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nLike fireworks, multiple messages boomed in the sky, but Ren no longer cared about them.

nThe others could compete with first blood for simple quests for all he cares. He knew the rewards of those first blood weren’t great at this point in time. The only noteworthy of obtaining first blood now were the rare quests, defeating bosses, and clearing dungeons.

nWith that in mind, Ren took his time and enjoyed the game for once. Unlike in the past, where there was a sense of urgency in everything he did that he no longer enjoyed playing the game.

nWhile the others were busy finishing quests in the newbie village here and there and grinding for EXP like their life depended on it, Ren was busy picking flowers and herbs in the meadows.

nJust across Euclid forest and beside the dirt road going to Euclid village was a vast expanse of tall grass and flowers with a pool of water at the center, coming from a reservoir from below.

nRen was there, foraging what he could.

nThough he could only forage a spot once a day before the items respawn the next day.

nACQUIRED:

n❶ Blue Grass x7

n❷ Earth x4

n❸ Rock x10

n❹ Twig x3

n❺ Fresh Water x5

nThey were mediocre items at best because Ren foraged using his hands. Later, there would be tools available in the market to up his forage items.

nLike if he had an axe, he could get lumber. And depending on the quality of his tool, he could get rare materials.

nThe quality of foraging tools depended on their color. Like for example, a bronze pix axe would get him rocks. A silver pix axe would get him basic ores. A gold pix axe would mine him precious stones.

nBut a platinum blue pix axe . . . it would let him acquire rare ores and stones.

nAs an Alchemist who relied on his materials to craft, Ren needed those tools.

nWhen Ren had already foraged every spot there was to foraged, he snatched the onigiri from his inventory and placed it near the pool of water at the center of a small dirt area.

nIt didn’t take a minute, and a tiny little piglet with a streak of black and white lining its brown furs appeared.

nPelka

nInformation:

n❶ Appeared one time in Euclid Meadows

n❷ If LCK 100, 70% chance of appearance

n❸ If any cooked dishes are placed near the pool of water, 40% chance of appearance

nRen crossed his hands and grinned in delight. His eyes were glinting evilly at those little plump pigs.

nThese little piglets were called Pelka, and their meat was the most delicious and sought after in COVENANT. The taste of its meat, when cooked by a Grandmaster Chef, was so delicious and out of this realm that even the conservative people who were against the game ate their words and entered COVENANT so that they could taste it once in their life.

nIt was also why the nouveau rich and royalty entered the game so that they could eat Pelka Meat every day. And COVENANT became a tourist destination for those who didn’t want to play and only wanted to sightsee and experience the awesome scenery and delicious food.

nA piece of the Pelka Meat could fetch from 10,000 Gil to 100,000 Gil when auctioned right.

nAnd if cooked and served as food by a Grandmaster Chef, its price doubled.

nBut the rich didn’t care. They earned that amount of money every few hours even without working.

nHowever, in return for the expensive meat and out-of-this-world taste, Pelkas were rare.

nVery rare!

nThey required specific ATP and items to trigger in each location. And once activated, they would no longer appear again.

nThey could only be triggered once, and each location had its own requirements. In Euclid meadow, the condition was above 100 LCK and any kind of food.

nIt was the reason why Ren allocated all his ATP to LCK. He couldn’t afford to miss it, so he poured all his acquired EXP to LCK just in case.

nWhen all the Pelkas in that area appeared and munched on Ren’s food, the latter threw the rock he acquired at them.

nUsed Rock x1

nNumber of Rock Left: 9

nThe Pelkas were startled, and they stopped munching. They looked at Ren with angry eyes before all of them charged at Ren with their snout ramming Ren’s leg.

n-1

n-1

n-1

n-1

nRen’s HP decreased by 1 each time a Pelka hit him with its snout.

nRen stifled a laugh.

nThere was also another reason why Ren wanted to trigger these rare Pelkas.

nIt was because . . .

nRen poked his long staff over the Pelka’s head. But since his STR was only 2, the amount of damage he made on the little piglet was only -1.

nBut it was enough to kill the piglet.

nACQUIRED:

n❶ Pelka Meat x10

n❷ 1,000 EXP

nPelka’s were actually beasts that offered a huge and fixed amount of EXP no matter how high your ATP had become.

nIt was indeed the best grinding spot!

nIt was the reason why many players in the past went ‘gaga’ in search of them.

nHowever, they were quite fast. But of course, their level of AGI was still based on the player’s ATP. And the moment one of them was killed, the others would run away immediately.

nRen was prepared, though. He waited and gathered every Pelka and let them attack him so all of them would get close to him since he wasn’t confident with his AGI.

nNeedless to say, with just a thwack of his long staff and a throw of a stone to those who were fleeing, he managed to kill all the Pelka and raked a whopping 10,000 EXP and Pelka Meat x144.

nThe amount of Pelka Meat you can acquire depends on your LCK, and that was another reason why Ren only increased his LCK.

nAnother thing to note about this elusive piglet was that you couldn’t use magic-related attacks on them. If you did, you wouldn’t be able to acquire its meat.

nThat was why Ren opted to buy a longer staff that he could quip so it would be easier to attack them.

nSatisfied, Ren sighed in bliss.

nIt was really a good time to be alive!

nHe could only view others eating the meat in the past since it was so expensive.

nBut now . . . he actually had x144 of them!

nWith these he didn’t have to worry about his student loan anymore!

nRen immediately allocated half of his 10,000 EXP to his DEF and INT in preparation for his first Boss fight later.

nBut first . . .

nRen roasted a Pelka Meat using his Fire spell and munched that tender meat in one go.

n ACQUIRED:

n❶ Roasted Pelka Meat x1

nRen gasped when fireworks of flavors exploded in his mouth. The meat was so soft, melting on his tongue and with it came different flavors that were more delicious than anything he had tasted in his entire life.

n All ATP increased 1

nIf the meat was already this delicious at his level of cooking, then what’s more if a Grandmaster Chef cooked it?

nNo wonder the rich and royalties all came to the game just to eat it.

nRen found it hilarious in the past, but now that he got to taste the meat for the first time in his life, he finally understood the hype.

nIt was like a strong addicting drug that Ren was having a hard time resisting to take another bite from his inventory.

nHe was starting to regret that he even ate one.

nNo wonder everyone who ate it in the past said that they couldn’t stop eating it once they tasted it. There were even instances where many people went bankrupt because of the valuable meat.

nIt felt like a voice inside Ren’s head was constantly whispering for him to taste another bite.

nIt was like a cursed item. Ren mused, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

nThinking about his parent and buying them a mansion on the best spot in Zone A’s exclusive neighborhood helped him resist the powerful calling inside his head.

nRen lay on the grass and closed his eyes. Maybe if he slept, he would forget about the taste?

n. . . maybe.

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