The Main Characters That Only I Know

Chapter 17

If someone asked me what was the most important thing for a collector, most people or tellers would probably talk about the collector’s power.

A collector had to be strong.

That way, they could easily defeat the phantasms and collect stories without any difficulty.

I agreed with that too.

But then, if someone asked me what was the second most important thing for a collector, the answer would vary.

The suitability to accept and assimilate stories as one’s own.

The insight to grasp the core of the story and clear the Mental Realms.

The excellent leadership to guide others.

Well, things like these.

However, I would confidently shout this out.

The second most important thing for a collector was ‘style’.

“Uh, um. Do I look okay?”

And as I expected.

Kang Hye-rim’s appearance was enough to surprise the Divine Spirits for sure.

Kang Hye-rim seemed unsure and asked me, but I just nodded my head as an answer.

Contrary to her worries, Kang Hye-rim’s changed appearance was so amazing that even I, who had watched the whole process from the side, was astonished.

‘I knew she was pretty from the start. The problem was that she didn’t dress up.’

But, Kang Hye-rim’s appearance after she decided to dress up was exactly like the beautiful and noble swordmaster that I had seen in the past.

She wore a white martial arts uniform that fit her body perfectly and tied her hair neatly like black ebony.

Her light makeup enhanced her beauty by several times.

She stood straight with a sword on her waist, looking confident and dignified.

She was the swordmaster that I had admired in the distant past.

Not only the Divine Spirits, but even some people who passed by nearby, regardless of their gender, looked at her.

Kang Hye-rim was so attractive that she might become a popular star if she went on TV in this state.

“Are you sure I’m really okay?”

She still didn’t seem convinced and asked me in an anxious tone.

“Hey. Straighten your back! And keep your mouth shut!”

“Yes.”

When I scolded her, she followed my instructions.

She looked like the swordmaster from before, but her personality was still her personality.

If she made a mistake, she could ruin her image.

So I warned her several times to be careful with her words and actions.

Kang Hye-rim knew that too, so she kept her mouth shut.

This way, she definitely looked mysterious and beautiful like a swordmaster.

She was a perfect woman as long as she didn’t open her mouth.

Still, to ease her anxiety, I took a picture of her and showed it to her.

Kang Hye-rim looked at herself on the screen and widened her eyes.

Then she twitched her lips.

She almost burst into laughter, but she seemed to have some sense and tried to hold back her smile.

This was a minor thing that she had to be careful about later, but for now, let’s leave it alone.

Anyway, my plan to dress up Kang Hye-rim worked perfectly.

Ding. Ding.

[The leader of Shaldralla has sponsored 100TP to Kang Hye-rim.]

[You have acquired 21TP.]

[A drunkard from the tavern has sponsored 100TP to Kang Hye-rim.]

[You have acquired 21TP.]

As expected, the Divine Spirits were fascinated by her outward change and generously threw points at her.

Kang Hye-rim didn’t expect this to happen and looked flustered, but thanks to my stern warning that she should accept it naturally no matter what happened, she didn’t react like a bumpkin.

I laughed inwardly as I saw the points coming in as contract fees.

‘A collector’s appearance is definitely important.’

Of course, what the Divine Spirits wanted was a skilled collector.

Who wouldn’t be frustrated if the protagonist of their desired story was incompetent?

But assuming that the collector had skills, the next thing that the Divine Spirits looked at was the collector’s style.

‘Even if they have the same skills, there’s a difference between looking at a collector who fights without dressing up properly and wearing sweatpants and a collector who fights in a cool and pretty way.’

The visual effect was important for making the game more enjoyable.

Just as people dreamed of romance between handsome men and beautiful women in movies and dramas, Divine Spirits also cared about appearance.

“Here. Learn these before you enter the Mental Realm.”

I handed over a few [Stories] that she had bought to Kang Hye-rim who still fixed her gaze on her photo as if she was nailed to it.

These [Stories] were tightly packed with white letters like candy and looked like white spheres that emitted light.

Kang Hye-rim took the [Stories] that I handed over as if she was seeing something amazing.

“Is it amazing?”

“It’s my first time seeing it in person. I only heard about it vaguely.”

“You’ll see it a lot from now on. Here, I’ve only picked out the [Stories] that are necessary for you.”

The stories that I handed over were [Three Elements Sword Technique] [Althor Mercenary Swordsmanship] [Sensory Amplification].

These were all essential things for her who fought in close combat.

“Will these help?”

“Yes.”

I answered with certainty.

Kang Hye-rim’s power was definitely amazing.

But, that was only the power that came from her [Trait].

The trait was an important pillar for the collector, but it didn’t mean that they could fight with just one trait.

Collectors had to collect [Stories] based on their traits.

They absorbed other [Stories] and also spent the points they collected to increase their stats.

This was how collectors became stronger.

In other words, the trait had to be one of the many pillars that made up the collector’s skills, not the only one.

That was why I nagged her to buy these basic [Stories].

“Your sword is fast and fierce, Miss Hyerim. But, you lack the most important basics. You may swing your sword with your senses and feelings for now, but if you keep doing that, you’ll trip yourself up at a critical moment.”

That’s why I gave her these stories related to basic swordsmanship.

These alone would greatly increase Kang Hye-rim’s combat power.

What if someone who had a natural talent for the sword also had solid basics?

Then a real monster would be born.

“Thank you.”

Kang Hye-rim nodded her head, accepting my words as sincere.

The three white lumps were absorbed into her body.

I wondered if she saw a system window saying [You have absorbed a story] or something like that.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I feel refreshed actually.”

“That’s a good reaction. People have different limits on how much [story] they can take in. For a novice collector like you, it would be normal to feel a headache as if your head was about to explode after taking in two.”

“I’m fine though?”

“That’s why you’re amazing. You can take in three at once and not feel anything.”

She said she felt refreshed, which meant she had absorbed the [story] properly.

It was not surprising that she had talent in this area too.

“Of course, it’s not over just by taking them in. You have to use the [story] regularly and make it your own.”

It was not enough to just absorb the story.

“You know what they say in movies. Knowing the path and walking the path are different things.”

That’s why there was a digestion process for absorbing the story.

You had to use it and practice it until it became natural.

That’s how the story became yours.

“For now, you only need to get the basic [stories]. You might get some skills later, but those are usually expensive in the [dimensional shop], so it’s better to aim for them as clear rewards for the Mental Realms.”

Anyway, I had given her everything she needed at this point.

Kang Hye-rim seemed touched by how much I cared for her, and her eyes changed when she looked at me.

I spoke first, as if to preempt her.

“I appreciate your gratitude, but that’s enough. I’ve opened the library for you, so you have to show your perfect self to the Divine Spirits.”

The role of Sword Empress that she would play from now on might not suit her original personality, but I believed she could do well.

“Yes. Trust me and leave it to me.”

“Alright. Then let’s go in.”

She might be calm now because she was overwhelmed by emotion, but if she remembered how many points I spent to buy this, she might have a fit.

To prevent that from happening, I dragged her into the Mental Realm that was our goal for today.

The scenery changed in an instant.

It was a closed corridor that did not show the sky, similar to the cobalt mine we first went to.

But unlike the crude mine made by carving rocks, this place was more like a labyrinth made with precision.

“Where is this? I can tell it’s a secluded place that people don’t visit often.”

Kang Hye-rim asked in a serious tone.

She looked like she had written strictness, solemnity, and seriousness on her face.

I told her to act, but seeing her like that made me smile involuntarily.

Why did I feel like laughing when I saw her subtle acting?

I quickly answered before I burst out laughing.

“This is the Labyrinth of Crete.”

To be precise, it was the Labyrinth of Knossos (Λαβύρινθος) in the palace of Crete.

“It’s also a Mental Realm that collectors don’t visit often.”

“Isn’t that from Greek mythology? Why is it here…”

“The appearance of Mental Realms does not depend on countries. A story imbued with Korean folklore can be realized as a Mental Realm on the other side of the earth. Stories are much more free than we think.”

But that wasn’t the important thing.

“This Labyrinth of Knossos has been raided by several teams, but it still remains uncleared.”

“Why?”

“They couldn’t find the clear condition. And also because the labyrinth itself is very tricky.”

At my words, Kang Hye-rim looked around once.

It was a bit dark, but she had acquired a skill called [Bright Eyes] in the mine, so she could easily see through the darkness.

The surroundings were definitely complex like a maze, with paths opening in all directions.

“The labyrinth itself is too complicated to navigate without a map. And according to legend, there is a fearsome phantasm roaming inside.”

“…Minotaur.”

She knew it because it was such a famous story.

As if answering her call,

Woohoo!

A loud roar of a giant beast came from the dark depths of the labyrinth, carried by the wind.

“This is different from the cobalt mine. The paths are complex, it’s dark because there’s not much light. And there are no other phantasms, only that Minotaur bastard.”

It was practically a place where there was nothing to farm.

Moreover, this phantasm was not an ordinary one, but a boss-level one.

It was a terrifying creature that most collectors would avoid confronting.

I wasn’t sure if Kang Hye-rim could handle it at this point.

‘The only good thing is that this bull-headed creature is stuck in the labyrinth.’

That’s why there was no need to raid it periodically, and this Labyrinth of Knossos Mental Realm was left alone.

This was a relatively peaceful Mental Realm that didn’t have any ‘erosion’.

So, it was perfect.

The goal for today was one thing.

To clear this labyrinth.