The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 169 Rewards for Increased Reputation (10,000+ views)

It's been a while since I last wrote in my diary, so here's a summary of recent events—

The publication of the "Guide", the assassination by assassins, and the exploration of the dungeon.

But aside from the publication, everything else can ultimately be categorized into the same event, the content of which is so complex that it could even be the subject of a novel.

"The story of how I got the dragon egg and was forced into the political struggle in Longjin City."

So let's start with the "Guidelines"...

"Wait a minute? So what's the truth about Long Jincheng?! Don't you dare pique people's curiosity and then shut up about it!"

The familiar scent was enough to draw Goya into her diary with just one glance.

But after a brief period of depression, she felt that the oppressive feeling that was blocking her heart had been somewhat relieved.

"He probably doesn't know how much trouble he's caused the academy, does he?"

However, he also has his own share of troubles.

Just how serious a mess was this assassination attempt?

"...At some point, I really didn't know what gave Mel, that old wild boar, the confidence to talk to me about a deal."

Now I understand, he really did weave a lie to deceive himself, then suck on the 'liar's pacifier' for comfort, and believed it to be true—a stupid pig.

I don't know if I woke him up with my scolding, but I know I got my fill of satisfaction.

"Donkey's Guide to the Dawn and Dusk Forest" was successfully published, and according to the information I received from Catherine after returning from the dungeon, sales are quite good.

Within the Longjincheng area, I became somewhat well-known—

Because many people want to see just how many racial jokes I wrote in the Guide.

I heard that the dwarves of Longjin City have gone mad, spontaneously forming small groups and organizing an 'anti-Guide' march'.

The owner of Lame Pigeon Company even went to Golden Oak specifically to ask for my suggestions on the revisions.

Unfortunately, I was in the underground city at the time and couldn't respond in time.

Fortunately, the shrewd Catherine solved this problem for me—

"If you put the 'Guide' on the top shelf so they can't see it, they'll think you've taken the book off the shelves."

I absolutely adore this smart girl.

However, considering that Merard was a "little white pig who stole the skin of an old wild boar" and didn't spend his own money, it's hard to say whether he was ever whipped by his father at home.

But who knows, he might actually enjoy it?

Goya recalled the little white pig that first appeared in the log.

At that time, Merad seemed to be an incompetent young master under the protection of Huss.

Looking back on today, Pluto is so different from the one I remember...

"I guess that counts as personal charisma."

She couldn't help but mutter,
"So you've been influencing others since that time."

But what about the assassination attempt that followed?

She couldn't wait to look back—

"...What I have to admit is that Zhuoer is a bit like those old black men who grow cotton and eat watermelons. They are the type that hide in the shadows and are hard to detect."

The last people who seemed so insignificant to me were dwarves.

What I mean is, it's easy to forget that he's standing right at your feet when you turn around.

Damn it, I hope there aren't any dark-skinned dwarves in this world, or underground.

Otherwise, I can't imagine what kind of evil assassin alliance that was.

However, his appearance truly became my reason for going to explore the 'deep well'.

That's how I met Hope.

A cunning red weasel.

"Hmph, he really is becoming more and more like a bard."

Goya sneered, but she wasn't surprised.

Look at Houston, which is entangled with "Susie with Teeth".

The one who slept with Tang Qi was at least a humanoid creature, wasn't he?
However, ignoring the entries about the other races in the diary, Goya understood why he hadn't been able to find time to update it during this period—

The bizarre dungeon environment and frequent underground encounters made her almost forget to breathe.

The vast array of descriptions and monsters of the dungeon, like interwoven, intricate threads, twisted into a spiderweb in her mind, threatening to draw her in completely.
"They even encountered a witch?"

To be honest, until I met the witch, I was unwilling to admit that Kulu was the smartest person in our team.

But now, shall we praise Kuru?

He's a master of illusion, a born con artist!

I swear, if I ever encounter hordes of brain-eating monsters—which look like walking brains with beast claws—deeply underground or anywhere else, I'll be sure to spot them. These things are extremely sensitive to intelligent beings.

If we are being chased by them, I will not hesitate to throw Kuru in the opposite direction of our escape route. It will definitely buy us enough time to escape!

That's a joke. We should still try our best to be good people, right?
After all, good people are always rewarded.

If I hadn't helped the Sandalwood Forest team, I wouldn't have discovered that Hope was a member of the Red Scarf Gang, nor would I have realized the truth about Longjin City...

"finally coming?"

With anticipation in her heart, Goya awaits the secret behind a city—

Is it related to the skeleton of that giant dragon?

Or perhaps it conceals some hidden political conspiracy?
"Please don't let me down..."

She continued reading, but then froze in place—

However, this truth involves rather complex factors, and may even directly affect my income and situation, so I am hesitating about whether or not to write it down.

In short, I encountered Red Scarf Gang pursuers and a shapeshifting sorcerer—then escaped into the sewers, reached the border of the 'Dragon Vault,' and formed an alliance with Hope during a break.

I've entered the sixth level of the maze...

"That's it? That's it!?"

Goya always felt that she had a good ability to control her emotions.

But whenever she read Tang Qi's diary, she couldn't help but reveal her most authentic, yet also most unseemly, side:
"Did you know I was reading your diary, so you're deliberately keeping me in suspense!?"

But she was ultimately unable to communicate with Tang Qi.

With a heavy heart, I could only focus on the content that followed.

"...It's not that I hold a grudge, but I've really been looking forward to fighting the rubble for a long time."

Do you remember the last time we clashed? It was in the Dusk Forest.

I learned a new spell and wanted to spar with Shatterstone, but I ended up verbally abusing him until he was dizzy and confused. In a fit of anger, he actually chose to cheat and hit me—

Suddenly I remembered that after I beat him that time, there was still a request he owed me that I hadn't fulfilled.

Haha, I'll definitely take advantage of him next time we meet.

Getting back to the point, ever since that day, I've wanted to get my revenge. Not that I'm holding a grudge, but I just want to give him a good whack on the head.

If Merlin had been there with me, I really wish I could have preserved the look on his face when he heard the water level was rising and he left sullenly...

"Damn it, I still really want to know the truth. Who cares about the outcome of your infighting anyway... But there must be a lot of treasure in the 'Dragon's Treasury,' right?"

Imagining Tang Qi as a genuine adventurer, exploring his way to the treasure, Goya couldn't help but fantasize about how wonderful it would be if she were the one standing before the treasure.
"So what did he actually get? Hmm? [Aphrodisiac]?"

...When Iu sprayed the aphrodisiac into my nostrils, I admit I was secretly pleased.

People say that "drunkenness makes it easy to go astray," but the little-known fact is that under the influence of alcohol, it is difficult for most people to stand up straight.

What makes people go astray isn't the alcohol itself, but the powder mixed in with it.

Without a doubt, I wanted to go against the grain—

From the first moment I saw this Tieflin.

But I need an outrageous reason.

Perhaps Iu sensed my subconscious thoughts through the 'Ring of Unity', and thus offered his assistance.

However, I soon realized that this was in the case of a weasel that lived in the shadows, did not believe in kindness, and viewed all behavior as an 'equivalent exchange'.

The very act of saving her was already an outrageous reason—

Before I even threw myself into the flames, they had already engulfed my entire body...

Wait, something came up. I'll write more when I get back.

"Ok?"

Goya couldn't help but frown.
"Are you in any trouble again?"

Fortunately, the diary was not displayed on the stone tablet in real time.

While Geya was reading the stone tablet, Tang Qi continued writing the rest of the text.

This allowed her to continue reading smoothly.

I often wonder, what is the meaning of reproduction for us?
Is it an instinct that cannot be violated for the continuation of life, or a tool to vent one's desires?
In the boundless and vast universe, does there exist a pure land untouched by desire, where all life is immersed in an ocean of knowledge, and where everyone possesses wisdom akin to that of a sage...?

"So you're taking a bath in the diary while you're taking a bath outside the diary, right?!" Goya couldn't help but pat her throbbing head and stomp her foot.

Anyone who has used the spell 'Vacuum Formation' knows that it takes time for a cloud of smoke to disperse and then condense into another cloud of smoke.

Fortunately, I have good energy, and the time from being burned to ashes to being reborn from the ashes was not long.

So I burned myself seventeen times, until the flames ran out of fuel and cooled in my chest…

"How much? He must be joking."

As a member of the Poets' Academy, Goya was a glaring outlier in this dissolute group.

Her knowledge of this was limited to the sounds she heard through the walls of her dormitory every day.

But this was enough for her to roughly deduce the frequency and duration of a normal person's experience...

The content Tang Qi wrote has gone far beyond the scope of 'normal'.

However, the Forgotten Stone Tablet cannot be forged.

"Is he... is he still human?"

Goya covered her lips, concealing the shock in her heart—

After being submerged in deep water for more than ten days, I finally returned to the surface.

I also received the dagger engraved with 'Hope' from the Sandalwood Forest team that said goodbye to me.

Yes, until we parted, I still didn't know the real name of that cunning weasel.

This means that I know nothing about her name, identity, or past, and I don't even know where to look for her.

She was like a fleeting passerby in my life.

We exchanged a fleeting glance, brushed past each other, and parted ways after this brief encounter, perhaps never to cross paths again in this lifetime.

However, this feeling wasn't bad either.

It's like a cup of coffee.

The act of 'tasting' itself is already worth savoring.

Wait, something else came up. I'll stop here for today.

"Do you really have that much energy?! How many showers a day do you need to take?!"
You always manage to write something worth savoring at the most inopportune moments, only to break the monotony just as others are appreciating its meaning—are you trying to prove to others that your writing style has reached its peak in this field?!

When the last sentence came into view, she felt as if she had also experienced a dramatic and adventurous journey.

Goya pinched her flushed cheeks and said in a muffled voice.
"Okay, I admit that's one of your strengths—otherwise I wouldn't come to the stone tablet every day to read your vulgar writing."

But you really deserve to die; you never clearly explained the truth until the very end, leaving some loose ends, saying that you met that Miss "Star" later and would recount it then...

Did you know that authors who don't make things clear at once when serializing a novel get razor blades from readers?

It's worth noting that mailing a razor blade from the Tyran Empire to Dragon Gold City would take at least a year, and Tang Qi might not even be staying in Dragon Gold City after that.

She could only angrily give up the idea.

Pulling herself away from the diary, Goya turned her gaze to the stone tablet under the moonlight.

As early autumn approaches, the evening breeze is no longer as hot as it used to be.

The breeze brushed across her cheek, as if blowing away the worries in her heart.

Under the cool moonlight, she was able to breathe a sigh of relief:

"But thankfully..."

At least you're still alive.

……

"I'm alive."

Watching Catherine put on her pajamas, tiptoe, and quietly close the door without disturbing anyone, Tang Qi felt he had survived.

"It must be revenge. Those two Catherines didn't even give me a moment to rest..."

The candlelight flickered and danced in the nightlight. The rescued Tang Qi leaned against the headboard, using its dim light to examine the contents of the journal's first page—

Don Qi Weinberger

Popularity: Somewhat well-known
Followers: 227
He hesitated for a moment before saying:

"Judging from the sales of the 'Guide,' there are more than two hundred people who recognize me. So, are these followers really those who highly admire me and even take me as their role model?"
If we calculate it this way, two hundred people seem a bit too many, right?

After all, the guide is not a logbook; the only thing that can be considered 'subjective' is the dwarf jokes...

So this actually means that Dragongold City has nearly two hundred dwarven enemies?

While pondering, Tang Qi quickly shook his head.

This deduction is ultimately a bit far-fetched.

That leaves only one conclusion:
"They are the academy's bards."

Reputation represents one's fame, and followers represent die-hard fans who take one as their role model. Tang Qi finally understood what they represented.

So what will be the rewards for gaining some fame? Should it be more than before?

He then turned to the next page—

Simple curses no longer satisfy your sharp tongue. If an insult cannot directly strike the heart of another, it is as meaningless to you as a failure. All bards should learn from you.

To verbally abuse someone until they cry their eyes out is nothing more than stepping onto your threshold...

You have enhanced the magic trick 'Verbal Abuse':
It causes greater psychological harm to others.

If you wish, you can even make the other party launch an attack against you first.

Remarks:

Lies don't hurt; the truth is the sharpest knife.

"Enhanced magic? It's like increasing psychological damage while adding an optional taunt effect?"

There's not much to say about the act of mockery itself.

Although he often goes into battle with a knife and engages in hand-to-hand combat with his opponents.

But ultimately, he is a spellcaster.

When resources are plentiful and he can play the piano with peace of mind, he generally won't resort to such extreme strategies.

But this is an optional form of taunting.

This clearly provides Tang Qi with a newer and more flexible tactical strategy.

"Is this the benefit of increased fame...?"

Tang Qi was somewhat relieved that he hadn't rushed to write down the story while exploring the dungeon.

He quickly locked onto the next reward—

Bards aren't just pretty faces who can play instruments and sing, but few can wield a sword and remain calm in the face of gang members. You can even use it to spar with seasoned adventurers—of course, your tongue is actually more eloquent than a chatterbox's.

You have acquired 'Mastery of the Scimitar':
Your movements are more agile, and your swordsmanship is more refined.

"So after I gain some fame, the log will prioritize strengthening my existing spells and skills based on my judgment of the story?"

One, two, three, ha, congratulations, you've encountered a gathering of witches that would be quite troublesome even for seasoned adventurers.

Why not ask the paladin if she likes the tingling sensation of three 'lightning bolts' hitting her?

But what's even more surprising is that you actually managed to perfectly resolve everything at the very moment your strongest support fell—

This is certainly thanks to the clever kobolds, but it is also based on your extensive knowledge.

You understand the purpose of this, right?

You have obtained the 'Witch's Eye' (Extremely Rare):
You can transform this eyeball into a life-sized ornament to be attached to a pendant or other clothing item.

Through synchronization, you can see everything the Witch's Eyes see.

For a witch, this eyeball is identical to the real 'witch's eye,' and you will be regarded as a 'witch,' and can use it to form a 'witch gathering.'

If you do this, you will gain all the benefits of the 'Witch's Gathering', but due to the false nature of the 'Witch's Eye', you will not suffer any of its detrimental effects.

Remarks:

Green Witch, Sea Witch, Night Witch... there are countless kinds of witches in this world, and now, there's even a 'Poet Witch'.

"That's okay too!?"

The fact that Tang Qi failed to gain anything despite defeating the witches' gathering left him frustrated for a long time.

After all, he invested an entire bottle of [restorative gel]!
But now it seems that the price of a bottle of [Restoration Glue] can't buy back such a worthwhile magical item.

Looking at this eyeball in my hand, which looks real but feels more like a glass bead.

Tang Qi's only problem is—

"Where can I find two witches willing to form a gathering with me?"

This seems to be the only difficulty in using this magical item.

Regardless, the appearance of the [Witch's Eye] made him even more eager for the dazzling rewards in the logbook:

"【Mind Blade】, what is this?"

(End of this chapter)