Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: The Temple of Gawain
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# 30
Players Chapter 30
Ahead. To be precise, to the front and right.
The sounds of a fight. Choi Yu-ra asked urgently.
“What should we do? Should we go check it out?”
This was different from the situation with the Keeman Merchants. Back then, they had been attacked right before their eyes, and it was clear the assailants were manageable.
But this time was different. No one knew what kind of battle was taking place up ahead.
Kang-seok bit his lower lip.
It was the only path forward, and they couldn't turn back now.
“Let’s go together. It’s better than splitting up.”
Seong Yu-jin said, and Kang-seok nodded. The three of them hid Alphonse and the cart in the bushes by the roadside and ran forward.
And then they saw it.
CRACK!
A bolt of lightning struck with a tremendous roar. That’s what it looked like, even though it was just a man of average build side-kicking the abdomen of a bear-like monster.
Lightning sparked from the point of impact, an incredible boom echoed, and the monster was sent flying several meters back before it collapsed, vomiting blood.
Seong Yu-jin and Choi Yu-ra stared with their mouths agape, while Kang-seok’s eyes widened at the characters of light that flashed in his mind.
↓↙←←←+K
Lightning Kick
Just like Bash, he could use it.
He didn't know if it would have the same power, but it was definitely a usable skill.
The next thought that came to mind was that this man was also a Player.
But what kind of game had a skill like that? Could it be that this man also came from a fighting game?
After felling the monster, the man held his extended side-kick pose for a moment before righting himself. He took a deep breath and turned toward the group.
“Gasp!”
The man, startled to see them, took a step back, all his earlier charisma gone.
A moment of silence followed.
It took a little longer than expected for a conversation to begin.
* * *
“I’m Park Hyeong-sik, leader of the Amaranth Guild.”
The blue-haired man with a red headband offered Kang-seok a handshake. Judging from his earlier display and the name he just gave, he seemed to be a Player.
‘But a guild?’
After a brief moment of hesitation, Kang-seok took the man’s hand. He decided to reveal he was a Player rather than try to feign ignorance.
“I’m Choi Kang-seok.”
“I’m Seong Yu-jin.”
“Choi Yu-ra.”
Seong Yu-jin and Choi Yu-ra introduced themselves in turn, and the man—Park Hyeong-sik—shook their hands as well.
Then, silence again.
Kang-seok looked up at the empty sky, while Seong Yu-jin stared at the ground. Only Choi Yu-ra stared intently at Park Hyeong-sik, though not at his face.
Park Hyeong-sik, armed with a sword and shield, wore leather armor. But the armor was more than half-torn, leaving him practically half-naked. His top was more like a few scraps of leather draped over his body than actual clothing.
Blinking under Choi Yu-ra’s gaze, Park Hyeong-sik finally looked down at himself and spoke with an awkward laugh.
“It’s from a game I used to play… Rigveda Hero War. Anyway, in that game, when you take damage, your clothes get torn first. It seems that system is still active here, so whenever I get hit, my clothes rip before anything else. It delays the actual damage to my body, but…”
As Park Hyeong-sik rambled on, Kang-seok nodded in understanding.
Rigveda Hero War.
It was a game with such strong action elements that some people called it an ARPG (Action Role Playing Game). Though not quite a fighting game, its unique action style had caught Kang-seok’s interest for a time.
‘The character who uses Lightning Kick was definitely a woman…’
Kang-seok suppressed a bitter smile as he looked at Park Hyeong-sik, who was clearly a man, albeit a slender one.
“You said you’re a guild? Does that mean there are other Players with you?”
Seong Yu-jin asked, her face full of curiosity. But the answer came from an unexpected direction.
“Three of us, for now. Our guild master here is a total badass in a fight, but he’s a bit of a klutz otherwise.”
The owner of the low, deep voice emerged from behind Park Hyeong-sik. He was short but broad-shouldered, giving him the impression of a boulder.
The man, his chin covered by a black beard, set down the large, blood-stained axe he had been carrying on his shoulder and said.
“Name’s Daniel Kim. I’m with the Amaranth Guild that Hyeong-sik here put together.”
Clad in well-made chainmail, complete with a helmet and gauntlets, he perfectly embodied the image of a fantasy warrior. But what was even more eye-catching were his pointed ears and stout build.
As Choi Yu-ra stared, Daniel Kim snorted as if amused.
“What, never seen a dwarf before?”
The question had an obvious answer. Seong Yu-jin gave an awkward laugh, while Choi Yu-ra opened her mouth as if to say something. But just then, sensing a presence approaching from behind, Choi Yu-ra spun around and raised her crossbow. Kang-seok also tightened his grip on Durandal and turned quickly.
A figure well over two meters tall with dark red skin, two horns sprouting from its head, and a devil’s tail swaying near its backside!
Just as Kang-seok and Choi Yu-ra were about to attack reflexively, Park Hyeong-sik shouted.
“He’s with us!”
Kang-seok stopped, and Choi Yu-ra quickly changed the aim of her crossbow. The bolt flew through the empty air.
The demonic-looking, crimson-skinned man scowled and introduced himself in a voice that sounded like a growl.
“John.”
“I-I thought you were a mob.”
Choi Yu-ra muttered unconsciously, and at that moment, John’s eyes narrowed. He glared at Choi Yu-ra with beast-like eyes and truly growled this time.
“Huh? What’d you say? Huh?”
Choi Yu-ra was not one to back down from a fight. As John became hostile, her own eyes sharpened.
In the tense moment, Park Hyeong-sik quickly stepped between them.
“We were on our way to the Temple of Gawain. We thought we might be able to get some information there!”
His fervent cry made Kang-seok unwittingly let out a small laugh. Hiding his amusement, he also stepped between the two.
“We’re headed there as well. Looks like our paths have crossed.”
“Then shall we travel to the temple together?”
“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”
Although they had decided not to blindly trust other Players, traveling together seemed acceptable. Besides, while John was another story, he couldn't imagine the man before him, Park Hyeong-sik, trying to harm their group.
‘Still, we should remain vigilant.’
Kang-seok didn't bother revealing which game he came from. Park Hyeong-sik’s group, aside from Park Hyeong-sik himself, didn't mention their games either, nor did they ask about Kang-seok's group.
After the initial commotion, Park Hyeong-sik's group, who didn't have a cart, took the lead, with Kang-seok's group following behind.
Just as Kang-seok was wary of Park Hyeong-sik's group, John seemed to be keeping a close eye on them as well.
Seong Yu-jin, quick to notice, furrowed her brow at this subtle, mutual vigilance, and Park Hyeong-sik also glanced back and forth between John and their group several times.
However, there were two people who created an atmosphere completely detached from everyone else.
“Hey, mister.”
“I’m not a mister.”
“Then, oppa.”
“What is it?”
Choi Yu-ra, who had somehow ended up standing right next to Daniel Kim, shoulder to shoulder—though her shoulder was higher than his—tilted her head coquettishly and asked.
“Can you craft items? Since you’re a dwarf.”
Just because Park Hyeong-sik came from Rigveda Hero War didn't guarantee that Daniel Kim or John were from the same game.
Daniel Kim glanced up at Choi Yu-ra and shook his head.
“You’re the type to think all black people are good at basketball, aren’t you?”
“Well, most of the friends I know are pretty good.”
Daniel Kim chuckled at Choi Yu-ra's slick reply. His expression was much more relaxed than before as he answered.
“My character was built as a warrior, not a crafter, so I can’t make anything amazing. You’d have better luck hoping to meet a Player with a production class at the temple we’re heading to. Though… in this world, I bet production classes are treated like royalty, just like healers.”
In most online games, healers were indispensable.
However, since their role was to heal from the backlines instead of fighting directly, fewer people wanted to play as healers.
When supply couldn't meet demand, scarcity increased, and healers were naturally given what was called ‘royal treatment’ in many online games.
While many games had crafting elements, few made production classes their main focus. And in those cases, the games were often far removed from combat.
Of the 370,000 people summoned on the day of the Great Summoning, only about 10,000 were expected to pass the tutorial.
For a Player with the abilities of a production character, passing the tutorial would be several times harder than for a combat-oriented Player, so their scarcity was bound to be high.
As a conversation started between Daniel Kim and Choi Yu-ra, the tense atmosphere eased somewhat.
Seong Yu-jin also started exchanging brief pleasantries with Park Hyeong-sik, leaving only Kang-seok and John maintaining their silence and wariness of each other.
How much further did they walk like that? It was when they rounded a corner on a hillside path, one side of which was a sheer wall.
Seong Yu-jin suddenly pointed forward and shouted.
“I can see the temple!”
“Wow…”
Kang-seok wasn't the only one to gasp in admiration. The entire group stopped on the path, each expressing their awe.
A massive building perched on a hill in the distance. Its form was simple, but beautiful for that very reason.
The group’s steps quickened as they headed for the temple of Gawain, the God of Honor.
* * *
A vast forest spread out around the Temple of Gawain on the hill. With a little imagination, it looked like an island floating on a sea of trees.
The large village they had heard was nearby was farther than expected, so the path to the village and the one to the temple had split off much earlier.
The well-maintained road was crowded with people besides Kang-seok’s group. Seeing so many people coming and going, it seemed the god Gawain was quite popular.
Seong Yu-jin and Choi Yu-ra were busy looking at the people around them, as were Park Hyeong-sik and his companions.
Kang-seok was scanning the passersby for any Players, checking their gear and hair color, when he lifted his gaze to the air.
Characters of light had suddenly appeared, and a business-like female voice had spoken.
[The Temple of Gawain, the God of Honor.]
[Gawain is one of the ‘Three Great Gods of War,’ popular in the Kingdom of Briton. Unlike the other two, Sword God Cnut and the God of Courage, Percival, who are mainly worshipped by knights, Gawain is also popular among the nobility and merchant classes.]
[As the God of Honor, he is often invoked in matters of trade and contracts. The people of the Kingdom of Briton have a custom of visiting Gawain’s temple or offering prayers to him when making important promises.]
[Gawain’s followers, naturally, value honor. Breaking a promise or telling a lie is considered almost an act of apostasy. Please be mindful of this.]
Kang-seok blinked, slightly taken aback by the string of explanations. It wasn't because of the content.
It was the fact that he had received an explanation at all.
As if sensing his bewilderment, the characters of light continued. This time, the voice was somewhat awkward.
[You have consecutively cleared high-difficulty quests, yet the rewards have not been substantial… Please consider this a small service I can provide on my end. And… I do not prepare quests in advance. They are created on the spot to provide guidance and rewards for situations that arise. I have no intention of leading Players into traps. Understood?]
At the end, she even cleared her throat slightly, as if embarrassed. Kang-seok, who let out a small laugh, stroked his chin. He asked in a low voice.
“What’s your name?”
[I will not be answering personal questions. And this service is a one-time offer. Do not expect it to continue in the future.]
Unlike before, her tone was slightly chilly, as if putting up a wall. But Kang-seok wasn't disappointed. If she had truly intended to build a wall, she wouldn't have engaged in conversation in the first place.
After a moment of thought, Kang-seok decided to take a risk and push his luck.
“Then I’ll call you Poochie from now on, okay?”
[Do as you please.]
Even to Kang-seok, it was a childish provocation. The business-like voice responded just as coldly.
But there was something different from before. Kang-seok, imitating Choi Yu-ra, spoke in a sly voice.
“Alright, Poochie. It’s got a nice ring to it, Poochie. Don’t you think? Hey, Poochie?”
[Such childish, prank-like provocations are useless.]
“Got it, Poochie.”
The characters of light didn't appear, but he thought he heard a groan of "Ugh." Suppressing a laugh, Kang-seok opened his mouth to speak again.
[…ris.]
“Hmm? What was that, Poochie?”
[It’s Iris! Iris!]
He could almost picture a woman’s face blushing bright red. She sounded so agitated that he could even hear her ragged breathing.
A smile played on Kang-seok’s lips.
“That’s a pretty name, Iris.”
[I’m not so easy as to be swayed by such obvious flattery. Please focus on the journey ahead.]
The business-like woman's voice cut off. It wasn't just that she had stopped talking; it felt as if the ‘connection’ itself had been severed.
Kang-seok blinked. Instead of characters of light, he saw Seong Yu-jin’s face.
“Kang-seok?”
“Huh?”
Kang-seok reflexively took a step back, and Seong Yu-jin immediately took a step closer. She looked up at him with worried eyes and asked.
“What’s wrong? Do you have a fever?”
Looking around, he saw that not only Choi Yu-ra but also Park Hyeong-sik’s group were looking back at him.
“No, it’s nothing. I guess I just zoned out for a moment.”
“Hmm… If you’re tired, let me know. It’s not a bad idea to sit on the cart and rest.”
“Yeah, thanks for your concern.”
After responding gently to Seong Yu-jin, Kang-seok settled himself in a corner of the cart. Park Hyeong-sik’s group quickly lost interest, and while Seong Yu-jin and Choi Yu-ra occasionally glanced back at him as they walked, they didn't approach to talk.
It seemed they thought he was genuinely tired.
‘Iris.’
The name of the woman who issued the quests.
The explanation about the Temple of Gawain had been visible only to him.
‘She’s definitely favorable towards me.’
She had said it was a service because his rewards hadn't been great despite clearing difficult quests. Her attitude towards him made it clear.
‘I can talk to her.’
He had so many questions. Why did the Great Summoning happen? Why was he summoned? What was the goal of the one who caused the Great Summoning?
But he couldn't ask these things from the start. Acting rashly would sever the line of communication he had just established.
It was a somewhat calculated move, which didn't sit well with him, but it couldn't be helped.
For now, getting on good terms with Iris was the priority.
‘The Temple of Gawain, the God of Honor.’
Kang-seok raised his head and looked into the distance. The temple was not far off.