Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: The Witch of the Lake
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Vivian, the Witch of the Lake.
The greatest and most powerful archmage in the Kingdom of Britain, whose symbol was an ash staff.
No one knew of her origins or her master.
But no one took issue with it.
For the past eighty years, she had been the guardian of Britain's royal family, serving as both a teacher and an advisor to the reigning king.
Although she was not one of the Eight Great Superhumans of the World, most people considered her to be on par with them.
Some gossipmongers even claimed she was the true ruler of Britain's royal family—the so-called power behind the throne.
But this was nothing more than the gossipmongers' fantasy.
Throughout the years, she had remained merely an advisor to the king, never once wielding any power for her own gain. If someone on her level had wielded power for personal reasons, the Kingdom of Britain itself would look quite different today.
‘But one thing is certain: she is the guardian of Britain's royal family. Keep that in mind.’
Kang-seok recalled Abigail's words and took a deep breath.
In the dead of night.
Standing before a small ash forest located in the Western Annex, Kang-seok glanced around, his eyes betraying a hint of anxiety.
The letter from Vivian, delivered by a court official, had been remarkably simple.
Come alone to the ash forest near the Western Annex around midnight tonight.
Seong Yu-jin and Choi Yu-ra had strongly objected to the ‘come alone’ part, but Kang-seok had decided to follow the letter's instructions. If Vivian had intended to harm him, she wouldn't have resorted to such a method.
Moreover, he felt a strong desire to speak with a powerful mage of this world.
The Great Summoning and the 72 Demonic Beasts. The seven World Quests he would have to face.
Neither Jade, the priest of Gawain, nor Loxley of the great merchant caravan, nor even the veteran adventurer Abigail had been able to provide any answers regarding these three things.
But what about an archmage? Especially one who was practically the guardian deity of an entire nation.
A damp breeze brushed against his cheek. Kang-seok casually turned his gaze and met the eyes of a large boar's head staring at him from close by.
He nearly screamed and stumbled backward.
But thankfully, Kang-seok managed to restrain himself.
He remembered the last line of the letter, which mentioned that a strange-looking servant would come to greet him.
Just as the letter had described, the being was truly bizarre. Below the boar's head was the body of a man, but with his massive build and extraordinary muscles, he looked more like a monster than a person.
Oboro, the boar beastman with stiff black fur, seemed quite pleased that Kang-seok hadn't screamed at the sight of him, and he offered a broad, simple smile.
“Please follow me. Lady Vivian is waiting.”
His voice was surprisingly soft and refined, a stark contrast to his appearance. Nodding in spite of himself, Kang-seok followed Oboro's waddling form deeper into the ash forest.
***
Despite the dead of night, a thick fog blanketed the ash forest. Though he had only been following Oboro for a short while, he felt as if he had already ventured deep inside.
‘Was the forest this big?’
He glanced back, but he couldn't see the edge.
From the outside, it had looked like a forest that couldn't be more than a hundred meters across, but from within, it seemed like a vast wood stretching for hundreds of meters.
“This is Lady Vivian's magical domain. You can think of it as having entered what is commonly known as a barrier. It is merely a protective measure for her residence, so please do not worry.”
Oboro spoke calmly, as if he had read Kang-seok's mind.
Swallowing dryly, Kang-seok nodded.
And how much further did they walk?
Just as the damp wind began to pick up, a large lake appeared before his eyes. And in the middle of the lake stood Vivian, the Witch of the Lake.
Standing upon the circular lake that glowed with a blue light, Vivian's very existence seemed mystical.
Dark blue hair, skin so pale it was almost white, and a form-fitting, dark blue robe.
Kang-seok's and Vivian's eyes met, and once again, the world changed. He blinked, and the lake was gone. He was now sitting across a table from Vivian in a room paneled entirely with ash wood.
“A pleasure to meet you, Player Choi Kang-seok. It may be redundant, but allow me to introduce myself again. I am Vivian, the Witch of the Lake.”
Her enchanting voice echoed in his ears. Feeling his mind grow hazy, as if bewitched by a fox spirit, Kang-seok shook his head sharply. After steadying himself, he took Vivian's outstretched hand and shook it.
“It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Choi Kang-seok.”
Vivian's hand was so soft it felt as if it might melt away. Vivian looked into Kang-seok's eyes and smiled sweetly.
“Unlike the others I've met, you are quite polite. It seems Players truly come in all sorts.”
Swallowing dryly, Kang-seok focused his gaze on Vivian. He had a strong urge to look around, but he felt he couldn't afford to look away even for a moment.
Having finished the handshake, Vivian spoke in a gentle, reassuring voice.
“Let me assure you, I have no intention of harming you, Sir Choi Kang-seok. My king was quite fond of you. And now, meeting you here in my 'domain,' I can see why.”
The ash forest in the Western Annex was a 'magical domain' that Vivian had cultivated for the past eighty years.
Within this forest, she feared no one, not even one of the Eight Great Superhumans of the World.
Vivian had met over ten Players so far. Of them all, Kang-seok was the only one who had maintained his composure after entering the ash forest.
Vivian's voice grew sweeter.
“Today, the king declared that he would accept the Great Summoning as the will of the heavens. Since my king has made his decision, I shall follow it. And in truth, I too believe there must be some inevitability to the Great Summoning.”
“Did the gods of this world truly summon us?”
Kang-seok asked urgently. Vivian's eyebrows furrowed as she replied with a slightly troubled expression.
“I cannot be certain. But if that is the case, I believe there must be a fitting reason. They are not beings who would perform such a miracle without purpose.”
Like Abigail, Vivian also had a strong faith in the gods of this world, including the Four Great Gods.
In a world where divine miracles were real, this might have been natural, but she seemed to truly regard the gods as 'benevolent parents.'
Kang-seok asked again.
“Lady Vivian, do you happen to know about the 72 Demonic Beasts?”
“The 72… Demonic Beasts?”
The moment Vivian tilted her head in confusion, Kang-seok felt a deep sense of disappointment but did not let it show. He met Vivian's blue eyes and continued.
“I'm not sure if you're aware, but Players sometimes receive various pieces of information through characters of light. When I fought the Earth Dragon Andras, I received information that Andras was one of the 72 Demonic Beasts… and I have since come across the names of four beasts belonging to that group.”
“What are their names?”
Vivian, her interest piqued, asked in a slightly hurried tone. Kang-seok replied.
“Barbatos, Cimeries, Andras, and Raum.”
Vivian's eyes narrowed.
“I do not know of the '72 Demonic Beasts.' But I have heard each of those names individually. If those beings can be grouped together and called the 72 Demonic Beasts… My goodness. This could be a great catastrophe.”
Vivian's voice grew agitated as she spoke.
“If there are 72 Demonic Beasts, that means there are seventy-two beings like Andras. It would be one thing if Andras were the strongest among them, but if he is one of the weaker ones…”
Kang-seok also understood what she meant by catastrophe.
All of the 72 Demonic Beasts Kang-seok had encountered so far had been attacking the natives of this world.
Andras had tried to destroy Ahen, and Cimeries had attacked the temple of Gawain.
If there were seventy-two such beasts.
And if Cimeries and Andras were among the 'weaker' ones.
Vivian spoke again.
“I, too, have heard about the World Quests. That there are seven in total, and one of them will activate in the Duchy of Avalon in about two months.”
“Lady Vivian, are you suggesting that the Great Summoning and the World Quests themselves might exist to stop the 72 Demonic Beasts?!”
A voice filled with shock came from behind him. He quickly turned to see Oboro with wide eyes. Vivian's lips parted a few times before she answered.
“I cannot be certain. It is merely a possibility. If so, it would explain to some extent why Players are growing stronger at such a rapid pace.”
The man before her, Kang-seok, already possessed combat prowess comparable to a six-star adventurer.
The first Player appeared in this world via the Great Summoning three months ago, which meant Kang-seok's training period could be at most three months. What a terrifying growth rate.
But what if that growth itself was born of necessity?
What if Players were summoned to this world as guardians to stop the 72 Demonic Beasts and the World Quests?
“But if that's the case, there's something a little strange.”
Kang-seok's voice cut through Vivian and Oboro's thoughts.
The reason for the Great Summoning is to defeat the 72 Demonic Beasts.
It was a hypothesis Kang-seok had also considered. And because of that, he had long since identified its flaw.
“Why Players?”
Oboro blinked, not understanding what he meant. But Vivian, the Witch of the Lake, understood immediately.
Kang-seok continued.
“If there is a being capable of causing the Great Summoning and granting Players their current power, wouldn't it be far more efficient to simply strengthen the beings of this world?”
Summoning Players to stop the 72 Demonic Beasts?
Why would they need to do that?
Strong individuals already existed in this world. There were monsters like the Eight Great Superhumans of the World, and there were six-star adventurers capable of fighting fierce battles against the 72 Demonic Beasts.
Wouldn't it be far more efficient to strengthen them?
Why summon 370,000 Players to this world?
It was a valid point.
Feeling confused, Vivian closed her eyes for a moment to gather her thoughts. She spoke to Kang-seok in a much calmer voice.
“It seems this is not a question that can be easily answered here and now. We will need more time to observe the situation.”
In the end, she was deferring judgment. As she said, more time and clues were needed.
“The reason I called you here today was to clearly ascertain what kind of person Player Choi Kang-seok is.”
Any being who entered Vivian's domain was forced to open the locks on their heart, whether they liked it or not.
Vivian observed the very essence of Kang-seok, and she was satisfied with the results.
“The first World Quest will occur outside the Kingdom of Britain. But we do not know what will happen with the second or third. As the rumors say, I am the guardian of Britain. Therefore, I cannot stand by and watch the current situation bring harm to my kingdom.”
The Earth Dragon Andras was defeated early on. But what if its defeat had come later? At the very least, the burning of Ahen would have been unavoidable.
There were still six World Quests left. She couldn't be sure what kind of tragedy the World Quest in Avalon would cause.
“There are currently over eight thousand Players in this world. I have not met them all, but you are undoubtedly one of the strongest among them. And it is clear you will grow even stronger. Just as you discovered the first World Quest, it is highly likely you will discover the second and third as well.”
Assess Kang-seok. If the result of that assessment was the same as with the other Players she had met, she would simply cast him aside. But if not, if he was someone from whom she could expect much more…
Vivian extended her hand again. She gently clasped Kang-seok's hand and spoke.
“Inviting you to the royal palace was, in fact, my will. It was to confirm the strength and growth rate of a Player and to determine whether Players are harmful or beneficial to our Kingdom of Britain.”
Judging all Players based on one was a foolish idea.
From the beginning, Vivian had no intention of judging all Players, nor did she plan to treat them all the same.
The one who had caught her interest was a shining jewel among the Players.
A judgment on how to shape the future relationship between that individual and the Britain royal family.
“It was a brief meeting, and it's hard to say we had a deep conversation, but I like you. I think I understand why my king bestowed upon you the title of Meister.”
Vivian smiled brightly. Many cursed her as the temptress of Britain who bewitched the king, but Kang-seok didn't feel that way. In fact, the term 'saint' seemed more fitting.
“The royal family of Britain and I, Vivian, the Witch of the Lake, will support Player Choi Kang-seok. You may consider this a proposal for a secret alliance.”
Vivian released Kang-seok's hand again. When Kang-seok blinked, she was once again standing alone on the lake, and he was on the shore with Oboro.
“Your companions seem to be quite worried. You should return for today. Once you are back in Ahen, I will contact you soon.”
Her words seemed to signal the end of his trip to the capital. Nodding once, Kang-seok faced Vivian directly and smiled.
“It was an honor to meet you.”
“The honor was mine as well. I shall look forward to the day we meet again.”
Vivian bowed deeply in an old-fashioned gesture of respect. And when she straightened up, Kang-seok was standing outside the ash forest.
The location had changed abruptly, yet for some reason, Kang-seok found it perfectly natural.
As he gazed at the ash forest with slightly wistful eyes, Oboro, who was standing beside him, smiled and spoke.
“She is a mysterious person, isn't she?”
“It seems so.”
She was quite different from the person who had sat beside the throne.
Contrary to his initial expectations, he hadn't obtained much information, but he had secured the support of Britain's royal family and formed a connection with a powerful mage.
“Please be on your way. I apologize that I can only escort you this far, as I cannot leave this forest freely.”
“Not at all. I'll see you next time.”
In any case, the court officials who had guided him here would be waiting just a short distance away.
After bidding farewell to Oboro, Kang-seok turned his back to the ash forest and started walking.
He spoke in a low voice, as if steeling his resolve.
“The 72 Demonic Beasts and the World Quests.”
First, I'll solve the first World Quest.
And take one step closer to the truth of the Great Summoning.
The one who summoned Players to this world.
What they want from the Players.
Having distanced himself from the forest, Kang-seok looked off into the distance.
He chuckled at the sight of Seong Yu-jin and Choi Yu-ra standing beside the court officials, apparently unable to wait and having followed him after all.