Kang Oh walked over to the side of the womanâs body.
She had aged gracefully and her face bore a kind and gentle smile.
A half-moon shaped comb as long as a personâs forearm shone atop the table.
Kang Oh picked up the comb.
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The comb that the mage, Bercy the North Wind, used to brush Baramutâs fur.
[Memories dwell within the item. Would you like to see these memories?]
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Kang Oh replayed Bercy and Baramutâs memories.
The wind mage, Bercy had studied magic all her life as she wandered the lands like the wind, earning her the nickname of the North Wind.
Bercy met several people in her life and lived through several experiences and adventures.
Time passed by, and she eventually became an old woman.
Maybe it was because she traveled from place to place all throughout her youth?
For now, she desired to live out the rest of her life in a quiet place.
Thus, she came to the Quiet Lavero Jungle.
The jungle was extremely quiet and secluded from the outside world, making it a good place to spend the rest of her days in peace.
Bercy constructed a cabin within the jungle and lived in it.
She eventually discovered a tiger cub whoâd lost its mother and decided to bring it back to her cabin and look after it.
âHmm. I have to give you a name⌠Right! Letâs go with Baramut.â
In the ancient tongue, Ba meant north, Ra meant wind, and Mut meant child. Thus, Baramutâs name meant that it was her, the North Windâs, child.
Thatâs how their relationship started.
Bercy and Baramut treated each other like mother and son, creating countless memories together.
Baramut grew rapidly under Bercyâs love and protection.
By living with a wind mage, Baramut learned how to command the wind, and became a unique being that far surpassed any normal tiger.
It also grew three times larger than the average tiger, so they were unable to live in their cabin any longer.
Thus, Bercy and Baramut made the largest cave in the jungle their new home.
Around this time, Baramut had become the master of the jungle.
Thatâs when the Quiet Lavero Jungle became Baramutâs Hunting Ground.
Death had come for Bercy.
âThanks for everything Baramut.â
She pet Baramutâs head as she breathed her last.
Distraught by her death, Baramut roared for three days and nights.
Even after her death, Baramut continued to protect her. So that no one could disturb her peaceful restâŚ
Having seen the memories that dwelled within the keepsake, Kang Oh now understood everything.
The reason why Baramut had so desperately attacked them, why it had faced them here rather than running, and its final act before dying.
âYouâre ok for a tiger.â
Kang Oh scratched his cheek.
It was an emotional story.
But that was all it was to him.
Despite that, it didnât feel right for him to ignore everything heâd seen and walk away.
Therefore, Kang Oh decided to pay his respects to both Bercy and Baramut.
âIâll let you be together.â
Kang Oh put down the comb and left Bercyâs home.
At that moment, Eder entered the cave.
He needed a worker anyway.
âDid you defeat Baramut by yourself?â Eder saw Baramutâs corpse and asked in astonishment.
âYou certainly werenât helping, so yeah.â
âAs I thought, you truly are amazing!â
Eder gave him a thumbs up in an attempt to match Kang Ohâs humor.
âWhatever. Just start digging,â Kang Oh said.
âDig? Why?â Eder asked.
âI want to bury them.â
âYeah,â Kang Oh replied.
Eder merely stared at Kang Oh, as if to say âWhy are you suddenly doing something so out of character?â.
âBercy too,â Kang Oh added.
Eder tilted his head. This was the first time heâd ever heard that name.
âJust shut up and dig.â
âI understand,â Eder responded quickly.
âWe have to bury Baramut, so make sure to dig it wide and deep enough. Iâll be waiting outside the cave.â
Kang Oh left Eder alone and went outside.
Eder conjured up two giant bone hands with his magic.
Although the bone hands were large and strong, they were too slow to use in an actual fight.
In exchange, they were extremely useful for activities like this.
He pretended to rake the ground with his hands, and the giant bone hands followed suit.
The dirt within the cave was soft, so he progressed quickly.
Kang Oh returned while Eder was still absorbed in digging.
Heâd returned with a giant sturdy log strapped to his shoulder and a white flower held between his teeth.
âHoo, shall we begin?â
He dropped the log, put the flowers to the side, and raised his sword.
He cut the log and started to carve out a groove.
âThis should be enough.â
Kang Oh clapped his hands together and nodded his head.
A coffin large enough to fit even the giant Baramut.
Of course, it wasnât well-made, rather it was quite plain and crudely made.
But even though he was no master carpenter, this was an adequate coffin.
âIâve finished digging. Is the pit big enough?â Eder asked.
The grave was both wide and deep enough to fit Baramutâs coffin.
âYes. Put the coffin inside.â
The bone hands lifted the coffin, and carefully placed the coffin within the grave.
âNext, put Baramut inside the coffin.â
The bone hands lifted Baramut with ease and laid it within the coffin.
It was a perfect fit for Baramut, so thankfully he didnât have to rebuild the coffin for being too small.
Kang Oh opened the tent and entered Bercyâs home.
He took the keepsake comb and approached Bercy.
Kang Oh carefully carried Bercyâs body outside.
He was worried she might dissolve into particles of light, like that of monstersâ corpses, so he acted with care.
âIs this old woman Bercy?â Eder asked as Kang Oh approached the grave.
Kang Oh didnât deign to answer him; instead, he carefully placed Bercy within Baramutâs coffin.
Baramutâs body had been laid down in a crescent-shape, so he placed her inside the curve as if they were embracing.
Lastly, he retrieved the keepsake comb and placed it on Bercyâs chest.
Kang Oh let out his held breath.
He felt relieved; he had been worried that he might damage Bercyâs body while carrying it.
âMmnn. That old woman is Bercy, right?â Eder asked once more.
Kang Oh had already ignored him once before, but Eder didnât give up and asked again.
His question also sought the answer to âWho exactly is Bercy?â.
âShe was a wind mage. She gave a baby tiger the name of Baramut raised it. You could say⌠she was Baramutâs mother,â Kang Oh explained briefly.
âLetâs pay our respects and finish up.â
Kang Oh gently placed the white flowers atop Bercy and bowed his head in respect.
Even Eder, whose skull couldnât bend that well, bowed as much as he could. He also attempted to lower his eyes, or rather, the glow in his eye sockets, as much as he could. This was all he could do for the two deceased.
They remained silent for a moment.
Kang Oh and Eder raised their heads at the same time.
âShall I close the lid?â Eder asked.
Now, all that was left was to close the lid and fill the grave.
The bone hands inched forward and grabbed the lid of the coffin.
Kang Oh stopped him, as if heâd suddenly remembered something, and approached the lid of the coffin.
Using the tip of his blade, Kang Oh engraved inscriptions on the coffinâs lid.
âIâm done. Put the lid on,â Kang Oh said.
The bone hands slowly placed the lid atop the coffin.
Fortunately, the lid fit seamlessly.
Now, the inscriptions heâd made could be seen quite clearly.
âEternally mother and son: Bercy and Baramut. Rest in peace,â Eder read the inscription.
âItâs quite nice,â Eder complimented.
The bone hands pushed the piles of dirt nearby and instantly covered the grave.
Eder controlled the bone hands with his delicate hand gestures and used the remaining dirt to create a burial mound.
âShall I make a tombstone as well?â Eder asked.
âItâs fine. This is more than enough.â
The awkward feeling heâd felt after learning of Bercy and Baramutâs story was resolved now.
Kang Oh didnât want to concern himself with Bercy and Baramut any longer.
Instead, his attention had already turned somewhere else.
âNow, shall we clear the dungeon!?â
Although this place didnât seem like a dungeon due to its jungle nature, it was undoubtedly the inside of a hidden dungeon.
Plus, this cave was the hidden dungeonâs boss, Baramutâs home. In other words, the boss room.
It was also the home to the mage known as the North Wind.
There should be much more that he could gain here.
He couldnât help but laugh.
Suddenly, Bercy and Baramutâs souls appeared before him and bowed.
Then they faded away into motes of light
At the same time, a message appeared.
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[Bercyâs soul is thankful to you.]
[By inheriting the wisdom of the mage known as the North Wind, you have learned the passive skill âWisdom of the North Windâ.]
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âThe Wisdom of the North Wind? Plus, my Magic and Mental stats went up by 100 points total!â
Despite it being such an exciting notification, Kang Oh felt puzzled.
It almost felt like Santa Claus had come with presents, even though it wasnât Christmas.
Moreover, that wasnât the end.
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[Baramutâs soul is thankful to you.]
[By inheriting Baramutâs equipment, you have learned the active skill, âTempest Tigerâ.]
[The equipment Baramut left behind has become even stronger.]
[The equipment Baramut left behind has been upgraded to S-rank.]
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âMy Physical and Sense stats went up by a total of 100 too!â
One gained 3 stat points per level up.
If he wanted to gain 200 stats purely through level ups, then heâd need to level up 67 times.
In other words, these rewards were the same as instantaneously leveling up 67 times. He couldnât believe what had just happened!
âTo think Iâd hit the jackpot this hard!â
Kang Oh opened his inventory with shaking hands, and looked over the equipment Baramut had left behind.
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[Baramutâs Dignity Filled Heart]
Part of the Baramut set that was left behind by the King of the Quiet Lavero Jungle, Baramut.
It is made from a tigerâs fur, as well as an unidentifiable alloy. It is both light and tough, a treasure amongst treasures.
It contains the power of the wind and gives the wielder an aura of dignity.
+2 set effect: When you attack an enemy, wind damage is added to your attacks.
+3 set effect: You may use Baramutâs Roar once a day.
+4 set effect: Upon taking a fatal blow, a wind shield appears to nullify the attack. Cooldown: 1 hour
Abilities: Defense +300, Physical +50, Mental +30, Dignity +30
Any wind-related magic or skill damage +5%
Minimum requirements: Level 120, Physical 500, Wind Resistance 30%.
Minimum requirements can be ignored if player possesses the title, âKing of the Lavero Jungleâ.
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It was an excellently designed armor, crafted by mixing together silver metal and tiger fur.
Plus, it was S-rank armor and part of a set.
Just one word kept ringing through his mind over and over again.
There were still three pieces of equipment left.