Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Black Mist Quest
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With the notification, the space around Barnetsa grew dark.
In the void where nothing was visible, only she and Woojin remained.
Chrrrrk———!!
Cards burst from beneath her robe, scattering into the air.
She selected a few from the floating cards and placed them on the table. They began to emit light.
"Grosch Jamil."
She murmured the name as she laid a lock of severed hair atop the glowing card.
'She's already prepared everything.'
Woojin smirked faintly upon seeing she had Grosch's hair.
Whoosh...
The hair ignited in blue flames, and a man materialized amid the rising smoke between the cards.
"Um..."
Barnetsa shrank back, glancing nervously at Woojin.
-Who...! Who the hell killed me!!!
The summoned Grosch shrieked and thrashed wildly.
-Bring the bastard who killed me right now!!!!
"Calm down. I've already killed the one who murdered you."
-...What?
Grosch stared at Woojin.
"I have questions for you. You seemed to know something about the Black Mist."
Grosch's face twisted at his words.
-Is that why... you killed me?
"It was an accident. I only went to ask for your help."
-Same damn thing! It's because of you that they killed me!!
"No, it's not. If we're assigning blame, it would be that woman over there."
"...Pardon? Huh?"
Barnetsa stammered, flustered by Woojin's finger pointing at her.
"If you want, I can kill her too."
-...For real?
"Of course."
-Keep your promise then.
"Wait just a second!!"
"So answer me properly. I promise I'll do my best."
Woojin clamped a hand over Barnetsa's trembling mouth and addressed Grosch.
-What do you want to ask me?
"Were you a crewman on the Siren by any chance?"
One of the glowing cards burned to ash.
-Yes. I was a crewman on the great Siren. The blessed ship led by Captain Harterwin...!! If only the captain hadn't gone into that damned Black Mist...
Grosch's eyes widened at Woojin's words, and he nodded frantically.
-I should have stopped him... I should have stopped him from going home...!! I'm sorry... Captain! You couldn't overcome the curse in the end!!
He clawed at his head in agony.
'...Home? Curse?'
Woojin memorized his ramblings one by one and prepared his next question.
-What did you mean by 'home' and 'curse' just now?
Another card vanished.
"It was something the captain always said. That his family was cursed. And the day before he vanished, he told us the same."
"That he had to go home."
Twitch—.
Grosch's voice changed on his final words.
"Then, the way to the Black Mist."
-Are you insane? You want to go to that horrific place?
"Just tell me how to get there."
-...I don't know. The captain didn't tell us. He just left. If anyone knows how to reach the Black Mist, it would be his son.
'His son?'
Woojin wondered if it was the boy mentioned in Keruga's post.
-Before leaving, the captain told us this.
Grosch stared at Woojin with empty black eyes.
-Blood is thicker than water.
Whoosh—!!
As the final card burned, Grosch's soul ignited too.
-Argh, aaaargh———!!!
The black space flipped in an instant, returning them to the building.
"You... You're planning to go to the Black Mist?"
"And if I am?"
"Don't tell me you've obtained that ship? The one even Keruga gave up on?"
No one living here could be ignorant of the Siren.
"Unbelievable. I thought building rapport with that grumpy gnome was impossible..."
'Ah...! I get it. He conquered the Ice Cavern, so he must have rescued Charlson's son. That's how he gained their favor!'
They never would have received the quest from Charlson in the first place, but unaware of that, Barnetsa could only seethe with envy.
"Haha, I knew it...! I was right. There's no way you'd move without a solid plan!"
She hurried to Woojin's side, fawning desperately.
"Take me with you. I'll be useful. Among the astrologer's skills, there's one called Heavenly Inquiry. It's a pathfinding skill perfect for navigating labyrinthine dungeons."
She pitched herself eagerly.
"You heard Grosch, right? Even he said you can't navigate the Black Mist. You'll definitely need my abilities!"
But Woojin's gaze remained ice-cold.
"Sorry, but I'm the type who keeps his promises."
"What?"
Barnetsa's eyes shook.
Swish—!!!
In that instant, an arrow pierced her forehead.
"I have no intention of traveling with the one who first drew a blade on me."
Woojin watched her body crumble to ash and vanish.
Knock knock—.
As the community post described, there was a brown-roofed building inside the square.
When Woojin knocked, the door opened.
"...Who are you?"
A boy who looked like a high schooler stood inside.
"Name's Khan. I have a question. Are you Captain Harterwin's son?"
The boy's eyes trembled at Woojin's question.
"I-I have nothing more to say!!"
Bang—!!
With a cold rebuff, he slammed the door shut.
"Hmm, this doesn't match Keruga's post at all."
Woojin scratched his forehead awkwardly, glancing at Luen.
'The post clearly said the kid begged to be taken to the Black Mist...'
Instead, the boy seemed to flee at the mere mention.
Perhaps the situation had changed.
Keruga's community post was several years old, after all.
In Evil Tail, not just players but NPCs evolved with time.
"I know you're listening. I don't know what happened to you in the meantime, but Grosch said this: your father went into the Black Mist."
No response came from inside, but Woojin pressed on.
"Charlson said your father set sail like he was possessed. But there's no scent of death on his ship. He might still be alive."
Creeeak—
That was when the door cracked open. The boy eyed him suspiciously.
"Don't lie. How can you be sure my father didn't die?"
-Death leaves traces.
"Whoa?!"
Setsuna's appearance startled the boy into stumbling back.
-I can smell the Death Scent. The aroma of the dead. If your father died in the Black Mist, the ship would carry that fragrance.
"But it didn't."
-He might still be alive!
"L-Lies...! It's been five years since Dad left! There's no way he's alive!"
The boy finally yelled, unable to hold back.
"...What?"
Woojin sensed something off.
"You didn't see it yourself."
"...Huh?"
The boy hesitated.
"That's why we should go check for ourselves whether he's alive or dead."
Woojin told the boy.
"We're taking the Siren into the Black Mist."
Ding.
Then, a notification rang.
[Black Mist Conquest]
▶ Rank: A
▶ Find the whereabouts of Harterwin, who vanished as a sacrifice to the Black Mist.
▶ If luck is poor, you may face a horrific foe.
'An A-rank quest?'
Woojin's eyes widened at the window before him.
The Ice Cavern raid dungeon quest had only been B-rank.
'What the hell is in there...'
The quest's difficulty only excited him more.
"Fine. Dad's dead. Going there is suicide."
The boy shuddered.
"Strange. From what I know, you were begging people to take you there not long ago."
Woojin couldn't understand the boy's reaction.
"What happened in the meantime to change your mind?"
"I didn't know anything back then. But... that person showed me. Proof that Dad is gone."
"Proof...? Who?"
The boy whispered shakily to Woojin.
"Keruga."
"Hmm..."
Late that night, Woojin stood on the Siren's deck, gazing at the blackened sea in the distance, lost in thought.
'The captain's son fears the Black Mist because of Keruga.'
He never expected an NPC to name a specific player.
"What did he show him to make the kid so certain the captain is dead?"
Woojin stared at the floating window, unable to decide.
'Keruga shared what he learned on the community boards before heading to the Central Continent.'
It seemed like info for those who followed, but meeting the boy changed that.
'If he manipulated the son into giving up on the Black Mist, then left that post...'
Something felt wrong.
Sabotaging others while pretending to help with shared info?
Hypocritical.
'What was he thinking?'
Nothing was certain, but a nagging unease lingered.
"No point overthinking it."
Woojin began typing on the screen.
"I'll just ask him directly."