana Online, monsters are migrating? What's this about?
[Comments]
- Must be a holiday lol
- Looks like they're heading home lol
- [Author] Stop talking nonsense, you crazy fools lol
- Whoa, whoa. Calm down, friend. Why are you so angry?
[No, have the monsters collectively gone crazy? Are they moving? Did their lease expire?]
They're all heading somewhere together, and normally they'd be fighting each other, but they're moving together? Isn't this a sign of a main scenario quest?
[Comments]
- Is the main scenario your neighbor's name, kid?
- Are you making fun of the main scenario quest that's only happened twice so far?
- [Author] You crazy fools, what kind of concept is this lol
[If you look closely, aren't those monsters the special variants that mutated this time?]
Then isn't it over? Of course it's 'The One Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken', right?
[Comments]
- The one who can't even leave their name in history?
- Hey! How dare you call them 'that person'! You should call them 'That Person' lol
- Hey! How dare you call them 'That Person'! You should call them 'Master' lol
I turned off the community and closed my eyes.
Nothing special.
*
*
*
[An anomaly has been detected in the Arcana continent.]
[An anomaly has been detected in the Arcana continent.]
[An anomaly has been detected in the Arcana continent.]
[An anomaly has been detected in the Arcana continent.]
[A judge is being dispatched to the Arcana continent.]