Chapter 415
Chapter 415
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 415
>Chapter Title: Adventure 34-(Special) Star Grave
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Federal City Shuiren.
Here, a very special ruin lives and breathes right within the city.
This ruin, clearly built by ancient dwarves, was constructed with technology far superior to anything we have today.
The magic, sorcery, and mechanical knowledge slumbering within stirs the hearts of all scholars.
However, once every few years,
this ruin becomes a playground for nobles in disguise.
Today was one such day.
That is, until the Star Grave showed an abnormal reaction.
This ancient ruin has just stretched and awakened.
And it thirsts for blood.
As expected, survival will be the top priority.
Objective: Survive until the Star Grave reopens, or break through the Star Grave.
Warning: This adventure is extremely dangerous.
Warning: The situation in this adventure changes moment to moment.
Remaining time: 「Unknown」
One thing to note.
It was about whether this adventure was truly dangerous.
‘…Unknown.’
The answer leaned toward unknown.
The difficulty scaled with the player’s level, entirely independent of the player’s skill.
In other words, at Kang Seol’s level, this adventure was extremely dangerous.
However, considering Kang Seol was incomparably stronger than others at his level, “unknown” was the fitting assessment for this adventure’s difficulty.
‘The aura I sense… doesn’t look easy.’
The ruin’s unique energy disoriented Kang Seol’s senses.
The beasts targeting him were insignificant, but the Star Grave’s secrets were real.
“Scattered apart, huh…”
It was impossible to know how many groups the visitors here had been torn into.
Moreover, the vibrations had spread to nearby areas beyond the auction site, so they must have been caught up too.
Kang Seol asked Han So-mi.
“Any chance of rescue?”
“None. The Investigation Bureau might come, but the Star Grave is an indestructible place. Legally and physically.”
Their gazes shifted elsewhere. They sensed a presence.
“Ugh… Are you alright, Lady Mariju!”
“I’m fine…”
“Oh no! Blood from your knee!”
“…Sir Zalv, humans bleed sometimes.”
“Such irreverence! It’s my fault for failing to protect you properly! Allow me to offer my neck at once…”
One noisy knight and one noble lady had been swept up together.
“…Huh?”
The masked woman named Mariju saw the blood on Kang Seol’s hand and the hole pierced through the chest of the woman who had ambushed him. She waved her hand and hastily pulled her buttocks away from the floor.
“T-That person…”
“Oh… A beastkin?”
Sring…
Zalv drew his sword and thrust it forward, ready to swing the sharp blade at the slightest suspicious move.
Han So-mi stopped him.
“They’re from the Federal Investigation Bureau. We’re all just caught up in this.”
“How can we trust that?”
Swipe…
Zalv sheathed his sword upon seeing the investigator’s seal.
“My apologies. The situation is so dire.”
“In times like these, impatience leads to grave mistakes. Sir Zalv, was it?”
“Indeed. And you are?”
“Han So-mi.”
“Han So-mi. I’ll remember that.”
Zalv seemed quite mature.
His speech didn’t match his apparently young age.
Mariju sprang up, brushed off her dress, and asked.
“Who would’ve thought I’d face something like this in this outfit? Couldn’t have imagined it even last night.”
Despite her exterior adorned with glittering jewels, she had a surprisingly casual vibe.
Plop…
Plop, plop…
Mariju tossed her pearl necklace and jeweled bracelets to the ground.
“Lady Mariju? There’s no need to go that far…”
“They get in the way of moving.”
“Hmm…”
Kang Seol scanned the surroundings, assessing the situation.
Mariju approached and asked.
“So, what do you think?”
“About what?”
“I’m not really curious who did this… Getting out is what matters.”
They were trapped in a square space. An oppressive space with no wind. Sitting still here would lead to suffocation.
“No doors.”
“Exactly.”
It was right then.
Rumble…
“Lady Mariju!”
“Eek… Don’t make a fuss, Sir Zalv.”
“S-Sorry. The ruin is shaking…”
“Wait, what’s that on the ceiling…”
The pitch-black darkness was illuminated by letters on the ceiling, formed by points of starlight.
Everyone fell silent, staring endlessly at the letters on the ceiling.
“Hoh… Fascinating. This really is a dwarven ruin.”
“Huh? How do you know?”
Han So-mi jumped in surprise at Mariju’s words.
“Those letters are ancient dwarven script.”
“Really?”
“You can believe it. I might look like an empty-headed noble, but I came here for the ruins, not the auction.”
“Lady Mariju is already an accomplished archaeologist. She’ll probably decipher those letters in the blink of an eye and lead us out.”
“…Zalv, aren’t you being too irresponsible? And I can’t decode it that fast.”
Deciphering ancient dwarven script wasn’t simple. Even a short sentence could take time if it contained obscure words.
“Wait and see. Let’s see…”
“From an ancient mountain, a few dwarves emerged. In their hands, the Inexplicable.”
“…What?”
The sentence slipped naturally from Kang Seol’s lips. Mariju and the others were stunned.
“Oppa, you could read it?”
“…Apparently?”
Kang Seol had experienced something similar before.
〔Perish together with Alcatron, Ur.〕
The phrase from Alcatron that resealed Ur—a phrase Ur could never read—had been read by Kang Seol.
And now, this phrase presumed to be in ancient dwarven tongue flowed clearly from his mouth as well.
“What does it mean?”
As Kang Seol tilted his head, the surroundings vibrated.
Rumble…
“Did reading the sentence trigger it?”
“No, doesn’t seem like it.”
Crunch, crunch…
Statues rose from the floor.
A pirate statue with a monkey on its shoulder.
A warrior statue swinging a large axe.
A mage statue with roaring flames wrapped around its staff.
Finally, a massive troll statue blocking their path.
The club in its hand looked plenty menacing.
“W-What is this?”
“Wait! Patterns on the floor…”
Mariju checked the patterns that had appeared on the floor.
The ornate patterns etched into the floor seemed to symbolize something.
“Doesn’t it look like we’re supposed to place the statues on these patterns?”
“…Yeah.”
Right then, a choice appeared to Kang Seol.
[An unknown trial has arrived. The floor is filled with unknown patterns, and the meaningless statues stand blankly. What will you do?]
1. Place the warrior statue in the right front line.
2. Place the warrior statue in the left front line.
3. Place the warrior statue in the right back line.
4. Place the warrior statue in the left back line.
…
It seemed they could move the statues themselves.
“Got it! We move the dwarves to defeat that troll!”
“Yeah, looks like it.”
“Ooh! That makes sense. So how do we…”
As they pondered how to overcome this trial, a sound came from behind.
“Um… Lady Mariju?”
“What is it, Sir Zalv?”
“Look over here.”
The group discussing turned their heads sharply.
The spherical orb in the mage statue’s hand was glowing.
“It’s been glowing like this since earlier…”
Kang Seol asked him.
“Did you touch that orb by any chance?”
“T-Touch it?!”
Zalv swallowed hard.
“Actually… I just did.”
“Oh no, step back.”
Rumble…
“Huh?”
The statues began to move. No—cracks formed on the statues, and soon their surfaces turned the same color as human skin.
“No!”
Kang Seol shouted because the change affecting the dwarven statues had happened to the troll statue too.
They hadn’t moved the statues yet.
Right in front of the troll stood the dwarven mage.
Roar…
Before it could summon flames, a horrific scene unfolded.
Boom-!
The mage shattered and flew apart.
The warrior and pirate shouted something and lunged at the troll, but their blades couldn’t pierce it.
Crack…
In the end, all fell to the troll and became fragments.
Whoosh…
The debris turned back to stone. And as if nothing had happened, they returned to their spots as statues.
“Look at that!”
Stars lined up on the ceiling.
One of the five stars had lost its light.
“Does that mean five chances?”
“No… It seems we had five. Now only four remain.”
“T-This is on you, Zalv!”
“S-Sorry! I just wanted to check if it might explode…”
“Sigh… It’s fine. Thanks to you, we know how this trial works.”
While they conversed, only Kang Seol remained silent.
“What’s wrong?”
“…Didn’t you notice something off?”
“Something off? Zalv made a mistake, but he’s not that strange…”
“Sorry! Forgive me, everyone!”
“No, not that… I mean the surroundings.”
Kang Seol’s words drew everyone’s attention.
“The surroundings?”
“Oppa! What did you see in that short time?”
“Fire.”
“I saw the fire too…”
“It needs fire.”
His serious expression prompted Mariju to smile and say.
“Fire? I’ve got plenty.”
Fwoosh…
A fireball floated lightly in Mariju’s hand. As expected, she was a mage.
“But what about the fire…”
“Ah! The surroundings…”
“…….”
The square space had become fully transparent. Or rather, it reflected shapes like a mirror.
“…I wasn’t seeing things.”
“Huh?”
Kang Seol said to Han So-mi.
“So-mi, can you scan?”
Han So-mi was a hunter.
She had an astigmatism issue, but it wasn’t crucial now.
“Yeah… But why?”
“Look there.”
Kang Seol pointed to a wall.
It reflected the troll statue.
“Huh? It’s different from that statue?”
“The position and size are off.”
“I-I’ll check.”
Piiiii…
Han So-mi blew a small whistle, and soon something appeared.
“S-Statue!”
“There’s another one! Oh my god! There, there!”
Near the back line stood a troll holding a dagger like a kitchen knife. By its size, it didn’t seem fully grown.
“…At least we know not to put the mage in the back line.”
Zalv nodded in agreement.
Thud…
Kang Seol pushed the statues onto different patterns.
The hidden troll faced the pirate.
The warrior in front of the big troll.
And the mage positioned to its side.
“Alright, let’s try it.”
“Wait! It’s too hasty, Zalv!”
“It’s not hasty. We still have chances, so let’s test and learn.”
Kang Seol agreed.
Nod…
“So, touching that orb activates it?”
“Yes. You confirmed it.”
Whoosh…
As Kang Seol caressed the orb atop the mage’s hand, a mystical energy spread.
‘…Feels weird.’
That was his first impression touching the orb.
Soon, the statues’ battle began.
Crack!
The pirate’s sword pierced the small troll’s heart.
Clang-!
The warrior’s axe smashed the troll’s club, creating a perfect opening.
Roar…
A massive flame erupted from the mage’s staff.
Boom-!
Roar…
Sizzle…
“It worked! It worked!”
“Success!”
Han So-mi and Zalv jumped in joy.
But as Kang Seol tilted his head, their hopes shattered.
Boom-!
Crack…
The troll endured the flames and swung its club, killing the mage.
As before, the dwarven party without a mage was wiped out.
“…What’s the problem?”
“The stars are down to three now.”
“…….”
Strangely, everyone stared only at Kang Seol.
“Uh… This feels familiar.”
Han So-mi suddenly recalled the time she met Kang Seol with Jo Kyung-taek and Shin Mun-ho. They had relied on him just like this.
“Did you figure something out?”
Mariju pressed close to Kang Seol and asked.
Kang Seol muttered.
“…Necklace.”
“Necklace? What does that…”
“During the battle, the troll’s necklace glowed. Specifically, when it was engulfed in flames.”
Zalv shouted.
“It’s true! The troll has a creepy necklace! If we remove it!”
Crunch…
Crunch…
The troll’s necklace wouldn’t come off.
Of course not.
It was stone.
Sring…
“No choice but to smash it…”
“Stop. It could cause unwanted issues.”
“Right, Zalv. Don’t move recklessly.”
“Urgh…”
Kang Seol pondered deeply.
“We need to break the necklace during battle… But who…”
Soon, his steps led him somewhere.
He stopped in front of the pirate statue.
Without hesitation, Kang Seol lifted the monkey figurine clinging to the pirate’s shoulder.
Surprisingly, it came off easily.
Smirk…
“…It was you.”