Chapter 265
Chapter 265
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 265
Chapter Title: ACT.53 Crow and Dragon (3)
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[Character Information]
Name: Baek Mu-ryong
Gender: Male (44)
Strength: 101(+20%) Stamina: 95(+5)(+15%) Agility: 99(+1)(+14%) Mana: 99(+1)(+13%)
Unique Ability: Pinnacle of the Sword (S+)
Traits: No Mind (S), Sword and Self as One (S), Gravity Sword (S), Superhuman Strength, …….
‘Insane.’
The stats were simply mind-boggling.
Especially the Strength stat, which had surpassed 100.
It was undeniable proof that he had entered the ranks of a ‘superhuman’.
Even more so because he had Superhuman Strength, one of the traits obtainable after exceeding 100 in the Strength stat.
Based on the Crow's fighting style in EOA, I'd estimated what his stats, traits, and skills might be, but seeing them for myself was a different matter entirely.
On top of that, his unique ability was S+-rank, as if it had reached its final evolution.
I needed to raise my Lord of Darkness to that level quickly so I could draw my ‘joker’.
“Well, this is embarrassing, getting all this sudden attention.”
The Crow laughed awkwardly and subtly tried to step back.
“More importantly, didn't you have something to say to that young man?”
“Oh, that's right. Mr. Kim!”
He was a master at changing the subject.
Then again, this probably wasn't the first time he'd been in a situation like this.
I played along, pretending not to notice, and responded to Simila.
“Yes. What is it?”
“First of all... thank you. For helping us. For ensuring the damage didn't exceed this.”
Simila bowed her head deeply.
“We could have all died. This vast land of America could have been completely trampled. You are the one who kept so many from letting go of the thread of hope they were barely clinging to.”
“I agree. Honestly, what was it... when I first heard the plan, I thought you were crazy... but you were right in the end. Thank you so much.”
“I agree. What more needs to be said? You are a benefactor to us, no, to everyone living on this land.”
Reynald, Dread.
And the other players who had formed the coalition.
They waved their arms with faint cheers.
“What's this? You're making me emotional for no reason.”
“It's not so bad, is it? Being thanked by so many people.”
“...I'm weak to this kind of thing.”
Jun Bo-ra quietly turned her head away.
Cha Eun-ha let out a soft chuckle.
“But it's not over yet.”
Simila raised her head.
“We've defeated the Disasters that threatened us, and we've brought down Pentagon Eagle... but Salvatio is still intact. No. In fact, they're moving as if they've been waiting for this very moment.”
“Come to think of it, far from helping, they were only targeting players.”
“That's exactly the problem. I don't know what trick they used, but every single person who was hit by them has had their player powers sealed.”
“What? Wait a minute. Are you saying that's actually possible?”
“We don't know either. But the victims themselves are all testifying that they can't use their powers.”
It was a bombshell announcement.
Having a player's power sealed meant that most of the common things related to the system were blocked.
To think a player's power could be sealed just by being hit by an attack.
“...That's serious.”
Hwang Chan-jin's face contorted.
“If intelligent monsters ever get their hands on that method, we're doomed.”
“N-No way. Salvatio's goal is to stop the apocalypse, right? Would they intentionally hand it over to the monsters?”
“No matter how strictly information is managed, it eventually spreads. Whether it's an internal traitor, a monster with such an ability, or a villain who wants to see the world end. Whatever the path, the moment it falls into the hands of intelligent monsters, it's the end of the world.”
“That's true. Assuming those Salvatio bastards really do have that kind of power, that is.”
The Crow stroked his short beard.
I couldn't understand it either.
‘What trick did they use?’
It was certain they possessed knowledge on par with someone who'd call themselves a regressor.
Otherwise, they couldn't possibly do something even I didn't know about.
...No, wait.
“Simila. Does that mean they only disabled the players' powers and didn't attack any further?”
“That seems to be the case. As for why...”
“Damn it...!”
“Mr. Kim?”
“They also have a way to restore it. That's why they stopped at just blocking the power. It's not that they didn't kill them because they were no longer a threat.”
This was a hostage situation.
At the very least, it was a setup to eliminate the enemy's strength and force them into submission if they wanted their powers back.
Weren't we just being played by that guy who claimed to be a regressor from start to finish?
“This is bad. If that's the case, the entire US will fall into Salvatio's hands.”
“Still, we can't give up.”
Simila twirled her parasol.
“We plan to retreat to Los Angeles and prepare for the future. It's on the opposite side of the country, so it should buy us the most time. There are others there who share our cause. We can't just hand this land over to them.”
Simila smiled gently.
Reynald turned and shouted to the resting Onyx Gryphon guild members.
“You hear that, you bastards! What'll it be? We'll be leaving this place for quite a while!”
“Is that even a question? Of course we're coming with you!”
“We don't have anywhere else to go anyway! Think of it as a little trip!”
Hearty laughter rang out.
Not all of them could be Players.
And yet, they followed these three with genuine loyalty.
“Well then, we'll be on our way. Salvatio may have retreated for now, but we don't know when they'll resume their activities. We hope you all achieve what you desire as well.”
“What will you do about those whose powers were sealed?”
“We have to take them with us, of course. The fact that it was blocked means there's a way to unblock it. We plan to seek help from as many places as possible.”
Simila gave a slight bow and immediately left.
After a moment of thought, I imbued my voice with mana and spoke so that only Simila could hear.
“Look into something called a 'Dimension Stone.' There's a high probability it's related.”
Simila froze for a moment, then disappeared from view.
It was just a hunch.
But most things that couldn't be solved with my knowledge of EOA usually had a Dimension Stone at their core.
It was a perfectly reasonable suspicion.
If Simila had any intention of using me, I wouldn't have told her.
I shifted my gaze to the Crow.
Naturally, everyone else's attention also focused on the Crow.
“You all look like you have a lot of questions. You must be tired, how about we talk tomorrow?”
“But we're in the middle of enemy territory. Even if we find a place to stay, we can't possibly rest comfortably...”
“You can.”
The Crow smiled lightly.
“So rest easy.”
With me here, who would dare attack?
That single, confident statement instantly eased the tension.
As expected of the strongest man on Earth right now.
Such a simple phrase inspired incredible trust.
“Still, it's best to be careful, so we'll go to a place I know.”
“Good idea. I won't be going anywhere either, so you don't have to worry about that.”
I was a little puzzled.
Had the Crow been this friendly since our first encounter?
He'd seen me fight fiercely against the monsters, so he wouldn't be hostile, but this was different.
‘I can't figure it out.’
My eyes met the Crow's.
Unlike his gentle smile, I was running a thousand calculations in my head.
The Crow being friendly was a good thing, but not knowing the reason for it felt unsettling.
After all, there's nothing more baffling than someone's behavior changing for a reason you don't know.
“What are you doing? Aren't you coming?”
My words startled Choi Yeon-soo, who had been staring blankly.
“Huh? No. I'm coming.”
How strange.
It was a rare sight to see Choi Yeon-soo spacing out like that.
‘Did I give her too much work?’
It was understandable she'd be struggling, since I suddenly dumped the guild master's duties on her.
We needed to recruit more people anyway, so it might not be a bad idea to bring in someone talented to help her.
For example... someone like Min Gyeong-hoon.
It was a pain to go looking for him every time, so it might be better to just nail him down here.
***
The journey was simple, thanks to Jun Bo-ra's teleportation.
We arrived at a lodging in a residential area, located even further south than the now-restricted Pentagon.
It was the territory of a completely different guild, not Pentagon Eagle, and one had to pass through the Pentagon area, which was practically a demonic landscape. I judged that Salvatio wouldn't be able to reach us right away.
She could have gone further with her upgraded teleportation, but she had exhausted too much of her power during the long battle with the ancient monster.
“Ugh, my head hurts.”
“Unni, does it hurt a lot?”
“It's throbbing quite a bit. This happens when I use teleportation too much. Sorry, but I'm going to rest first.”
Jun Bo-ra moved to her room, continuously rubbing her temples.
Everyone else was just as tired, so we naturally dispersed, myself included.
“Hoo.”
Lying on the bed, I held up a pearl-like object.
It swirled with a deep purple light that seemed to draw me in.
It was the ‘Eye of the Abyss,’ an achievement reward.
The corners of my mouth kept twitching.
‘The essence of power from a Disaster-grade or higher monster, and a material used to break through the 100-stat limit.’
It was essential for getting stronger, but it wasn't easy to obtain.
The proof was that I hadn't gotten a single one despite defeating three Disasters so far.
‘One is meaningless, so I'll put it away for now.’
The special shop that opened right after I cleared the main quest.
It was a sort of benefit to compensate for the sudden spike in difficulty.
[Opening the Special Shop.]
I quickly scanned the list.
‘Not bad.’
Every single item was quite valuable.
They required a large number of coins, but it was fair to say they were being sold at their proper value.
Then I saw a certain item and checked my remaining coins.
It was a little tight.
“Uriel. The shop-exclusive coins I have can be used in this special shop too, right?”
[Huh? Y-Yes, they should be. Probably.]
Then there was no problem.
I immediately put two items in my cart.
My shop-exclusive coins were starting to run low, so I'd have to think about how to earn more coins from now on.
[Please use the shop more often! I don't get to come out here unless the shop is open.]
“If you lowered the prices a bit. I can't shop often because it's too expensive.”
[Really? Then I'll lower them for you!]
“Huh?”
[The price of all items will be reduced by 15%.]
What was this?
I stared at Uriel with a bewildered expression.
[Do you know how lonely it is to just watch without anyone to talk to? I get depressed just watching everyone else have fun conversations without me. I've lowered the prices, so you have to keep your promise, alright? We can just say this discount covers your friendship fee, okay?]
“No... uhm. Alright.”
The weight of the items in my hands felt strange.
I thought she was monitoring me from her own realm, but it seemed she was directly tied to me.
I felt sorry for her, but unfortunately, I rarely had a reason to use the shop.
One bottle of alcohol and one S-rank elixir that raised mana.
For now, this should be enough.
[Why the alcohol? Are you giving it to that Goblin King? ...Gwaaaack.]
Besial, who had appeared out of nowhere, sniffed the bottle of alcohol in my left hand and gagged.
Seeing Besial's reaction, I was confident in its quality.
[What kind of crazy booze is this? Why is it so strong! Isn't this poison liquor?]
“It's in preparation for the next main quest. I need this to make things go smoothly. And you're right, it is poison liquor. If you'd taken a deeper whiff, you would have actually passed out.”
[Ugh. I don't know who it's for, but someone's about to be in for a world of hurt.]
The secret shop served as both an angel's shop and a devil's shop.
Meaning, things I needed could pop up there too.
I needed a few more things besides this, but those already had owners.
There was nothing more I needed to prepare.
“More importantly, I have other business to attend to.”
I said, turning to the Dragon of the End, whose ears had been twitching for a while now.
“How long are you going to pretend to be asleep?”