Huh...?

"Huh...?"

A sudden alarm blared, followed by the message window that popped up.

"Why've you been spacing out since earlier? Didn't you say we need to hurry and save people?"

For some reason, even though we were in the same party, it seemed Baek Yiheon hadn't gotten the notification. He spoke to me in an irritated tone.

Quests are normally shared automatically in a party. The fact that it's not means...

A hidden quest. And one given only to me.

The quest description is tailored specifically to me.

Thinking back to what happened with Tonpe, it wasn't strange for a quest like this to generate. And based purely on the content, it wasn't wrong either.

"......"

What made me suspicious was that I'd only thought those doubts ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to myself without voicing them to anyone—and yet the quest had appeared.

As if it read my mind.

I stared blankly at the quest window. There was no further explanation—just the lone [Accept] button floating there.

No choice, then.

At this point, I had no option but to uncover the truth of Muhar, no matter what.

I quietly tapped [Accept] without letting Baek Yiheon notice, then turned to Motram.

"I'll help. But there are a lot of people inside the castle. Any ideas?"

Motram's the only one connected to this hidden quest. Even if not now, he'll definitely learn the truth about the culprit behind this incident in the future. Keeping him close and watching him is key.

"Thank you. The carriage I rode in on is over there. I'll drive it—you all evacuate the people and load up the wounded. I'll help with that."

I nodded at his words.

His name appeared in the party list, and I turned to Red Sickle.

"Help him evacuate the people. I'll finish up here first and join you."

"Understood."

"Wait? Weren't you going to help together?"

"Stumbled on a secret basement. Might be related to what's happening now, so I should check it out."

"But the people in the castle right now..."

"Red Sickle ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠will handle it. Should be plenty. Don't worry. Or... you don't like me going into the basement?"

Motram waved his hands in flustered denial at my question.

"What? No, not at all. I just said that because there are so many people to evacuate."

"Don't worry—he's reliable."

Motram's expression subtly stiffened at my words, but he nodded soon after.

"Got it. I'll go fetch the carriage."

As Motram ran toward the castle gate, I spoke to Red Sickle in a low whisper too quiet to be heard.

Keep a close eye on him.

Red Sickle gave a knowing glance and followed.

"What the hell was that about all of a sudden?"

Baek Yiheon, who'd been watching the exchange, stared at me with a baffled look.

"You said you bought stuff from Kasar Merchant, run by Motram, right?"

"Yeah. They sell leaf only. Other shops all supply the capital's medical facilities. Kinda like a hidden spot. Anyone who started in the duchy knows it. Community was buzzing about it."

Motram's name hadn't come up, but I'd heard about Kasar Merchant plenty. Though the real reason the community lost its mind over leaf and Kasar wasn't what Baek Yiheon thought.

Being able to experience smoking virtually without actually doing it was arguably good for health.

But the problem was human greed knew no bounds.

Players combined ingredients that simulated smoking with alchemy, magic, or magitech to create even stronger ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stuff. They exploited game systems like hallucinations, sleep, curses—to make drug-like items.

"The farms must love it..."

"Hell yeah, they'd be thrilled. Farms were drug labs to begin with. After the eight clans cracked down, they started scamming newbies. Might even be making stuff like Redphim by now."

Redphim was a virtual drug from the farms.

"Makes snagging leaf a total bloodbath these days—eyeball-to-eyeball competition. Remember those northern farm guys who went to the Iron Kingdom?"

"Ah, yeah."

I paused slightly before answering Baek Yiheon.

"Well, they found out about leaf and moved back to the duchy. Weirdos, right?"

"They're the type who don't care about levels anyway. As long as they make money, deleting characters is no big deal..."

That was when it hit me.

"Hold up."

"...Yeah?"

"The farms moved their base to the duchy? So where's their drug lab now?"

"Uh... Kasar Merchant's in Lisal, I think? But it wasn't there."

Baek Yiheon glanced at my face and answered in a flustered voice.

"When'd you last buy leaf?"

"Uh... two weeks ago real time? Motram came to Lisal a few times since, but always out of stock."

"Same before?"

"Nah. Wasn't this bad even after the community posts. Got intense lately. People are even learning herb gathering to farm their own."

"Two weeks..."

"When'd you hear the farms moved from Iron Kingdom to duchy?"

"Hm? About two weeks ago too, I guess. Huh, dates line up?"

Baek Yiheon frowned slightly, sensing something off too.

"Guhk...! Kugh...!"

That was when it came.

"H-hel... p... ple...ase..."

A low voice from the underground passage below the stairs.

"Wh-what the?"

Baek Yiheon rounded the corner and recoiled as a man tumbled right in front of him, shoving him away in panic.

"Cough...!! Cough!"

The man's body shuddered violently as foam bubbled from his mouth.

"What the hell is this?"

Whoosh...!!

In that instant, the man's poison-racked body turned pitch black, crumbling to ash and vanishing.

Where he'd been lay a pouch of gold—and a crude red scroll like a cigar.

"Redphim?"

Baek Yiheon picked it up and said.

"Damn... the farms already made this? How long since they moved to the duchy? And where'd they get the materials?"

"That's not the point."

"Huh?"

"The guy who just died turned to ash and dropped an item. Means he was a player."

"Eh... you're right?"

I gazed deeper into the passage.

"This quest in Muhar isn't just for NPCs. There are other players here besides us."

"No way... the rescue count includes players? How many?"

"Who knows."

That's when the survivor numbers caught my eye.

Before meeting Motram, survivors had been at 134. In the time 13 had died, we'd only saved 3.

"Could be ten players dying... twenty... or all of them."

Gulp.

Baek Yiheon swallowed dryly at my words, tension rising.

That dead guy's face looked familiar...

I remembered him as one of the farm lowlifes scamming newbies up north. Just a nobody, but he was among the first I'd ever killed, so he stuck in my mind.

"Looks like the farms were making Redphim right here."

"No lord in an abandoned castle means no guards. Just vagrant NPCs—no players sniffing around, perfect for shady shit."

"Made from leaf, right?"

"No substitutes yet, so probably."

"And Motram's the only NPC selling leaf to players?"

"Haven't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠heard of other merchants opening routes."

"Explains the cutthroat competition for it."

"What?"

I lightly smacked Baek Yiheon's head.

"What good's a brain if you don't use it? The farms were dealing with Motram for leaf."

"So some of the survivors here are farm players? No need to save those trash then. Heh, suddenly feels easier."

I let out a low sigh at his grinning face.

"Not denying they're scum, but that's not the point."

"Hm?"

"How deep is Motram involved."

"Hmmm..."

"If he just supplied leaf for trade, fine. But newbies finding Muhar this quick? Figuring out Redphim recipe and materials? Even with numbers, not something done overnight."

"You saying Motram used the farms to orchestrate this? Come on, an NPC making drugs? Ridiculous."

"Who knows..."

Crunch!!

I crushed the Redphim in Baek Yiheon's hand.

"Remember the corpses outside? Motram might not need the drugs—he needs the farm players."

"He lured players here to kill them? Why? For what?"

"That's what we find out."

Step. Step. Step.

[Grrrrrr...]

A low growl echoed from the darkness.

Clang!!

Baek Yiheon bit his parched lips and stood before the tunnel door, flickering candlelight leaking through.

"Maybe he's not Muhar's hero..."

But it wasn't the hunting dog's growl from earlier.

"...but Muhar's demon."

I said in a low voice.

"Don't underestimate NPCs. Or we'll be the ones who lose."