Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: Time Attack (3)
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074
24장. Time Attack (3)
6.
Legendary item.
“So, what’s your answer?”
The moment the topic came up, El Pam didn’t hesitate.
“I’ll do it.”
The value of a legendary item was beyond words—more than worth risking his life for.
Prince Kasha’s eyes narrowed at his response.
“I like that.”
That ended the conversation with Prince Kasha.
The prince withdrew, and Salaman took his place.
He looked like he was on the verge of death—no, like he was already a corpse.
In truth, his fate was as good as sealed.
He had failed the mission Prince Kasha assigned him, forcing the prince to step in personally.
He had made the prince reveal his face, his true identity.
And Prince Kasha was no leader who warmly embraced subordinates who kept screwing up.
“I’ll explain from here.”
Even so, Salaman stepped forward to finish his role, all to save his own skin.
“The location of the Mystic Gate will be revealed at random. You’ll move there quietly, and a total of ninety-nine adventurers will enter the Mystic Gate one by one, without knowing each other, spaced out over time.”
After finishing his explanation, Salaman issued one final warning.
“Never speak of Prince Kasha, unless you want to keep your head.”
El Pam nodded at the warning.
Afterward, he returned to his companions and told them everything.
7.
“Mystic Gate raid? In a week? No exceptions?”
The moment El Pam got back to his companions, he told them everything.
“Even surviving gets you a unique item?”
Everything, word for word.
“He was Prince Kasha? The third prince of Ariant Kingdom?”
He didn’t hesitate even on what Salaman had explicitly ordered him not to reveal.
“No, Boss? You can just tell us that stuff? Isn’t this dangerous?”
“Isn’t this supposed to be a secret?”
“Are you insane?”
“What about the money? No word on that? You talked to Prince Kasha himself?”
His companions were stunned.
They knew how dangerous it was for El Pam to reveal Prince Kasha’s involvement.
On the other hand, El Pam hadn’t hesitated or even pondered it.
“Grasping the full situation clearly is the foundation of any adventure. You can’t understand what’s ahead without mentioning Prince Kasha. That alone shows this adventure is different from anything before.”
This Mystic Gate adventure was unusual from the start.
They had to move in secret without knowing the location, and they wouldn’t even see the faces of the other adventurers entering.
They wouldn’t enter together but one after another, with no set order.
From an adventurer’s perspective, it was unsettling.
The kind of setup that would leave anyone disoriented when the time came.
El Pam wanted to eliminate that disorientation as much as possible.
That’s why he told them.
“The reward is a unique item. Find what you’re after, and it’s a legendary-grade item.”
He even revealed the rewards.
“L-Legendary?”
Everyone gasped.
It wasn’t surprising.
Unique items were rare enough for most adventurers, let alone epic ones.
Especially now, with Mystic Gates spawning more adventurers than ever, they were even harder to come by.
“Boss, if they’re dangling something this insane, this job’s gotta be on another level.”
They all realized this request was incomparable to any they’d taken before.
“So that’s why you told us.”
Dibo and the others figured it out.
“To keep us on our toes.”
They thought that was why El Pam had revealed the legendary item.
To heighten their tension.
To make them steel themselves more than ever.
They weren’t wrong.
That was part of why El Pam shared it all.
“That’s one reason.”
“Huh?”
But not the real one.
“One reason? There’s more?”
The biggest reason El Pam revealed everything was simple.
“The legendary item is mine. So let’s make a deal.”
His companions burst into disbelieving laughter.
From what he’d said, this Mystic Gate raid was beyond imagination in difficulty.
And legendary items weren’t something you got just by clearing it.
It was unrealistic for El Pam to talk like he already had it in the bag.
So they all thought:
‘Boss is doing this to boost morale.’
‘Better than showing weakness.’
‘Gotta hand it to him. A real captain knows how to rally the troops.’
That El Pam was putting on a show to fire them up.
In other words, they didn’t buy it.
“How much to buy it for?”
Ralph was the exception, of course.
He responded to El Pam’s deal with dead seriousness. For him, it was a chance at massive profit.
His reaction piqued the others’ curiosity.
‘Come to think of it, what’s Boss gonna offer? He wouldn’t scam us.’
If legendary items were that valuable, the price had to match.
El Pam answered them straight.
“Hand over the legendary item, and I’ll personally make sure you all reach 4th Circle.”
Everyone smirked.
‘Knew it.’
It was an absurd offer.
‘Ridiculous.’
At the same time, it made sense.
To adventurers, legendary items were priceless, and so were circle advancements.
Still, no one took El Pam’s proposal seriously.
“Deal.”
Except Ralph.
“Sounds good to me.”
“That’s plenty.”
“Sure, why not.”
In the end, they all accepted without hesitation.
The next day.
“El Pam Party, move out.”
8.
“Huh? Those camels are pitch black.”
When they saw the black camels—their ride to the Mystic Gate—everyone had the same question.
“We’re supposed to move in secret, right? Then why ride something this conspicuous?”
Riding these eye-catching camels was like advertising their destination.
El Pam had an answer.
“If something stands out in the desert and still survives, it means it has other strengths.”
Survival always had a reason.
“They’re faster than any other camel. And quiet.”
The black camels’ astonishing speed and silent steps were key.
“Practically like horses.”
It was jaw-dropping.
“Above all, in the desert, black camels look like shadows. Easy to mistake for fast monsters.”
Black camels were often treated as monsters rather than camels in Nihal Desert.
Perfect for stealthy travel in every way.
“Impressive.”
“That’s why they’re so rare. Got it now.”
“Deserts are such a pain. If it was the sea, we could just hop on a ship—no chasing us down.”
“Must cost a fortune.”
They all nodded and shared their thoughts.
El Pam was different.
‘Only the Sand Shadow Group can tame black camels.’
Sand Shadow Group.
‘They’re the ones trying to bring down Queen Areda.’
El Pam focused on the fact that Ariant Kingdom’s rebels were backing Prince Kasha.
‘If Prince Kasha knew their true nature, he wouldn’t ally with them.’
One thing was clear: Prince Kasha didn’t fully know who had provided the black camels.
Even if he wanted the throne over Queen Areda, joining forces with those who’d destroy the kingdom?
Impossible.
From the Sand Shadow Group’s view, though, Prince Kasha was an ideal partner.
The surest card to topple Queen Areda.
But El Pam’s concerns weren’t there.
‘The Sand Shadow Group fails.’
What mattered was that, in the history El Pam remembered, Queen Areda remained Ariant’s ruler to the end.
‘Because of internal issues.’
The Sand Shadow Group’s infighting was behind it.
That was what concerned El Pam now.
‘So that’s why this plan failed.’
Prince Kasha’s scheme didn’t fail due to lack of skill—there was a traitor among the gathered adventurers.
‘As expected.’
It was within El Pam’s predictions.
No surprise needed.
‘Queen Areda has the Black Mage’s followers behind her.’
She wasn’t running Ariant alone—something bigger was pulling the strings.
He’d known for a while.
In other words, El Pam knew that siding with Prince Kasha here would put him on the Black Mage followers’ hit list.
But he didn’t care.
‘I’m already marked.’
They had more than enough reasons to kill him already.
Now, he was certain.
‘And for some reason, the Black Mage’s followers can’t move right now.’
Their forces were vast beyond measure.
They could swallow the world if they wanted.
Yet they hid as much as possible.
‘Otherwise, Kania Merchant Group wouldn’t have vanished like that.’
Proof was the Kania Merchant Group.
The moment Goldrich might catch their tail, they cut it off without hesitation.
Out of weakness?
No.
‘Those vicious bastards.’
Patience? Even less likely.
‘They have no choice but to wait until that day.’
Something else was holding them back.
‘This is my chance.’
For El Pam, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity he couldn’t ignore.
Of course, he wasn’t dwelling on it now.
He didn’t ponder the Black Mage followers’ situation or their reasons.
It wasn’t something he could solve by thinking at this point.
Even if he figured it out, it wouldn’t matter.
‘I’ll get stronger first.’
Without power, he couldn’t act on any answers.
That was why.
The reason El Pam took Prince Kasha’s request.
“We’re here.”
Riding the black camels at top speed, El Pam’s party arrived soon enough.
“The Mystic Gate is inside. Remember: one week. You have to finish the adventure in one week.”
At the prince’s tomb.
“Go in now.”
9.
A small oasis.
Crossing the modest yellow-grade Mystic Gate there, a forest greeted El Pam’s party.
An ordinary forest.
That was it.
“Boss.”
“No one here?”
Not a single adventurer in sight.
“Weird.”
Dibo voiced the doubt.
This was a Mystic Gate where raiding mattered more than any other—shouldn’t adventurers be gathered, cooperating?
Yet not one?
“We must be first.”
The only explanation was what Kiri said: El Pam’s party was the first to enter.
“Well, let’s wait then.”
“First in? We deserve hazard pay.”
The others agreed.
El Pam was the exception.
After scanning the surroundings, he said:
“We’re the last.”
“What?”
“Ninety-four adventurers besides us have already entered.”
It made no sense.
“But why’s no one here? For a place like this, shouldn’t they be teaming up?”
The harder the Mystic Gate raid, the more adventurers cooperated—that was the unwritten rule.
Exactly.
“That’s why.”
“What?”
What El Pam could say for sure.
“It’s a legendary item on the line. Unwritten rules don’t apply.”
“Oh.”
Now the others got it.
“Yeah, people risk their lives for uniques—anything more, and cooperation’s out the window.”
They understood the stage they were on.
“Some are probably at the second floor by now.”
“Then we gotta move fast!”
Time to play the part.
“No.”
“What?”
To his companions, El Pam said:
“We’re spending six days on this first floor.”