Chapter 12
Chapter 12
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Arrival in Parta
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Hoo..."
Woojin leaned against a tree, letting out a weary sigh.
"This should meet the minimum requirements."
👤 Name:Khan
⚔ Job:Warrior
⭐ Level:20
💰 Total Points:310
🎯 Remaining Points:0
🔹 Traits:Adventurer, Solitude, Dragon Slayer, Indomitable, Swiftness, Presence
🏆 Title:[Swift Hunter]
🎓 Specialization:Soul Engraving (1/1)
🔮 Engraving:Imperfect Essence of Sarbandin
He allocated the points he'd earned from a full day of hunting and broke into a satisfied smile.
"The average level in the Orc Citadel is 25, but large guilds with good gear support come hunt at level 20..."
It wouldn't look suspicious to others.
Unlike the instance dungeon Goblin's Nest, the citadel was an open dungeon, so he couldn't ignore the eyes of other players.
"No one in the level 25 range should have Detect, but since the top 10 clans are starting to move, better safe than sorry."
He could play it safe while hunting, but levels were impossible to hide.
"And with two experience bonus traits, the leveling speed is insane. Four levels in less than a day of in-game time."
Adventurer trait and Solitude trait.
The 15% bonus in new areas and 10% for solo play were beyond tremendous—he could feel it firsthand.
It had only taken two hours to push through the infamous 19-to-20 wall.
From level 20 onward, experience requirements skyrocketed every 10 levels: 30, 40, 50, and so on.
"They say it takes more exp to go from 19 to 20 than 20 to 21..."
It was nothing short of miraculous.
"There it is."
Woojin, who had been hunting from the forest outskirts inward, now spotted the road connecting to the city and muttered to himself.
"Whoa..."
The sight of Parta unfolding before him drew an involuntary gasp from Woojin.
Towering walls.
A moat and massive gate bridge straight out of a movie.
And the throngs of people passing through—it was a spectacle.
"I didn't think Moretti was small, but compared to this, it was just a village."
The plaza just inside the gates seemed three times larger than Moretti's.
"Well, Parta is the only city in the Dark Forest. Unlike villages with a village head, this is ruled by Viscount Paron. No comparison. First time in Parta?"
A guard standing watch inside the gates spoke to Woojin.
He nodded, and the guard extended his hand.
"May I see your identification?"
Woojin showed him the token from the Adventurer's Guild.
"Rank 9? Straight from Moretti?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"No, not at all. It's just... we've been seeing a lot of rank 9 adventurers in Parta lately."
The guard smiled, handing back the token.
"They used to come through Moretti and Palensia, so most adventurers arriving here were rank 8."
It was the standard route.
But over time, community posts pointed out that hunting was more efficient than Palensia quests, and the place had been all but abandoned since.
"Lately?"
It wasn't an issue, but the guard's words lingered oddly.
Evil Tail still drew new players steadily, but it had been five years since launch.
"The skip-Palensia strategy came out three years ago, so nothing strange..."
Why had the guard phrased it that way?
Woojin's sharp instincts caught something off.
"Has something happened recently?"
"Nothing major. Are you from the Genesis Unit, by any chance?"
"...Genesis Unit?"
"About a month ago, adventurers started flooding into Parta. Word is they're all from the Genesis Unit."
"Ah... I see. No, I'm not."
"Got it. Not a complaint or anything. New adventurers are good for the city."
"Genesis Unit..."
The guard brushed it off, but Woojin felt an immediate unease at the name.
Not a top 10 clan, but one that had been growing aggressively lately.
He'd seen it pop up often on the community boards.
"If memory serves, mostly guild recruitment spam..."
He recalled how they'd plastered the boards with copy-paste ads—not a fond memory.
"Hope they don't cause trouble."
"Enjoy your adventures."
With the guard's farewell, Woojin stepped into the city.
"Whoa!! Is this Parta?"
"Tons of people!"
"Man... if noob zones are like this, the central continent must be insane."
"Let's grind fast and head there!"
Rowdy voices filled the central plaza.
Groups clustered around shops on the sides, all bearing the same emblem on their chests.
A round sun with a pair of wings beneath.
"Genesis Unit."
Judging by their vibe, best to steer clear.
"Hold up a bit. Execs arrive tomorrow to claim the citadel. They told us to party hard till then."
"We can really slack like this?"
"Said we'd hole up in the citadel for a week straight after."
"Sweet deal. Gear support and exclusive hunting grounds! Best guild ever."
"Heh, right?!"
"Cheers! Grind starts tomorrow!!"
They clinked mugs excitedly, roaring with laughter.
"..."
Woojin watched them silently.
"Claim the citadel?"
What nonsense was this?
"For real? Back in the early days, sure, factions claimed dungeons and fields..."
That led to tons of hunting ground disputes.
Everyone raced to grind for the Labyrinth Tower in the central continent.
But that was launch era.
Five years later, with top 10 clans established, noob zone monopolies were ancient history.
"Community said three years ago, starting with Phoenix Unit, six of the top 10 signed a non-aggression pact on fields..."
Woojin gave a wry smile.
"Just hiding their own dirt. They were the monopolizers."
It looked like a noble stand for fair hunting, but to cynical Woojin, it was just covering tracks.
"Doesn't matter why... reviving that crap now."
Top 10 clans ruled Evil Tail.
"Breaking their own rules? They won't stand for it..."
Weren't the Genesis Unit scared?
It made no sense.
Growing or not, they were a young clan.
What gave them the guts?
Whatever—key point: they'd claim the citadel tomorrow.
"If they're serious, getting in might be tough starting tomorrow."
Woojin glanced at the darkening sky as sunset faded.
"Not much time."
His chance: tonight.
Had to hurry.
The city's lights buzzed noisily even at night, but stepping outside brought an eerie chill.
Crackle...! Crackle-crackle...!
With the midnight alerts, Woojin began moving cautiously.
Clang—!! Scraaape—!!!
Kabooom—!!
Despite the late hour, the citadel teemed with hunters.
[Churrk... Chuuuurrk...]
Orc grunts mixed with clashing weapons and spells—a sight unlike goblins or gray wolves.
Not hunting: battle.
That fit perfectly.
"Good. Busy enough not to notice me."
Woojin donned the hooded cloak bought in the city and slipped deeper in.
Parties hunted everywhere; orcs were scarce amid the crowds.
One glance away, and prey vanished—nobody spared him a thought.
"Genesis Unit plans to boot all these people? Top 10 aside, backlash will be huge."
Execs coming meant central continent ops.
Minimum level 50+.
High-level for noobs, but...
"Can they even clear everyone out?"
Noob zones forbade killing.
Sure, dirty tricks like breaking limbs existed, but admin summons prevented that.
"Their problem anyway..."
Priority: find Kahira.
Per the shopkeep, she sought the Red-Eyed Orc.
A hidden monster with unknown spawn.
"To find a new rift..."
Putting clues together: one conclusion.
Hidden Spot.
"A dungeon hidden in the citadel."
High chance Kahira was there.
"Where to start?"
Woojin pulled a map from his pouch.
Bought at Parta's general store before heading out.
Unlike instance dungeons with party limits, the open Orc Citadel had a map for all players.
"Oh..."
A minimap overlaid his vision; Woojin marveled softly.
Eye movement shifted it; finger gestures zoomed, revealing citadel details.
"Less a dungeon, more a massive field structure."
Likely hidden spots in such buildings...
"The citadel door that won't open."
Woojin marked odd spots from community posts on the map.
"Dead-end walled alley."
And...
"Ruined citadel pavilion."
He studied it quietly.
"Posts said Red-Eyed Orc methods failed, but info's there."
"Met while hunting or evading orcs..."
First: appeared where orcs spawn, not pure trigger.
"All sightings at dawn."
Second: timing.
Two clues narrowed it.
"No orc spawns at sealed door or walled dead-end."
Those hunting sightings ruled them out.
"One left."
Ruined citadel pavilion.
Woojin looked up at the skeletal tower atop the walls.
"There."
Night edged toward dawn.