Chapter 42: Tinlight’s Spade

“That me, this me… Is this enough? We don’t have to go back to the Demon World?!”

“For now. But, as you probably guessed, you’ll still be under the Elves’ surveillance.”

“Compared to going back to the Demon World, that’s… that’s way better!”

“If that’s how you feel, then good.”

If you really can’t stand it, you’ll end up picking a fight with the Elves and heading back home anyway.

“Alright, let’s settle things up now.”

There was only one reason Jaeho had done all these things until now.

“I heard you have an item related to Tinlight here.”

“Eh?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t. That’s the reason I went through all this trouble.”

When Jaeho’s face hardened, the demons panicked.

“Of, of course! Th-this way…”

The demons guided them to a hidden cave behind the village.

“Here, here is the item Tinlight gave us.”

“………You’re not trying to bury us alive in here, are you?”

“N-no, never!”

The demons flailed, terrified by Jaeho’s suspicion.

If they tried anything like that, the Elves would definitely not let them live.

Unless they were crazy, they couldn’t do such a thing.

“Hmm, at least you’re claiming it’s the truth.”

Given the company, he couldn’t be too trusting.

Besides, judging by what he heard in his past conversation with Sikud, the Blindfold wasn’t exactly absolute.

– Are you the culprit!

– I could be, or maybe not.

If it could be true or not, that was the Blindfold’s effect.

“You go in and bring it out.”

“Ki-hi-hi…”

One of the grumbling demons entered the cave with a sullen expression.

Ping—

Thunk—

Suddenly, wooden spikes shot up from the ground, blocking the entrance.

“…..”

“…..”

An awkward silence settled in.

“I-it’s a misunderstanding!”

“What kind of crap is this?! Anyone can see it’s a trap!”

“J-just slipped my mind! Demons are always ready to stab each other in the back! We set this up to protect the stored food and treasures from other demons trying to steal them!”

Flustered, the demon lowered the spikes.

Then, the demon who had disappeared inside returned, clutching a small box wrapped in cloth.

“Th-this is it!”

“…This isn’t a bomb or something, right?”

“N-no, of course not!”

Trying to clear up the misunderstanding, the demon quickly removed the cloth and opened the box.

“…What is this?”

When Jaeho checked the item, he looked at the demon with a baffled face.

“This is really it?”

“Yes!”

“This is all?”

“All? ALL?!”

“But this is just…”

It was a bright, well-worn sapling shovel.

“This is really related to Tinlight?”

“Tinlight used it himself! The only reason we could fill this place with Demon World plants was because of this!”

“Doesn’t sound like a good thing…”

First, Jaeho checked the shovel’s information.

[<Tinlight’s Spade>]

[Grade: Legendary]

[Attack Power: 750]

[Usage Requirement: Those granted Tinlight’s permission]

[This is the Adamantium sapling shovel used by Tinlight.]

[Given by Tinlight to the poor deserter demons who lost at gambling.]

[Depending on the user’s disposition, the traits of the targeted plant change.]

[<Master of Gathering> : 100% gathering success, and the gathered target’s condition is maintained at its peak.]

“……”

The only thing Jaeho could accept was the skill.

It truly was a skill worthy of a shovel used by a Regent of Spirits.

But for a mere hoe to have such outrageous attack power was baffling.

The gloves he’d been using had an attack power of 350… but this was more than twice that.

“Is this some kind of legendary dagger?”

But the item’s name clearly said ‘Sapling Shovel.’

“Samantha. At my current level, what’s the usual weapon attack power?”

“If you mean your current level… do you mean around level 100?”

Samantha paused to think about Jaeho’s question.

“I think the average is around 300.”

“………Huh?”

“Usually, for every 100-level interval, the attack power doubles compared to the previous stage. So at level 200, it’s around 600, and at level 300, about 1200. Of course, the difference grows even more depending on the item’s grade.”

“Ah… ah?”

Only then did Jaeho realize.

“That gambling-addict Dwarf was way more skilled than I thought?!”

Even the Bear Hunter gloves he’d grumbled about were actually cheat items.

And this shovel was an even more ridiculous, utterly broken item.

If only he could use it…

“It’s a shame you can only use it if you’ve received Tinlight’s permission.”

By that, Jaeho meant he couldn’t use it.

“Anyway, I’m taking this.”

“O-of course.”

Just in case, Jaeho picked up the sapling shovel to keep it for now.

You never know.

Maybe if he visited Tinlight’s grave and asked, he could use it.

[You are the official successor of Regent of Spirits Tinlight.]

[Item usage condition restriction is lifted.]

[Item information is updating.]

Hwaaaa—!!!

“Gah?!”

Suddenly, a brilliant light erupted from the sapling shovel!

“Kiiiii!!!”

“Kaaak!!”

The demons staggered back, writhing in pain from the light.

“Ah, Alicia?!”

“W-what’s happening…?!”

But Jaeho, with the shovel in hand, couldn’t do anything but watch.

Paaa—!!

With a powerful flash, the pouring light finally faded.

And the sapling shovel in Jaeho’s hand had completely transformed.

The worn-out shovel that had once shown the passage of time now looked brand new.

Its jet-black blade shone like crystal, and the handle had changed shape to fit Jaeho’s grip perfectly.

[<Regent of Spirits Shovel>]

[Grade: Legendary (Growth-Type)]

[Attack Power: 1050]

[Usage Requirement: Regent of Spirits]

[This is the Adamantium sapling shovel used by Tinlight.]

[The traits of the targeted plant change based on Fame or Notoriety.]

[<Master of Gathering> : 100% gathering success, and the gathered target’s condition is maintained at its peak.]

[<Pulling Ginseng>: Deals 300% increased damage to gathering targets.]

Even the name had changed.

“Still a boring name, though.”

The item grade had also changed to ‘Growth-Type,’ but even so, Jaeho wasn’t quite sure what that ‘Growth-Type’ option really meant.

He had no idea how it would work.

Samantha had an answer for that too.

“Items with a Growth-Type option are extremely rare. Most of them are bound to their owner and grow together with them.”

“So, in short, it’s good.”

“Not just good—it’s incredibly good!”

Given that Samantha had even raised her voice to Jaeho, it really must be ‘incredibly good.’

At the same time, the new item skill caught his eye.

Just from the name, it seemed extremely efficient.

300% increased damage, meaning three times the normal amount.

In numbers, that’s a monstrous 3150 attack power!

“To gathering targets…”

But when would you ever need to attack a gathering target?

As he pondered, Jaeho recalled the monster flowers he’d seen on the way here.

“So it’s for gathering things like those guys.”

But Jaeho didn’t give much thought to the skill’s name.

Why did it have to be ‘Ginseng’ Pluck?

***

“We’ll stay here to continue monitoring and purifying the forest, while the rest will head to Elysia Garden.”

When Jaeho said he was leaving Embay Forest, the Elves spoke.

Samantha also decided to remain there, stopping her travels with him.

“Because of the main quest…”

“Well, can’t be helped. I’ll come by when I get back from Otolc.”

“Understood.”

And so, parting ways with everyone, Jaeho crossed Embay Forest alone.

Tap, tap—

He soon stopped in front of Krokos.

No matter how you looked at it, this creature clicking its fangs together looked nothing like a flower.

“This one definitely can’t be gathered using normal methods.”

Since the stem was only so long, Krokos couldn’t reach Jaeho where he stood.

But if he took just one step closer, those massive fangs would crush him.

“…”

Carefully, Jaeho drew out his new tool.

“Alright. Let’s try gathering.”

But first, let’s knock it out.

“Grr—”

Gripping the shovel tightly, Jaeho fixed his gaze on Krokos.

Sssss—

Maybe sensing his stare, Krokos stopped snapping its jaws and twisted its tail like a snake.

A clear sign it would attack as soon as Jaeho got into range!

Sssss—

As soon as Jaeho took a step forward,

Kwadudud—!!

Krokos’s flower head suddenly lunged out.

Jaeho dodged expertly and followed up with an elbow strike.

But this time, it wasn’t a punch, but the sapling shovel.

“!”

Boom—boom!

Kiiiiik!!!

Jabbing the sapling shovel like a dagger, Krokos writhed in agony.

Kwadududu—

Roots burst out from the ground, attacking again, forcing Jaeho to retreat.

He had great instincts, but he simply lacked the experience to deal with such erratic, whip-like attacks.

Zwak—

There was no room for a counterattack—he could only focus on dodging the wildly flying tendrils.

If he tried to run, he’d just get grabbed and dragged, so he had to finish it somehow.

“Damn! Is this really a flower, or just a monster… huh?”

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Jaeho’s mind like lightning!

“Wait, you’re a flower, aren’t you?”

The moment he accepted the truth he’d been avoiding, the answer was surprisingly simple.

Tap—

Dodging the tentacle attacks with some effort, Jaeho slowly closed in.

Step by step, until he was close enough to leap, then he charged in.

“!!”

A change of perspective!

If his opponent could be registered in Alicia’s Plant Encyclopedia, then it couldn’t resist the 100% gathering success skill.

And…

Boom—

Kiiiiii—!!

[ <Krokos> gathering succeeded.]

With almost laughable ease, Jaeho subdued Krokos.

[<Krokos seeds> Obtained .]

[<Krokos’s Gastric juice> Obtained .]

[<Krokos’s Gallbladder> Obtained …]

[…]

“This… this really doesn’t seem like a flower at all.”

The loot just didn’t seem right for a plant.

After that, Jaeho went around gathering all the monster flowers he could see.

[ <Cerberus Grass> gathering succeeded.]

[ <Flame Mold Flower> gathering succeeded…]

With his inventory full, Jaeho soon left the forest and arrived at Otolc.

***

“Welcome, Alicia!”

Crewa Sang greeted him, leading him into the Crew Merchant Group Headquarters.

The enormous and lavish building was grander than anything in Elysia Garden, and Jaeho gaped in awe.

“Are you a noble or something?”

At Jaeho’s question, Crewa Sang laughed heartily and waved her hand.

“Not at all! We just handle all the logistics around here. I’m actually the head of one of the top merchant guilds in the Sitra Continent! So, sometimes I can’t help but show off a little.”

She said it so casually, but Jaeho realized just how amazing Crewa Sang was.

To build such a vast power base as an individual player wasn’t something just anyone could do.

Of course, Jaeho didn’t even consider his own situation.

“By the way, Alicia, you should get a formal outfit tailored.”

“Yeah, true.”

Jaeho’s clothes were best suited for field work.

He couldn’t attend a gathering of nobles like this.

“Hehe, I’m looking forward to it! I’ve never seen Alicia in formal wear.”

“Uh… I don’t think you’ll be that impressed.”

Jaeho could already guess how it would go.

He could even imagine what might happen.

Whenever he wore what people called ‘atmosphere-capturing clothes,’ his presence was overwhelming.

It was said that even the thugs who came to the gym to pick a fight would be intimidated by Jaeho in a school uniform.

And, as expected—

“Whoa!”

“D-don’t make eye contact!”

Those were the reactions from people who saw Jaeho in formal wear.

“Who… who is that guy?”

“Shhh—! Looks like he’s headed to see James.”

“Ugh, finally… Even for Crewa Sang, they must be furious that he hasn’t brought that much money yet.”

“Look at that face… I just hope we all make it out alive.”

“Hey! But it’s Crewa Sang, they wouldn’t kill him, right?!”

Similar comments echoed from all around.

Of course, there was one more thing making the situation worse.

“Um, Alicia?”

Crewa Sang called out to Jaeho cautiously.

“Shouldn’t you maybe take off that blindfold?”

Namely, Jaeho’s blindfold!

He was scary enough already, but now he looked even more menacing.

“Ah, this? It’s better to wear it when dealing with NPCs…”

“Or, you could use the accessory hide function.”

“!?”

Jaeho stared at her in shock.

“…You mean you didn’t know?”

“No one ever told me about that…?”

“Well…”

Crewa Sang thought she understood the reason.

Jaeho looked pretty good in the blindfold.

If you wanted to intimidate someone as much as possible…

[Your Notoriety has increased.]