Despite cutting it into a reasonably appropriate size and dividing the weight, the meat of the rock pig was still quite heavy. However, monster meat that could be eaten was rare, so it sold for a high price.
Moreover, Lorelai was in a state of food shortage in many ways. Although relief efforts were being made from Robelia, the number of players and expedition troops staying in Lorelai had long exceeded its capacity.
Perhaps because of this, things that could be used as food were being bought by the fairies for high prices without the sellers having to put in much effort. That alone was enough reason to carry this heavy load.
As they crossed through the forest, now somewhat familiar, and the familiar terrain appeared before them, the tension in the group began to slowly ease. It was essential to stay alert in a forest where monsters could attack at any time, but Yuhyeon intentionally allowed the others to relax.
After all, they had already traveled a considerable distance to catch the rock pig. Even though Yuhyeon had been tracking its trail and leading the group, it was enough to wear everyone out.
Finally, the village of Lorelai came into view.
Lorelai was still small in scale. Because of this, its size could be seen clearly from a distance.
Surrounded by a wooden fence, Lorelai had made much progress compared to a month ago.
The barren landscape was no longer visible; now, it was full of life.
As they neared, the soldiers guarding Lorelai briefly glanced at the group.
Although a barrier had been set up to protect Lorelai, there were still many shortcomings, and monster attacks occurred from time to time. The soldiers seen here were part of the force ready to respond to potential attacks.
"Glad to see you back safely."
"Yes. You've done a great job, Jatan."
When the soldier guarding the entrance greeted them, Rute also saluted and responded. Having been in the military, Rute was naturally familiar with the soldiers stationed at Lorelai.
Once inside Lorelai, the first place the group headed to was the temple. A small market had been set up around it, where merchants bought the byproducts brought by players.
All the merchants were from the area beneath Lorelai, and they bought supplies that players brought in. This was how materials needed for the village's reconstruction were supplied.
However, the only item the group had to sell this time was the rock pig's meat.
Magic stones were bought directly by the fairies inside the temple, so Yuhyeon planned to sell them when he went to check the quest and retrieve the Labyrinth Compass.
"Hmm. This is quite fresh meat. It's well-prepared, too. And rock pig meat is famous for its good taste. Is this enough?"
As the group placed the meat down one by one, the man, after inspecting the thick jowl meat for a while, spoke. The group all looked to Yuhyeon, as the decision on the price was his responsibility.
Yuhyeon checked the money pouch the man offered. Inside were a fair mix of silver and gold coins.
For just selling meat, it was quite a substantial amount. Judging that the price wasn’t an issue, Yuhyeon nodded. The merchant, in turn, smiled in satisfaction. It was a clean transaction.
After taking the money, Yuhyeon handed it to Song Gayun.
"Why...?"
Song Gayun tilted her head in confusion as Yuhyeon suddenly handed her the money. Looking into her eyes, Yuhyeon spoke.
"Go ahead and book a room at the inn first. If you're hungry, eat something too. I’ll stop by the temple for a bit."
He planned to sell the magic stones and then get the Labyrinth Compass. It should be ready by now. They had to wait for a week for the Labyrinth Compass.
The Labyrinth Compass was a tool for expeditions that ventured out of dungeons and needed to return safely. Each dungeon required its own specialized compass.
For dungeon A, only the compass made in A could be used.
Considering his tired companions, Yuhyeon sent them ahead. If there were many people in the temple, they would have to wait in line. It wasn’t necessary for everyone to wait for something that could be done by one person.
‘As expected, it’s crowded.’
As Yuhyeon had predicted, the temple was filled with many people. Most of them were players. He could also see a few priests running around, likely treating the injured.
No one had yet undergone a class change. Because of this, priests were rare, only found inside the temple. As he watched the priests rush around with clean cloths and water, Yuhyeon lost himself in thought.
‘We need a priest too.’
There was one person who seemed suitable for the role.
Yuhyeon was thinking of Lee Seoyeon.
She had shown good results in training, but it was well-known that she wasn’t suited for close combat. In fact, her dueling scores were slightly below average.
Yuhyeon, Gil Yumi, and Namgung Min formed the front line, with the remaining three providing support from behind. Rute could play his role well in the back. He would protect Song Gayun and Lee Seoyeon as needed, depending on the situation.
While thinking about the formation they would eventually create, he observed the priests running around.
"Long time no see. Lee Yuhyeon."
A deep voice called out to Yuhyeon. The sound came from right in front of him. Curious, Yuhyeon turned his head to find Renald's face, now more tanned than before.
"Long time no see."
Since Renald greeted him first, Yuhyeon couldn’t ignore him. He gave a small nod in response.
It seemed Renald had come to the temple before Yuhyeon. The reason was probably to sell magic stones along with the quest reward. There was no other reason to visit the temple at this moment. He was alone and didn’t appear to be injured.
"Tomorrow, we will head into the labyrinth."
Renald suddenly brought this up.
"I hope the exploration goes well."
At Yuhyeon’s words, Renald nodded.
"Ah, we expect a lot from this. It’s a great opportunity to test our potential. Even if the fairy expedition soldiers aren’t around, we can do this on our own, proving our possibilities."
Yuhyeon bitterly smiled at Renald’s passionate words. Thinking back, Renald had always had antagonistic feelings toward the fairy expedition soldiers during training. He even despised those who joined the fairy expedition and became soldiers.
"A few days ago, I heard an interesting story. You’ve been traveling with that soldier named Rute, huh?"
"Is there a problem with that?"
"No, there’s no problem. But I’d advise caution. Don’t trust him too much. I just wanted to say that it’s better to have party members who are other players."
With that, Renald left. Yuhyeon watched his retreating figure and chuckled softly.
...Don’t trust him.
To be honest, Yuhyeon had never fully trusted him. He only allowed Rute in the party because he was useful. Ultimately, he was likely a spy planted by the fairies.
Well, calling him a spy might be a stretch. But he definitely had hidden motives.
Yuhyeon could roughly guess what they were. It was probably observation. Iris seemed unwilling to give up on the possibility that players could awaken their own magic power.
Perhaps they were hoping to find some clue by observing Yuhyeon.
As the line gradually shortened, it was finally Yuhyeon’s turn.
"Long time no see, Yuhyeon."
Lorelai greeted Yuhyeon warmly. She remembered the name of every player in the area. She immediately greeted the player who had been ahead of Yuhyeon.
"I’ve come to receive the reward for completing the quest, sell the magic stones, and pick up the Labyrinth Compass I requested last time."
"I understand. Please give the magic stones to the priest over there, and wait for a moment."
Following Lorelai’s instructions, Yuhyeon handed the pouch containing the magic stones to the nearby priest, who quickly disappeared. They would measure the power contained in the stones and return with the appropriate amount of money.
Next, the quest completion details would be checked through the system.
The truth would be determined through the player’s logs. After a while, Lorelai seemed to confirm something others couldn’t see, and Yuhyeon heard the sound of messages in his ear.
[Analyzing the player’s logs.]
[Quest complete. ‘Rock Pig Hunt: Excavating the Farmland’ has been completed. The fairies will remember how you helped Lorelai.]
[5 gold has been rewarded for completing the quest.]
"Your reward is ready. Would you like to check it?"
After the system message finished, Yuhyun grabbed the pouch that appeared in the air and checked its contents. Inside the pouch were exactly five gold coins.
"Confirmed."
Just then, Yuhyun noticed the priest who had taken the magic stones was bringing back the pouch. It looked quite heavy, possibly because a generous price had been offered, or perhaps the quality of the magic stones was good. However, upon closer inspection, Yuhyun realized that the priest was holding two pouches, not just one.
One of the pouches must be the one containing the money, and the other was likely the Dungeon Compass. The answer became clear within moments.
"Luckily, you arrived just on time. The Dungeon Compass you requested, Yuhyun, has been prepared."
Lorelei smiled gently. She took the pouch the priest brought and handed it to Yuhyun.
"The use of the Dungeon Compass is simple. Once you successfully leave the dungeon and are exploring the labyrinth, just follow the direction indicated by the red needle on the compass."
Lorelei’s gaze was serious as she explained. Her voice seemed to emphasize the importance of the instructions, leaving a clear impression in Yuhyun's mind, as if she were warning him never to forget.
"There is one compass for each member of your party, so there’s no need to worry about losing it. Even if adventurers manage to take it from you, it won’t work for them. If that happens, don’t bother trying to retrieve it; just ensure your safety."
As she handed the pouch to Yuhyun, she held his hands firmly. It was as if she was pleading with him not to forget. The tone of concern in her voice made Yuhyun nod in understanding.
As Yuhyun was about to leave the temple, he suddenly remembered something and turned back.
"I heard there will soon be a level-restricted area. Is that true?"
"...Oh dear. The rumor has spread quite fast. Yes, it’s true."
Lorelei smiled bitterly and nodded her head.