Chapter 155
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 155: How to Greet Halloween (3)
The lowest basement of the ancient castle, which we reached after navigating the traps. In the center of this simple room, made of gray bricks, sat a single object that looked like a vampire'scoffin. In front of it, the damned vampire(-hybrid), Park Yulhan, was bound and kneeling before us.
“Ack! Stop stepping on me! Ack!”
“Die!”
For reference, he was being mercilessly stomped on by his younger sister. Na Yuhan, who was watching the spectacle with a smile, asked Park Yulhan.
“Where is it? The Dragon Race's Key?”
“I don't have it~ Left it at headquarters~”
“...Tsk. Useless.”
Park Yul-ah, though she didn't know what was going on, seemed to want to denounce Park Yulhan.
“...Haven't you been a bit too mean to me? I'm still your oppa, you know.”
“So what. Die.”
“Ack! Stop kicking me!”
Park Yulhan was once again mercilessly kicked by Park Yul-ah. Na Yuhan, who shook his head at the chaotic scene, spoke to the battered Park Yulhan.
“The reason we caught you is that we don't have anyone with vampire lineage.”
“You said you and Park Yul-ah were half-siblings, right?”
As Na Yuhan was talking, I took the chance to subtly mention the fake 'half-sibling' setting we'd created.
“...Hmm?”
Park Yulhan's eyebrow rose skeptically, but he soon seemed to grasp the situation, shrugged, and replied slyly.
“Yes, well, that's right. I'm the only one who inherited the vampire blood.”
“Yeah. We can tell just by those fangs.”
Park Yul-ah paused for a moment, then kicked Park Yulhan again in annoyance.
“Ah! Why again!”
“Shut up!”
“Calm down, you two.”
Na Yuhan shook his head at them.
“So, we'd like to ask for your cooperation, Park Yulhan.”
“You think I'll cooperate?”
“You're tied up. You don't really have a choice.”
“You're a really annoying type, you know.”
“Thanks. I'm honored.”
Na Yuhan, grinning, gestured to the group. As planned, the group opened the lid of the giant coffin in the basement. The inside of the coffin, though weathered, was lined with a clean and elegant panel, just like its ornate exterior.
“Put him in.”
At Na Yuhan's words, Park Yul-ah roughly threw Park Yulhan in. Udangtang—!
“Uwaaak—!”
And as soon as the coffin lid closed, the basement vibrated and the bricks began to rotate. The gray bricks moved in and out of the walls, floor, and ceiling, shifting and changing. At last, a downward-sloping staircase was formed, with the coffin at its center. The staircase leading down looked endlessly deep. With the naked eye, it was impossible to see the end of the dark, spiraling stairs. It seemed we would have to walk down ourselves. The group had various reactions to the sight.
“Woah…!”
“How strange.... How on earth does this castle work?”
Na Yuhan just shrugged at Min Jaeyun and Shin Baran's words.
“I don't know the structure or principles, either. Just the clear method.”
“It's a castle full of mysteries, in more ways than one.”
“It is. And it has very little treasure. The places that should have treasure just have monsters. This dungeon just isn't worth the effort.”
Na Yuhan grumbled in response to Na Yuri. He then put Park Siwoo in front and handed the end of the rope binding Park Yulhan to Park Yul-ah.
“This area ahead will be crawling with Dark attributemonsters. So I'm counting on you, Hero.”
“Leave it to me.”
Park Siwoo replied indifferently, drawing the glowing blue Holy Sword from its sheath. And so, with Park Siwoo in the lead, we slowly walked down. Except for the occasional sound of Park Yul-ah kicking Park Yulhan, only the sound of our shoes on the brick steps could be heard, when, Krrrreuk— A horde of zombies appeared. Seeing them, Park Yulhan said.
“Oh, zombies. Their core is in their head, so just smash that~ Well, if you have Holy attributemana, you don't even need to aim for the head.”
“Park Yul-ah, please shut Park Yulhan up.”
“Yes!”
“Ubeok—”
A large gag from who-knows-where was stuffed into his mouth. Na Yuhan, seeing this, smiled brightly, as if it was refreshing. It seemed he'd built up quite a grudge.
Anyway, after that, we continued forward, defeating various Dark attributemonsters like ghouls and shadow monsters. There were no major problems.
“Park Siwoo!”
“Got it.”
Park Siwoo, at the front, would just smack them with his Holy Sword, and most of the monsters would go limp like an office worker after a week of overtime. All we had to do was finish off the wilting monsters. After making steady progress, we reached the very bottom. A large altar stood there. Walking down the stairs to the floor, we saw a wall, and in the wall, there was a door. A large decoration was attached to the door, and a Key was held in the decoration. Na Yuhan looked at the door, then at the bound Park Yulhan, and let out a groan.
“What to do? Park Yulhan has to be the one to get the Key.”
“But we can't just untie him… can we?”
“True.”
“Make him get it with his mouth~?”
“Hmm. Will that work?”
Park Yulhan, who was watching Na Yuri and Choi Sujeong talk, muffled something through his gag, but we ignored him. For reference, Park Yul-ah cynically offered the most drastic opinion.
“Why don't we just cut off his hand and use that?”
“Heok…! Th-that's too much…!”
“Ugh… that's a bit…”
Min Jaeyun was horrified, and Shin Baran quietly recoiled. Park Yulhan himself protested violently at this.
“Umpf! Ubub!”
He couldn't speak, but we could tell he was expressing his strong opposition.
“Quiet.”
Paaak—! And he was silenced with violence. At the merciless sound of the blow, I quietly looked away from the scene of violence. Just then, Park Siwoo cautiously offered an opinion.
“I don't think a shortcut will work. What's important is probably that a living person, with their own will, touches the Key with a certain area of skin or their hand.”
“Could be…”
“Hmm… Then let's have him try with his mouth first, and if that doesn't work, we'll untie his hands for a second?”
“Yeah. That sounds good.”
We proceeded as Na Yuhan summarized, and thanks to that, the misfortune of Park Yulhan's hand being cut off was avoided.
“Just in case, have two people stand guard.”
“I'll do it.”
“Me too!”
Park Yul-ah and I stepped up as guards. Park Yul-ah immediately knocked Park Yulhan over and vigorously rolled him down the stairs. I was startled and quickly chased after her.
“Wait, he'll get hurt!”
“This person could die and still not die!”
In a way, that was incredible trust. Park Yulhan's body, rolling de-gul, de-gul, hit the door with a thud.
“Uuugh…”
He let out a long groan. Yeah, that probably hurt. I felt a little pity for Park Yulhan. But I had no intention of untying him, so I just took off his gag.
“...Haaa.”
Park Yulhan seemed to have resigned himself to his fate. He let out a deep sigh and grumbled.
“Alright. I just have to bite it, right? Bite it?”
“Yeah.”
“...You people really treat others harshly…”
Park Yulhan bent his waist slightly and bit down on the Key with his teeth and lips. Ugh. I grimaced, but Park Yulhan, with a look of transcendence, pulled it back. But the Key didn't move. Unfortunate. The moment she confirmed the Key wasn't budging, Park Yul-ah whipped her head around to look at me. Then, like a child begging for a toy, she said.
“Can't we just cut off his hand?”
“No.”
“Don't say such horrible things!”
What on earth happened between them to build up such one-sided resentment? ...What a mysterious relationship. I shook my head and untied the rope on Park Yulhan's hands.
“You know this is Awakened-grade rope, so your Inventory is sealed, right?”
“I know.”
Park Yulhan quickly reached out his hand and pulled the Key.
“But did you know?” Suuk, the Key came out easily. “I have a lot of little tricks.”
At the same time, I felt the rope binding Park Yulhan go slack and rapidly come undone.
“Where do you think you're going!”
“Uk!”
Of course, I expected this! I quickly grabbed Park Yulhan's wrist and twisted it. Kaang—! Kang! I heard the Key fall. I saw Park Yul-ah quickly pick it up.
“Got it!”
It disappeared quickly, so it must have gone into her Inventory. Seeing Park Yulhan's "ah, crap" expression, I scoffed.
“I know full well how shady you are.”
From above, Na Yuhan and the group were jumping down the stairs, rushing toward us.
“I may trust the Tiger bastard, but I don't trust you, you mosquito bastard!”
I quickly grabbed him, threw him to the ground, and pinned him. A wide smile spread across my face. Today's your memorial day, you mosquito bastard!