Chapter 424
Chapter 424
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 424
>Chapter Title: The 31st Horse Overturns the Game Board
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
[Maradum's 'Timeline Split' adventure will not be generated.]
[The hidden adventure 'Stone of Time' disappears.]
[After a certain amount of time passes, the terrain information of the Ashen Throne will be leaked.]
[Due to Maradum's death, unknown information can no longer be acquired.]
[News of Maradum's death spreads to the Time Wanderers.]
[The survival status of the Time Wanderers is currently unknown.]
[Afterward, all players can select the 'Walker of Stopped Time' adventure from their base.]
[Afterward, all players can select the 'Trust of the Adventurer' adventure from their base.]
[You obtain a certain amount of adventurer points.]
[Wizard of Misfortune Maradum's plan has been thwarted.]
[You have perfectly dismantled the time rupture.]
[You acquire additional rewards.]
[This is a minimum member battle in a raid battle with 2 or more and less than 10 players. The probability of higher-grade rewards increases.]
[You achieve the first achievement 'Our Two'].
[You obtain the first title 「Duo」.]
[You acquire the Dungeon of Misfortune.]
……
Kang Seol and Han So-mi were buried under a flood of rising messages.
Kang Seol remained calm, having experienced this countless times before, but Han So-mi stammered in bewilderment.
“W-what, all these messages popping up…”
Clank…
The chests granted to them.
Kang Seol's chest was naturally transferred to his subspace, while Han So-mi's lay at her feet.
- What did Han So-mi even do to get a chest?
- Then just wait a few months and take it yourself.
- The young guy’s got a heavy load. Come to think of it, shouldn’t we snag some horse paralysis too?
- Shameless bastards lol Why not just kill them and take it all?
- Huh?
- Huh?
Kang Seol had little experience sharing rewards with others.
The few times he had, including this adventure with Han So-mi, only highlighted how few acquaintances he truly had.
“Uh… And were the chests always like this?”
A chest requiring a key.
Having encountered a Platinum Box for the first time, Han So-mi poked at it tentatively and asked Kang Seol.
Swoosh…
“Here.”
“What’s this?”
“The key. You need it to open that chest.”
“Wow! Really? I’ve never seen one of these! But if this key is expensive…”
“It probably isn’t? I wouldn’t know.”
Mariju, who had been watching quietly, shook her head.
“What are you talking about? Wing Keys are traded at exorbitant prices.”
The key’s handle had small wings attached, hence the name Wing Key.
“…Is that so?”
“Yes, even though transmigrators make up the entire demand, those who want these keys are all remarkable powerhouses.”
“…I see.”
Kang Seol possessed wisdom high enough that he rarely needed keys, so he had a stockpile of them. Plus, his title effects guaranteed a key every time he opened a chest, so he hadn’t known.
Han So-mi shook her head, declining the key.
“T-then I can’t accept this. Where would I get platinum coins…? Well, I have some, but not that much…”
Swoosh…
Kang Seol forcibly closed Han So-mi’s hand.
“Take it. I don’t need it.”
“Then I won’t hold back… Refusing too much isn’t polite, right? We’re friends, aren’t we?”
Kang Seol chuckled softly and nodded.
- Too polite to refuse… No, she didn’t refuse.
- Han So-mi’s crew is hauling in a ton.
Han So-mi’s Platinum Box.
It undoubtedly contained top-tier equipment.
Kang Seol hoped it was exactly what she needed.
‘Is duo clears more efficient than solo clears?’
There might not even be anyone in Pandea to debate solo versus duo clears for raid battles.
Only Kang Seol could do both.
‘I’ll check the rewards later.’
As Kang Seol smiled watching Han So-mi stuff the chest into her inventory, voices rose from below.
“…long?”
“…did it.”
The conversation was too distant to hear clearly.
By Kang Seol’s senses, they’d reach the summit in minutes.
And there were quite a few survivors, from what he could tell.
As they prepared to greet them, Mariju spoke up.
“Want to come over here?”
“What is it?”
“Isn’t this some of the items from the auction list?”
There were art chests and equipment chests separated. One art chest, two equipment chests.
“…You’re right.”
“Looks like it.”
Any transmigrator would find it hard to stay calm before equipment.
Han So-mi hadn’t done a proper adventure lately, but Kang Seol—with his large entourage—felt it even more.
Still, he didn’t favor theft.
After all, he was the head of the Veil of Chaos, leaning lawful despite his chaotic alignment.
“The list had nearly twelve items… so probably just some of them. Since the chests aren’t that big, there must be more scattered around… Did they all get dispersed?”
“The Star Grave’s form changed, so it’s entirely possible.”
Gulp…
“…Did you just swallow?”
“Not me.”
“Sorry… it was me…”
“Aren’t you an investigator?”
“……”
The voices from below grew closer.
They’d reach the summit in about a minute.
Neither Kang Seol nor Han So-mi dared touch the chests—stealing auction items was a grave crime.
If it were just the two of them, with exactly two chests, they’d high-five and split them evenly.
But with Federal noble Mariju present, that was impossible.
“I don’t do theft.”
“I-I’m an investigator too! The staff of the people! A staff wouldn’t do such a thing…”
Then, Mariju grinned and covered her eyes with both hands.
“Oh my… I suddenly can’t see. Even if lightning flashed right in front of me now, I wouldn’t know?”
This was the signal.
Mariju’s cheeky way of turning a blind eye to the auction theft.
With her eyes covered, Mariju said,
“Today was an unforgettable experience. The most intense thrill of my life. It’s not mine, but I’d be delighted if these went to my benefactors’ hands. And… I know nothing.”
Mariju counted to ten inwardly and opened her eyes.
The two equipment chests were gone.
Han So-mi’s face flushed red. Kang Seol’s expression remained nonchalant.
She huddled up, mumbling,
“S-so… lightning really… struck?”
“I saw it too. It was really fast.”
- We saw it too. Lightning struck twice.
- Kang Seol, that was real lightning lololol
- I feel it! The weight of the family man!
- A theft undiscovered isn’t theft at all!
- Mariju’s hilarious lololol
- Tansia! Daddy’s bringing home electric-roast chicken!
- Astonishingly, this is the party that took down Wizard of Misfortune Maradum in one shot.
- Their trust led to overwhelming speed in clearing!
- And now, they stole two chests!
Soon, people came swarming up.
“What are you lot! Are you the culprits behind this mess?!”
“Damn… They look way stronger than those guys from earlier…”
For some reason, Han So-mi shyly revealed their identities.
“Federal Investigation Bureau. We request your cooperation, esteemed guests.”
* * *
(New)[Post by ‘OppaIsAGoodGuy’]
[Posted: Just now]
[Title: Summary of Events in Shyrlen]
1. High noble families hold a secret auction every year at a ruin called Star Grave.
2. Suspicious forces infiltrated and activated something in Star Grave.
3. Nobles massacred.
4. Infiltrating investigator prevented the situation from escalating.
- Investigator’s so incompetent? Infiltrated and still let this happen?
- Wasn’t infiltration to predict this; it was for another reason. And it wasn’t a normal situation.
- If not normal, then what, Along situation?,,,
- Why does this post smell musty.
(New)[Post by ‘CyberGrandpa’]
[Posted: Just now]
[Title: Such Rude Folks.]
Heard two investigators beat down a bunch of criminals and resolved the unprecedented incident at the ruins. Isn’t that too much?
- Too much? I’m cabbage-much,,,
- Damn, grandpa go knit somewhere else. Why you lurking here.
- Sorry….
- Fair. Thanks to you, great midnight show.
(New)[Post by ‘ShiveringVillain’]
[Posted: Just now]
[Title: But those guys must be pissed too.]
Nobles got massacred and got nothing out of it, right?
- Yeah, word on the street is nobles are furious this time.
- Nobles didn’t have teeth anyway? They let recent incidents slide.
- They were biding their time. Rumor is they’re properly empowering the Investigation Bureau now?
- Pfft, empower all you want, investigators ain’t shit lololol Even powered up, they’d get wrecked by transmigrators.
- Lots of transmigrators becoming investigators lately.
- Just the ones who flunked competition. And worst case, if investigator’s a transmigrator, so what? Opponent’s got transmigrators too, totally helpless lololol
* * *
Kang Seol left the cleanup to Han So-mi and returned to the inn first.
Though he’d played a key role in the incident, Gale was too busy with damage control to pay him attention.
Gale didn’t press Kang Seol on breaking their deal.
The auction he’d conditioned on hadn’t even let him browse items before curtains fell, so he couldn’t demand free labor.
Kang Seol had risked danger for nothing gained, so he seemed to need time to mull over handling it.
Han So-mi was swamped, likely due to pocketing auction items.
‘This incident was pretty flashy…’
Even Kang Seol was stunned by the sheer number of nobles gathered.
And more influential ones than average—many had died.
No wonder they were flipping out.
- The nobles seem about to make a decision soon. I’m not too interested… but it looks like they’ll go with the flow of agreement for now.
A quick letter from Mariju.
‘Come to think of it, Mariju’s from the Sanxi family too.’
The Sanxi were among the Federation’s powerhouse nobles. She’d align with surrounding nobles’ moves.
‘Federation politics… complicated.’
His head throbbed.
If there were clear enemies, he’d smash them—but they hid in shadows.
‘…Should I just leave?’
Truthfully, Kang Seol could stay or go; it didn’t matter.
He’d planned to gear up his group, but it wasn’t urgent.
As Kang Seol mulled over such thoughts, Ur—who’d been comparing something in the corner—called him.
“Hey, Kang Seol.”
Kang Seol approached, and Ur mentioned comparing two liquids.
“One’s the new drug called Hoom, the other’s blood from that cocky kid at Star Grave who claimed immortality.”
“So?”
“This guy’s blood contains some Hoom components. Not that he’s addicted. Just those components plus some minor tweaks let his body regenerate and mutate endlessly.”
“In one word?”
“High chance the ones distributing or making the drug are churning out guys like this…”
Thud thud!
“Who’s there!”
Tansia shouted at the door, and someone beyond replied.
“It’s me, Gale.”