Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Trap (2)
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5.
The news of a 100-person Mystic Gate appearing spread quickly, not just to Lith Harbor City but throughout Victoria Island.
Naturally, word of the disaster spread just as fast.
“Only 3 survived? Out of 100 who went in?”
“97 dead? The top E-rank adventurers from every merchant group?”
The public paid especially close attention to the outcome.
“The three survivors are from the Gapor Merchant Group?”
“Seriously?”
“But everyone else died, and only Gapor’s adventurers made it out?”
That Gapor was the only merchant group to come away with any gains from the disaster.
“Didn’t Gapor pull something shady?”
Of course, people latched on because it made for perfect conspiracy fodder.
“They say Gapor trolled to knock out the competition?”
It was a ridiculous conspiracy theory, truth be told.
For all the talk, Gapor had taken a real hit in the disaster too.
Still, they had a few strikes against them.
“If it’s Gapor, they’d totally do it. They’ve always been the sleaziest bunch.”
For one, Gapor carried a mountain of bad karma from years past.
“Gapor even threw in some Cygnus Knights trainees on this run?”
“Those two Gapor adventurers who went in—they were total greenhorns, right?”
“I heard they awakened as adventurers less than a year ago!”
And they hadn’t committed their full strength either. Those details gave the theories real wings.
The resulting rumors flooded Lith Harbor City in no time.
But that was it.
Surprisingly, the disaster chatter didn’t evolve much beyond that or spread further.
Reality was just that harsh.
“Why the big deal? It was Red grade anyway.”
No matter the buzz, it was still Red-grade territory—for E-rank and lower adventurers only.
In a Maple World brimming with tales of A-rank and S-rank adventurers, this was kid stuff.
“No unique item dropped either. Total bust in the end, wasn’t it?”
The public stayed ice-cold toward failures.
That was the adventurer world.
The top 10 merchant groups offered no real takes on the disaster. Not even mild curiosity.
“How many?”
One exception among the top 10: the Kania Merchant Group.
Kania took a keen interest.
“97 dead, Master.”
None other than the group’s owner, Ebob, got the report straight from the source.
Not that Ebob was mourning the loss.
“I’m sorry. The plan failed.”
Ebob just stared silently at the bowing executive, Ito.
At last, Ebob spoke up.
“Not a failure.”
He continued to the now-raising executive.
“He ordered every adventurer wiped out. Three remain. End of story.”
That said it all.
His subordinate nodded.
“Yes. We’ll carry out his command.”
6.
“They’ll come for us.”
“Boss.”
Dibo’s face hardened at El Pam’s words.
“You really have to drop that right before chow time?”
A lavish spread lay before Dibo.
“Our first real meal too?”
It was their first bite since leaving Sleepywood Forest and heading back to Lith Harbor City.
Meaningful on every level.
For adventurers especially, the post-adventure meal hit different.
El Pam knew it well.
Which was why he added.
“The adventure’s not over.”
That’s when you have the meaningful meal—after the adventure wraps. Adventurer code.
Dibo got it, naturally.
El Pam had laid it out a few times already.
Even without the recap, Dibo felt the incident’s gravity deep in his bones.
“Guys who’d troll that hard aren’t gonna let you and me walk away clean.”
Anyone scheming on that scale had plenty worse up their sleeves.
“They wanted us all dead from jump.”
El Pam spoke as Dibo ripped into a chicken leg and crammed it in his mouth.
“So here’s your out.”
“Nah, pass.”
Dibo cut in.
“Stick with me or split? After all this? With you, obviously, Boss.”
“Dangerous road.”
Dibo just snorted at that.
“Safer ditching you, Boss?”
Dibo knew El Pam dragged danger like a shadow.
“And name one risk-free adventure in Maple World.”
Not a single one since he’d dreamed of adventuring.
If anything, that danger drew Dibo to El Pam.
“Far as I see, tailing you’s my safest bet.”
El Pam’s feats put every other adventurer to shame.
Beyond raw power.
Power wasn’t everything to an adventurer.
‘No clue what it is. But Boss has something extra. Knowledge straight-up otherworldly.’
Knowledge trumped it all.
That made El Pam the ultimate boss to trust.
Though the real hook was simpler.
“Plus, rolling with you means this.”
Dibo circled his thumb and index.
Money chased El Pam.
“Kugh, a cool mil mesos in one go.”
This contract alone netted El Pam and Dibo a million mesos each from Gapor.
Insane cash.
“What to blow it on... Gear up proper this time, I guess?”
Prime funds for powering up across the board.
“So what’s the play, Boss?”
El Pam replied.
“Pay the debt.”
“Huh?”
“The one with Gapor.”
“For real?”
Caught Dibo off guard.
Hadn’t El Pam dodged repayment and just borrowed more till now?
Repay now?
“Why bother?”
“Freedom.”
“Ah!”
Freedom sealed it for Dibo. Word carried weight.
He knew El Pam’s tale too.
Three years chasing it as live bait.
Days so brutal, they explained his edge—anyone would buy it.
No shock he’d reclaim it.
‘Boss is only human.’
Dibo eased up.
“Once I’m free.”
El Pam told him.
“I’ll sign with Gapor.”
“Huh?”
7.
The Sleepywood disaster scrambled the top 10 merchant groups.
Gapor took the hardest hit.
“We snag El Pam, whatever it takes.”
The survivor was why.
“Before the others move in.”
Everyone at the debrief knew about El Pam.
His 3rd Circle status.
Not earth-shattering on its own.
Circle-ups happened all the time beyond Mystic Gates.
Adventurers leveled circles by devouring monster magic stones, then enlightenment.
That spark often hit in brutal, do-or-die scraps.
Mystic Gates? Prime enlightenment arenas.
El Pam fit the bill: epiphany amid total chaos, everyone dying around him.
Issue wasn’t that.
It was El Pam’s track record.
Everyone would dig, find out.
“Adventurers rocketing up that fast? Rare as hell.”
Tremendous growth speed.
And his record screamed more.
“Survivors who last that long? Even rarer.”
Survival instinct.
Worth more than talent, some ways.
Once word got out, every group’s move was obvious.
“We lock him down first.”
Gapor included.
Hence.
“I’d like to settle the debt with the promised commission.”
Evis didn’t blink at El Pam’s line.
He fired back.
“You want a fresh contract.”
Intent read loud and clear.
“Name your price.”
Evis followed with an offer, oozing calm like never before.
Orders were orders.
‘Rakan said: money no object.’
Spare no expense on El Pam.
‘We have to own him. That 100-man gate mess wasn’t random.’
Gapor had the inside track via the Thief Guild Master.
Changed the math.
‘El Pam’s a witness. Play it right, and we bury one or two top 10s. Goldmine witness.’
Say a top 10 orchestrated the troll, and they snag proof?
Layer on survivor El Pam’s word?
Game over.
Plenty reason for Gapor to splurge.
“Name my price?”
El Pam met Evis’s smug ease.
“10 million mesos.”
“What?”
Out of left field.
“Signing bonus.”
Not salary—bonus. Extras billed separate.
Evis nearly choked.
“No outfit drops that on a D-rank!”
Absurd enough to raise his voice on reflex.
El Pam stayed cool.
“Got it.”
He stood.
Done.
No bargaining. Pointless.
Never a negotiation anyway.
‘Fair for a D-rank.’
El Pam knew the score.
‘Witness to their troll? Whole different ballgame.’
Gapor had every reason to pay up.
El Pam walked out.
Evis didn’t grab him, but no sweat for El Pam.
Like he’d said—they’d come running.
“Boss!”
Dibo, waiting outside, hustled up.
“Well?”
“Turned down.”
“Down? Why?”
Dibo gawked.
“Why pass on talent like you? Gapor hit their heads?”
“Quoted the signing bonus. Nope.”
“Signing bonus? How much?”
“10 million mesos. Nope.”
“These Gapor punk-asses over a measly 10 million me... me?”
Dibo’s eyes bugged.
“Boss, you lost it?”
Knew it’d be steep, but 10 mil upfront?
“Who shells out that?”
Not even Dibo, cash hound, could swallow it.
Hence his take.
“You never planned to sign with Gapor, right?”
Just flexing no thanks.
El Pam skipped the rundown.
‘That price tag means Rakan or higher greenlights it.’
Gapor needed time to respond.
‘I’m unattached now. Deal’s inbound.’
They’d circle back.
‘Kania Merchant Group.’
Black Mage’s faithful.
‘They’ll dig the pit.’
To take El Pam out.
‘Dangle bait too good to pass.’
Tempting offer, guaranteed.
El Pam’s side play.
“So what’s next, Boss? Shop other groups?”
“Free agent for now. No strings, chase the hot quests. Means building a party.”
Party time.
“Party? Sweet. Who’re we tapping?”
“Bishop.”
“Bishop? Healer? Got a line on one?”
Target locked.
“Ralph.”
“Who? Never heard.”
Nobody knew him yet.
El Pam did.
Had to.
‘Black Paradise crew—one of the Black Mage goons who offed Cygnus Knights Commander Mihile. One of the adventurers who turned the world to hell.’