Chapter 118
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: The Ancient City's Entrance
As soon as he crossed the border and arrived in Roselburg, Kang-seok sought out the Keeman Merchant Guild.
The armaments from the Demonic Beast Allocen's room numbered twenty-five in total.
Originally, he had planned to select the best among them to arm other guild members like Kim Kang-san and Yang Jun-gyu, but the plan had changed.
The armaments of the Red God Cult were far superior to those from Allocen's room, both in quality and symbolic meaning.
Having acquired a large quantity of high-grade divine artifacts that money couldn't buy, he could dispose of the armaments from Allocen's room without any lingering regrets.
After entrusting the deal to Loxley, Kang-seok left Roselburg with Hunt, who had just reunited with the guild members after a long time, and headed straight for the Sauerland Mountains that very day.
It had already been over a month since they left the Sauerland Mountains to participate in the second World Quest. As it was closer to two months, his heart grew more impatient the nearer they got to the mountains.
And it was the same for all the Adamas guild members.
"The Sauerland Mountains."
With the entire party gathered on the bridge where the cockpit was, Kim Kang-san said, his gaze fixed on the distance.
Because they had been somewhat delayed by their stop in Roselburg, the evening sun was setting in the sky.
Go Min-gu, pressing his face right up against the window, narrowed his eyes.
"From the outside, it doesn't look like much has changed."
"Maybe it'll transform with a big *crash-bang* when we get closer?"
"No, even so, I doubt it'll go that far..."
Following Go Min-gu, Yang Jun-gyu and Park Han-yeong added their thoughts. Only Hunt, who hadn't returned to the guild hideout since the first World Quest, tilted his head in confusion at the unusual reactions of the guild members.
Kim Kang-san spoke again.
"Anyway, let's hurry and land. The sun's about to set."
In this world, there was no proper lighting besides the moon and stars.
The air was so clear that the moon was bright, but night was still night. The difficulty of landing would inevitably skyrocket compared to the daytime.
The light in the sky gradually changed.
From orange to purple, and then to pitch black.
As an airship without an autopilot system, landing depended solely on the pilot's skill.
"Don't worry. The landing dock is right over th—?!"
Yang Jun-gyu, who had been speaking with a smile, cried out in surprise. A brilliant light cut through the rapidly encroaching darkness and shone upon the Black Dragon.
"Gasp. A searchlight?!"
Go Min-gu shouted, quickly shutting his eyes.
Seong Yu-jin narrowed her eyes, trying to reduce the amount of light, and looked through the window. From where the landing dock should be, two searchlights were illuminating the Black Dragon.
The searchlights weren't the only things waiting for the party.
"It's the NOGADA!"
Seong Yu-jin shouted, and the rest of the party, now accustomed to the light, saw the NOGADA standing on the dock. It was holding a glowing red stick in its hand, apparently ready to guide their landing.
Just as the searchlights on the Black Dragon seemed to dim, a yellow light illuminated the perimeter of the landing dock.
Now able to distinguish the landing spot with much more ease, Yang Jun-gyu giggled and operated the controls. His face showed he was itching to land as soon as possible.
Seong Yu-jin, too, looked around the landing dock with an uncharacteristically tense expression. A resolve not to be surprised by anything that might pop out was etched in her eyes.
Kang-seok also stood beside her, his eyes darting around. Fortunately, nothing else popped out.
Kang-seok and Seong Yu-jin looked at each other with mixed expressions of relief and disappointment, then chuckled. The Black Dragon settled perfectly within the yellow-lit perimeter.
"Can we get off now?"
Oh Ha-na asked with an innocent face, and everyone except Hunt and Sekhmet put on sly expressions.
Yang Jun-gyu pretentiously opened his mouth to speak to Sekhmet, whose eyes had already widened like a startled rabbit's just from the searchlights.
"Now, this is where it really begins. What's going to happen is... Hiek?!"
For the second time after the searchlights, Yang Jun-gyu cut himself off mid-sentence with a yelp and stared out the window with alarmed eyes. A vibration was followed by a mechanical sound, and then something shot up from the ground and firmly grasped the Black Dragon.
The ground shook again. The entire landing dock began to descend vertically.
Last time it was diagonal, but this time it was vertical. Moreover, experiencing the descent from inside the Black Dragon felt completely different from standing on the dock on their own two feet.
The guild members all pressed against the windows to look outside the airship elevator. The moment the elevator began its descent, a new bulkhead emerged and covered the ceiling, but it wasn't complete darkness. The light emanating from the floor was enough to see their surroundings.
At first, only a black wall was visible. But after descending about twenty meters, their view suddenly opened up.
"Woah."
Yang Jun-gyu's mouth stretched into a wide grin. Kang-seok and Go Min-gu also smiled, while Seong Yu-jin looked somewhat dazed. Choi Yu-ra giggled.
The underground cavern had more than doubled in size. Furthermore, it was no longer just an empty space like before.
A massive, unidentified armored vehicle was visible, and next to it stood a huge, seemingly unfinished structure.
What in the world had they been building inside the mountain? And what was the reason for creating such a large cavern?
The Black Dragon settled on the cavern floor. Oh Ha-na, who had been blinking several times, looked ahead and saw NOGADA units 1 through 3 lined up in a row as if to welcome the Black Dragon. She hadn't noticed from a distance, but up close, their designs were distinctly mechanical.
A flustered Oh Ha-na asked everyone in general.
"Was there someone from an SF game in the guild? No, wait, can you even do this just because you're from an SF game?"
Oh Ha-na still didn't know about Antonio Choi's game of origin. She had only heard that there was a production-class member in the guild.
It was exactly the flustered reaction they had expected from Oh Ha-na, so Choi Yu-ra grinned like a mischievous child, and Seong Yu-jin took Oh Ha-na's hand.
Kang-seok spoke to everyone, as if to take control of the situation.
"Let's get off first."
The air in the cavern—the hangar—was strangely cool. The party emerged through the stern's descent hatch and easily found the person waiting for them.
"Yo."
It was Antonio Choi, riding a Segway made entirely of wood except for the wheels and base. Just like the last time they met, he was wearing a white, grime-stained tank top and black overalls, with a yellow towel draped around his neck.
But he didn't look well at all. His beard was unkempt, and the dark circles under his eyes were deep.
Choi Yu-ra asked, her face full of pity.
"Have you been eating properly?"
At her look that screamed 'why do you look like that,' Antonio Choi laughed awkwardly. He gave an answer that was a bit off from the question but somehow fitting.
"Been doing some hard labor."
Knowing Antonio's personality, it was unlikely he had spent all his time just digging out the hangar.
But what should they ask first? It felt a bit strange to immediately ask how he had changed the guild hideout right after meeting him.
Seong Yu-jin broke the ice.
"Antonio, where are the rest of the NOGADA series?"
Before they left, there were up to seven NOGADA units. Counting the one that guided their landing, there were four, meaning at least three were missing.
"They're doing hard labor. By the way, who's the newcomer?"
Antonio Choi answered vaguely, then gestured with his eyes toward Oh Ha-na and asked. The dazed Oh Ha-na snapped to her senses, and Choi Yu-ra stepped forward.
"This is Ha-na. Ha-na, this is my cousin, Antonio Choi."
"C-Cousin?"
Oh Ha-na's eyes went wide as she repeated the word. It was because of Antonio Choi's face, which looked to be at least thirty, even by a conservative estimate.
Since they were right in front of Antonio Choi, Yu-ra just laughed awkwardly, and the quick-witted Seong Yu-jin immediately whispered an explanation to Oh Ha-na.
Startled once more, Oh Ha-na hesitantly bowed her head to Antonio Choi. It looked more like an apology than a greeting.
Fortunately, Antonio Choi didn't seem to mind this time either. He just nodded a few times with a tired expression before steering his Segway toward Oh Ha-na. He extended a hand as if for a handshake and spoke.
"Antonio Choi, from World Craft."
Oh Ha-na let out a small "Ah" and nodded. Her expression showed she was finally beginning to understand the situation, at least roughly.
Her bewilderment turning to fondness and curiosity, she smiled brightly and took Antonio Choi's hand.
"I'm Oh Ha-na, from Galaxy Wars."
"Ah, is that... an RTS? One with production concepts?"
This time, it was Antonio Choi's turn to blink. He quickly grew excited and pulled Oh Ha-na's hand closer.
"GCV! Can you summon a GCV?!"
General Construction Vehicle. The name of the 'worker' unit that gathered resources and constructed buildings in Oh Ha-na's game of origin, Galaxy Wars.
At the mention of GCV, not only Antonio Choi but almost all the male members of the Adamas guild huffed with excitement, their faces flushed.
Oh Ha-na shrank back under their intense gazes.
"Uh... I haven't actually summoned one since the tutorial..."
"So you can summon one! Could you summon one for us?!"
Antonio Choi's eyes were practically sparkling.
Oh Ha-na quickly nodded, pulled her hand from Antonio Choi's grasp, and stepped back. She gave Seong Yu-jin, who was looking at her apologetically, a strained smile before taking a deep breath. She summoned a keyboard of light on her left forearm and moved her fingers.
And how much time had passed? It was the moment Kim Kang-san and Go Min-gu swallowed dryly at the same time.
"GCV good to go, sir!"
Along with a cheerful voice, a GCV measuring 2.5 meters in length was summoned before Oh Ha-na's eyes. It had a lower body with continuous tracks, mechanical arms with various tools attached, and a central armored section that could be opened for a person to board.
It looked exactly as it did in the game.
"Ooh!"
"Oooooooh!"
Kim Kang-san and Go Min-gu cheered. Kang-seok and Hunt were soon standing beside them, pumping their fists. Even Yang Jun-gyu, who didn't even know what Galaxy Wars was, joined the ranks of excited men at the sight of the robot.
Antonio Choi grabbed Oh Ha-na's hand again.
"Production base! Can you build a production base? Or maybe just a turret?!"
"I-I can. It's just that it costs an insane amount of Kron and actual materials."
Unlike the mercenaries summoned during the Sicilian naval battle, units manufactured directly through a production base had no summon time limit. If built using Kron and materials, they became equipment that could be used continuously, like a normal sword or armor.
Antonio Choi was having the same fantasy that Kang-seok, Kim Kang-san, and Go Min-gu had when they welcomed Oh Ha-na into the guild. No, his fantasy was clearly on a much grander scale than the other three.
Antonio Choi suddenly pulled Oh Ha-na into a hug. He gazed at her with enraptured eyes and said.
"I love you. Will you marry me?"
Oh Ha-na laughed awkwardly and looked back at Seong Yu-jin and Choi Yu-ra. It was a clear plea for rescue.
***
"Sorry, Ha-na. From now on, I'm unconditionally on Antonio's side."
"It's beautiful..."
Choi Yu-ra and Seong Yu-jin were standing in front of the bathroom.
It wasn't the dreary, old-fashioned toilet they had seen before they left.
White tiles and walls, bright light pouring down from the ceiling.
Amidst the fragrant scent of flowers, the sight of the clean, white flush toilet was moving in itself.
"It has a bidet, too."
Antonio Choi said quietly, and Oh Ha-na raised her hands to cup her cheeks. The various leaves and stiff papers she had been forced to use since coming to this world flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern.
Unlike the hangar, which had nearly doubled in size, Andras's nest—though it was hard to call it that anymore with so many changes—remained the same size as before.
But it was incomparable to the dreary stone cave it had once been.
The interior, decorated predominantly in white, felt like walking inside a spaceship.
The male members of the Adamas guild were just as moved by the bathroom. Yang Jun-gyu, who was holding hands with Sekhmet—who was tilting her head, not knowing what a flush toilet was—jumped up and down.
"Antonio, is there more? More?!"
Something, something more amazing and cool!
The other guild members also looked back at Antonio Choi with expectant eyes. Then, Antonio Choi's expression suddenly turned serious. He spoke not to Yang Jun-gyu, but to Kang-seok.
"As a matter of fact, I have something to report to the Guild Master."
"A report?"
"There's a reason I shifted the construction focus to expanding the hangar rather than the interior."
"What do you mean by that?"
Choi Yu-ra cut in and asked. Antonio Choi pointed toward the hallway and said.
"I found something while digging inward, but I couldn't touch it carelessly."
"Oh, come on. What is it? Just spit it out."
At Choi Yu-ra's urging, Antonio Choi nodded. Still maintaining eye contact with Kang-seok, he said.
"I found the entrance to a dungeon—no, an ancient city."