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    Chapter 67

    Seonghyun, the user who was searching for a particular NPC in a town where everyone else came to relax, tilted his head in wonder as he looked around.

    Where was the blacksmith''s shop, anyway?

    Serodin wasn''t exactly a small town.

    There were three blacksmith''s shops alone.

    ''I''ll just have to visit them all.''

    Seonghyun thought simply and asked other NPCs and users to find the blacksmith''s shops.

    And then.

    "Ashin? There''s no one like that in our smithy."

    "You think I''m fifty?! Good heavens, young man! I''m not that old! Oh? You''re asking if there''s someone named Ashin? Pshaw, how could anyone be named Ashin!"

    "Hmm, I''ve lived in Serodin for over forty years, and I''ve never heard of anyone named Ashin."

    How could there be no one?

    He had encountered an obstacle from the very beginning.

    He was told that there would be an NPC named Ashin at a blacksmith''s shop in Serodin, but he was nowhere to be found.

    Where did things go wrong?

    Just in case, he even asked the ghosts near the blacksmith''s shops.

    But they had never even heard of anyone with that name.

    If even the ghosts didn''t know, was there any way to find him?

    To be blocked right from the start.

    This wasn''t in his plans.

    ''What do I do now...''

    Seonghyun had a tendency to breeze through quests by using ghosts or various hidden pieces,

    But this was quite difficult.

    There were no clues at all.

    Just in case, he unfolded the map again,

    But it still only said to find Ashin at a blacksmith''s shop in Serodin and receive the key.

    It seemed to be Kahku''s handwriting.

    He seemed like a collaborator, but had he already run off with the key?

    That would be troublesome.

    No, if that were the case, wouldn''t the map have indicated it differently?

    Although it was strictly an item called a treasure map,

    It was no different from information provided by the system.@@@@

    Thinking that far,

    A thought suddenly crossed Seonghyun''s mind.

    ''Hmm, wait? The name Ashin could be an alias, or maybe he''s hiding his real name and working under a different one.''

    If he had heard that Seonghyun was looking for Ashin, wouldn''t there have been some reaction?

    He couldn''t be sure since he hadn''t paid attention to the reactions of the other blacksmiths after mentioning the name Ashin at the blacksmith''s shops.

    Should he go back and check again, just in case?

    He hadn''t expected that there would be no one, so he hadn''t checked their reactions, and now it might come back to bite him.

    It seemed he would have to go back and confirm.

    But he couldn''t just stand around doing nothing.

    This was becoming a nuisance.

    As Seonghyun was about to visit the three blacksmith''s shops again,

    A blacksmith came running towards him from afar.

    ''What''s this?''

    The blacksmith was clearly young, perhaps even an apprentice.

    Seonghyun, drawing on the memories of the hunter Apik, carefully observed the approaching figure with a discerning eye.

    As the blacksmith drew closer, he exclaimed,

    "Oh! Huff...huff...! You''re the customer who came to the smithy earlier, aren''t you? The one looking for Ashin?"

    "Yes, that''s me."

    "Ah, I was worried you might have gone far. It''s a relief to find you!"

    It seemed there was definitely something going on.

    As Seonghyun remained silent, the young apprentice blacksmith handed him a note.

    In that brief moment, Seonghyun examined the outstretched hand. It was a blacksmith''s hand, calloused and scarred with burn marks.

    The rough hand brushed against Seonghyun''s as it passed him the note.

    "I was asked to deliver this. Just let them know you received it. I''ll be going now!"

    Having delivered the message, the apprentice hurriedly excused himself and left, as if eager to return to his work.

    Seonghyun watched the apprentice disappear into the distance with a puzzled look, then shook his head.

    Whatever the reason, it wasn''t important right now.

    He turned his attention to the note.

    The message, scrawled on a slightly crumpled piece of paper, was quite blunt.

    『I see you''ve found Kahku''s map, but I don''t trust you yet.

    In honor of my old friend Kahku, who has long since passed, I will test you as he had planned.

    You must first pass my trials before I show my face.

    For your first trial, bring me 20 webbed feet from the River Trolls.

    Once you have gathered them, wait for me at the ''Greenfield Inn''.』

    The note openly declared distrust and the intent to test him.

    Seonghyun couldn''t help but chuckle as he read it.

    ''No wonder I couldn''t find him.''

    "Oh, please don''t say such ominous things."

    "W-well, let''s search the town first. He couldn''t have gone far."

    "We need to keep this confidential, so let''s search on our own."

    "Ah, God of Alchemy, please protect him."

    They exchanged anxious whispers, their worries escalating.

    They seemed to be high-ranking officials from the Alchemy Tower,

    But at that moment, they looked like parents who had lost their child.

    Or perhaps, grandparents would be more accurate?

    In any case, they quickly split up and began scouring Serodin Town in search of this Flingky.

    However, Flingky was nowhere to be found.

    They searched every nook and cranny of the town, but to no avail.

    Gathering together again, they discussed their next move.

    Where could he have gone?

    He couldn''t have vanished into thin air.

    Then, suddenly,

    "Ah!?! C-could he have gone to where the monsters appear!?"

    "M-monsters?!"

    "Oh my goodness!!! T-that can''t be..."

    They wanted to deny the possibility,

    But they couldn''t bring themselves to do so.

    "Think about it. If he came here, what would pique his interest...?"

    "He has no interest in sightseeing or entertainment..."

    "He''s only interested in pursuing knowledge..."

    "T-then, if there''s a special monster found only here, or a monster that drops a rare material..."

    As they exchanged ideas, several theories emerged.

    They thought of a hideous monster,

    And a powerful one.

    "Oh, could it be the... the River Troll?"

    "Ah! Oh, wise one...!!!"

    "Oh, God of Alchemy!!!"

    "There''s no time to waste! Let''s hurry to where the River Troll is likely to be!"

    Having narrowed down the possible locations,

    They sprang into action.

    ''Please be safe.''

    This was clearly a very important person.

    They couldn''t bear to imagine what might happen if something were to befall the descendant of the sage, a member of the hero''s party that had defeated the Demon King in ancient times.

    2.

    The Trin River, the largest and widest of the three rivers flowing through Serodin town.

    Following the river upstream, one could find a clear, pristine river and a vast meadow.

    It was a truly magnificent sight.

    Even Seonghyun, who rarely expressed admiration, couldn''t help but pause and marvel at the scenery.

    The setting sun cast a reddish glow on the clear waters of the river, and a cool breeze from the river gently swayed the grass in the meadow.

    It was a beautiful sight.

    The refreshing breeze reached Seonghyun, seemingly washing away the fatigue from his journey.

    ''Wow.''

    Could this really be a game?

    The scenery was so beautiful it was hard to believe.

    As Seonghyun paused to appreciate the view,

    He noticed something crouched near the bushes.

    A small, translucent figure.

    ''A ghost?''

    Or was it someone using a skill like invisibility?

    He focused his attention, trying to discern what it was.

    He saw a person with a haggard face, an emaciated body, and a lifeless expression, dozing off.

    ''It''s... not a ghost?''

    At first glance, he had mistaken it for a ghost,

    But he was wrong.

    It was clearly a living person.

    Judging by the mark above their head, an NPC.

    But why was this person translucent and dozing off in a place like this?

    He didn''t understand, but should he just ignore it and move on?

    "Ugh! Materials!?!"

    "...?"

    The person woke up with a start, as if having a nightmare.

    Now that they were awake, should he just ignore them and go?

    As Seonghyun was about to pass by,

    "Oh!? A p-person?! Could you possibly help me!?"

    "Excuse me?"

    [You have obtained a clue to a Hidden Quest.]

    He had become entangled with a strange and seemingly important NPC.

    [Translator - Pr?ks]

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