Chapter 290
Chapter: 290
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 290
>Chapter Title: Justitia (2)
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>[For this F-rank dungeon 'Golden Goblin's Cave' time challenge, Owen, your role is more important than anything.]
Seongjin was once again in a themed dungeon with Dexter and the Silent Villains. It was a spot with short clear times and good rewards, perfect for testing user-submitted strategies.
Since it was unfamiliar territory for the Silent Villains, they could easily gauge the strategy guide's effectiveness compared to before.
[To conquer themed dungeons, you first have to meet Justitia's 'conditions' for each one. The initial attack is crucial—the damage you deal directly weakens the mobs' defense.]
Previously, the clueless Gulup had kicked things off by firing arrows wildly.
On top of that, there was this time challenge thing, where rewards scaled dramatically with your ranking.
They'd thought it was easy, but apparently, they'd suffered hidden losses without realizing.
[Hit 'em as hard as you can?]
Owen nodded and shot forward like a bullet, smashing the lead goblin's head with his axe in one brutal strike. It was a ferocious blow.
Splutch!
From there, the Silent Villains unleashed their full prowess without restraint. Their progress was so swift that the pace of clearing the dungeon matched the speed of mowing down mobs.
Ding!
Thanks to them, the cheerful level-up chime rang once more in Seongjin's ears, even though his gains had slowed compared to the start.
The Silent Villains quickly felled the boss and walked away grinning, laden with unprecedented loot.
[ 7th place so far! With practice, we can shave off even more time next round!]
Next up was the E-rank merfolk dungeon.
['Lair of the Coral Tribe'. Here, it's all about you, Gulup! Fire off your strongest ranged attack at full charge!]
[Name's way off! But I appreciate the effort!]
Pew-pew-pew!
Gulup's tentacles pulled the bowstring in rapid alternation, unleashing a barrage of arrows.
One charging tropical merfolk turned into a pincushion and dropped dead on the spot.
[Now's the time! Charge, Owen!]
As Hatasu Titi swung his shield instead of his mace and shouted, Gulup—mid-wall-run while firing—joined in.
[The stragglers fall to arrows! Pick up the pace!]
Seongjin barely had anything to do amid their heroics.
He slowly trailed behind, swatting away obstructing text pop-ups, until another ding echoed in his ear.
〚Lv. 9〛
>〚Job: Unemployed (Job Change Lv.10)〛
>〚Stamina: ??? Strength: ??? Intellect: ??? Mana: ??? Luck: ???〛
Time to job change, huh.
Maybe he'd try his hand at summoner—something out of left field.
"But how are you seeing the dungeon fine, Dexter?"
Seongjin, overwhelmed by the text spam, had reactivated his skin filter and asked. No way Dexter had external object rendering off like him?
Dexter's answer was straightforward.
"Ah, I did the adult verification 'cause it was annoying. It's a bit censored, but the monsters look normal enough?"
"...What?"
Seongjin blinked.
Adult verification? How the hell did that work?
Dexter eyed him curiously.
"You're Delcrossian, right? Got any way to prove your identity from Earth?"
"Nope."
"Figured. Even if you did, aren't you a minor anyway?"
"……!"
Yeah, makes sense. Kids that age obsess over adult stuff.
Seongjin took the consoling words as a massive gut punch.
'Me, a battle-hardened Earth hunter, suffering like this just 'cause I can't verify as an adult?'
Setting aside Seongjin's unexpected inner turmoil, their dungeon runs went smoothly.
[My souuuul's maaaaster!]
Of course, the D-rank forced a reunion with the creepy soul, resummoned and rampaging in joy.
Dexter's levels weren't high enough yet for him to deal the needed magic damage.
Still, the strategy guide revealed instantly why their first attacks had flopped and how everything suddenly clicked.
[The game's lore puts heavy emphasis on Goddess Justitia. All main stories tie into her, and dungeons reflect that setup. Nail that, and clears are a breeze. It's basically a user convenience.]
As Dexter said, jaws dropped at the massive gains from three dungeons.
Seongjin pocketed a tidy cash sum and felt quietly satisfied.
Sweet! Skin purchase incoming!
[It's getting late, so shall we log off for today?]
The biggest win lay elsewhere.
Dexter, with access to premium facilities, offered to auction the Silent Villains' items and even upgrade their weapons for free!
[But those bound items are beyond me. Shame, but we'll have to trash 'em.]
Pangea Chronicle occasionally dropped 'bound' items.
Strictly soulbound to the user—no trading, no handing off, no upgrading.
Trash-tier baggage to most players.
The Silent Villains saw it differently.
[No problem, Dexter.]
Hatasu Titi beamed, cradling armloads of low-grade bound potions.
[Even these, used in bulk, will enrich our homeland's soil—not quite rare potions, but close enough.]
Gulup twirled, bound weapons coiled around each tentacle like dance partners.
[These weapons look great! Taking 'em as is!]
[……?]
The mole grimaced.
[…You're taking them to your homeworld?]
[Yep, bound to me.]
[That's why we log in steadily.]
[Gulup! Share with comrades!]
[……?]
Giving up on the conversation, the mole scurried to Seongjin and whispered.
"Hey, you... er, More... whatever. C'mere, talk to me."
"Hm?"
"What's the deal with those guys? Taking items to their real world? How?"
"Oh, that."
Seongjin nodded.
"You heard at first, right? They come here for Pangea Chronicle items to take home."
"No way they actually can?"
Dexter, who'd brushed it off amid initial chaos, now looked shocked.
"Yeah, bound stuff or certain rares can go with you, apparently?"
Seongjin had tested it yesterday. Too lazy to sell, he'd dumped items at a shop, but one bound fishcake lingered in inventory.
He'd found and eaten it in Delcross—tasted decent.
The dwarf engineer gaped.
"Game items to the real world...!"
"Weird, huh?"
"Of course!"
Not weird to Seongjin—he'd shuttled stuff between dimensions via rifts.
Plus, the overworld wasn't just a game; it was a real dimension.
Dexter explained differently.
"Once formed, an overworld's framework is rock-solid. No easy external access in or out. Think normal users can smuggle in-game items to reality?"
Like Ionia's engineers cutting off external comms upon relocating to a new overworld.
"Scary how far the Milestone's limits stretch. Guests seem totally screwed by the system, but it makes sense."
The mole shook his head.
"Guest IDs are abominations in Pangea Chronicle. They shatter dimensional rules outright!"
Hence the system's desperate countermeasures to curb them.
"Oracle-chosen for real. These Guest IDs."
Then Hatasu Titi approached, his usual calm cracked by rare excitement.
[Dexter. Words can't express our gratitude for all you've done. We'd like to offer you a cut of our profits as commission.]
The mole waved frantically.
[No, no! I didn't do it for profit! Helping you lot is reward enough!]
Dexter meant it.
Guest IDs: Oracle-terminal bearers from other worlds. Milestone-picked to leak world-shaking influence outward effortlessly.
What better Milestone research than observing them up close?
The Silent Villains misinterpreted, gazing at him with deep emotion.
[To think we nearly shunned such a selfless soul from the start! Makes my centuries of rings feel hollow.]
...Centuries? Rings?
Hatasu Titi. What the hell are you?
[Dexter true friend! Warrior's guts weep hot tears!]
Uh, yeah. Gulup. That doesn't mean stomach acid flooding, right?
Don't wanna know your true form anymore.
"Better guy than I thought."
The red fox sidled up to Seongjin, murmuring in imperial tongue with faint admiration.
"Almost feel bad for doubting him at first. Pangea Chronicle's full of ugly types."
"……."
Dude, after all that crap, you're still this naive?
Seongjin stared silently before speaking.
"Owen."
"Yeah?"
"If anyone pushes you to sign something shady, stop and ask family first."
"...Huh? Outta nowhere?"
"Got it? Promise."
[……?]
>* * *
>"Yawwwn!"
Owen woke in his tent, yawning unbecomingly without thinking.
'All-nighters in-game wear you down...'
Even with aura restoring his body, constant logins built fatigue.
Rubbing his stiff shoulders, Owen tilted his head.
'Weird vibe. That newbie feels... familiar somehow.'
Someone from Delcross?
A knight poked into the tent, sensing him.
"Your Highness. You're late. Breakfast time."
"Oh, Alicia. Morning!"
Alicia was Owen's guard.
Once a stickler for protocol, frontline life had loosened her up.
The model knight now sported a casual, easygoing air.
"Off to Volanta again today?"
"Yeah. Invited to the chief's hunt."
"Then I'm coming too!"
Alicia fixed him with a stern gaze.
"I'm your knight, Highness. How long will you ditch me? I won't let you wander those barbarians alone anymore!"
Owen shook his head.
"Bodyguards don't fly with Barsha. Warriors guard themselves."
Plus, recalling the prior matchmaking fiasco silenced her.
The strong warrior Alicia already drew heavy interest from Chief Chikudanka's son.
Her one prior Volanta trip with Owen had sparked chaos—tribe youths lining up to court her.
"Can't fathom heathen logic. What do they know about me to act so brazen..."
As Alicia grumbled, Owen burst out laughing heartily.
"Haha. 'Cause you're known as a fierce warrior, Alicia. You're infamous in Volanta circles."
The imperial chief's son Owen's most trusted subordinate.
Riding at his side in battle, slicing Barsha warriors without hesitation.
Irresistible to martial Barsha folk.
-A strong warrior's spirit comes from the mother.
Barsha gospel.
Kids inherited zilch physically from fathers. They grew wholly from the mother's body into big babies.
Thus, most of a child's makeup came from mom.
Hence certain aggressive Barsha tribes' strict matrilineal lines.
"The elders who hate my guts must loathe you more. 'Poisoning our youth,' they say."
"Why butter them up, Highness?"
"Combined, Barsha tribes are huge. Endless war of attrition? Better seek peace fast to cut losses."
As Alicia looked troubled, Owen donned greaves and belted his handaxe.
"Oh yeah, our priest's visits have slacked lately."
Two years back, a high priest had blazed onto the beleaguered southern front like a comet.
Frailty kept him indoors mostly, but he'd check Owen's health every 1-2 weeks.
Reason for Owen's robust health despite chronic insomnia.
Partly natural vigor, but mostly the priest's periodic holy power infusions.
"Never skipped over two weeks before. Hope he's not ill."
Owen's worry was valid.
Even in this swelter, the priest bundled up head-to-toe against chills.
Hooded face and all—dust winds bad for lungs, he'd wheeze.
Staying doggedly with the missionary order instead of heading to the capital? True faith!
"Send word to the missionaries. Check on the priest's health."
"Yes, Highness."
Alicia bowed and exited. Owen murmured anxiously.
"Hope it's nothing serious, Father Bart...."