Chapter 228
Chapter 228
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 228
Chapter Title: 65. Ancient Ruins Partem (3)
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7.
10 billion mesos!
Everyone, including Dibo, wore shocked expressions at El Pam's demand.
"B-Boss! Are you in your right mind right now?"
Dibo ended up scolding El Pam without thinking.
On top of that, their trading partner was Helena.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say every adventurer owed her at least twice over!
Demanding 10 billion mesos from her was not just excessive—it was downright insane.
But El Pam was different.
"It's Fried's legacy. If it can be bought for 10 billion mesos, I'll buy it myself."
From his perspective, this amount was only proposed because it was Helena.
He would have flat-out refused anyone else.
Of course, even so, it wasn't an amount Helena could accept on the spot.
She pondered.
And seeing her do so, everyone thought the same.
'No way she'll accept this crazy offer!'
That Helena would refuse.
No, setting aside refusal, it didn't seem like Helena even had 10 billion mesos.
That would force the Adventurers' Association to step in, but they weren't an organization swimming in that kind of money.
Adventurers thought the association did nothing but impose restrictions, but in reality, they didn't take money from adventurers.
To be precise, they only accepted donations.
Meanwhile, the work they did far exceeded what adventurers complained about.
For such an organization to pay 10 billion mesos?
It was impossible for all sorts of reasons.
"Alright."
"Yes?"
But contrary to everyone's expectations, Helena gave the okay.
"You'll pay 10 billion mesos?"
Dibo, surprised in turn, received a nod from Helena.
"I swear on my name. The amount is confirmed."
El Pam wasn't surprised by that.
'She knows time is short.'
For Helena, whether she had 10 billion mesos now or not, moving El Pam's party was more important.
It was far better to secure Fried's brooch with El Pam's party and renegotiate later than let it fall into another adventurer's hands.
It was possible precisely because time was of the essence.
"Very well."
El Pam knew that, which was why he had set this up.
"Then we'll head out to conquer it right away."
In other words, from now on, even El Pam himself couldn't afford to waste time.
In truth, the path to the Ancient Ruins Partem that El Pam knew was no easy road.
'It'll take at least a week to get there.'
The way to the Ancient Ruins Partem was overrun with extremely troublesome monsters.
'It won't be easy.'
El Pam pondered deeply.
"Is there a way to get to the Ancient Ruins Partem?"
"I can find the path."
"So you've never been there."
"Yes."
Elrena spoke to such an El Pam.
"I have a map here."
"Yes?"
"A map with a shortcut to Partem."
8.
"Fried's legacy is in the Ancient Ruins Partem!"
The moment that news spread, adventurers around the world rushed toward the Ancient Ruins Partem.
There was no hesitation.
"Ancient Ruins Partem? Isn't that just a place for archaeologists?"
In most adventurers' minds, the Ancient Ruins Partem was no big deal.
"It's still just Victoria Island, right?"
For various reasons.
In fact, the monsters encountered at the entrance to the Ancient Ruins Partem were laughably weak.
"These are easier to deal with than Wild Boars."
The ruin defense soldiers—bricks fallen from Partem ruins turned into monsters—the poison flowers that spat venom while moving, and the pottery rabbits hiding in pots from Partem were nothing compared to the fearsome monsters filling Maple World.
But the moment they ventured deeper, the story changed.
"...Where's the guy who said that?"
"He's dead."
The closer they got to the heart of the Ancient Ruins Partem, the stronger the monsters became, beyond imagination.
That was why adventurers called the monsters in that dangerous area "dangerous ruin defense soldiers" and such, prefixing "dangerous."
Of course, the benchmark for that danger was 5th Circle.
For adventurers below 4th Circle, it meant not just dangerous, but utterly untouchable!
Even 5th Circle adventurers didn't have it easy.
Moreover, the Ancient Ruins Partem had yet to be properly explored.
Meaning there weren't even proper paths!
From the adventurers' perspective, it was extremely perilous.
"Wow."
But they were the exception.
"How are there no monsters at all?"
El Pam's party was breaking through that grueling area with ridiculous ease.
"We'll reach the destination in three days at this rate?"
A place El Pam estimated would take a week, reached in less than half the time.
It was absurd.
Honestly, El Pam was surprised at this point too.
A map like this existed?
That raised a question.
"Who on earth made this map?"
Who could have made a map allowing such easy navigation through the Ancient Ruins Partem, where only a speck had been uncovered?
"Pathfinder."
"Yes?"
He knew one thing.
"It's said Pathfinder made it."
"Who's that?"
"No idea."
But it was a name even El Pam didn't know.
"Pathfinder... I've heard that somewhere...."
And it wasn't worth racking his brains over right now.
"Ah, Boss!"
He could see it.
"Adventurers are gathered over there!"
Those aiming for Fried's legacy.
8.
Ancient Ruins Partem.
Among the monsters emerging from there, the most headache-inducing were none other than the ruin defense soldiers.
Thud!
Bricks from the Ancient Ruins Partem's ruins turned into monsters—literal bricks.
And not just any bricks.
Infused with the power of the Ancient Ruins Partem, their hardness was indescribable; even a 4th Circle warrior swinging a hammer could only chip fragments.
Naturally, being stone, magic barely worked, and neither did arrows or bullets.
Yet they were incredibly agile.
That was the most infuriating part.
Bricks weighing tens or hundreds of tons being agile? Even grazing one was lethal.
"Argh!"
That was why the Ancient Ruins Partem echoed with screams of clueless adventurers who wandered in.
But that place was different.
Hundreds of adventurers gathered around the Mystic Gate were quietly eating or chatting leisurely.
They exuded composure.
Of course, it wasn't a good sight.
It meant the gathered adventurers considered dangerous ruin defense or assault soldiers mere jokes.
"New adventurers have arrived."
And they weren't exactly welcoming to new guests.
It was only natural.
They were all competitors.
Competitors aiming for Fried's brooch!
They had no intention of letting naive adventurers join the competition.
And to them, the five who just arrived looked naive.
It wasn't baseless speculation.
"No screams on the way here means they barely fought."
"Five in total."
The traces were completely different from skilled adventurers.
"Good luck."
In other words, a five-person party reaching here without real combat meant they got lucky.
"So turn back."
Naturally, the gathered adventurers had no intention of accepting mere lucky ones.
"While your luck holds."
If the five refused, they were prepared to force them back with strength.
Whether in Henesys or underground.
But the five newcomers didn't flinch at the bloodthirsty threat.
Seeing that, the gathered adventurers sharpened their gazes.
They were ready to spill blood if the opponents wanted it.
At that moment, the man carrying the polearm smiled.
" Dibo."
"Yeah, I know. Don't get cocky."
After that brief exchange, the polearm-carrying man showed his wrist.
Revealing six rings.
Only then did the other adventurers' eyes change.
'6th Circle!'
A powerhouse more than qualified for this place.
In other words, a competitor.
Thus, everyone's gazes grew even fiercer. Now it wasn't about driving them away, but testing them.
That was when it happened.
"Dibo?"
One adventurer said.
"That Dibo from El Pam's party?"
"No way, El Pam's party?"
"El Pam?"
And everyone uttered.
Their identities.
"The fraud El Pam!"
It wasn't a flattering term.
But everyone gathered here knew one thing, regardless of whether El Pam was a fraud or not.
'An adventurer who returned alive from any Mystic Gate!'
In this competition where no one could predict success, no competitor was better than El Pam's party.
That was why.
Everyone relaxed.
Seeing that, Dibo and El Pam's companions smirked inwardly.
'How much do they underestimate us?'
They knew one reason for the relaxation was overconfidence in eliminating them anytime.
'Yeah, underestimate us all you want. It's to our benefit.'
And they gladly accepted it.
No need for bloodshed, after all.
That wasn't all.
"Name's Pason."
At the name of the middle-aged man greeting first, everyone widened their eyes in surprise.
'Pason? That Pason? The Minar Forest adventurer Pason?'
Minar Forest adventurer Pason—as the name implied, he made Minar Forest his main stage.
That alone set him apart from ordinary adventurers.
And he wasn't alone.
"Let me introduce a few more. That one's Palte."
'Wyvern Hunter!'
"The woman over there is Jabel."
'Nihal Desert's Poison Scorpion!'
"The one waving now is Yuba."
'Murung Dojeon's Guardian!'
Each subsequent name was legendary among adventurers, idol-level figures.
Not just strong, but history-makers in the current Maple World adventurer scene.
Even El Pam's party, who had met two of the Six Heroes, was awed by their presences.
And it didn't end there.
"For now, everyone gathered here has an agreement."
Pason said.
"No guns, swords, or arrows pointed at each other until we exit the Mystic Gate."
They had all joined hands.
At that, everyone was convinced.
'With this lineup plus the boss, we'll definitely get it. No reason we can't catch a slime.'
It seemed like the easiest conquest ever.
So El Pam's party worried about what came after instead.
'The slime's not the problem.'
After obtaining everything.
'We'll have to fight these guys.'
Not just any adventurers, but these history-makers.
Moreover, from the looks of it, they had already established a cooperation system.
To them, El Pam's party was no different from a loose stone.
'Might be better to sit this out.'
It was a dangerous stage in every way.
But El Pam was different.
"Very well. If you're offering, we're grateful."
He joined hands with them without hesitation.
'No need to worry about later.'
Because he knew.
'They'll taste hell anyway.'