Find the Golden Dartboard (1)
"Where is this?"
The place we'd been transported to wasn't the Tower. It looked like some kind of forest.
"Looks like we made it out of the Tower, doesn't it?"
"Yeah. It sure seems that way."
"Haha. I really thought I was going to die."
Judging by the message that had appeared before us, we'd been granted five days of rest — which meant we'd left the Tower and returned to Korea.
You have departed the Tower of Death.
A rest period of 5 days has been granted.
"Ssaem. I really am alive, right?"
Jin-hwan ran his hands over himself, checking every inch as if he couldn't believe he was still breathing. Vivid red blood was still seeping from his neck, and the phantom press of a blade lingered against his skin with startling clarity. He still couldn't quite accept that he was intact.
"Yeah, you idiot. You even think about pulling that again and I swear you'll actually die."
"But what the hell just happened?"
"That's right. After that strange man showed up, we all just blacked out..."
"Exactly. What on earth went on back there?"
Everyone except Kang Ha-seong and me had been unconscious. Then, the moment they came to, word went out that a hidden item had been found — and just like that, the Floor of Sacrifice was over. No wonder they were all so lost. Something had clearly happened while they'd been out cold, but they had no idea what.
"So, what actually happened back there was—"
"Hold on. I need a word with you."
I'd been about to tell them everything when Kang Ha-seong caught my shoulder.
What's this about?
I wasn't sure why he needed to talk privately, but I set the explanation aside and followed him away from the others. Once we'd put some distance between ourselves and the group, Kang Ha-seong approached me slowly.
"Do you know anything about Dragon Agents?"
It didn't seem like he was asking because of what he'd just overheard. The fact that he was bringing it up at all meant he already knew something about it.
"...Dragon Agents. So that means you know about the Struggle too?"
"Of course. I know about the Struggle."
Kang Ha-seong already knew. Which meant there was a good chance he'd received the same Epic Quest that Jin-hwan and I had.
"Were you chosen as a Dragon Agent too?"
"No. I haven't been chosen yet."
"That Park Jin-hwan kid already looks like he's been chosen by the Black Dragon, though."
"Yeah, that's right."
Kang Ha-seong had already figured it out. Then again, the Black Dragon had said as much right in front of everyone. It would've been stranger if he hadn't noticed.
"The Black Dragon said something. That he could smell the White Dragon on you, too."
"Of course he could. I've got the White Dragon with me. You saw him yourself."
"You've got him with you... wait. I saw him? Don't tell me you mean that little thing about the size of a wyvern?"
"That's the one."
Kang Ha-seong looked mildly stunned. Not that I could blame him. I hadn't expected the White Dragon to be such a spoiled little glutton either.
"Haha. Are you messing with me right now?"
"I'm not. That little guy really is the White Dragon."
"...You're serious?"
"Yeah. It's driving me crazy too — the fact that I have to get chosen as his Agent, I mean."
"Huh? You have to be chosen by the White Dragon?"
Kang Ha-seong looked faintly puzzled. I couldn't understand why. My Epic Quest was to be chosen by the White Dragon — what was so strange about that?
"Why does that surprise you?"
"Because I have to be chosen by the White Dragon too."
"What?"
"My Epic Quest is to become the White Dragon's Agent as well."
"Wait — so that's why the Black Dragon said..."
The Black Dragon had said he could smell the White Dragon on both of us. It must have been because we'd both received quests that would let us be chosen as his Agent.
"Haha. This is absurd. But if you've got the White Dragon with you, why haven't you been chosen yet?"
"I think the little guy's got amnesia."
"Amnesia?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but when the White Dragon died and hatched again, it seems like he lost all his previous memories."
I had no idea when the Struggle would begin, and whether the White Dragon's memories would return by then was anyone's guess. More of them seemed to come back with each evolution, but I had no idea how many times he'd need to evolve — or how much food that would take. I filled Kang Ha-seong in, and we agreed to put the matter of being chosen as Agents on hold for now.
"So why did you stop me from telling the others what happened?"
"That?"
There had to be a reason he'd cut me off the moment I'd tried to explain.
"You know what the Struggle is, don't you?"
"...I don't, actually."
"Haha. So that's why you were about to tell them."
"What exactly is the Struggle that's got you so worked up?"
The Struggle. Honestly, beyond the fact that we'd participate as Agents of the Dragons, I didn't know a thing about it. I'd assumed it was mainly about fighting as their champions, but from the way Kang Ha-seong was talking, there was clearly more to it.
"The Struggle, where the Dragons' Agents fight. And the Holy Grail, awarded to the one who wins it."
"The Holy Grail?"
"That's right. Do you know what that Holy Grail actually means?"
I shook my head, and Kang Ha-seong began to explain.
"When I started the Epic Quest related to the Struggle, it told me this."
He who possesses the Holy Grail
shall rule this world.
"...Rule the world?"
"I can't say for certain, but given everything that's happened so far, there's a pretty good chance that's exactly what it means."
Rule the world. Those words carried enormous weight. This wasn't some petty thing like being ranked first in Korea, or holding political power. It meant possessing the ability to do whatever you wanted with this world. That, it seemed, was the true meaning of the Struggle.
"That's why I told you not to say anything. It'd be a problem if the others found out about this."
"...Then why are you telling me? I didn't know about any of this either."
"Well, I overheard you talking with Geum Bit-na-ra, actually."
If he meant the conversation I'd had with Geum Bit-na-ra, that would've been the one we'd shared before the Floor of Sacrifice began.
Those words from Kang Ha-seong meant he trusted me. Granted, that was assuming he didn't get it first.
"Got it. I'll come up with something to tell the others."
"Thanks."
With that, we wrapped up our conversation and headed back to the group.
"So, what fun little secret were you two whispering about?"
"It was nothing."
Geum Bit-na-ra kept hovering at my side, needling me, clearly dying to know what Kang Ha-seong and I had talked about. I told her and the others that while they'd been unconscious, an Administrator had shown up and said there seemed to have been some kind of error with an item.
"Oh my? So that man back then was the Planet Administrator?"
I shrugged — neither confirming nor denying it — and in their minds, the Black Dragon had just been recast as the Administrator.
Either way, that was enough of an explanation. Everyone agreed to make use of the time we'd been given however they saw fit. We were outside the Tower of Death now, with five days to work with and no idea what might happen once we went back in. Everyone would prepare in their own way.
Most of the group scattered, leaving just Jin-hwan and me.
"Ssaem. Here's a Return Scroll to Busan."
"Thanks."
Jin-hwan handed me the Return Scroll, said he'd go on ahead, and used his own.
Whoosh.
Guess I'll head back too. It's been a while.
I hadn't been down to Busan since coming up to Seoul, and I was curious how everyone was doing. I also just wanted to sit down and have a meal with my family for the first time in ages. I was just about to use the Return Scroll when a voice called out from behind me.
"Heading straight home?"
I turned around. Geum Bit-na-ra was walking toward me at an unhurried pace — apparently she hadn't left yet.
"Of course. Why do you ask?"
"Because I had a feeling you'd have it."
"Have what?"
"The Golden Dart."
The Golden Dart. I'd gotten a few of them, that much was true — but I had no idea how to use them, so they'd just been sitting in my inventory. Why was she asking about them all of a sudden?
"You know how to use these?"
"No. I don't."
"What?"
"But she does."
Geum Bit-na-ra pointed behind a tree as she said it. A figure slowly stepped out from behind it.
Yu Mi-ri?
Yu Mi-ri. The one with the Treasure Hunter class. I'd thought she'd already left, but there she was, trudging toward us with a look of pure inconvenience on her face.
"You want him to come with us too?"
"Yeah. You know he's pretty capable."
"I was hoping it'd just be the two of us, you know."
Yu Mi-ri didn't look particularly thrilled about having another person added to the party.
"You never know what might happen there, right? And he's pretty strong. You said you didn't like that Rank One guy anyway."
"Well, that's true."
Yu Mi-ri looked like she was agreeing because she didn't have much choice. At the very least, she didn't seem opposed to me coming along.
"Why don't you like Kang Ha-seong?"
"It's personal. Don't ask."
"Well, if it's personal..."
Yu Mi-ri and Kang Ha-seong. Did they already know each other? Whatever the case, they didn't seem to be on good terms. Then Geum Bit-na-ra added her own two cents.
"I don't like that bastard either. He's already ranked first, isn't he? If he gets any stronger, he'll just be a pain."
"......"
Was Geum Bit-na-ra keeping Kang Ha-seong in check because he was ranked first? But by that logic, she should've been keeping me in check too — I was ranked third. There were plenty of other people she could've gone with, so I couldn't figure out why she specifically wanted me along. I didn't bother asking.
The Golden Dart. If I could figure out how to use these, they might actually help us climb the Tower of Death.
"So how do you actually use these Golden Darts?"
"Well... there's something called a Golden Dartboard."
"A Golden Dartboard?"
As she said it, Yu Mi-ri pulled out a map.
"Shall we go find it, then? The Golden Dartboard."