The Chief Researcher of the Magic King
“Right. Even in a luck-based trash game like this, two consecutive scams don't make sense.”
This is a game!
Carpe approached the treasure chest with a bright smile playing on his lips.
“Oh, no lock on it.”
Treasure chests in dungeons came in two main varieties.
Those with locks and those without.
Obviously, the locked ones offered slightly better rewards, but opening them required a key of the same grade as the chest.
Of course, for Carpe—who possessed Unlock, the game's top chest-opening skill—it was utterly irrelevant.
“Kinda disappointing that it was locked-free. Would've been nicer if it had one.”
-Don't say that in front of other people. You might get stoned to death.
Countless users shed bloody tears over chest locks.
Acquiring keys of Unique grade or higher was no easy feat.
The heartbreak of finding a treasure chest only to walk away without opening it... People wailed that even sending away your first love didn't hurt this much!
“Anyway, let's open it up.”
The odds of pulling an item matching the chest's grade were usually around 10%.
“In other words, it's guaranteed. Come on out! Unique!”
-...Sure, let's say it is.
Cheonma didn't bother hanging a loss flag. He'd long since accepted it.
Creeeak.
At Carpe's careful touch, the chest revealed its contents.
“...Huh?”
◈ Classification: Material, Magic Material
◈ A crystal formed when powerful resentment coalesces under an unknown force. It holds immense energy and may be processable.
“It's Unique... but...”
-Hmm. Another material item? I see a pattern emerging.
The first monster he'd caught in the labyrinth, a Minotaur, had dropped something similar.
-Looks like we're collecting these energies for some quest progression. 'Powerful energy,' huh... Maybe we gather enough to summon a boss monster?
“Ooh... Sounds fun.”
-A quest using Unique materials? Gotta be something special. Just like you said—should be a blast.
They still didn't know what it led to. They were just at the starting line.
“We'll pick up clues as we push through the labyrinth.”
-Yeah. But keep the main goal first. Prioritize searching for Centaurs while grabbing these grudge energies on the side.
“Got it.”
Carpe pressed on through the labyrinth.
About an hour later.
“Hyang-ah! Now! Calling Thunder!”
“Kyuu kyuu!”
Kaboom!
At Mukhyang's gesture, a bolt of lightning summoned straight onto a Minotaur's crown.
“Mooooh...”
With a pitiful moan, the Minotaur turned gray and vanished.
In its place dropped a shard of broken mirror.
“Ooh, got one this time. Good job, Hyang-ah. Extra acorn!”
“Kyuu kyuu kyuu!”
-Nine now? Drop rate's not great.
“Yeah, tell me about it.”
In that hour of looping the labyrinth, they'd learned a few things.
There were four monster types inside.
Minotaurs, Mimics, Gargoyles, and Shadows—shadowy monsters.
There might be more somewhere, but that was all so far.
-The first three make sense, but Shadows are rare... The Magic King must've rounded up a ton for experiments.
'Shadows' hid in objects' shadows and ambushed players, using stealth skills.
They usually lurked deep in dungeons or caves, and according to Cheonma, their stealth made them a nightmare.
“Really? Hope only Shadows spawn.”
But that was for average users.
For Carpe, with Dragon's Eye piercing all stealth, they were easy prey—low defense and HP.
Another discovery: This dungeon had an absurd number of treasure chests.
Usually, you'd find one or two clearing a whole dungeon. They'd found three in just an hour.
And all three held 'energy crystals.'
“Meant a ton of Mimics too. Pisses me off thinking about it. Ah, this way?”
-No, that's where we came from. Go the other way.
True to its name, the labyrinth's paths were a nightmare.
Without Cheonma, they'd be looping forever.
“Tina, Mirage—ever been here? It's the Magic King's lab, right?”
“I've visited a few times, but... the layout seems different now.”
“Yeah, Tina's right. Totally changed.”
“Sorry for falling short of expectations, my lord.”
“Nah, not your fault. Hmm. Guess we gotta brute-force it.”
Unlike with the Elder Snake or the White Tiger, no strategy guide existed here.
Cheonma's expertise shone brighter than ever.
Another 30 minutes with his retinue.
“Kyaaah!”
A woman's scream echoed from somewhere.
“...A scream?”
-What? Someone else here besides us?
“No way.”
Impossible, yet his feet reflexively dashed toward it.
Two sharp turns through stone walls, and they reached the source.
“Kyaa! Kya! Stay back! Get away!”
Incredibly, there was someone.
A woman in her early twenties, glasses on, surrounded by three Gargoyles.
She swung a large staff spewing lightning, keeping them at bay.
“Someone... anyone, help...”
A woman in mortal peril from monsters. The hero swoops in to save her!
A fantasy protagonist's cue—but Carpe's eyes went ice-cold.
“Trap.”
He'd encountered over ten Mimics so far.
Ten times hyped, then betrayed!
Now he suspected everything.
Critically: A living person in a labyrinth sealed nearly 800 years? Ridiculous.
“Illusion trap. Or a Doppelganger mimicking a woman to lure us. Has to be.”
-Kid's got some RaSe experience. Smart suspicion in this spot. Whoever taught you did good.
“Heh. All thanks to you, hyung.”
“Kyuu kyuu kyuu!”
“Ah, Hyang-ah noticed too? Heh. Takes after his smart owner...”
As the two men and squirrel patted each other's backs, Tina stepped forward.
“My lord, we should save her.”
“Huh? Oh, right. You're too noble to suspect, Tina. That's a trap...”
“I know that woman well. Not an illusion or Doppelganger.”
“Yeah, Tina's right. Not Doppelganger. Definitely.”
“...”
-...
“...Kyuu.”
With Mirage—the actual Doppelganger—insisting, the three males fell silent.
-...Ahem. Event NPC, then. What're you waiting for? Go save her.
“Was already planning to. Let's go! Hyang-ah!”
“Kyuu kyuu kyuu!”
Carpe and Mukhyang ambushed the Gargoyles from behind.
“Kieek?! Kreaaak!”
“Kaaak!”
The fight was short.
Carpe and his retinue wiped them out in perfect sync.
“You okay? Whew. Acting without a shred of doubt let us arrive just in time.”
“Yes, thank you! Never dreamed anyone would come...”
“No need. Just did what anyone would... Huh?”
Carpe trailed off mid-sentence.
From afar, she looked normal. Up close... not so much.
Humanoid shape, but translucent and hazy.
Like...
“No way—a ghost?”
“Ah, yes! Exactly. Well, more precisely, a grudge ghost... Oh?!”
The ghost woman startled harder than Carpe, staring past him.
There stood Tina.
“Long time no see, Elis. Nearly 800 years.”
“Heavens! It's really you, Princess?!”
“Akram fell long ago, so 'princess' doesn't fit. Call me Tina.”
“Hi, Elis. Me too.”
“Oh! Lady Mirage!”
The trio reunited after 800 years in touching fashion—but two men and a squirrel fixated on one word.
“...Princess?”
-...Princess? Who?
“Kyuu? Kyu? Kyuu???”
Carpe, Cheonma, and Mukhyang's heads snapped left in unison.
Tina tilted hers too, watching them.
“My lord, did I never mention? That I'm the Magic King's daughter.”
“Never! I'd never forget that!”
-Whoa, plot twist outta nowhere. No wonder Akram folks bowed to Tina.
Even my-way-or-the-highway Gillian treated her with respect.
He'd thought it mere knightly honor for fighting alongside the Magic King... Nope.
“Sorry, my lord. Deemed it unimportant, so I omitted it.”
“Feels pretty important... Wait.”
So the Magic King turned his own daughter into a homunculus?
-Edward o...ppa?
“Agh! Trauma episode—don't remind me!”
“My lord? What do you mean?”
“Nothing. Just... a sad story.”
Too heartbreaking to tell Tina.
“Ah, everyone. Rather than here, shall we go to my place? There's a safe spot monsters can't enter.”
Elis led Carpe and the group.
“Here we are.”
“Whoa, a space like this in the labyrinth?”
“My personal lab. Sorry—first guests in 800 years, and the king's heir at that, but no tea to offer...”
“No worries.”
“Must've been shocking... Hmm. Where to start?”
She introduced herself.
Elis Cricket.
Incredibly, the Magic King's chief researcher from 800 years ago.
“My lord, she's a brilliant magic engineer. Even the Magic King praised her as surpassing him in some areas.”
“Yeah, Elis is super capable. And kind!”
“Ahaha, not that much...”
Elis fidgeted bashfully at Tina's praise, then explained the situation.
“800 years ago, His Majesty and I were crafting a magic weapon. But the War of the Holy Relics broke out; he went to battle, leaving me alone.”
Akram lost the war; Magic King Dretsch vanished.
She pressed on alone toward her lifelong dream: completing the weapon.
“But I messed up—a massive magic circle malfunctioned. Came to as this ghost.”
Even that didn't faze her.
Body or no, as long as she achieved her research.
-...Doesn't look minor at all. Total mad scientist vibe. Mad as hell.
“Actually glad—no lifespan worries.”
And finally, success.
Perfect blueprint done; just needed materials to finish the weapon.
“What materials?”
“Grudge energy... That's why I went out earlier.”
“...Grudge energy? Like this?”
Carpe pulled shards and crystals from inventory.
“Y-Yes!”
Crafting the Magic Weapon - Vasilas
📍 Restrictions: Heir of the Magic King
📍 You've encountered the Magic King's chief researcher in a frozen-in-time space. Help her complete the magic weapon. This armament, infused with the Magic King's essence, will greatly aid your path.
🎁 Clear Reward: Magic Weapon - Vasilas
★ Magic Weapon is a Legendary-grade set item.
★ Magic Weapons currently held by player: 1
- Magic Weapon Enigma
“...Huh?”
-Insane. A Legendary set item?!
The labyrinth depths held an unimaginable jackpot for Carpe.
The 10-Star Player's Lucky Draw