"The skill is quite good," Alan nodded.
Then another notification appeared—this one different from the rest.
[ You have pushed Albantino's work to Legendary Rank, indirectly fulfilling his dearest wish. ]
[ A hidden fragment of Albantino's legacy has been unlocked. ]
[ Skill Acquired: Reconstruction and Upgrade ]
[ Refining and Upgrade ]
Effect:
You can now reforge any piece of equipment, making it stronger by integrating additional materials into it.
Restriction:
Each item can only be reforged once.
"This… is an incredible skill," Alan muttered, his lips curling into a satisfied smile.
"I was bit worried that sooner I will have to give up on the Frostlight Orc Chief set but with this now I can upgrade it" Alan smiled, Frostlight Orc chief set is just an level 120 gear so using it is like fighting naked but if he can now upgrade it atleast he can make it a bit stronger.
"This skill really came at good time" he said softly.
Alan stood up from his seat, stretching lightly.
"Alright," he exhaled, eyes turning toward the horizon.
"My next stop is… Vatican."
Stepping out of the city gates, mana gathered beneath his feet.
Since he was a mage, flight magic came naturally to him now. With a single pulse of mana, his body lifted effortlessly into the air.
The ground shrank beneath him as he accelerated forward.
Flying was faster.
More efficient.
And it saved him a ridiculous amount of time.
Alan smiled faintly as the wind rushed past him.
After half a day of flying, Alan finally arrived at Rolling Village.
Rolling Village was the closest village to the Vatican. Alan stopped here for one simple reason—he needed a player who could lead him to Marie Rose.
Marie Rose was sealed inside a cave somewhere on the road to the Vatican. Alan remembered that much, but not the exact location. If he tried to search for it directly, the system's supercomputer would flag his actions as suspicious. That was something he don't want to.
So instead, Alan chose a safer method.
He walked toward the village church, deliberately wearing the flashiest equipment he owned. His armor gleamed, enchantment effects flickering faintly around him—enough to scream high-level player with money.
Just as he expected…
"Brother, do you need a priest?"
A player approached him.
Alan turned and checked the man's ID.
[ Dong Pao ]
'Finally,' Alan smiled inwardly.
He remembered the player who could lead him toward the Vatican—and indirectly to Marie Rose—was a Chinese player. Even the name confirmed it.
"Hm," Alan said calmly, pretending to think. "I'm heading to the Vatican to meet the Pope. I was considering hiring a priest to guide me along the way."
Dong Pao's eyes widened slightly.
'Meet the Pope?' he thought.
'I've been a Rebecca Church priest for so long and even I've never gotten that kind of quest. How did this guy get it?'
Still, he quickly hid his surprise and smiled warmly.
"I can guide you if you want," Dong Pao said. "The road to the Vatican is dangerous, but I know it well."
"Okay," Alan replied without hesitation.
Dong Pao immediately started leading the way, his steps light.
'Heh,' Dong Pao thought greedily.
'From his gear alone, this guy is loaded. If even one of his equipment drops, I'll make a fortune.'
Behind him, Alan followed with a relaxed smile.
'Good,' Alan thought.
'Come on… take me to my target.'
Both of them were scheming.
But in the end—only one of them was going to win.
Both of them formed a party, and the moment the system window popped up, Dong Pao froze.
[ Party Member: Alan — Level 294 ]
His throat went dry.
'Level 294…?'
Dong Pao swallowed hard.
'That's insane. Even the top-ranked player is only level 297, and the second ranker is around 291. That means this guy is practically the second highest ranker!'
'But that player is Zibal and Alan name is not on the Rankings?'
A dangerous thought crossed his mind.
'Could he be a hidden ranker…?'
For a brief moment, Dong Pao hesitated. Should I really take someone like this toward the cave? If things went wrong, he wouldn't even have time to react.
"Brother… you really have such a high level," Dong Pao said carefully.
Alan glanced at him and smiled lightly.
"I'm more surprised by you," he replied. "Level 160 as a priest isn't easy. Priests can only level up through quests most of the time. You're quite capable."
Dong Pao felt a bit proud and smiled back.
"As for me, don't worry about it," Alan continued casually. "I have a rare class—Explosion Warrior. My skills are especially good for hunting large hordes, so my level rose faster than usual."
He deliberately emphasized skills, lowering Dong Pao's guard.
'So it's just skill-based,' Dong Pao thought, relief washing over him.
'If that's the case, it's fine. Skills doesn't work there anyway.'
A greedy smile crept onto Dong Pao's face as he turned and continued leading the way.
Everything was going exactly as he expected.
Or so he thought.
As they moved deeper along the path, Alan quietly equipped a cloak.
The fabric shimmered for a moment before settling against his armor—dark, heavy, and faintly damp, as if it had absorbed something far worse than rain.
It was the item he needed.
[ Malacus' Cloak ]
Rating: Unique
Durability: 81 / 81
Defense: 15
Effects:
Intelligence +200
Bloody Smell
A magic cloak Malacus favored. Originally woven from blue cloth, it was permanently discolored by the blood of countless virgins.
User Restriction: Level 200+
Weight: 10
[ Bloody Smell ]
Constantly emits the scent of blood
Attracts beasts and monsters
Causes discomfort and hostility from nearby people
The moment Alan wore it, Dong Pao frowned.
"…Brother," he said hesitantly, "do you smell that?"
Alan didn't answer.
He already knew.
The bloody stench spread unnaturally far, seeping into the forest like a signal flare. For normal players, it was nothing but a cursed inconvenience.
For Marie Rose—
It was an alarm.
This will wake her, Alan thought calmly. Exactly as planned.
They hadn't walked for more than a few minutes before the forest reacted.
A low growl echoed from the trees.
Then another.
And another.
Red-eyed beasts burst out from the undergrowth—wolves twisted by corruption, horned boars with cracked tusks, and malformed creatures that shouldn't have existed so close to a holy route.
Dong Pao panicked.
"W-Why are there so many?! This isn't normal!"
Alan stepped forward without a word.
In his hand appeared a sword wreathed in controlled flame.
[ Flame Harmony Sword ]
Grade: Unique
A blade forged through perfect balance of flame and metal. Among all of Alan's one-handed swords, it was the finest—
second only to Dáinsleif, and inferior only to weapons he could not yet wield, such as the blade dropped from the Elfin Stone.