What Lokan was looking for was an event hidden in the Cursed Cave of Life. The dungeon's name itself hinted at a weakened troll, suggesting there had to be a source that cursed them. He suspected it wasn't a structure or equipment, but a physical item.
'If I roughly throw every pile of animal bones into my inventory, I'll probably get it.'
Not every bone pile, but the key was finding a specific bone. The task was to search through the piles of animal bones scattered throughout the Troll habitat, repeatedly attempting to loot them until one appeared as 'obtainable'.
[You have acquired the bones of the cursed beast.]
He had finally found it: the medium that cursed the Troll. The Trolls were cursed due to their food. Vitality and regeneration were related to immunity, and although Trolls were typically resistant to curses, someone had fed a powerfully cursed beast to them as prey. The Trolls, unknowingly eating the infected carcass, became hosts, incubating a specific curse.
"I can start over with this."
This discovery benefited Lokan immensely. The finding of a mutated monster was the keyword that triggered the next phase of the main scenario quest. Bringing this back to Crossroads Garrison Captain Malkin would set things in motion.
"Shall we pass the blood first?"
Of course, he had to complete the quests he had already accepted. Considering the profit from the Troll blood and tendons, it would be smart to sit and hunt the regenerated Trolls, but he figured they would all regenerate after he completed the quest anyway.
He first went to Baron Truell's villa. As soon as the Baron received the Cursed Cave Troll's Blood, he was delighted and welcomed Lokan, immediately offering the next quest with a slightly higher reward.
[Restoration of Baron Truell's Little Daughter 2] [Quest]
Baron Truell has asked you for help to save his young daughter. Thanks to the blood of the Troll you passed on, her base health has been restored. Let's get a hot amount of blood before we lose our stamina again.
-Completion Requirements: Hot Lamb's Blood (0/20), Thick Lambskin (0/20)
-Reward: 7 gold
Following the Troll blood, the quest now required sheep blood. Those familiar with the infamous 'Endless Research Quests' would have guessed this was the start of a tedious, long series. But Lokan knew this quest wasn't as long as players believed—and it was far more significant.
'It's also dirty.'
To some, the Baron's devotion might appear tearful and tragic, but Lokan, who knew the truth, only narrowed his eyes coldly. He had no intention of abandoning the quest; he needed the final reward. He just had to maintain a forced smile until he got it.
"It was Devil Ram."
The 'Hot Lamb's Blood' requested by Baron Truell wasn't from ordinary sheep, as the name suggested, but from the aggressive, two-headed monster, the Devil Ram.
"I must say I'm glad I'm not Baphomet."
It was humorous, but an ordinary Devil Ram was Level 110. Its combination skills were mediocre, but the Speed-of-Light Headbutt was dangerous enough to hurt even Lokan if he took a direct hit. The difficulty of the quest was increasing significantly.
"Then let's start part-time shearing sheep."
But he was Lokan. By clearing the Troll dungeon, his level had risen two steps, making him Level 105. The 5-level difference was negligible, even considering the stat enhancements above Level 100.
Lokan immediately started running in search of the Devil Ram.
'To talk about both topics.'
It was still deep night, and the Ram's black fur made it hard to spot, but Lokan had Night Vision. Thanks to the effect of his Searcher title, he had enough visibility to make out the enemy's silhouette even in the dark.
'This is enough.'
With his magical map navigation, finding the Devil Ram was easy.
The Devil Ram had two combination skills: one was a defense that hid its body in its fur to prevent 'physical blows,' and the other was the Speed-of-Light Headbutt. Since the first skill only defended against fists and blunt weapons, it was useless against Lokan's battle axe.
"Leaf Attack!"
Lokan, well aware of this, leaped up and struck the Devil Ram in the head. He hopped onto the Ram's back like a horse, then slammed its head repeatedly with his Battle Axe.
[You have obtained a hot sheep's blood.]
[You have acquired thick sheepskin.]
As if to prove Lokan right, the quest items were added to his inventory. The Devil Ram typically took a long time to kill due to its excellent defense, even without using combination skills.
And the entire hunting process was recorded on video. The fact that the quest items were dropping was temporarily hidden through unmarking, so people looking for an easy hunt would flock here.
'Look at it, you bastards.'
But not all of them would be able to exploit this like Lokan. To withstand the Devil Ram's ferocious nature, one needed tremendous grip force like Lokan's. Without it, there was a high chance of being thrown, hit, and trampled before the fight was over.
Lokan moved between the Devil Rams for a long time and continued hunting.
[You have leveled up.]
It was a great environment, allowing him to gain a level without taking any damage. Lokan had already collected all the quest items, but he continued to level up until morning, eventually hitting Level 110, the same level as the Devil Ram.
'I don't have to rush the Crazy Baron quest.'
He didn't have to rush. The Devil Ram's blood wouldn't cool down easily, and even if he had to restart the quest, his increased level would shorten the time needed significantly. Instead, he headed back to the Crossroads to deliver the quest item to the garrison.
'Time is running out.'
But when he checked the time, it was close. If he couldn't activate the quest immediately, he would be forced to log out. Lokan hurriedly found the garrison building.
"Malkin, take a look at this."
"This is something."
"The bone of a beast imbued with a powerful curse. Found in the Troll habitat, in the Cursed Caverns of Life."
"Um, maybe that means…"
Malkin immediately grasped the situation. Like a seasoned investigator, he turned the clues into conjecture and certainty. There had always been a question as to why the Trolls had settled in that particular cave, and now he had the answer.
"If this is true, that would be a big deal. If even Trolls are affected, other monsters can be greatly influenced. Lokan, from now on, I'm going to entrust the study of this bone to you. Can you find other affected monsters besides Trolls?"
"Of course."
[Mutated Monster] [Quest]
Find monsters that eat beasts with the energy of a curse and cause mutations. No one knows what the consequences will be if the mutation deepens.
-Completion condition: Check the mutated monster (0/3)
-Reward: 90 Silver, Crossroad Guards Spear (Magic)
The Crossroad Guards Spear was decent, although not useful for Lokan. However, his primary purpose was the main scenario quest. After readily accepting the quest, Lokan walked out toward his shop and logged out due to the access time limit.
"Okay, it's hard every time. It's time for the new patch to drop soon."
Lokan remembered the upcoming patch. It contained small details, but the most important point was the significant relaxation of the access time limit only for those who used a Capsule-Type Connector. Users with a capsule could maintain their health without disconnecting for long periods thanks to the nutrient solution, allowing their bodies to improve even while their brains were working in The Road. While this would disadvantage general connector users, Falcon Corporation was audacious enough to simply say, 'Don't do it if you don't like it.'
'It didn't mean much.'
If anything, most hardcore players already used a capsule-type connector because it provided more sensitive controls and a better reaction speed. The real surprise was the release of a new product alongside the patch.
"Oh, here you go."
He searched and found what he was looking for: a suit dedicated to the capsule-type connector. Currently, the capsule connector filtered and purified a user's bodily waste, but an unpleasant feeling was inevitable, and the nutrient solution needed periodic, costly replacement. The new exclusive suit, released with the patch, was an integrated top and bottom garment that prevented contamination from waste and even cleaned itself inside the suit.
Lokan immediately ordered two pairs without hesitation and downloaded the video footage from the capsule. He had to finish editing before others arrived in the tertiary city to maximize attention.
"Okay, I'll have to find an editor soon."
Because he needed to finish editing the video quickly, Youngmin—Lokan's real-life identity—couldn't sleep properly. As soon as the access time limit was lifted, he uploaded the video, rubbing his throbbing head.
The upload consisted of two videos: one about clearing and attacking the first dungeon of the Crossroads, and the other about a hunting method to exploit for quick honey-sucking experience at the start.
'If you can follow me, follow me.'
Of course, following both videos carelessly would only lead to trouble, but at least there didn't appear to be any obvious traps. Newcomers to the Crossroads would try the methods, fail, and leave, but they wouldn't blame Lokan. If they complained to others, they would only hear, 'Blame your poor control.'
Youngmin then threw out another controversial hint to keep people guessing and connected to The Road.
"Why, why won't you sell it! I have enough money."
He had to cover his ears because of the high-pitched voice echoing with his connection.
'A user!'
A new player had already appeared at the Crossroads.
'I thought it would take a day or two more…'
It was faster than expected, but not too fast compared to his previous life. Considering that the player had likely avoided the difficult Level 100 monsters and used a group strategy to gather information, the timing was right. Still, most were being held back by Lokan's false information, remaining at Level 99 to aim for a 'better reward.'
Even now, some would gradually master the monster patterns and overcome the challenge.
'The beginning is still Half-Elf.'
Lokan immediately hid himself and watched the newcomers, nodding as he assessed their race and class. The group making a fuss in the shop, with their neat appearance, was a Warrior-type party made up of Half-Elves.