"You... Do You Even Know What You've Done?"
"You... you bastard, do you even know what you've just done?"
Rerto Karen growled at me. But despite the blazing fury in his eyes, the tightly wound spiderwebs held him fast, leaving him unable to so much as twitch.
"Like I care. Rescue team's coming soon? Then I can just leave you here. Issue a kill order if you're pissed. I've never feared the eight great clans anyway."
I shot back at him.
"You've been holed up in dungeons, so you wouldn't know, but I'll show you how the number one ranker in the Flame Colosseum fights. Let's go."
After Phlia collected the items Pimel had dropped, I examined the armor she'd left behind.
◈ Part: Chest Armor
◈ Durability: 30/100
◈ Wear Level: 40+
◈ Armor granted only to the direct knight order of the Kartinin family in the Iron Kingdom. Nothing special, but exceptionally sturdy with outstanding defense.
Appraisal Lv2 proficiency has increased.
If proficiency exceeds the familiar's trait level, a skill can be acquired.
Acquire a skill after appraising 3+ unappraised Heroic-grade or higher items, or 10+ confirmed items.
It was exactly what it claimed to be: armor made for knights, nothing more.
The reason I'd bothered appraising it wasn't just because I wanted the item.
The wear condition means Pimel's at least level 40. Way faster than expected. They couldn't have leveled up separately while I was hunting Rerto Karen's hidden class... Even I, with the discoverer's bonus in this dungeon, am only at 47.
I glanced at Rerto for a moment.
No way... Did their affinity with the Kartinin family already unlock access to the underground training grounds?
The underground training grounds—an elite breeding facility secretly located within the Eltia Iron Kingdom—could only be used with permission from the managing Kartinin family.
Well, to obtain the Legendary class Divine Knight, you'd need perfect trust affinity with the family anyway.
But separately, gaining entry permission required significant contributions within the Iron Kingdom.
What the hell is the UAE Clan doing? Didn't they choose the royal knight order leader, Hamal family, to finally take on Los Clan properly?
The UAE Clan, formed by the merger of Abu Dhabi's Emir Clan and Dubai's Jumeirah Clan, boasting massive capital to shatter the eight great clans' dominance and shake off their perennial second-place stigma.
Perennial second place is second for a reason.
Balga Hamal, leader of the royal guard knights, was an outstanding knight, but he couldn't shake the aura of being number two because of the Kartinin family.
If they want a shot at victory, they need to end it early... Looks like they're done for. The longer it drags, the more entrenched the Kartinins become in the royal court.
Rerto Karen had clearly entered the dungeon, so he was undoubtedly level 40 or higher. And with a Legendary class, he'd figured he had a solid shot.
But the problem was that this tomb isn't your average dungeon.
I briefly considered whether killing him here to bolster the UAE Clan against Los Clan would help dismantle the eight great clans.
But I shook my head.
Grateful as I am for UAE checking Los Clan, no need to turn their blades toward me.
And there was another suspicious point.
If she's a direct knight of the Kartinins, that's just Rare grade. Weird that Los Clan's vice-leader would settle for that...
The Kartinin family was a renowned sword house even in the Iron Kingdom, an excellent starting point—but only if you could learn their swordsmanship.
The sword arts available to direct knights top out at Rare grade anyway.
Excluding the family's secret art, Silver Sword, the knights' techniques were fairly ordinary.
No special class, and she's Los Clan's vice-leader? That's off. Clan grunts, maybe...
I suspected some hidden agenda.
Early server, so maybe focusing on Kartinins for second job change? Or someone else besides Pimel can get a hidden class...
At that moment, I pondered what hidden classes remained in the Kartinin family.
No way?
With the prime candidate Divine Knight taken, nothing notable left.
Except one.
Descending Dancer.
If my memory served, the dancer who receives the oracle of impending calamity would emerge from the Iron Kingdom.
But it's too early. The oracle requires precursor world-shaking events. Like...
The death of a dragon.
At that thought, my sword-grip palm grew slick with sweat unbidden.
Did hunting the Spirit Devourer count as a precursor? Most precursors are natural disasters...
I hadn't considered it.
The continent's history I'd remembered had clearly changed so far.
If my actions altered the planned future, even the calamity's arrival might accelerate.
Dimension World doesn't schedule updates by fixed times—it adjusts automatically based on player growth.
The surest sign of the calamity was the Descending Dancer, so I needed to investigate the Iron Kingdom before it was too late.
Was planning to recruit Phlia for that, but gotta hurry.
But investigating the distant Iron Kingdom right now was tough.
So only one option.
Ask directly.
I sheathed my sword pointed at Rerto Karen.
"One less person makes dungeon clears a pain. Especially a veteran like Los Clan's vice-leader—not dead weight. Wasn't targeting you guys."
Saying that, I signaled Phlia with my eyes.
She nodded and sliced the remaining spiderwebs binding Rerto Karen.
"......"
He rotated his wrists warily, eyes locked on me.
Thud.
I tossed Pimel's dropped armor at his feet.
"Return it to her. Wasn't after the item. But you attacked first, so the rest is fair game as payment, right?"
"You didn't PK for pocket change. Kim Do-hyun, tell me why you're here—in exchange for her life. I don't want unnecessary blood either. Give me proof you weren't targeting us, something to placate Los Clan's pursuit team."
Rerto picked up the armor and said.
I couldn't help smirking at his attempt to fish for info amid it all.
"What other reason? Two reasons to enter a dungeon in Dimension World: hunt or quest. Came to clear a quest from the desert city—that's it."
"You knew we were trapped. Explain that."
"Met Hamma in the Shadow Market?"
"......"
His face hardened at my question.
"No big shock. We both found the hidden spot in the Shadow Market first."
His expression softened a bit at my words.
Top players never slack on hidden spot vigilance—it wasn't suspicious.
Like I'd fail where you succeeded.
Funny thing: Rerto Karen rated me higher than expected, as the former arena rank one.
If not for diverging into raids and arenas, our relations would've gotten messy—like now.
"Heard about you from Hamma. Tackling the Divine Knight trial, huh? Even the great Rerto Karen slips up."
"What?"
"Wrong place. Should be Pharhum's Tomb nearby. You got duped by an NPC."
"......!!!"
His face twisted at my words.
"Wh-what..."
Flushing with shock, he couldn't continue.
"Rare mistake. Underestimated Dimension World. Can't treat NPCs as mere programs."
"......"
"Know what the Shadow Market crew planned? If you died trapped here, Obela's beggars would scoop your drops."
"......What?"
I pointed at his chest.
"Without me, Pimel's armor might be hawked in some Shadow Market corner now. Speak properly: I wasn't targeting you—you stumbled into my spot by mistake."
Poke.
I prodded his shoulder with my sheathed sword.
"So what's this? Missed discoverer's bonus saving your ass. No thanks, just draw on me?"
He eyed my sword.
With his sharp eyes, he'd spot Tesaro's blade wasn't ordinary at a glance.
His sword's no slouch either...
The silver-plated scabbard screamed ornate.
I smirked faintly at the familiar blade.
It was Silver Edge Fragment, honor sword for the Kartinin family's 17 vassals. At least Heroic weapon, but more decorative than combat-ready, true to its name.
Early game, though—no better options.
Yet even same grade, the aura differed vastly.
And Rerto Karen had the eye to tell.
Community hyped his Legendary class, but Divine Knight isn't full power without Kartinin secret art Silver Sword.
His current trial was surely the Silver Sword quest.
Meaning: fail was not an option.
"Hamma said time-limited quest... Week limit? Took me four days here; you arrived a day early... Two days left."
I folded fingers counting days.
"Requested rescue post-trap; even from base Iron Kingdom, impossible on time. Even with Los Clan's cash for teleport scrolls—Pimel's class shows no real heavy hitters now. Am I wrong?"
"......What're you getting at?"
"I get your play. Knights get buffs scaling with leader. Job lacks merit alone, but Divine Knight-led order is strongest early-server."
I met his stiff face, voice low.
"Better for dungeon clear than your deadweight clanmates... Right?"
I glanced back at my two, signaling Rerto.
He'd seen Phlia and Red Sickle's levels—couldn't deny.
"Rescue at best pulls you out; quest fails anyway."
"......So?"
"I'll help. But you help me first. Dimension World's top dungeon conqueror won't be baggage, right?"
"You mean..."
"Yeah. Clear both tomb and Pharhum's in two days."
"......!!"
He couldn't hide his shock.
"Deal."
I told him.
"Hand over party leadership first."