Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Reader's First Museum Item Recommendation: Four Signs Demon-Slaying Sword
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Reader's First Museum Item Recommendation: Four Signs Demon-Slaying Sword
The pit was deeper than expected.
But landing wasn't a concern.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[The effect of 'Yellow Cat Shoes' activates!]
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Ignores fall damage!]
The effect of the Yellow Cat Shoes.
Thanks to them, I landed lightly on the ground.
'More importantly, where the hell did I fall to?'
Considering the museum's layout.
This was probably underground.
The museum map only went up to the first floor.
I had no idea a space like this existed.
That's when a message appeared before my eyes.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Discovered the hidden space in the museum basement!] [Discovered a hidden dungeon and acquired 500 Doom Coins!] [Defeat the hidden dungeon boss and escape!]
Museum, hidden dungeon, and the dungeon's boss.
I had a hunch from the start, but this couldn't be...
'Is this the kind of fateful encounter from web novels?'
The golden rule of wuxia web novels.
Fall off a cliff, and there's always a fateful encounter at the bottom!
That luck reserved only for protagonists.
It might have come to me this time.
"Aaaah! My arm... my arm!"
As I was thinking that, a scream came from beside me.
Han So-young, who had fallen with me.
Of course, she didn't have any item that let her survive the fall unscathed.
'Minor dislocation and fracture, I guess.'
Still, surviving a fall from that height.
She must have some serious luck.
Han So-young, who had been wailing, glared at me venomously.
"I-It’s your fault I..."
*Slap!*
I slapped her across the cheek without mercy.
"Wha... huh...?"
Maybe she'd never been hit by anyone before.
She looked like she couldn't comprehend the situation.
Her eyes widened round.
Soon, shock and rage spread across her face.
"D-Did you just hit m—"
*Slap!*
"And think you'll get away..."
*Slap!*
"W-Wait, let me speak..."
*Slap!*
"Stop..."
*Slap!*
"I-I'm sorry! Forgive..."
*Slap!*
"......"
*Slap!*
How many times did I hit her?
Han So-young collapsed to the floor, twitching.
Both cheeks were red and swollen.
Her eyes had lost their fire, shaking anxiously.
Swoosh.
"Eek!"
I raised my hand again.
She shrieked and curled up.
She seemed to finally grasp the situation.
"I won't ask why you pushed me."
"......"
"But you can't deny trying to kill me, right?"
Han So-young trembled as she looked up at me.
Her initial composure and arrogance were long gone.
*Slap!*
"Answer."
"Y-Yes! I'm sorry......"
"Then it would be self-defense if I killed you, right?"
I stood up, gripping my baseball bat.
Immediately, Han So-young grabbed my pant leg.
"Waaah! Spare me! Just let me live! I'll do anything! Please, just spare me!"
She clung to me desperately, sobbing pathetically.
But no pity welled up in me.
'Well, I don't plan to kill her yet.'
She still had a job to do for me.
I didn't know what would happen if I did it myself.
For now, I'd keep her alive until then.
"Let go."
"Ugh... please spare me... please...... I just wanted to survive too... please......"
Of course, I had no intention of telling her that.
She'd probably crawl all over me until then.
"Why would I spare someone who tried to kill me?"
"Hng... please, I'll beg like this. I lost my mind for a moment. I'll do anything if you spare me......"
Han So-young knelt and groveled.
I forcibly pried her off and continued.
"You want to live no matter what?"
At my words, Han So-young's expression went blank for a moment.
Then she nodded vigorously.
"If you pull anything like that again, you're dead on the spot."
Nod, nod!
"You know you can't beat me no matter what you do, right?"
Nod, nod!
"From now on, obey my every word unconditionally."
"G-Got it. Should I take my clothes off?"
What the hell is this crazy woman saying?
Does she think everyone in the world is like her?
I'd rather die of pity than touch a woman like this.
No thanks.
"Shut up and get up for now. I need to escape quickly."
"W-Wait a second!"
I started walking into the dark basement.
I didn't know what was here.
But I needed to head up first.
"Ugh... ugh......"
"You've been noisy since earlier."
"Eek! S-Sorry."
Han So-young was a mess.
She limped along, her injured arm hurting.
Her cheeks were red and puffy.
'She looks ugly.'
Even her only redeeming feature—her beauty—was gone, leaving her hideous.
I wondered how her followers would react.
'At least no zombies have shown up.'
Maybe because it was the museum basement.
Or perhaps this dungeon was like that from the start—I didn't know.
No monsters appeared underground.
"Hm, what's that...?"
How long had I been walking?
Suddenly, a skeleton appeared before me.
Not an undead one.
A real dead skeleton.
A skeleton lying unnaturally in this basement.
No matter how I looked at it, it screamed quest NPC.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Discovered the fallen skeleton in the museum basement.]
A message window popping up at the same time.
It definitely seemed like there was a clue here.
'Total protagonist handout event.'
Well, if the author had any conscience.
Dropping me in a place like this, they'd give me something.
Otherwise, the readers would riot, right?
I examined the skeleton with anticipation.
'Just regular clothes?'
I checked the ragged cloth it wore.
Nothing special.
If it were a relic or item, a notification would appear.
This was just plain cloth with no effects.
But what the skeleton held in its hand was different.
"This is..."
📦 ITEM INFO 📦
▶ Name: Rusty Four Signs Demon-Slaying Sword ▶ Type: Sword ▶ Grade: S- ▶ Effect: ??? ▶ Description: A ritual sword said to contain the soul of a tiger. Its power as a mere sword is lacking, but it exerts tremendous effects against demons. Only those acknowledged as its master can wield it. Long neglect has left it in poor condition.
'Holy shit!'
I gaped at the sword in my hand.
The sword that every web novel protagonist who gets a relic has held at least once!
Among weapons in Korea, this might be the most famous.
And now it was in my hand.
'And it's S-grade.'
The overpowered sword used by protagonist Yuri is S-grade.
How amazing could this one be?
'Four Signs Demon-Slaying Sword.'
To think such a weapon was in the museum basement.
Good thing Comment Search led me here first.
'The downside is all the flaws.'
For starters, it's "rusty."
That's why the grade is S- instead of plain S.
The effects were just "???" instead of a description.
I didn't know exactly how to use it.
Or what effects it had.
'It's definitely a good item, but without knowing its exact performance, it won't mean much.'
The Four Signs Sword wasn't for combat anyway.
It was a ritual sword. Or a gift from the king.
Made in the year, month, day, and hour of the tiger.
It held tiger energy and symbolic meaning.
It wasn't made for fighting.
'Probably strong in exorcism power, but average lethality.'
The description said it specialized in slaying demons.
Depending on the situation, the baseball bat might be better.
Even accounting for that, it was clearly a great item.
'Once I get out, first thing is figuring out how to remove the rust.'
Anyway, I pocketed the Four Signs Sword with a grin.
An S-grade item.
Jackpot, even thinking about it again.
'But what's the deal with this skeleton holding such an item?'
Just in case, I examined the skeleton more.
Then something unexpected popped out.
"Huh?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Acquired Mad Hatter's Letter!] [Caution: Opening the letter arbitrarily by the quest recipient will count as quest failure!]
.......Why the hell is this here?
I'd searched the entire museum for this.
'No, the Mad Hatter probably didn't know the exact location either.'
Just in case, I checked the letter envelope.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—it was tightly sealed, no risk of accidental opening.
An item commissioned by a merchant NPC for 10,000 Doom Coins.
Wonder what was written in it.
'Hmm, honestly, I want to ignore the quest and just open it.'
But sadly, opening it would fail the quest.
A quest worth 10,000 Doom Coins, no less.
📜 QUEST 📜
Name: Deliver Mad Hatter's Letter
Type: Special | Difficulty: D
Content
-Deliver the old letter in the museum to the Mad Hatter.
Reward
A-Grade Essence of Life
Penalty
Opening the letter arbitrarily counts as quest failure.
I didn't care if it failed for me.
But I wasn't the one who took this quest.
'If it fails because of me, what would Yuri say......'
We'd gotten close, but.
Yuri's personality hadn't changed.
If I pissed her off, dealing with the aftermath would be tough.
'Of course, it's not like there's no way at all......'
I glanced at Han So-young, who stood there blankly beside me.
"?"
The quest condition clearly said "failure if the recipient opens it arbitrarily."
In other words, it was fine if it wasn't us quest holders.
Like if a third party opened it.
'If I make Han So-young do it now, maybe I can see the letter.'
As I pondered.
"Um, is that the letter you mentioned?"
Han So-young cautiously spoke up.
I nodded silently.
"C-Can I... see the contents too, if it's okay?"
.......Hmm, what happens in that case?
After a moment's thought, I handed her the letter.
"Huh? Huh? Really? It's okay?"
Han So-young looked shocked that I'd actually allow it, despite asking herself.
I nodded with a smile.
"Showing it is fine. But on one condition."
"C-Condition?"
"Don't show it to me. Read it out loud."
Behave yourself.
If things go well, I'll commute your death sentence to hanging.
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