Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Müha's Pilgrim
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"Have you heard of pilgrims?"
"...Pilgrims?"
"That's right. They're people who make penance their life's work."
Woojin frowned slightly at the owner's words.
'There is such a class, sure enough.'
He didn't know any famous ones in particular.
That was because pilgrims were one of the most avoided classes in Evil Tail.
'They say it's a grueling job.'
What they did was very different from ordinary players.
While most adventurers took quests from the guild, they received theirs through divine oracles.
The difficulty of those quests was downright bizarre, but there was a rumor that completing them all would unlock a hidden class.
However, there weren't many weirdos willing to endure that hardship on just a rumor.
'It's a game meant for fun. No one wants to suffer even inside the game.'
Just like him.
"What kind of pilgrim was it?"
The God of Light, Rasheen.
The God of Darkness, Harden.
And the God of Nothingness, Müha.
These three gods formed the foundation of the Evil Tail world.
And each had their own religious orders that followed them.
"I didn't hear the god's name, but the robe they wore was red."
That was enough information, even if roundabout.
Each order used different colored robes.
'A pilgrim of Müha.'
Müha, also called the God of the Void, had the weakest following on the continent.
In fact, it was to the point where it felt like there were hardly any believers at all.
So naturally, Müha's followers were rare sights even in the central continent.
'But one of those rarities shows up in a beginner zone?'
Coincidence?
Who knows...
It might just be his own suspicion, but Woojin couldn't shake the feeling that the pilgrim's appearance was deliberate.
"Pilgrims are hard to come by... How did you hear about it?"
"I only learned recently myself. They were looking for something."
"What?"
"People say light brings creation, but adventurers know better, don't they? That all life actually spawns from rifts."
Woojin nodded at his words.
It wasn't anything special.
Just one of the game's lore bits.
An excuse to explain why monsters respawn endlessly in dungeons.
'Is it because the AI made it that way?'
Dungeons resetting and monsters respawning wasn't strange to players.
But the people inside the game thought differently.
Monsters dying only to reappear in the same spot.
It was just world-building flavor.
'They even gave meaning to unnecessary details like this to avoid plot holes.'
A perfect game.
The ad slogan from Evil Tail's launch popped into his head unbidden.
'Perfect my ass...'
Instead of fussing over tiny details like this, they should've fixed the damn system.
The worst game-breaking bug was right here...
Woojin could only give a bitter smile thinking of his own plight.
"Anyway, she was searching for a rift. A completely different kind from the ones we know."
"A new kind of rift..."
Did that mean a new dungeon?
But he soon tilted his head in doubt.
'Even if a new dungeon spawns, it should be in the Labyrinth Tower or central continent, right?'
Every zone had a level cap.
You couldn't just plop an 80-level dungeon in a 10-15 zone.
It wasn't launch period anymore, and the Dark Forest was vast enough to handle newbies without issue.
Still, if a dungeon appeared here...
Not for hunting.
Something else.
For example...
'...A quest?'
Woojin's eyes flickered.
If they were making a dungeon just for a quest...
It definitely wouldn't be ordinary.
"Where do I need to go?"
Pondering it idly wouldn't help.
"The Orc Citadel. That's where she's investigating. Word is, red-eyed orcs have been spotted there."
"Red-eyed orcs..."
Woojin nodded as if he knew what the owner meant.
'The hidden monster of the Orc Citadel.'
He'd seen mentions on the community boards.
Witnesses popped up occasionally, but no one knew the exact spawn conditions.
Some said it appeared if you hunted orcs till dawn; others claimed they ran into it fleeing just before sunrise.
But they all ended in failure.
These days, people were doubting the sightings were even real.
'Looks like it does exist, though.'
An NPC was looking for it, after all.
It'd stir up the forums if it got out.
'Though top tiers won't care since it's a beginner-zone mob.'
Even goblin nests overlooked by most hid real gems.
Even the strong were just players.
They didn't know everything in the game.
Maybe...
Luck would favor him there too.
"It's surprising, though. A pilgrim handling armor? Any... other motives?"
The orders were on the central continent.
Meaning you needed at least level 50 to become one.
If she suddenly coveted his materials...
That'd be dangerous.
"Don't worry about that. Her identity is guaranteed."
"What do you mean?"
"Like I said earlier, she's not human."
He straightened his hunched back and declared proudly.
"She's a dwarf."
Aha.
"The daughter of the esteemed Müllenga clan, no less."
He'd heard of them.
They were famous, really.
The Müllenga clan produced the continent's finest blacksmith, Miller Müllenga.
He was an NPC, but even joined a Phoenix Unit raid party.
Players tackling the Labyrinth Tower lined up to buy his gear.
'The daughter of a proud dwarf clan is a pilgrim...'
If he were clan head, would he approve?
Who knows.
He needed more solid proof.
"Did she have a hammer?"
"Ahem, yes. A long hammer slung on her back. I thought it was a staff at first, given a pilgrim, but no."
"Good."
Woojin nodded.
A dwarf's hammer was only given to those approved by the clan.
If she'd joined an order without Miller's permission, she'd have to discard it.
The fact she hadn't meant she was still part of the family.
'At least she won't besmirch the family honor.'
The Honor of Iron.
What dwarves valued most.
Quest: Müha's Pilgrim Kahira
▷ Grade: C
▷ Meet Pilgrim Kahira.
▷ According to the general store owner, she may leave for a new region after 15 days.
▷ Fail to reach the designated location within the time limit, and the quest fails automatically.
'Thirteen orcs.'
Woojin hid and eyed the monsters.
Five days since crossing the Dark Forest.
Contrary to his worries, hunting had gone smoothly, and he'd reached a spot where Parta was visible without issue.
Trait: Adventurer
▷ Hunting in a new zone grants 15% bonus EXP for one day.
▷ Dealing 10% bonus damage against first-time encounters.
"Nice."
Woojin nodded at the alert.
Now level 16.
His stats matched a level 40, so orcs were no problem.
What he was cautious of was something else.
'I minimized hunting on purpose to get here. Main spot's the citadel, so the fields are empty.'
Around Parta was an avoided hunting ground.
Orc respawns were sparse and spread out, wasting too much travel time.
'Citadel's crawling with them. No need to roam fields.'
That was what Woojin targeted.
Orcs hunted in packs, so most partied up.
Not him.
'No one's around.'
He checked his surroundings, then swiftly drew his sword.
Trait: Presence
▷ Monsters take longer to detect you.
He opened with Dash.
"Chruk?"
The orcs belatedly grabbed their weapons upon seeing Woojin burst from the woods.
But he was already upon them, slashing upward at the nearest orc's neck.
"Kieeeek...!!"
The orc's scream rang out as its head hit the ground.
Trait: Solitude
▷ Solo play: All stats +5%.
▷ Solo play: EXP gain +10%.
Grip tightening on his sword.
Boom—!!
He stepped forward and slammed his upward-swinging blade straight down vertically.
The warrior basic skill, Heavy Strike.
Kra-grrr...!!
But the power was anything but basic.
The downward slash cleaved the orc behind it clean in half.
"Chru... Chruk...?"
Crash—!!
Woojin plunged into the panicking orc pack, crouching low.
Zzzzzzt...!!
Sweeping his sword horizontally unleashed a semicircle of blue lightning.
"Keguk...!"
"Kegekek...!!"
The five orcs around him shrieked like they'd been electrocuted.
"Kru... Kruk..."
Halved in seconds, the survivors backed away to gain distance.
"Better than goblins, at least."
Goblins would've fled in terror by now, but these clutched their rusty hammers and axes, ready to fight.
"Good. Was getting annoying."
Prey that didn't run was a predator's favorite meal.
Boom—!!!
The hunt began.