Chapter 91
Chapter 91 - Enemy at the Gate(2)
Time flowed like an arrow. The sun was setting, and before long, the dark night arrived.
Of course, I wasn't just twiddling my thumbs during that time. I was looking for ways to increase my power, even just a little. So I came to an area where the strongest monsters were said to inhabit.
"Hey, Hero."
"What."
"Aren't druids supposed to be like tree spirits that protect the forest?"
"That's what I know."
"But where's the forest here?"
"How should I know. They say it used to be here."
"Tch. Why do humans always cling to the past..."
If you go slightly west from the Promise Plains, there was a place that looked like a collapsed temple. It's called the 'Druid's Temple'.
Why is it called the Druid's Temple? Originally, this area was a forest region, and it was called the 'Druid's Forest'.
Of course, now it's a desolate plain with no trace of forest left, just like the Promise Plains.
Anyway, from what I've heard, powerful monsters have taken over this temple, making it impossible to investigate the ruins.
And when the residents of this world officially request help from heroes, quests are generated. In bustling towns like Kern, there's even an adventurer's guild specifically for accepting and requesting quests.
My target was precisely those quests.
[Quest Generated!]
[Title: The Occupant of the Druid Temple]
[Difficulty: High]
[Details: Kern's artifact researcher Wol-young wants to study the Druid's Temple to excavate relics from the Holy Nation of Schultz. Use any method necessary. Eliminate all monsters that have taken over the Druid's Temple.]
[Reward: Increased reputation with Kern residents. All stats +5. Hero Sense +3]
One might think, am I going through all this trouble just for +5 to all stats?
But thinking simply, getting +5 to all stats is equivalent to gaining 5 levels. It's definitely not something to ignore.
Actually, there's an even more important reason...
'...I feel like I'll go crazy if I don't do something.'
That's exactly it.
Anxiety. Unease. Fear. Obsession. All sorts of negative emotions keep seeping into my heart. They whisper to my brain.
That this life is over. That there are too many variables. To start over from the beginning.
What does it matter how many times I die... I can just come back to life and kill them all.
'Not enough... I need to get stronger...'
The noise gets worse when I stay still. Right now, I needed to do something to clear my head. I had to struggle desperately to survive.
I didn't want to use such chuunibyou-like expressions, but... truly, I feel like I might become something that's not me.
―Kuaaak!
So, what were the monsters that had taken residence in this Druid's Temple? They were golems.
I let out a slight sigh as I watched the iron golems in front of me get sliced like tofu with one swing of Bestak.
"As expected. They're no match."
I looked at the fallen golems and the several golems blocking my path.
Beep beep. A status window appeared with a sound effect.
[Monster Information]
[Name: Golem of Obsession (妄執)]
[HP: 480/480 MP: 510/510]
[Strength: 101 Agility: 29 Intelligence: 55]
[Details: A golem containing the final obsession of the ancient druid Elka. Due to crude golem techniques, it fails to recreate the original's power.]
Monsters don't typically display levels. However, judging from their overall stats, the Golem of Obsession's level is roughly around 70-100.
For reference, this was about the same spec as the Ghost Knight I had graduated from at Halcenberg a while ago.
It doesn't matter that they're no match. If anything, I'm somewhat glad since it proves how much stronger I've become.
Though that creates its own problem.
'...I'm not getting any experience points.'
Yes. As the hero's level increases, the experience point cap rises steeply. Even if I killed monsters of this spec all day, I wouldn't gain even one level.
However, according to what I heard from Zenon, monsters with higher specs than yourself give massive amounts of bonus experience. That's how I was able to achieve insane level-ups in just two weeks at Halcenberg.
In other words, low risk means strictly low returns, high risk means strictly high returns.
"I'll have to be satisfied with the quest reward."
I muttered while immediately activating my skills.
Pababak! As 14 magic swords were generated around me, my cloak split into ten parts, creating writhing black thorny tentacles.
'Well. If nothing else, this is pretty good.'
Since there were ridiculously many golems in the temple, it was perfect for practicing skill handling.
While I was testing things out, I decided to try the skills I received as job skills too.
'Hunting Mark.'
I received three job skills from clearing the high-difficulty trial.
Among them, 'Hands Faster Than Eyes' which enables attacks at ridiculously impossible speeds probabilistically, is a passive skill.
Hunting Mark was a skill that made pursuit easier by placing a special mark and dramatically increased damage dealt to the target while the mark remained.
―Gru, uuuu....
A black skull image appeared on one golem's forehead.
That WA!-style sense belongs to the Death God Sisters. Don't misunderstand that it's my aesthetic.
While staring at that golem, I chanted my next skill.
"Shadow Chains!"
Then clank! A black door appeared behind me. As the door slowly opened, the darkness writhing inside rushed toward the golem.
Chwrrrk! The form of the undulating darkness gradually became more defined. Soon it transformed into a mass of solid iron chains binding the golem.
―Gro... Grooo!
The golem let out a sound that seemed like a scream.
Each time the creature twisted its body to resist, the chains spewed out a dark energy. That energy stuck to the golem. The golem writhed in even more agony.
I quietly observed the golem.
[Status Effect - Energy Drain]
[Details: Forcibly drains the target's health. The drained health is converted into the caster's health.]
Yes. The second active skill, 'Shadow Chain', even had an energy drain effect.
I was filled with sadistic joy watching the golem struggle in pain.
'Now Park Jeong-yong without a job change is unimaginable!!'
I smiled bitterly and fired both magic swords and tentacles simultaneously.
14 magic swords and 10 thorn tentacles. Controlling 24 entities simultaneously had long since become as easy as moving my own limbs.
—Kuaak....
—Emergency... Core collapse....
—Power... transmission... failure....
The golems were mercilessly pierced, torn, and crushed. Since each skill shot essentially destroyed one at a time, the cleanup seemed like it would be quick.
I continuously chanted skills and methodically destroyed the golems one by one.
Until their screams-that-weren't-screams no longer rang out.
[Quest Complete!]
[Title: Occupier of the Druid Temple]
[Details: All golems occupying the temple have disappeared. The ancient druid who held meaningless resentment can now rest in peace.]
[Reward: Increased reputation with Kern residents. All stats +5. Hero Sense +3]
* * *
The promised time had come.
At the western gate connecting Kern and the Plains of Promise. I was anxiously waiting with Lucy for our companions.
'It's almost midnight....'
Soon Zenon and Seolbaek will arrive here.
Did they succeed? No, they must have. The Kern Performance Society, which was our other source of trust, failed to be recruited.
If we don't have Cessna here too... it will surely be a desperate battle.
"Please... please work a miracle, Seolbaek...!"
"Looking so unsightly, praying to others after failing yourself... how utterly shameful."
Lucy cuts in with a snide remark from the side. Doesn't matter. This kid was always like this.
Right now, rather than that incompetent Demon King, it's time to apply extreme prayer meta to Seolbaek, our one ray of hope.
After several minutes of continuous prayer, finally, the space tore open with a crackling sound.
"F-Finally!"
I brightened up and immediately ran to the torn space. First, a hand suddenly protruded. It was Zenon's hand.
Zenon revealed himself. Following him, Seolbaek poked her head out.
"......"
"......"
Though their subtle expressions and awkward silence were quite concerning. I kept waiting for the next person to emerge.
And smoothly. The torn space closed after spitting out only Zenon and Seolbaek.
In that moment, a feeling like the ground was falling away enveloped my whole body.
"I-I'm sorry, Jeong-yong nim."
And Seolbaek's tearful apology followed. It was the final confirmation.
I looked back and forth between Zenon and Seolbaek, and heh. I unconsciously let out a hollow laugh.
"Couldn't find them, huh."
"Yes... I, I put in requests with the information guild and information merchants, searched everything from restaurants to slave traders, and put up all the flyers I could... You trusted and assigned me but... sob!"
"No. It's okay. No problem... don't cry."
No. There is a problem.
What's okay about this? It's all over Park Jeong-yong. This life of yours ends here.
I had many things I wanted to ask about one way or another. But seeing Seolbaek crying so sadly, that desire disappeared too.
Instead, I asked her something else with a powerless smile.
"Was there anything fun?"
"...Eh, eh?"
"I'm asking if there was anything fun in the capital. Or at least something that looked fun."
"F-Fun... things...."
Seeing my drained face, Seolbaek suddenly started wracking her brain. She squeezed her eyes shut and groaned.
Soon she let out an "ah" exclamation and mumbled softly.
"I heard there's going to be a nationwide fighting tournament called the Mushin Festival in the capital soon..."
"Oh ho."
"And after the Mushin Festival ends... they do something called fireworks. They say it's beautiful, with flames blooming like flowers in the sky... so beautiful that once you see it, you'll never forget it."
"Fireworks, huh."
So this world has fireworks too.
The Mushin Festival was Marktress's national event that combined elections with a fighting tournament. The fireworks finale must be incredibly grand.
I nodded vigorously and said to Seolbaek.
"Then when this is over, let's go straight to the capital. And make sure to see that."
"...Eh?"
"If it's so beautiful that you'll never forget it once you see it, we have to see it. Right."
It was partly words to comfort Seolbaek. And partly words to affirm a future for myself.
There was no deeper meaning than that.
"Ah... uu...! Yes... yes!"
However Seolbaek took it, she suddenly started crying profusely, then nodded repeatedly with a reddened face.
"We must see it. After the Mushin Festival ends... we absolutely must."
Seolbaek smiled brightly through her tears.
I have no memory of ever seeing such a desperate smile in my life.
'Wow. Well done Park Jeong-yong.'
Making a date promise while my life is hanging by a thread. Maybe I actually have the qualities of a harem master?
While I was muttering self-deprecating sneers, Zenon patted my shoulder and said.
"That woman truly did her best. Finding one person in a big city in half a day was an almost impossible request to begin with."
While looking for Cessna together, did they become friends in the meantime? Zenon was putting up a shield for Seolbaek.
I held back a sneer toward Zenon who was doing something that didn't suit him.
"Right. I didn't say anything because I knew everything. I knew best that it was an impossible request."
"... I just wanted to pass it along."
"Thanks. Now you go do your own thing."
"Alright. Then."
Zenon gave me a brief bow, then grabbed Seolbaek's sobbing shoulder.
Crackle! Once again, space split open and swallowed the two people's forms.
It was teleport. The two would now go to the Plains of Promise, and Seolbaek would wait there for the beginning of the ritual.
"......"
I stared blankly at the place where the two had disappeared for a while, then looked up at the sky.
Well, of course.
No clever solution would suddenly appear just because I was feeling sorry for myself.