[Party] Ratan: Ah, everyone really worked hard ㅠㅠ Thank you for helping out
[Party] Moto: I learned a lot thanks to you all ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
[Party] BananaMambo: Same here ㄷㄷ I didn’t know you could dodge like that. I’ll have to practice that later, too
[Party] BananaMambo: Great work, everyone!!
[Party] Pichuragi: Great job~!
[Party] Limousine: Good work, everyone
[Party] Jaheun: Thank you for your efforts
After the strategy was over, the party disbanded coolly, and Limousine and Jaheun were dropped back into the map where they had discovered the red spider lily. It had felt like nothing before, but now that the two of them were left alone, Limousine suddenly started to feel awkward about the situation itself. He wasn’t even sure what exactly was awkward, but that’s just how his heart felt.
The heat from clearing the dungeon hadn’t quite worn off. It wasn’t like he had truly fallen in love or anything, but it was more than enough for a budding admiration for someone who was really skilled to begin to grow. Honestly, how could anyone not be impressed after seeing that up close……?
Limousine, suddenly shy like a teenager, went quiet, and Jaheun turned to look at him curiously.
“What are you doing? Not sending a party request.”
“Huh? Oh……”
< You have sent a party request to ‘Jaheun’-nim. >
< Party has been formed! >
Even after forming a party, silence hung between them. In the awkward air, Jaheun narrowed his eyes and looked at Limousine. He’d been talking just fine back in the dungeon—why was he so quiet now?
“So, what do you think?”
Jaheun’s sudden question made Limousine jump in surprise. Think of what? Was he asking for feedback on his hard carry just now? Was this guy really the type who needed validation that badly? Then again, if it had been him pulling off that kind of super save, he’d probably feel a thrill too. Enough to go to bed with a satisfied smile thinking, ‘I really nailed it today.’ Still, asking someone else about it was a whole different matter. But hey, everyone has a different personality……
“Uh…… it was good.”
Still, it felt kind of embarrassing to give outright praise. He wasn’t the type to hand it out easily. But the truth was, Jaheun had been cool. So the compliment came out a bit reluctant, despite being sincere, and Jaheun’s eyes turned a little ambiguous.
“I meant, what do you think about the red spider lily……”
“…….”
“Thanks for the compliment, though.”
“…….”
Was this an advanced-level tease? Was he just toyed with? The awkwardness from earlier completely evaporated as Limousine frowned.
“No. I meant, I think I did well for discovering the clue about the red spider lily. I’m feeling very proud of myself right now.”
“…….”
It was an unfortunate tragedy that Jaheun’s expression—a mix of embarrassment and fluster—was hidden behind a mask and therefore unseen.
The next destination in the main quest had been simple once they caught the hint from Ratan during the dungeon run. But if they’d tried to figure it out on their own, it probably would’ve taken quite a while. If you don’t know something, you ask someone who does. That’s the truth of life.
The mistake was trying to find an in-game hint outside the game. Why search it on the internet? There was someone much more knowledgeable right here. ……Not that he was thrilled about it.
Items obtained through the herbalist trait were categorized as herbs regardless of their actual use. And Limousine knew the person who was most knowledgeable about herbs. It was even part of the official in-game lore. He took Jaheun and moved to a specific NPC.
[It’s been a while, my disciple…… Have you been attuning well to the breath of nature?]
It was Sī Chuān, the NPC in charge of quests related to the herbalist trait, and in the game’s storyline, he played the role of a mentor to users who had chosen that trait.
Sī Chuān appeared as an elderly man, his clothes shabby but neat, with white hair suggesting his age. Despite being old, his back was straight and his eyes clear—he fit the image of a healthy and wise hermit perfectly. The basket on his back and the hoe hanging from his waist revealed his profession quite explicitly.
“Do you know what the red spider lily is?”
Impatient as always, Limousine jumped straight to the point. The old man simply chuckled.
[It’s been a while, but you’ve become quite impolite……]
“Don’t talk nonsense. I’ve always been the same.”
[Haste leads to failure……]
Here we go again. Sī Chuān had always driven Limousine crazy when he was developing his herbalist trait with that signature trailing tone and cryptic way of speaking. How could someone consistently reply in such a perfectly irritating way?
As the conversation veered off, Jaheun looked suspiciously between Sī Chuān and Limousine.
“He doesn’t seem to know.”
[Party] Limousine: If a Herbalist picks it, it gets categorized as a herb
[Party] Limousine: This guy’s the most knowledgeable NPC in Celestial Wind when it comes to herbs
[Party] Limousine: If you’ve got another NPC in mind, say so
“……Why are you suddenly using chat?”
Because it’s embarrassing, you punk. Limousine didn’t answer Jaheun, secretly feeling sheepish about his earlier misstep. Maybe there was a specific keyword? Wait, what exactly did the item description say again…… He started rummaging through his inventory, just as Jaheun seemed to have the same thought.
“What did the red spider lily item description say, exactly?”
[Party] Limousine: A blood-red flower that grows nourished by corpses. No one knows whether the corpse came first or the flower did.
[Party] Limousine: Do you happen to know anything about the Red Spider Lily?
[Party] Limousine: That last line in polite speech is part of the item description, too
As Limousine typed out the description again per Jaheun’s request, he noticed something strange. Why was only the last line in polite speech?
[It’s been a while, but you’ve become quite impolite……]
……No way?
“Do you happen to know anything about the red spider lily?”
As Limousine recited the final line from the item description verbatim, Sī Chuān furrowed his brows.
[It’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time…… Where did you find it?]
Bingo. Limousine grinned.
[It’s my first time seeing the red spider lily in person. I’d only ever heard stories about it from my grandfather……]
Taking the flower out of his inventory and handing it over, Limousine watched as Sī Chuān gazed at it for a long moment before he began to speak. It was a story from long ago.
130 years ago, a group known as the <Rén Hé Sect> emerged. With several masters who had reached high levels of martial prowess and a foundation in extensive charitable activities, they quickly secured a foothold in the martial world. Expanding their influence at a terrifying pace, the Rén Hé Sect settled in as a recognized neutral force among all factions of the martial arts community. Building on that position, they pulled off a major coup the very year they appeared, taking on the role of host for the <The Grand Tournament of Righteous and Demonic Factions>, an event aimed at uniting the perpetually clashing orthodox and unorthodox sects.
The leadership, long troubled by factional disputes and the lack of a proper neutral host, welcomed them with open arms.
Their growth was suspiciously smooth. No faction questioned them.
The Grand Tournament of Righteous and Demonic Factions held that year was the most magnificent in history. Prestigious sects gladly donated rare treasures for the event, powerful late-stage masters and various clans expressed their interest in participating, and upon hearing the news, people gathered in droves. Sī Chuān’s grandfather, too, set off to witness the tournament after hearing the wild rumors.
In the end, Sī Chuān’s grandfather never saw the tournament. What he witnessed upon arriving at the venue was a field of tombs, all covered in blooming red spider lilies.
[He said the entire tournament grounds were drenched in crimson light…… A horrifying yet hauntingly beautiful sight……]
It wasn’t just the tournament participants. High elders from every clan, who had come as observers, as well as countless civilians, all were massacred in a single night. The tragedy was enough to brand the Rén Hé Sect with a new name: Cult of Blood.
Every faction, orthodox and unorthodox alike, and even many smaller clans, rose in fury, demanding the complete eradication of the Cult of Blood. Declared a public enemy of the martial world, the Cult of Blood was hunted by elite masters. The order was to kill any known associate on sight.
The Cult of Blood vanished completely under the fury of the martial world. It happened in just over two years.
What followed was an attempt to erase the Cult of Blood from history itself. The martial world couldn’t bear the shame of having once trusted and collaborated with them. It was a scar, a taboo. All official records of the Rén Hé Sect were wiped, and the name itself became forbidden even in conversation.
No one spoke of that time. No one could.
Sī Chuān had always assumed it was just an old tale his grandfather told to scare him. After all, he had harvested countless herbs since then, and never once had he seen this red spider lily his grandfather spoke of.
And so time passed.
[But now, that red spider lily has reappeared.]
Jaheun and Limousine instinctively turned to face each other. The story was on a far larger scale than either of them had imagined. This was……
“……We might actually take the number 1 spot if things go well.”
Limousine whispered it aloud, momentarily forgetting his resolve to communicate through party chat only.