Chapter 147
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: Paldal Mountain, Secret of the Dragon's Labyrinth - 1
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Before you are piles of chests filled with a dragon's treasure—in other words, priceless items.
You can't see the contents, but you know for certain that the grand prize is in one of them.
And in your hand, you hold the key that can open those chests.
However, with competitors swarming from all sides, securing your share is no easy feat.
It's like being a lone beast trying to protect its kill from a pack of hyenas.
'In a situation like that, who would think to carefully inspect the floor?'
And since the moment of reward is learned to be the end of a crisis, it's also the moment one is most off-guard.
In other words, no one suspected—or checked for—the possibility of a second treasury.
Lee Hyun-wook had anticipated this turn of events early on and had been waiting.
'Because... I was the same way.'
The Lee Hyun-wook of his past life had been just like them, hell-bent on being the first to choose a chest.
'Back then, all I got was a chunk of Orichalcum and a set of high-grade potions.'
Thanks to that bitter experience, he was now able to grasp the treasure, vine and all.
Drrrk—
Lee Hyun-wook pushed aside the chest blocking the door to the underground and raised his left hand.
Clank—
With that, a massive iron door that must have weighed several tons opened on its own, releasing a flow of cold air from below.
“……What’s that? Don’t tell me there’s another space?”
Although Hyun-wook had mentioned earlier that the treasury seemed to be 'two-layered,' everyone had looked skeptical.
But as a strange white light began to emanate from the wide underground passage, the atmosphere changed completely.
“Uh… It looks completely different down there.”
“You’re right. To be honest, this place was a bit too drab for a treasury…”
A moment ago, when Edward Woods had declared this gloomy place to be the treasury, the Slayers Guild members hadn't doubted him. After all, there was no rule that a treasury had to be filled with dazzling light, right? In a way, the fact that it wasn't a typical treasure room had actually raised their expectations.
But since that place had been full of duds, it was only natural to see this brilliant light as a sign of a jackpot.
Thud— Thud—
Hyun-wook descended the stairs, piercing through the light, and the others hesitantly followed.
“Whoa……”
Soon, a majestic and classical space unfolded before their eyes.
Tall bronze pillars supported an unusually high, hemispherical ceiling. And every surface—the ceiling, walls, floor, and pillars—was intricately carved with ornate, embossed patterns… it looked like a palace.
And…
- Congratulations! You have discovered the True Treasury of the Black Dragon, Azi Dahaka!
Another treasury entrance message had appeared, but this time, it was designated as the true one.
“Hey, this means this is the real treasury, no doubt about it, right?”
“Hah… And that means the one upstairs was basically a fake…”
As murmurs spread, the color drained from Edward Woods's face.
At the far end of the space, a row of chests sat upon a long marble shelf.
“Whoa, damn! Look at that! The chests themselves look different!”
“And they’re all different colors. I wonder what the difference is?”
Unlike the rough, damp chests they had opened upstairs, each of these had a classic, refined design.
“What in the world will come out of those fancy chests?”
“I don’t know, but shouldn’t they be at least Hero grade?”
“Nah, it’s a dragon. We’re talking Legendary grade for sure.”
Faced with the real reward, everyone swallowed hard.
But the right to open those chests did not belong to them.
Thirty-six of the thirty-seven chests were to become Lee Hyun-wook's property.
Even so, many felt a strange sense of anticipation.
“Phew, I’m excited to see what comes out.”
“I know, right? Is this what they call living vicariously?”
To think that a space of this scale was created solely for rewards…
It would be strange not to feel a thrill of excitement over what items might emerge.
Soon, Lee Hyun-wook approached the chests and raised both his hands.
And then…
Crackkk—
“Huh? It looks like metal is flowing out of his hands.”
Indeed, going beyond mere hardening, metal began to stretch out from both of his fists.
'Metal Creation. A pretty useful skill in many ways.'
It was a skill he had unlocked not long ago after swallowing Odin's bracelet, 'Draupnir.'
[Skill Information]
- Name: Metal Creation/Storage
- Grade: D
- Effect
1) Creation: Consume mana to generate metal. (1 mana required per 10g)
2) Storage: You can store up to 10kg of ‘self-generated metal’ within your body.
* The skill’s grade will improve when hidden conditions are met.
He could literally create metal from nothing but mana, with no raw materials required.
'Honestly, though, I've never been short on metal until now.'
That was because he was in a position where he could use resources without limit.
'But I don't know what kind of situations I'll face in the future…'
In an emergency, like if his support from the airdrop device was cut off, this skill would prove invaluable. Come to think of it, in his past life, he had faced crises due to a lack of metal more than once.
'Everyone knows my greatest weakness is when I can't procure metal…'
And according to his experiments, he could currently create metal on par with 'dungeon steel.'
He estimated that as the skill's grade improved, he might even be able to create something like Adamant.
'Does that mean I become a living Adamant mine…'
In many ways, his body seemed to be evolving into an increasingly complex and bizarre form.
In any case, Hyun-wook used the metal he produced to wrap all 36 chests in chains.
Clang, clanggg—
“……Huh? What’s he planning to do with that?”
A puzzled voice came from behind him, but he ignored it and continued his work.
After linking the chests with chains, he finished by crafting a decent-looking set of iron wheels.
“Ah! I think he’s packing them up to carry them all at once.”
That was right. The chests were now linked in a single file, allowing them to be moved together.
“Alright, that’s done. Park Jun-mo, tell Team Leader Lee Jeong-jun to bring Team 2 in.”
At his words, Park Jun-mo sent a mana communication somewhere.
Shortly after, the Hope Guild members who had been waiting outside entered and began moving the chests.
“I will take the number of chests corresponding to the keys I have.”
In other words, he wouldn't be opening the chests here but would take them to open elsewhere.
This meant he had no intention of revealing the items he obtained to the world.
Sighs of disappointment could be heard from here and there.
“Aww… I wanted to see what he got…”
A little thought made it clear that revealing a potential new weapon in advance would be a foolish move.
Had he not known what was inside, he might have been curious enough to open them rashly like Edward Woods, but Hyun-wook already remembered distinctly which chests held the first, second, and third-place prizes.
However…
'What's that particularly small chest at the far right? Was there something with that reddish color here?'
The high-end chests in this room were each decorated with a different colored gemstone.
But that red chest… as far as Hyun-wook could remember, there was nothing like it in his past life.
He remembered it well because, at the time, they had argued for a long while about how to divide the chests based on those color differences.
'I might just not be remembering it. I guess I'll have to take them all and check.'
Without a second thought, Hyun-wook turned and walked up the stairs, while everyone else stared after him, dumbfounded.
“……Steel Rain, one moment.”
The one who stopped him was Edward Woods.
“Could we speak for a moment?”
“……Yes, well, let’s do that.”
The two moved to a corner, and a mage Player cast a Silence spell before disappearing.
Edward Woods then spoke with a serious expression.
“Hah… Just when did you kill the dragon?”
“……We just killed it, didn’t we?”
When Hyun-wook tilted his head and asked back, Edward Woods shook his head vehemently.
“That’s not what I mean… I know you’ve killed one before. No wonder you knew the dragon-slaying method so well, it was because you’d already done it once, wasn’t it?”
It seemed he had detected the Dragon Slayer option embedded in Hyun-wook's Mowglay.
'So he thinks I've killed a dragon once before?'
Well, from Edward Woods's perspective, that was the only logical conclusion.
He could never imagine that the weapon had come from the future.
'The dimensional traveler… quite a few people were watching when that incident happened.'
William Bernard, who came from the future, had called himself 'a disaster from the future.'
Many had heard him say it at the time, but it hadn't become a major issue yet.
No matter how much this world had changed into a game, such a claim was still rather far-fetched.
Of course, not everyone would dismiss the rumor so easily…
“……Are you going to keep playing dumb?”
Hyun-wook continued to feign ignorance.
At that, Edward Woods shook his head as if he'd had enough.
“As I thought, you have no intention of giving me a straight answer, do you?”
Hyun-wook didn't answer this time either.
“Steel Rain, I understand that you are formidable.”
“And I admit, I acted a bit spitefully. But…”
“……Don’t think you can do everything by yourself.”
With those parting words, he stepped outside the range of the Silence spell.
'Was that… advice? Or a warning?'
Becoming hostile with such a high-profile figure was not a good thing.
But Hyun-wook decided not to worry about it too much.
'What a pain… My life is tiring enough just focusing on the Villains' movements.'
He couldn't afford to cater to the whims of every single person around him.
'And honestly, I don't think I can do it alone either.'
But he was certain that it was a job that only he, and no one else, could accomplish.
The tragic ending he had experienced in his past life… that was because the heroes had failed.
In that respect, he trusted only himself rather than relying on others.
'But it's not like I'm the only one growing right now.'
He had allies around him like Park Jun-mo, Kim Se-hee, Woo Seong-mun, and Emilia Müller.
Of course, a time would come when he would need to borrow the strength of the established Players.
'But if I get tangled up with those who already hold immense power, it will become a headache.'
They were human, with their own desires and goals, separate from their pursuit of justice and peace.
In other words, to avoid being swayed by not only the Villains with their wicked schemes but also the already distinguished heroes…
'…I must become overwhelmingly strong. So strong that I can control everyone.'
Therefore, the 'monopolizing' method that Hyun-wook adhered to was not going to change.
A few hours later, the Slayers Guild ostentatiously announced their intent to conquer the 'labyrinth.' It was a clear declaration of their will to seize the rewards within before Steel Rain could this time.
In other words, the contest wasn't over yet.
'Starting the conquest right away without even a break… He must be really upset with me.'
But after struggling through the labyrinth, they would face despair at the final room.
'When they stand before it, a message will appear asking them to prove their worth, along with a certain hint.'
The hint was about who possessed the 'qualification' to open that door.
The trail would lead to an F-rank, Knight-class Player in Russia.
When they brought him back to the door, a message would state that the qualification was proven, and the door would open.
And what was discovered inside was…
'…A dragon egg.'
In other words, the one who opened that door would acquire a dragon.
'And if they can raise that dragon to adulthood, it will become an unrivaled force.'
Since the other side had moved earlier than expected, it seemed he would have to find the 'Dragon Knight' a little sooner.
Hyun-wook requested a false identity and a plane ticket to Russia from Red Hole Village.
'This means I'll be unintentionally besting Edward Woods once again…'
***
At the Order Tower, 36 treasure chests were lined up in two rows.
“Wow, 36 in total… The real rewards from this event are in there, right?”
Park Jun-mo looked them over, gulping and letting out a sharp exhale through his nose.
Well, with what were essentially guaranteed winning lottery tickets lined up before him, it was impossible not to get excited.
But still… it was a bit much for electricity to be leaking from his hands.
Crackle—
“Hey! Park Jun-mo, your hands—!”
“Ah! Why is this suddenly…”
As Kim Se-hee shrieked, Park Jun-mo shoved both hands into his pockets.
“Oh… This guy has a weird habit, doesn’t he?”
“No, it’s just…”
“Ugh, so that stuff flows out of your hands when you get excited?”
“No, that’s…”
“I feel sorry for your future girlfriend.”
“Agh, come on—!”
On the other hand, since Lee Hyun-wook already knew what items would appear, he wasn't particularly excited.
Clank—
He began to open the chests mechanically.
“Oh… This is all Orichalcum. Isn’t this a huge score?”
The first chest yielded 1.5kg of Orichalcum.
And most of them would likely contain something similar.
Clank— Clank—
Without checking each one individually, Lee Hyun-wook began opening the chests in succession.
“Park Jun-mo, bring the next chest over there.”
“Ah, yes! This is the 33rd one!”
And so, 33 of the 36 chests produced a steady stream of high-grade material items.
“Hmm, only three left. Surely these aren’t duds too, right?”
While things like Orichalcum couldn't be called duds, they did fall short of expectations.
The moment he opened the next chest, a piece of equipment finally appeared.
“……Oh! It’s a Hero-grade item!”
Park Jun-mo checked it first, then brought it to Lee Hyun-wook.
At a glance, its identity was unclear; it looked like a long, golden rope.
[Item Information]
- Name: Athena's Golden Bridle (Hero)
- Effect
1) Controller of the Battlefield: Temporarily increases your maximum number of vassals. (+50)
2) Taming Mythical Beasts: If you put this bridle on a monster, you can tame it as a 'vassal.'
'Right, this is the second-place prize.'
An increase of 50 to his maximum number of vassals was a rather excellent option.
Hyun-wook immediately opened the next chest.
Woooooong—
But the deep white light that erupted from it… the aura was far from ordinary.
“Uh, what… The aura is incredibly strong. Is that the first-place prize?”
Kim Se-hee, who had been watching nonchalantly from a nearby sofa, shot up and asked.
It was a flat, eye-shaped piece of metal sculpture, about the size of two knuckles.
[Item Information]
- Name: 2nd Piece of the Eye of Horus (Legendary)
- Effect: Allows you to see things that cannot be seen through ordinary means.
* Its true power is unleashed when all ‘pieces’ are gathered.
It was another piece of the Eye of Horus, which he had previously acquired and absorbed.
'Even I don't know what happens when all these pieces are gathered.'
As far as he remembered, the pieces had never been brought together in his past life.
'This time, I guess I'll have to assemble these pieces inside my own body.'
He didn't know how many pieces there were in total, but at least two were now in his hands.
Gulp—
Once this was digested, the grade of his 'Insight Lens' skill, which allowed him to see hidden information, would increase.
“Oh, there’s only one left now.”
Before he knew it, only a single chest remained.
It was the one with the red gemstone, the one that seemed completely unfamiliar to Lee Hyun-wook.
'This one… No matter how I think about it, I'm sure this chest didn't exist in my past life.'
For some reason, a reward that hadn't existed in his past life had been given.
'But why? Did the reward change because I started so early?'
He had no way of knowing the reason for now.
All he could do was check the contents and guess…
Lee Hyun-wook carefully inserted the key into the keyhole.
“Oh, it’s a sword this time.”
As Park Jun-mo said, inside was a small sword.
“But there’s no aura erupting this time, so I guess it’s nothing special.”
Kim Se-hee remarked indifferently as Lee Hyun-wook carefully lifted the sword out.
[Item Information]
- Name: Sword Containing an Unknown Authority
- Effect: This sword’s power is currently sealed. (If held by a Knight-class Player, a ‘Qualification Quest’ will be given, ultimately providing an opportunity to gain a ‘powerful ally’.)
Lee Hyun-wook's eyes widened as he read the description.
“Wait a minute…”
“What? What is it?”
He, who was rarely surprised since his regression, was quite shocked this time.
'…Why is this here?'
Judging by the description, it seemed to be a 'potential item' with hidden details.
But Lee Hyun-wook recognized its identity at once. This was…
'…The Dragon Knight's Sword.'
Yes, this was the very sword that was supposed to be in the possession of the F-rank Knight in Russia.
In other words, it was the key of proof that could open the room at the end of the labyrinth where the 'dragon egg' lay dormant.
But for it to pop out of this chest, out of the blue…
'Don't tell me… by clearing this six years early, I've slightly altered the chain of cause and effect?'
It seemed that before the Russian Dragon Knight could be born, he had activated another trigger.
In any case, this meant he no longer needed to fly all the way to Russia to find the Dragon Knight.
He could just give this sword to someone trustworthy and have them awaken as the Dragon Knight.
'But who is there?'
A Knight-class Player he could entrust this sword to…