Chapter 91
Time flowed like an arrow, and the sun slowly set, eventually giving way to the pitch-black night.
Of course, I hadn’t been idle during this time. I had been searching for any way to further enhance my powers, no matter how small. This had led me to the region rumored to be inhabited by the strongest nearby monsters.
“Hey, hero.”
“What is it?”
“Druids, aren’t they supposed to be spirits of trees and forests, protecting wooded areas?”
“That’s my understanding, too.”
“Well, where’s the forest around here?”
“How should I know? There used to be one here, though.”
“Tch. Why do humans always cling to their past so desperately?”
There was a place slightly west of the Plains of Promise—a ruined temple known as the ‘Druid’s Temple.’
Why the Temple of Druids? It was said that this area was once a dense forest called the ‘Forest of Druids.’
Of course, now, it was a barren plain, devoid of any trace of the forest it once was.
According to what I’d heard, this temple had been claimed by powerful monsters, making any research or exploration impossible.
The residents of this Alternate World (female) occasionally entrust quests to heroes. In bustling towns like Kern, there’s even a dedicated Adventurer’s Guild for accepting such tasks.
My plan was to take on that quest.
[Quest Activated!]
[Name: Occupiers of the Druid Temple]
[Difficulty: Advanced]
[Details: Professor Wol-young of Kern aims to research ancient relics from the sacred nation of Schultez within the Druid Temple. Whatever method, eliminate the monsters that have taken over the Druid Temple.]
[Reward: Reputation with residents of Kern improves. All Stats +5. Hero Sense +3]
Would you really go through all this trouble just to raise all your stats by a measly 5 points? Of course, you could think that way.
But simply put, increasing all stats by 5 is akin to leveling up by 5 levels—definitely not something to dismiss.
And frankly, there was a more important reason than that…
‘…If I don’t do something, I think I’ll go crazy.’
Exactly that.
Anxiety. Restlessness. Fear. Obsession. A flood of negative emotions kept seeping into my chest, whispering into my mind.
This life is already doomed. There are too many variables. You should start over from the beginning.
What’s the issue? If you die a few more times, you’ll just respawn and massacre them all eventually.
‘Not enough… I need to get stronger…’
If I sit still, it only gets worse. I had to do something to clear my head. I couldn’t afford not to struggle for survival.
Though I usually dislike this kind of melodrama—like something out of a middle school manga—it really felt like I was losing myself.
—Kuaaaak!
That’s why I ended up at the Druid Temple. The monsters residing there turned out to be golems.
As they were effortlessly sliced like tofu by a single slash of my Vestark blade, I let out a quiet sigh.
“Of course. They’re no match.”
I glanced at the fallen golems and the several others standing in my path.
Bip! A status window popped up.
[Monster Information]
[Name: Golem of Delusion]
[HP: 480/480 MP: 510/510]
[Strength: 101 Agility: 29 Intelligence: 55]
[Details: This golem was created by the ancient druid Elka, carrying the weight of his final obsession. Due to poor golemcraft, it fails to replicate the original’s strength.]
Monsters don’t generally have a level listed, but based on their stats, the approximate level of these Delusion golems would be around 70-100.
For reference, the ghost knight from Hallsenberg that I had bested long ago was roughly at that level too.
It didn’t matter if they were no match. That just proved how much stronger I had become, which made me feel somewhat pleased instead.
Except the problem was…
‘…No experience points at all.’
Correct. In the hero cultivation system, the cap on experience points increases dramatically with each level. At this level, even spending the entire day slaying monsters like these wouldn’t be enough to raise it by even one level.
However, Zenon had once mentioned that defeating monsters superior to oneself yields disproportionately larger experience points. That was how I had leveled up so drastically in just two weeks back at Hallsenberg.
A classic case of low risk yielding low returns and high risk yielding high returns.
“There’s nothing to do but accept the quest rewards.”
Muttering to myself, I immediately activated my skill.
Paaababak! Fourteen blades of magical energy instantly formed around me, and my cloak split into ten pieces, turning into writhing black thorned tentacles.
‘Yeah. At least this is working well.’
The golems inside the temple were so numerous that it made practicing my skills incredibly satisfying.
Since I was testing everything anyway, I decided to try out the skills I had received as part of my class abilities.
‘Hunter Mark.’
I had obtained a total of three job skills after overcoming the Advanced-level trial.
Among those, the ‘Faster than Sight’ skill, which allowed for absurdly fast probability-based attacks, was passive.
On the other hand, the Hunter Mark skill placed a special emblem on a target, making it easier to track and drastically increasing the damage inflicted on it as long as the emblem remained.
—Guh… Wwww….
A black skull appeared on the forehead of one golem.
That kind of WA! aesthetic was thanks to the Three Fates. It’s not my style, so please don’t misunderstand.
I glared at that golem and began casting another skill.
“Shadow Chains!”
Klank! A dark portal appeared behind me, slowly opening as darkness surged out and lunged toward the golem.
Drrrr! The chaotic form of the darkness started to solidify, transforming into strong chains that tightly bound the golem.
—Guhh… Guhhoo!
The golem screamed in a voice resembling a roar.
Every time the golem tried to resist by wriggling its body, the chains emitted black energy. This energy clung to the golem, making it writhe in agony.
I calmly inspected the golem.
[Ailment – Life Drain]
[Details: Forces health points away from the target. The drained health returns to the caster.]
That’s right. My second active skill, Shadow Chains, also came with a powerful energy drain effect.
As the golem writhed in agony, I basked in a sense of sadistic joy.
‘Now, there’s no way to imagine a pre-class change Park Jeong-yong!’
I chuckled bitterly while simultaneously launching both the magical blades and the tentacles.
Fourteen magical blades and ten thorned tentacles. I had long since reached the point where controlling all twenty-four entities simultaneously was as easy as moving my own limbs.
—Kuaak…
—Emergency… Core Collapse…
—Power… Transfer… Failure…
The golems were mercilessly pierced, torn apart, and crushed. With one hit, each golem shattered, making it seem like the fight would conclude faster than expected.
I continuously cast skills, slowly but surely destroying the golems one by one until their strange cries ceased.
[Quest Complete!]
[Name: Occupiers of the Druid Temple]
[Detail: All golems occupying the temple have been erased. The ancient druid who harbored meaningless obsessions can finally rest in peace.]
[Reward: Reputation with residents of Kern improves. All Stats +5. Hero Sense +3]
*
The agreed-upon time had arrived.
At the western gate connecting Kern and the Plains of Promise, I waited anxiously along with Rucy.
‘It’s almost midnight…’
Soon, Zenon and Seop Baek would appear at this spot.
Would they succeed? They had to. Failure in reaching Kerna’s banquet gathering had already left me with no other options.
If we were also without Seseona… the battle ahead would likely be utterly desperate.
“Please… Please work a miracle, Seop Baek!”
“A disgrace to be praying like that after your own failure… so embarrassing.”
Rucy made a cutting remark from the side. It didn’t matter. She always spoke this way.
Right now, amidst her snark, all hope lay with the faint glimmer from Seop Baek, far greater than this “useless Demon King.”
I prayed relentlessly for several minutes. Finally, with a loud crackling sound, the space tore open.
“They’re finally here!”
With a bright expression, I rushed toward the rip in space. A hand protruded first—it was Zenon’s.
Zenon revealed himself, followed by Seop Baek peeking her head out.
“….”
“….”
Their subtle expressions and awkward silence were troubling, but I waited patiently for the next person to emerge.
Then, swish. The rip closed, having expelled only Zenon and Seop Baek.
A sinking sensation surged through my entire body.
“… I’m so sorry, Jung Yong.”
Seop Baek’s sobbing apology was confirmation of our failure.
As I alternated my gaze between Zenon and Seop Baek, involuntarily, I found myself letting out a bitter laugh.
“You couldn’t find her, huh?”
“Yes… I’m sorry, I tried everything—I solicited information from guilds, scoured every single place from eateries to slave traders and plastered flyers everywhere as you entrusted to me—but I let you down… Sob!”
“No, it’s okay. It’s fine… don’t cry.”
No, it’s not okay. What’s fine about this? This is the end of my life over here, Park Jeong-yong.
Despite the many questions that weighed on me, watching Seop Baek sob uncontrollably washed away any impulse to ask further.
Instead, with a drained smile, I asked her something else.
“Is there anything interesting?”
“… Huh?”
“Is there anything fun in the capital? Or something that looks interesting.”
“Fun… uh…?”
Seeing my exhausted face, Seop Baek squeezed her mind. She closed her eyes tightly and groaned.
Then, with a small gasp, she quietly murmured.
“In the capital, there’s going to be a Nationwide Fighting Tournament called the Divine Combat Festival… I’ve heard.”
“Ho-ho.”
“And after the Divine Combat Festival, there’s something called a Fireworks Display… where flames burst into the sky like flowers. It’s said to be so beautiful that once you see it, you’ll never forget it.”
“Fireworks.”
So this world does have fireworks.
The Divine Combat Festival is the national event that combines the Markeiteuriseu election with a fighting tournament. If the fireworks display indeed serves as its grand finale, it must be quite spectacular.
I nodded firmly and said to Seop Baek.
“After we’re done with this, we should head straight to the capital to see that.”
“… Huh?”
“Something so beautiful that seeing it once will stay with you forever—shouldn’t we check it out? Of course.”
It was a comment to comfort Seop Baek, but it was also a promise to myself, a vow for the future.
It had no greater meaning than that.
“A… ah…! Yes… Yes!”
I don’t know how Seop Baek interpreted my words, but she suddenly burst into tears, nodding enthusiastically with a flushed face.
“Definitely. After the Divine Combat Festival… definitely.”
Even amid her crying, Seop Baek was smiling widely.
I’ve never seen such a desperate smile.
‘Wow. Good job, Park Jeong-yong.’
Making a date while our lives hang in the balance. Maybe I do have the makings of a harem master after all?
While I was self-deprecatingly mocking myself in whispers, Zenon tapped my shoulder and said:
“That woman truly gave it her all. Finding one person in a metropolis within less than a day is akin to an impossible miracle.”
Did he also find some kind of companion in the time we spent searching for Seseona? Zenon was defending Seop Baek.
I smirked at Zenon, who was doing something uncharacteristic.
“Yeah, I know all that, so I didn’t say anything. I was fully aware from the start how unreasonable my request was.”
“… I just wanted to get it off my chest.”
“Thanks. Now, do your thing.”
“Understood.”
With a short nod, Zenon grabbed Seop Baek’s shoulder who was still sniffling.
Pajik! The space tore open again, swallowing them both.
Teleportation. Now they were heading to the Plains of Promise. Seop Baek would prepare there for the upcoming ritual.
“….”
I stared blankly at the spot where the two had disappeared for a while, then looked up at the sky.
Of course…
No matter how long I stood here in despair, no brilliant solution was going to suddenly appear.
