Chapter 105
Chapter 105
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 105
>Chapter Title: Trace of the Destroyer
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Seeing the approaching Destroyer, Do-hyun felt his blood run cold.
It was a really faint sound, but the cave was so quiet that it carried.
A quick scan of the surroundings revealed no place to properly hide.
Moving would make footsteps.
‘This faint stealth is the problem.’
It couldn’t be helped since it wasn’t full stealth.
At this rate, he’d have no choice but to fight.
‘Should I ambush first? Or hide for now?’
Do-hyun’s mind, racing through the emergency, suddenly froze.
Swish.
‘Ugh, mmph!’
Turning his head instinctively, he saw red, bloodshot eyes staring at him from the endless darkness.
Ten centimeters? Maybe?
Close enough to hear the thing’s breathing.
Do-hyun barely stifled a groan that nearly burst out loud, his pupils shaking.
‘Holy shit… when did it get here?’
It had definitely been over there just moments ago. Was it a ghost?
[Hmm…?]
The silver lining was that it showed no sign of attacking.
It hadn’t noticed him right in front of its face, so it probably lacked the ability to detect stealth.
Makes sense—with that combat prowess, adding detection would be too overpowered.
‘…Chance?’
Do-hyun’s eyes shifted to its heart.
The heart emitting a red glow, possibly a Fragment of Fate. He could reach it with just a stretch.
If he struck while it was unaware, could he extract it?
He decided quickly.
‘Alright, even if I don’t eat it…’
But the Destroyer reached out faster.
‘…!?’
Do-hyun instinctively leaned back, dodging the suddenly extending hand.
He barely avoided it, but he saw the message.
[The Abyss Contractor who broke the taboo, ‘Destroyer Geymon,’ bestows ‘Horrific Nightmare.’]
[Those with lower stats than the caster will ‘instantly die’ upon contact with the nightmare.]
‘…What?’
Instant death?
An instant-death pattern? In just the second city?
There’s a difference between a boss’s ultimate doing massive damage that’s practically instant death, and one outright labeled as such.
Instant-death moves were reserved for Hero+ grade bosses and above.
‘This is insane…!’
Meaning this thing was at least Hero+ strength.
No way Do-hyun’s stats outmatched it.
He had to dodge no matter what.
The moment that thought flashed through his mind,
----
Black energy blasted from its hand.
It was an energy that could only be described as horrific.
Chilling mana, like swarming black bugs, blanketed the area in an instant, melting everything like acid poured over it.
Drip. Plop.
The wall in front of Destroyer Geymon melted unrecognizably, raining down like sludge.
[This should do it.]
If even a rat had been hiding, it would’ve been obliterated.
Satisfied, it exited the cave through the hole in the wall.
Thud, thud.
Hearing the footsteps fade, the man hiding behind Jerthik’s decapitated corpse finally exhaled.
[Mark has been created.]
“Whew… dodged death by a hair.”
He’d barely managed a back grab just before the Horrific Nightmare spread.
It was pure luck, nothing else.
The faint stealth broke upon using back grab, leaving him unable to hide for 300 seconds.
Huddled sloppily behind the corpse, one glance back from it would’ve exposed him.
-If you encounter it… evade at all costs.
Gamillion’s words from when he handed over the map suddenly came to mind.
He’d expected it to be strong since even the NPCs feared it and Gamillion warned him, but this exceeded imagination.
‘If an Abyss Contractor is this tough, how strong are the actual Abyss dwellers?’
Is this the level needed to end the Great War?
Considering the nerfed tutorial version of Abyss spawn was that strong, it made sense.
As Do-hyun caught his breath, having survived by sheer luck and aged a decade in the process,
-M-Master! Are you okay!?
-Li, Lizar!?
Zihad and Eliza came rushing in from afar, startled by the sudden cave collapse.
No wounds visible on them.
‘Looks like they hid well.’
Fortunately, they hadn’t caught the Destroyer’s eye.
Zihad, now right in front of him, spotted the fallen Jerthik and freaked out.
-Eek!? W-What? D-Dead?
-Li, Lizar!?
“Yeah… pretty much.”
-Wait, what happened, Master? What melted the wall? That guy who just left did all this?
Do-hyun glanced down again at the two panicking.
The corpse sprawled with its head severed.
So cleanly killed that no other wounds marred it, making it all the eerier.
“Feels creepy.”
Do-hyun frowned at Jerthik.
Even as an NPC, knowing the circumstances soured his mood.
A twinge of guilt too.
From the conversation with the Destroyer, it seemed Jerthik had been caught while hastily hiding.
If Do-hyun hadn’t run into it during the main quest, it wouldn’t have fled here.
‘This is the butterfly effect, huh.’
Coincidental, but Do-hyun’s presence had altered the story.
Feeling oddly unsettled, he approached where Jerthik’s head lay.
Might as well pray for his soul.
-Huh? What’re you doing, Master?
-Lizar?
Ignoring the tilting heads, Do-hyun closed the wide eyes and pondered briefly.
Then he propped the corpse up against the wall.
‘Yeah. Better this way.’
When the priests came for the body, better it look dignified than pathetically sprawled.
Satisfied, his gaze drifted to the hand.
“Damn, how pissed was he to still be clenching like that.”
Gripped so tight that blood had seeped out and clotted.
Since he was tidying up, Do-hyun pried the fist open to let it rest.
[Trace of the Destroyer discovered.]
[Trace of the Destroyer (2 / 2)]
[All Traces of the Destroyer collected. Return to Gamillion to complete the quest.]
“Huh?”
The sudden message.
Brain freeze brief, Do-hyun checked the palm and saw something small.
An object brimming with ominous energy at a glance.
-Ugh. What’s that, Master?
Zihad grimaced and stepped back, but Do-hyun stared blankly.
“…No way, that’s what it was?”
-Huh? That’s what? What is it?
It was such a clear clue.
The moment he saw ‘it,’ he instantly knew the culprit.
‘It wasn’t just taken down.’
Jerthik hadn’t gone helplessly.
In his final moment, he’d snatched crucial evidence from it and clutched it.
Perhaps using the one chance to counter and survive to secure proof instead.
Sheer tenacity bordering on madness.
‘Hoping a priest would find it someday.’
But that wouldn’t do.
If Do-hyun hadn’t checked, this evidence would’ve vanished pointlessly.
Now in his possession, things changed.
“That changes everything.”
Do-hyun’s lips curled up.
Destroyer Geymon—that monster—might actually be catchable.
* * *
[Main Quest ‘Second Fragment (1)’ cleared.]
[Massive experience gained.]
Back in Brion, Do-hyun reported to Gamillion and completed the quest.
Handing over the trace and roughly explaining the hidden field events, Gamillion’s face hardened.
“…Damn, him a Destroyer? The elders will lose it.”
“Shocking, yeah.”
Do-hyun felt the same.
Still absurd thinking about it.
“Anyway, evidence secured—relief. But… time’s the issue.”
The emergency meeting would soon end, and High Priest Gildeti would summon everyone from the first meeting.
The Destroyer Geymon—that monster—would come too.
The moment it thought it was safe was their only shot, but…
“Sir Rvebed heard and is rushing over just in case. Even at best speed, Brion’s an hour away… two at worst.”
Problem: Key forces like Rvebed and the Holy Knights would take time.
They had to hold it before it fled, but no way to restrain it now.
Well, there was one, but it was absurd.
“It contracted with an Abyss Named. Only the Holy Knights could match it.”
“Yeah… I barely survived. Insanely strong.”
Its power defied common sense.
If it weren’t cautious, he’d have failed the quest at Lirar Temple.
“Other temples have knights, but sudden accompaniment would raise suspicion.”
That cunning type would notice.
It’d blown away a cave wall just to eliminate a faint noise’s risk.
If that monster went berserk, casualties would mount.
Couldn’t let that happen.
‘Worst: slaughters before Rvebed arrives and vanishes.’
It’d hidden once; twice wouldn’t be hard.
Suspected of holding a Fragment of Fate—couldn’t lose it easily.
“So… how about this?”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
Thus, since getting the evidence, Do-hyun had pondered nonstop.
How to navigate this impasse.
After much thought, one answer.
If it went to plan, they could hold till Rvebed arrived—and maybe even capture it.
“…Too dangerous, Successor. I know you’re exceptional, but… you’re still growing.”
Gamillion freaked at the plan, waving it off.
Too risky.
But Do-hyun’s eyes were firm.
“High risk, high return. Big danger, but success means a huge payoff.”
“…Can’t argue.”
“No other way. I take the biggest risk, but it’s not just me.”
After brief hesitation, Gamillion nodded.
“True… no other method.”
“Exactly.”
No better idea came.
Gamillion sighed, bowing his head.
“Then… shamelessly, I ask your help, Successor.”
“Sure. Just handle what I requested.”
“Of course. Don’t worry.”
As they exchanged smirks,
“Ah, there you are. High Priest Gildeti issued an emergency summons—didn’t you hear? Everyone from the meeting, come now.”
A priest rushed up, breathless, explaining.
Ding-.
[Emergency Meeting wait time ended.]
[Quest ‘Emergency Meeting’ completed.]
[Linked Quest ‘Emergency Assembly’ generated.]
[Emergency Assembly]
-Rank: Rare+
-Description: Gildeti, finishing the emergency meeting, seems about to relay major news.
All meeting attendees must attend; refusal may brand you a ‘Destroyer.’
-Quest Success: Linked Quest ‘???’ generated.
-Quest Failure: Risk unwarranted suspicion.
[Current forced linked quest in progress. All quests chained until completion.]
‘Time to go.’
The decisive moment had arrived.