The Returnee's Hidden Strategy Stream

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter: 22

Gulp-

Gulp-

The only sound echoing at the top of the stone tower was the old man drinking.

Around him, 20 empty bottles were neatly arranged.

"Hey, are you sure he's okay? He drank all that?"

"Leave him be. He's always like that."

-The old man can really hold his liquor;

-Is it non-alcoholic?

-Even 20 bottles of water would do me in.

-Seriously, I'd be full.

Yeonwoo was watching with concern, but the old man remained unfazed.

If someone were to attack him now, he would react instantly.

"Ah!"

Finally, the old man wiped his mouth after emptying the last bottle.

He stood up and turned around.

"That wasn't bad alcohol."

Despite the casual evaluation, his face showed immense satisfaction.

Hanbit knew well that this was the highest praise.

'I worked so hard to make it.'

After seeing the Elementalist in the city, Hanbit went around gathering ingredients to make this special alcohol.

It was a method he learned from a small ethnic group he encountered by chance at the edge of the world during his 7th playthrough.

"I'm glad you liked it. Can we talk now?"

"...So, you brought this."

The old man held up the cloth that was tied to the bottle.

He examined the emblem with the green sword and said, "Huh. Did that Balder really send you?"

Surprise mixed with a short sigh.

The old man knew Swordsman Balder's pride best.

To think that his disciple, whom he acknowledged, had sent someone... it was hard to simply accept.

"What did Balder say?"

"He said I could gain a completely different kind of teaching."

"Indeed."

The old man chuckled and tucked the cloth into his waistband.

Then, he said in a cold voice, "Go back. You cannot accept my sword."

"Why? Because none of your disciples succeeded in learning it?"

"...You're perceptive."

The Swordsman of the Wind had quite a few disciples.

But none of them succeeded in embodying his swordsmanship.

When his last disciple, Balder, who showed promise, also failed, he gave up and quietly disappeared.

"The talent required for my sword is not simple. It's meaningless to simply be good at wielding a sword," the old man muttered quietly and slowly raised his hand.

The wind blowing around intertwined with his hand.

It felt as if it was moving with a will of its own.

"That talent is about affinity with spirits, isn't it?"

"...It seems Balder said something unnecessary."

The old man mistook it for something Hanbit had heard from his disciple.

But Hanbit was someone who had experienced the importance of talent firsthand.

-Is that really a spirit?

-This is where it comes in.

-One point for the spirit innate talent theory.

If it were a disciple for ordinary swordsmanship, he would have been the first to reach out, so outstanding was his talent.

That is, if it were for ordinary swordsmanship.

"Go back. I have nothing to teach you."

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The old man, resigned to his solitude, turned his back with a bitter voice.

And then, a message popped up along with an alarm.

Ding-!

[Quest completed.]

[Chain quest unlocked.]

[Hidden Quest]

Persuade Asla and learn the skill.

First, you need to change his mind.

Objective: Choose the best option.

Prove your swordsmanship skills?

Persuade him with words?

Somehow become close to a spirit?

Reward: 100,000 gold, Asla's Secret Manual, 10 stat points, 10,000 experience points

-Whoa.

-Holy shit, a hidden quest appeared.

-This is how it appears?

-What about the skill? Is that hidden?

-Still suspicious.

-The rewards are insane. lol

[ㅇㅇ (XX) has donated 10,000 won.]

[Is it really hidden?]

[ (Bug) has donated 20,000 won.]

[It's a bug.]

The chat exploded with the sudden appearance of the hidden quest.

"Whoa."

Yeonwoo's eyes widened in surprise as well.

'So this is how it appears.'

Even the message window for the hidden quest was different.

It was adorned with a luxurious golden border.

Hanbit re-examined the objective written in the quest description.

Prove your swordsmanship skills?

Persuade him with words?

Somehow become close to a spirit?

Asla had no intention of teaching the skill.

This was a quest to find the best way to change his mind.

'No need to choose.'

Hanbit reached out and immediately pressed number 3.

His action caused others to gasp.

"...Hey, did you just choose number 3?"

-He's finally gone crazy.

-Is he giving up the hidden skill?

-Do we have to camp here now?

-Even if we camp, it probably won't work. lol

-I believe in Black Dragon.

-Yeah, no way.

Amidst the questions and confusion,

Whoosh-

The blowing wind gently brushed his cheek.

'It's here.'

This was how a spirit expressed its curiosity.

This sensation, which he had felt countless times, was incredibly familiar.

And he knew very well who this spirit was.

Rustle-

The whispering wind gradually grew stronger.

It had a very clear will.

A playful, child-like spirit.

Hanbit closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again and muttered in a low voice, "Sylph."

Whoosh-

Sylph, the low-ranking wind spirit.

As he uttered its name, the wind raged fiercely.

And a message popped up along with an alarm.

[Title: A new effect of the 55 Times Recorder is unlocked.]

'...! '

Hanbit reacted immediately and quickly opened his title information.

[55 Times Recorder]

The Recorder's accumulated experience is unlocked.

The proficiency of all experienced skills increases extremely quickly. The performance is adjusted upward depending on the degree of experience.

Spirit affinity is activated for all, and the effect on the spirit's power increases dramatically.

Unopened (Keyword: Item)

'I did it!'

Hanbit clenched his fist as he saw the contents.

When he first obtained the 55 Times Recorder, the second item on the list was unopened.

The keyword written there was ‘spirit’.

Hanbit, who had been trying to obtain the Wind Sword skill early on, had anticipated this moment in his mind.

The moment he first connected with a spirit and called its name.

'Now the question is how it will be implemented.'

Spirits don't approach humans easily.

Moreover, their affinity can't be measured numerically.

How are spirits implemented in the game system?

Is the way to communicate with them the same as in his memories?

These questions kept swirling in his mind.

Whoosh-

The wind gently wrapped around Hanbit's hand.

At that moment, a new message popped up with an alarm.

Ding-!

[The wind spirit Sylph feels a strong curiosity towards you.]

-Did a spirit message just pop up?

-So all you had to do was call its name.

-If that's all it takes, no one would struggle.

-How did he really do it?

-Raphina crying.

-Advance party Elementalist <<<<< Black Dragon

There was no need to interpret the message.

Hanbit smiled and said to the old man, "I just have to prove my affinity with spirits, right?"

"That's not something you can prove easily. If you incur their wrath, they might even send you far away..."

The old man's words, as he slightly turned his head, trailed off.

"Huh."

His gaze was fixed, frozen stiff.

Before he knew it, more and more wind was gathering around Hanbit.

'It's working.'

The sensation of the gentle wind was vivid.

No, strictly speaking, it was a little different from his memories.

It was probably one of the limitations of the Level 2 gear, but there was no problem.

Now was the time to welcome the spirit.

Whoosh-

Hanbit gently raised his hand and moved it slowly, as if embracing the wind.

Spirits were similar to animals in that they liked this kind of interaction.

Ding-!

[The wind spirit Sylph laughs in amused.]

[The wind spirit Sylph shows more interest in you.]

[The wind spirit Sylph expresses surprise at your high affinity.]

...

The wind intensified as the messages continued to appear.

After a little more time, it completely enveloped Hanbit.

"...Oh spirit."

The old man understood the wind spirit deeply.

That's how much he realized how absurd this situation was.

Whoosh-

The swirling wind seemed to engulf everything around it.

Hanbit, standing in the center, felt the wind with his whole body.

And the moment a cozy sensation embraced him,

[The wind spirit Sylph wants to be with you.]

The spirit's will appeared as a message.

Rustle-

Beyond the shimmering letters, the wind gradually took shape.

It gradually formed an outline and then transformed into a bird-like figure.

Chirp-

About the size of a human hand.

Its translucent appearance fully displayed the mystique of the spirit.

[Low-ranking wind spirit Sylph]

Flap-

The small bird with spread wings landed on Hanbit's shoulder.

The alarm rang again.

Ding-!

[Title: 'Friend of Spirits' added to the list.]

[Friend of Spirits]

Increases the effect of all skills based on the power of spirits by 20%.

-It even gives a title.

-Isn't 20% too OP?

-How are they already friends?

-Spirits are easy;

-I'm going to go make friends with one right now.

-Breaking news) People are still falling off the cliff.

-That entrance is brutal. lol

'Already a friend?'

An incredible result achieved by skipping several steps.

Being a 'Friend of Spirits' held that much significance.

For them to manifest like this, despite rarely revealing themselves...

Hanbit carefully stroked the spirit's head with his finger.

The spirit flapped its wings as if pleased.

"..."

The old man, watching the scene blankly, was speechless.

Hanbit walked right up to him and asked with a grin, "You'll teach me now, right?"

"...Keuk."

The old man made a strange noise at the confidently asked question.

And then he suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha!"

His hearty laughter contained a myriad of emotions.

After laughing for a while, he looked at the small bird perched on Hanbit's shoulder.

"Haven't you waited long enough?"

The muttered words were directed at the spirit.

Turning his head, he took out a green book from his pocket and handed it to Hanbit.

"From now on, you are my disciple."

Ding-!

[Quest completed.]

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]