Chapter 196: An Opportunity Arrives
Chapter 196: An Opportunity Arrives
“Hey, did you hear? They said it opened again.”
“For real? Whoa, that’s insane. I can’t believe it. Isn’t it way too soon?”
“I know, right? Hmm. Has it been about six months since last time? I came to the Hall Plain two years ago, and I’ve never seen it open this quickly.”
“Me neither. Anyway, what should we do? Things are already chaotic these days. The timing is pretty awkward, don’t you think?”
The scene that greeted me the moment I stepped out of the Morning Sunlight Inn left me speechless. Despite the late hour, the streets of Barbara were overflowing with Users. In the Hall Plain, sleep was incredibly important; it was one of the most effective ways to recover a body exhausted from exploration. It was quite rare for so many Users to gather at this time of night.
I took a moment to collect my thoughts before turning my gaze to two Users chatting nearby. Both had average-looking faces, and from their shabby equipment, it seemed their skills weren’t particularly impressive. Still, the fact that they were wearing combat gear suggested they weren’t just civilian Users trying to get by.
I approached them cautiously and spoke to the one with her hair in pigtails.
“Excuse me, may I ask you something?”
“Gah! You scared me! What is it? Sneaking up on me like that…”
The woman with pigtails spun around, her face a mask of genuine surprise and irritation, but she trailed off as soon as she saw me. Her eyes scanned me from top to bottom, narrowing slightly. A moment passed. Finally, her gaze settled on my face, and the furrow in her brow slowly smoothed out.
“Yes. What can I help you with?”
“H-Hey! I can answer. Ask me.”
“Hey, you brat. He asked me. Could you just shut… I mean, stay quiet for a second?”
The woman with pigtails used a saccharine voice for me and a sharp one for her friend. Then, she sidled up next to me and subtly took my arm. I reflexively activated my Third Eye.
Player Status
1. Name: Kim Dahye (Year 2 User)
2. Class: Swordswoman (Normal, Swordswoman, Runner)
3. Nation: Barbara
4. Clan: -
5. True Name · Nationality: Dead Fish · Republic of Korea
6. Sex: Female (27)
7. Height · Weight: 161.3cm · 58.7kg
8. Alignment: Neutral · Obscene
[Strength 51] [Durability 56] [Agility 47] [Stamina 49] [Magic Power 61] [Luck 37]
Her stats were nothing special. I closed the Player Status without a second thought and saw Kim Dahye gently stroking my clothes. It felt neither good nor bad. With an enraptured expression, she briefly touched my belt before speaking in a nasal voice.
“Wow. This is so soft. Where did you get it? I can tell it’s high-quality. You must be really skilled.”
“…”
“Oh, where are my manners? You said you had a question, didn’t you? Hoho.”
A thought suddenly crossed my mind: in the Hall Plain, female Users generally seemed to have a keener eye for equipment than male Users. I was currently wearing the Glory of Heaven, the Glory of the Sun, and the Sun and Moon Divine Sword. Each possessed its own distinctive elegance, exuding an aura that low-grade equipment could never produce.
I gently removed her hand, which was still clutching my belt, and asked my question.
“It’s nothing major. I was just wondering what’s causing all this commotion.”
“Ah, that. The portal opened.”
“A portal?”
“Yes. They say the portal at the Inn of Beginnings opened. And this time, the intensity is really strong, so it looks like quite a few will be coming through. The last one was six months ago, so this is incredibly fast compared to the last few years.”
By ‘intensity,’ she was likely referring to the thickness and color of the blue barrier. I wanted to say, “The number of people has nothing to do with the thickness or color,” but a sudden rush of thoughts made me turn away abruptly. I heard a voice behind me shout, “Wait a minute!” trying to stop me, but I had no time to answer.
I ran. The moment I heard the portal had opened, a sense of urgency washed over me.
I pushed my way through the throng of Users filling the streets and then sprinted down the main thoroughfare. I dashed past the streetlights embedded with Light Stones, rounded a corner, and saw a plaza packed so tightly with Users there was no room to move.
I clicked my tongue and immediately changed direction. It wasn’t that I couldn’t force my way through, but right now, only running at full tilt felt like it could soothe my frantic heart.
Soon, the bright streets of Barbara vanished, replaced by the dark, unlit alleys. Compared to the bustling main streets where Users congregated, this area was relatively deserted. The only light came from the occasional lurid glow spilling out of buildings that looked like shops. The air was thick with a nauseating stench that stung my nose, and the ground was filthy.
Even as I ran, a mixture of smells assaulted my senses: the scent of people, beer, dry and wet straw, mud, and the body odor of men and women. The number of Users had dwindled, so there were fewer obstacles in my path, but I wanted to get out of this place as quickly as possible.
I wasn't running with the full power of my agility stat, but the surrounding scenery still flew past me at high speed. The city was certainly large; despite running for a while, there was still some distance to the Inn of Beginnings. I spurred myself on, relying on my memory to guide me.
The portal at the Inn of Beginnings had opened. In itself, that wasn’t a major event. But the reason I felt so frantic was that the future had been significantly twisted. In the original timeline, the portal at the Inn of Beginnings didn’t open at this time. If I recalled correctly, the next wave of new Users was supposed to arrive after the first civil war had concluded.
Why did the portal have to open now? Countless thoughts swirled chaotically in my mind.
How long had I been running? Soon, the unpleasant smells began to fade, a sign that I was leaving the dark alleys behind. Once I was completely clear of them, I was finally able to draw the cool night air deep into my lungs. It felt like I could breathe again. At the same time, the quiet of the night streets was once again shattered by a distant, growing murmur.
*
“Everyone, stay back! Don’t cross the line!”
“Who the hell are you to order us around?”
“What did you say? How dare you, in Barbara…”
“Everyone be quiet! The portal has just opened! The blue barrier still needs to…!”
There it was the Inn of Beginnings. And just as the woman with pigtails had said, the inn was enveloped in a blue barrier. I stared at it with a dazed expression before my eyes swept over the surroundings. The crowd here was teeming with Users who looked far more capable than the ones I’d seen near the Morning Sunlight Inn.
“‘How dare I?’ Hey, did you hear that? She just said ‘how dare you.’ Wow. That’s rich. Pfft.”
“I can’t just ignore that remark. Are you declaring your hostility toward the Golden Lion Clan here in Barbara?”
“Don’t make me laugh. You’re the ones who caused the expedition to fail. You think you’re still something special? Weren’t you the same bastards crying for a rescue just yesterday?”
“What did you say? You…!”
A rough male voice boomed, and the nearby Users burst into raucous laughter. In contrast, the faces of the woman with the Golden Lion crest on her left breast and the Users around her hardened. Seeing them, I could confirm that the conflict was escalating much faster than I had anticipated.
I attributed the cause to the deaths of the Ten Strong. In the Hall Plain, especially on the Northern Continent, the presence of the Ten Strong was far greater than one might think. There was a reason I had placed so much importance on recruiting Ko Yeonju and killing Cha Seunghyun and Ban Dahee, who were destined to become members of the Ten Strong.
Beyond their individual military might, the Ten Strong held immense symbolic value. One didn’t become one of the Ten Strong simply by having high stats or a good class. Those were just necessary conditions. Personally, I believed the most crucial factor was fame. Only when other Users acknowledged and empathized with a User’s achievements and the hardships they had overcome could they finally enter the ranks of the Ten Strong.
Of course, I had seen cases where someone with freakish stats from the start performed incredible feats in a short time and pushed out an existing member, but that was rare. In the first playthrough, I could count the number of Users who became one of the Ten Strong that way on one hand.
A total of seven of the Ten Strong had participated in this expedition. Of those, all but one were either confirmed dead or missing. And that one survivor was said to have lost consciousness in a near-death state, so their fate was uncertain. That meant only three of the Ten Strong remained, and since I had Ko Yeonju, the other two were with the non-participating clans.
In the first playthrough, three of the Ten Strong had returned alive. This meant the participating clans still had the upper hand in numbers, and that symbolism served as a slight deterrent. But in this second playthrough, that symbolism had been completely shattered. Furthermore, with their basic forces now clearly superior, the other clans were slowly beginning to bare the fangs of discontent they had hidden until now.
The atmosphere grew increasingly hostile. While no one had gone to the extreme of drawing weapons, the glares exchanged between the factions were thick with killing intent. I watched them for a moment before turning my gaze back to the inn.
I had rushed here in disbelief, but there was nothing I could do now. All I could do was confirm what had happened and accept it. My mind was already in turmoil because of Ahn Sol, and now things felt even more complicated.
I bit my lip slightly and let out a long sigh. I habitually fumbled inside my coat, but the cigarettes I usually found weren’t there. My mood soured even further. Just in case, I reached deeper into my pocket, and thankfully, my fingers brushed against a few thin sticks. I breathed a sigh of relief and immediately put a cigarette to my lips.
Some of the Users were engaged in a heated debate about the portal at the Inn of Beginnings lighting up after only six months. Amidst the chatter, I could occasionally hear voices blaming the participating clans, suggesting this was a move to replenish the User numbers they had lost in the failed expedition.
Honestly, the portal activating after six months wasn't that surprising. I had experienced it a few times during my ten years of activity. I think the shortest cycle ever was three months, wasn't it?
The core of my confusion was the awkward timing. The Golden Lion might issue a Call to Arms as early as tomorrow, yet the portal had opened at what could only be described as a perfectly timed moment. I couldn't predict what effect this would have on the future, because the importance of the Inn of Beginnings in the Hall Plain was immense.
After taking a few long drags from the blameless cigarette, I decided to head back. The conflict between the Users was starting to die down thanks to someone’s mediation, and there was nothing more for me to do here.
Just as I composed myself and turned to leave, my eyes happened to fall on the blue barrier, and a thought flashed through my mind. Third Eye. Since practically nothing in this world could deceive Third Eye, perhaps I could find out some information about the Inn of Beginnings.
I took a deep breath to calm myself. Even a little bit would be good. Just a sliver of information would be a great help in preparing for any unforeseen disasters that might occur. I activated Third Eye and stared intently at the blue barrier. In that instant, I saw a message appear in the air.
『Inn of Beginnings (Start Inn)』
Rite of Passage Participants: 587
Rite of Passage Survivors: 252 (Currently Day 7)
Rite of Passage Deceased: 335 (Currently Day 7)
Currently Completed: 2 (Completed on Day 5)
The moment I read the information about the survivors and the two who had completed it on the fifth day, I felt my breath catch in my throat. At the same time, I felt the cigarette slip from my lips.