Chapter 8

The maximum stats that could be enchanted onto a single piece of equipment was 20. The number of equipment slots available were: helmet, armor, cloak, boots, gloves, belt, bracelet, earrings, necklace—a total of nine. That meant the overall stat cap was 180. Stats could also be enchanted into weapons and Actions, but since those were directly converted into damage, they weren’t counted toward the total.

Theo started at 180 and worked his way down, reducing one point at a time while swapping gear and swinging his bow. Days passed like that until he finally managed to find the exact Strength value where the bow wouldn’t break—but a new problem appeared.

The maximum Strength threshold that kept the bow intact was 134. But if he matched 134 exactly, the durability plummeted at an alarming rate. It didn’t snap, but the strain ate away at the weapon’s endurance. Lowering it to 133 would solve that, but even a single stat point made a noticeable difference in damage output.

What to do? Once again, the three of them put their heads together. As they sat in silence, Father suddenly raised his head. Something seemed to have occurred to him as he looked at Theo.

“Wait, didn’t that Eternal you got have bonus melee damage?”

“Yeah. Thirty-five percent.”

“Then couldn’t that make up for what you’re missing?”

“If I use an Eternal and still only end up the same as everyone else, what’s the point?”

“Ah… good point.”

Acknowledging that, silence returned. After who knew how long, Marco suddenly sighed, pulled up his display beside his temple, and began searching for something.

Theo and Father exchanged puzzled looks. They leaned over, but to them, his display showed nothing.

After digging around for a while, Marco finally looked up at Theo. When Theo asked, “What is it?” he only mouthed words hesitantly at first. But then, as if deciding something, he spoke.

“Hyung, if you don’t mind a bit of trouble… do you want to try gathering the materials I’m thinking of?”

“Huh? What is it?”

“It’s called Rain-soaked Kallia Wood. It’s light and flexible, so when crafted into weapons, it gives higher attack power and faster speed than normal. Most importantly, it consumes less durability than other materials…”

“There’s something like that?”

Theo asked, sounding doubtful. Father also wore a face that said it was news to him.

“It’s in the crafting compendium, but only viewable from Tier 5 upward. Thing is, it’s collection-only, and it’s rare…”

“How do you get it?”

“First, you need to find a Kallia Tree. But there’s no confirmed spawn location—it only says they exist all across the game world.”

“So basically… we have to hunt it down ourselves.”

“Yeah… and for the rain-soaked version, you have to gather it right after rainfall, and the humidity and rainfall conditions of the area have to match. Even then, just because you try doesn’t mean it’ll drop every time, since it’s rare…”

Marco trailed off and cautiously glanced at Theo. Theo tilted his head, closed his eyes as though steeling himself, and muttered through clenched teeth,

“Ha… like I’m not unlucky enough already.”

“And for the bowstring…” Marco added carefully.

“Huh?”

“You know Bamia’s Spider Silk, right?”

Theo turned toward him with a face that screamed don’t tell me. Bamia’s Spider Silk was a rare crafting material that could only be obtained from dungeons, notorious for how difficult it was to collect.

“It boosts both range and accuracy. Even if you make the bow with maximum attack power, using this will cover the base range and accuracy. You’re not planning to never shoot arrows again, are you? Besides, if you actually manage to get Rain-soaked Kallia Wood, it’d be a waste to use ordinary fibers for the bowstring.”

Listening to nothing but facts, all Theo could do was sigh. If he weren’t an Origin, he wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble. Maybe he should just give it up and go fishing instead. Perhaps sensing Theo’s crushed state of mind, Father patted his shoulder a couple of times.

“Hang in there.”

In the end, Theo decided to try finding Rain-soaked Kallia Wood first. Leaving Marco’s workshop, he breathed in the outside air for the first time in days. Father wished him luck and headed back toward the guild house, while Theo made his way to the stables at the village gate. Finding the Kallia Tree was entirely his responsibility. He couldn’t keep relying on Marco or Father’s help.

At the stables, a thought struck him. He pulled up his display and searched the marketplace.

He typed in “Rain-soaked Kallia Wood.” Nothing came up. Staring silently at the screen, he tried again with just “Kallia Wood.” Still nothing.

“Phew…”

Letting out a long sigh, Theo mounted his horse and rode out of the village. For now, he would have to start by checking the areas around Lucilvania.

He spent hours combing through the outskirts, but there was no sign of a Kallia Tree. Thinking about it, it made sense. Only crafters of Tier 5 or higher even knew about this material—there was no way its spawn points would be near a starting village. But since it was said to grow anywhere in the game world, he couldn’t dismiss the possibility of finding it nearby either.

“Ah, this is way too overwhelming…”

Should he just shout it out and ask other players? Among Tier 5 crafters, there had to be some who knew where Kallia Trees grew. But would they really share that information so easily? He doubted it.

As he wrestled with frustration, one place finally came to mind. The only place that wouldn’t hide information from him. The guild.

“Guild, has anyone ever seen something called a Kallia Tree?”

[Guild] [Bastard Kid: ?]

[Guild] [Holanghee: What the hell is that?]

[Guild] [Leather Flute Hip Song: ?]

[Guild] [Noquia: Never seen it]

[Guild] [Red Snapper: ??]

[Guild] [Yorkshire: ?]

“Guild, never mind then…”

He hadn’t expected much, but seeing nothing but question marks in the chat made him sigh even deeper.

“Should I really just give up and go fishing?”

He said that, but the reins turned his horse farther from the village instead. As the hooves carried him forward, Theo stared blankly at the passing scenery—then suddenly realized something important.

It wasn’t just the weapon. He would need to swap all his gear for Strength-based equipment. More than that, he would even have to replace his combat Actions. His Tier 4 Actions. Theo groaned, raking his hands through his hair with a despairing face.

“Ugh… my Tier…”

Maybe he really should quit.

The road ahead was nothing but obstacles. When would he even find a Kallia Tree, let alone Rain-soaked Kallia Wood? Stripping the stats he’d already enchanted onto his equipment would be another hassle, and gathering new ones even more so. Sure, he could exchange his current Dexterity and Strength stats, but removing enchanted stats cost a fortune. The peak felt even farther away.

Honestly, selling the Eternal Fog and just upgrading his current gear sounded like a smarter option. His thoughts tangled into a hopeless knot, stuck between not being able to move forward or back.

As he slouched on his horse, lost in his own frustration, someone suddenly brushed past him. A moment later, a presence rushed up from behind and yanked him hard.

“Hey! What the hell?!”

Caught off guard, Theo nearly toppled from the saddle but managed to steady himself. When he turned, he found Aslan glaring furiously at him.

“Ah…”

Right, he’d forgotten about this guy.

“You little!”

With a sharp movement, Aslan leapt down from his own horse, grabbed Theo, and dragged him down as well. He caught Theo before he could hit the ground and set him on his feet—but his face remained thunderous. He loomed over Theo, at least a head taller, glaring down on him. Theo, unfazed by the height difference, simply raised a hand in greeting.

“Hey, how’ve you been?”

“‘Hey, how’ve you been?’ That’s all you’ve got to say? Unblock me right now!”

What a pain in the ass. Suppressing a sigh, Theo complied.

“Unblock, Aslan.”

Even after getting what he wanted, Aslan’s grip stayed firm as he demanded.

“Where the hell have you been?”

His sharp tone made Theo frown as he pried the hand off his arm.

“I told you I was in the sanctuary. You were the one who didn’t believe me.”

His voice was calm and even, but Aslan only scoffed.

“Who would believe that?”

“My guildmates did.”

“What?”

Aslan blinked, baffled. Theo’s guild knew perfectly well how unlucky he was. And they believed him?

“Whether you believe it or not, I really was in the sanctuary.”

“…”

“I don’t have time to argue with you right now. I’ll call you later when I’m free. We’ll talk then.”

Theo turned to mount his horse again, but Aslan yanked him back down.

“Talk now.”

When Theo tried again, Aslan grabbed him from behind, locking his arms around his waist. Theo struggled desperately to shake him off.

“Goddamn it—hey, I said I’m busy!”

“And what about me? Do you know how much I went through after you blocked me and disappeared without a word?!”

“What the hell would you even have to go through?!”

“I went through hell looking for you, that’s what!”

“Why were you even looking?!”

“Because I was worried! You vanished after leaving behind some crap about the sanctuary and then blocked me!”

“Do you think I’ve been lying to you this whole time? Do I look like the kind of guy who brags and makes up shit?!”

“I know you’re not that kind of guy! That’s exactly why I was worried! You’ve been scammed enough times already, haven’t you?!”

“You think I’d get scammed over something like that? You think I’m an idiot?!”

“Who knows?!”

Theo twisted around and grabbed a fistful of Aslan’s hair.

“You son of a bitch?!”

“Ow! Wait—ow ow ow!”

The two of them tangled together, rolling and wrestling in the middle of the road. Theo did most of the hitting, while Aslan took most of the blows.