A Veteran of Infinite Buffs - Chapter 91

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 91

The money had elevated the peak of the hidden quest reward even further.
An unknown reward marked with a question mark had been added, but the Ritual Chief’s sincere goodwill was proof enough that the reward was no ordinary thing.
“I won’t disappoint your expectations. How should I meet Bailys?”
“Would you wait a moment? I’ll prepare right away.”
“Understood.”
The Ritual Chief arranged the items he’d brought, preparing something carefully.
Indeed, it seemed the Shaman was a profession that drew upon their abilities through some medium.
‘There appears to be a pattern to how the items are placed.’
A doll, a blade, a rusted nail, sand, a wooden fragment.
The objects being arranged were things easily obtainable even within the game.
Yet at some point, the items laid out in that precise pattern began to tremble quietly.
Personally, I was curious about what options these items possessed.
However, since shamanic power would need to be infused for them to have any effect, I decided to remain silent.
Hummmmm!
An otherworldly mana emanated from the Ritual Chief.
Was the true shamanic ritual beginning?
I felt an inexplicable chill run through me.
“The preparation is complete. Please lie down here.”
“Should I simply lie still and remain quiet?”
“Yes. When you hear no more sound, that’s when you should open your eyes.”
“Understood.”
Following the Ritual Chief’s instructions, I lay down in the designated spot and closed my eyes quietly.
A continuous humming sound filled the surroundings, and then, at some point, the noise ceased.
Now it was time to open my eyes.

* * *

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in a bizarre place with colors I had never seen before.
My status window was blocking the view, so I decided to check the Achievement notification first.

[Great Achievement!]
[You have entered the Shamanic Entity’s Space!]
[Luck increases by 10.]

[Magnificent Achievement!]
[You have encountered a being who was once great!]
[Luck increases by 7.]

This Achievement also granted an increase in Luck.
This time, it was fortune earned through effort rather than mere chance—a promising start.
Moreover, there seemed to be no particular quest attached to it.
After all, the message had stated I’d encountered a being who was once great.
Though I couldn’t see anything with my naked eye, I decided to greet them first.
If they’d once demonstrated divine-level strength, they were undoubtedly formidable in any conventional sense.
“Greetings. I am Kael, the Eternal Adventurer.”
I led with the keyword “Eternal Adventurer,” which I’d identified as crucial to conquering this space.
At minimum, this should ward off any immediate threat.
Coo-coo-coo!
I heard the sound, though I could see nothing.
Just as I’d suspected, Bailys was present in this place alongside me.
“I can hear you, but I cannot see your form. Is there something else you require?”
This was not a space that could be conquered through conventional combat.
I would need to keep thinking, keep strategizing.
The reason I’d made it this far was thanks to my hidden class—the Eternal Adventurer.
My next move was to demonstrate my unique technique.
Crack! Crackle!
“A transformation derived from the records of the Wilderness Adventurer.”
One arm transformed into that of a wolf.
The other arm took on the carapace of a scorpion.
And one leg became the leg of an eagle.
The form was grotesque, but I believed it would suffice as an appeal.
“….”
The noise ceased—my transformation had had an effect.
Instead, an alien power began to surge forth.

[Active Buffs]
[Bailys’s Approval (Legendary)]
[Strength +10 Agility +10 Stamina +10 Wisdom +10 Luck +10]
[You can now perceive shamanic sources.]
[Duration: 4 hours]

A legendary-grade buff had been applied to me.
This alone was enough for me to be confident that this entire journey was a success.
It became certain that Bailys, even in a weakened state, was a powerful entity capable of bestowing legendary-grade buffs.
Did Bailys also possess the ability to reclaim buffs?
For now, since the buff’s duration still had considerable time remaining, I postponed converting it to permanent status.
Moreover, I finally understood why I had been unable to perceive Bailys until now.
It was revealed that a shamanic source was a superior version of a shamanic entity.
Bailys was classified not as an entity, but as a source.
Bailys had been right before my eyes all along.
The size was so immense that it was difficult to even look at it properly, making it hard to gauge the actual scale.
“…Hello.”
Bailys continued to gaze at me.
Communication felt one-directional.
Bailys understood what I said, but I couldn’t hear anything in return.
“I understand that you need my help. For now, you’re only visible, and we can’t have any conversation. Is there a way we could communicate? And I’m not even sure where to look when speaking to you.”
Then Bailys turned away from me and began to shrink in size.
Continuing to diminish, Bailys reached a size comparable to a large dog.
“Thank you for your consideration.”
Conversation was still impossible.
At this point, it was reasonable to conclude that there was no immediate way to communicate.
I could only infer from Bailys’s actions.
“Should I follow you?”
Bailys began to move.
Even as Bailys turned away from me, a clear sensation of being watched created an uncanny feeling.
For now, with no other options available, I had no choice but to follow.
‘Hm?’
I realized that gravity was being applied in an unusual manner.
Moreover, it was applied differently in each space.
Only in the spaces where Bailys had touched was gravity applied to a certain degree, allowing me to plant my feet on the ground.
It was a bizarre experience.
Despite my earnest pursuit, I couldn’t close the distance between myself and Bailys.
Even using Gale Rush made no difference.
The Shamanic Entity’s Space was a realm where common sense and rules held no sway.
How long had I been chasing?
I entered a space filled with colors that had grown increasingly darker from the hues I’d first witnessed.
It was a space where the colors had become murky for some reason.
Bailys came to a halt.
“Hm?”
Bailys turned its head and gazed at me once more.
Was this a sign that I should judge based on its actions?
I decided to try reasoning through the situation.
‘Why did Bailys need an adventurer’s help?’
No matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t grasp the answer.
At least, I couldn’t think of any ability I possessed that could bring about such a significant change for Bailys.
For now, I decided to approach this the way a South Korean would.
“Would you like something to eat?”
Since this was a game, food qualified as a means to create change.
Every food had its own unique buff after all.
“How about this?”
My choice fell on chrysanthemum tea, which had detoxifying properties.
If recovery hadn’t been possible for a long time, it was reasonable to suspect poisoning first.
Bailys showed no particular reaction.
At least, it wasn’t a negative one.
“Then I’ll have some.”
The form looked inconvenient for drinking from a cup.
I decided to pour it into a suitable dish instead.
It felt like I was giving water to a dog, but in terms of efficiency, a dish was the best option.
“Please, go ahead.”
I offered the dish and watched for a reaction.
Bailys alternated glances between me and the dish before slowly beginning to lap at the flower tea within it.

*Lap, lap, lap.*

“Does it suit your palate? This is chrysanthemum tea—it should help with detoxification. The taste is quite pleasant too.”

*Lap, lap, lap, lap.*

Fortunately, the chrysanthemum tea seemed to be to Bailys’s liking.
Regardless of its effects.
Being a shamanic entity in a shamanic space, I honestly hadn’t expected detoxification to have much effect.
If a shamanic entity sustained an injury, it would mean a shamanic cause had created that wound.
‘Drinking more readily than I expected.’
Bailys was a being that had remained in this space for decades, perhaps centuries.
If consumption was possible, then perhaps Bailys could experience satiation as well.
“Would you care to try this as well?”
Next, I presented roasted wild boar—crude in presentation but generous in portion.
This time too, Bailys began eating the roasted wild boar with fervent intensity.

*Gulp!*

It even crunches through the bones.
In mere moments, Bailys had swallowed the wild boar—a creature nearly its own size.
Judging that the meal portion had been sufficiently satisfied, it was now time for the culinary experience.
Having started with the boar’s rather robust, meaty flavor, I anticipated the next dish would deliver even greater impact.
“Let’s go with this next.”
The newly prepared menu item was pudding.
It possessed a texture and taste entirely opposite to the boar.

—Slurp.

Had it made an impression?
Bailys began eating the pudding while shaking its head vigorously.
Its eating pace accelerated dramatically.
The pudding vanished in an instant.
“If you’re still hungry, extend your left foot. If you’re satisfied, extend your right foot.”
It had become certain that Bailys understood language.
Before me lay an extended left foot.
It seemed I would need to continue providing food.
“Fortunately, I do have something left.”
In my subspace, there were Kukuri Mumu that I had packaged yesterday.
Given that they were undoubtedly connected to the shamanic essence of Ath Village, I suspected something might change.
“This is the most popular food sold in Ath Village.”
The quantity wasn’t substantial.
Only six pieces in total.
I should have purchased a wider variety of foods from this village if I’d known.

—Gulp.

Bailys swallowed the Kukuri Mumu whole.
And then, the most dramatic transformation occurred.
Its body color had changed.
I couldn’t pinpoint the exact hue, but it was far more radiant than before.
‘Was giving it food from Ath Village the right answer?’
Since the quantity had been so meager, the Kukuri Mumu vanished in an instant.
“Would you care for some fruit as well?”
This time, I displayed the fresh fruits I’d brought along as snacks.
Fruits don’t overlap with other food buffs, after all.
Unlike me, who could stack multiple food buffs thanks to my Permanent Sustained Conversion, most beings could only maintain a single food buff at a time.
“This is the last food I have to offer.”
I wasn’t certain which foods would prove effective, but in terms of buffs, quite a few effects should have accumulated.
Surely it could receive at least modest recovery effects.

-Munch, munch.

Every last fruit I’d set out disappeared into Bailys’s belly.
Now I had no idea what to do next.
At that moment, Bailys began to open its mouth.
“…!”
Had it started categorizing me as a meal too?
This was an emergency.
I hastily put distance between myself and Bailys, but the situation unfolded differently than I’d anticipated.

-That is sufficient, Adventurer.

I heard Bailys’s voice.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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