Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: Chapter 37. Magatia (1)
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1.
“S-so, what happened? And then?”
Dibo, who had been listening to El Pam recount his conversation with Knight Commander Oz, asked the question with uncharacteristic tension.
“Did Knight Commander Oz accept the offer?”
El Pam shook his head in response.
“Turned it down.”
“Oh.”
“Whew.”
Dibo and Mina let out simultaneous sighs, as if on cue.
It was the most natural response in the world—an exhale of relief.
“He turned it down, saying it was an unreasonable proposal.”
And understandably so. What El Pam had proposed—tackling a 33-man Mystic Gate with just five people—was far too dangerous.
“Of course it is. It’s completely unreasonable.”
Of course, a regular 33-man Mystic Gate wouldn’t have been an issue.
El Pam’s party was an adventurer group that had conquered a 300-man Mystic Gate through sheer ability alone.
“But it’s Green grade.”
“Yeah, Green’s different. Way different.”
The problem was that the Mystic Gate in question was a Green-grade one.
“Even if the leader can handle it, we’re only at 4th Circle.”
In a stage prepared for 5th Circle adventurers, the role of 4th Circle ones would naturally be limited.
And it wasn’t just any dungeon.
“Right, Kiri?”
“Hm?”
“Going into a Green-grade one at 4th Circle seems dangerous even to you, doesn’t it? Especially since it’s the tomb of the Cygnus Knights, of all things.”
It was a place where the proven Cygnus Knights had met their end.
In truth, that was the most dangerous part.
“A 5th Circle Cygnus Knight—that’s a real knight, right?”
Cygnus Knights were recognized as knights starting from 3rd Circle.
But that was just recognition as a knight. No one thought a 3rd Circle Cygnus Knight moving meant the entire order was mobilizing.
“Representing the knights’ will.”
A 5th Circle Cygnus Knight moving, however, could safely be seen as the will of the Cygnus Knights themselves.
That was a massive difference.
And yet, they had met their deaths?
There was even something to retrieve from that tomb?
“Not easy.”
It was an extraordinary mission in every way.
“A 100-man one would probably be less difficult. That’s why even the Fire Knight Commander turned it down.”
Oz’s decision made perfect sense in every regard.
“Exactly.”
El Pam knew it too.
There was no way Oz would accept the proposal easily.
Even so, El Pam had to make the offer.
“Too bad.”
“Huh? Boss, you’re disappointed?”
“Yeah, disappointed. We’re tackling it with five anyway.”
“Huh?”
El Pam had planned to conquer it with a five-man party—his party—regardless of whether Oz accepted or not.
So if Oz had said yes, it would have meant unexpected extra rewards for El Pam.
“W-what?”
Naturally, everyone was stunned by El Pam’s words.
“What do you mean?”
“That’s insane!”
“This won’t do!”
Ralph was there this time too.
“No rewards, and just a five-man party? I can’t accept a deal this bad!”
“If more people join, we’d have to split the profits. You okay with that?”
“Ah, then I accept.”
Ralph quickly came around at El Pam’s follow-up, but the others didn’t.
They all stared at El Pam with blank expressions.
Didn’t El Pam himself know how dangerous it was?
“I know it’s not easy.”
El Pam addressed it directly.
“But teaming up with others for this job would be far riskier. If we recruit ten people, at least two or three are bound to be Black Mage followers.”
Trolls were highly likely to interfere in this mission.
“Boss! Even if you’re fine, the rest of us can’t handle it.”
Of course, that didn’t change the fact that the difficulty was absurd.
El Pam knew that too.
“That’s why it matters.”
“Huh?”
“We have to tackle Green-grade Mystic Gates from now on anyway. If we can’t even clear a 33-man one, nothing else is possible.”
This was just the beginning.
“I won’t force anyone. You can back out.”
He knew that too.
“Boss, after coming this far, you think we’d listen to that?”
“Yeah, we’re in it to the end.”
“If I bail now, my master’ll tattoo ‘coward’ on my forehead.”
“You’ve made me more money than I’ve earned my whole life. No reason not to follow.”
He knew none of the four would back out.
So there was only one thing left to say.
“So, Boss, where’s this tomb?”
Reveal the destination.
El Pam did so without hesitation.
“Magatia.”
“Magatia?”
“That’s right. City of the alchemists.”
2.
Magatia.
Located in the northeast of the Nihal Desert—halfway between the Nihal Desert and the Elnas Mountains—it was a city known as the City of Alchemists.
“The reason Magatia became the City of Alchemists is simple.”
It was a very special place.
“Alchemy only works there.”
Alchemies impossible in other parts of the Maple World were possible in Magatia.
Like creating new lifeforms or machines that moved on their own.
“How? Because it wasn’t originally a city—it was a laboratory.”
What made such wonders possible was the massive laboratory beneath Magatia.
The lab left by some enigmatic being was so vast that not all areas had been explored even now, and each section was filled with profoundly mysterious alchemical knowledge.
The alchemy used by Magatia’s alchemists came from that underground lab, and that’s why it only worked in Magatia.
“Some say researching alchemy that’s useless outside Magatia is pointless.”
Many adventurers were skeptical about such alchemy.
Learning something utterly useless elsewhere in the Maple World held no meaning.
But the alchemists were different.
“Alchemists say there’s no reason not to adventure in a place offering adventures unlike anywhere else in the Maple World.”
They were captivated by Magatia’s allure.
“Whatever. Doesn’t matter what anyone thinks.”
In any case, it was a unique city in many ways, and naturally, its common sense differed from everywhere else.
“The key point is that common sense known to adventurers in the Maple World doesn’t apply in Magatia.”
Magatia was practically another world.
“Even the Ariant Kingdom recognizes it as extraterritorial.”
Despite being in the Nihal Desert, it was beyond even Ariant’s reach—a true otherworld.
“So it’s incredibly dangerous.”
That made it extremely dangerous.
“Especially the underground lab—it’s packed with monsters unlike anything seen anywhere else in the Maple World.”
That was why.
“Adventurers aiming for the underground lab always hire a guide. Otherwise, you’ll never find your way.”
Every adventurer visiting Magatia brought an underground lab guide without exception.
El Pam’s party was no different.
The moment they arrived in Magatia, El Pam’s first action was to find a guide.
It didn’t take long.
El Pam headed straight to an inn in Magatia called Song of Iron.
He said to the owner,
“I’ve followed the flame.”
“The flame?”
“Yes, the great flame.”
The owner frowned and replied,
“Spouting nonsense. Tsk, bad luck first thing in the morning. Hayes!”
“Yes, boss.”
The owner yelled at a lowly employee.
“Get this lunatic out!”
“Right!”
The employee named Hayes shoved both of El Pam’s shoulders and said,
“Hey, buddy. Out, get out!”
El Pam was unceremoniously pushed out by the forceful action, with Hayes shoving him repeatedly.
Soon, El Pam was chased out of the inn.
Bang!
The door slammed shut violently behind him.
El Pam didn’t panic or show surprise.
He had expected it.
The man who had just shoved him emerged through another door and approached.
“I’m Hayes. I’ll guide you.”
With polite words, Hayes became El Pam’s party guide.
Nothing strange about it.
“I’ve already heard everything from him.”
This was an operation personally arranged by none other than Fire Knight Commander Oz—preparations were bound to be in place.
Of course, not everything was ready.
“We can’t provide full support. Secrecy is more critical than ever.”
He’d show the way, but clearing it was up to El Pam’s party.
That was why.
“So when will the rest of you arrive?”
“This is it.”
“Huh?”
Hayes, now the guide, tilted his head at El Pam’s words.
“Only five of you?”
“That’s right. All of us.”
“This is everyone? For a 33-man one?”
As far as he knew, the target was a 33-man Mystic Gate, and they were going with just five?
No, getting there wasn’t even the issue.
“Five won’t even make it to the place!”
The path to the Mystic Gate’s location was that impossible.
El Pam replied to the question,
“This is everyone. No more.”
“Oh.”
In that moment, Hayes swallowed hard inwardly.
‘Crazy. More lunatics.’
He knew they wouldn’t be normal, but mentally unhinged?
This job was especially crucial for Hayes.
As the guide, he had to stick with El Pam’s party no matter what.
‘Screw up, and I’m dead.’
So Hayes had to convince them here.
“Five won’t cut it! The underground lab monsters are on another level from regular ones!”
To get El Pam’s party to secure more manpower.
But El Pam didn’t bite.
“If it’s too hard, just tell us the location. We’ll go ourselves.”
Hearing that, Hayes gave up persuading.
“Let’s go.”
He resolved to die if needed and gladly took on the guide role.
In other words, this job was that important.
One that had to succeed, even at the cost of death.
Of course, that resolve soon wavered.
Following guide Hayes into the underground lab, El Pam’s party soon encountered.
“Damn! It’s a Cube Slime swarm!”
Hundreds of cube-shaped Cube Slimes.
A major headache of an enemy.
Cube Slimes were pink, cube-shaped slimes unique to Magatia.
In other words, alchemy-created monsters, with abilities worlds apart from regular slimes.
“Those things are no joke. They bounce off most attacks.”
Their springy bodies provided defense far more troublesome than expected.
A nightmare for adventurers.
But not for El Pam’s party.
“Boss.”
Dibo spoke up.
“I’ll clear the path.”
“Huh?”
Dibo charged straight at the pink Cube Slime swarm after saying it.
“Huh!”
Hayes, seeing it, freaked out and yelled.
“C-crazy!”
Cube Slimes rejected comparison to normal slimes. They could even deflect sharp arrows.
Inflicting wounds with typical adventurer spears or swords was impossible.
And they retained the slime trait of acidic bodies.
Charging a warrior with just a polearm at such a swarm?
Crazy, as Hayes said.
But that was it.
Only Hayes was shocked; the rest weren’t.
No reason to be.
“Hya!”
To Dibo now, the Cube Slime swarm was no different from regular slimes.
“I’m Dibo, hero of the polearm!”
The Cube Slimes began shattering pitifully before Dibo’s polearm, swung like a windmill.
Incredible speed.
“Huh?”
Even Hayes, watching, was left dumbfounded by how fast.
Boom boom boom!
Pink Cube Slime remains—highly acidic debris—exploded and scattered.
Hayes still wore a blank expression, and El Pam approached him.
“Like a proper guide.”
“Huh?”
“Keep showing the way.”
Only then did Hayes snap out of it.
And it clicked.
‘Insane adventurers!’
El Pam’s party had the ability to attempt it with just five.
‘No dying here!’
Best of all, sticking with them meant zero chance of death.
“Yes, right away!”
From then on, Hayes guided with more ease than ever.
Under his guidance, El Pam’s party soon arrived.
“Hm?”
And the moment they reached the destination—the Mystic Gate—they saw.
“The p-portal’s already active!”