Chapter 161: A Dangerous Gamble (1)

• Loren: Will we really be able to meet Bbookbbook and Ly?

• Fiolan: Of course. And in addition, you can also meet Ian. On top of that, Ian said that he would give a talisman that he has personally produced to the people that have high contributions.

• Loren: Oh, such a…! If it’s a talisman that Ian has personally produced, it’s one that can’t even be sold because it’s not even in the auction house…!

After learning the production skill, Ian had made talismans whenever he had the chance.

And he was putting up all of the talismans with abilities that he was uncertain about using into the auction house and was selling them at a fixed price, but as their popularity was incredible, as soon as the word went out of them being up in the auction house, they sold out immediately.

However, as there were so many talismans that Ian made, the selling of the talismans was completely entrusted to Ian’s retainer, Celia, and so, Fiolan contacted Celia and had secured the presents(?) that she would be giving the members of the fan club beforehand.

And this present definitely had an effect.

• Fiolan: Huhu, there are talismans that we have set aside beforehand in our guild. There are even Bbookbbook design and Ly design talismans, which are new products, that are prepared this time.

• Loren: Re, really? They, they’re new products?

• Fiolan: How about it, Loren. If it’s like this, the hearts of the LoveLeeAn members will be moved quite a bit, right?

• Loren: Of course! There are probably a ton of members of the fan club that would come running just even at the chance of seeing Ian’s face and Bbookbbook’s bbook noise, but for a chance to even obtain a new talisman that Ian has personally produced with his own two hands…!

• Fiolan: Alright, as expected, Loren! Thank you! Then, I will just trust in you, president.

• Loren: It looks like I’ll have to thank you instead, Fiolan. Once this revolution ends, I will raise your member ranking.

• Fiolan: I’m honoured, president.

There was a reason why Fiolan knew well of the situation of Ian’s fan club like this.

This was because she was also a member of LoveLeeAn.

It was a fan café that she joined at first out of curiosity, but now, she was a named fan that was as passionately active as any other.

Fiolan, who achieved her goal, mumbled with a satisfied expression.

“Huhu, good. As expected, I knew it would work.”

If the members of LoveLeeAn were to swarm over, they would have no reason to worry about the workforce.

Because the majority of the users of the fan café also included high-level users, even if there were low-level users that would have difficulty coming to the central continent, they would be able to receive their help and come over.

“Speaking of which, I need to talk Ian into doing this now…”

However, there was still one more mountain that she needed to get over.

It was the fault of Fiolan, who cast a kite out of excitement.

“Still, it was a method to obtain manpower effectively, so he will probably do it without much complaint, right?”

The problem was exactly the talismans that had Bbookbbook and Ly’s design.

This was because it was an item that didn’t exist in the first place.

‘Was it something I said too spontaneously? It’s not like it’s impossible to make a talisman with Bbookbbook’s design on it, right?’

Fiolan wore a slightly anxious expression, but soon, she shook her head and ran to the barracks that Ian was in with short and quick steps.

* * *

“So… You’re saying that I have a fan club, right?”

“How many times are you asking that, Ian? That’s what I’m telling you.”

“And those fan club people are willingly helping us?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Ian let out a deep sigh.

“It looks like I’ll just have to draw talismans all day from now on.”

While looking at Ian, who became sullen at the thought that he wouldn’t be able to participate in the guild hunting that was scheduled starting from the morning, Fiolan wore a sheepish smile.

“Ha, haha… Since you’ve hunted like crazy for the last couple days, think of it like you’re taking a break…”

Ian turned his head towards Herz, who sat to the right and was snickering as he watched the two people’s conversation.

“Yoohyun.”

“Yeah?”

“How far has the front lines been pushed back now?”

Herz, who pulled out a map from his chest and momentarily checked something, replied slowly.

“Hmm… It’s been pushed back towards the east about 1500 metres compared to when I checked the day before yesterday.”

Ian slightly frowned.

“Ha, it’s getting pushed down faster than I expected. What’s the present condition of nearby Desert Warriors or neutral NPCs? Does it look like there won’t be an attack today?”

There were a lot of neutral NPCs that didn’t have a friendly relationship with either camp across the central continent here and there.

Desert Warriors were also one of those kinds of tribes, but because of the Mark of Magellan, they had turned into a tribe that was friendly to the Kaimon Empire, but even aside from them, there were quite a bit of neutral NPCs that were known, such as the Crow Bandits or the Scorpion Witch Doctors.

They were still in the safe zone from the army of the Kaimon Empire, but as they had no idea when they would even be attacked by neutral tribes, Ian had asked.

“Yeah, there are no neutral NPCs that have been discovered nearby. We’ve already blocked them off once now. And even if an attack was to return, as we’ve built so many defense towers, we can easily block off a decent-sized attack, so don’t worry.”

Realizing Ian’s hidden intention of trying to escape from the swamps of grinding by making some sort of excuse, Fiolan quickly assisted.

“That’s right. We can block them off even without you, Ian, so don’t worry.”

“Ha…”

While looking at Ian, who sighed, Fiolan added to her words.

“Think of it like you’re raising the Proficiency of your production skill for today, and crank up the energy.”

Ian, who momentarily thought of something, opened his mouth again.

“Then, Fiolan.”

“Yes.”

“Please pull out Mishyal from today’s guild hunting.”

At Ian’s out-of-the-blue words, Fiolan asked back with a questioning voice.

“Huh? Why Mishyal? Mishyal’s fire magic is a lot of help when we’re AoE hunting…”

However, Ian absolutely needed Mishyal.

“I need Mishyal in order to make a Bbookbbook design or a Ly design.”

“…?”

“If I designed the symbol, then the Ly design will probably be completed to look like a puppy that is suffering from mange.”

“Ah… Well, if it’s for that reason.”

Fiolan, who then finally remembered that Mishyal was a design major, nodded her head, and Herz, who was next to her, smirked as he said something.

“Then, spend some quality time with Mishyal.”

Ian pulled out the talisman materials from his inventory one by one as he nodded his head weakly.

“Alright.”

* * *

After that, the fortification operation of the base of the Lotus Guild proceeded with lightning speed.

The special event(?) that spread through Ian’s fan club passed through and spread quickly in the official community, and even content that Fiolan hadn’t mentioned once were falsely spread.

For example…

• Apparently, the talismans with Bbookbbook’s design is a limited edition that Ian especially created in order to just give to the users that participated in this operation!

• There’s word that users that participated in the rampart building operation will be taken in by the Lotus Guild!

… Things like these.

Either way, tons of crowds began to gather at the site where the Lotus Guild’s rampart building took place, and even people that weren’t part of Ian’s fan club, but were just hunting in the vicinity of the central continent and out of curiosity, they had come looking for the base of the Lotus Guild.

And in the middle of the construction site, Ian was sharing a serious conversation with someone.

“Professor, so, you’re saying that we just need to build this part like this method, right?”

“That’s right. It’s nice that a young one understands instructions well. You need to leave this place open like this so that even if opponents were to enter, you can isolate them easily.”

One of the two people was Ian, and the other person was the architecture professor of Korea University who had received Professor Lee Jinook’s invitation.

“An expert is truly different, Professor. As long as it just gets completed like this, it looks like we’ll be able to block off even a large army of a million.”

“Keu-ha-hat, I like you. Did you say you were a VR Department student?”

“That’s correct, professor.”

“What do you think about changing your major into architecture when this project ends? I want to take in a clever and capable person like you as a student, that is.”

Ian wiped his cold sweat away as he replied with a faint voice.

“That, that’s a little…”

As it was an incredibly large-scale construction site that was unparalleled, small problems even occurred here and there, and the plentiful funds of the Lotus Guild began to shrink quickly as well, but while Ian looked at the fortification, he couldn’t hide his satisfaction.

‘The construction speed is faster than I was expecting. It looks like we’ll definitely be able to complete construction before the front lines get pushed down here.’

Ian went up to a hilly section where he could see everything, and looked at the rampart that continued in a long line to the west.

And the corners of his mouth rolled upwards.

‘Huehue, now if we can just put the War Trading Post within the rampart, it will be perfect. If the second outer wall also gets built, I feel like it will come into our range enough…’

There was a big significance if the War Trading Post came into the base’s internal area.

Firstly, it was that the Lotus Guild could monopolize the advantages of the War Trading Post, and secondly, even if the base was completely surrounded by opponents and they were isolated, the self-supplying and demanding of resources would become possible.

‘Even if we just continued to do defensive wars, our Specialty Points would pile until they overflowed, that is.’

In the central continent, as a reward in all battles, Specialty Points could be obtained.

Even if enemy NPCs or users were faced, the reward grew bigger, so it meant that an endless war would immediately end up as supplying and demanding resources.

‘Occupying a base that was close to the War Trading Post was truly a great move.’

At the time, he selected a base that was close just so it was easy to get to, but he didn’t know that it would be used like this.

While Ian was thinking of this and that as he looked around the construction site, he heard a voice calling him from behind.

“Ian!”

Ian’s gaze reflexively turned so that he was looking back, and Loren, who was on a wyvern’s back, flew quickly to Ian’s side.

“Ah, hello, Loren.”

Loren, who jumped down from the wyvern’s back, took Ian’s outstretched hand as she replied.

“Yes, that’s right! I’m Loren. How did you know about me?”

While looking at her, who was boring holes into him with her sparkling eyes, Ian wore an awkward expression.

“Ha, haha. Of course I remember you, Loren. How could I not know of the 1stplace Summoner in the Summoner rankings? I’ve known since long ago, Loren.”

Ian’s words weren’t just a lip service.

He really knew Loren ever since a really long time ago.

There was even a time when he was looking for her.

‘The name of the Summoner that apparently obtained information about the eggs of Familiars first was Loren.’

Ian’s memory was to the point it was unrivaled.

Ever since a long time ago, he had remembered the name that he had heard briefly on top of the boat that crossed the Abysmal Lake.

And at his words that he knew her, Loren’s large eyes became even more lively.

“I really didn’t know that you knew about me, Ian! Speaking of which, what do you mean I’m the 1st place Summoner in the Summoner rankings. Everybody knows the truth that you are 1st place.”

While looking at her, who was glued to his side to the point it was burdensome as she chattered, Ian wore an expression saying as if he had no idea what to do.

“Is, is that so?”

Just then, while he was sharing a momentary conversation with Loren like that and walking,

An incredibly familiar silhouette of a female from afar caught Ian’s gaze.

“Park Jinsung, what are you doing here right now…?”

And he didn’t know the reason why, but Ian’s complexion began to turn white.

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