The Seal of the Underworld
The Necromancer's Seal.
A skill that drastically reduced the target's dark attribute resistance.
It had been the hidden class skill Fafnir acquired instead of his in-game avatar.
“Hm?”
The lizardman hit by the skill tilted its head.
There was a vague sense of unease, but it couldn't pinpoint the cause.
'Is it just my imagination?'
The lizardman possessed exceptionally sensitive instincts and senses.
But right now, there was truly no abnormality.
'To be safe, we should strike quickly and finish decisively.'
The albino lizardman's attack grew even swifter.
The turbaned man's hand, already pinned down, began to falter.
“Kuh!”
If this continued, the turbaned man's defeat was inevitable.
For the first time, the carefree air vanished from the turbaned man's expression.
“You're quite skilled, aren't you. Though you're still in a weak state, aren't you, brat?”
The albino lizardman sneered.
At that moment, Fafnir finished switching slots.
- Fever Skill used.
- Target's body temperature has risen.
- Target's recovery power decreased.
- Target's stamina decreased.
- Additional effect!
- Dizziness debuff applied to the target.
- Weakness Skill used.
- Target's attack power decreased.
- Target's defense decreased.
- Additional effect!
- Target's strength stat decreased.
DING! DING!
Right as the messages popped up, the albino lizardman's body suddenly slowed drastically.
“Y-You!”
Its bloodshot blue eyes locked onto Fafnir.
'This is huge?'
With its resistance gone, even light debuffs had turned into mid-tier ones, and complications or extra effects it never had before now appeared.
Fafnir summoned Bell in that state.
“Bell, lend me the Blood Spear.”
“Command received.”
After using the End Burn skill, Bell received the Blood Spear and hurled it straight away!
The albino lizardman jerked its head to dodge, and the Blood Spear grazed its cheek.
“Grrugh! You!”
The lizardman instinctively lunged at Fafnir without realizing it.
But the turbaned man wasn't the type to miss such an opening.
- Shadow Blade.
SWISH! The crescent blade from the turbaned man's half-moon slashed clean through the lizardman's chest.
At that instant, Fafnir opened his mouth.
It wasn't joy. Rather, it was close to regret.
“Too shallow……”
“……!”
“Kyah!”
As the turbaned man tried to pull back, the albino lizardman swung a fist.
The fist hit squarely, sending the turbaned man flying ten meters to crash into the wall behind them.
“……Ugh!”
The turbaned man tried to rise but collapsed again.
The battle had reached a lull, so the lizardman bared its teeth at Fafnir.
“You bastards…… You weren't supposed to come unarmed! How dare you leave a wound on me, a mere snack for a bite?”
Ssssss! Poisonous saliva dripped from its fangs, soaking the ground.
But even with a venomous face, Fafnir remained calm.
“If you're going to talk like that, your own state doesn't look too good either.”
Countless debuffs and extra effects had stripped away its dark attribute resistance, leaving it battered by the turbaned man's attacks.
“Don't get the wrong idea. One of you is enough to kill.”
Of course, he couldn't afford to be careless.
Even if he fought at full power, the odds of victory were slim.
But precisely because of that, Fafnir extended his hand toward the approaching albino lizardman.
“Wait. Let's make a deal.”
“A deal? Why me?”
“My comrades and I are adventurers. If we die, we can revive, so we've probably already sent word upstairs by now.”
“……”
Adventurers.
If beings who could revive even after death, it was certainly a flawed plan, no matter how you looked at it.
Fafnir continued.
“So withdraw now. The price is your life.”
“……”
“If you fight longer, you'll see what a bad idea that is too. If you hadn't sworn complete loyalty to the orcs, maybe, but I don't think it goes that far.”
The lizardman race was neutral.
They helped the orcs' schemes but wouldn't fight to the death for them.
The albino lizardman stood there, then suddenly spun on its heel.
“My name is Ildaltir. Remember that, human. Next time, I'll definitely kill you.”
The albino lizardman vanished into the darkness beyond the sewer in an instant after speaking.
“……Hey, wait!”
The orc chieftain watching raised his voice, but it was already too late.
In front of the orcs, Fafnir summoned Skeleton Soldiers and Penelope.
“I can't let evidence slip away.”
CLANG! CLANG!
One, two, three.
Besides them, a large number of Skeleton Soldiers encircled the remaining orcs.
- Level up!
- Quest 'Aden City Sewer Investigation' completion condition met.
The message appeared the moment the final orc was dealt with.
The battle in the center of the sewer had ended.
“Hoo.”
But Fafnir didn't casually collect spoils.
“Adventurer……”
Because the turbaned man was still there, recovering his body.
“Wait, was that a player, not an NPC?”
“Are you going to fight?”
The turbaned man's refusal came with a shake of his head.
“If I were an adventurer, I'd revive and report even if I died here. Then there's no point in killing me to eliminate witnesses.”
The turbaned man pulled a mana stone from his pocket and placed it in his knight's socket.
Mana flowed once more through the circuits and devices scattered around the room, restarting the system.
“That's……”
“The seal device on the second floor. The orcs won't be able to infiltrate through the sewers anymore.”
For a thousand years, monsters had been unable to enter the sewer with water flowing, and there was a good reason.
“Just keep what I saw a secret. If you talk, nothing good will happen.”
“Understood.”
“And that seal stone…… No, we don't need to mention that either.”
The turbaned man threw something away after speaking.
“Though it's hindsight, this is the payment for helping me.”
“This?”
- Black Pawn (Normal) acquired.
“Only once. If it's just one time, anyone would kill for it. Break this Black Pawn and I can contact the Black Reaper.”
'Black Reaper?'
Fafnir was startled, but the turbaned man waved his hand lightly.
“If our paths cross again, we'll meet. Then.”
Before he could say anything more, the turbaned man's figure vanished like smoke.
Alone, Fafnir exhaled slowly.
“Hoo, I thought I was going to die.”
Whether it was the turbaned man or the albino lizard, both opponents had been far stronger than Fafnir.
Moreover, both had targeted his life in a dangerous situation.
“If I had faltered even a little, I'd be rolling on the ground in reality right now.”
Either way, surviving was a miracle.
“All right, now let's really collect the spoils?”
Fafnir, with his stamina restored, gathered the teeth and equipment of the dead orcs along with drop items.
[Orc Emperor Shurakan's Personal Command Document.]
[Rare Battle Earring of Green Tribe Elder Shaman Chiganqar.]
He acquired the chieftain's item and command document!
While searching the rest of the corpses, Fafnir thought.
'The assassin who gave the Black Pawn, called a reaper?
A top-tier villain from the novel, the thirteenth great evil doer.
Among them, the top three possessed strength on a different level from the others.
If others were ranked in the top 100, those three would be in the top 10.
Of them, the assassin who gave the Black Pawn was called a reaper by people.
'So was that turbaned assassin the reaper?'
Giving the Black Pawn and calling himself the Black Reaper both seemed to fit.
“Amazing things do exist, huh.”
Fafnir muttered while sorting through the corpses and suddenly thought.
“……Wait, so was that assassin a player, not an NPC?”
“Is what you said true? The orcs had hundreds infiltrating the sewer under the capital?”
King Leo Deck V of Baran Kingdom was now a teenager in his late teens.
“Yes, here is the evidence.”
- Thirty orc teeth handed over.
- Orc Emperor Shurakan's Personal Command Document handed over.
Fafnir submitted the evidence he had gathered in advance.
Three days until others could log in again.
In real time, they had spent ten days patrolling the sewer to supplement.
“This can't be……”
“According to my investigation, the orcs were also plotting similar schemes in various places in the southern provinces outside the capital. If not for these adventurers, the country would have been thrown into great chaos.”
“There's more.”
The Count of Korvo whispered.
“Looking at this, the city gates will open late at night, and we are to strike all at once at that time. What does it mean that a sealed city gate with thorough security opened?”
“What do you mean, Count?”
“……Treason. There is a traitor inside us.”
A teammate who turned against the enemy was more terrifying than the enemy itself.
It was a fact that hit hard when playing an AOS game.
“I-Impossible……”
King Leo Deck V's face, which had been white as flour, lost even more color.
“Fortunately, these adventurers stopped the plot. I'm glad I hired them just in case.”
“The Count is right.”
King Leo Deck V turned his head and said.
“You did a great job in the sewer. You revealed the orcs' nefarious plot and saved the three million citizens of the capital, no, the entire southern region of the kingdom. The merit is immense.”
- Contribution points acquired.
- Experience points acquired.
- Level up!
- Level up!
- Quest 'Aden City Sewer Investigation' completed.
- Reputation +3,000.
- 3 gold acquired.
- Flame Staff (Rare) acquired.
- Cat's Foot (Rare) acquired.
- Additional achievement achieved!
- Additional experience points acquired.
- Level up!
- Additional gold +30 gold acquired.
- Additional reward 'Golden Dove Stamp (Rare)' acquired.
- Description: Successfully thwarted a conspiracy that was about to occur in the underground of the kingdom's capital. The orcs' operation ended in failure, and the king and nobles began to seriously discuss the gravity of the situation.
The Golden Dove Seal, a national-approved travel permit and an item that could be used in any region!
This item, which large guilds with personnel needs were eyeing to buy or rent, was given to everyone.
- Name spreads through Baran Kingdom nobility.
- Reputation +10.
- Upper quests available to Baran Kingdom nobles.
It also clearly made the name remembered by high-ranking noble NPCs, including the king.
Upper quests circulating in noble families could now be accepted immediately.
“Thank you very much.”
“I heard you'd be stealing a little, but this is a real jackpot!”
After leaving the royal palace, all three sat at the tavern, their faces filled with joy.
Especially Kindorhan was the happiest of the three.
“With this, the self-defense force permit will be a piece of cake.”
A gang recognized as a self-defense force by the country differed greatly from other gangs.
They could engage in legitimate gang activities without worrying about official crackdowns or paying bribes, and build connections with high nobles easily.
Moreover.
The high quests from the nobility were at least rare-grade or higher, and even hidden pieces that other users couldn't obtain were hidden within them.
Although difficult, that was no big problem.
“By the way, thank you for waiting for us. Thanks to you, we got to see the palace and meet the king NPC.”
Fafnir smiled wryly at the magician's thanks.
“I had things to do anyway. It was a win-win.
“Hey, Fafnir, if you need help later, call me.”
Swoosh, Kindorhan made a circle with his finger and continued.
“As long as the conditions match, I'll help anytime.”
He drew a line against freebies!
But Fafnir smiled inwardly with satisfaction.
'Kindorhan may look like that, but he's loyal. Even if he talks like that, he's already become my person to a large extent.'
Unless someone else knew, he would be a great help.
At that moment, Kindorhan continued.
“By the way, there's one thing I'm curious about. How the hell did you clear it? Tell me.”
“Oh, right. How did you catch that monster?”
The magician also joined in after hearing the content.
The hunter silently sipped his beer, but glancing at them suggested interest too.
“That was…… The turbaned man helped. It turned out he was a player too.”
“A player? That person?”
“No way.”
Fafnir told them about the incident with the Black Reaper.
As Kindorhan listened, he suddenly lowered his head.
“Why? Do you know something?”
“……Heh.”
Kindorhan trembled all over.
Fafnir thought of asking more when a huge laugh burst out from Kindorhan.
“Fuhahahaha! He said he was the Black Reaper. A user calling himself the Black Reaper himself! Oh no, I'm dead, hahaha!”
BANG! BANG! Kindorhan slammed his fist on the table.
“How is a user's name the Black Reaper? Really…… Heh heh heh heh heh!”
“……”
Fafnir clicked his tongue.
'Better not to tell this.'
In the novel, Kindorhan's future title was King of the Night.
He called himself the King of the Night, but people used the term with a slightly different meaning, and Fafnir suddenly recalled that epiphany.